PARIS
Some might consider it sinful to spend more on a meal than on a plane ticket, but sybarites consider dining at a top-tier Parisian restaurant an investment in life itself. Scale the heights of culinary excellence at Le Jules Verne, where Alain Ducasse, one of the world’s highest ranking Michelin chefs, creates epicurean indulgences, such as golden caviar and tender lobster, in multi-course, 600-Euro menus atop the Eiffel Tower. For a more down-to-earth tab, you can explore a range of senses by dining in the dark at Dans le Noir, or experience culinary hedonism as it takes centre stage at Bobin’o, a lavish dinner show featuring sumptuous sets and provocative dancers. Post-feast, truly adventurous couples get their champagne nightcaps at the boudoir-themed Les Chandelles, an upscale Eyes Wide Shut-style nightclub where you dress (and undress) to impress. Once you’re worked up, check in at the cheeky Hotel Amour (from $117; 011-33-1-4878-3180) in SoPi, an up-and-coming neighbourhood that was once the city’s red-light district. The rooms feature glow-in-the dark wallpaper and erotic photography.

PALM SPRINGS
It may be a hot destination for nips and tucks with a local cosmetic surgeon, but that’s not the only pride Palm Springs is known for. The city is fast staking its claim as “America’s gay oasis” since California became one of the first states to strike down the ban on same-sex marriages and it became the place to show your gay pride and get hitched. Now Palm Springs abounds with gay wedding planners and gay and lesbian clubs and resorts, from the Hunters Palm Springs club for the guys to the Casitas Laquita (from $135) resort for the gals. It also has some of the largest gay events in the States, such as the annual White Party and Dinah Shore Week, both in April, and the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in July. Of course, you don’t have to be a same-sex couple to dig this chic desert hangout. Just come with a gay spirit.

HONG KONG
Some destinations have food or music festivals to amuse tourists. Hong Kong has a Shopping Festival to fuel that need to buy more stuff just because you want it. From July to September, visitors flock to this annual shopping extravaganza for the tax-free discounts dished out by retailers. And Hong Kong is dressed for excess with malls aplenty, like the five-storey Citygate Outlets and Pacific Place, where fashion’s heavy hitters—Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and Dior—all have a home. Then there’s the Jade Market, with hundreds of stalls hawking the green stone, which is purported to ensure that you’ll get lucky. Or is it good luck? If debt is an abstract concept to you, book the Peninsula suite at The Peninsula Hong Kong. For about $8,700 a night, you get your own fitness room, kitchen, mammoth master bedroom and a room for a butler, plus the use of a Rolls Royce for your return trip to the mall. Ka-ching.

CHICAGO
The Windy City is famous for its sports franchises, its jazz and its deep-dish pizza. But behind the fun-loving and cultural façade is a sultry and angry heart, beating with the memory of Chicago’s one-time gangsta past. To get acquainted with the city, first try Watson Adventures’ Movie Locations Hunt, which will have you searching around spots where crime thrillers like The Fugitive and The Untouchables were filmed. Though much of real mob land is gone, you can sneak off to restaurant Room 21 to dine on bloody, 21-oz. rib-eye steak while sipping on a selection from the hefty wine list in a building that served as a Capone liquor warehouse and speakeasy during Prohibition in the 1920s. If that has you seeing red, a night at the Hotel Sax Chicago (from $249) could be in order, partially for the in-room Mile High Intimacy Kit—which includes condoms, lube and a vibrator—and partially for the sultry Crimson Lounge lobby bar (think crushed red velvet and dimly lit corners suitable for sinful deeds).