Made in Uruguay

There are no hotels on the Lavezzi Islands. No cafes, either. Not even a single toilet. And that's precisely why people come. Classified as a Natural Reserve by France in 1982, the islands, in the strait between Sardinia and Corsica, have been protected from development. But there hasn't been any shelter from the wind. Without buildings to break them, gusts have whipped the islands' granite into fantastic shapes. In the coves between the rocks are protected spots of empty, sandy white beach. The clear water is teeming with anemones and fish, particularly grouper (merou in French), which explains why divers know the islands as Merouville. The winds also caused one of the Mediterranean's worst shipwrecks. On the 160-acre main island (the only one that's more than a pile of rocks), a hiking path leads to a 46-foot-tall pyramid-shaped memorial for the sinking of the Semillante in 1855. The disaster took the lives of 700 sailors and soldiers. Between late May and the end of September, three main ferry companies make the 30-minute trip from Bonifacio, the southernmost town on Corsica: Rocca Croisieres (rocca-croisieres.com), Vedettes Thalassa (vedettesthalassa.com), and Vedettes Christina (bonifacio.com.fr/christina). Expect to pay about $35 per person round trip. Keep your ticket stub for the return, and watch the time. The last boat back departs at 6:30 P.M. Pack everything you'll want--water, food, and sunscreen, of course, but also garbage bags, toilet paper, and snorkeling gear. There are three supermarkets by the Bonifacio marina: Coccimarket, Vival, and Spar. Reserve employees meet you at the dock when you arrive, then read off a list of instructions. Chief among them: Bring trash back to Bonifacio. Enforcement relies on the honor system--and the utter absence of anywhere to hide.

Four Points by Sheraton Opened March '04.60 W. 25th St., 212/627-1888, fourpoints.com, from $215 Characteristics: Rooms are plush, with dark curtains and soft upholstery. The lobby is sleek--stainless steel accents, brown and white canvas furniture. At the attached U and Mei restaurant, the scene is zen, with water cascading over gray pebbles. Perks: In-room high-speed Internet access, Wi-Fi in the lounge, and a fitness center In the area: Sunday brunch at Cookshop. 156 Tenth Ave., 212/924-4440 Hampton Inn Opened March '06. 320 Pearl St., 212/571-4400, hamptoninn.com, from $199 Characteristics: Decor includes soothing blue and charcoal color scheme, with leather headboards. Three rooms have backyard terraces, and five have balconies with views of the Brooklyn Bridge. An exercise room and coin-operated laundry machines are in the basement. Perks: In-room high-speed Internet access, local calls, USA Today, and lobby breakfast bar with French toast and scrambled eggs In the area: The modern lounge at the new Exchange Hotel. 129 Front St., 212/742-0003 Hilton Garden Inn Opened October '05.  790 Eighth Ave., 212/581-7000, timessquare.stayhgi.com, from $189 Characteristics: Rooms are over 300 square feet, with 27-inch flat-panel HDTVs, microwaves, minifridges, ergonomic Herman Miller desk chairs, and clock radios with hookups for MP3 players. There's an in-house 24-hour convenience store in the lobby. Perks: In-room high-speed Internet access, efficient gym with "Stay Fit" loaner kits (Pilates band, yoga mat, hand weights) In the area: Take-out sandwiches from 'Wichcraft kiosks in Bryant Park. wichcraftnyc.com Holiday Inn Express Opened October '05. 15 W. 45th St., 212/302-9088, express5thavenue.com, from $189 Characteristics: Inviting touches include cherry furniture and headboards, geometric print upholstery, goose-down comforters, rainshower heads, and flat-screen TVs. Perks: Nine premium movie channels, local calls, USA Today, and $10 off day passes to the New York Sports Club In the area: Tapas and wine at Tintol. 155 W. 46th St., 212/354-3838 Courtyard by Marriott Opening July '06. 410 E. 92nd St., 212/410-6777, marriott.com, from $209 Characteristics: Rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, and the eastern-facing ones above the 11th floor have river views. The color scheme is funky--yellow and purple, calmed down with headboards finished in mahogany. A rooftop bar opens later this year. Perks: A 50-foot indoor pool, large gym with steam rooms, detergent for the coin-op laundry machines, and high-speed Internet access In the area: Casual Italian at Spigolo. 1561 Second Ave., 212/744-1100

Choosing a hotel in New York City has long meant deciding between two less-than-winning options: splurging beyond your financial comfort zone, or resigning yourself to what could be a fleabag. Not anymore--and the middle ground is far more stylish than you might expect. Name a national hotel chain in America, and chances are good it's making inroads in Manhattan. Over 1,500 midpriced rooms will open in New York City this year: Among the new entries are Holiday Inn Express, Hilton Garden Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, and Four Points by Sheraton. "All of these companies have wanted to be in New York for a long time, but they weren't able to do a deal," says John Fox, a senior vice president at PKF Consulting, a firm that advises hotel operators on expansion plans. "Now they're all coming at the same time." One factor making the boom possible is that chains are exploring areas outside pricey Times Square and paring back features like in-house restaurants. This is a bonus for guests who'd rather be based in neighborhoods where locals actually live. (And who needs a hotel restaurant when you're in Manhattan?) One of the first to inject some style into the midrange in Manhattan was Embassy Suites, which reopened its World Financial Center location after an extensive renovation in 2002. A soaring 15-story atrium--with a massive mural by Sol LeWitt--lends theatricality to the lobby, and all of the suites have microwaves and 250-thread-count cotton sheets. This year, however, finds many more brands coming to town. With any hotel, particularly affordable ones, new construction is always a serious plus. Hampton Inn recently debuted a hotel downtown, at the South Street Seaport. (The departure of the Fulton Fish Market is leading to a quick gentrification of the area.) A Courtyard by Marriott opens on the Upper East Side in July, and the company also has plans for a Harlem property. Later this year, Hilton Garden Inn will unveil a property in Tribeca. "New York is the hottest market in the U.S.," says John Wolf, Marriott's senior director of media relations. The new hotels are borrowing from the boutique-hotel aesthetic, a Restoration Hardware take on minimalism that costs less to refurbish than more intricate styles. "Going into New York, we needed to be more New Yorkish," says Mark Nogal, vice president for marketing and sales at Hilton Garden Inn. The year-old Times Square property has black-and-white photographs of Manhattan and a mod color scheme. The Four Points Sheraton in Chelsea, which opened two years ago, is painted in bold reds and blues and decorated with slipper chairs. The similarities to boutique hotels stop, however, when it comes to rates, which are as much as 30 percent lower than the Manhattan average of $275 a night. Most of the new hotels charge between $185 and $220. While that's higher than their national averages (Holiday Inn Express, for instance, charges $189 in New York City, compared to $89 elsewhere), it's a fair price in a city where hotel rates have never seemed reasonable. What makes them especially fair is the impressive amenities. There's an industry trend at the midrange level to avoid nickel-and-diming guests. (Fancy hotels, meanwhile, still do it like crazy.) These hotels offer free Internet access and unlimited local calls and throw in a substantial breakfast. The properties that don't have exercise rooms provide discount rates to nearby gyms. Moreover, one of the most appealing factors is that these are respected brands. In an intimidating city, it can be reassuring to count on the fact that your hotel is sure to meet certain high standards.

We'll show you how to plan your own Da Vinci Code travel. Here's how to follow the footsteps of Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu through a Da Vinci Code tour of France, England, and Scotland. Read about planning a DIY Da Vinci Code tour in Paris. Here's how to plan a Da Vinci Code Tour in England. And find out how to plan a Da Vinci Code Tour in Scotland. Get resources to Da Vinci Code travel. Print out interactive maps to a Da Vinci Code tour in France, a Da Vinci Code tour in England, and Da Vinci Code tour in Scotland. Find out more about Da Vinci Code travel in France, Scotland, and England.