While in Spain on their December honeymoon, Jaime and David visited La Alhambra, a palace and fortress built in the 15th century by Moorish rulers. (Karen & Tom also visited on their honeymoon.) Located on a mountainside in the city of Granada, visitors can stroll through the buildings and courtyards. Although the exterior walls are mostly blank, the insides are full of carvings and tiling with exquisite detail, which Jaime captured beautifully.

When I asked them about the weather on their trip, Jaime said, “The rain in Spain falls mainly anywhere we are!” They didn’t let a little drenching dampen their spirits. In fact, it made for some beautiful, moody shots of Grenada.

Jaime and David’s honeymoon took them to Spain and Morocco. The ancient city of Fez (also spelled Fès) was a true adventure for these two. The crowed, crooked winding streets, the shouting shopkeepers and hawkers, the smells and tastes of exotic food transport visitor to not just another culture, but another time as well.

Just wandering through Fez is a lesson in Moroccan architecture.

Jaime says, “Fez’s Medina is labyrinthine with no street signs and winding, path-like streets running in all directions, therefore, having a guide is absolutely essential. Beware of unlicensed guides who will waste your time and money.” They were lucky enough to find Mohammed (a local history teacher and native of Fez) spent an entire day giving us the historian’s view of 5,000 years of Fez. Others interested in arranging a tour can email Mohammed directly.

Above are images of local pottery and mosaic tables being created by highly skilled artisans.

You can’t visit Fez without checking out the leather tanneries. The cow hides are cured and dyed with a mix of pigments and – ahem – pigeon poop. Visiting a tannery is a smelly, but unmatched experience.

On to something much more appetizing… food! Jaime is a food lover for sure, working in the industry. So checking out the local grub of Moroccan was a huge part of their travel. Traditional meals at local spots let them feel like locals.

As Jaime and David know, the best way to learn about a culture is often to skip restaurants and check out the local food markets.

For a true taste of Morocco, these honeymooners sampled from the shops and stalls of the Medina. Jaime says that in the ancient walled city, “there are no cars or motor bikes allowed, this is Morocco 2,000 years ago in the days of Aladdin.”

The Medina is more than just food, too. I absolutely love her shots of local handicrafts like the rugs above.

“This is still probably the most amazing place we’ve ever stayed,” Jen says of the hotel where she and Eli spent time during the Santorini portion of their honeymoon. Built right into the cliffs Sunrocks, is a couples-only luxury hotel offering guests comfort in true style. You have to check out their website to the full taste of their beautiful, minimal, Mediterranean feel.

Jen says, “This hotel was a total splurge, but totally worth it.”

She says, “We were greeted with champagne and snacks in the room.” Sunrocks has two restaurants and a pool bar. All of the food Jen and Eli ordered here “was delicious”. She adds, “We especially liked the infinity pool that looked like it spilled over the edge of the cliff.”

Their gorgeous suite that looked like “the inside of a whitewashed cave.” Jen adds that they had, “an amazing balcony that looked onto the blue waters of the caldera.”

Though they never got a great beach day, Jen and Eli took full advantage of the sun and the pool to lay to lay about in their bathing suits. A little rain couldn’t dampen their spirits. If fact it brought with it an awesome thunderstorm one night with great lightning. Jen adds, “Eli was pretty blown away by the lightning show in Santorini – he still talks about it.”

Lato Boutique Hotel, Iraklio on Crete

Jen and Eli loved this very modern luxury hotel even though they spent only one night here. That’s because the staff “upgraded us to an executive suite when they found out we were honeymooners.” The threw in a complimentary bottle of wine too. Jen says, “we had a wrap-around balcony overlooking the harbor – amazing views!”

After all that honeymooning on the Greek Islands, Jen and Eli arrived back on the mainland in Athens. But they weren’t hopping on a plane back to NYC just yet. Jen says, “Athens was just what we needed at the end our our trip; we were ready to be back in a city after more than a week on islands.”

The birthplace of democracy obviously has lots to see. The Parthenon – the most famous of the Greek ruins – was completed in 438 BC and is made up of soaring doric columns.

Eli says, “The Parthenon was pretty amazing.” Everywhere up on the Acropolis provides beautiful views of surrounding Athens. Be prepared for crowds though.

These two opted for a tour guide to give them the low-down on the history, architecture and current restorations. Jen says, “We did a half-day tour of Athens and were glad we did, since we pretty much avoided anything like that for most of the trip.”

This is why I love Jenni and Eli – they always make sure to have some fun along the way!

And we saved the most fabulous for last, The Fontainebleau in Miami Beach. This place is the ultimate honeymoon destination for couples who want some old-school romance on their trip. Following a recent $1 billion renovation and expansion (yes, that’s with a B) this place oozes golden-age glamour and luxury. Be prepared to pay a grand a night for a suite here. And then live it up.

Located just off the lobby, The Bleau Bar reminded me of Rat-Pack-hotel-meets-21st-century-Vegas. It was as if Old Blue Eye could come strolling up to the bar at any moment. With his iPhone in hand.

Amanda (above) and I were way, way into this place, as well as the extensive cocktail menu. My champagne-and-strawberry concoction was delicious though expensive. The boys weren’t as thrilled. They thought it was cheesy, but that’s exactly why we ladies loved it.

What can I say… I’m a sucker for a light-up floor!? It makes your strappy gold sandals look oh-so-Miami.

The guys may have been underwhelmed with the decor, but Tim did brave The Gaucho (tequila, ginger beer, and jalepeno.) He says, “It was delicious, but I couldn’t drink it. It made my stomach hurt. It defeated me.”

We ventured outside to check out the huge and newly renovated pool area – where Lady Gaga will be ringing in 2010, by the way. The cabanas are top notch with beds and flat screen TVs. Tim loved the LED twinkle lights that lined the bottom of the pool, slowly changing colors.

And so, dear honeymoon readers, the end of Fancy Cocktail Night seems the best place to leave you on this New Year’s Eve. Wishing you a very happy, very fun, and very romantic New Year. Hope you get to kiss someone great at midnight!

(We’ll be back on Jan 4, 2010!)

We grabbed a meal at The Strand’s sidewalk spot called Cafe Medi. We’d wandered past a dozen other places and sat down here because a table was open.

Our meal was pretty decent and we skipped alcoholic drinks in favor of iced teas. The food was decent and the bill was bit high, but we figured we were paying for the location and oceanfront view. We had a great time.

I was shocked to get home and read the absolutely terrible reviews online. Apparently lots of other tourists were duped by unpriced menus and drink deal switcheroos. So be warned folks! TripAdvisor and Yelp have all the gory details.

We also checked out a much more mellow brunch in the design district. This neighborhood – north of Midtown and a short drive from Miami Beach – is know for its galleries and home furnishing stores. We hit up Buena Vista Bistro on a late Sunday afternoon.

This place is known for it’s “home-made French-International cuisine” and looked great for dinner. Brunch had all of your basics. I chose the french toast, which was simple and delicious. The service was good, with my mug of tea refilled often.

The space has a cool vibe with simple, clean design. The big storefront windows flood the small space with light during the day. Cream colored-walls are adorned with dozens of frames photos and contrasted by the black trim. Huge mirrors and dry erase pens display the menu.

Tim’s omelet was good and the coffee was strong. Most importantly we were fueled up for the rest of our day running around Miami.

Some choose The Delano for its design sense. Others for its South Beach location. But everyone chooses The Delano for its pool. During the day, the lounge chairs and cabanas are the place to see and be seen. At night the pool heats up into one of Miami’s hottest bars.

Celebrities, socialites and decked-out ‘regular’ folk flock to the pool day and night. But catching some rays here doesn’t come cheap. Besides splurging on a room, be prepared to shell out for bottle service in the cabanas.

Just like the all-white guest rooms, the Agua Spa is minimal and modern. Offering the typical spa services, the best part of any treatment is relaxing on the roofdeck when you’re done.

A manicure will run you around $50 and hour-long massages start at $140. You can also get spa services in your pool-side cabana. The spa is open 9 am to 9 pm everyday.

The Delano offers numerous food and drink options, including Blue Sea (it’s sushi spot), the Rose Bar and the Blue Door Terrace (below). Grab lunch and a cocktail here during the day to people-watch and relax.

We also got a peek at the legendary Florida Room bar, designed in collaboration with Lenny Kravitz (below). The place was empty since it was early in the day, but you can imagine this room gets going when packed until the wee hours of the morning.

The Delano is an experience for all five senses. It can also be a hit on the wallet. Tomorrow we’ll check out a funky Miami hotel that’s much more budget-friendly.

As one of Miami Beach’s most famous hotels, The Delano is hallmark of design in the US. The art deco exterior and glamorous lobby make it one of the most glamrous places to stay in the city.

With even the most basic rooms costing over $500 a night, this place doesn’t come cheap. But every square inch of this place will delight design-lover and trend-setters.

Wandering through the Philippe Starck-designed spacious lobby is like walking through a modern art museum – one where you’re allowed to touch. With chairs designed by Antonio Gaudi, Man Ray, and Salvador Dali you can get up close and personal with the furniture (as Tim does below.)

We were lucky enough to get an exclusive tour from the Delano’s staff. The guest room above features an update of Starke’s design by Tim Andreas of Banjo. The room features a king-size bed, down comforter, white floors and black-out shades for late-sleepers.

Other accommodation options at the Delano include poolside bungalows, luxury suites, and of course the penthouse. But we were smitten with this simplicity of this all-white room. It’s like a blank canvas for the honeymoon of your dreams.

We also got to peek at the seriously stocked mini-bar. Not just booze and snacks here, but also an iPod docking-station, spa products and clothing bedazzled with the Delano logo. Does this place look familiar yet? You may remember it from this little gem.

Up next, a look at The Delano’s famous pool and Florida Room bar.

I have to admit it, I have a huge crush on Miami — Miami Beach to be exact. The designer in me is smitten with the art deco feel on every block. The typography of the neon signs on hotels and shops calls out to me. The geometric buildings draw me in, whether they’re recently updated in the poshest style, or crumbling with decades of neglect. My perfect afternoon in this Southern Florida city is wandering around South Beach taking shots of building edges silhouetted against a cloudless blue sky. The mojitos aren’t bad either.

Miami Beach is a perfect option for American couples who don’t want to go too far on their honeymoon. It’s an affordable alternative to the French Riviera and a much closer than Fiji.

With its velvet rope nightclubs, clean beaches, art galleries, gay-friendly vibe, international cuisine and sunny streets, this city has something for every couple, on every budget.

In upcoming posts, I’ll be focusing first on places to stay in Miami and later on what to do and where to eat + drink.

Stick with us this week to discover that Miami is much more than just retired seniors and Grand Theft Auto. Even more than pink flamingos and Vanilla Ice.

Our second Buenos Aires hotel was Art Hotel in Recoleta. It was the perfect location to see the sights in the neighborhood, while also getting to relax in style. Another small, boutique hotel, this place obviously centers around it’s name, art.

The hotel has 36 rooms, each individually decorated. Ours, with a small footprint, had soaring ceiling with a large white canopy draped over the bed. The lobby’s comfy couches and small computer nook are a great spot to plan the day’s activities.

The first floor lobby flows into the eponymous gallery space, which features changing exhibits.

It’s easy for this European-style hotel to feel charming. The location in an old townhouse means original details like plantation shutters, tiny elevator, iron handrails and twisting marble staircase abound. Contemporary updates like the skylight over the gallery — visible all the way from the top floor hallway — update the space and make it feel smart and modern.

Back down on the first floor, off the art gallery, is a bar/breakfast spot. The buffet-style breakfast each morning was delicious. Tim fell in love with the tiny hard-boiled quail eggs we had every day.

The reception staff holds your room key as you come and go, which makes it easy to ask for maps, directions and suggestions. The friendly “Buenos noches” every evening made us feel right at home.