Vanish With a Trace

If you tirelessly rack up frequent-flier miles only to encounter snags when you try to redeem them, it's time you discovered the increasingly generous world of hotel reward programs. Short on both business and leisure travelers of late, hotel chains are doing whatever it takes to fill their beds. "This is an awfully good time to be using hotel points," says Tim Winship, publisher of FrequentFlier.com, a site that tracks loyalty programs. "You'll save money, and you shouldn't have any problems getting a free night." Rick Ingersoll knows full well how generous hotels can be. The retired mortgage banker and his wife, Katy, aren't paying a dime for 58 of the 61 nights they've booked on an around-the-world trip starting in April. The couple piled up points with five different chains by using hotel-reward credit cards and signing up for all the giveaways they could find. (They even endured a 90-minute time-share tour in Hawaii to earn 7,500 Starwood points.) "It takes time to learn the system, and you've got to keep your eyes open," says Ingersoll, who pens a blog on travel deals, FrugalTravelGuy.blogspot.com. "But I rarely pay for a hotel room." Stay (almost) any night Many travelers have long harbored a big gripe when it comes to hotel loyalty programs: blackout dates. But those discouraging words may be a thing of the past. Initially, Starwood was the only chain that allowed rewards members to trade in points for a room on any night. But then InterContinental and Hyatt followed suit in the early 2000s, and two other biggies, Hilton and Marriott, relaxed their rules this past year. Fantastic news, right? Unfortunately, there's often a hitch: Many chains still have what are known in hotel lingo as capacity controls, or curbs on the number of rooms available to loyalty club members during peak travel times. Of the major players, only Hilton and Starwood claim not to have any capacity controls, while Marriott, InterContinental, and Hyatt admit that some standard rooms are off-limits on popular nights, such as New Year's Eve at the New York Marriott Marquis overlooking Times Square. One other alert: Some chains require that you keep your account active every year by earning or redeeming points—or your stash will disappear. Have a hotel shopping spree A free room isn't the only thing your points buy—InterContinental has iPod Nanos and Nintendo Wiis for sale at its online mall, Marriott dangles rounds of golf at its links in Jamaica and Hawaii, and Hilton hawks tickets to Saturday Night Live tapings. Not to be outdone, Starwood last fall became the first chain to allow rewards members to directly exchange hotel points for airfare. For example, a round-trip ticket worth about $350 on any airline costs 25,000 points—and there are no dreaded blackout dates or extra fees. Another plus for loyalty members is the current bonanza of point bonuses. Starwood recently showered guests at its Aloft hotels with quadruple the points they'd normally earn for a night, while Hyatt is bestowing between 2,000 and 20,000 extra points for stays of two to eight nights through the end of April. A great resource for finding these bonuses is the delightfully nerdy new website PointMaven.com, which has a database of thousands of offers across the country, color-coded to show the best deals. Finding the right match Because every program is different—and many can be mind-numbingly complex—comparing them is tricky. For one, every chain has its own formula for calculating how points are earned. Marriott doles out 10 points per dollar spent at most of its hotels, Starwood awards two points per dollar, and InterContinental allots 2,000 points per visit at its main brand, no matter how long you stay. Many chains also have partnerships with credit card companies, allowing you to amass points every time you make a charge. The cards are usually free for the first year, and hotels often give away as many as 25,000 points just for signing up. Trading in your cache is another matter: Each chain requires a different number of points for a room, depending on the grade of the property and the desirability of the location. You'll spend 7,500 points for a night at a low-frills Marriott hotel (such as a Fairfield Inn) or a whopping 20,000 points to live it up at the deluxe Atlanta Marriott Downtown. To help you zero in on the program for you, we've broken down exactly how much you have to spend in dollars to earn a free night at five of the biggest chains (see the chart). Experts have their favorites. Randy Petersen, publisher of InsideFlyer.com, another website that tracks loyalty clubs, likes Starwood's cash-and-points option, which lets travelers use money to make up the difference when they don't have enough points for a free stay. Ingersoll is a fan of InterContinental's PointBreaks promotions, which make rooms available for 5,000 points, half the normal rate. His best piece of advice: Just dive in. "It doesn't cost anything to sign up, so join all the programs. Then stay poised for the deal with your name on it."

Last October, more than 40 people followed signs depicting a skull and crossbones, with a knife and fork in place of the bones, to a secluded Bavarian-style hunting lodge 30 minutes north of St. Louis. The attendees didn't have any idea where they were headed or what to expect. All they knew was that they were in for a five-course meal courtesy of John-Jack, an undercover chef who'd invited each of them via a top-secret e-mail to the latest of what he calls his Entre dinner parties. Guests arrived to a bluegrass band jamming in a room decorated with deer antlers. As a fire crackled in the massive stone fireplace, they dined on wild-elk medallions, home-cured bacon, grapefruit confit, and butternut squash ice cream—and toasted their good fortune with pumpkin ale from nearby microbrewery Schlafly. Welcome to the world of underground supper clubs. Getting a reservation requires a little detective work, but once in, you may never go back to eating out the old-school way again. The idea behind these dinners is to let talented chefs work their whisks in an affordable, relaxed setting. And since they're often operating out of their own kitchens, without a license to serve the public, these cooks have to keep the locales, and their own identities, under wraps. "The trend started in food-centric cities like San Francisco, but in the last year, groups have been popping up across the country," says Jenn Garbee, author of Secret Suppers, which spotlights some of the more than 80 clubs now up and running in the U.S. One such is Guerrilla Cuisine, founded by an incognito cook in Charleston, S.C., who uses the alias Jimihatt and wears a ninja mask at his gatherings. As at many clubs, diners must submit their reservations weeks in advance on Jimihatt's website and then wait for an e-mail with directions to the hush-hush locale. Based on his track record, you won't be disappointed: The bearded Jimihatt and his rotating crew of sous-chefs have served secret, Southern-style suppers (andouille sausage gumbo, Cajun smoked chicken, chocolate beignets) in galleries, wineries, even a grocery store. Jimihatt now has a little friendly competition from an Atlanta cook named Lady Rogue. Her RogueApron shindigs each have a different theme. At a recent event, a Great Depression–style repast in Lang-Carson Park, guests stood in a soup line for pancetta minestrone with porcini mushrooms, and lemongrass-spiked corn broth. Then they divided into teams for an impromptu game of Wiffle ball. "Our goal," Lady Rogue says, "is to make dining more inclusive and to have strangers connect over food. What better way to meet people?" For those hoping to break bread with their own buddies, there's 12B in Vancouver. To keep operations simple, its mastermind, Chef Todd, hosts the six-course dinners in his own apartment, hence the name. And unlike most supper clubs, 12B cooks only for groups of friends (up to 12 at a time). "Even after working 16-hour days, I would sit at home and think, 'I've got to find a way to feed more people,'" Chef Todd says. Money isn't the incentive. His minimum-donation fee of $50 just covers costs for a feast (stuffed artichoke hearts, five-mushroom ravioli, butter-poached scallops served with BBQ pulled pork) that would average twice as much in a restaurant. But as Chef Todd will attest, these clubs are less about saving and more about spending a night eating exceptionally well in the unlikeliest of places, whether a cozy lodge straight out of a fairy tale or a humble living room. SUPPER CLUBS Entre St. Louis, danssouslaterre.com, five-course meal from $45, including a wine pairing with each course Guerrilla Cuisine Charleston, S.C., guerrillacuisine.com, six-course meal from $50, BYOB RogueApron Atlanta, rogueapron.wordpress.com, three-course meal $20, including wine or beer pairings with each course 12B Vancouver, B.C., 12breservations@gmail.com, six-course meal from $50, BYOB

Even the most sophisticated traveler could be forgiven for thinking that there's little more to Panama than its iconic canal, seaside capital, and snorkeler-packed Bocas del Toro islands. But there's a more secret and equally spectacular side to the country about a five-hour drive west from Panama City: the Pacific coast region of Los Santos. Here, rolling farmlands and stands of mahogany and cocobolo trees hug an azure coastline, luring surfers, nature buffs, and, increasingly, travelers and second-home owners from all over. Although roadside real-estate billboards suggest a far more developed future, Los Santos has managed to stay blessedly free of resorts. In their place are a handful of low-key—and far more affordable—boutique hotels. The most stylish is the seven-room Villa Camilla, just outside the fishing village of Pedasí. The red-tiled hideaway, located on an 800-acre parcel of the Azuero Peninsula, started out as a private escape for French interior designer Gilles St.-Gilles and his wife, Camilla. "The area reminded us of Tuscany," says St.-Gilles, who landscaped the estate with fragrant jasmine, plumeria, and hibiscus. In 2005, the couple opened their place as a hotel, and last fall they added 20 new seaside duplex lofts. As stylish as they are family-friendly, the setups come with full-size kitchens, extra guest beds, and mosaic-tile flooring. An in-house stable is ready for shoreline horseback rides, and you can sign up for snorkeling trips to nearby Isla Cañas, a palm-fringed refuge where thousands of leatherback turtles converge to build nests. Farther inland, the center of Pedasí has a cow-town vibe: Picture low-slung cottages painted bright green and yellow, and ranchers wearing handmade Panama hats. Yellow is also the color of choice at the new Casita Margarita. This five-room B&B comes with locally crafted cocobolo furniture and a wraparound veranda overlooking Pedasí's main street. Perhaps best of all, it's within walking distance of local hangout Mano Surf Community, a pro shop that does double duty as a café and juice bar, and El Gringo Dusek, a no-frills, alfresco cantina run by retired U.S. Navy officer Joseph Dusek, which serves the best barbecue ribs in Los Santos. Of course, beyond the culinary surf and turf, the region's big draw is its blissfully empty beaches: Some of Panama's most scenic—Los Destiladeros, Modroño, and the black-sand Playa Venao with its eight-foot breaks—are short drives from Pedasí. Closer to home, Pedasí's El Arenal is a good launchpad for day trips to Iguana Island. (Fishermen stationed by the pier rent their motorboats, captain included, for about $50 round trip.) The hotel-free and nearly visitor-free isle is named for its resident black and green iguanas. Sign up for an Iguana Island Foundation snorkeling and hiking tour; you might just get a good look at some hatchlings. While it may be hard to top that sight, 77-year-old Dalila Vera de Quintero knows how to command equal wows. Her lemon-yellow bakery in a bungalow, Dulceria Yely, is famous across Panama for its home-style sweets, like almond queques (pound cakes) and creamy chicheme, a shake blended from sweetened milk, fresh corn, and crushed vanilla beans. She also stashes a cake or two in the kitchen for favorite customers, such as former Panamanian president and Pedasí native Mireya Moscoso. Swoon loudly enough and Quintero may just reward you with a thick presidential slice. LODGING Villa Camilla Los Destiladeros, 011-507/232-0171, azueros.com, from $250 Casita Margarita Calle Central, 011-507/995-2898, pedasihotel.com, from $99 FOOD Mano Surf Community Calle Estudiante and Calle Bolivar, manosurf.com El Gringo Dusek Av. Central, 011-507/995-2869, entrées from $5 Dulceria Yely Calle Ofelia Reluz, 011-507/995-2205, from 3¢ ACTIVITIES Iguana Island Foundation 011-507/236-8117, islaiguana.com, full-day tour $90

Welcome to a secret world. For nearly 500 years, the Forbidden City's fortified walls and 170-foot-wide moat protected the Chinese imperial family from fires, invaders, and nosy Europeans. These days, a new menace lurks outside the barriers: the wrecking ball. All over Beijing, ancient hutong, or alleyways, and traditional houses with tiled roofs and courtyards are giving way to state-of-the-art highways and skyscrapers. Thankfully, the Forbidden City has not only dodged the bulldozer, it's been newly restored, from its charcoal-heated kang beds to its gold-lacquered banquet halls. Completed in 1420 following a 14-year construction job that involved a crew of more than a million, the palace served over time as the highly guarded headquarters for two dozen emperors and their clans, many of whom rarely ventured beyond its shiny red walls. Life here was so secretive that the only commoners allowed in were servants and guards, along with a large coterie of concubines and eunuchs. (As the personal attendants of the rulers, the eunuchs had what many Chinese considered the best jobs, and some became extremely wealthy.) The imperial stranglehold on power came to an abrupt end in 1912 when revolutionaries stormed the Forbidden City and forced the emperor, 6-year-old Puyi, to abdicate. Some saw the downfall coming: During Puyi's coronation at the age of 3, he threw such a tantrum that Chinese nobility considered his rule cursed. To visitors, the Forbidden City can seem every bit as daunting to navigate as a menu crowded with Chinese characters at a Beijing noodle restaurant. There are supposedly 9,999 rooms spread out over 178 acres, nearly half of which are open to the public. (The rulers of heaven were believed to dwell in a palace with 10,000 rooms, so the Forbidden City was built with one chamber less as a sign of respect to the gods.) If you love dragon-shaped door knockers, hidden passageways, and imperial backstabbing, devote a full day to prowling the complex. There are several different ways to dive in. After paying the entrance fee ($6 in winter, $8 in summer), the directionally challenged should consider renting an audio guide for $5 at the Meridian Gate, the main entrance to the inner city. The machines use GPS technology to lead you on a two-hour tour highlighted by plenty of soap-opera-worthy dish. (In 1900, for instance, the ruthless Empress Dowager Cixi ordered the drowning of the emperor's favorite concubine, Zhenfei, in a well now named for the victim.) Or you can hire a licensed English-speaking guide (groups of up to five pay about $30 for one hour, $60 for two and a half hours). Wandering on your own is also a fine option; there are signs in English throughout. And we've made it easy by zeroing in on 10 of the most intriguing sites (see our map here). At day's end, 9,999,999 snarling dragons later, take in the view of the Forbidden City from the roof­top bar of the fabulously mod Emperor hotel next door (33 Qihelou Lu, 800/337-4685, designhotels.com, from $160). Perch on a chrome stool, sip a rice-wine martini, and bask in the clash between new and old Beijing. GETTING THERE Round-trip flights between New York and Beijing cost about $920 on Continental (continental.com). Beijing taxis are very affordable; a typical ride across town is about $3 to $5. You can also take the subway to the Tiananmen West or Tiananmen East stops for 40¢. WHAT TO PACK One of the best guidebooks on the palace is The Forbidden City by Antony White, a British art historian. It has an easy-to-follow map and the full scoop on the architecture, the objects, and the strict rituals of imperial life. SOUVENIR A silk scarf adorned with ancient brush-stroke paintings found in the Forbidden City, available for $44 at the palace gift shop. WHERE TO SPLURGE Treat yourself to dinner just steps from the Forbidden City at Maison Boulud, Daniel Boulud's new restaurant, located in the 1903 American Legation building, which housed the first U.S. embassy in China. The four-course prix fixe menu includes duck foie gras, red-wine-braised short ribs with ravioli, and almond mousse for $63—a fraction of what you'd pay at Boulud's famous New York outpost, Daniel (23 Qianmen Dongdajie, 011-86/10-6559-9200, danielnyc.com/maisonboulud.html).