Boston

In a career that spans almost 60 years, Japanese-Brazilian architect Ruy Ohtake has played a pivotal role in shaping the cityscape of his native Sao Paulo, counting more than 300 projects in the city alone. When Ohtake was handed the brief for Hotel Unique he faced one of his career’s greatest challenges: craft a design that will become a landmark.

Within the four walls of a cinema, films transport moviegoers to far off places, both past and present, real or imagined. To take it a step further, use this year’s Academy Awards’ nominees for Best Picture as a travel guide, experiencing the locations—characters in their own right—firsthand. But skip the stress of being say, the real frontiersman Hugh Glass depicted in The Revenant, and live cushier, like Leonardo DiCaprio on holiday (Victoria’s Secret models not included).

Having to travel without a beloved pet can be a wrench, but an increasing amount of hotels are coming up with the purrfect solution: pet ambassadors. In previous years, one might think us barking mad to recommend hotels with animals roaming the halls, but these friendly critters add oodles of charm and personality to their homes. Read on as we list some of our favorite hotel-based animal friends.