SAN FRANCISCO: CITY OF SILVER & GOLD: The Gold Rush turned San Francisco from a sleepy fishing village into a thriving city, symbolized by the glass ceilings and high-society guests of the Palace Hotel. But after the great earthquake, a new standard was established by the Fairmont, which brought the rich and powerful from around the world to the City by the Bay. THE ROMANTIC PALACES OF VENICE: It is only fitting that Europes most enchanting city boasts some of the worlds premier hotels. Visit the classic Gritti Palace Hotel, originally built as a Doges palace in the 1500s, and the splendid Excelsior, which has hosted royalty and luminaries such as Winston Churchill since its gala opening in 1907.