Chicago, Bangalore, Finland, Toronto

A bi-weekly round-up of new hotels and hideaways, treks and tours. Ian Schrager revives a classic Chicago hotel — and his reputation as an independent boutique hotelier — with the Public, opening 15 September on Chicago’s Gold Coast. Once the Ambassador East Hotel that hosted everyone from Frank Sinatra to Judy Garland, who both dined at the famed Pump Room restaurant, the 285 rooms start at a very affordable $135 a night and famous chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten created a menu for the Pump Room that combines New York haute cuisine with classics from the old space. On 7 September, the Mövenpick luxury chain opened their first property in India, the Mövenpick Hotel and Spa Bangalore. The 182-room hotel has two floors dedicated to business travellers -- who gain exclusive access to an executive lounge and club -- plus four restaurants including Perfect Sky, which will open soon on the hotel’s roof. If you’d rather dine at home while abroad, Cosy Finland has introduced the Cosy Finnish Evening Program. One to four guests can drop in on a Finnish home and eat dinner with a host, who prepares a few favourite recipes. The boutique Templar Hotel opens in late September in Toronto’s entertainment district, with 26 rooms decorated in a sleek, modern style with hardwood floors and low, modern Poliform furniture. There is a Japanese spa, light installations in the lobby and a rooftop bar with views of the CN Tower.