ISTANBUL - Checking into a 90-year-old Turkish prison never made it onto my bucket list. Particularly a prison that was purposely built to house dissident journalists.

AMSTERDAM - As I turn a corner off Rembrandt Square, I see six Grand Canal homes reflected in the Herengracht (Gentleman’s or Lord’s) Canal like giant dollhouses. Their distinctive facades instantly identify them as homes built for nobles — mayors and leading Dutch merchants — during Holland’s Golden Age, when Amsterdam was the capital of world commerce.

In one of Rome’s most fashionable neighborhoods, Via del Babuino, opposite the statue-filled Piazza del Popolo and not far from the Spanish Steps, you will find a jungle garden that has grown up around the chic Hotel de Russie’s famous patio restaurant called, not surprisingly, Le Jardin du Russie.

Hotel Savoy is situated right in its heart on the Piazza della Repubblica. The piazza is ringed with outdoor cafes and attracts a large number of craftsmen selling the leather goods for which Florence is so noted.

You are brought to this amazing island hotel aboard a sleek mahogany power boat. The boat docks at St. Mark Square and the ride to the island takes about 15 minutes.

Guests are greeted by sweet scents when they enter Paris’ best hotel – or maybe it’s the sweet smell of success? The smells actually come from the glorious flower arrangements that dominate the public areas of the George V - starting in the lobby. Pencil straight calla lilies standing tall in giant urns and beds of roses forming parallel rows in art deco glass – that’s what attracts a guest's attention when first entering the palatial hotel.

You sleep with history and right next to it when you stay at the Hotel du Louvre. Many of the hotel’s floor-to-ceiling windows look out on the world famous museum and allow glimpses inside without ever having to leave your room. Tearing yourself away from the Hotel du Louvre to see the Louvre is no easy task. There is just as much history on this side of the street to discover.

The glass enclosed roof-top swimming pool is set in solid teak and gives the impression of the prow of an ocean liner sailing towards Sacre Coeur and the Paris skyline.

Museum quality antiques, haute cuisine the likes of which you’ve never tasted before, priceless works of art and charming staff make a stay under Negresco’s famed dome, the one designed by Gustave Eiffel of tower fame, one of the most memorable you’ll ever experience.

One of the truly opulent buildings in a city featuring many. It belongs to the highly-respected Concorde group and its location next to one of the city busiest train station – Gare St. Lazare – makes it a favorite with domestic travelers. It’s surrounded by history, great shopping and lots of neighborhood Paris restaurants and bakeries.