5 Bold & Beautiful Getaways to Google

1. In London's beautiful St James district, between Piccadilly and Green Park, Dukes has a pedigree stretching back centuries. The rooms marry traditional flavors with a hint of modern appeal, and the service is discreet but superb. Dukes's crowning glory, however, is its food and drink. Michelin-starred chef Nigel Mendham heads up the restaurant, while the martini bar is the reason for James Bond's favorite tipple: Ian Fleming used to drink here. It shouldn't take long for you to dive in too.

2. One of Europe's grandest resort hotels, Adare Manor represents the best of everything about Ireland: centuries of history, architectural opulence, authentic cuisine, ancient ruins, world class golf, every imaginable sporting activity, an indulgent spa and, of course, the famous Irish hospitality at every turn. Between the town of Adare and the resort, this is truly Ireland in microcosm, and there is little need to go anyplace else to enjoy a luxurious taste of the Emerald Isles.

3. Housed in the historic former home of the San Francisco Chronicle , The Ritz-Carlton Club, San Francisco presents a different way to see the City by the Bay. These are Club Residences, not rooms; with at least 1,275 square feet of space, the one- or two-bedroom Club Residences make guests feel like they're Market Street apartment-owners rather than visitors. A 24-hour on-site concierge, a private 12th-floor lounge and twice-daily housekeeping complete the picture: This is the Ritz-Carlton way to do San Francisco.

4. Set in a 1926 landmark building in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood, the first outpost of Ian Schrager's PUBLIC brand bears the hotelier's perfectionist signature in everything from the custom-designed lighting and "no-color" palette to the cluster of chandeliers and giant clock with a backward-moving hand in the lobby. Overall, the effect is soothing, but the historic Pump Room - onetime host to the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra - draws a lively crowd for its reimagined, ultra-chic interiors and Jean-Georges Vongerichten-crafted menu

5. With some of the best views of the Colosseum - and standing right on the Ludus Magnus, the site of an ancient gladiator school - the 16-room Palazzo Manfredi winks at its aristocratic Roman background but is distinctly modern, from Italian designer Maria-Renata Fimiani's opulent interiors to Giuseppe di Iorio's inventive Mediterranean restaurant, Aroma.