Gear Patrol

At the invitation of the Hyatt Key West, we shacked up there for a long weekend to explore the island, the last stop in the Keys. While the other Keys are known for their beaches (Bahia Honda), diving (Key Largo) and fishing (Marathon), Key West is known principally for its eccentricity: it’s the place that values individuality, the arts, fresh seafood, rowdy bars, polydactyl cats and drag shows. The Hyatt is refuge amid the stir.

Every guy has dreamed of living the Bond life at some point in time. What man wouldn’t want to drive missile-equipped Aston Martins, blow through government slush funds on the tables of Monaco and spar with Grace Jones in bed woo every striking woman in a 200 mile radius while drinking the finest champagne? Practicing…

Of course you want to go somewhere nice on vacation — the problem is so does everyone else. You could spend your vacation at that all-inclusive fighting over a cabana with a lovely couple from Omaha, or you could man up and take yourself and the significant other to a real tropical destination. Located in…

For outdoorsy types who still want the indoorsy amenities of a fine hotel, consider the Resort at Paws Up, a lux-ranch in Greenough, Montana, about 25 miles from Missoula. Amid scenery straight out of A River Runs Through It (literally — the movie was filmed nearby), you can choose daily activities including ATV riding, fly-fishing,…

Attrap’ Rêves (or dreamcatcher in English), is an innovative French hotel chain located in the Alps, Provence, and Côtes d’Azur regions, geared towards eco-friendly travelers who dream of sleeping under an open night sky with all of the comforts of home. Each bubble stands roughly 10 feet high by 14 feet wide, and comes equipped…

Part childhood camp, part adult retreat, all neo-luddite, Camp Wandawega proves relaxation doesn’t have to involve iPads and DVRs. In lieu of technology, Wandawega’s camp counselors — oh yes, there are counselors — are happy to point you to activities like lake fishing, archery, various court sports, or one of the many other non-internet-connected activities…

With just 20 bungalows strewn across 99-acres of mountainside in Mexican wine country, Endemico Resguardo Silvestre might be the best reason to go South of the Border yet. Designed with eco-friendly mentality the demure, yet capacious rooms (each measures about 215 sq ft), called EcoLofts, are built from corten steel and elevated from the ground…

All hotels are judged on their location, amenities, and service, but a unique sense of style is usually what separates the good from the remarkable. San Francisco’s historic Clift has all of these qualities in ample supply. Since being opened in 1915 on the corner of Geary and Taylor St., the luxury hotel has offered…

It may be -26°F outside, but inside the comfort of your thermal glass igloo, it’s far from rough. With a campus of 20 glass ensconced igloos, Igloo Village in Kakslauttanen, Finland is a star-gazing bonanza. Capture views of the Northern Lights and Arctic stars while you bask in a fully appointed room dome complete with…

With an ambiance centered around summer activities ranging from ping pong to kiteboarding and amenities ranging from a sand-filled pool to an open-air beer garden, staying at Ruschmeyer’s ($250+) is a bit like walking onto the set of Wet Hot American Summer. Even the blondes walking in from the beaches seem to have an Elizabeth…

If you’ve got a proclivity for the gadgets (as in your tech gear needs a bag of its own), a bit of the design bug and also happen to find yourself in London, there’s really only one hotel for you. A cross between British bespoke and Apple Store, central London’s Eccleston Square Hotel boasts enough…

If we were to quickly surmise what the Mondrian SoHo hotel is in just 8 words it might be along the lines of: “you might just think you’re a celebrity, also.” Perhaps it’s the crowd, casual meets jetset, or the river of high-heeled women, or highly-tuned design but it wouldn’t surprise us if the hotel…

If someone were to ask you where to find one of the world’s best getaways, your first instinct might not be East Tennessee. But an easy drive from Knoxville, TN at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains you’ll find Blackberry Farms — 4,200 bucolic acres of pure getaway grandeur. A farm with a penchant…

Drive three hours south of Sydney to New South Wales’ Jervis Bay and tucked away on preserved land you’ll find Paperbark Camp. Founded in 1998 by Irena and Jeremy Hutching, the eco-friendly glamping upscale camping lodge touts everything from white-sand beaches with secret coves to pre-breakfast kangaroo spotting. Canoeing and torch-lit night hikes through eucalyptus…

Located in Oracabessa, on the north coast of Jamaica, the GoldenEye Resort isn’t a kitschy hommage to the classic game where you can play real-life scenarios of pistols, license to kill, in the Complex — not that we wouldn’t love that. But it does, however, have James Bond lineage. Once home to Ian Fleming, where…

Maybe one day, we’ll all live in houses that blend in so closely with their surroundings they simply vanish into the environment. Until then we’ll just have to settle on innovative offerings in the hospitality industry, like the Treehotel in Northern Sweden. One of their several surreal treehomes, the Mirrorcube, designed by architects Tham &…

Once you’ve driven your way up California’s incredible US 101 highway into Oregon, turned onto the winding “authorized vehicles only” one-lane road, and made your way to the end, what lies ahead can only be described as one of the most spectacular lighthouse locations in North America. Perched on a 205 foot headland, 13 miles…

A five-star hotel it may not be, but in our book Ten Broeck Cottage is even better. Nestled on 8 acres of apple orchard in Hudson, New York (two hours north of the city) the 3 bedroom cottage is a blend of historical and modern amenities. Exposed beams and 15″ wide plank flooring are juxtaposed…

Want to be taken away? Well, you must consider Vietnam. Take everything you’ve come to know or partially understand about the country as you’ve seen through the mass media and turn it all on its collective head. This picturesque sliver of a country is a true escape from some of what we’ve come to know…

After quite a few reader requests for hotel, destination, adventure and travel recommendations, we’re embarking on a new series of posts called Stay. Culled together from both crew and reader insights, Stay will highlight both exciting and achievable travel along with occasional travel-related gear endorsements. Consider it an ongoing series to satiate your travel bug….

Be honest with yourself: at one point in your life (for some of us more recently) you dreamt about being Fritz from The Swiss Family Robinson, evading tigers, fighting pirates and living in the trees. Well, there’s an app er… place for that. Gentle readers, welcome to Finca Bellavista, a sustainable tree-house community tucked away…