Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia

The resort's 147 villas are built into a tiered hillside with lush foliage and clear bay views. Stroll down to some of the prettiest beaches in southern Bali, or spend some time in the infinity pool (one of our favorite spots). This is truly a place to get into the spirit of the season.

For more information, visit www.fourseasons.com.

Deia, Mallorca, Spain

La Residencia offers luxurious seclusion in a tiny mountain village setting above the Mediterranean. It's a magnificent hotel in a stunning place. The property was created from a 16th century manor house. Guestrooms feature antique furnishings. Make sure to take time to explore the hotel's amazing art collecting featuring the works of island artists.

For more information, visit www.laresidencia.com.

Paris, France

In the 1800s, King Louis XV commissioned the palace that became a luxurious home-away-from-home to the rich and famous in 1909. The rooms and suites offer all the comfort and cushiness you'd expect. The elegant Les Ambassadeurs restaurant is one of the city's finest--Chef Jean-Francois Piege's cuisine simply sublime. Christmas in Paris can't get any better than this.

For more information, visit www.crillon.com.

London, England

Located in a quiet corner of St. James Place in Mayfair, Dukes has only 90 rooms and is purposely low key. Guestrooms have traditional furnishings and marble bathrooms, and there's a small spa. But our favorite place is the cozy first-floor bar--sit here and you feel like you're in someone's living room, with the bonus of enjoying an expertly prepared martini.

For more information, visit www.dukeshotel.com.

Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

One of the best ski resorts in North America. The 550-room Fairmont Chateau Whistler is located right at the base of Blackcomb, and has a classic alpine ambience. You'll find plenty of cozy fireplaces scattered throughout the premises. For a splurge, book a suite with a slope-view tub.

For more information, visit www.fairmont.com.

Uruguay Cruise from Buenos Aires

Small is a good thing on SeaDream. Passengers enjoy an ultraluxury yacht experience, far from the mega-ship crowds. Make sure to spend time in the comfy Balinese Sun Beds on Deck 6. Look out to sea and you won't miss your Christmas tree one bit.

For more information, visit www.seadream.com.

Coastal Norway

This is the original Santa country. It's highly likely you'll see reindeer, and you'll certainly see amazing scenery, from one of the 11 comfortable passenger/deliver ships in this fleet. The route is Bergen to Kirkenes and back, with the opportunity to take advantage of organized excursions.

For more information, visit www.norwegiancoastalvoyage.us.

Henderson, Nevada

The 493-room hotel is on the north shore, and guestrooms have sweeping views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Two Jack Nicklaus Signature courses will inspire golfers, there's a full-service spa, Camp Hyatt program for kids and a 10,000 square foot, European-style casino (hey, it's near Vegas). Are you gonna be naught or nice?

For more information, visit www.hyatt.com.

Providenciales, Turks & Caicos

Accommodations at both resorts are in condo-like suites set in tropical gardens, but the beach is the real attraction. Guests can enjoy the services and amenities of both properties with a complimentary shuttle.

For more information, visit www.oceanclubresorts.com.

Lausanne, Switzerland

Winter wonderland here is a historic palace on Lake Geneva, with views of the snow-covered French Alps. This 1800s property offers the height of European elegance. New additions include a wonderful full-service spa. The gourmet restaurant La Rotonde boasts a Michelin star, and is a perfect venue for Christmas Eve.

For more information, visit www.brp.ch.

At 1,800 acres, Peter Island, just five miles from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, is the big daddy of our list. And, in this case, size does matter: Despite hosting more than 100 guests at a time along with boatloads of day trippers, "it's just big enough that you can carve out your own area," says Thomas Kohnstamm of Lonely Planet. One reason this was our critics' top pick: the brand-new 10,000-square-foot spa with its own pool. Other amenities include tennis courts, mountain bikes, and a fleet of sailboats.

For more information: Peter Island

With just 22 stone cottages scattered across 113 acres -- and the bespoke flag communication system -- Petit St. Vincent promises a complete removal from the outside world (nary a TV or phone in sight). "You're basically paying to be left alone here," said Doug Stallings of Fodor's. Our panel, who rated this second along with Jumby Bay, repeatedly cited the lack of pretension and attitude at the resort, which was designed and built nearly 40 years ago by a husband and wife who still live on site.

For more information: Petit St. Vincent

Since 2002, luxury chain Rosewood has managed the 50 suites and villas -- including 11 with their own plunge pools -- of this 300-acre island, which tied with Petit St. Vincent for second place. Because it's just seven minutes by boat from mainland Antigua, the resort feels less remote than other picks on our list. According to Terry McCabe of Altour, Jumby Bay is ideal for those "who want to be away but still want the ability to turn on CNN." With no minimum-age requirement (unusual for private islands) and a well-run nanny program, it's also ideal for families.

For more information: Jumby Bay Resort

If you and your 14 closest friends are good for $30,000 a night, this 45-acre island in the British Virgin Islands is all yours. "This is the island that everyone aspires to," says Doug Stallings of Fodor's, citing one reason that Necker, owned by Richard Branson, ranked third on our list. Two weeks a year, the island rents out its lavish Balinese lodging to individual couples (for a tidy $22,000 per couple per week); otherwise, the island is only available to groups.

For more information: Necker Island

Although just 135 acres, this island in the Grenadines has five private beaches and 37 guest rooms that were remodeled in 2000. The Tobago Cays National Marine Park, which offers some of the best diving in the Caribbean, is a quick boat ride away. Part of the allure of this speck of an island, which earned the fourth spot on our list, is undoubtedly its best-kept-secret status: According to Thomas Kohnstamm of Lonely Planet, "Even people who have heard of the Grenadine Islands still haven't heard of Palm Island."

For more information: Palm Island

"This place gets movie stars," says Doug Stallings of Fodor's. Indeed, Paul McCartney, Jerry Seinfeld and Raquel Welch have all vacationed at this 60-room resort styled in white with chic teak accents. Bruce Willis even owns a compound here. A Como Resort property, with tastemaker Christina Ong at the design helm, the property recently doubled its spa in size and has been winning awards for its yoga classes.

For more information: Parrot Cay

Johnny Depp and his crew bedded down here while filming Pirates of the Caribbean, squarely placing this 35-acre island on the map. But its fine sand beach, which earned high marks from our panel, was already considered the prettiest in the Grenadines. Thirty cottages are tucked into lush hillsides of hibiscus, ferns and flamboyant tree. And the island strikes an ideal balance between isolation and accessibility, according to Kay Showker, author of 100 Best Resorts of the Caribbean: "It's only 1,000 feet off the coast, but it's really all by itself."

For more information: Young Island

Guana Island likes to cite its stats: 850 acres, 36 guests, seven beaches. Yet the beauty of this island off the coast of Tortola is less quantifiable: It's a designated wildlife sanctuary with mountain trails and a range of endangered species. The ideal guest here, says Janet Groene, author of Personal Paradise: Caribbean, is an adventurous soul: "It's for those whose idea of luxury is a place where you can wake up with the birds and fall asleep to a frog serenade."

Similar to Parrot Cay in size (800 acres) and location (a 25-minute boat), Meridian Club strikes an entirely different tone -- "less intense and celebrity-driven," says Doug Stallings of Fodor's. "You won't find as many movers and shakers here." What you will find at this resort, which earned seventh place on our list, are just 12 guest rooms and two miles of white sand.

For more information: The Meridian Club on Pine Cay

Even before David Copperfield bought this island in July, this resort was considered "the top of the food chain," according to Terry McCabe of Altour. Renting out only to single parties of 20 guests for $325,000 a week (that works out to about $100 an hour -- per person), the property has five guesthouses the size of small mansions. The 35-person staff fulfills every whim, from arranging special music performances to putting on beachfront fireworks displays.

For more information: Musha Cay

Close to Miami but with all the allure of a far flung atoll, the Turks and Caicos is legendary for its looks—and notorious for its prices. Luxury hotels abound, with average room rates hovering around $700 per night, which makes this little-advertised find in the private, quiet and residential-oriented Somerset on Grace Bay all the more appealing: The Providenciales resort has 14 luxury garden view rooms, complete with kitchenettes, starting at just $275 per night.

The first five-star gay hotel to open in Latin America, The Axel in Buenos Aires (which also bills itself as "hetero-friendly") is as flamboyant and fairly priced as luxe South American lodging gets. Situated near San Telmo in the Argentine capital city, the hotel features a glass-bottom pool that doubles as a ceiling in the lobby. Rooms are predictably stylish—white or minimally colored with angular glassy bathrooms. It's the second brain child of Spanish entrepreneur Juan Juliá, whose flagship hotel is in Barcelona. Double rooms start at $198 per night.

For more information: The Axel

© Orient-Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises

Ubud Hanging Gardens, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

Pass on an overpriced over-water bungalow in French Polynesia. Instead, suspend yourself over a lush jungle in the rice paddy dotted surrounds of Ubud at a luxury escape on Bali. All 38 villas at this five-star Orient-Express property feature private plunge pools overlooking the Ayung River, with rates from a refreshing $270 per night.

For more information: Ubud Hanging Gardens

© Orient-Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises

Librisa Spa, Cape Town, South Africa

You could opt for euro-priced wine therapy in the vineyards of France and Italy. Or, you can head to the land of the rand for indulgent spa treatments that cost a fraction of their European equivalents. The newly opened Librisa Spa at the Mount Nelson Hotel (part of the Orient-Express group) offers three-hour treatments that include aromatouch massage, facials, full body wraps with green clay and wild mint and lunch in the hotel's Oasis Restaurant for around $235.

For more information: Mount Nelson Hotel

© Spa Vilnius

Spa Vilnius, Druskininkai, Lithuania

Once the stomping grounds of winter weary Russians looking to pamper their bodies with the area's legendary mud baths inside austere medical-oriented sanatoriums, the spa scene in Druskininkai, Lithuania, is growing ever more international and indulgent. Check into Spa Vilnius, a four-star spa hotel, where decadent three-night wellness getaways include lodging, meals and 14 spa treatments that run the gamut from wine baths and honey massages to Chinese foot massages and chocolate peels. Baltic Holidays can arrange trips for around $486 per person.

For more information: Baltic Holidays

© Hotel Telegraaf

Hotel Telegraaf, Tallinn, Estonia

Top-notch luxury at a fair price is a thing of the past in former Eastern European bargain cities such as Prague. But not Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Surrounded by buildings that date to the 13th century, this new five-star hotel is thoroughly modern. The luxurious rooms overlook a quiet courtyard and the hotel's indoor pool (housed in a solarium), steam bath and Finnish sauna facilities are complimentary for guests. Rooms from $294 per night.

For more information: Hotel Telegraaf

© Jochen Tack / Alamy

Baltic Beach Hotel, Jurmala, Latvia

Boris Yeltsin and other Russian bigwigs frequented this oceanfront luxury hotel that's less than 20 miles from Riga in Jurmala, Latvia. But the recently refurbished five-star Baltic Beach Hotel bears none of its former Soviet austerity. This stretch of the Gulf of Riga nearly freezes over in winter, but come summer Jurmala's long sandy beaches are packed with lovely Latvians and intrepid jetsetters in full bronzing mode. The hotel's world-class spa offers hundreds of treatments that use local sulfur spring products, but rooms start at just $210 per night.

For more information: Baltic Beach Hotel

© The Bristol

The Bristol, Panama City, Panama

Costa Rica is out. Panama is in. And for serious luxury at fair rates in the capital city, no spot compares to this luxury boutique hotel (and member of the Leading Small Hotels of the World). Located in the financial district, the Bristol is a good base for doing what so many other savvy Americans are coming to Panama for these days—seeking out smart real estate investments in the beaches and mountain villages of one of Central America's most buzzworthy nations. Rooms start at $335 per night.

For more information: The Bristol

© SeaDream Yacht Club Luxury Cruises

Sea Dream Yacht Club, Mediterranean Cruises

Seven-day Mediterranean itineraries on this luxury yacht with ports of call in Portugal, Morocco and the Canary Islands start at $3,699 per person, based on double occupancy. All meals, alcohol and gratuities are included, and dollar-pricing leaves the bullish euro out of the equation. And with a passenger list of just 55 couples and 95 crewmembers, the five-star service on board is always personal.

For more information: Sea Dream Yacht Club

© Canals of France

Luxury Barge Cruise, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

The best way to soak up the vineyards and castles in "the next Provence" is aboard a luxury barge on the Canal du Midi. Six nights on the Tango costs approximately $5,000 per person, but that price includes drinks and multi-course gourmet meals prepared by the boat's owner, Captain Daniel Sak, who graduated from cooking school in France. Day trips to nearby wineries, olive oil makers and historical sights are also included. The three-person crew is big enough to meet the needs of the six passengers.

For more information: Canals of France

Hotel Everland: If you're the kind of person who wants something just because very few other people ever get to have it, you'd be interested in the experience of an overnight stay at the Hotel Everland. This unique hotel room is actually an art installation which moves from venue to venue; through the end of 2008 it is located at the Palais de Tokyo art gallery in Paris. The hotel consists of only a single room and you only get to stay in it for one night. Amenities to supplement the exclusiveness of the experience include a no-charge, fully-stocked mini-bar, access to an extensive record collection, free breakfast arriving on your doorstep and the chance to dry yourself off with golden-threaded towels. The price you'll pay for the night is approximately 400 Euros.


Eugenia Hotel, Bangkok



Eugenia Hotel: The Eugenia is an interesting little gem in the heart of downtown Bangkok. Situated inside a 19th Century colonial-style home, it consists of only twelve different suites which are each outfitted with vintage antique decor. From the hand-beaten copper tubs to the vintage light switches, each piece in every room is a real relic from the past. Although it's steeped in history, guests are treated to a modern experience of fine luxury which starts in their rooms and extends out to the back porch where they can sip tea by the poolside and pretend that they live in quieter times. The only drawback is the fact that there's no elevator in this old hotel. On the plus side, it's affordable at around 130 Euros per night.


Hotel Kakslauttanen, Igloo Village



Hotel Kakslauttanen: People have come here for years to stay in one of the twenty different igloo suites (yes, they're made of snow) that are so unique to this area. However, the real luxury experience is staying in one of the hotel's five new glass igloos which let you stay warm indoors while observing the stunning Northern Lights in the sky above. If you dare to step outside, you can indulge in the sauna just steps from your room.