Nothing compares to the moment when, after arriving in a foreign city, the hotel room's drapes are drawn back to reveal the world outside - a world that, neatly if barely contained by the window s geometry, seems to belong to you alone. Conde Nast Traveler's Room with a View column, featuring frame-worthy vistas from all over the world, has been whetting the appetites of armchair tourists for 20 years. This compendium gathers the most breathtaking sights of all time, from Balinese beaches to Asia's bustling metropolises to African savannahs teeming with wildlife rather than nightlife.

Take, for instance, the bathtub vista from the Royal Park's Urban Spa room in the 971 foot-high Yokohama Landmark Tower, or Room 609 at Badrutt's Palace Hotel, the perfect box seat for the Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow, played on the frozen Lake of St. Moritz below. Room with a View presents 160 of these stunning photographs that, along with the magazine's concise commentary, are sure to stoke the imaginations of even the most seasoned travelers.

Introduction by André Aciman