I was welcomed to Lumeria by a handful of Surinam cherries, picked for me by the concierge as he walked me to my corner room, overlooking the sugarcane slope down to the deepening sunset and the twinkling lights of Maui’s western shore. Those who visit this holistic health resort call it a magical place. They come up with all sorts of reasons for this magic, which the ambience can hardly contradict–a harmonious vibration in the earth, they say, or a commitment to purity in the comforts they provide, or a an intentional consciousness brought to every encounter. Even the most skeptical will be struck by what owner Xorin Balbes calls their ethic of living from the heart.

Built in a former convalescent home, Lumeria is far more than the sum of its twenty rooms, community dining room, and collection of yoga studios and treatment hales.

The grounds are a tastefully tamed jungle of edible plants and native flora in which colored lanterns hide, making themselves known only about he time that evening meditation starts. At the back of the property, a saltwater infinity pool faces the ocean, offering a peaceful view along with the soothing properties that are known to tranquilize and even help certain skin disorders. At the other side is the whispering pine forest, where Lumeria’s repeat guests…of which there are many…recommend midnight meditation sessions while gazing up into the immanent stars.

A verdant courtyard, anchored by a spacious yoga platform, is surrounded with garden furniture discreetly screened by trees hung with stained glass lanterns. The lobby’s central parlor is a study in calming opulence, part Balinese temple and part New Age elemental. The rooms are decorated in elegant minimalism, with four-poster teak beds spread in snowy linen, slate-tiled bathrooms stocked with Aveda products, and a stone-floor shower.

With locally crafted meals, classes, and meditation and yoga sessions all included, the Lumeria experience is a one-of-a-kind retreat that will surprise, delight and rejuvenate both new visitors to the island and those looking for something more.

 
As the song says, “everything is up to date in Kansas City”–at least as far as The Fontaine is concerned. Formerly called Hotel Sorella, a walk into this hotel lobby, just steps from the Country Club Plaza’s winding canal and lighted streets, is like opening your grandmother’s jewel box and finding a Fabergé egg.

The demure 132 rooms are balanced by a soaring lobby, an amply proportioned atrium/cafe, a set of conference rooms and ballroom, and a rooftop restaurant and bar. In all of these, the classic luxury element is bumped up to eleven with whimsical opulence. Dazzling white marble, purple Venetian glass, heavy red brocade, tufted leather and polished wood are mixed in a pastiche of imposing baroque and tongue-in-cheek mod. The suites offer a quieter feel in terms of decor, but still impress with walk-in rainfall showers, sumptuous feathertop mattresses, and a motion-activated mini bar.

The decidedly new-school glamor is emphasized by summer nights at the poolside bar on the hotel rooftop. Don’t be surprised to see bikini-clad bright young things milling in the lobby, escorted by muscly gentlemen. But the hotel keeps it classy, corralling the pool action behind a full wall fireplace, on the other side of which patrons of the hotel’s restaurant enjoy locally sourced food and sweeping views of Kansas City’s surprising urban side.

 
Denver’s split personality—bastion of outdoor adventure, and outpost of modern entrepreneurship–takes on a new dimension when you visit the purlieus of Laramie Street…and in particular, when you stay at the Hotel Teatro.

Built in the former home of the Denver Tramway, the hotel maintains a Renaissance Revival aesthetic true to its roots, while paying homage to the Denver Centre for the Performing Arts with an ingenious motif: walls are decorated with black and white stills from past productions of classic plays.

The diminutive 110-room hotel seduces you with an ingenue’s elegance into a nostalgic state of mind, with Deco-style decor and old-fashioned service, but offers amenities that are thoroughly up to date, like a rainforest shower, free Wifi in all rooms, and flat-screen televisions in both bedroom and bathroom. I could happily live the life of an artist-in-residence in one of the Hotel Teatro’s corner king suites, enjoying glimpses of Rocky Mountains framed by downtown Denver’s new/old architecture, within earshot of 14th’s Street’s rooftop, and only steps away from the vibrant Laramie Street.

Along with Darjeeling tea-infused products from London’s Plantation Apothecary, the Hotel Teatro offers one of the best soaking tubs I’ve ever come across. The only reason to get out of it, in my view, is the excellent happy hour in the downstairs bar. The judicious selection of wine, locally crafted beers, and complimentary cheese and charcuterie offered by in-house restaurant Nickel, offered in a space furnished like a gentleman’s study and filled with light from tall picture windows, is one of the best ways to relax with setting sun into the embrace of the Rocky Mountains.

 
Sigh–the Fairmont Kea Lani–you had me at aloha. The Fairmont certainly isn’t the only Maui hotel to greet guests with a lei upon arrival, but they are definitely the one you pictured when you thought “Hawaiian luxury hotel.” From the fluted archways over the open foyer, to the swooping view of the hotel’s Gatsby-esque grounds, the hotel strikes a balance of extremes between swoony opulence and charming simplicity. Everything is done so absolutely right, by a staff with such gracious serenity, it seems the most natural thing in the world to open the doors of your suite and find a comfortable living room opening onto the ocean-facing terrace, a bedroom (separated by French doors) outfitted with pillow-top mattresses and twin closets, and (my personal favorite) a bathroom paved floor-to-ceiling in Italian marble, strewn with more orchid blossoms and stocked with rose-scented soaps from New York’s Le Labo apothecary. Even the mini-bar went beyond the expected, with my favorite sencha green tea on offer alongside the Kona coffee.

The Fairmont is situated on Maui’s southwest shore in Wailea, a town that doesn’t lack for amusements. Some of the area’s best chefs have put out their shingle there, shops abound featuring local artists and internationally known retailers, and of course there is plenty of sports both on the beach and within the hotel complex. Nonetheless, the Fairmont is not an easy place to leave, even for the day. From the steam of rose-scented bath salts, to the sound of laughter drifting up from adjacent balconies, to the sight of the moon rising through the palms while soaking in the whirlpool tub, I have to confess that a night at the Fairmont Kea Lani was my favorite part of a day in Maui.