With no Olympics, World Cup, or World Fair, 2011 sounds like a largely uneventful year. That means there’s no major reason to visit (or avoid) any particular city, and no one destination will take over much of the travel media coverage. With that in mind, we guide you to the best city-break options for the new year, where you can catch some exceptional exhibitions.

1. LONDON
Every year is a good year to visit London, but an exception will probably be 2012 before and during the Olympics. So if you’ve never been to the city or wish to return, now’s the time or you better wait a couple of years. You’ll probably see a lot of the city around April in media reports of a certain famous wedding, but we suggest a visit at any time of the year, or perhaps in November for the unprecedented exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings at the National Gallery.
To save you a few pounds, consider getting the London Pass, and for a cultural experience outside the city, plan a visit to Stonehenge.

2. ISTANBUL
One year after it was the European Capital of Culture, Istanbul continues to present a list of major cultural events. In the new year (until the 20th of March), you can see an outstanding exhibition of over forty of Frida Kahlo’s and Diego Rivera’s works at the Pera Museum, and in a short city break in such a large city, you may look into the several organized tours and activities.

3. BARCELONA
You’ve probably seen many Picassos by now, but you’ve never seen an exhibition of the artist’s earliest works like this one. Barcelona’s Picasso Museum, in a co-production with Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum will show works from the early Paris years from June to October. There will also be works by Cézanne, Rodin and Van Gogh who were all inspired by Parisian life in the first decade of the 20th century.
After this exhibition, be sure to also check out the Miró Foundation, and to save you time and money in a short city break, get the Barcelona Card which also comes with a guidebook.

4. NEW YORK
The MoMA is always a must in the Big Apple, and until April 25th you can catch one of several exhibitions worth seeing this year. That’s “On to Pop,” showing works by Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, among others. They’re artists who came to define American Pop art, painting the usual objects and images encountered in daily life.
The New York CityPass gets you free admission to MoMA and to a number of other attractions.

5. SAN FRANCISCO
After New York’s, visit San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art which from May to September will co-organize an exhibition with New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and Paris’ Réunion des Musées Nationaux. It will present paintings, drawings, and sculptures collected by the Stein family which lived in Paris in the early 20th century and returned to California in 1935 when the SFMOMA was founded. Their collection was instrumental in the creation of the museum, with works by Paul Cézanne, Matisse, and Picasso.
As always, in a short city break, the tourist pass is the best investment, so be sure to get your Go San Francisco Card.

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When UCityGuides first reported on the opening of the controversial W Barcelona Hotel, it still didn’t have one of its star attractions which is the Eclipse Bar on its 26th floor. Designed by Ricardo Bofill, it’s become one of the hottest night spots in the city, in an exclusive ambience and stunning views of the sea through panoramic wraparound windows.
DJs spin upbeat and chilled-out sounds as attractive crowds sip on cocktails and share sushi or other light bites.
This is the first “Eclipse” outside London, you may already be familiar with the bars in Chelsea and South Kensington. What all three have in common is an emphasis on inventive cocktails and trendy crowds.
Complete W Hotel information here: W Hotel Barcelona

-See the complete Barcelona city guide.
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-See the complete Barcelona city guide.
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After almost a decade as head chef at the world’s best restaurant (that’s “El Bulli” not far from Barcelona, in case you’ve one of the very few who’ve never heard of it), Albert Raurich felt it was time to open his own business. The result is Dos Palillos, an Asian-inspired tapas bar-restaurant in the heart of Barcelona, in the stylish Casa Camper Hotel. That means dishes like Iberian ribs with Asian spices, and you can savor them all at the front bar or at the dimly-lit dining room with an open kitchen.  Despite being just a few months old, the restaurant’s master chef and his innovative dishes have given the place enough of a buzz to make it one of the hottest tables at the moment in Spain’s still-hottest city.

-See the complete Barcelona city guide.
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Travelers from around the world have voted in the last few months and have finally decided which are the ultimate urban creations of all time:

GRACHTENGORDEL CANALS, AMSTERDAM
The monumental result of 17th century urban planning that created one of the most pleasant and beautiful cities in the world.

PASSEIG DE GRACIA, BARCELONA
With a concentration of the most unconventional architecture and remarkable designs in the world, this is arguably the world’s most stunning boulevard.

BRASILIA
An entire city completely designed in innovative contemporary architecture where buildings are sculptures, most of them created by one single architect. A unique, monumentally modernist city.

STRØGET, COPENHAGEN
The longest pedestrian shopping area in Europe is the perfect example of how a city’s better quality of life is in part thanks to its pedestrianized centers.

BAIXA, LISBON
Before Haussmann’s Paris there was Pombal’s Lisbon, a grid of broad streets lined with earthquake-resistant buildings that was the world’s first prefabricated and anti-seismic system for large-scale construction, and Europe’s first great example of neoclassical design and urban planning.

THE WHITE CITY, TEL AVIV
Home to the largest concentration of Bauhaus buildings in the world, this is an outstanding example of 20th century town planning and architecture. It is an unique urban center unlike any other in the world, where planners carefully considered residential, environmental, commercial, and cultural needs to assure a high quality of life.

OLD TOWN, WARSAW
An extraordinary example of restoring centuries of history, culture, and heritage, brick by brick.

-See all the nominees and get more details here: 7 Urban Wonders of the World.
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Tel Aviv beach

1. Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
   Not only is Rio de Janeiro blessed with some of the world’s most dramatically gorgeous scenery, it also offers some of the most beautiful beaches together with urban pleasures. While Copacabana may be the most famous of all its beaches, and Leblon an increasingly attractive beach and neighborhood for sunseekers, it is in Ipanema that you’ll find the best of the city. Its golden sands are filled with flawlessly-sculpted bodies playing sports, jogging, or getting wet in the Atlantic, and that’s just the beginning of a day and night of posing and partying. Cross the avenue and you’ll find some of Rio’s best restaurants, or simply enjoy an açai juice or caipirinha at a cafe. Sitting on the sand or from a cafe table, take some time to admire the majestic peaks in the distance, the body-conscious strollers on the wave-patterned boardwalk, and soak up the sensual atmosphere all around.
2. Tel Aviv
   Tayelet (“Promenade” in Hebrew) is Tel Aviv’s sandy Mediterranean coastline lined with beach cafes and hotels. Often the site of parties and beautiful sunsets, it’s the city’s most irresistible area, the place everyone flocks to after a stroll down the trendy Sheinkin Street. After a day under the Mediterranean sun, the bronzed bodies clean themselves up under the freshwater showers and move on to Tel Aviv Port, a sleek seafront promenade that is a hot nighttime destination. It is actually an attractive spot at any time of the day, from brunch to evening jazz performance, especially on Shabbat.
3. Miami Beach, Miami
   In no other city in the world is the beach the main attraction. In Miami, it is the reason it receives so many tourists, curious about experiencing its parade of steroids, silicone, and sand-and-sun worshipers. When you finally take a break from that, the many cafes in the Art Deco District are another distraction, although the year-round heat will soon take you back to the ocean and eye candy. Miami is the ultimate see-and-be-seen destination, and the people-watching continues beyond the beach. The flashy clubs are for a night before another day at the palm-studded beach, and the joys of a flamboyant urban resort life.
4. Barceloneta, Barcelona
   An already exciting city can only get better with a beachfront. So when the Olympics came to Barcelona in 1992, its Mediterranean coastline got a makeover, and the result is Barceloneta Beach. Flashy hotels and restaurants have opened by this new sandy attraction, and it’s now a magnet for the city’s coolest crowds at any time of the day and night. That means you can work on your tan during the day, and later show it off at the clubs of any part of town. You can actually walk to the center of the city, strolling down a walkway lined with palm trees, cafes, and some exciting modern landmarks such as Frank Gehry’s 200-foot-long sculpture of a fish.
5. Venice Beach, Los Angeles
   L.A.’s bohemian beach is packed with bodybuilders, tattooed bodies, and all kinds of eclectic groups in its golden sands full of palm trees. In between them are rollerbladers, green lawns, galleries, cafes, and surf shops on the must-stroll Ocean Front Walk facing the beach. Venice Beach is a paradise for people-watching and by far the most interesting beach in Los Angeles, and arguably the most beautiful. Observe the human and natural spectacles and you’ll have a picture of what Los Angeles is all about.
6. Bondi Beach, SYDNEY
   Just as famous as Sydney’s Opera House are the city’s beaches, with waters always taken over by surfers and dolphins. Within minutes from the center of the city you’ll be stepping on golden sand, and the exact place to head to is Bondi Beach. It’s a crescent of sand faced by a variety of shops, often packed by sun and wave seekers. It’s a world-class surfing destination with a surprisingly relaxing atmosphere and a melting pot of crowds, from rich to poor, from young to old.
7. Tamariz, Lisbon
   Take the train from Lisbon’s central Cais do Sodré station to the seaside town of Cascais and you’ll be taken on a waterfront ride through a number of urban beaches. Step off the train in Estoril, just after the city’s Tagus River becomes the Atlantic, and stay laying on Tamariz Beach. Facing it from across the road is Europe’s largest casino, while standing above the sand is a castle belonging to the royal family of Monaco. Those were built when this coast was a haven for exiled royalty and European nobility during World War II, and the place still retains a certain faded glamour. On the sand you’ll be competing for space with crowds from Lisbon, its suburbs, and tourists on the hottest days, and for a refreshing drink or a meal, there are a number of bars facing the ocean. On summer months, this beach is a summer club at night, with tanned bodies dancing and drinking the night away.

Ipaneama Beach, Rio de Janeiro

Tamariz Beach, Lisbon

Venice Beach, Los Angeles

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It also provides chauffeured limousines, personal shoppers, beauty and massage services, personal assistants, and personal trainers among other services, making it the ideal accommodation for a short or long stay. Guests can also enjoy the sun terrace, while in the one or two-bedroom apartments that can accommodate 2 to 4 people they can enjoy the exclusivity, independence and privacy not always found at a typical hotel.

The space is decorated with a mixture of contemporary design and 19th century Hindu art, and there is also a gallery featuring Buddhist works from the 16th to 19th centuries.
When taking a look at the building outside, it’s clear that the lack of straight lines is the architect’s tribute to Gaudi’s masterpieces nearby, sights that Toyo Ito said he fell in love with the first time he visited Barcelona on his honeymoon.

-See the complete Barcelona city guide.
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Altis Belem | Lisbon
Finally Lisbon’s new hotels are not opening in the business districts uptown, but in the city’s historical areas by the river. The new Altis Belem Hotel is found on the riverfront between the Discoveries Monument and Belem Tower, and although it’s only been open for a couple of weeks, its café with wonderful river views is already quite popular. At the restaurant you’ll be served Portuguese cuisine by a Michelin-starred chef, and the BSpa includes a gym, sauna, massage treatments, and both an interior and outdoor pool. The 45 rooms and five suites overlook the Tagus and are named after the territories explored by the Portuguese explorers who departed from this very spot.

Betsey Hotel | Miami
On April 1st, Miami’s landmark Betsey Ross Hotel officially reopened after a major makeover. Gone is the Ross in the name, and the new Betsey Hotel includes the BLT Steak restaurant with Laurent Tourondel as the acclaimed chef to draw the crowds, and a “safari-chic” décor to grab guests’ attention. The new high-tech interior includes televisions imbedded in the bathroom mirrors, while on the rooftop is a solarium with an ocean view — the perfect place to relax after a day at the beach or a treatment at the full-service spa.

Thompson LES | New York
New York’s Lower East Side has become an increasingly popular destination to go out at night, but has never attracted hip boutique hotels. That will surely change after the recent opening of Thompson LES, a hotel whose Chinese restaurant and lounge will surely attract those Lower East Side night owls. Then there’s Above Allen, the open-air bar with a retractable roof, and not only will this be the major new hotspot in the neighborhood, but also in all of Manhattan. The rooms aren’t exactly large, but they’re flawlessly designed, as you’d expect in a Thompson hotel.

Art Plus | Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv’s hotels are finally opening themselves up to a more discerning traveler who prefers places with the style and character not always found at big chain hotels. The latest one is Art Plus, formerly called Top Hotel and renamed following renovations that lasted until late 2008. The interior now features Israeli art in a gallery, and includes murals by local artists on every floor and video art in the lobby. The furnishings are modern but in retro style, while the breakfast room offers art books and magazines. After a day at the beach nearby, it is also possible to go up to the rooftop sundeck to watch the sun set over the Mediterranean.

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1. New York – It defines the urban lifestyle and the ultimate cosmopolitan destination. You’ll be tempted into shopping more than you wished, paying high admissions to some of the world’s best museum collections, and find yourself having to make tough choices when it comes to dining out. New York is the city of cities, a place where you can’t help it but give in to hedonistic pleasures.
2. Paris – The world’s most beautiful metropolis is unbeatable when it comes to offering the utmost sophistication. Its boulevards invite aimless strolling, window-shopping, and café breaks, while admiring the most elegant fashions and sampling the most refined food as you go. It’s the one city that doesn’t leave anyone disappointed, as its romantic images are proven to actually be true time and time again.
3. London – The world’s best shopping experience is not always cheap, but combine a London shopping spree with sampling its outstanding restaurants and you’ll know you can’t possibly have a better time in any other city. It’s also above all a city to be experienced outdoors, an ironic fact considering its usually grey and rainy skies. But that just shows the power of London’s streets with their constant flow of creativity, edginess, and cosmopolitan spirit.
4. Rome – It’s an ancient city that has managed to survive to the present without being just a museum city. Sure its timeless landmarks can give it the feel of a huge open-air gallery, but experiencing Rome is really about experiencing la dolce vita, the feeling of living life at a slower and more laid-back pace, where stops for a glass of wine or a gelato are daily necessities. And while Milan may be the country’s shopping mecca, as the capital of Italy the city is also the place for great shopping which inevitable takes you through elegant piazzas and streets forcing you to slow down even more. There aren’t and never will be many more pleasing destinations than the eternal city.
5. Barcelona – This is an example of how cities can constantly evolve, reinvent themselves, and become an enviable metropolis. Singular architecture, some of the world’s top chefs and restaurants, cool design, and hip bars and clubs give Barcelona all the ingredients to make it one of the most fantastic cities on the planet. Add the Mediterranean beaches and an always-welcoming atmosphere and you can actually argue that this is the perfect city.
6. Madrid – Home to some of the world’s best art and nightlife, this city manages to be one of the planet’s must-do destinations without having one single instantly-recognizable monument or landmark. That’s because in addition to the outstanding art collections it’s the city’s streetlife that’s the major attraction. Its movida movement of the 80s lives on every weekend and you haven’t been to Madrid until you stay out until breakfast before you finally go to sleep on Sunday.
7. Amsterdam – It’s a symbol of freedom and tolerance, a place where everyone feels free to just be. That welcoming spirit is what makes Amsterdam a must-see city, although its art galleries and elegant canals would be enough to attract visitors to this irreverent city. Many destinations can claim that there is no other place like it, but in Amsterdam’s case you’ll discover that there’s no arguing with that.
8. Berlin – This city dares to be different. It’s an edgy 24-hour party city offering an incredible variety of restaurants, shops, and nightlife options thanks to its mixture of cultures and styles. In between its renovated old buildings and contemporary architecture are major international exhibitions and cultural events, meaning there is always something interesting going on, whether it’s a film festival, a fashion fair, or a design expo attracting international attention and cosmopolitan travelers.
9. Lisbon – It’s the world’s most underrated city and that’s because it doesn’t flash its shambolic beauty. Still, Lisbon is quietly seducing its way into the top of the European travel itinerary now that you not only get to see the continent’s most scenic capital but also its growing number of modern attractions complementing its ancient charms. See the best of modern art next to a 16th century World Heritage monument, and dine at a stylish restaurant reached through a street of potted plants and hanging laundry. It’s the birthplace of the world’s explorers and now a place to be discovered.
10. Istanbul – This city is so grand that it’s located in two continents. And by grand we’re not just talking size, but history, monumental wonders, and fascinating streets. It’s European and it’s Asian, it’s ancient but also very much in the 21st century. Watch it all from one of the many rooftop bars or restaurants and you won’t be able to resist falling for its almost mystical spirit.

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