­­2010 marks the 200th anniversary of Mexican Independence which means the country’s Independence Day, September 16, will be even more festive than usual. You can be part of the Independence Day action in Mexico City at substantial savings thanks to rolling specials from the city’s hippest hotel group—Grupo Habita.

­Our plane landed nearly an hour early, but I was groggy.  My husband, Kai, and I were on the last flight to LAX out of JFK, and I had dozed off after my second glass of wine, just after the credits began rolling for the in-flight movie, 'My Life in Ruins'. By the time our Prius left the rental car lot, and we’d navigated our way to Beverly Hills using the GPS on my iPhone, it was half-past midnight.  

­If you take your design cues from 'Out of Africa' and 'The English Patient' and think that life was more fun when it was tradition to embark on The Grand Tour with your servants and steamers in tow, then Fine English Company is your one stop shop. The company is continuing the tradition of fine British craftmanship along with with a hint of rebellion and eccentricity. They sell revamped furniture like a Gunroom chair upholstered in tweed (around $9,000) and a giraffe skin fire fender (about $8,900). These skull and crossbone bespoke slippers are about $562. There's even antique taxidermy (a lion from 1947, about $6,000) and a child's rocking zebra with real zebra hair.

­When the owners of Hacienda Tres Ríos Resort Spa & Nature Park decided to transition from running one of the region’s first eco adventure parks to opening a green all-inclusive resort they faced big challenges. Their Tres Rios eco park on 326 acres is home to 120 species of plants and 90 species of animals and a delicate mangrove system including the only above-ground rivers in the Yucatan Peninsula (hence the name). Careless planning, construction and operation of a resort on the property could spoil the environment—and their reputation (Lonely Planet writers deemed the Tres Ríos park operation as the least environmentally harmful park in the Riviera Maya).

So, how’d they do?

­­Before I stayed at my first Aman resort, I knew that the hotels had a dedicated base of ‘Aman junkies’ who were nothing short of obsessed with the brand – but I didn’t entirely understand why. After all, there are a lot of luxury boutique hotels out there specializing in minimalist, stark architecture. But after a few heavenly days spent at the Amanyara in the Turks and Caicos, I know exactly why people will travel to the ends of the earth for the Aman experience.

­The Mayan ruins at Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico are world class.  The famous Reina Roja (red queen) was discovered here and one of the most accomplished and long-lived Mayan rulers, Pakal the Great, lead Palenque with vision and creativity. Pakal was buried in an elaborate sarcophagus that wasn’t even discovered underneath the site’s Temple of the Inscriptions until 1952 and new treasures are still being discovered at the site today.

Given the thousands of tourists who visit Palenque every year it’s amazing that there’s never been a world-class hotel anywhere near one of Mexico’s richest and most popular archaeological sites.

Until now.

­If your perfect vacation home is sleek, sophisticated, mid-century modern where the architecture blends seamlessly with nature in the manner of Frank Lloyd Wright, well, you're in luck. The new owners of Wright's Palmer House in Ann Arbor are opening the house for vacation rental, and it is the first time in its history it will be available like this. The home still has its custom furniture designed by Wright which fits perfectly with the home's geometric angles - there isn't one 90 degree angle in the home. Palmer House has three bedrooms, two full baths and an on-site Tea House. Gawk at more pictures here.

­Someone always has to be first and in the world of luxury nature retreats Chan Chich Lodge was way out in front. Opened in 1988, this cluster of 12 bungalows and one villa deep in an enormous swath of privately owned jungle continues to get rave reviews more than 20 years later. Chan Chich was named Andrew Harper’s Lodge of the Year in 2007 and in 2010 the lodge earned a Condé Nast Johansens Award as the Most Excellent Lodge in Mexico and Central America.

­­­­Three pleasingly food-centric luxury resorts--one in Cancun, one in Puerto Vallarta and one on Mexico’s Riviera Maya—are offering special rates that represent good value as well as good eating.  

First Course: To celebrate the appointment of new Executive Chef Jordi Valles, who trained with Michelin-rated chefs in his native Spain including Pedro Subijana of Akelarre Juan Mari Arzak of Arzak and Ferrán Adrià of El Bulli fame, the five-star Ritz-Carlton, Cancunis offering the Endless Flavors Packages.

­­Rome is one of our favorite European cities – and one of the most accessible. Where else can you spend a morning walking in the footsteps of Julius Caesar, viewing the masterpieces of Raphael and Michelangelo, and seeing the papal seat of power- followed by an afternoon of power shopping and dining on gourmet food, or downing cups of espresso standing up for a quick caffeine fix? No other city offers the same heady blend of architecture, art and vibrant street life.