The highly anticipated Jay, an Autograph Collection Hotel - part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio, launched last November in San Francisco’s lively Embarcadero neighborhood. This luxurious charmer with a prime location near the Ferry Building, features 360 stylish rooms and suites, some with terraces offering stunning bay vistas. And these “viewing spots” are sublime.

Sipping a mojito in my cushy cabana at Velas Vallarta while gazing at the cerulean sea, sure felt like paradise to me. Puerto Vallarta captivates with its sun kissed beaches against the backdrop of the Sierra Madre Mountains. This trendy resort town on Mexico’s Pacific Coast with a lively palm tree lined oceanfront malecon (promenade), offers a vibrant art scene, voguish boutiques, superb gastronomy and happening nightlife.

A house in the desert splendor of California’s Joshua Tree, once a private retreat for celebrities and getaway for the rock star owner (who prefers to remain nameless) and his A list friends, is now available to rent for overnight stays. And this signature estate is a Wow. Be forewarned: once you enter ‘Desert Dog House,’ you may never want to leave.