A List of the Top Ten Places, Where We Want To Go In 2010

1.The Huntley Santa Monica Beach

Santa Monica Beach, Calif.

Until last spring, this oceanfront hotel was a Radisson property, but a major redesign culminated in April when The Huntley Santa Monica Beach was relaunched as a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts. The 209 guest rooms feature flat-screen TVs and Molton Brown toiletries. Neutral tans, whites and blacks dominates the interior palette, where sleek wooden lounge chairs complement white shag rugs. The Huntley is located in a predominantly residential district and is within walking-distance of the Santa Monica pier. Room rates start at $319 per night.

2. The Addison

Amelia Island, Fl

The Addison on Amelia Island opened last summer in the tiny resort village of Fernandina. There are only 15 rooms in this four-part antebellum property, most of which is Civil War era, and each room has been meticulously restored and decorated with vintage chandeliers and antique furniture, as well as fresh linens and duvets. Embers, The Addison's restaurant, pairs an extensive wine list with a coastal menu that features fresh seafood and English afternoon tea. This March, guests will be able to relax at the new Seboni Spa, derived from The Addison's sister property in Cornwall, England. In the meantime, in-room treatments are available. There are six golf courses on Amelia Island; the closest is Fernandina Beach Golf Club, which is open to the public. Room rates start at $300 per night.

3. Ku

Anguilla, British West Indies

In Arawak Indian, the word "Ku" means sacred place. In this context, the word pays homage to the resort's neighbor: Fountain Cave, a celebrated Indian ceremonial ground, where visitors can wander among freshwater pools and petroglyphs. Ku sits on Shoal Bay East, a two-mile stretch of white sand that is famous for its snorkeling and diving, and boasts 27 suites--all of which are at least 775 square feet large. Cap Juluca, a nearby luxury property, is owned by the same people, but Ku's 75-foot beach bar, free-form freshwater pool and glass-bottom boat have made it a serious competitor since it opened in October 2005. It's also more reasonably priced, with room rates starting at $395 per night during winter, compared with $750 per night at Cap Juluca.

4. The Palms

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

Although this resort opened in February 2005, it missed Valentine's Day by half a week. We can't think of a better place to spend that holiday this year than The Palms on Providenciales island in Turks and Caicos. The 72 airy, open guest suites are decorated in white and look out over the ocean and Grace Bay Beach. An infinity-edge pool, complete with sunpods (colorful, cushioned lounges) beckon sunbathers, while the Provo Golf Club's 18-hole course is just down the road. A 25,000-foot spa (pictured) makes use of indigenous ingredients, like native queen conch shells and herbal melanges, for treatments. Room rates start at $575 per night.

5. The Ritz-Carlton

Grand Cayman, The Cayman Islands

The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman opened on Dec. 15, 2005, a little Christmas gift to sun-lovers everywhere. With its own Greg Norman-designed golf course (which doesn't open until April of this year), the first La Prairie spa in the Caribbean and five restaurants, the hotel promises to introduce a new standard of luxury to one of the most heavily trafficked Caribbean destinations. The resort is nothing if not large: It has 144 acres of beachfront property and 365 guest rooms and suites. Just a 60 minute flight from Miami, The Cayman Islands are as convenient for a long weekend in the sun as they are for an extended family break. Nightly room rates start at $699 during the high season and $299 during the low season.

6. Hotel Basico

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Hotel Basico opened last fall in Playa del Carmen, on Mexico's Caribbean coast. Designed to evoke the moneyed feel of 1970s, oil-boom Mexico, the modern-looking exterior structure is built entirely of concrete, Caribbean sand and cement, while the inside is comprised of recycled materials, like latex, rubber tires and even old plumbing pipes. The result is a totally unique, 15-room resort with visible piping and unvarnished wood, as well as modern-day luxuries, including two pools, flat-screen TVs with DVD players in guest rooms and a rooftop dance space featuring a DJ and wall-projected films. Room rates start at $148 per night.

7. Monart Luxury Destination Spa

Enniscorthy, Ireland

With over 120 private acres, 15 of which are mature woodland, the Monart Luxury Destination Spa is located outside Enniscorthy, Ireland. You won't find treatments for tots here, however: This tranquil spa, which opened in December 2005, is adults-only. There are only 68 guest rooms in the main building, which was once the town sheriff's house and has since been converted into a hotel. Spa facilities are available to day visitors as well as guests. Early birds booking in January or February this year will get the best deals: A package including two nights' bed and breakfast, dinner one evening and unrestricted access to the thermal suite is available for $420 per adult. Other special deals are available early this year, and normal rates will start at $500 per adult per night.

8. L'Albergo della Regina Isabella

Ischia, Italy

L'Albergo della Regina Isabella is located on a private beach on Italy's Ischia island, where parts of The Talented Mr. Ripley were filmed. Ischia is known as "the green island" for its abundance of Mediterranean pine coves and precipitous cliffs. The hotel itself is as lovely as its surroundings, with 134 rooms, two restaurants that overlook the blue vista of the Mediterranean and a 60-room thermal spa, where guests undergo a medical evaluation before being prescribed a regimen of treatments that might include craniosacral therapy, volcanic-mud wraps or lymphatic drainage. The hotel was originally built in the mid-20th century by Italian publisher Angelo Rizzoli, but now is the time to go: A Royal floor with 18 one- and two-bedroom suites was added in 2005. Some of the suites have private plunge pools with three varieties of thermal water piped in, while others have thermal or seawater Jacuzzis or rainfall showers. Room rates start at $147 per night.

9.Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi

Chiang Mai, Thailand

The Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, in Northern Thailand, opened in 2004. The city of Chiang Mai is famous for its dramatic mountains and numerous temples, and the resort mimics its spiritual atmosphere. With 60 private acres, including lush rice paddies and tropical forests of hardwood trees, the 123 suites, villas and residences feel secluded and private, although some have large open terraces and plunge pools. The resort is designed in the style of traditional Lanna architecture, with tiered pagodas and open-air pavilions, as well as an enormous teak spa modeled on the Burmese royal palace in Myanmar. Room rates start at $450 per night.

10. One&Only Maldives at Reethi Rah

North Male Atoll, The Maldives

The newest property in the One&Only resorts group is the One&Only Maldives at Reethi Rah, which opened in the spring of 2005. High season for the Maldives is just kicking in this winter, however, so now is the time to go. The all-villa resort features 130 thatched-roof residences, set over water or on the sandy cove, complete with on-call "villa hosts," air-conditioning, wide-screen plasma televisions, double bathrooms with soaking tubs, and sun beds. Room rates start at $680 per night.

For more information, call (877) 328-7285 or send email to pbender@firstchoicetravel.ca