“Urban swimming” isn’t just a cute euphemism for surreptitiously cracking open a fire hydrant and splashing in the street. While the Thames, Seine, Tiber and Hudson might be off-limits to city-dwellers, cooling off in the Aare River in Bern, Switzerland is a summer tradition. Swimmers jump into crystal-clear glacial meltwater straight from the Alps and are quickly whisked away downstream by the fast-moving river on a most refreshing sightseeing tour past the city.

When you’re ready to dry off, check out the Bellevue Palace, directly next to the Swiss Parliament Building. Its prime location offers guests easy access to the Aare and Bern’s beautiful old town quarter, along with the city’s finest views of the Alps.

Celebrity sightings are all the rage these days, but let’s not forget about government’s royalty. In honor of Obama’s birthday, we’ve rounded up a few locales where you’re likely to run into an off-duty lawmaker or two. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get the chance to bend their ears about your political views over cocktails…

Bern, Switzerland

Bellevue Palace, in the capital city of Bern and right next to the Swiss Parliament, has long been a meeting place for politicians, royals, and dignitaries the world over. As the only 5-star hotel in Bern, the hotel’s luxury is renowned, as is its statesmanlike discretion, making it a natural host for world leaders. During WWII, Bellevue Palace was the picture of political neutrality, as was its famed restaurant, La Terasse, serving guests from Axis nations meeting in one half of the restaurant, and those from the Allied Powers in the other.

Queen Elizabeth and Fidel Castro have stayed, to name but a few. It’s said that more planning happens over cigars on La Terrasse than in the Parliament. 

Rates start at $303/night

Nantucket, Massachusetts

The Obamas may favor Martha’s Vineyard, but Vice President Joe Biden has spent several Thanksgivings vacationing on Nantucket. Follow his lead and check out this charming island in the fall, which is actually the best time to visit. The summer crowds have dispersed, hotels aren’t expensive, the shops have sales, and all the restaurants are still open. Beach weather lasts into early fall, then later, a weekend in Nantucket becomes much cozier as hotels make use of in-room fireplaces. Explore the island by bike and stop for a hot ginger rum tea at The Brotherhood. You also may run into John Kerry and wife Teresa Heinz, who have a home on Brant Point.

Stay at the White Elephant, which is the perfect Nantucket inn and home base for a relaxing weekend right in town and just minutes from miles of beaches.

Rates in September start as low as $265.

Liwa Desert, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Tucked away deep in the heart of the Liwa Desert 90 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi International Airport stands the formidable Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara.  Built to resemble the traditional Emirati forts found in this expansive desert, this “Mirage Palace” as it translates, is an explorer’s paradise and this secluded escape is fit for royalty.  The Liwa is part of the world’s largest uninterrupted desert known as the “Empty Quarter,” spanning across four Arab states.  Some of the world’s oldest trade routes can be found in this great expanse, along with towering sand dunes as tall as the Eiffel Tower, and ancient cities buried in sand.

Arabian ritual and tradition are the inspiration for the design of the resort and Emirati sheikhs are known to stay in the resort’s sumptuous villas, whose private entrances and personal butlers are ideal for those in need of a little discretion. And for guests who prefer to arrive by their own helicopter, Qasr Al Sarab boasts its own helipad. 

Qasr Al Sarab is offering a Villa Essence Special Package for stays from now until October 29, which includes accommodations in a suite or villa, villa butler service, bottle of Champagne, and daily breakfast. Rates start at $980 for a suite and $1,252 for a one-bedroom villa.

Toronto, Ontario

The Park Hyatt Toronto is a chic hotel in the Yorkville district and sits directly across from the spectacular Royal Ontario Museum and the Michael Lee Chin Crystal. On a landmark corner, guests get the most spectacular views of the city at its only hotel rooftop bar, the legendary Roof Lounge, which is a favorite among local and visiting celebrities. The Roof Lounge boasts Tony Blair and Arnold Schwarzenegger as regulars, and many former Canadian Prime Ministers, including Lester B. Pearson, Pierre Trudeau, and John Turner.

Rates start at $252 this Fall for a Park King

Oracabessa, Jamaica

Miles away from Washington, the iconic Jamaican resort, GoldenEye, was originally home to Ian Fleming and the location where he penned the James Bond Novels. For decades it has been known as THE glamorous hideaway for everyone from Truman Capote to Kate Moss, as well as President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton.  This November, the new GoldenEye opens after being closed for two years, featuring a compound of luxurious private villas, suites and cottages with amenities sure to please any president and his first lady.  Politicians can take a break from campaigning and participate in the unique and inspirational activity program led by Iona Wynter, Jamaica’s Olympic tri-athlete with experiences ranging from stretch and snorkel to moonlit yoga. Ideal for those looking to avoid media scrutiny, the property features private beaches, secret lagoons and secluded coves. With a $1,000 donation, guests can plant a tree on property (just like Hillary and Bill!) and support the Oracabessa Foundation which encourages and educates sustainable development in the local community.

Special opening introductory rates start at $448/night.

Got a passion for Picasso? Not everyone has $106.5 million burning a hole in his pocket – which is the going price for a Picasso these days. Quell your art envy with help from The Victoria-Jungfrau Collection. Switzerland is hosting two upcoming exhibitions devoted to Pablo, brimming with priceless oeuvres. With the Art & Culture package at the Bellevue Palace in Berne, art lovers get a bubbling flute of champagne upon arrival, a sumptuous breakfast buffet in the morning, a four-course dinner at La Terrasse, and admission to the Paul Klee Zentrum to see the Klee Meets Picasso in Berne exhibition. (The exhibition runs from June 6-September 26.) Starting October 15, a Pablo Picasso Retrospective will grace the city of Zurich. With the City Break package at Eden au Lac, guests get two nights in a deluxe double room overlooking Lake Zurich, complimentary breakfast, a four-course dinner at Restaurant Eden, and plenty of time to peruse those Picassos.

As anyone who has ever gone to Art Basel (the Swiss original, not the Miami offshoot) knows, finding a decent hotel room is next to impossible.  The good hotels are spoken for months in advance, leaving auction house and gallery assistants scrambling.  However, the well hasn’t run completely dry:  capitalize on Switzerland‘s stunningly efficient national rail system and consider staying in a nearby town like Bern, a quick one-hour ride to the center of Basel.  The only five-star hotel in the Swiss capital of Bern, the Bellevue Palace, is certainly worth the short trip.

Not to mention, Bern is an infinitely more charming place to wake up in each morning.  The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with medieval streets full of kooky boutiques (Gothic gear, handmade wooden toys, avant-garde kitchen items) set against a backdrop of the River Aare and a perfectly Swiss alpine landscape.  The hotel sits next to the Swiss Parliament, and some say that more decisions are made over lunch on the Bellevue Palace terrace than in the halls of its more official neighbor.  For more information on the Bellevue Palace, visit www.bellevue-palace.ch/en.

AMPR Calendar: 2009 Fairs in Basel: BaselWorld, Watch and Jewelry Show – March 26 through April 2, 2009 / Art Basel – June 10-14, 2009  / Basel Wine Fair –  October 24 through November 1, 2009

Hot off the press: rumor has it that French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his glam new wife, model and chanteuse Carla Bruni, have booked “a whole floor” of the Bellevue Palace for the upcoming World Cup C Match between France and Italy. May we suggest a little… romance?

For those hoping to sweep their significant other off their feet, try the Bellevue Palace‘s new package, where lucky lovers are greeted with 222 red roses (so much better than the same old 12). To begin the evening in swish Swiss style, guests sip champagne and dine on rösti while enjoying a private orchestra performance in their Presidential Suite. To continue this date night like none other, Hermès and Gübelin jewelers, plus Bern’s museums, are opened up after hours when they are typically closed to the public. In case there’s the urge to explore further, the hotel Jaguar is at one’s disposal for the duration of the stay.

Walking the Walk

At Anantara Golden Triangle in Thailand, guests can see direct results of the resort’s conservation practices as the hotel actively recycles all organic waste material to use as soil for its lush gardens. Located on 160 acres of natural habitat in the Golden Triangle region, the resort also focuses on local inhabitants of a different breed. Onsite is a camp that provides sanctuary for rescued elephants: the bamboo forest, nature trails, and river banks provide an ideal habitat for 15 rescued pachyderms, and the elephant fodder is even sourced from local farmers and suppliers. Guests are also offered the rare opportunity to learn to ‘drive,’ bathe, and care for elephants in a unique three-day mahout training course. Meanwhile at Uma Ubud in Bali, similar environmental efforts are in place. Not only does the hotel recycle water to hydrate its leafy surroundings, but it looks beyond its perimeter into the local community. The hotel is committed to giving back to the area and its inhabitants: over 25% of the staff comes from local villages. Switzerland could be considered the grandfather of the green movement, with its fresh Alpine setting and lake water clean enough to drink. Park Hyatt Zurich has its own energy conservation committee, which has instituted special sun blinds to cool the building, gas-fired boilers to reduce CO₂ emissions, biodegradable cleaning products, and an air-cooling system that pumps cold, fresh lake water. The Park Hyatt Beaver Creek in Colorado recycles water used in the swimming pool and Jacuzzi; re-used leftover furniture from its recent renovation was donated to the Vail Valley Foundation.

How Green Does Your Garden Grow?

What could be more environmentally conscious than turning to the local terroir as a source of food? Chefs are proving one can eat off the land for delectable dishes instead of flying in foodstuffs from distant locales. In Bhutan, the cooking crew at Uma Paro works with indigenous farmers to find the best ingredients year-round to ensure that the food is as fresh, organic, and varied as possible. The hotel’s outreach goes even further – they provide the farmers with seeds to grow the food and then purchase this produce. In Bali, the COMO Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri similarly employs community members to procure fresh ingredients, working with a local organization that hires women from the surrounding area and offers flexible hours and steady income. The food at these hotels comes from the local environment in every sense of the word.

‘Product’ively Green

Hotels are taking eco-philosophy indoors, applying it to their products and materials. On Nantucket, guests of the White Elephant find the green theme between the sheets. The hotel has commissioned Gayle Warwick Fine Linen to outfit all 53 of its rooms with her hand-embroidered, organic bed linens. The sheets are made from 100% organic cotton percale, eliminating all the pesticides traditionally used in cotton growing that wreak havoc on farmers and on our environment. With a crisp finish and heirloom quality, these linens prove it really is chic to be green. Luxury spa brand ESPA has a line of 70 naturally effective products that contain only the highest quality of natural and organic ingredients. ESPA is found in more than 100 spas in 24 countries, including The Spa at Gleneagles by ESPA in Scotland and the Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken, Switzerland. ESPA espouses that using too many synthetic products only creates more problems for our skin, and that plant and marine extracts and essential oils can heal and strengthen at a cellular level.

Casting a Light Footprint

Live the green life in Switzerland by taking full advantage of the legendary train system. The Swiss Rail System is the densest in the world and makes traveling lightly a breeze. Hop from the Eden au Lac in Zurich to the Palace Luzern to the Bellevue Palace in Bern and get an eyeful of the spectacular Alpine scenery on the way. Another alternative to exploring the countryside by car is by bicycle. The Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa has stocked up on Scott mountain bicycles, so guests can journey deep into the Alpine hills or take a leisurely ride around the two beautiful lakes after which Interlaken was named. Guests of the The Wauwinet on Nantucket can do as the locals do and cycle around the island. The hotel’s bikes are lean and “green” and the perfect way to tool around town – a stylish yet practical option for the savvy traveler! Park Hyatt Toronto respects its eco-minded guests as well: the hotel will valet park any hybrid car for free. And speaking of hybrids, any guest driving one to Santa Fe’s Inn on the Alameda will receive some “green for green.” The “Wholly Hybrid” package at The Inn offers guests a crisp new $50 bill upon check-in for filling the gas tank, and another $20 to use at the nearby water-saving carwash, a way of saying thank you from Mother Earth.

Legacy of Conservation

A pilgrimage to a leafy corner of Vermont can teach travelers about one of the first conservation efforts in the United States. Thanks to an influx of settlers in the area, by the mid-19^th century the state had been stripped of its natural resources. Luckily, a legacy of stewardship was instated by three separate families, including the Rockefellers, who donated the land that would become Vermont’s only national park. The Woodstock Inn & Resort still remains a part of the Rockefeller Foundation and provides a perfect home base for exploring all the natural wonders in the area that have been so carefully preserved.