KELOWNA, B.C. – A young receptionist welcomes me to Sparkling Hill Resort and makes it crystal clear that Canada’s “best new” hotel property with the country’s “best new” spa was designed for the purpose of helping guests “relax and rejuvenate” during their stay.

GRAVENHURST, ONTARIO – Peter Freed leans back in a chair in his office atop Toronto’s trendy Thompson Hotel, folds his arms behind his head, and ponders a question relating to the proficiency of his golf game.

This is the White House of hotels – complete with stately columns that welcome guests into a world of mountain luxury. This is more mansion than hotel and offers some homey features in a grand setting.

Housed in the impressive Time Warner Plaza, the new home of CNN, the hotel sits across from the entrance of Central Park at Columbus Circle. The hotel occupies 18 floors of one of the complex’s two 80-story glass towers. There’s an 1,970-seat Jazz concert hall and New York City’s only retail mall attached to the towers and the hotel.

An interesting place to hang out at the Cheeca is the Curt Gowdy lounge, named in honor of the legendary sports broadcaster who also regularly visited the resort with his sports fishing buddies - people like the late Boston Red Sox great Ted Williams, who liked Islamorada so much he bought a house here.

It sits in the green-carpeted valley like a tiara sits on emerald-colored velvet. At night, in the pitch black of the British Columbia wilderness, the hotel’s lights sparkle like a million diamonds.

Everything’s a highlight at the Banff Springs. The breathtaking views of the majestic Rockies and surrounding valleys one gets from rooms and outdoor terraces are worth the price of admission alone.

This is where many television shows have been filmed, including Hawaii 5-0 and Magnum PI. Jack Lord, the actor who played Steve McGarret on the wildly popular Hawaii 5-0 series, liked the hotel and area so much he bought a condo adjacent to the hotel and lived there until he died.

The hotel lends gear for snorkeling, bicycling, fishing, and other sports. Other complimentary activities include daily yoga and aqua-aerobics; lei making, ukulele, hula, or pandanus weaving classes; and guided garden walks.

Walking into the Mills House’s ancient lobby is like walking back in time - to when ladies in long, hoop skirts would expect men to bow at the waist when they entered a room. This is the Ole South preserved with love and appreciation for what the original owner set out to do – give Charleston a hotel it could be proud of.