In the thrumming epicentre of London’s West End, on film-premiere-central Leicester Square, The Londoner is a brilliant base to tap into some of the city’s most exciting cultural addresses Theatreland is on its doorstep, and the recently reopened National Portrait Gallery just around the corner, but the hotel has its own starry line-up too, with a soothing subterranean spa and rooftop izakaya lounge. This spring, add to that a VIP Access perk of 20% off food and drink, to be used once per stay—perhaps at gin-focused Joshua’s Tavern or French Mediterranean restaurant Whitcomb’s.

 This smart bolthole from much-loved Portuguese hotel group Pestana is right in the very heart of it: three blocks from Grand Central Station and a short walk up Fifth Avenue from the Empire State Building. Inside, the decor is in chic monochrome, with subtle Portuguese nods, such as blankets printed with the country’s famous blue and white tiles; rooms on the upper floors come with a small balcony to take in the sky-scraping views. The VIP Access perk, a $31 drink credit per room, can be spent at the grab-and-go bar in the lobby. There’s no restaurant, but you’re within striking distance of everything here, from fine dining to dirty burgers.

 In the 1920s, Giannini Place in Downtown LA served as the grand HQ of the Bank of Italy, all Doric columns, ornate ceilings and marble floors. Today, Hotel Per La takes that bankable architectural drama and adds a little Italian dolce vita to the interiors—as well as more than 4,000 works of art across its walls. Sure, the soaring, plant-filled lobby is jaw-droppingly beautiful, but the real head-turner is the rooftop, where you can spend your VIP Access perk of $10 food and drink credit (excludes alcohol) at poolside Bar Clara overlooking the glittering city skyline.

 The guestbook at Hotel Lancaster reads like a who’s who of Hollywood’s heyday: Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable. The suite where Marlene Dietrich stayed on the fourth floor is now named after her; the baby grand piano that she left behind ready to tinkle a tune. There’s still an old-school grace to the hotel, tucked just back from the Champs-Élysées: guest rooms decorated with antiques and oil paintings, a private top-floor spa that looks out to the Eiffel Tower. Paris in the springtime is always a good idea, even more so with the city gearing up to host the Olympics this summer—plus, members get free breakfast for two during their stay, and free valet parking.

While Antoni Gaudí was contemplating his epic Sagrada Família, his contemporary, the key Modernist architect Enric Sagnier, was busy designing hundreds of buildings across Barcelona. One of them was his family home and studio on Rambla de Catalunya, now reborn as Hotel Casa Sagnier. It’s a striking building with wrought-iron balconies and ornamental Gothic parapets and inside, the 51 beautiful rooms, some with small terraces, have parquet floors and muted textiles. On the ground floor, Cafè de l’Arquitecte dishes up chicken croquettes and slow-cooked pork ribs beneath pictures of Sagnier himself, with the VIP Access perk of a free bottle of wine.

Ubud sits at the spiritual heart of Bali, and this hotel, hidden away among paddy fields and banyan trees on the jungly outskirts of town, is just the place for checking in and chilling out. COMO hotels are known for their top-notch spas and Uma Ubud is no different, with treatments that range from a stimulating Balinese body wrap with warming spices in crushed rice, to facials using Sundãri products based on Ayurvedic principles: Expedia members receive a free spa service (one per stay). That emphasis on wellbeing also extends to complimentary daily yoga classes and guided morning walks around local trails, as well as the supremely tranquil, white-washed rooms, many with their own private pool. This is a dreamy go-slow escape.

Going all-inclusive unlocks a new level of shoulder-dropping relaxation and Sun Palace, with 252 rooms at the quieter, southern end of Cancun’s Hotel Zone, is a more boutique option compared to some of the Mexican coast’s big-splash resorts. This couples-only hotel is set along a dazzling sweep of white-sand beach, where in June you can watch turtles laying their eggs in the sand (come back in October to help release the babies into the sea). But even if it isn’t turtle season, there’s plenty to do with three outdoor pools, four restaurants (steak at Fuego; Mexican at Aurora) and bars aplenty whether you want to swim up or dance. And a massage at the Awe spa is easily the most relaxing way to spend your VIP Access perk of $120 resort credit.

Bangkok’s frenetic energy, sizzling food scene and always-evolving creativity makes it a must-stop on any Southeast Asian itinerary. Carlton Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit is ideally placed to tuck into it all, a short walk to super malls Terminal 21 or EmQuartier, and a metro hop to temples and palaces. But for all the city thrills, the hotel is cleverly designed to take in or keep out as much of it as you want, with floor-to-ceiling soundproof windows and electric blackout drapes. If the views from your bed aren’t enough, head to the 10th-floor pool or the Cooling Tower Rooftop Bar—VIP Access provides the bonus of 20% off food and drink here (once per stay, excludes alcohol), as well as across the hotel’s Cantonese spot Wah Lok, Plunge juice bar and all-day Plate restaurant.

 The islands of the South Pacific are the stuff of sun-splashed travel fantasy: sand-ringed islands castaway among the endless blue. Among them, Yasawa Island is one of the most perfect and remote—named after one of 15 words in the Fijian language meaning heaven. Paradise here means 18 thatched beach-front bures tucked beneath the palms, where days unfurl lazily through beach picnics and snorkelling trips, kava ceremonies and South Pacific cooking demos. What’s even more relaxing is that all those activities are all inclusive, along with dining on fresh lobsters delivered by the village fisherman and cocktails at Manasa’s Bar. Plus, VIP Access means members get 25% off treatments at the Baravi Spa, too.

 In a city where most hotels reach higher and higher towards the sky, One&Only Royal Mirage is a refreshingly low-rise oasis hugging the beach. The hotel is split into four distinct properties—Arabian Court, The Palace, Villa and the Residence & Spa—stealthily hiding its size amid meandering gardens. Across all, the look is opulently Arabian, but in a way that is more One Thousand and One Nights than contemporary megacity: all dramatic arches and soaring domes, mosaic-tiled floors and hand-painted ceilings. Spend your VIP Access perk of 20% off food and drink at some of the 16 restaurants and bars, such as sunset spot The Jetty Lounge or sizzling South American restaurant The Beach Bar & Grill.