Four Seasons Bahrain Bay

A private island hotel connected to Manama by a short bridge, with an H-shaped tower designed by the architects behind the Burj Khalifa. The interiors draw from 1930s ocean liners and Bahraini art, courtesy of Pierre-Yves Rochon. Two Wolfgang Puck restaurants anchor the dining, a white-sand beach handles the afternoons, and one of the region's larger spas absorbs whatever remains. The city is minutes away, though the water makes that feel like a theoretical concern.