Roam+Board :: The Wickaninnish Inn

[trip style = luxury + beach]

What An iconic, wind-swept inn perched so near the Pacific Ocean that rooms are often splashed in sea spray.

Trip Styler Tip :: Book room 109 in The Pointe building if you want the highest chance of sea foam surging toward your window.

It doesn't really get more wild West Coast than The Wickaninnish Inn, a Relais & Chateaux-member hotel constructed on a rocky outcropping that feels more surf than turf. Straddling the 49th Parallel and the divide between a centuries-old coastal rainforest and the open ocean, the Travel+Leisure hall of famer---the only one of its kind in Canada---delivers low-key luxury on a gold-plated, douglas fir platter.

At once woodsy and radiant, the 75-room retreat is like a billionaire's cabin where highfalutin friends come to unwind for the weekend. Miles from pretence or posh, guests favor jeans and Gore-Tex jackets over leather and Lanvin, while stature and titles are quickly washed away by the multi-meter swells.

Inside, there's not a bad surf-spotting seat in the house. Every room is adorned with a large viewing window, a balcony with Adirondack chairs, a dual soaker tub, a fireplace and a sultry set of Canadian songbirds to sweeten the mood. Wink wink!  {And at the risk of getting too risqué with bedroom talk, the beds are near heavenly---so pillowy-soft you could sleep all day.} Trip Styler approved.

Where Tofino, BC, on Canada's westernmost coast. The best way to reach Tofino is through a combination of car and ferry from Vancouver or Tsawwassen. After taking the 1.5-hour car ferry to Nanaimo, follow the signs for Tofino, a 2.5-hour drive away. Due to the distance, plan to spend at least two nights.

When Tofino's weather is misty, moody and magnificent any time of year. Summer is the destination's high season thanks to warmer temperatures gracing its sprawling beaches, yet people visit year-round to surf {yes, even in winter}, storm-watch and hibernate with a book in front of the fire.

Who/Why You're in the market for a coastal hideaway with all the bells and whistles {from a standout spa to restaurant surrounded by 240 degrees of ocean views}---a place to pen your memoirs, crack open a book or simply rest your mind while aimlessly walking along the multi-kilometer beach.

Cost Rates start at $260 per night and include parking, WiFi and head-to-toe rain gear. Furry fellows can stay with you for $40 per night. There is a $10 fee per guest to use the spa's eucalyptus steam facilities.

More R+B The Burrard – Vancouver Hotel de Glace – Quebec Alcazar Palm Springs – California Jumeirah Zabeel Saray – Dubai Makena Resort – Maui Nita Lake Lodge – Whistler Fairmont Banff Springs – Banff Thompson – Beverly Hills The Sorrento Hotel – Seattle The LIT! Bangkok – Thailand From ice hotels to Anna Wintour’s steal-of-a-deal holiday escape, find all featured R+B properties here.

[photos (except for bedroom shot) courtesy of The Wick Inn, assembled while I was hosted as a guest of the hotel.]

Roam+Board :: The Burrard

[trip style = budget conscious + urban]

What Retro and restored, The Burrard had me at the lobby's original 1956 lava rock wall. This incited a perma-smile chain reaction as I glanced at every last detail down to the rooms' Nespresso machines, the palm tree-covered courtyard's replica Solair chairs and the still-standing 1960s neon sign.

Open in 2011 after a eight-month, multimillion-dollar refresh, The Burrard is one of Vancouver's last remaining midcentury hotels filling a HUGE void in the city's lodging scene; there's now an affordable AND hip alternative to the big and boutique set.

True to form, the entire establishment is kitted out in powder blue, canary yellow and gallery white veering toward vintage. More like a mod living room than a lobby, I'm hesitant to head up to my room in the elevator {playing lounge music, of course}, in fear I might miss a Don Draper sighting.

Rooms, many with enough space to stay awhile, continue the cheerful color palette, layering in grey tones for a nighty-night  feel. The furniture fits just so, and I later learn the lot is custom-built by a Canadian midcentury reproduction house. The petite bathrooms sporting penny tile floors and upscale Duravit and Grohe fixtures manage a BIG feel thanks to the all-white surround and shoebox-style sink. Bonus, there's a minty lip balm included in the bath amenities. Trip Styler approved.

Where Downtown Vancouver, Canada, approximately 30 mins from Vancouver's International Airport {YVR} by car or airport train {The Canada Line}.

When Vancouver's a sure thing any time of year, though best dressed with blossoms and brights in spring and summer. Fall and winter bring cozy, rain-filled days and muted tones.

Who/Why To you, a hot hotel cannot be attributed to a $500-per-night price tag. Knowing luxury doesn't equal style, you'd much rather stay in an indie, thoughtful and on-trend retreat.

Cost Rates start at $100 per night and include in-room Nespresso, bottled water, lip balm, WiFi and free North America-wide calling, as well as passes to a nearby gym and use of Electra cruiser bikes. Parking is $20 per night {though if you're crafty you can cruise into nearby street parking} and dogs are $25 per night.

More R+B Hotel de Glace – Quebec Alcazar Palm Springs – California Jumeirah Zabeel Saray – Dubai Makena Resort – Maui Nita Lake Lodge – Whistler Fairmont Banff Springs – Banff Thompson – Beverly Hills The Sorrento Hotel – Seattle The LIT! Bangkok – Thailand From ice hotels to Anna Wintour’s steal-of-a-deal holiday escape, find all featured R+B properties here.

[photos taken by @tripstyler while staying as a guest of the hotel]

Roam+Board :: Hotel de Glace

[trip style = adventure]

{Editor's Note: I'm currently in Eastern Canada for Carnaval de Quebec---the world's largest winter celebration---and part of the arctic experience is staying one night in the Hotel de Glace. See more photos on TS's Instagram!}

What Bucket list buffs, this stay's for you. Statuesque and stunning, the 44-room Hotel de Glace is an impressive structure on its own; add to this the fact that the entire thing---all 32,000 sf of it---is built and hand sculpted from ice and snow, and this frozen facade is by far the coolest stay around {pun intended}.

Open only during Quebec's most frosty season, it takes six weeks and 50 people working around the clock to manhandle this masterpiece. Once complete, the 1.2-metre walls and 5.4-metre arches are checked multiple times a day for stability {this assurance came in handy when I went to sleep in my candlelit room, and for some odd reason wondered if the walls would cave in.}

To say sipping a cocktail from an ice glass while mingling in an ice bar {capable of handling 400 people} is a novelty doesn't do the experience justice---it's otherworldly and, in many ways, represents the true reason we travel: to find inspiration and wonder.

Wonderstruck is the only word I can use to the describe my overnight stay in the arctic abode. Apparently it's not enough to build a giant igloo, e-v-e-r-y surface is styled {!}, and in a strange moment of travel bliss, all I wanted to do is hug my ice cocktail table and take my ice glass {carved from a 500-ton block} home as a souvenir. A picture will have to do.

Elsewhere on the snow-covered grounds there's a chapel---complete with deer fur-lined ice benches---designed in fairy tale proportions {I'm pretty sure Snow White would get hitched here}, a snowy spa to warm your core temperature before bed and an entire room devoted to an ice luge. Only in Canada.

Want more details? Check out the nitty-gritty below.

Where Fifteen minutes outside Quebec City, Canada by car.

When Hotel de Glace coincides with the region's winter wonderland and is usually open early January to mid March, weather permitting. This year's dates are January 5th - March 24th.

Who/Why Hotels made of wood or concrete are way too blasé for your tastes. Plus, against the white and clear backdrop, your faux-fur hat and Canada Goose jacket pop in photo shoots.

Cost Rates start at $199 per person, per night and include a welcome cocktail {served in an ice glass!}, a specialized minus 30 degree Celsius-rated sleeping bag, Wifi and breakfast.

FAQs 1. Did you sleep? No, but I tried really hard to. After two hours trying to warm my feet---the rest of me was warm---through vigorous movement and strange contortions, I retreated to the 24-hour inside space and found a corner to cuddle up. Note: I have very bad circulation; every other guest seemed to sleep well. 2. What do you sleep on? Your bed's base is a block of ice, followed by a wooden frame, and a foam mattress wrapped in a blanket. 3. Where do you go to the bathroom? There is a basic 24-hour indoor facility where you check in. In it, there's also lockers, a changing room, bathrooms, showers and hot bevvies. 4. What's the temperature? The temperature in the Hotel de Glace is a constant minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit). 5. How should you dress? Dress warmer than you can even imagine, and then some. Think thermals, down and hand/toe warmers. And bring a scarf. Basically, cover every single inch of your body. A balaclava is not out of the question. 6. When should I visit the arctic spa? Visit the hot tubs and sauna before bed---it'll warm your body temperature prior to jumping into your sleeping bag. 7. Would you go back? YES. YOLO. Next time, I'll attach toe and hand warmers to my extremities or litter my sleep sac with thermal hot packs!

More R+B Alcazar Palm Springs – California Jumeirah Zabeel Saray – Dubai Makena Resort – Maui Nita Lake Lodge – Whistler Hester Creek Winery – Oliver, BC Fairmont Banff Springs – Banff Thompson – Beverly Hills The Sorrento Hotel – Seattle The LIT! Bangkok – Thailand Hotel De La Paix – Thailand From ice hotels to Anna Wintour’s steal-of-a-deal holiday escape, find all featured R+B properties here.

[photos taken by @tripstyler while staying as a guest of the hotel]

Roam+Board :: Alcazar Palm Springs

[trip style = sun + budget conscious]

What Serving up serenity, style and the desert's it foodie address-come-hotel, the Alcazar is a recently restored Spanish-style hideaway bursting with calliandra vines and bright pink bougainvillea.

Originally build in the 1950s, the hotel was reborn in 2011 by after undergoing a thoughtful facelift bringing out its whitewashed, pool house-chic. Minimalist rooms---some with petite patios---mirror the outside's pulled-together design. Black and white geometric-print pillows, silver-toned vintage palm tree lamps and bright Kelly Tunstall original art add pop against the gallery-white canvas. Imported Italian Mascioni linens wrap the bed.

Surrounded by restaurants, the Alcazar is a haven for foodies conceived by part owners Tara Lazar and Marco Rossetti, the savvy restauranteurs behind Palm Springs dining institutions Cheeky's, Birba and Jiao---each with a different dining concept, all featuring 100-mile menus. Hit Cheeky’s in the morning to brunch on huevos rancheros, melt-in-your mouth buttermilk waffles or a bacon flight; in the afternoon sample Jiao’s Asian street food and at night, dine alfresco over handmade pizzas and cups of vino at Birba.

Coupled with a tucked-away salt water pool and hot tub anchored by sky-high palms and views of the snow-capped San Jacinto mountains, this 34-room boutique property makes you want to stay in---every night.

Where Palm Springs, California in the hippest block around; the Uptown Design District. Ten minutes from the Palm Springs Airport {PSP}.

When Palm Springs is a year-round destination, though desert temperatures can reach 40-degrees C+ in the summer, so most visitors prefer a lighter dose of Vitamin D between September and June.

Who/Why You read Bon Appetit---preferably in the city or by a pool. You wear glasses {even if you don't need them}. You believe there's a time and a place for brightly-hued cocktail-wear. You're a very part-time scenester who knows you can get your fill at the Parker's bar, or the Ace's Amigo Room.

Cost Rates start at $120 per night. A $9 daily resort fee includes Wifi, use of Electra cruiser bikes, parking and morning pastries from Cheeky's as well as Intelligentsia coffee. Kids are allowed, though the hotel is generally adult-oriented.

More R+B Jumeirah Zabeel Saray - Dubai Makena Resort - Maui Nita Lake Lodge - Whistler Hester Creek Winery – Oliver, BC Fairmont Banff Springs – Banff  Thompson – Beverly Hills The Sorrento Hotel – Seattle The LIT! Bangkok – Thailand Hotel De La Paix – Thailand From ice hotels to Anna Wintour’s steal-of-a-deal holiday escape, find all featured R+B properties here.

[photos taken by @tripstyler while staying as a guest of the hotel]

Roam+Board :: Jumeirah Zabeel Saray

[trip style = luxury + beach + sun]

{Editor's Note: I know it's been awhile since I've done a Roam+Board, and I've got a list taller than the Burj Khalifa lying in wait. The first R+B of 2013 goes to---opening the envelope---a resort I was a guest of (and HIGHLY recommend) while in Dubai last month.}

What There are times when photos overhype a hotel. This is not the case for the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, completed in January 2011. The scale, stature and sizzle of this 405-room resort sends you into a Nirvana-like state with every glance---and that's just the lobby. Oversized silk drapery, regal velvet seating, Anatolian carpets, triangular arches and ornate chandeliers {the size of my living room} grace the space.

Situated on the Western Crescent of Jumeirah Palm Island, every room has a view. Dripping in more velvet and fine everything, the bedrooms also shine on the inside. Gold-leaf walls provide the backdrop for my evening throne which makes the intricate wooden cutout above the bed glow. I go to sleep dreaming about serenading the Middle East atop a flying carpet.

Yet, I almost miss the bed because the bathroom is so decadent; it stops me in my tracks. Clad in light grey marble, the vanity is decorated with a pounded copper sink and lit by twin and twinkly Moroccan lights. Two stairs lead to the bathtub, and into another world. Big enough to bathe a baby elephant, the bath area is a room unto itself topped in a golden dome. I consider sleeping in the tub one evening---because I can.

The rest of the property---which you can see featured in MI4---is the city below your throne's perch. Twelve restaurants, a spa, a beach, an infinity pool and a 29-seat screening room provide substance and distraction in your Ottoman-inspired kingdom.

Where Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a 40-minute drive from Dubai's Airport {DXB}.

When It was 26-degrees C when I visited in early December, so you can imagine summer is s-c-o-r-c-h-i-n-g---it's the desert after all. Visiting in the winter, spring and fall means less sweating and more savoring.

Who/Why Dubai is SO international it's as common to eat beside a relative of Dubai's ruler {Sheikh Mohammed}, as it is to lounge at the pool beside a Brit, Russian or Japanese.

Cost Rates start at $250 per night and include WiFi. Note: it's a 20-minute drive to leave the man-made palm island, but taxis are cheap. In fact, a common local saying is "gas is cheaper than water."

More Dubai Dubai in 30 Photos SEA ---> DXB Nonstop, Flying High With Emirates First Look :: Dubai

[photos taken by @tripstyler except lead photo, courtesy of the hotel]