Want cocktails, cappuccinos and oodles of culture? Then look no further. We've selected our top five cool city breaks for 2012, from art in Chicago to boutique bars in Latin America. Get set for a few urban adventures, below...
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a long-term favourite city break destination of ours – it may have a reputation for seediness, but we love it for its brilliant museums, great hotels and fantastic restaurants. Plus, it's only about an hour's flight away from UK shores, so ideal for a short weekend getaway. We recommend the Lloyd Hotel and its democratically star-rated rooms (the spartan but comfortable one-star rooms start at €90/night – about £75 – while plush five-stars are twice as pricey), the Rijksmuseum's Masterpieces collection, the Hermitage Amsterdam, and strolling between the canalhouses in the Jordaan district.
Book it now: lloydhotel.com
Cartagena
Most people don't think 'tourist destination' when they hear the name Colombia, but there is more to this beautiful country than drug wars and kidnappings. Cartagena, a walled medieval city on the Caribbean coast, is one of the most beautiful cities in Latin America and home to plenty of boutique hotels and great bars. Stay at La Passion Hotel in the Centro Histórico – a classic 19th-century Spanish mansion, it is both stylish and comfortable (room rates start at US$225 – about £147).
Book it now: lapassionhotel.com
Hong Kong
The sensory overload brought on by a visit to Hong Kong is legendary: if you want a taste of life in a bustling Asian metropolis, nothing compares to this city. We love the shopping and the restaurant scene that features everything from haute cuisine (Man Wah at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong has just been awarded a Michelin star) to street food (we recommend the stalls at the Temple Street night market) and everything in-between (the dumplings at Luk Yu Tea House on 24 Stanley Street are famous for the right reason). Meanwhile, the Victoria Peak mountain provides a bit of shelter from the pollution, and a visit to the calming Chi Lin Nunnery is a must.
Guimarães
No, we hadn't heard of Guimarães before it was made European Capital of Culture in 2012 either – but the more we hear about it, the more we wonder why we haven't been there before. The northern Portuguese city seems to have it all, including a UNESCO-protected medieval city centre with excellent bars and restaurants, and we like the look of the new CAAA – a museum of art and architecture – too. The historic Pousada de Guimarães Sta. Marinha, located on a hill overlooking the city, has rooms from €79 (about £65) per night.
Book it now: pousadas.pt
Chicago
New York's skyscrapers may be more famous, but it was in Chicago that the world first saw the birth of majestic cloud-peeping buildings. Most of Chicago's skyscrapers lie in and around the Millennium Park, which is also home to the excellent Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion – an outdoor music venue. Chicago's cultural scene is excellent too, and we're hoping to catch the Roy Lichtenstein retrospective at the Art Institute of Chicago (16 May-3 September). We suggest you book a room at Thompson Hotels' Sax Chicago: its downtown location makes it an ideal base from which to explore the city on foot (rates start at US$150/night – about £98).
Book it now: thompsonhotels.com
