Are You Booking the Hotels With the Best Views?

Don’t you love a hotel you can sightsee from all day long and never get bored because the scenery keeps changing?   I was lucky enough to stay in such a place earlier this month—a hotel with a magical location on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy.  Above, I’m on the hotel’s terrace in the evening for an aperitivo.  (Yes, that’s the Rialto in the background.)  Below was the ever-changing scene at breakfast.

[embedded content]

Even better than sightseeing from a hotel’s terrace or restaurant? Being able to sightsee from your room. When your time in a place is brief, it sure does maximize your experience if you can soak up your surroundings from the moment you wake until the moment you go to sleep. It heightens your mood and enjoyment of the place—especially if you, like me, need to spend some of each day in your room working at your laptop.

The view at sunrise from Room 41 of The Venice Venice Hotel.  Photo: Timothy Baker

Above was what I got to see at sunrise from my room at The Venice Venice Hotel.  The hotel is relatively new—it opened in 2022 and has all the modern amenities and a super-cool vibe—but it occupies a 13th-century palazzo, the Ca’ da Mosto, one of the oldest palaces on the Grand Canal. Our sightseeing began at daybreak, when we could watch boats carrying everything from food to laundry to pianos, gondoliers cleaning their gondolas for the day ahead, and so much more.

I could even sightsee from bed—and that, for me, is what puts a hotel stay over the top. I’ll never forget going to sleep at the Regent Hong Kong mesmerized by the panorama, just beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass, of all the boats criss-crossing an illuminated Victoria Harbour. Or sitting up in bed each morning at the Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland and being immediately enveloped by the dramatic, iceberg-dotted seascape.

Waking up in Room 41 at The Venice Venice Hotel.  Photo: Timothy Baker

Many of you already benefit from WOW List trip designers selecting hotels you can sightsee from and knowing the room numbers with the best views.  It was Italy specialist Jennifer Virgilio who turned me onto The Venice Venice and booked me there.

I encourage the rest of you to read on and learn from others just back from magical hotel locations. You can see more photos from Venice and the rest of my Mediterranean travels here on Instagram. And if you could use help waking up in magical places yourself, we’re at the red button below.

GET A PERSONALIZED TRIP RECOMMENDATION

MALLORCA, SPAIN: “Our room had the most extraordinary view of the sea…”

Port de Soller, Mallorca, Spain. Photo: Shutterstock

“As a concert pianist, I had always wanted to visit the village of Valdemossa and see the monastery where the composer Frédéric Chopin spent a winter and composed several important piano works. In celebration of my milestone birthday and our 47th wedding anniversary, we decided that this was the moment.

We told Iván that we were not going to Mallorca for the beach and wanted to avoid crowds and mass tourism. We also knew that we would arrive exhausted and wanted a place where we could relax and be pampered at the start of our trip. Iván found us a magnificent hotel that met all of our needs and more. Our room had the most extraordinary view of the sea.

Iván planned a Mallorca itinerary that focused on the history and culture of the island, and six days in Catalonia, first in the beautiful seaside village of Cadaqués, and then the Penedès cava region. In the popular Penedès region, he managed to secure excellent hotel accommodations, drivers and guides—not an easy feat for a very busy holiday weekend at peak harvest time. He informed the hotels of our celebration, and on Mallorca we were greeted at our dinner table with beautiful flowers and a bottle of cava. Our trip went beyond all expectations because of Iván’s care and expert planning.” —Mina Miller Sabritt

Read more reviews of Spain trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below. 

START A TRIP TO SPAIN

THE SOUTH OF FRANCE: “All the hotels were special, whether because of the grounds, or the rooms, or the art collections, or the restaurants, or a combination of all that…”

The Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France. Photo: Shutterstock

“It was quite a magical trip that Alex put together. We were in southern France for 22 to 23 days in five locations—four days each. We landed in Nice and helicoptered to the Maybourne Hotel in Monaco. We also visited St. Tropez, Marseille, Aix-en Provence, and Les Alpilles before flying out of Lyon. All the hotels were real highlights. Some classic architecture, some modern, but all special, whether because of the grounds, or the rooms, or the art collections, or the restaurants, or a combination of all that.

The restaurant reservations covered casual to 3-star. We went to the best bouillabaisse in Marseille. All the guides and drivers were as good as can be. We had such a good time with them! Lots and lots of tours, including one in a red 1966 Mustang and one in a classic French 2CV. Wow. We took a boat from Monaco to St. Tropez and a boat in Marseille to explore the Calanques park from the sea. There were bike rides and hikes in urban and countryside locations. Alex was very passionate about having us see and experience it all!” —Lois Chess

Read more reviews of France trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below. 

START A TRIP TO FRANCE

PORTUGAL: “Stargazing at a mountaintop on the hotel property…”

Three couples—friends since high school—enjoy a special stargazing evening in Belmonte, Portugal.

“This is the third trip our group has taken with one of Wendy’s WOW recommendations. We are three couples, friends since high school, who have been traveling together for the past few years. Wendy helped us decide on Portugal and then suggested that we speak to Gonçalo. It’s never easy to plan for one couple, never mind three! Gonçalo’s team rolled with (all of) our constant changes and amendments which ultimately resulted in a fantastic time to Portugal.

Gonçalo understood the type of accommodations that we enjoyed and found us some truly special places at The Vagar in Belmonte and Quinta Nova Winery House in the Douro Valley. Hotel Heritage Avenida Liberdade was a terrific choice in Lisbon; it was very well-appointed and perfectly located.

Some highlights included our walk through the market and cooking class in Lisbon with our local foodie guide; the loveliest staff at The Vagar and a very special WOW experience there—stargazing at a mountaintop on the hotel property; our flat tire and subsequent rescue by the unbelievably wonderful staff at the Quinta Nova; and the constant ingestion of pastel de nata and gelato at every corner. Thank you so much to everyone for creating such a great adventure for us.” —Barbara Palter

Read more reviews of Portugal trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below. 

START A TRIP TO PORTUGAL

THE GREEK ISLANDS: “Villa Marandi was wonderful—felt like we were away for a week after only a few hours…”

Naxos Island, Greece. Photo: Shutterstock

“We just had the most amazing trip experience in Greece! We thank Mina for designing a trip to meet our expectations, from lodging to experiences. There was no stone unturned, and every step of the journey went off without a glitch. Our drivers and guides were so personable, interesting and fun!

We loved Naxos the most. Villa Marandi was wonderful—felt like we were away for a week after only a few hours. We enjoyed our food tour and farm experience. Naxos is a place we would love to return to!

Staying in the village of Megalochori in Santorini was perfect because we preferred being away from the commercial areas. We ate with the locals, and our hotel accommodated us in transportation wherever and whenever we requested! Thank you again—and we look forward to our next trip with you!!” —Lynn Knoepfler

Read more reviews of Greece trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below. 

START A TRIP TO GREECE

Be a smarter traveler: Sign up for Wendy’s weekly newsletter to stay in the know. Read real travelers’ reviews, then use the black CONTACT buttons on Wendy’s WOW List to reach out to the right local fixer for your trip.