The 2025 Jimmy Awards for Great Travel: Vancouver, Hawaii, Toronto, Florida, California, Montreal + More

It was a rather limited year of travel due to health concerns in the summer and fall, but I still managed to check out cool motels in southern Ontario, stylish digs in Hawaii, lovely restaurants in Vancouver, and great places in my home state of California. Not to mention fab stops in Montreal and Florida. Here are some 2025 travel highlights.

CANADA

Coolest Montreal Hotel: Le Petit Hotel Notre Dame in Montreal. Part of the William Gray Collection, this is a small (hence the name), boutique property in Old Montreal with stylish rooms, a check-in desk that doubles as an excellent coffee bar, and the most powerful showers my happy head and shoulders have enjoyed in years.

 

Best Vancouver Food Experience: Le Crocodile. This regal French restaurant has been a Vancouver institution for more than four decades, and has been given a new, lighter approach by well-known Vancouver chef Robb Feenie. A set course menu might include smoked trout cut in the shape of a fish, veal medallions with morel sauce, or sake-marinated sablefish. The optional wine pairings feature delicious, lesser-known varieties, and the service is impeccable.

Most Stylish and Surprising Ontario Stay: Two nights at the South Beach Motel in Southampton, Ontario. The owners took a rundown motel from the 1970s and turned it into a sleek, trendy spot with bright colours that remind you of Miami or maybe Southern California. They have a variety of rooms, all equipped with the latest kitchen appliances, as well as a sauna and outdoor seating/play area. Just up the road is the sister property, The Beach Motel, where you’ll find more sexy rooms and a nice restaurant with an outdoor patio. Southampton has a pretty downtown and a great beach on the shores of Lake Huron.

Best Ontario Hotel Remake: The Sheraton Centre Toronto on Queen West has done a remarkable job of turning a large convention hotel into something that feels more boutique than you’d expect. The 43rd floor Club Lounge is exceptional, and the lobby is buzzing nearly 24/7. We had a very good meal at 43 Down, a quiet spot just off the lobby. Try the tuna tataki if it’s on the menu.

Best Wine-Tasting Experience: Chateau des Charmes this summer brought in a fabulous new Cabana wine-tasting experience, where you can gather under a shady cabana and enjoy top-flight wines and local charcuterie. Excellent wine and food. You can also take a tour of the new winery building. 

A Perennial Vancouver Fave Hotel: I love a hotel with great bones and history, and the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver continues to deliver. The rooms are quietly luxurious, and the gorgeous Notch8 Bar has wonderful cocktails and a fabulous, hidden tea room/bar. Not to mention the hotel’s tremendous service, and a perfect location smack dab in the middle of downtown. The so-called “Castle in the City” definitely lives up to its name.

Best Canadian Boat Ride: A summer trip on the Wenonah II on Lake Muskoka. It’s a wonderful ship, and a boat ride is the best way to enjoy the wonders of Muskoka. Check out the Wanda III ship, a fully restored and electrified wooden boat that once belonged to the Eaton family, and, next year, the renovated RMS (Royal Mail Ship) Segwun, the oldest operating steamship in North America. All three boats run tours out of Gravenhurst; only 90 minutes from Toronto. Just a few steps away is the award-winning Muskoka Discovery Centre, with tremendous exhibits on the area’s indigenous history and the importance of the Muskoka natural environment.

Coldest Canadian Hotel: I didn’t get to stay the night (brrrrr….) but I had a fine meal and cocktails at the Ice Hotel in Quebec City. A unique, highly recommended experience.

Most Relaxing Ontario Getaway: Elmhirst’s Resort on Rice Lake, south of Peterborough. I’ve stayed here twice, and I love the roomy cottages and lakefront setting. The food is very good, the Ontario wine list thoughtfully created and tasty, and there are tons of family and sporting activities to be had. We’ve booked a few nights in the late summer/early fall at a place that’s become a personal fave.

Sexiest Canadian Hotel: You can’t beat the design and feel of the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec; likely one of the most photographed buildings in Canada. The rooms are lovely, and the food is excellent. You’re also in the heart of the old city. Hands down one of my fave places to stay anywhere in the world. 

Best Canadian Tour: Judy Lam Maxwell’s Historic Chinatown Tours are a fabulous way to understand Chinese history in Vancouver, and to learn about the city in general. She’s a wonderful guide who knows lots of “secret” places to visit, and seemingly knows every merchant in the area. Three thumbs up.

Best Canadian Rooftop Dining Experience: Terrasse is a stunning rooftop restaurant at the ultra-hip William Gray Hotel in Old Montreal. The views are excellent and we enjoyed  very good steak frites and tender sea bass. There’s a heated dome in winter!

JAMAICA

Best (Okay, Only) Resort: I loved, loved, loved my time at Sunset at the Palms in Negril. The grounds feel like a botanical garden, and I had a lovely second floor balcony that seemed to attract friendly, adorable birds of all kinds. There’s a fine beach right across the road, and a nice pool with a swim-up bar. The food was quite good, and the service excellent. The hotel sustained damage from Hurricane Melissa in the fall but was reopened prior to Christmas, thank goodness.

Best (Okay, Only) Lunch With a Goat: Sunset at the Palms set me up with a fine meal in the garden with a tethered goat standing a few feet away. I got to feed her (and her baby) lots of lettuce and other goodies.

HAWAII

Top Restaurant, North Shore of Kauai: Postcards Cafe/Restaurant is a relaxed (hey, it’s Kauai),  beautiful spot in Hanalei that brings the outdoors inside. More importantly, the food is inventive and utterly superb. One of my fave discoveries on our visit in January.

Most Surprising Maui Attraction: We hadn’t been to the Maui Ocean Center in central Maui in all my years on Maui, so it was great to visit in January. It’s a fantastic family spot with excellent displays of everything from sharks and manta rays to diaphanous, pulsing jellyfish and colourful reef fish, including the state fish of Hawai’i, the humuhumunukunukuapua’a.

Best Casual Maui Food: Star Noodle is one of a handful of restaurants open on the north side of Lahaina. It’s a lovely spot with fine ocean views and tremendous sunsets. The charred Miso butterfish melts before it even gets to your mouth; a rich and creamy delight. The Hapa Ramen was pretty good; the Hot‘n Sour soup outstanding, with chili limed dashi, smoked prosciutto, shrimp, cilantro, Thai basil, bean sprouts and fried garlic.

Poshest Hawaii Hotel: Located on the lush north shore of Kauai, 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is an ultra-luxury resort on a cliff that overlooks heavenly Hanalei Bay. The emphasis is on reusable materials, and the gardens are magnificent. The swimming pool complex is a great draw for all ages, and the food and drinks are excellent. 

Best Kayak Trip: On the peaceful Hanalei River on Kauai, with views of verdant, green, jagged mountains in the distance.

Best Swimming Pool: Koloa Landing at Po’ipu Beach, Kauai. This is a Marriott Autograph Collection property with beautiful, spacious rooms and a massive swimming pool complex with waterfalls, bridges and pretty landscaping all around. It’s been voted the best swimming pool in the States, and I can see why. There’s no beach, but the hotel will give you a free ride to nearby Po’ipu.

Newest (For Me) Maui Beach Hotel: I’d never stayed at the Aston Mahana at Ka’anapali Beach (north beach), but I quite enjoyed it. We had a lovely one-bedroom unit on the top floor, with fabulous ocean views that included the islands of Lana’i and Molokai. We also had a full kitchen, a dining area and a large patio overlooking the Pacific. The reef comes too close to the sand for comfortable swimming directly in front of the hotel, but there are open spaces for swimming a few yards south or north. The Aston has a nice pool and a large hot tub, as well as bbq grills and shuffleboard. 

Top Kauai Hotel Discovery: Hanalei Colony Resort is, to me, the perfect mix of casual and luxury. We had tons of space and a nice view of a small but pretty beach that was good for swimming. The mountain and ocean views are superb, and it’s beyond quiet as you’re a good ten minutes past Hanalei town on a small, rural road. I also loved the swimming pool and hot tub area.

Top Restaurant, South Shore of Kauai: Red Salt is a tremendous restaurant at the Koa Kea Resort on Poipu Beach, with another highly inventive menu. One of the best dishes of my life was their house made ricotta w/ Kauai honeycomb, bee pollen, red salt, truffle oil + micro herbs. Amazing Hokkaido scallops, cocktails and mahi mahi, too.

Newest Kauai Hotel Discovery: The Waimea Plantation Cottages are a south seas idyll; a series of restored cottages of various sizes that are surrounded by acres of deep green lawn and towering palms and banyan trees on the super-quiet west side of the island. It’s very romantic, and quite reasonably priced. There’s not much of a beach, but the pool is nice and there are terrific sunsets on offer. No charge!

Best New Maui Lunch Spot: Miss Arepa is a super casual spot in Honokowai (just north of Ka’anapali) that’s frequented by locals and features South American-style sandwiches on bread that’s like a thick tortilla. I had Hawaiian kalua pork with pineapple and a nice mix of hot sauces for about $13. The sandwich had to weigh close to a half-pound, so this is a great value spot. 

Best Cultural Experience in Hawai’i: My wife and I popped into the legendary Tahiti Nui restaurant and bar (featured in the movie The Descendants with George Clooney) in Hanalei, Kauai, one night. A great guitar player named Randy was playing and belting out tunes, while his wife, Primrose, danced the hula. We sang along with several tunes as we sipped their excellent mai tais, and applauded loudly after each number. As we got up to leave, Primrose came over and hugged my wife and I and thanked us for coming. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a very large reason why I love these islands so much.

Best Maui Coastal Walk: As always, the Napili Kai Beach Resort on Maui. Some of it is for guests only, but it’s a fabulous walk that takes you past quiet tidepools and local flowering plants, with fine views of Molokai and Lanai in the distance.

Most Enjoyable Food Tour: We had a fine tour of several food places in Kapa’a town on Kauai, including Tiki Tacos (very large, tasty portions) and Kenji Burger, which has several outlets on the island and is well worth checking out.

Best Maui Hotel Dining: Japengo is a beautiful spot at the posh Hyatt Regency on south Ka’anapali Beach. We enjoyed tremendous Korean seafood pancakes, as well as terrific seafood Yaki Udon noodles, fresh sushi, and Cajun seared Hamachi sashimi.  I also loved the Hokkaido old-fashioned cocktail, with nikka coffey grain whisky, akashi ume “plum” whiskey, Maui vanilla bean syrup, angostura bitters and orange bitters. 

CALIFORNIA

A Tale of Two Sams: Sam’s Anchor Cafe is a lovely spot in Tiburon, California, in Marin County. It’s a lovely, small town with wonderful coastal walks and pretty views of San Francisco. Sam’s has a great outdoor cafe, lovely servers, and good food. There’s also a fine bar. Further south, Sam’s Chowder House is an iconic seafood spot north of Half Moon Bay and south of San Francisco. The chowder’s good; the coastal view and ambience superb. 

Coolest New California Hotels: The Regent Santa Monica might be the prettiest hotel in a city that’s renowned for stylish, beachside stays. The Sandbourne is a Marriott Autograph Collection property that features marvelous beach views and a trendy vibe.

Perennial Fave for Mexican Food: Margaritaville has good tacos, excellent guacamole and killer views of Capitola Beach. It’s just 10 minutes or so east of Santa Cruz. Capitola might be the best California seaside town never mentioned in a Beach Boys song.

New California Coastal Town Discovery: I’d driven past it many a time, but this year marked the first time I’d stayed in the town of Morro Bay. I fell in love with the casual, beachy feel of the place. We also had an excellent meal at The Galley, a vibrant waterfront spot where it seemed everyone knew each other. Morro Rock is a massive slab of stone on the water that makes for a wonderful Instagram post.

Best California Coffee Shop: We mixed with a fun local couple and had a fine cup of coffee at High Tide Deli and Cafe in downtown (so to speak) Morro Bay. I loved the place the minute I got out of the car. Near the front entrance was a bench fashioned out of colorful, old skateboards, and behind that were a series of metal tables and chairs and a pretty garden with stunning, shiny succulents and small, brilliant red flowers. 

Coolest California City Discovery: I had a great time in Long Beach in the spring, checking out vibrant neighborhoods such as Belmont Shore and Bixby Knolls, and mixing with proud locals. We had excellent Cambodian, Italian and Greek food along the way, and enjoyed a gondola ride in the posh Naples area. It’s a Southern California city that’s definitely on the rise.

Best Drive: You simply can’t beat Big Sur and Highway One for fabulous views. You can take the road (weather permitting) all the way from Monterey to Cambria, but I find the section between Carmel and the village of Big Sur to be pretty fabulous, and far less taxing. We drove that part of the route in July of this year, snapping photos of golden-sand beaches backed by chalky cliffs and Pacific Ocean water in dazzling shades of teal and deep blue. Not to mention the famous Bixby Bridge.

Most Surprising Restaurant: The Surfing Fox at the lovely, relaxed Pierside Hotel in Santa Monica. The name doesn’t suggest as good a meal as they delivered. It’s a casual spot but the food is definitely upscale, and varied. The ceviche comes with fresh, local fish, coconut milk, spicy red peppers and avocado and was the best I’ve ever had by a country mile. The local Nantes Carrots (a sweet, heirloom variety) were cooked perfectly and topped with tandoori spices, honey-whipped yogurt and a crispy curry leaf.

Best Chinese Dumplings: Din Tai Fung is a gorgeous restaurant in Santa Monica that’s part of a small chain. It opened earlier this year and is attracting huge crowds. We enjoyed very good shrimp and Kurobuta pork pot stickers, and also silky smooth Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings with pork.

Best California Food Discovery: Lucuma Kitchen and Bar is a beautiful, lively restaurant in downtown Oakland that features amazing cocktails and inventive, tasty Peruvian cuisine. Three thumbs up!

Most Unusual Hotel Stay: My wife and I managed a night on the Queen Mary in Long Beach. It’s a glorious ship that recalls the glamour days of travel. You can take a variety of tours to learn more about the fascinating history. We did a tour and also spent the night. We had dinner in the city but came back to the ship to sleep and also to enjoy excellent cocktails and a fine jazz band in the sleek, retro Observation Bar.

Best Monterey Area Breakfast: First Awakenings in Monterey has marvellous skillets and other treats. Expect huge, American-sized portions and tasty food. I loved the Carnitas skillet with pork, chiles, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, onion and salsa.

Best San Francisco Family Experience: We took our two granddaughters and their parents on a brief tour of San Francisco on a nice, sunny morning in May; taking in the California Street cable car, a snack overlooking the bay at the Ferry Building, and a view of the barking sea lions at Pier 39. The kids also enjoyed a fine playground a block or two from the ferry building. A fine way to spend a morning in the City by the Bay.

Best Santa Monica Lunch Spot: Le Great Outdoor is a fabulous dining spot at the super-trendy Bergamot Arts Station in eastern Santa Monica.  They serve a variety of dishes, many of them cooked on a large, outdoor grill. The burrata with shrimp was outstanding. We also enjoyed an excellent salad with arugula, radishes, bright red cherry tomatoes, pickled onions and olives.

Best Monterey Area Dinner: Passionfish is an outstanding restaurant in the lovely seaside town of Pacific Grove. They serve sustainable seafood that’s beautifully presented, and the service is terrific.

Best Museum Discovery: The Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach is said to be the only museum in the U.S. fully dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art. It’s a small museum that packs a punch. One Cuban painting I loved showed a young woman looking at an airplane that seemed to be carrying several locals – including what looked like a stripper – from a small city or village to a new home; perhaps Miami. Another great exhibit shows the colorful, room-size  mural from Frank Romero that was used in the movie “Pleasantville.” 

Best California Coastal Walk: The easy stroll along the coast in Pacific Grove and Lovers’ Point Park takes you past beautiful cliffs and coves, often lined with wildflowers. Look for the wild ground squirrels, which are a huge treat for kids and adults alike.

Best California Lunch Spot with a View: A few minutes south of the five-star Post Ranch Inn is Nepenthe, a wonderful spot that features two restaurants and one of the most attractive, enjoyable gift shops you’ll find in the Golden State. The upstairs Nepenthe restaurant is the better known of the two, but I’ve always liked stopping at Café Kevah, which has views that are almost as dramatic but a more casual approach. 

FLORIDA

Most Enjoyable Island Visit: Anna Maria Island is recovering nicely from Hurricanes Helene and Milton last year. There are tons of great shops and galleries. I also loved breakfast at Mademoiselle Paris. 

Best Street Fair: I had a marvellous time at the 37th annual Downtown Sarasota Festival of the Arts, where they close off several blocks of Main Street once a year for pedestrians and have hundreds of booths with local art work on display.

Best Beach Town: Siesta Key Village offers a perfect mix of casual restaurants and fun gift shops. Nearby Siesta Key beach is terrific.

Coolest Florida Neighborhood: The Village of the Arts in Bradenton is a sheer delight. It’s a remarkable, wonderful district just west of Highway 41 in central Bradenton. You’ll find houses painted in colours the Crayola crayon people never dreamed of; vivid pinks and deep purples and Irish moss green. There’s also funky folk art and twisty metal sculptures on front lawns. Utterly magical.

Most Beautiful Garden (With a Beatles Connecti0n): Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a gorgeous spot on Sarasota Bay, with riotous flower displays, waterfalls, a kids’ climbing area, and a nice cafe. When I was there they had a special exhibit on former Beatle George Harrison’s English garden, which was wonderful.

Two Great Kayak Trips: I had a fabulous morning kayak ride at the Robinson Preserve in Bradenton; a tranquil spot with a fine wooden tower for excellent coastal views. Thanks to the folks at Kayak Jack’s for an educational and entertaining paddle. I also had a fine trip on the intracoastal waterway between Siesta Key and the mainland with Kayaking SRQ. We checked out quite mangrove forests and also explored a lovely, white sand beach with amazing seashells.

Best Breakfast: First Watch in suburban Sarasota. I came for breakfast one morning and was almost overwhelmed by a menu that seemingly had a hundred choices. I enjoyed the morning meditation drink with orange and beet juice (very pretty), as well as an outstanding carne asada beef hash with scrambled eggs. Oh, so good, and oh, so filling. 

Funkiest Beach Hotel: On Anna Maria Island, I was lucky enough to get a small, cute cottage at Cedar Cove Resort and Cottages in the town of Holmes Beach. There’s a small parking sign out front that warns guests that “immediate relaxation is about to commence,” and I can certainly vouch for that. My room (the Mimosa cottage) had a kitchen with a stove, fridge/freezer, microwave and Nespresso maker, as well as free Wi-Fi and air conditioning. It’s a fun, super-casual place close to shops and restaurants, and there’s a free shuttle on the island. My unit was just across the road from the beach, but it was less than a hundred yards to the sand.

Most Surprising Hotel: The Equestrian Hotel in Ocala, Florida. I didn’t know what to expect, but this was a super-classy hotel in Florida horse country. The hotel has a fine swimming pool complex and very good food, as well as a fine convention center just a couple minutes down the road. Downtown Ocala has handsome, brick buildings and several good restaurants.

DETROIT

Our Society of American Travel Writers’ annual convention was held in the Motor City in September. We had a wonderful time, thanks to our gracious and generous hosts from Visit Detroit. Here are a couple highlights.

A Musical Mecca: If you’re a fan of great music, the Motown Museum will blow you away. Legendary music guy Berry Gordy formed Motown Records in 1960, then quickly signed such incredible local talent as The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and Smokey Robinson. I don’t know what they were putting in the water in Detroit in the early 1960s, but I don’t think any city in the world has ever produced such world-class talent in such a short period of time.

Awesome Detroit Pizza: I hadn’t been to a Buddy’s Pizza restaurant for maybe 45 years, but I snuck in a visit to the Detroit outlet on my September visit. The rectangular pizza was hot and bubbly, with super-crispy edges and tons of flavour.

A Super Trendy Hotel: The Detroit Foundation Hotel is a stylish boutique property across the road from the convention center. It’s housed in an old fire station and has tons of atmosphere. There’s a nice restaurant just off the lobby.

Ford Field and a Detroit Lions Game: My two boys drove down from Toronto so we could go to a Detroit Lions NFL game at Ford Field. The tailgating was superb, with relatively cheap beers and food right across the road from the stadium. It’s a sunny, bright indoor stadium that makes it attractive year-round. 

A Fab Rooftop Patio: Our SATW convention included an opening night reception at Kamper’s Rooftop Bar, a bar and restaurant on the 14^th floor of the stunning Book Tower in downtown Detroit that offers up excellent views of many historic buildings. 

Best Cheap and Cheerful Detroit Meal: A Coney Island Dog at Lafayette’s downtown was just the ticket; $3.75 for an all-beef dog with a perfect snap, served on a soft bun with rich, beefy chili, yellow mustard, and diced onions.