Travel Tuesdays

New York City in November is not the most pleasant place to be right now. The weather lately has been wet, rainy, windy, and pretty much just miserable. So I am introducing my new weekly Travel Tuesday feature to help get us through the winter! Forbes Traveler is one of my favorite luxury travel sites, and I love looking at their "Inspirations" section for trip ideas. From a listing of the most luxurious spas in the world to some of the world's most expensive private islands, I'm not quite sure who can afford to visit all of these destinations, but there is certainly something for everyone.

A few weeks ago, Forbes came out with their Forbes Traveler 400, a list of the world's top 400 hotels and resorts. There are way too many to choose from, but I picked ten that caught my eye. Happy Travels! (Or at least some good daydreams!)

The World's Very Best Hotels & Resorts

Auberge du Soleil
Napa Valley
California

When it opened more than two decades ago, Auberge du Soleil helped launch the wine country's luxury revolution with its Mediterranean-style rooms, suites and private maisons spread over 33 acres of Tuscan-like hillside 90 minutes north of San Francisco. The Auberge began as a Provençal-style restaurant with prime vineyard views and an equally eye-catching menu. Eventually, terra-cotta-colored rooms and annexes were added, as was the grand tiled pool shrouded in olive trees, and more recently a sculpture gallery with 110 earthen pieces -- all positioned to maximize the surrounding vineyards and redwoods. Auberge du Soleil means "Inn of the Sun" in French, and this now trailblazing retreat continues to shine bright despite a plethora of ambitious upstarts.

Curtain Bluff
Antigua

One of the pioneers of Caribbean pampering, Curtain Bluff has been around since the days when Kennedy was president, Elvis was king and The Beverly Hillbillies ruled the airwaves. Yet this upscale all-inclusive seems as fresh today as in 1962, when it was the only thing on Antigua's southwest coast. There still aren't very many neighbors, the seclusion assured by Curtain Bluff's location on a private peninsula. True to its name, the resort sprawls like a great muslin cloth along a golden beach and the adjoining rocky heights. Longtime owner Howard Hulford works hard to cultivate a chummy atmosphere for guests, partly by inviting them to his bluff-top home for a weekly cocktail fling. Hulford is also proud of the resort's copious cigar selection and a wine reserve that runs 25,000 bottles strong -- best cellar in the entire region.

Hotel Cipriani
Venice
Italy

To walk a few steps from Piazza San Marco, pick up a telephone and summon a gleaming teak boat to ferry you across the lagoon, away from the crowds, and back to your hotel standing on its own island is an exquisite experience. In a city that is awash with luxury, the Cipriani sets itself apart thanks to its location, its commitment to old-school indulgence and its illustrious history. Since it opened in 1958, when la dolce vita was at its most dolce, it has been one of the world's great hotels, and it's lost none of its luster over the years, imbuing the summer months (it's open only April to October) with opulence and luxury.

Caneel Bay
St. John
U.S. Virgin Islands

Caneel Bay has the manners of a well-bred country club, yet with a rustic soul and, of course, Caribbean breezes. Spread over some 170 acres folded into the protected grounds of the 5,000-acre Virgin Islands National Park, this Laurance Rockefeller legacy began its life offering luxury camping. That green mentality continues today, its buildings blending into the park landscape, with no phones or TVs in the rooms; the underlying philosophy is a complete disconnect from the jangle of urban life. Assisting in that effort are the resort’s seven separate beaches.

Hotel Santa Caterina
Amalfi
Italy

Set on the coastal road just ten minutes from the center of Amalfi, the Hotel Santa Caterina's location and sensibility feel happily removed from the tourist fray of the charming but often overcrowded resort town. Endowed with sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea and perfumed by lemons and oranges from its terraced citrus groves, the hotel exudes an airy, classic chic and the dignity that comes of being family-run since it opened a century ago. Livery-wearing attendants have welcomed the likes of Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt in the bougainvillea-filled circular driveway.

Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort
County Limerick
Ireland

On the banks of the River Maigue, this American-owned imposing Tudor Gothic mansion was home for the earls of Dunraven; the atmosphere still feels familial, albeit a family long on history and wealth. The iconic property maintains the 19th century's fascination with the medieval, with stone arches, heavy wood and decorated ceilings; the centerpiece is the "Minstrels Gallery," a 132-feet-long room (Ireland's second largest). Outside, the 840 acres provide plenty of distraction, especially in the beautiful huge gardens and the little namesake village nearby, one of Ireland's most picturesque. Sights like the Ring of Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher are close enough for day trips.

one&only Palmilla
San Jose del Cabo
Mexico

Since its opening in 1956, when it was reachable only by private plane, Palmilla has been the grandam of Los Cabos. In recent years, newer five-star resorts like Las Ventanas and Esperanza began luring away its exclusive clientele, but then One & Only bought the property and spent $90 million on renovations and additions, reopening in 2004 with a big splash hosting John Travolta's 50th birthday party. People who feared the resort had been destroyed were pleased to find that its bones remained intact. However, the atmosphere is considerably glitzier than the understated elegance of the Palmilla of old, with a new celebrity-chef restaurant, flashy uniforms, butlers and suites that would pass muster in Dubai.

Sooke Harbour House
Vancouver Island
British Columbia

Serving sublime organic Pacific Northwest cuisine and holding numerous wine awards, Sinclair and Frederique Philips' Sooke Harbour House, a 45-minute drive southwest of Victoria on Vancouver Island, is better known for its food than its accommodation. But the charming white clapboard inn, on a quiet residential street with windswept gardens facing the beach and ocean, has a cult following among discerning weekenders who come for the fresh sea air, rural peace and quiet and beautiful seaview rooms.

Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest
Budapest
Hungary

Palace, indeed: This Art Nouveau jewel is located so centrally that you could imagine the famous Chain Bridge over the Danube was installed just to lead up to its door. Originally built in 1904, the building was fully refurbished and reopened as a Four Seasons in 2003, bringing life back to a decrepit building caked with soot. Today, the facade is a gleaming white, and the lobby is adorned with decorative tiling, gorgeous stained glass and wrought-iron gates bearing images of peacocks. By preserving and emphasizing historical details (Art Nouveau corridor carpets, for instance), the hotel retained its essential Hungarian character without making the place feel like a museum piece.

Four Seasons Resort Lana'i, Manele Bay
Lanai
Hawaii

Set on high lava bluffs along Lanai’s dry and hot southern coast, this Four Seasons overlooks dolphin-popular Hulopoe Beach (a five-minute walk away) and feels a million miles from everything. That’s not surprising, of course, since Lanai is practically a private island to itself, with only 30 miles of paved road and no traffic signals. There is another Four Seasons here (taken over from Castle & Cooke Resorts), but as the other is the English-style Lodge at Koele, in the island’s interior, this is your best waterfront option. With a large beach and a Jack Nicklaus oceanfront golf course (and since tiny Lanai is not built for extensive sightseeing), the emphasis is on totally unplugging.