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SPOTS POUSADA DE CASCAIS CASCAIS, PORTUGAL A fter a 20-minute taxi ride from Lisbon Airport, I arrived at the quaint historic town of Cascais. Once a fishing village and quiet summer retreat for the Portuguese royal family, Cascais has become a cultural destination for European jet-setters and celebrities. Located on the Atlantic coastline beneath the Sintra mountain range — where there's a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site — Cascais is the perfect combination of ocean scenery, lush mountains, golf courses and culture. I stayed at the Pousada de Cascais, Cidadela Historic Hotel & Arts District. The hotel, classified as a national monument, was L ocated in High Holborn, the Rosewood London whispers gentlemanly style with an Edwardian- era courtyard that cocoons one from the bustle of rush-hour traffic. I was checked into a garden-house suite on the rooftop, which has the most decadent decor, a marble bath, leathered closet, dining room and rooftop terrace with breathtaking views of London's rooftops. It was divine in every way — and, yes, the suite came with a personal butler. The next morning, before my departure to Heathrow Airport, I had breakfast at the Holborn Dining Room, a grand brasserie-style restaurant that serves locally sourced British cuisine amidst rich red- leather banquettes, copper bars and antique mirrors. Afternoon tea is served in the Mirror Room, an intimate restaurant walled with decorative mirrors; to my dismay, the brevity ROSEWOOD LONDON HOT SUMMER COOL YOUR JETS — WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF ISLANDS, BOUTIQUE RESORTS AND CHARMING HOTELS TO SOOTHE YOUR WANDERLUST. PAPERCITY EDITOR AT LARGE MAX TROWBRIDGE TAKES A JAUNT, WITH POSH STOPS IN PORTUGAL AND ENGLAND. A DASH ACROSS THE POND TO LISBON AND LONDON Arrival at Pousada de Cascais is through the 16th-century archway of the fortress The cobbled courtyard entrance to Pousada de Cascais, lined with studios and art galleries, is the center of the hotel's arts district. The hotel's heritage is mixed with a modern architectural restoration. Gin Bar in the Holborn Dining Room at Rosewood London Wrought-iron gates open to the courtyard at Rosewood London. The Garden House Suite terrace with a view across the rooftops of London MEXICO, SIMPLY JUNGLED P laya del Carmen's renovated Mahekal Beach Resort is the perfect fusion of laid-back luxury and smart modernity — like vacationing in a lush seaside jungle with Swiss Family Robinson. When I arrived in the spring, a drizzle fell as the concierge led me to a third-story bungalow, one of 196 palapa-style rooms, none of which have televisions — perfect for digital detox. Co-owned by Lamont Meek (COO of Dallas– based Circa Capital), Mahekal has five restaurants and bars, three pools of an ocean blue-green hue, a gym, aquatics center and the new Revive Spa. One can snorkel along the Mesoamerican Reef with sea turtles and stingrays; tour Mayan ruins in nearby Tulum; float into tranquility with a massage at Revive; or partake in an on-site pottery class taught by a local artist. The culinary offerings are just as wild: Order the Chilean sea bass at Fuego; for lunch, go al fresco and request a traditional Mayan meal of lime soup and fish Tikin Xic; for dinner, let executive chef Crescenciano Nerey work his magic. Give it three days, and wanderlust will be sated. Rooms start at $249. Mahekal Beach Resort, Calle 38 Norte, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo Mexico 77710, 877.235.4452, mahekalbeachresort.com. Linden Wilson Oceanfront bungalow at Mahekal Beach Resort USEPPA ISLAND I t's been inhabited for more than 10,000 years (first by Paleo-Indians) but remains one of Florida's best-kept secrets. I had never heard of Useppa until a stay with my mother- in-law, who informed us that the owners, Gar Beckstead and family, had invited us to Useppa Island Club for lunch. The island is only accessible by boat and open strictly to club members and their guests, which means minimal traffic (unless golf carts count). The island is only one mile long and a third of a mile wide. Aside from world-class tarpon fishing and boating, genteel country club sports such as croquet, tennis, chess and cocktailing rule. Banyan trees covered with orchids and other tropical vegetation provide epic archways over the Pink Promenade, which travels along the central ridge of the island and was originally constructed of crushed shells and pink sand in 1903. The rooms at the Collier Inn and the Island Rooms & Suites evoke old Florida; you can also purchase one of the precious beach cottages sprinkled across the island. We learned at the Barbara L. Sumwalt Museum, which is dedicated to preserving Useppa's history, that the island was developed in 1894 by Chicago streetcar tycoon John M. Roach, who built a hotel for his friends. New York advertising exec/developer Barron G. Collier purchased it in 1906 as his private vacation estate and hosted Herbert Hoover, the Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers, the Rothschilds and Gloria Swanson. The U.S. government used Useppa as a base for the Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba. Beckstead acquired the island in 1976 and is devoted to restoring Useppa's elegance and preserving its tropical beauty. Useppa Island Club, 239.283.1061, useppa.com. Anne Lee Phillips The thatched lobby of Mahekal CHRIS WIMPEY of my stay deprived me of the experience. On departure, the concierge ensured that I left in great British style: I arrived at Paddington station in a black Jaguar to take the Heathrow Express to the airport. Since my visit, the hotel has opened Gin Bar within the Holborn Dining Room, and gastronomic delicacies are now available at Holborn Delicatessen, where you'll find chutneys, cheeses, chocolates and delicious pastries by executive pastry chef Mark Perkins. Visit The Terrace for al fresco dining and cocktails, which was recently transformed by landscape architect Luciano Giubbilei into a quintessential English garden, hedged with lush greenery serving seasonal food and drinks. Rooms start at $545. Rosewood London, 252, High Holborn, London. Reservations 888.767.3966, rosewoodhotels.com. once a 16th-century fortress built to defend the coast from pirates and enemy attacks. Today the fort, set above the Marina of Cascais, is a hotel within an arts district — a new concept, and the first in Europe. Open art studios and galleries surround the hotel's cobbled courtyard. All are for the use of residing artists, and an on-site art concierge educates visitors about the local talent. The modern design balances the heritage of the fort perfectly. Guest rooms juxtapose the ancient and contemporary, with modern furniture contrasting with 16th-century fort walls and a balcony offering stunning views of the Marina of Cascais and the Atlantic Ocean. Rooms start at $225. Pestana Cidadela Cascais, Cidadela de Cascais, Avenida D, Carlos I, 2750-310, Cascais, Portugal. Reservations 800.745.8883, pestana.com. Useppa Island Club Country club ambiance at Useppa