The world's most colorful cities

(CNN) -- Whether a monochromatic yellow or featuring every color in the Crayola box, these cites are guaranteed to brighten your day.

The word "pretty" isn't often associated with the shantytowns of Rio de Janeiro. But gazing across the hills toward the notorious Santa Maria favela, you might be pleasantly surprised by the burst of colors, the result of a recent social art project launched by Dutch design duo Haas&Hahn.

Pockets of rainbow-bright residences and streets pop up in cities across the globe; some are contrived, like Haas&Hahn's favela project and the commissioning of a blue-painted town in southern Spain by Sony Pictures to promote the Smurfs 3D movie (no, really). Others, like the eclectic homes and murals of Valparaso, Chile, are more organic, inspired by the creative spirits of the residents that inhabit them.

From a monochromatic Indian city painted pink for a visiting English prince to the candy-colored waterfront of Miami's South Beach, these landscapes bring a new level of vibrancy to austere deserts, mountains, slums and already sparkling aqua waters.

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Jaipur, India

Now this is a royal welcome: Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh had the whole city daubed in pink for the arrival of Edward, the Prince of Wales, during a diplomatic visit in 1853. The Rajasthani capital retains its signature rose-tinted hue across broad boulevards and historic buildings like the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds).

Chefchaouen, Morocco

A four-hour drive from the bustling city of Fez brings you to this village high in the Rif Mountains, known for its labyrinthine medina bathed entirely in shades of blue. The area was once a refuge for Spanish Jews who, fleeing the Inquisition in the 1500s, found a harmonious haven in Chefchaouen. Though most have now migrated to Israel, the warren of turquoise alleys remains as their legacy.

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Izamal, Mexico

Mexico's tourism secretary designated Izamal, in the Yucatan region, a pueblo magico (magical city), and it's easy to see why. The colonial buildings are awash in a vivid yellow that gives the monochromatic town a sunny look whatever the weather. Take a horse-and-buggy ride around the cobblestone streets past marigold churches, government buildings and the city's centerpiece: the historic 16th-century Basilica of San Antonio de Padua.

Bo-Kaap, Cape Town

No, that's not a rainbow at the foot of Signal Hill. The pops of color making their way up the slopes are typical of Cape Town's historic Muslim quarter, where the mosques and homes make up a splashy kaleidoscope of aquamarine, fuchsia and lime. Its Cape Malay community is descended from slaves brought over by the Dutch from Southeast Asia in the 1600s, and residents began painting their homes to celebrate the end of apartheid.

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Balat, Istanbul

Once Istanbul's old Jewish quarter, Balat has attracted a more diverse range of residents over time. Yet the architecture takes you back to a lost era; it's easy to spend a few hours wandering, preferably with camera in hand, to capture the dilapidated yellow and pink buildings adorned by billowing red or green curtains, all sparkling against the cerulean sky.

Juzcar, Spain

Among the iconic White Towns of Andalusia, Juzcar looks so comically out of place that you'd be forgiven for wondering if it's out of a cartoon -- in fact, you'd be correct. Until recently, it, too, was a whitewashed village; in 2011, Hollywood executives inquired whether the residents would paint their homes blue for a promotional blitz surrounding a Smurfs movie. Afterward, Sony offered to paint the town back, but aware of the skyrocketing tourist numbers that resulted from the gimmick, the 220 citizens voted to keep it blue.

South Beach, Miami

Neon lights, frothy facades, quirky patterned lifeguard stands, art deco buildings -- driving along Ocean Drive in Miami is a retro trip back to an era when Technicolor was just bursting onto screens. Flamingo pinks and tropical greens flank the white sand on one side, with azure waters on the other.

Rio de Janeiro

In 2010, Dutch artists Haas&Hahn schemed to turn a favela in Rio de Janeiro into a giant canvas for their third project in that city's slums (favelapainting.com). Enlisting the help of local youths, they converted the homes of Favela Santa Maria into a rainbow of staggering proportions, composed of rays in myriad shades radiating across the facades.

Willemstad, Curacao

Legend has it that in the 1800s, when the Dutch ruled Curacao, the then-governor attributed the migraines that afflicted him to the powerful Caribbean sun reflecting off the colony's stark walls. The result? An official decree that commanded residents to paint the structures anything but white. Today, this World Heritage site owes its distinctive pastel shades to one man's maladies.

Vernazza, Italy

These postcard-perfect pastel pink, lemon yellow and sea green facades were hit by devastating floods in 2011. While the damage to Vernazza and the four other scenic waterfront villages that make up Cinque Terre was severe, efforts are under way to restore, rebuild -- and repaint.

See more colorful cities on Travel + Leisure.

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Rijksmuseum's stunning makeover

Explore the Rijksmuseum's most treasured possession, Rembrandt's "Night Watch" in our interactive.

(CNN) -- Closed for 10 years for an all-encompassing, 375 million ($489 million) refurbishment, Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum -- the national museum of arts and history founded in 1800 -- has emerged transformed and resplendent.

Gone is the labyrinth-like gloomy edifice that, for all its artistic treasures, felt rooted in the past and imbued with melancholy.

The lead architects of the redesign, Spanish practice Cruz y Ortiz, have harkened back to the original design of architect Pierre Cuypers, who completed the project in 1885.

The airy atrium is back, where visitors can plan their route around eight centuries, 80 rooms and 8,000 artworks.

Cuypers' original plan for accessing the museum also made a return.

Visitors ascend an ecclesiastically inspired hallway, entering the 17th century gallery under the gaze of the greats of philosophy, art and literature.

Main draws

Dedicated to the art of Holland's Golden Age and adorned with restored frescoes, the museum's 17th century gallery is home to an impressive selection of masterpieces.

Of them, two are likely to be the Rijksmuseum's biggest crowd-pullers.

One is "The Milkmaid" by Johannes Vermeer. Depicting a humble domestic servant at work in a kitchen, the painting is known to possess a veiled sexuality. (Does the small Delft tile depicting Cupid in the background imply that the heroine is day-dreaming about her lover?)

The second is Rembrandt van Rijn's "The Night Watch," dubbed the museum's "altarpiece" by its director Wim Pijbes.

Measuring 11 feet by 14 feet, this dramatic rendition of a unit of 17th century troops, complete with feather plumes, lace collars and gleaming weapons, is the only item that has not changed location as part of the refurbishment.

Interactive: Rembrandt's 'Night Watch' explained

"When you enter the Rijksmuseum you're transported to another world -- the world of Rembrandt, Vermeer and Mondrian," says Taco Dibbits, director of collections.

"I think it's the only national museum in the world that is not only a museum of painting, not only a museum of the decorative arts, but also a museum of history."

Collections

The new galleries bring together paintings with a range of objects from the same era.

"We were interested in giving the public a sense of beauty in context," says Dibbits.

Items are arranged chronologically.

Rembrandt's works, for example, are displayed alongside silverware and furniture made by craftsmen whom the great master would have known.

New approach

The new setup is a radically different approach to how the museum used to be.

Before the renovation, galleries were arranged thematically: paintings with paintings, ceramics with ceramics and sculpture with sculpture.

The chronological approach posed challenges for the man charged with making the displays clear and concise: Jean-Michel Wilmotte, architect of museum scenography.

"We needed to find a color that provided a kind of guideline to create unity around the museum," says Wilmotte.

His answer was to have the walls in the galleries painted in shades of gray, ranging from very pale in the 20th century displays to echo the hues of steel and aluminum associated with that era's technological advances -- to deep and dark hues in the medieval galleries.

This way, the walls not only provide a dramatic backdrop for the gold and silver items on show but also evoke the shadows of a crypt or the inner sanctum of some great cathedral.

Thoughtful arrangements

Wilmotte has also worked wonders with the displays themselves.

In the Special Collections gallery on the ground floor, ivory-handled flintlock pistols seem to float in the air. In another cabinet a large number of magic lantern slides depict animals, battles and 18th century raunchiness.

Further on, a hammock of 17th century admiral Cornelius de Witt hangs above the simple campaign bed of William of Orange, the Dutch prince wounded at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

There's a lot of depth and drama in the new displays and, whereas the paintings of the Dutch masters may have had the power to stand alone, in other areas it is often the associated objects that are the most intriguing and emotive.

"You can see paintings, china and woodwork together -- you are not just visiting a museum, you are deep in a different century," says Wilmotte. "This is unique."

Sinister gift

The 20th century gallery on the top floor is home to perhaps the most sinister item in the museum.

It looks like a large, ugly, ostentatious chess set at first sight, but look closer and the pawns are helmeted soldiers, the rooks howitzers and the bishops fighter aircraft.

The set was a gift from leading Nazi Heinrich Himmler to Anton Mussert, a senior figure in the Dutch National Socialist party, as a reward for his loyalty.

Juxtaposed with the uniform of a concentration camp survivor, it speaks volumes about a deeply disturbed period of history and comes as something of a shock after the measured pomp and tranquil domesticity of the 17th century galleries for which the museum has so long been famous.

The museum reopens April 13, 2013.

Museumstraat 1, Amsterdam, Netherlands; +31 20 662 1440; open daily 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; 15 ($20) for adults, free for 18 and under; www.rijksmuseum.nl

More on CNN: Insider Guide - Best of Amsterdam

More on CNN: Rembrandt's 'Night Watch' explained

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America's 10 highest-tech hotels

(CNN) -- Whether you're on business or vacation, if you're sleeping in anything more sophisticated than a zippered sack, staying connected is a necessary part of travel.

For years, a crusty USB jack and some intermittent Wi-Fi were enough to constitute a full suite of technological hotel amenities.

How 2.0.

Today's future-forward lodge has to offer in-room nightclub lighting and 3D television just to keep up with the Skywalkers.

The new breed of techie lodging is no less a hotel than a Best Buy with blankets.

These 10 wired hotels are tops among the gadget set.

Hotel 1000, Seattle

Don't be fooled by the design-intensive vibe of this downtown Seattle hotel. Behind the chic dcor and furnishings it's a fully networked technolodge.

Highlights include a silent infrared doorbell with sensors that detect body heat (so housekeeping knows when not to interrupt), smart climate control settings, a digital do-not-disturb button and a 40-inch LCD HDTV that doubles as a digital art gallery, displaying works that you can personally select.

There's video-on-demand, surround sound, satellite radio, high-speed Wi-Fi (included with room) and a slew of media hubs for every gadget imaginable.

What's more, innovative plumbing enables the bathtub to fill from the ceiling, an intelligent mini-bar notifies the front desk when it needs stocking, Cisco video phones float around the hotel and a virtual reality Golf Club is swing-ready with more than 50 courses from around the world.

1000 First Ave., Seattle; rooms from $219 per night; 206-357-1000; www.hotel1000seattle.com

Aria Resort & Casino, Las Vegas

This 4,000-plus-room mega-resort lets you customize everything about your stay but the hangovers.

Guestrooms greet you as you enter -- literally addressing you by name -- while the lights and TV turn on and curtains open to reveal spectacular views.

From a single control panel, you can personalize every aspect of your space, including a "good night" button that cuts the lights, shuts the drapes and activates the do-not-disturb sign.

You can customize the lighting, temperature and tunes to wake you in the morning.

The hotel also has wireless Internet (included in room charge) it says is eight times faster than the average U.S. guestroom, along with a 42-inch LCD with a "smart panel" for connecting laptops, game consoles, cameras, MP3 players and more.

Replacing the conventional keycard, RFID (radio frequency identification data) cards sense when you're near your room and unlock the door as you approach.

3730 Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas; rooms from $138 per night; 702-590-7111; www.arialasvegas.com

Hotel Zetta, San Francisco

How many gigabytes is a zettabyte? Ask the technorati flooding this new San Francisco residence that lives up to its data-inspired name.

Each guestroom features integrated technology that allows music, movies, emails and more to stream wirelessly from your mobile device to an Internet-enabled, 46-inch flatscreen TV. This, additionally, comes with a library of apps, web browsing capabilities and loads of high-def channels.

A sort of physical "social network," the Playroom is a 1,500-square-foot adult space equipped with the latest gaming consoles, as well as old school classics like Atari and Nintendo. An antique red telephone booth is rigged so you can video chat, snap a profile pic or order drinks and food from the bar.

In case you weren't getting the whole retro-tech vibe, dcor includes old floppy-disks-turned-artwork, interactive wall hangings and an art installation made from obsolete hardware like cell phones, computer chips and game cartridges.

55 Fifth St., San Francisco; rooms from $265 per night; 415-543-8555; www.viceroyhotelgroup.com

Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles

After a two-year, multi-million-dollar overhaul, this Hollywood Hills icon is wired with the latest tech to keep up with a demanding clientele that has ranged from Marilyn Monroe to Oprah.

Upon arrival, in-room check-in includes a tutorial by the bellman on the use of all guestroom gadgetry -- ensuring you don't freak out later about how to operate the smart toilet.

As you approach said throne -- aka the Neorest 600 -- its motion-activated lid opens automatically and features a control panel for flushing and other functions, like a seat heater and deodorizer. The bathroom also has heated floors and an in-mirror LED television.

Guests book massages or dinner reservations from in-room iPads -- pretty much the luxury hotel norm nowadays -- and there are Bang and Olufsen HD flatscreen TVs, smart lighting with mood settings and a touch-screen phone that lets you control everything from room temperature, lights and media to curtain height.

701 Stone Canyon Road, Los Angeles; rooms from $530 per night; 310-472-1211; www.hotelbelair.com

Yotel New York, New York

An homage to luxury airline travel, this Times Square hotel is unapologetically futuristic. White walls backlit in purple create an ultramodern atmosphere as you check in at touch-screen kiosks similar to those found at airports, only cooler.

Guestrooms (or "cabins") are decked out with purple mood lighting, near-silent heating and cooling systems, a Techno Wall fitted with a flat-screen LCD TV, lots of power points for laptops and other devices, Wi-Fi (included in room charge), an iPod or MP3 connection for playing music through the TV speakers and a motorized bed that expands to full size at the push of a button.

The hotel's tech de resistance is the world's first-ever robotic luggage handler. A 15-foot robotic arm towering in the lobby behind a glass window, the Yobot picks up your luggage and safely stores it in a wall of drawers before or after check-in.

No tip necessary.

570 10th Ave., New York; rooms from $149 per night; 646-449-7700; www.yotelnewyork.com

Scarp Ridge Lodge, Crested Butte, Colorado

Staying at Scarp Ridge Lodge is like renting an entire boutique hotel for yourself and your 10 best buds.

This seven-bedroom luxury ski property comes with a private chef, indoor saltwater pool, game room, cinema ... and piped-in oxygen?

Yep, at an elevation of 9,000 feet, altitude headaches can be an issue. So all guestrooms are tricked out with on-demand oxygen systems, complete with touch panels that let you create the exact altitude you'd like the rooms to simulate.

Address undisclosed; rooms from $12,500 per night; 970-349-7761; elevenexperience.com

Omni Dallas Hotel, Dallas

This 23-story, 1,001-room hotel may be connected to the Omni Dallas Convention Center, but it's a long way from conventional.

Having broken ground just a year and half ago, the place is decked with tech.

Interactive reader boards with touch-screens fill the lobby and let you check everything from flight info to area attractions, news, weather, meetings and events.

Gadgetary highlights in the rooms include all of the usual bells and whistles, plus a 42-inch LCD high-definition television, another TV hidden in the bathroom mirror and motion-sensor LED nightlights underneath the bed.

Outside, 4.3 miles of LED building lights surround the LEED Gold-certified hotel's exterior, allowing it to project brilliant light shows and convention logos.

555 S. Lamar St., Dallas; rooms from $113 per night; 214-744-6664; www.omnihotels.com

Epic Hotel, Miami

Forget that this 52-story hotel sits on prime Miami waterfront with rooms featuring floor-to-ceiling glass doors leading to private balconies, it's the geeky gadgets that draw all the attention.

The experience begins before you enter your room.

Outside each guestroom door is an INNtouch notification device. Press the privacy button from inside the room to illuminate the LED do-not-disturb indicator, or let housekeeping know to make up your room with the push of a button.

For those annoying times when you have to mix business with pleasure, all 411 rooms have desktop PCs with high-speed Internet, Microsoft Office and a connection to the printer in the lobby.

There's also an Apple gadget docking station to charge your iDevice.

In the 29th-floor Club Lounge, a touch-screen Surface Station map akin to a ginormous smartphone lets you surf the 'Net, listen to music, watch videos and scout local hotspots.

270 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami; rooms from $389 per night; 305-424-5226; www.epichotel.com

theWit Hotel, Chicago

This trendy hotel features jaw-dropping city and lake views, a vibrant urban setting and an IP-based infrastructure networking everything from the elevators to room sensors to the basement boiler room.

Within guest rooms, sensor-activated climate controls detect your location and adjust to your body heat. A VoIP touch-screen phone lets you call housekeeping, valet and more without speaking a word; with staff members all connected to the system via iPhone or iPod Touch, they're alerted to your needs ASAP.

In common areas, expect to hear birds chirping during the day and crickets at night, powered by the hotel's digital audio system.

There's also a private movie theater boasting an oversized HD screen.

Notching up the nightlife, the hotel just installed a 3D digital wall inside ROOF, its 27th-floor lounge. Typically reserved for large-scale concerts, this image-mapping system delivers resplendent visuals as you rock out to world class DJs and performers.

201 N. State St., Chicago; rooms from $189 per night; 312-467-0200; www.thewithotel.com

citizenM Times Square, New York

Opening in October 2013, this Times Square hotel is set to follow in the footsteps of its affordable high-tech, high-design European counterparts.

Bringing to life the hotel's namesake "M" for mobile, as in "mobile citizen of the world," you're greeted by self check-in computers.

By the time the machine has programmed your personal RFID keycard, your room is waiting for you to enter.

Tech addicts will geek out over the handheld, electronic mood pad that lets you design your entire space. From colored lighting and ambient music to digital art (on your TV), temperature, window blinds and specially designed mood-enhanced wake-up calls (like "wake me gently" or "wake me wildly"), you can direct the room's whole look and feel, all without having to get out of bed.

Bonus: iMacs dot the hotel and there's Wi-Fi throughout.

citizenM Times Square, 216-218 W. 50th St., New York; room rates and phone to be announced; www.citizenm.com

Stephanie Orma is a San Francisco-based travel and design writer. She has a mad cartooning habit and can hula hoop on one foot while drinking a glass of vino. ormadesign.com

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