KEY
Beach …….
Local ……..
Cheap ……
Moscow
Party near Red Square
Spot one of Moscow’s estimated 35 billionaires in action—along with Arab sheikhs, European industrialists, and visiting American rock stars—at the city’s new $350 million Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Located within spying distance of Red Square, the 334-room retreat is Russia’s costliest, with rooms starting at $1,000 per night. If you can’t afford a room, head for the enclosed rooftop O2 bar for gold-flecked sushi and Moscow’s best people-watching (ritzcarlton.com or 7-495-225-8888).
Palm Springs
Ridiculously cushy
The Jonathan Adler–designed Parker Palm Springs is crawling with TMZ fodder on vacation—Brangelina, Jessica Biel, Kevin Spacey. There are chilled towels to cool your brow by the saltwater pool, French gardens planted with lavender, rosemary, and olive trees, and an enormous spa (called the Palm Springs Yacht Club). For privacy, massage services come to you, if you’re staying in one of twelve posh villas (from $895; 760-770-5000 or theparkerpalmsprings.com).
Biarritz
France
Do as Coco Chanel once did: Indulge in baked oysters with foie gras and armagnac inside the gilded Hotel-du-Palais in Biarritz, a French city on the rugged Basque coast where surfers and baccarat-playing gentry alight (ocean views from $476 a night; 33-559-41-6400 or hotel-du-palais.com). Nearby, Karl Lagerfeld has a compound filled with Hummers, sunglasses, and an army of fluffy dogs. At night, look for his leather-clad minions in the techno temple of Club Disco le Caveau.
Island Outpost Resorts
Jamaica
See what brings stars like Kate Moss, Scarlett Johansson, Naomi Campbell, Bono, and Johnny Depp back to Jamaica’s Goldeneye resort (small villas starts at $660; 800-688-7678 or goldeneyehotel.com), the onetime home of James Bond creator Ian Fleming. It’s sexy, secluded, and easygoing—with beach bonfires, skinny-dipping, and extra-rummy Goldeneye drinks. Island Records’ founder Chris Blackwell owns the resort, which helps ensure the guest list is on point. If you tire of Goldeneye, venture outside for music and bikini shopping at Reggae Yard in Ocho Rios or taste some local cooking at Scotchies (get the jerk chicken).
Punta del Este
Uruguay
Frolic with the hottest bodies and faces of Latin American entertainment, from Ricky Martin to Argentine models, as they descend each winter upon this Uruguayan equivalent of the Hamptons. Join the dance party, order Champagne, and stay at the soon-to-open Setai Club (sister of the exclusive Miami hotel) in the nearby village of José Ignacio, where Ralph Lauren reportedly keeps a house close to the polo action (305-672-7900 for information).