When it comes to bargains, it pays to play it cool. High maintenance travelers can be as finicky as they want while on vacation, but that approach won't get you the cheapest trip while in planning mode. Think flexibility when organizing a vacation, and the deals will come to you. Read more

Hotels and flights will make up the bulk of your travel expenses, so if you're looking to cut down on costs, maybe you should try to skimp on the stay since there's only so much you can save with an air ticket. Read on to find out some savvy ways to save on your lodgings. Read more

Reminding me of something you might see on Tatooine, the desert planet from Star Wars, a new, opulent design hotel is currently planned to open in three years in Jordan's Wadi Rum region, an hour outside of the city of Petra. According to World Architectural News, architectural firm Oppenheim Architecture + Design recently won a competition to design the hotel, which will consist of 47 desert Read more

Located in Catalonia’s bucolic Empordá region, the Hotel La Malcontenta was once a private country home, famous throughout the Empordá for the meticulousness of its owner (to be malcontenta means to be unsatisfied). Taking this attention to detail as a jumping-off point and classical Mediterranean villa architecture as inspiration, the building was transformed by Spanish designer Lázaro Read more

When I visited Stockholm as a student, I holed up in a cozy houseboat hostel on the river which, while quaint and charming, wasn't the best bet for someone with a seasick tendency. I vowed to make sure my next stay in the Swedish city was on land, and hopefully, somewhere a little more upscale. Since I discovered Berns Salonger Hotel, a landmark in the city since 1863, I've been crafting plans Read more

If you're headed to Shanghai and appreciate great design, book a stay at The Waterhouse at South Bund. This 19-room intimate boutique hotel features a rooftop cocktail bar, spacious lounge, and a fantastic mix of private indoor spaces and public outdoor spaces. The Travel + Leisure 2011 Design Awards just awarded the hotel an honorable mention for Best Hotel, while its ground floor restaurant Read more

Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi (seen here) has a reputation for thinking outside of the box with his surprising public installations. This time, Nishi has created a single-room luxury hotel room that he's built around Singapore's national monument, the Merlion. Created for the Singapore Biennale 2011, the Merlion statue has now been transformed into the Merlion Hotel. The hotel is a surprising and Read more