Michelin-starred Restaurant in Southern Italy: This week, A Luxury Travel Blog recommends having dinner at Rossellinis. Located in Ravello, a small town overlooking the wonderful Amalfi Coast, Italy, this 2-star Michelin restaurant offers delicious updated Neapolitan specialties.

Hotel News from Denmark: On The Copenhagen Post, read the story of a police raid in a Copenhagen hotel. Followed by the arrest of four criminals involved in a multi-million kroner robbery in the Brøndby neighborhood, the unexpected operation literally scared hotel guests to death.

Modern Museums: Forbes lists the world’s must-see museum makeovers including the Prado Museum in Madrid, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and more History and Art museums in the United States.

New Travel Trend: On ABC News, read an article on babymooning, a last-minute holiday that future parents take before their baby’s birth.

The Starwood Collection luxury Hotel Marqués de Riscal in Elciego, a lovely town in the Basque Country of Northern Spain is a cutting-edge landmark hotel. It first opened in 2006 by Pritzker Prize winning architect Frank Gehry, whose world famous buildings include the Guggenheim Museum of Bilboa.
43 Guest rooms offer splendid views of views the vineyards, the Gehry Wing, and the town of Elciego.

2. Hotel Silken Puerta América

The masterpiece of architecture and 5-star Hotel Silken Puerta America is located in the heart of Madrid. The 75 million dollar project involved world class architects such as Zaha Hadid – the first woman to win the prestigious Pritzker Prize – Oscar Neimeyer, Arata Isozaki and Victorio & Lucchino. Every floor has a different concept and design, from the car park to the 12th floor.
The hotel boasts 342 guest rooms, including 12 suites on the top floor. All rooms and suites all offer state-of-the-art technology, such as high-speed wireless internet.

3. Miróhotel

The 4-star Miróhotel in Bilbao was transformed from a music school by architect Carmen Abad Ibáñez de Mata. The interrior design is by Antonio Miró, one of Spain’s top fashion designers. The hotel has its own photography gallery where it showcases works from contemporary local and international artists.
The hotel’s 50 Miró style guest rooms offer great amenities for your stay in Bilbao.

4. Hotel Omm

The 5 star luxury Hotel Omm is truly the cat’s meow when it comes to architecture and design. Located in Barcelona ’s trendy Passeig de Gràcia district, it is a collaboration between architect Juli Capella and interior designers Sandra Tarruella and Isabel Lopez.
The hotel’s Restaurant Moo has 2 Michelin stars.

5. Casa Fuster

The five star luxury Casa Fuster is located in Barcelona, designed by famous Catalan architect D. Lluís Domenéch Montaner (1850-1923). The beautiful Spanish-Arabic inspired architecture of the building makes this hotel a listed landmark in Barcelona. The hotels lovely roof terrace offers a spectacular view of the city below.
A range of amenities are at your disposal in the 96 luxury guest rooms.

• Attend a gourmet cooking course in Dordogne, France

Foie gras (goose liver), magret de canard (duck breast), walnut cake, truffle mushrooms, apple cider and Bergerac wine are only a few of the many delicious wines and culinary specialties that can be sampled in Dordogne.

Situated in the South West of France and also known under its former name Périgord, the Dordogne is one of France’s most popular tourist destinations. Boasting splendid landscapes, old castles, the medieval town of Sarlat, the Grotte de Rouffignac caves and the Lascaux prehistoric rock paintings, the area is also a mecca for French cuisine lovers and several Dordogne hotels and restaurants offer culinary workshops to visitors who want to enjoy a great cooking holiday in France.

For a gourmet break with a group of friends or the whole family, venere.com recommeds the Hotel Le Château du Doux which offers rooms and apartments in Altillac, Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. This Périgord hotel runs a cooking workshop where guest learn how to prepare foie gras and duck confit (available on request only). In addition, featuring a lovely terrace with stunning views over the Dordogne river, Le Chateau du Doux restaurant offers an excellent gastronomic menu prepared with genuine local products, which can also be purchased and ordered at the reception desk. Hotel facilities include a bar, a library, an outdoor swimming pool, table tennis, French boules game, badminton court, French billiards, and free car park.

Find more Dordogne hotels and chateaus in France

• Visit Lyon, Capital of French cuisine

Talented chefs, creative cuisine, traditional French recipes, luxury dining venues, Gault & Millau and Michelin rated restaurants, friendly bistros and trendy wine bars… Ever since the 16th Century Lyon, France has been renowned for its gastronomy and has delighted visitors with some of the world’s finest food and wines. With over 1000 restaurants, including Michelin star awarded La Mère Brazier and Nicolas Lebec and the picturesque bouchon bistros, Lyon is known for being France’s gastronomic capital and has always been a top gourmet travel destination.

Boasting a convivial atmosphere, Lyon’s bouchon restaurants – only 20 restaurants in the city are officially certified traditional bouchons – serve authentic, robust French and Lyonnaise specialties, such as chicken liver salad, salade lyonnaise, quenelles dumplings, gras double tripes, boudin, andouillette sausage, friend pork fat, duck pâté, bugnes beignets, along with Beaujolais or Côtes du Rhône wine.

Though the city has France’s highest number of dining venues per inhabitant, when planning your gourmet trip to Lyon you may look for a hotel with a fine dining restaurant such as the luxury Hotel Villa Florentine. Centrally located in the Vieux Lyon district and housed in a 16th Century convent, this Relais & Château hotel offers top amenities including outdoor swimming pool, meeting facilities, and spa & beauty center. Run by French chef Davy Tissot, the hotel restaurant Les Terrasses de Lyon features two dining rooms : the former Trinity convent room, which boasts superb Renaissance vaulted ceilings, and a winter garden offering spectacular panoramic views over Lyon.

Find more accommodations in Lyon, France

Great Britain has enjoyed close ties with the Indian subcontinent for many years and this has led to the British enthusiastically adopting and adapting the usually spicy and flavorful Indian cuisine to suit their own palate. For instance the most popular Indian dish in the UK is ‘Chicken tikka masala’. This is a British adaptation of Indian chicken curry found only in the UK and nowhere else on the subcontinent. Moreover connoisseurs of Indian cuisine often remark the Indian restaurants in London serve excellent authentic Indian cuisine which is often better than the food served at the restaurants in India. To judge whether this is true or not you would have to eat at London’s finest Indian restaurants in order to make a decision.

• Veeraswamys

One of the oldest Indian restaurants in London is Veeraswamys. The restaurant which is located in the elegant neighborhood of Mayfair, established by the great grandson of an English General, along with an Indian princess. Today this eighty year old restaurant managed and owned by sisters Camelia and Namita Punjabi who also own other renowned London eateries such as Amaya and Chutney Mary. These sisters have recently refurbished the restaurant and restored it to its former glory. The décor of the restaurant evokes the ambience of a Maharaja’s palace from the 1920’s. The restaurant possesses a magnificent ten foot high silver painted ceiling and its walls are adorned with colorful opulent turbans which once belonged to the Maharajas who patronized the restaurant during its early days. Veeraswamy’s menu reflects the various different cooking styles of the subcontinent, the restaurant is a must do for any Indian food buff on a visit to London.

• Amaya Bar & Grill

If you prefer to try Indian food with a more contemporary style and taste you should head to Veeraswamy’s sister restaurant the Amaya Bar and Grill. This restaurant serves top notch contemporary Indian food with a distinct western twist. The award winning Indian restaurant is one of the few Indian restaurants that have received a star in the Michelin Red Guide. Amaya has a sleek, modern look and a menu which features Indian grills or kebabs which are cooked on the spot in its large show kitchen. Amaya is located on Motcomb Street in the area of Knightsbridge.

• Zaika

The first Indian Restaurant in London to have received a Michelin star is located in the coveted district of South Kensington and is called Zaika. Zaika is located in a building which was previously a bank and the original architecture of the bank consisting of arches and high ceilings has been preserved which helps to enhance the colonial era feel of the restaurant. Its large menu features many permutations and combinations to satisfy even the most discerning palate.

• The Cinnamon Club

The Cinnamon Club is an inimitable Indian restaurant that is located in a building that once housed a Victorian Library in the area of London known as Westminster. This restaurant which serves modern Indian cuisine is a favorite of politicians and movers and shakers of the business world. It even has its own exclusive single malt whisky which is bottled for the restaurant and is available for sale.

The restaurant has a constantly evolving menu which keeps it fresh and exciting.

Photo of ‘fine Indian cuisine‘ neon originally posted by dmax3270

1. Etruscan Chocohotel – Perugia, Umbria, Italy

Located in Perugia, Umbria, home of the annual Eurochocolate and Choco Tango festivals, the Etruscan Chocohotel is the ideal place to stay for unrepentant chocolate lovers.

This 3-star hotel boasts an elegant restaurant offering a delightful all-chocolate menu which includes “Ricotta cheese patty-cake with chocolate drops, “noodles with cocoa and courgettes”, “rabbit with pistachios and chocolate”, and other original treats.

In addition, at the Chocostore, guests can purchase all kinds of products from the best local and international chocolate producers, funny chocolate gadgets and tools, small presents for their friends and family, as well as pampering cocoa beauty products.

2. Chocolate Boutique Hotel – Bournemouth, Dorset, UK

Housed in a lovely 18th Century mansion in West Cliff, Bournemouth, this charming boutique hotel l is the perfect spot for travelers wishing to combine a gourmet stay with a romantic break along the beautiful beaches of Dorset, England.

Gourmet guests can sample and purchase an excellent selection of fine hand-made Belgian chocolates at the hotel shop, and express their culinary creativity at the 2-hour chocolate workshop.

Serious chocoholics will also appreciate finding hotel-shaped chocolates in their room, as well as special in-room amenities, such as a mini chocolate fountain, available at a small extra charge.

3. The Langham Hotel, Boston, MA, USA

Housed in the former US Federal Reserve Bank building overlooking the gardens of Post Office Square, the Langham Hotel offers contemporary luxury accommodation in downtown Boston, a few minutes from the most popular city attractions, including the New England Aquarium, the Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall, and the financial district.

This AAA 4-diamond hotel boasts the fantastic deluxe Chocolate Bar recently voted “best indulgence” by Boston Magazine. Open from noon to 3 pm every Saturday, this unique restaurant offers an all-you-can-eat buffet including more than 125 yummy desserts, from various chocolate mousses to chocolate fondue, which will satiate even the worst chocolate addicts.

Guests can burn off the calories accumulated at the buffet with a work out at the Langham Gym and Health Club.

4. La Banasterie, Avignon, Provence, France

Situated right in Avignon’s historic center, a few steps from the magnificent Palais des Papes (the Palace of the Popes) and Saint-Benezet bridge, La Banasterie is a great place to stay for travelers who want to enjoy the French art of living and experience a relaxing holiday in the heart of Provence.

In this beautiful 16th Century residence, boasting lovely terraces and a cozy lounge, chocolate reigns supreme and hotel rooms are named after the best varieties of cocoa: criollo, Forastero, Guanaja, Trinitario, and Quetzalcoatl.

Indeed, La Banasterie is run by a couple of chocolate lovers who are always happy to share their passions with their guests and talk about the beneficial effects of cocoa while sipping a cup of delicious hot chocolate.

5. Hotel NH Köln-City, Cologne, Germany

Located in Severinsbrüke, the Hotel NH Köln-City offers comfortable accommodation and modern amenities in Cologne, just opposite the Cologne Chocolate Museum (Schokoladedenmuseum Köln), one of the most famous city attractions.

A visit to this museum entirely dedicated to the history and production of chocolate is the perfect treat for chocolate lovers. Visitors can learn everything about all the types and flavors of cocoa, and sample a cup of tasty hot chocolate while relaxing on the museum’s terrace, which offers a unique view over the Rhine River.

And if your passion for chocolate has no limit, the Bryant Park Hotel in Manhattan, NY, is the place of your dreams. This luxury New York hotel recently inaugurated the Govida Decadence Suite: a room completely made of chocolate, featuring a series of chocolate items and a chocolate version of the most famous Gustav Klimt’s painting The Kiss.

Restaurant Vendôme at the Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg, Cologne Area, Germany
The 5-star luxury hotel Schloss Bensberg, housed in a magnificent Baroque castle at 16 km from Cologne is the home to the exquisite gourmet restaurant Vendôme, boasting 3 Michelin stars. The culinary excellence of Chef Joachim Wissler ensures an unforgettable experience.
The restaurant is opened Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.
Price for a 5 course menu is €186 ($269) per person (excluding wine)
Vendôme at Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg, Kadettenstraße, Bensberg Bergisch Gladbach, Germany

Restaurant Malinowa at the Royal Méridien Bristol in Warsaw, Poland
The Royal Méridien Bristol hotel is the most prestigious luxury hotel in Warsaw, on the fashionable Royal Route, overlooking the Presidential Palace. The Malinowa Restaurant was awarded a Michelin star and offers delicious and innovative Polish cuisine prepared by Chef Karol Okrasa, a Polish celebrity and tv cooking chef.
The restaurant is opened Monday through Thursday for dinner.
Price for a gourmet menu, including 2 glasses of wine, is 180 PLN per person (€50/$71).
Milinowa at the Royal Méridien Bristol, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 42/44, Warsaw, Poland

Restaurant René Bérard at the Hostellerie Bérard, French Riviera
Hostellerie Bérard is a charming three-star hotel in the Provence medieval village of La Cadière d’Azur, in the French Riviera. Chefs René Bédard and his son Jean-François run the Michelin star winning kitchen of the René Bérard Restaurant with its outstanding Provençal dishes. The hotel also offers cooking classes for gourmet enthusiasts.
The René Bérard Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday. During the summertime, the restaurant is also open on Mondays and Tuesdays, but only for dinner.
Gourmet menus are available from €49 ($71) to €140 ($203) per person (wine excluded). On average, diners spend about €90 ($130) per person, all included.
Hostellerie Bérard, Avenue Gabriel Péri, La Cadière-d’Azur, France

Restaurant Onice at the Hotel La Vedetta, Florence
The Onice restaurant inside the 5-star Hotel La Vedetta, boasting a fantastic panoramic view over the city of Florence. The restaurant has one Michelin star. Chef Massimiliano Blasone serves exquisite food in a breathtaking environment.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day except Monday.
The price for a 4-course menu is €95 ($138) (wine excluded) and the average price for an à la carte dinner is €120 ($174) (wine excluded).
Onice at Hotel La Vedetta, Viale Michelangiolo 78, Florence, Italy

The information in this article has been checked and was current at the time of publication.