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Though it’s easy enough to forget, there’s no law of nature that says a small, independently owned urban boutique hotel has to look like something out of a design competition. The Talbott Hotel, on Chicago’s Gold Coast, is a throwback to another era, in this case the 1920s, a time before multinational hotel chains, superstar designers, indeed decades before the very invention of the concept of the boutique hotel.

This classic, slightly retro opulence is a big part of what we love about Chicago, recalling the era when this was the capital of the West. It’s been renovated since then, which is good news, but fortunately none of the character of the place has been sacrificed: it’s still a hybrid of old Chicago charm and pan-European sophistication, thanks to a collection of hand-picked antiques. And while many historic hotels struggle with cramped floor plans, here even the standard doubles are downright spacious — to say nothing of the massive, apartment-style one- and two-bedroom suites.

Here you’re just off the Magnificent Mile of Michigan Avenue, which means easy access to the best of Chicago shopping, and no shortage of first-class restaurants. Not that you’ll need them, necessarily — the Talbott’s bistro and sidewalk café are neighborhood favorites in their own right.

It seems while everyone was looking for the next Prague somewhere in the Balkans, the Bodrum Peninsula suddenly turned into some kind of Turkish Riviera — with Türkbükü playing the part of bizarro St. Tropez. Don’t expect throwback Sixties grooviness, though; this place’s heyday appears to be right now, with boutique hotels like the Ev Hotel sprouting fully formed from the ground, looking as modern as tomorrow’s newspaper.

The villas flow down a terraced hillside overlooking Türkbükü Bay, each containing what the Ev calls suites, with disarming modesty — in all fairness they’re really one- and two-bedroom apartments, spacious and Kubrick-white, sharing pools but each with its own living room, terrace, and kitchen, complete with ultra-hip Smeg appliances. There’s nothing missing: bathrooms come with jacuzzis and LCD televisions, suites are serviced round the clock, and there’s a spa with a sauna and gym, in case the sheer luxury of your suite is stressing you out.

Of course a place doesn’t get to be the new St. Tropez without a bit of a scene; three minutes from the hotel is the Ev beach club, which is ground zero for all of your sunning, dining and late-night revelry needs. Just 40 kilometers from Bodrum airport.

The fact that it’s Ian Schrager’s first hotel venture since his departure from the Morgans Hotel Group means that the Gramercy Park Hotel qualifies as big news, and upon the occasion of its opening much ink was spilled beneath any number of headlines, all of which said something roughly like The Boutique Hotel Is Dead, Long Live Ian Schrager. For the real news, you see, is that he has apparently repudiated the very concept of the hip hotel, a concept which if you’ve been following along was born of the 1980s collaboration between Schrager himself and Philippe Starck, and which has since been done absolutely to death by just about everyone else.

Unfortunately for the headline writers of the world (but fortunately for the hotel’s guests, as you’ll see) the Gramercy Park Hotel, for all the drama of its break with the previous arc of Schrager’s career, is in fact quite hip. It’s just that these days hip means something very different from what it used to. Nowadays interiors as cold and white as upholstered ice are commonplace, and a hotel just isn’t a proper boutique unless its lobby is overflowing with forced architectural whimsy and its bar is overflowing with the sort of people who exist only to be photographed at parties.

That sort of thing used to be cool, as ludicrous as it sounds. But what Schrager must be banking on is that the new cool looks something like this: not the desiccated atmosphere of a furniture showroom but rather an eclectic, bohemian approach, like someplace a very successful artist might live — someone like, say, Julian Schnabel, who by an extraordinary coincidence happens to have designed the interiors at the Gramercy Park, along with the famous British architect John Pawson. And instead of a velvet rope lined with vapid party people, you’ll have some genuine exclusivity about the place: it was here, in the hotel’s Rose Bar, that Schrager famously threw out the execrable Paris Hilton (never mind that she was a hotel guest at the time), putting her “and her ilk” on notice, starting a wave of blacklisting that, as far as we’re concerned, can’t possibly go too far.

If this is indeed the new face of the boutique hotel, then the coming years, as competitors scramble to imitate the place, will be happy ones: we’re all for bigger, more livable rooms, bathrooms spacious enough to function properly, professional service, an art collection straight out of MoMA, and a tinge of nostalgia for the refined glamour of prewar (or at least pre-disco) Manhattan. The hotel also offers a members-only Roof Club and Garden, as well as the Rose and Jade bars, the spa and fitness center, and, of course, the park: guests are issued keys to Gramercy Park itself, the only private park in Manhattan, another place where presumably Ms. Hilton and her ilk are not welcome.

Time was, visitors to Moscow, however accustomed they were in Europe or North America to staying in small and stylish boutiques, were more or less out of luck. There were always the massive and impossibly opulent grand hotels, which are impressive in their own right, as nobody else has a feel for that superhuman scale quite like the Russians. But the Golden Apple proves there’s room for some contemporary style in Moscow’s hospitality scene.

The interiors, behind that conservative stone facade, are modern, slick and minimal. Lots of black and white and grey, set off against bold solid reds, yellows and greens, and lots of modernist furniture, including some truly inspired chairs. There’s a lobby bar that’s cheery and colorful, as against the Moscow style of dank and secretive old barrooms, and there’s a wide-open monochrome dining room serving (wait for it) some of the city’s finest fusion cuisine.

And if it all sounds rather like something you’ve already seen in London or New York, well, it sort of is, but this sort of thing is very new to Moscow. What’s special about the Golden Apple is very specific to its location — in this city it’s rare indeed to find a place that’s modestly sized, luxurious without being excessive, and stylish in a clever and restrained way. And don’t worry about feeling like you’ve seen it all already — Moscow’s version of the boutique hotel is exotic enough to throw more than a few surprises your way.

This is where it all started: Amanpuri was the first Aman resort to open, and serves as the flagship for the Singapore hospitality concern’s winning blend of modern design, classic luxury, stunning settings and first-rate service. Here on the west coast of the island of Phuket lies an exclusive beachfront resort, occupying what was once a coconut plantation, isolated on a lush peninsula overlooking Pansea Beach. Built by the American architect Ed Tuttle, it’s a smart mix of traditional Thai elements and a sort of late-eighties Zen modernism that somehow still looks fresh today.

Forty pavilions and thirty exclusive private villas line the hillsides, the best ones offering views of the sea, but all featuring private outdoor terraces with garden views at the very least. Inside the pavilions it’s modern luxury to the extreme, with low-slung king-sized beds atop hardwood floors, surrounded by clean lines and touches of authentic local color. Bathrooms are just as luxurious, if not more so, with separate baths and showers.

The villas continue in a similar vein, each containing anywhere from two to six bedrooms, decorated in a slightly more ornate style, filled with Thai art and antiques. Private pools and outdoor dining pavilions are standard, as are live-in maids and cooks.

These days few guests would think of checking out of Amanpuri without a visit to the Aman Spa. Three couples rooms and three single rooms are available in which to enjoy massage and beauty treatments as well as holistic healing, and facilities are available for yoga and meditation.

The Beach Club offers a 20m lap-pool, cocktail lounge and an array of water sports, as well as sun beds and towels, and a seaside gym with remarkable views through full-length windows. There’s that famous swimming pool, too — one look at the 27-meter pool, tiled in midnight blue, and you risk becoming an Aman addict for life.

How to get there:

Phuket is served by numerous domestic and regional flights and is a 1 1/2 hour flight from Bangkok Airport. Complimentary private limousine transfers to and from Phuket airport are offered to guests and the 17km drive to Amanpuri takes 25 minutes. Contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers.

The main calculation in traveling to Thailand is where exactly on the continuum between civilization and seclusion you want to end up. Though there’s no real desert-island experience to be had anymore, there’s a compromise to suit just about any taste — from the domesticated ex-wilderness of a Phuket to the nearby and much more tranquil Koh Lanta, home to the Pimalai Resort and Spa.

It’s not Robinson Crusoe, but it’s definitely not the big city either. Here the designers had the sense to stay out of the way, and let the gardens, the woods, and the beach take center stage. No bold design statements, just a warm, contemporary and identifiably Thai style, with full-length windows and wraparound terraces or balconies on all 121 rooms, suites and villas.

You can score a private pool if you feel like splashing out on a villa, or keep it simple with a standard room — even the latter affords plenty of space, close proximity to the beach, and it’s no great hardship sharing the hotel’s central infinity pool. Spa treatments and snorkeling or diving expeditions are an option, as always, and the restaurants offer not just fresh seafood-based Thai cuisine but cookery classes as well.

How to get there:

Pimalai Resort & Spa is approximately a 50 minute drive from Krabi Airport, 3 hours from Phuket Airport and 1 1/2 hours from Trang Airport. In each case this takes you to Baan Huahin pier where, adjacent to the public pier, the resort maintains a private jetty and convenience station. Travel time from Baan Huahin to the resort depends on the season. During the high season from November to April, the boat trip will take approximately 1 hour while traveling during the green season, from May to October, maybe take a bit longer. Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers.

Rome offers up so much history that it’s sometimes hard for the traveler to remember that, antiquity aside, Rome is a completely current and connected city too. It’s a cosmopolitan town fueled more by academia and the film business than by industry, and top-rate hotels usually aim for grandiloquent historical immersion or a hyper-hip design-house theme. The St. George doesn’t really fit into either camp. Instead, it offers up a polished atmosphere that, despite many Scandinavian design touches, almost feels as if one has just checked into a giant Prada handbag. Everything is stitched just so; no garish colors scream at your senses, just calm precision. The contents are selected more for hushed, buttoned-up professionalism than frivolity — the St. George marries boutique scale and business-travel efficiency extraordinarily well.

The 64 guestrooms are simultaneously modern and classical, with contemporary art hung below elaborate moldings, all united in a somewhat serious color palate and an abundance of travertine. Located on the Via Giulia (an incomplete urban design endeavor of the Renaissance, now a famed antique district) the St. George is in the heart of all things classical, steps from the Vatican and the Tiber with its strollable quays. The hotel offers a full service spa, the decadent I Sofà di Via Giulia restaurant, a wine bar, a library, and a chic, eye-popping rooftop bar, for taking in the sights from a comfortable vantage point. The St. George makes for a seriously sophisticated visit to a seriously sophisticated city, but takes great care to keep pace with the modern world.

Our new Tablet Spy program offers the chance to get early looks at the most promising new hotels. If you’re willing to take the risks associated with staying in a hotel that’s not officially open yet — unfinished spaces, noisy construction, inexperienced service — then you’ll be rewarded with deep pre-opening discounts, and the chance to help decide whether the finished hotel will earn a place on Tablet Hotels.

After some years making a name for itself on the West Coast, the Ace brand arrives in the East, with a New York outpost on Broadway at 29th Street. And, as you’d expect, this one is a little bit different from other New York hotels. Start with the location: while you’re in the middle of Manhattan, and about three seconds from basically anywhere, this particular section of Broadway in the upper 20s is off most tourists’ radar, and most property developers’ as well. This is one way the Ace manages to stick to its budget-friendly price point, and makes for a bit of colorful street life as well.

Pains have been taken to ensure that the Ace retains a bit of atmosphere from its SRO-hotel past. This is a grittier and less polished take on the boutique hotel, something quite a bit less glossy and aspirational than the Schrager version of decades past. Here you’ll find surplus and salvage furnishings along with vintage turntables (complete with vinyl library) and, in some rooms, a few well-chosen high-end items — Smeg refrigerators stocked with a decent selection of food and drinks certainly come in handy, as do the iPod hookups for those of us who have gone digital.

The funky, minimal décor underlines the point that the Ace has more in common with apartment life than with the traditional hotel experience. The lobby bar is a work in progress, as is the Breslin restaurant, something of a sequel to the West Village’s very fine Spotted Pig. And when it’s open, Stumptown will be a genuine contender for New York’s top coffee shop.

Who’s it for? The prices certainly aren’t off-putting, and the audience is thus a bit broader than you’ll find in New York’s pricier boutiques. With rates starting around a hundred a night, the Ace caters to real live creative types — anyone from freelancers paying their own way to rock bands accustomed to North Jersey motels.

In Marrakech hotels the choice, often enough, is between a contemporary resort way out in the Palmeraïe and a traditional-style riad hotel in the crowded, buzzing medina. But it’s not actually as simple as that. Take the Hivernage Hotel & Spa as an example — it’s in town, though just outside the medina, and in contrast with the riads, it’s a fully serviced boutique hotel, with 85 rooms and suites, served by a spa whose offerings go quite a bit beyond the little hammams of the courtyard mansions.

Here the mid-rise construction offers a slightly uncommon elevated perspective on the city. Interiors are a sensible blend of modern hospitality design and classic Moroccan style — satellite TV and assorted other electronic gadgets alongside soft desert hues and ornate antique-style furniture.

The spa is clearly a major draw, occupying a dramatic space full of colorful flourishes; all the basics are offered, from hammam and massage to aromatherapy and a fitness studio. But the strength of this place might be in the restaurant, La Table du Marche, where the St. Tropez–based chef Christophe Leroy serves an eclectic cuisine — from traditional French pastry and baking to Moroccan specialties and globe-spanning fusion dishes.

A little explanation in order to properly introduce the new Hotel Lumen: Paris is in another league when it comes to hotels — its enormous volume of tourist traffic combined with its general scarcity of real estate places it in the same pricy bracket as London or Tokyo. Combine that with a generally conservative bunch of hotel decorators — no, we don’t get it either — and you’ve got a pretty solid rule of thumb: you can have an affordable hotel, a stylish hotel, or a conveniently located hotel, but rarely two of those, and almost never all three.

We’d be lying to you if we told you the Lumen belonged in the budget category. But to find a hotel this stylish and modern, located literally steps from the Louvre, is a pretty big deal. And the price is really very much in line with the product: this is a top-flight luxury boutique, whose striking contemporary design fireworks are discreetly hidden behind the facade of a classic Haussmannian townhouse.

The thirty-two rooms and suites vary in size, but they’ve all got views of one kind or another, and all look sharp, in custom-made furnishings and marble or Bisazza-tile bathrooms. And the ace in the hole, to add to the location and the look, is the restaurant: Le Passage Saint-Roch operates under the guidance of the famed cookbook writer Frédérick Grasser Hermé.