The 100 Best New Hotels of the Year

To find the hotels worth traveling for this year, Travel + Leisure sent 64 reporters to vet new and renovated properties in 44 countries. We stayed at top-tier resorts from big-name brands, independently owned boutique hotels that are redefining city neighborhoods, and even a lavish, overwater Maldives situation that will run you more than $5,000 a night. We have a list dedicated to affordable luxury hotels, proving a chic stay doesn’t have to cost more than your mortgage—and, for the second year running, we’ve included the best new cruise ships, because it’s hard to argue with a floating resort that takes you to destinations along the Mediterranean Sea. If the hotel offers accessible common spaces and rooms outfitted for travelers with disabilities, it’s noted within the entry. And, of course, each hotel selected aligns with T+L’s core values.

Here, the 100 best hotels that opened last year. See you at the tented tree house bar. —Edited by Elizabeth Cantrell and Maya Kachroo-Levine

Hotels by Category

100 Princes Street, Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s newest hideout, 100 Princes Street, is set in the former Scottish headquarters of the Royal Over-Seas League, an international members’ club founded in 1910. While the foyer’s ornamented ceiling and the first-floor staircase are original, the rest of the 30-room property has been renovated to fanciful perfection by the family-owned Red Carnation Hotel Collection. The design is also unmistakably Scottish: Do Not Disturb signs take the form of the sporrans that men wear with kilts, and signature suites are named for the country’s famed explorers, such as Isobel Wylie Hutchison, an intrepid 20th-century botanist and filmmaker. Also on theme is the menu, with haggis for breakfast and crumbly shortbread served with afternoon tea. Then there’s the whisky: nearly 170 single malts are housed in Ghillie’s Pantry, an intimate tasting room with an intriguing collection of rare bottles. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $550. —Nicole Trilivas

Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens, Greece

Stepping out of the taxi in Glyfada, a seaside town on the Athens Riviera, and laying eyes on the Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens, I felt an immediate burst of energy. This 120-room outpost from the ever-cool Ace brand retains a vintage seaside resort aesthetic, while still embracing a refreshingly modern Greek sensibility. Interiors blend tactile minimalism with local artistry: Rooms have custom sconces by Panos Profitis, plus textiles by Greek-Egyptian designer Salma Barakat. Some suites even come with record players and guitars—a signature Ace touch. Naturally, the pool is the social hub—this is one of only two Ace “Swim Club” properties where DJs spin nightly, and a rooftop restaurant and bar serving contemporary Greek fare will open soon. Until then, Sebastian, the hotel’s bistro, delivers a Paris-meets-Athens menu, featuring standout dishes like the Salad Sebastian, a vibrant mix of beluga lentils, lardons, and baby potatoes. And, being just 20 minutes from Athens’ city center, the hotel is perfectly positioned for both lazy beach days and quick jaunts to the Acropolis. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $326. —Laura Ratliff

Alexander Hotel, Mexico City

Leisure travelers don’t often visit Mexico City’s cosmopolitan business capital, but the brand-new Alexander Hotel offers a glimpse into the handsome Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood. The 26-room boutique spans three levels of the striking Torre Virreyes, a jutting showpiece of the skyline with views stretching into the Bosque de Chapultepec, the region’s largest urban park, once home of Aztec and Habsburg emperors. Inside, the sleek design feels more aligned to the guest in tailored Brioni than the linen sets popular in the more bohemian parts of town. The room’s lounge chairs and benches are custom Poltrona Frau leather, the same material you’d find inside a Ferrari, and imported black ebony from Africa and white marble from Brazil line the walls and floors. At Caviar Bar, the hotel restaurant and focal point of the glass-paneled lobby, a selection of Petrossian caviars are worked into pastas and heaped onto chips from behind a bivalve-shaped counter. An Alexander Martini is the drink to order, served with Belvedere 10 and a Kumamoto oyster topped with Baeri caviar. It’s all about decadence here. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $527. —David Shortell

Almare, a Luxury Collection Resort, Isla Mujeres, Adult All-inclusive, Mexico

Repurposed from a previous life as a mid-range all-inclusive into a Marriott Luxury Collection resort, the adults-only Almare offers a much-needed shot in the arm to sleepy Isla Mujeres, across a peaceful bay from the buzz of Cancun. Here, the vibes are more “summer camp” than seclusion—I joined my fellow guests at morning yoga, mezcal tastings, and even a jog to Punta Sur, the island’s southernmost point. The 109 rooms are spacious and bright; some travelers might find the Mexico-meets-modern vibes a bit too sparse, but I appreciated the Byredo toiletries, spacious soaking tubs, and sunset-facing balconies. The food was also a hit: all-day restaurant Boga focuses on local fare from the Yucatan, and The Breeze, a lunchtime pool bar, has tacos, ceviche, and an excellent burger. If you like the convenience of an all-inclusive (unlimited drinks!), the charm of a boutique hotel (staff that knows your coffee order!), and the reliability of a mega-brand (loyalty points!), Almare has a winning formula. Doubles from $1,025, all-inclusive. —Laura Ratliff

Anantara Ubud Bali Resort, Indonesia

It was pouring when I arrived at Anantara Ubud Bali Resort, but rain suits the place. The 85-room resort sits in a valley inside the Payangan rainforest, about a 30-minute drive north of Ubud. The primary building, a glassy hilltop structure, houses Kirana, an all-day Indonesian restaurant, and Amerta, which serves fire-roasted entrées. The resort also has a spa, two pools, a lounge, and a bar that serves cocktails made with arrack, a local cousin of rum. Looking out from my villa’s infinity pool after the rain had cleared, I saw nothing but slopes covered with bamboo, banana plants, and palms. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $600. —Hannah Walhout

Anna & Bel, Philadelphia

Fishtown, an enclave northeast of Philadelphia’s Center City, “needed a hotel,” says co-owner Dor Barkai Berkovitz. He and his wife, co-owner Galli Arbel, live around the corner and have watched “Fishtown really make a name for itself in the last 10 years,” thanks to an attention-grabbing food scene (I’m particularly taken with Kalaya Philadelphia from James Beard Award-winning chef Nok Suntaranon and Michael Solomov’s latest concept, Jaffa Bar). The historic building that became this chic, 47-room hotel blends in with the neighboring row homes. When I stayed with my husband and four-month-old son, our second-floor room opened onto a communal balcony. We grabbed breakfast in the glass-enclosed courtyard, which feels very much like a private greenhouse in the middle of Philly, then played chess by the fire in the living room and browsed the art collection curated by local gallery Paradigm Art Advisory. On a less wholesome evening, I checked out the Caletta bar for some arancini and a Cynar-heavy take on a Boulevardier. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $300. —Maya Kachroo-Levine

Arev St. Tropez, France

“Un rêve” means “a dream” in French. And indeed, a stay at the 50-room Arev—St. Tropez’s newest hideout, set on a leafy, quiet street, but only a 10-minute stroll from the bustle of Place des Lices—feels like a reverie you won’t want to wake from. Spanish designer Luis Bustamante took inspiration from the nearby Old Port, using a nautical, sophisticated, red, white, and blue palette throughout the property. I enjoyed a tasting in the outdoor Champagne Lounge (my bubbles were served from a chic vintage trolley cart) and spent my days lounging by the pool, or strolling the courtyards and gardens filled with magnolias, bougainvillea, and olive trees. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $643. —Robin Allison Davis

Atzaró Okavango, Botswana

Atzaró Okavango’s inception began as an unlikely collaboration between Beks Ndlovu, the Zimbabwe-born founder of African Bush Camps, and Philip Gonda and Victor Guasch, the co-owners of the very stylish, design-forward hospitality group Atzaró. The hotel’s lobby bar and connected lounge spaces are filled with an impressive collection of African art, from masks to textiles like mud cloth sourced from Benin, the Congo, Ethiopia, and the Tuareg people. The luxurious tents, ranging from 1,740 to 4,130 square feet, have bathtubs and both mid-century and antique African furniture. But it’s the safaris themselves, led by some of the region’s best guides (Ndlovu started his career as a guide, so he has managed to attract and train the best) that are the reason to choose Atzaró. The animal sightings are frequent and thrilling, and the resort has fantastic post-safari cocktails; the camp’s resident mixologist might even show up to mix you a sundowner in the bush. Doubles from $690 per person, all-inclusive. —Gisela Williams

Banyan Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico

From the plunge pool outside my villa at Banyan Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe, I could almost reach out and touch the grapevines. Channeling a sense of place in Mexico’s preeminent wine region was a goal for architect Michel Rojkind, who made the valley’s natural beauty the star of this resort. Its 30 sand-colored villas, which blend into the hillside, have from one to three bedrooms; each has a fireplace and a wine bar, plus a shower that opens onto an outdoor deck. As serene as my quarters were, the common spaces are where the 16-acre property really shines. I loved stopping for a burrito or a sip of mezcal at Roka, a repurposed Airstream trailer; elsewhere, I found a yoga platform, a spa, a meditation labyrinth, and a temescal. Essential to any stay is a visit to Pictograma, the resort’s winery, which grows grenache grapes. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $599.​ —Nina Ruggiero

Basq House, Byron Bay, Australia

One of Australia’s most famous beach towns might be the last place you’d expect to find a boutique hotel modeled after a Moroccan riad, but that’s exactly what you get at Basq House. The mix-and-match aesthetic of this 32-room property lends it a creative vibe: basket-like pendant lights; a smooth leather sectional; a decorative antique terra cotta vase; smattering of large-scale paintings depicting everything from abstract mosaics to watercolor portraits. The indoor-outdoor library that spills into the courtyard is an especially sweet retreat, with its custom floor-to-ceiling bookcase and cushy seating: perfect for a post-swim glass of wine. Some rooms have balconies that look out into the village or over the courtyard. And, while the curved walls of the open-air shower stalls might not be to everyone’s taste, it certainly offers a sexy touch to every stay. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $251. —Chadner Navarro

Brach Madrid

Before I arrived in Madrid, I picked out a few sites and restaurants I wanted to explore on my solo trip. As it turns out, I should’ve skipped all that planning because I never wanted to leave Brach Madrid. The hotel opened in January, joining an impressive portfolio that includes Paris’s Cour des Vosges and Nolinski hotels as well as Nolinski Venezia. Philippe Starck reimagined a stunning 1922 building along Madrid’s iconic Gran Vía, creating a 57-room stay, including several suites with private balconies. The hotel is filled with a warm, honey glow thanks to its dark-wood detailing, caramel leather furnishings, marble accents, and terra-cotta flooring with specks of silver, gold, and rose stones. This supremely cool styling makes its way up the walls, with bespoke artwork and books curated by local authors, and even reaches the lighting, with oversized golden seahorse lamps I was particularly taken with. There’s just one reason to leave your room: to visit the spa, La Capsule. It offers bodywork and massages alongside some high-tech magic, including red-light therapy masks you can check out for the night to use in the comfort of your room. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $525. —Stacey Leasca

The Brant, Nantucket, Massachusetts

Growing up, I spent my summers on Nantucket, but I still return to the tiny island—a mere 14 miles long and 3.5 miles wide—for quintessential New England vacations, complete with cobblestone streets, cedar-shingled homes, and hearty lobster rolls. This past spring, a refurbished hotel with 26 rooms across four buildings seamlessly folded into the mold, shingled exterior and all. While the property from family-owned Salt Hotels looks the part, what I found during my two-night stay was an unexpected, and very welcome, air of ease and playfulness. In true Nantucket fashion, I was welcomed by two Brant-branded Jeep wranglers sitting in the shell-lined driveway. Behind the cars, the lush lawn was sprinkled with lounge chairs, yard games, and bicycles parked off to the side. The bar doubles as a check-in desk, where I had coffee and breakfast in the morning and cocktails in the evening. Room styles vary from studios to spacious multi-bedroom suites—mine had an outdoor shower; others have bunk beds for kids or swing seats on private front decks. The Brant’s location is particularly appealing because it’s less than a 10-minute walk to the heart of Main Street, and a short bike ride from one of the best beaches to catch a sunset, Steps Beach. Yet, it’s still tucked away; I found it a perfect retreat after a long day in the sun, like visiting a friend’s private home, where you’re greeted with a drink and a warm smile. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $400. —Jess Feldman

Borgo dei Conti Resort, Umbria, Italy

Once upon a time, in the Umbrian countryside, there was an enchanted 19th-century villa, built on the foundations of a 13th-century fortress. It was inhabited by Count Lemmo Rossi Scotti, who spent his days painting and tending to the garden. Fast-forward more than a hundred years, and now that enchanted villa is a luxury resort run by The Hospitality Experience, the hoteliers behind other Italian properties like The Place Firenze and Londra Palace in Venice. Naturally, the villa’s new owners worked to preserve its historic integrity, restoring the frescoes and wood-beamed ceilings, while still bringing it into the 21st century. Maybe it was all the lore surrounding the place, but I did feel a bit like a modern-day countess, whether I was savoring risotto with goat cheese and Mediterranean herbs or cozying up on the sofa in my spacious suite. Perugia, Umbria’s Medieval capital, is just a 30-minute drive away, but don’t be surprised if you feel an almost supernatural pull urging you to stay put and explore the 40-acre grounds instead, perhaps with a picnic in the woods. Surely, Count Rossi Scotti would have wanted it that way. Doubles from $600. —Laura Itkowitz

Cape Grace, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, Cape Town

The rebirth of a grande dame is always controversial—how much of the heritage will remain after a hotel emerges from a top-to-bottom, no-expenses-spared renovation and rebrand? I studied Cape Grace’s characteristic, ochre-colored façade and sloped, Parisian-style mansard roofs from various points in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront before stepping inside and seeing the transformation myself. Sitting unassumingly on a private quay straddling the yacht marina and bustling V&A Waterfront, the 112-room property is surprisingly calm, an urban retreat within walking distance of the city’s key cultural and historic sites, like the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art and Robben Island ferry gateway. Mid-century modern-style furniture accented by geometric-patterned rugs, South African artisan-crafted ceramics, and original contemporary artworks by Cape Town artists has replaced the old English decor, antiques, and dreary color palette. Rooms—particularly the duo of waterfront penthouse suites complete with Jacuzzis overlooking Table Mountain—are sophisticated while still feeling lived in. They practically beg to be an entertaining space—which I embraced with the help of a few friends who joined me for wine on my expansive terrace. Despite the area’s heavy tourist foot traffic, Cape Grace’s ground-floor Library Lounge and subterranean Bascule Bar, which sports 400-plus types of whiskey, draw a crowd of well-heeled locals. The tasting menu at Heirloom Restaurant, meanwhile, capitalizes on the Cape’s bounty of local, seasonal products with pared-down plates spotlighting one or two star ingredients, like Jerusalem artichokes from the Winelands and South Coast rock lobster from Cape Town. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $950. —Lane Nieset

Casa Loma Beach Hotel, Laguna Beach, California

Casa Loma was born from a $15-million renovation and total rebrand of the former Inn at Laguna Beach—but that doesn’t mean it’s erased its past. “What we tried to do with a lot of sensitivity, respect, and humility is speak to the roots and ethos of Laguna Beach before Laguna Beach became so recognized,” says John Grossman, the president of Marc & Rose Hospitality, the hotel group behind Casa Loma. “We went much further back in time to the beginning of what made Laguna Beach so special, and that was the artists.” It’s true: The hotel maintains Laguna’s laid-back, bohemian roots, even with a location in the thick of the downtown buzz. A sun-worshipping goddess by the graphic designers at Land fills the main lobby wall, setting the mood while a custom radio station plays curated tunes. As we walked the halls, my husband and I were amused by the way the playlist flowed seamlessly throughout the hotel—but we still couldn’t resist interrupting it with a vinyl on the LP&No.1 record player in our oceanfront suite. The only amenities that paired even better with the clifftop sunset view over Main Beach were the picture-perfect charcuterie board and the agave spirit-only minibar beside it, fresh lime waiting to be sliced. Though it doesn’t have a restaurant, Casa Loma offers a menu of “grazing boards” using local products that pair well with its list of organic juices and wines. They can be enjoyed wherever guests find themselves in need of a snack, including at the pool deck, the Pacific Terrace rooftop bar, and the (seasonal) cabanas on the beach. All three are perfect spots to laze the day away, but we spent most of our time browsing the shops and galleries on our doorstep. “You can park your car once and never get in it again,” Grossman told me before my visit, and while some might expect to tour Orange County in a flashy sports car, we found the best way to see the real Laguna was early morning walks in the sand, self-curated afternoon art strolls, and warm cookies before bed in a quiet little hotel that quickly came to feel like home. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $529. —Nina Ruggiero

Cascada, Portland, Oregon

These days, it seems like any hotel with a spa calls themselves a “wellness destination.” But at Cascada Thermal Springs + Hotel in Portland’s Alberta Arts District—a neighborhood filled with independent boutiques, restaurants, and galleries—that moniker feels well-earned. The centerpiece of this 100-room glass-and-timber hotel is the city’s largest hydrothermal spa, comprising five pools of varying temperatures (plus steam and dry saunas), most of which are located in a dimly lit, cavernous subterranean space. During my stay—over a chilly March weekend—I visited the thermal baths three times in as many days, cycling between the ice-cold plunge pool at one end and the steaming hot one at the other, with long dips in the mineral water pools in between. It was a perfect foil to the typically drizzly spring weather in Portland. The health and wellness ethos extends to every other part of the property, too: the in-house cafe, Alberta Street Coffee, has nutritious, high-protein grab-and-go lunch options alongside ethically sourced teas and coffee beans; two large gyms (one for strength training, one for cardio); and breathwork and meditation programming, including the sound bath I did on my first night, which used a combination of high-vibration singing bowls, gongs, and the ethereal voice of our practitioner, Stephanie, that sent me to another realm. Cascada’s primary restaurant, Terra Mae, meanwhile, serves a Japanese-Portuguese mashup menu with revelatory dishes like the “Fisherman’s Stew” (black cod, miso, tiger prawns, and clams in a rich seafood broth) and a tonkatsu sandwich (Japanese breaded pork cutlet served between soft milk bread and slicked with black garlic mayo) that’s worth a visit, even if you aren’t staying at the hotel. Doubles from $299. —John Wogan

The Celestine, New Orleans

In the heart of the French Quarter, this 18th-century building—once a hotel where Tennessee Williams wrote “A Streetcar Named Desire”—has reopened as The Celestine, a 10-room hideaway with a sumptuous cocktail bar, Peychaud’s. Every room has four-poster beds, antique furnishings, and in some cases, balconies overlooking the courtyard or the famed Toulouse Street. The hotel doesn’t have a restaurant, but offers live music most nights of the week, which I enjoyed while sitting by the fountain in the courtyard. When I asked the bartender to mix up his favorite tipple, he made a Roffignac, a NOLA classic, using the original 1938 recipe with eau-de-vie and raspberry shrub. Doubles from $250.​ —Alessandra Amodio

Cheval Blanc Seychelles

This 115-island nation in the Indian Ocean just welcomed the LVMH hotel brand’s first African outpost. Cheval Blanc Seychelles does away with the expected thatched-roof aesthetic in favor of 52 modern-looking villas, with one to five bedrooms each, by celebrated designer Jean-Michel Gathy (Aman New York; Marina Bay Sands, in Singapore). I stayed in a sleek villa painted bone white, with views of aquamarine waves, a 41-foot-long pool, and an outdoor shower I shared with a giant snail one day and a pair of curious geckos the next. The minimalist main lodge has chic lounges, two infinity pools, and four of the hotel’s five elegant restaurants. The fifth, Mizumi, is on the waterfront, serving East Asian dishes including dim sum and excellent sushi in a historic cottage. The Guerlain Spa has a hammam and eight hillside cabanas, each with different design touches: a quartz massage table in one, mother-of-pearl walls covering another. Doubles from $2,500.​ —Travis Levius

Clara Arte Resort, Inhotim, Brazil

After more than a decade of anticipation, art buffs can now stay in a hotel at the Inhotim Institute, one of the world’s largest open-air museums, about an hour and a half from the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Clara Arte opened in December 2024 at the edge of the museum’s botanical garden, which features 4,000 tropical plant species and 700 artworks across 24 stand-alone galleries, all designed by distinct architects. Clara Arte’s 46 stilted villas spill down a lush hill by the entrance; São Paulo-based designer Marina Linhares filled each one with stone and wood furnishings that gesture to the landscape. All stays include three meals and a lavish afternoon “tea” with surprisingly sharp Brazilian brut and the addictive cheese bread pão de queijo. As the sun sets, you listen to the chirps and croaks of the Atlantic Forest, or relax with a caipirinha at the piano bar, which hosts nightly bossa nova music. Of course, the main reason you come here is to browse contemporary art at the Inhotim Institute, a five-minute walk away. It takes repeated visits to fully immerse yourself in the towering installations, which include big names like Matthew Barney and Yayoi Kusama. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $410, all-inclusive. —Mark Johanson

Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels

At the Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels, I was served breakfast beneath glittering chandeliers and ornate cornices in a ballroom once known for hosting classical concerts. I took afternoon tea under a 12-meter-high stained-glass roof painstakingly recreated from photos of the original. After shuttering for 17 years, this legendary address in the heart of the Belgian capital is back and its new owner, Corinthia Hotels, has paid careful respect to its rich history, down to the soothing egg-white and sage-green heritage color scheme in the light-filled lobby, Palm Court. Yet the Maltese-owned luxury hotel group has been careful to layer new with old. An entire subterranean floor dedicated to wellness has been carved out to create the largest spa area of any hotel in the city, while the 126 rooms and suites have a classic contemporary feel, with bespoke Belgian artwork hanging on the wall. In fact, the property is a poster for the best of Belgium today. Helming the restaurants are two of the country’s hottest culinary names: David Martin, whose 10-course degustation menu at Palais Royal surprises with reimagined classics and extravagant desserts, and Christophe Hardiquest, whose laid-back Le Petit Bon Bon plates Belgian bistro favorites. There’s also Coutume, the street-facing boutique stocking the handcrafted local wares you’d probably only uncover if your stylish best friend lived here. Insider recommendations in Brussels are key and the concierge team can point you to the hidden cocktail spots, the neighborhoods where chic Parisians come to buy antiques, the art galleries where you should linger, and, of course, the best waffle joints in town. Not only does the opening herald a level of luxury the city’s hotel scene had been missing, but hopes are high that it also signals a tourism revival for this underrated European capital. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $745. —Chrissie McClatchie

Cunard’s Queen Anne

When it comes to cruise lines, there’s old school and then there’s Cunard. With a heritage dating back 180 years, the British brand is one of the most fabled in maritime history, known as the operator of the famed Carpathia and the modern-day Queen Mary 2. Joining the fleet in May 2024 was Queen Anne, Cunard’s first new ship in more than a decade. With 1,498 cabins and an endless variety of activities, it’s a quintessential vacation destination, offering an unabashed big-ship experience, with live shows, a choice of pools, a sizeable spa and wellness center, and fantastic dining at both the buffet (Artisans’ Foodhall) and in the several upscale restaurants on board. Yet what stood out to me on a round-trip sail from Southampton, England, to Norway was how delightfully, well, British the whole thing was: high tea every day, two black-tie gala nights, the Golden Lion pub serving shepherd’s pie and proper pints, trivia contests with clues about Theresa May and David Beckham. The ship also distinguishes itself by way of its four categories of travel; guests book into a class of service and are by extension granted entrance to the associated dining room—though one can always opt for an “alternative” restaurant, like the excellent Sir Samuel’s steakhouse. I was satisfied with, if not blown away by, my entry-level Britannia accommodations, which are a fabulous value, starting at less than $1,200 per person for a week-long trip, a lovely balcony and all meals included. But an upgrade to Britannia Club, Princess Grill, or Queens Grill is almost certainly worth it if you’ve got room in the budget; the dining in “the Grills,” as they’re called by Cunard regulars, is said to be some of the best at sea. Despite the traditional hierarchy, everyone mingled around the pool and at the many excellent bars on board. My fellow guests were relaxed, friendly, and simply excited to be having a lovely holiday at sea. I imagine it’s been that way for nearly 200 years. Accessible ship. Doubles from $1,199 per person for a seven-night sailing. —Paul Brady

Delano Dubai

The new Delano Dubai brings a Miami-meets-Middle East mood to the city’s Bluewaters Island, which is accessible from Dubai via a driving or pedestrian bridge. Squeezed between the shimmering sea and Ain Dubai, the world’s largest Ferris wheel, the new outpost echoes the original Delano Miami Beach with the same floaty gauze curtains and apple-a-day amenity in the rooms. But there’s plenty here that’s new, too. The Delano’s 251 sleek rooms are filled with light, washed in shades of oatmeal and rose gold, some with their own gardens and pools. There’s a touch of “Alice in Wonderland” in some areas, like Blue Door, where a checkerboard path winds to a picturesque lawn where guests can dig into Turkish mezze platters. There’s an elegant beach club where a good-looking crowd sips Ruinart rosé and nibbles caviar-topped mozzarella sticks poolside; the gorgeous Maison Revka restaurant, serving French- and Slavic-inspired dishes; and La Cantine Beach, a private beach with wicker chairs and an adults-only pool shaded by baby-blue parasols. Late at night, the action moves to the louche Rose Bar where a dazzling mirrored corridor leads to the restrooms, bouncing your reflection back from every surface. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $544. —Nicola Chilton

Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Treasure

Disney Treasure, the latest addition to the fleet from the T+L reader-favorite cruise line, sailed its inaugural voyage in December 2024, inviting guests to experience beloved tales like “Aladdin,” “Moana,” and “Coco” in all-new ways, from theatrical dinners to Broadway-caliber stage shows. The ship’s 1,256 staterooms (with a maximum capacity of 4,000 guests) range from cozy inside cabins and family-focused verandah rooms to the two-story Tomorrow Tower Suite, an Epcot-themed room inside the ship’s forward funnel. Disney nods to its own theme parks and attractions throughout the new ship; bars inspired by beloved rides like Haunted Mansion and Jungle Cruise are among the most sought-after spots on board (and were my personal favorites after spending three nights on the ship). Onboard dining experiences include the new Plaza de Coco restaurant—the setting for a Dia de los Muertos celebration with mariachis and a couple of guests from the Land of the Dead—and the adults-only Enchanté, created by chef Arnaud Lallement of Michelin three-starred L’Assiette Champenoise in France. Engaging kids’ clubs and spaces just for adults mean everyone can find their version of a magical vacation between memory-making moments, like the breathtaking new “Disney the Tale of Moana” show or Disney Cruise Line’s hallmark Pirate Night celebrations. The Treasure’s inaugural season will offer seven-day Eastern or Western Caribbean itineraries departing from Florida’s Port Canaveral. Accessible ship. Doubles from $1,098 for a three-night sailing. —Elizabeth Rhodes

Dunas de Formentera, Spain

Within an hour of arriving at Dunas de Formentera, a 45-room retreat on the smallest of Spain’s Balearic Islands, I had ditched my shoes to walk the undulating dunes. Formentera, a craggy 12-mile spit of land, is a low-key refuge from the party scene in Ibiza, just a 30-minute ferry ride away. The hotel is made up of nine whitewashed bungalows a few steps from the beach with its soft sand and clear water. Its restaurant, Caliu, specializes in wood-fired dishes, like the artichokes with cured egg yolk and ham that became a favorite during my stay. Dunas puts the eco in eco-resort: There are hourglasses in the shower to keep track of the time, and even the bedside phones are made of wood. I spent my days parked by the saltwater infinity pool, where the cooling breezes were, in the parched Spanish summer, more than welcome. Doubles from $550. —Julia Chaplin

The Dunes on the Waterfront, Ogunquit, Maine

If you’re after that old-fashioned, soft-focus vision of summertime in Maine—all white clapboard cottages, lobster shack lunches, and sailboats in the distance—then Ogunquit’s newly revamped Dunes on the Waterfront is the place to be. This seaside haven looks like it was plucked from a mid-century souvenir postcard, but a recent $10-million overhaul by Maine hotelier Tim Harrington has ushered the 89-year-old resort into the modern era. Scattered across a 12-acre stretch of shoreline overlooking the Ogunquit River and the ocean beyond, the property’s 21 cottages are airy and fresh, outfitted with spool beds, striped- and floral-print accents, and custom-made leather trunks that double as coffee tables. There’s no full-fledged restaurant, but sunny, simple comforts are a culinary throughline: I was charmed by warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in and pastries and a thermos of coffee on our door each morning, plus nightly s’mores by the firepit and a kitchenette stocked with treats like Topo Chico and Kettle chips. Some resorts keep guests busy with a dizzying schedule of events and activities, but here, long, idle days felt, to me, like the ultimate luxury. At Dunes on the Waterfront, the pleasure lies in flitting from one low-key seaside activity to the next—reading on your screened-in porch, taking a dip in the heated pool, kayaking the Ogunquit River, and hopping aboard the resort’s natty yellow-striped Cabana Cruiser pontoon at high tide and hitching a ride to Ogunquit Beach. And should languid afternoons lose their luster, you’re just a short jaunt via beach cruiser or golf-cart shuttle into town, where a stroll along Marginal Way, a show at the Ogunquit Playhouse, or an afternoon mingling with the likes of Calder and Hopper at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art await. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $650. —Lila Harron Battis

The Dunlin, Auberge Resorts Collection, Johns Island, South Carolina

South Carolina’s newest luxury resort is a love letter to laid-back Lowcountry living. The latest addition to Auberge Resorts Collection—and the brand’s first South Carolina hotel—has 72 guest rooms and suites spread across several buildings that feel more like a group of Southern homes, many offering river and marsh views. Surrounded by marshland on Johns Island, the resort is just 20 miles from downtown Charleston, but it’s a world of its own. The property showcases designer Amanda Lindroth’s whimsical and nostalgic interiors that pair the natural beauty of the coast with a fresh take on the classic Lowcountry aesthetic, complete with plenty of pastels, wicker, and gingham. The Dunlin also has a serene Aster spa, a picture-perfect pool lined with 1950s-inspired umbrellas and loungers, and three restaurants, plus a slew of activities that take advantage of its Kiawah River location. 

As a native South Carolinian, I’m well-versed in the magic of the Lowcountry. I checked into The Dunlin this past fall with my sister (a Charleston local) for a girls getaway. Taking in the sunset over Charleston swizzles on the porch, dining on caviar-topped fried oysters at signature restaurant Linnette’s, and dipping in the marshfront pool were all highlights, but the most exciting moment of our stay happened during our Into the Salt Marsh excursion, when more than a dozen dolphins jumped and swam all around our boat in the Kiawah River. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $749. —Elizabeth Rhodes

The Emory, London

As I approached The Emory—a new hotel from the hospitality group behind London’s iconic Claridge’s and The Connaught—I anticipated some fanfare: a top-hat-donning doorman, a chandelier-lit lobby, slick signage. But I found nothing of the sort; discretion is one of the hotel’s many luxuries. The Emory is quietly tucked inside a glass-and-steel building from architect Richard Rogers, who designed Paris’s Centre Pompidou, a detour from the typical white-stucco façades that line the rest of London’s Belgravia neighborhood. The hotel lies right next to Hyde Park, and you won’t soon forget it: The 61 rooms—between 600 and 3,000 square feet—have floor-to-ceiling windows peering over the Royal Park. Every two floors are the vision of a different designer, including Pierre Yves Rochon (The Savoy) and Alexandra Champalimaud (Raffles Singapore). My husband, son, and I stayed in the André Fu-designed Hyde Park Balcony Suite, and we happily made ourselves at home: My 1-year-old son giggled as he shuffled from the massive closet to the sprawling, spa-like bathroom during a rousing round of hide-and-seek, my husband helped himself to the complimentary in-suite snacks, I flipped through a coffee table book while lounging on the curved, cream-colored sofa, and the three of us together enjoyed a gorgeous breakfast spread in the dining room every morning. 

Other exclusive amenities include a rooftop bar with all of London on display; a private cigar bar with moody lighting; complimentary airport transfers via black car or helicopter (the latter for those arriving by private jet to nearby airfields); and Surrenne, a four-floor members’ club with a spa. Much of the property feels hush-hush, but Jean-George Vongerichten’s ground-floor ABC Kitchens restaurant—the chef’s first U.K. outpost—is delightfully humming with chatter from both locals and guests sharing colorful, plant-forward plates (rainbow beet carpaccio, roasted cauliflower dusted with red zhug) that nicely complement the bright Damien Hirst artwork splashed all over the walls. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $2,043. —Alisha Prakash

The Eve Hotel Sydney

This five-story, 102-room hotel is built on the site of colonial Sydney’s 19th-century gardens and honors its roots with a plethora of greenery found on the balconies, rooftop, courtyard, and a living wall that faces the sunset. Rooms start at a sizable 290 square feet and feature Australian palettes of eucalyptus and ochre, their warm tones enhancing the luxury of leathers, velvets, terrazzo, and timber. Generously stocked personal bars showcase homegrown heroes, including house spirits by Archie Rose Distilling Co. in nearby Rosebery, caramels from cultured-butter kings Pepe Saya, and craft beers brewed down the road. From street level, The Eve beckons with gleaming portals of pomegranate-red zellige tiles that led me into unexpected situations. I climbed the statement staircase to find a boldly furnished reception where blinding-blue Gervasoni Nuvola seats and footstools meet pink mohair armchairs. On the rooftop, a sparkling pool awaits, shaded by palms and cabanas, with chill-out tunes playing over and under the water. Neighboring Lottie is the rooftop Mexican restaurant and mezcal joint, a pink travertine playground where the open kitchen and bar dole out handmade tortillas, tamales, and tequila-based cocktails. Streetside Bar Julius is a jewel-toned space serving caviar for breakfast and all-day Bloody Marys. Its art collection, including a 17th-century Belgian portrait in a gilded frame, is fabulous. The Eve anchors the new Wunderlich Lane precinct, which, with its emphasis on art, design, and gastronomy—including sublime modern Greek at Olympus Dining and Southeast Asian plates at Island Radio—has transformed Sydney’s Redfern neighborhood. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $350. —Kendall Hill

Eriro, Tyrol, Austria

Bärig, a dialectical German word rarely used beyond western Austria, means “wonderful.” It’s the perfect description for Eriro, a luxurious nine-room lodge perched on a meadow in Austria’s Tyrolean Alps. Its surroundings are glorious, with mountains all around; to the north is the Zugspitze, the highest peak in Germany, which straddles the border with Austria. Owned by three local families, Eriro aims to protect the fragile Alpine ecosystem; No new construction is permitted in these meadows, so the lodge is technically a re-building, on the site of a derelict old inn painstakingly dismantled so that the old wood could be reclaimed and used in Eriro’s ceiling paneling.

Though the lodge’s exterior is classic Alpine chalet, the interior is strikingly modern, with hand-hewn pine furniture and enormous picture windows. Nearly everything the kitchen serves, except the coffee and some wine, comes from within a 50-mile radius; Since there’s no citrus, for instance, foraged berries provide acidity, and the juice on the breakfast table is apple and quince. In the craft room, a local artisan offers wood-carving lessons. Even the spa’s massage oil is house-made, with herbs gathered from the nearby woods. The warm welcome and cozy vibes of Eriro are perhaps best embodied by the thick socks hand-knit from local wool that are given to every guest on arrival. Doubles from $1,696, including all meals. —Jeff Chu

Explora Journey’s Explora II

“We actually have the largest lead-in suite in the entire category,” says Chris Austin, president of Explora Journeys in North America, explaining the ample 461 suites aboard the Explora II. I was on board to take a seven-day sail from Miami: two days at sea, then island-hopping through Anguilla, Dominica, Guadeloupe, and St. Martin, before disembarking, with my husband and kids, in Puerto Rico. The ship, launched in September 2024, sails the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Arabian Peninsula, and is a study in luxury, with 11 restaurants, 12 bars and lounges, four pools—one, the Helios Pool, reserved solely for adults—a pickleball court, running track, entertainment venues, a casino, a spa, a kids’ club, and even shopping. The Explora II, the second in the fleet (and not the last, as four more ships will follow suit, through 2028) has set a high bar for luxury, from the decor–herringbone floors, backlit quartz in the lobby bar, brushed suede banquettes in the dining rooms–to the food. At the casual Emporium Marketplace, where meals are served all day and night, my children giddily ate through a roster of fresh pastas and pizzas as I sampled offerings from the raw bar. Fil Rouge, a formal French-inspired concept, offers time-capsule classics, like lobster thermidor and veal Wellington. But my favorite dish aboard the ship arrived on my final night, at the European steakhouse, Marble & Co. Grill: an appetizer of fingerling potatoes, served in a ring mold and floating in a sea of Normandy butter, came topped with a decadent quenelle of Calvisius caviar. Off ship, we waded through waterfalls in Dominica, explored botanic gardens in Guadeloupe, and snorkeled with barracuda in St. Martin. Still, the greatest pleasure, we learned, lay in the journey, and not in the destination. Accessible ship. Doubles from $2,295 per person for a five-night sailing. —Hannah Selinger

The Flat Iron Hotel, Asheville, North Carolina

Attention to historic detail informs every aspect of The Flat Iron Hotel, a 71-key, restored 1920s-era grand dame, which is full of art deco elements, like an original brass letterbox hanging between two hand-crank elevators, and a 1939 red Steinway piano in the lobby. At various points in its history, the building contained an array of businesses—including a bar, a dance studio, a detective’s office, and a barbershop—and throughout the hallways, a series of plaques depict the lives of some of the characters who worked there. Meanwhile, Luminosa, the ground-floor restaurant, honors Appalachia’s foodways. Each bite showcases executive chef Graham House’s strong connections to the local community of farmers and foragers, with dishes like paper-thin, crispy country ham and grilled rapini with whipped herbed tallow and sorghum. The bar, Red Ribbon Society, presents interesting cocktails crafted from kitchen trim, foraged ingredients, and local spirits. One sip of the Meet Cute—gin, orange wine, chickweed, lemon, and honey—took me straight to the height of summer. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $249. —Carrie Honaker

Few & Far Luvhondo, South Africa

A carbon-neutral lodge carved into South Africa’s remote Soutpansberg mountain range, Few & Far Luvhondo is close to the country’s border with Zimbabwe. The hotel, by the founders of the U.S. glamping empire Under Canvas, has just six suites—all solar-powered and decorated with local art—plus a spa and a farm that grows produce used at Luvhondo’s restaurant (including its excellent arugula pesto). The resort’s showstopper is a solar-powered cable car—with an onboard bar. The game drives are also spectacular; my favorite moment was stalking leopards and identifying their elusive tracks in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve. Doubles from $1,800 per person, all-inclusive.​ —Carrie Honaker

Four Seasons Hotel Osaka, Japan

When the Four Seasons Hotel Osaka opened in the historic Dojima district of Japan’s third-largest city, it mirrored Osaka’s blend of contemporary architecture and rich history. The property has public and private ofuros (traditional Japanese baths) and a rooftop bar on the 37th floor with impeccable views and great drinks. But its most unique feature is the “Gensui” floor, where each of the 21 ryokan-style rooms is in the design of traditional Japanese inns dating back to the eighth century (think tatami floors, sliding doors, and low-to-the-ground dining tables, all without sacrificing modern conveniences). The entire 36th floor is dedicated to the spa, which has city views from each treatment room. The restaurants are so good that guests don’t have to leave the hotel—no small feat in such an iconic food city. Farine, the grab-and-go bakery, had locals and guests snagging treats like sweet and savory stuffed brioches, while the hotel’s flagship restaurant, Jiang Nan Chun, specializes in traditional Cantonese fare. I enjoyed the impeccably curated breakfast buffet every morning, but still reminisce over the crevettes à la nage (poached tiger prawns wrapped in zucchini and served in lobster oil with kabosu fruit dressing) at Jardin, a French-inspired all-day bistro. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $850. —Susmita Baral

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol, Mexico

When I arrived in Los Cabos, six months pregnant with my second child and away from my toddler for the first time, I desperately needed a break. The thoughtful, extra-attentive staff put me at ease immediately; Never was I in need of water, a fresh towel, or a sunscreen refill. This must be how my toddler feels every day, I thought, as I sat in my private cabana at the adults-only infinity pool, staring into the cerulean water just beyond. The 96-room Four Seasons Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol occupies a prime piece of real estate along the Baja California coast, known for its beautiful, rugged beaches and active marine life. I visited just weeks shy of the humpback whale migration season, much to my dismay. But thanks to the guides at the beachside 360° Baja Adventure Center, who fitted me with flippers and helped me waddle into the waves, I was able to spot schools of tropical fish while snorkeling right off the beach. The suite I shared with my husband had a wraparound balcony with a private plunge pool, where I spent each morning, drinking my coffee and watching the sun rise over the Sea of Cortez, and where, on the last night, I saw a gigantic humpback whale jump from the water. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $1,500. —Erin Agostinelli

Grand Hyatt Deer Valley, Utah

Rising like a stone-and-glass fortress along U.S. Route 40 in Utah, the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley anchors what has been billed as the the newest alpine ski area in North America since 1981.  When completed, the ski area, Deer Valley East Village, will have 4,100 acres of skiable terrain, 130 trails, and a base village filled with shops, restaurants, spas, and multimillion-dollar homes.

That vision began to take shape this winter with the opening of the Grand Hyatt. I was greeted by a soaring, two-story lobby that led to a wall of glass framing the mighty Jordanelle Reservoir and the snow-capped Wasatch Mountains. A terrace with blazing firepits invited me to take a closer look, but it started to snow, so I explored the warm and toasty lobby instead. When I visited the 436-room hotel, there were families seated on plush sofas around a fireplace, decompressing after a day of skiing and enjoying artisanal hot chocolates with Oreo cupcakes. Kids played chess in their pajamas. Couples shared bottles of wine. Down a long hallway, teenagers in bathrobes and flip-flops were running to the heated outdoor pool, which overlooks Deer Valley. Meanwhile, a steady stream of black SUVs rolled up, depositing yet another batch of skiers and their mountain of gear. It all seemed like organized chaos. And if it took a little longer for the s’mores cookies to arrive, few seemed to mind. Guests understood this was a new hotel in a brand-new ski village. While some kinks needed to be worked out, they were stoked to be among the first to ski down the country’s freshest trails. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $799. —Denny Lee

Gundari, Folegandros, Greece

Folegandros, an unspoiled island about eight miles long, is only a 50-minute ferry ride from busy Santorini, but it feels like another world. High on a deserted clifftop overlooking the Sea of Crete, Gundari would feel radical anywhere. But in this location, the hypermodern hotel feels almost revolutionary. After opening, the property’s 30 cliffside suites and villas quickly became Instagram-famous. But Gundari’s ambitions go far beyond the visual. The main restaurant, Orizon, is run by Lefteris Lazarou, who earned the Athens restaurant Varoulko a Michelin star. Lazarou’s moussaka, made with shrimp instead of the traditional lamb, was light and aromatic; a risotto of brown orzo with Greek cheese, chili pepper, and wine from the nearby island of Lemnos was somehow both wholesome and indulgent. There’s also a striking subterranean spa where an Australian therapist gave me a world-class massage using oils infused with Greek botanicals. Doubles from $654.​ —Flora Stubbs

Hotel d’Inghilterra, Rome

When you arrive at Hotel d’Inghilterra, follow my lead: grab one of the few bar seats at the tiny Café Romano Lounge and order an impeccable martini. A noble residence in the 16th century for guests of the nearby Palazzo Torlonia, this hideaway steps from Piazza di Spagna, at the base of the Spanish steps, and posh shopping street via Condotti, became a hotel in 1845—hosting Elizabeth Taylor and Gregory Peck in its heyday. The 80-room hotel, now part of Starhotels, has recently reopened after a meticulous restoration; The historic façade and lobbies have been returned to their splendor, the rooms have been improved by the contributions of Italian master artisans (textiles are from the Venetian house Rubelli). From my Balcony Suite, I had a terrific view over Roman rooftops and cupolas. At the restaurant by chef Angrea Sangiuliano, who’s a whiz at glorifying the materia prima of the surrounding region, I found the Spaghettone with pannocchie di mare, zest of lemon from Terracina, a coastal village near Naples, and oil perfumed with garlic and chili, to be irresistible. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $1,079. —Federico De Cesare Viola

Hôtel du Couvent, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Nice, France

Hidden away in Nice’s Old Town, Hôtel du Couvent is the chic property this coastal city craved. The 17th-century convent—home to the Poor Clare and Salesian orders until the 1980s—got a $100-million renovation and is now a hotel with 88 guest rooms. Mine had Italian flea-market finds and custom furniture made from old ceiling beams. A terraced garden contains more than 300 plant species, many of which supply the three on-site restaurants. Underground is a contemporary interpretation of the Roman baths excavated in nearby Cimiez, with a warm tepidarium, a hot caldarium, and a frigidarium, or cold plunge. The latter was particularly restorative, as was the Negroni No. 2 at Le Bar, in the cloister, which adds beets and strawberries to the classic recipe. It was a subtle reinvention that, like the hotel itself, improved upon the original without losing its soul. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $545.​ —Paul Jebara

Hotel Hana, Paris

East playfully meets West at Hotel Hana in Paris’s second arrondissement. This boutique beauty occupies a Haussmann building at the edge of the city’s vibrant Little Tokyo. Inside, a Japanese-inspired bolthole brimming with colorful details and textures. My Prestige Room—one of 26—was a cocoon clad in iroko wood and woven straw, tastefully accented with cherry blossom-embroidered cushions, lacquered red cabinetry, and a sakura-shaped travertine table that was topped with matcha and black sesame madeleines when I arrived. A spacious bathroom fetchingly outfitted in rust-red and cream checkerboard marble came stocked with Diptyque toiletries. I particularly enjoyed the mornings bathed in golden light, which I spent lingering on my room’s balcony overlooking the bustling street markets below. The East-West theme continues downstairs in the hotel’s cozy, street-level restaurant, Hanabi, which serves Japanese-inflected French fare like Camembert tempura with aonori seaweed and yuzu jam and hōjicha tiramisu. Breakfast options range from buttery viennoiserie to ochazuke rice soup, while the bar offers innovative cocktails, like a sansho-pepper martini made with Japanese gin. Post-prandial relaxation awaits in a reiki or reflexology treatment at Hana Spa, or an invigorating counter-current pool, which you can book by the hour for complete privacy. Major sights like the Louvre, the Palais Garnier, and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré are a 10- to 15-minute stroll away, but right at your doorstep lies buzzy Rue Sainte-Anne, where neon-lit karaoke joints, udon bars, and matcha cafes offer a myriad of ways to cap off your night before retreating to the tactile comforts of your room. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $431. —Shamilee Vellu

Hotel Humano, Puerto Escondido, Mexico

When Hotel Humano opened in December 2024 in the La Punta Zicatela zone of Puerto Escondido, the visage of this backpacker surf spot got a nice slather of high-end SPF. Built with concrete and latticed brickwork and studded with stick-in-your-mind design elements, like a dramatic burgundy tile motif, the 39-room property inserts sophistication in between the beachwear boutiques and fish taco grill-outs. The centerpiece pool, lined with royal palm trees and a soaring palapa restaurant, could hold your attention all day, with icy Mexican lagers and ample daybed loungers. But La Punta is not the kind of beach town where you come to just veg out, and Hotel Humano functions best as a kind of luxury base camp. On my first morning, the hotel arranged a lesson for me with their go-to surf school, Art of Surfing. While the main stretch of Zicatela Beach to the north is a pro-surfer paradise, the cliff-hugging corner of La Punta is perfect for beginners. As the sun started to go down, I made my way to Humano’s rooftop bar. On the weekends, DJ sets create a dancey vibe, but during my stay the mood was decidedly more inspired—I watched vacationers at two separate tables sitting quietly, penning their reflections into journals, and felt compelled to do the same. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $195. —David Shortell

Hotel Saint Augustine, Houston

The 71-room Hotel Saint Augustine, in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood, occupies prime real estate, adjacent to the Menil Collection—a monumental museum with key 20th-century works by Picasso, Matisse, and Pollock. There are other nods to Houston history and trivia: the restaurant Perseid, named for the meteor shower, nods to the city’s importance in space exploration; a cocktail, the Noble Night Heron, with white rum, rhum agricole, lemongrass, pineapple, and lime, is named after the city’s official bird. Indeed, the name Saint Augustine is taken from Augustus Chapman, who helped found Houston in 1836. The new stay from Bunkhouse Hotels feels true to the destination and is a perfect addition to Houston’s growing hospitality scene. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $429. —Taylor McIntyre

Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel, California

Jacumba Hot Springs, with a population just shy of 900, lies about 70 miles east of San Diego. There are no stoplights and barely any businesses, just a few shops and weathered ranch-style homes. Driving in, it looked like a gold-mining village from the Old West. But then I saw a groovy sign that read: “Restaurant. Bar. Mineral Pools. Enter the Vortex.” Those mineral-water pools, fed by underground hot springs, are the main draw of this 20-room property, but as I found during my stay, there’s so much more. A dark grotto bar and its Mexican-inspired cocktails—the border is ever visible from the town’s main road—invite guests and locals to step away from time and enjoy a Oaxacan old fashioned or a zero-proof marg. The indoor-outdoor restaurant serves contemporary California fusion: Sonoran short rib with charred cauliflower, carnitas tacos. There are many ways to relax within the hotel’s walls: yoga classes, soundbaths, or simply reading a book with your feet dipped in the mineral waters. (Daytrippers can also buy a guest pass to the pools and reserve a cabana.) But the magic also extends off-property. When the new owners purchased the hotel, they also acquired a nearby lake that they restored and opened to the public, plus several nearby old storefronts, which they plan to develop into even more restaurants and shops. One highlight is an old bathhouse that’s only a two-minute walk from the hotel. Jacumba’s owners converted it into an open-air concert space, where local musicians perform weekly. Warmed by heat lamps and candle light, under a brilliant canopy of stars, I couldn’t have asked for much more. Doubles from $220. —Rosecrans Baldwin

Jannah Lamu, Kenya

For decades, on Lamu, a tiny island off the coast of Kenya that has long been fashionable with a certain free-spirited European crowd, the Peponi has been the stylish hotel of choice. Now, thanks to the opening of Jannah Lamu (the word jannah means “paradise” in Arabic), there’s another extraordinary place to stay. This elegant and quirky B&B—with seven accommodations—in the village of Shela is owned and designed by Kenyan designer Anna Trzebinski. Some rooms have stained-glass windows, others have bespoke wood-carved furniture, and all have Trzebinski-designed fabrics. While there isn’t a restaurant on site, there is a decadent breakfast, including sliced avocados, fresh fruit, samosas, and fried donut-like treats called kaimati. The property also recommends several cafes that deliver delicious Swahili dishes so guests can dine on one of the property’s wind-swept terraces. While located on Shela’s main square rather than on the beach, the property offers guests the option to spend time on one of three beautifully crafted traditional boats. There’s nothing like sailing one of the elegant wooden dhows (with a canopied deck covered in pillows) through mangrove-lined channels, then diving into water, before a picnic of grilled lobster and fish curry back on deck. Doubles from $350. —Gisela Williams

Janu Tokyo

Aman’s new spin-off brand, Janu, seeks to maintain a high level of design and service at a lower price point than its ultra-luxe sibling. At Janu Tokyo, the 122 rooms and suites are serene and spacious; most have private balconies (mine came with a view of Tokyo Tower). The eight restaurants lure both guests and locals, but the biggest draw is the 43,000-square-foot wellness center, which includes an 82-foot indoor lap pool and a heated lounge pool; hydrotherapy and thermal areas with a cold plunge, Japanese baths, and steam rooms; and an impressive gym with five movement studios. Centrally located, Janu is a calm and contemporary base from which to explore the city. Doubles from $1,068. —Rebekah Peppler

Kibale Lodge, Uganda

Kibale Forest in western Uganda, is known as the best place in the world to see chimpanzees, and there is no better base to explore this underrated part of Africa than Kibale Lodge, a short drive away. The lodge is Volcanoes Safaris’ fifth on their great ape safari circuits through Uganda and Rwanda. Perched high on a ridge, the estate boasts spectacular 360-degree views of the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains and greenery of rural Uganda. It is an intimate affair, with just eight papyrus-thatched bandas, each solar-powered and handbuilt by talented local craftspeople. At the heart of the lodge, a welcoming common area encourages guests to gather for drinks and food, including Ugandan specialities and more familiar dishes using local or homegrown ingredients. I swapped safari stories with my fellow visitors over freshly caught tilapia, firinda (bean stew), and dodo (steamed greens), while treks were fueled by freshly squeezed passionfruit juice and on-the-go “rolex” (rolled omelettes). The main draw to Kibale Lodge is, of course, the chimpanzees, but it’s well worth taking the time to enjoy the 150 acres of rewilded grounds here, along with the pool, sauna, and complimentary massages to ease post-trek aches. It’s the perfect sanctuary to retreat to after searching for primates in the thick Ugandan jungle. Doubles from $990, all-inclusive. —Gisela Williams

Kimpton Bem Budapest, Hungary

When I arrived at Kimpton Bem Budapest, I was presented with a welcome drink that seemed, to my non-expert palate, like a fine Champagne. But these were flutes of pezsgő, Hungarian sparkling wine. This initial toast is just one of the ways the new property stays rooted in Hungary and its beguiling capital city, while bringing something fresh to a hotel scene known mostly for its stately grand dames. Housed in a 19th-century former barracks on Buda’s Bem József Square, the hotel’s neoclassical exterior belies the flamboyant, quintessentially Kimpton style within. The vision of Dutch interior designer Marcel Wanders is eclectic but rich with folkloric and historical reference: a large stag sculpture at the center of the lobby is a reference to the csodaszarvas, a central figure in the Hungarian origin myth; the ornate mosaic covering the reception desk (and the towering tiled columns of AGOS, the main restaurant) might conjure Budapest’s Roman or Ottoman eras. At Fennen, the rooftop lounge, and the ground-floor Bar Huso, the drinks list includes plenty of pálinka, the local brandy. Wanders’ signature whimsy also shines through in each of the 127 guest rooms and suites: Some have walls that seem wrapped in red velvet, for example, while others are covered with massive white poppies. Mine had a carpet—patterned like the foamy surface of a dark, stormy sea—which seemed to blend into the wall behind the bed, printed with ocean creatures and dramatic waves. They echoed the rolling blue Danube right outside my window. Doubles from $263. —Hannah Walhout

La Roqqa, Porto Ercole, Italy

It was Giorgio Bonotto, La Roqqa’s simpatico general manager, who supplied the words I’d been searching for. I’d arranged to meet him for aperitivi on the hotel’s roof terrace, with its views over Tuscan rooftops and a harbor full of bobbing boats. The 16th-century fort that crowns the hill across the bay was soaking up the last rays of the setting sun as he said, “I like to describe La Roqqa as an urban resort in the middle of a fishing village.” I wish I’d thought of that. It’s the contrast between the chic interior design and the refreshing authenticity of Porto Ercole, the laid-back coastal town outside its doors, that makes the 55-room La Roqqa such an original arrival on the Tuscan scene. Walk 10 minutes to the port and you’re in a film about small-town Italy, in which grandparents and kids stroll along the quay, gelato in hand. Walk, or be driven in one of La Roqqa’s electric cars, 10 minutes in the other direction and you’re in a dolce vita romance set in a wild, rocky bay where beautiful, tanned people loll on loungers at the resort’s beach club. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $515. —Lee Marshall

Le Château de Théoule, Théoule-sur-Mer, France

After more than a decade living in France, I’ve seen my fair share of castles, but Château de Théoule is different. Like a cat with nine lives, the building has undergone multiple renovations since its humble start as a savonnerie, or soap factory, in 1630. For this latest reinvention into a 44-room retreat, interior decorator and antique dealer Marie-Christine Mecoen paid tribute to the château’s former owners (which include a Scottish lord and wealthy French silk merchants) with subtle touches. Each room’s design is anchored around a hand-picked antique, so no two are alike. Some are outfitted with sumptuous, draped silk headboards and boudoir-style fringe lamps. My ochre-colored duplex room, dubbed La Valériane (after the flower used in perfume), channeled a 1960s South of France vibe, with floor-to-ceiling gauzy, eggshell-white custom linen curtains, violet velvet armchairs, and rattan palm tree light fixtures. I also appreciated the relaxed location—unlike nearby Cannes, with its international jet-setters, the town of Théoule-sur-Mer attracts in-the-know locals who come to hike trails in the surrounding Massif de l’Estérel mountains, and get away from it all. Doubles from $680. —Lane Nieset

Le Grand Hôtel Cayré, Paris

At lunch at Le Grand Hôtel Cayré, just beyond the Left Bank’s tourist fray, you’ll find tables of coworkers from the high-end design stores in Saint-Germain-des-Prés easing into the genuinely delicious food at the hotel’s all-day brasserie, Annette. Do they know the restaurant was named for Annette Kolb, the Franco-German writer who checked into the art deco hotel in 1944 and lived there for almost 20 years? It’s safe to say they’re too busy marveling over phenomenal oeufs en meurette and other expertly updated classics. The sourcing behind several of the desserts shows just how well situated this hotel is for the gastro-tourist, from the cheeses delivered by the legendary Maison Barthélémy around the corner to the dark chocolate from chocolatier Nicolas Berger that goes into a footed silver bowl of rich chocolate mousse, and the locally famous éclair from Hugo & Victor pâtisserie two blocks away. I polished off all three, along with a pot of Mariage Frères tea, before the locals had returned to work. In the hotel’s 123 rooms, sensuous textures and sinuous lines reflect the modernized art deco decor. And on the seventh floor, French curator Gilbert Kann, who put together the decorative arts furniture selection for Le Bon Marché nearby, has furnished a room and suite that can be joined into an apartment in which every antique, custom, and one-of-a-kind piece is available to ship home. If only I could have shipped home the chocolate mousse. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $331. —Christine Muhlke

Le Mas Candille, Mougins, France

Le Mas Candille, set in the hilltop village of Mougins in the French Riviera, seems to define the area’s storied glamour. With majestic views of the bay of Cannes and the Lérins Islands, it’s easy to be swept away by the scenery, but the interiors of this 46-room property—which originally opened in 2001 and has come back to life after a careful restoration by French-Mexican architect Hugo Toro—are just as compelling. Furniture and decor was sourced at Provençal flea markets, and I adored the green carpet and matching drapes in my suite (both custom-crafted by Toro). The Clarins spa was another revelation. After several laps in the indoor-outdoor heated swimming pool, I relaxed in the steam room and even braved the cold plunge pool, before an hour-long facial with plant extracts, almost all of which were grown on the property. Well-nourished by chef Romain Antoine’s Mediterranean-inspired feast of langoustine and scallops, I retired to the library to skim the collection of classics. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $532. —Kasia Dietz

Les Lumières, Versailles, France

It’s easy to feel like royalty when staying at Les Lumières, a hotel across the street from the Château de Versailles. Everywhere, there are gestures to France’s most famous palace: The gold-plated bar at Le Bar des Philosophes pays homage to Louis XIV’s court outfits, and the hotel fragrance is by Trudon, a Versailles candlemaker that dates back to 1643. The 31 rooms and suites are also named after famed French writers and philosophers from the Age of Enlightenment, like Voltaire and Denis Diderot, and explorers, like Navy officer Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse. It all contributes to a feeling of learning, knowledge, and contemplation. (There was even a journal in my suite for me to write in and take home.) I also took advantage of the Dream Machine amenity, a light machine brought to my room for a self-hypnosis experience. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $428. —Robin Allison Davis

Longfellow Hotel, Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine, has hit its stride as a travel destination in recent years, and the ensuing wave of hotel openings run the gamut from quirky apartment-style stays to big-name chains. But none check all the boxes quite like Longfellow, which opened this spring in the picturesque West End, far—but not too far, particularly with a fleet of bicycles and a complimentary chauffeur on offer—from the throngs of tourists crowding the Old Port. The 48-room property is the city’s first truly luxurious mid-size boutique stay, thanks in part to the hand of hotel-design heavyweight Post Company. The sweeping lobby lounge, with its soaring windows, geometric brass chandeliers, and gilt-framed oil paintings, is an elegant marriage of classic and contemporary. During my stay, it was abuzz with guests and locals, particularly in the evenings, when it transformed into Five of Clubs, a bar serving eclectic small plates such as chicharrones with avocado mousse and zucchini bread with a sweet-tart yuzu curd. Wellness is a touchstone, starting in the rooms themselves, which are outfitted with luxe beds from Mattress Concierge and Loftie clocks for a gentle, sound bath-induced slumber. Downstairs, the compact Astraea spa punches above its weight, with massages, facials, guided breathwork, and private Nordic sauna suites. (My personal Astraea highlight: a session in a Mind-Sync Harmonic Wellness Lounger, a zero-gravity chair that syncs full-body rhythmic massage with binaural beats to bring unsuspecting guests to heretofore unknown planes of relaxation.) This being a city hotel, you’d be remiss not to explore Portland, and several gems lie just outside your doorstep: Wayside Tavern and Tandem Bakery are steps away, or wander slightly farther afield to mainstays like Green Hand Bookshop, Smalls, and Zu Bakery for a true local’s look at this vibrant little city by the sea. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $499. —Lila Haron Battis

The Lotus Palace, India

The ornate mansions of Chettinad, in southern India, have, for several years now, been on the radar of architecture and design enthusiasts. Built in every conceivable aesthetic style, several of these grand residences have been turned into landmark hotels. But when I visited the 15-key Lotus Palace, which is housed in a historic 1790s structure, it felt fresh, thanks to the use of bold colors like vermilion and bottle green and French windows that give the rooms a sense of airiness. While the hotel’s Ayurvedic spa isn’t a first for this region, the cocktail bar certainly is. You may come for the design, but you’ll stay for the food and experiences. Expect hyperlocal snacks at high tea and home-style cuisine that reflects seasonal food habits. Signature experiences include swimming in a local’s well and visits to archaeologically significant temples. Doubles from $206. —Prasad Ramamurthy

Maison Barrière Vendôme, Paris

Paris is studded with secret gardens—one of my new favorites is the jewel-sized patio at the heart of Maison Barrière Vendôme, the city’s second hotel opening from the renowned Barrière Group, which also owns Fouquet’s on the Champs-Élysées. Tucked just a block away from the Tuileries Garden in a private mansion, this romantic hotel opened in early 2025 on the chic Rue du Mont-Thabor, behind sliding glass doors and a simple gold plaque. The 26-room property eschews the pomp and circumstance of its stately neighbors, whose grand marble lobbies are bustling places to see and be seen; here, it’s rather like entering into an enchanted forest, where thick green drapes hush the street sounds and a whimsical mirrored installation abuts the central staircase.

Femininity and French craftsmanship are on prominent display, with bespoke headboards made from Pierre Frey fabrics in every room, as well as murals from Atelier de Ricou, bird-like Lalique sconces, and restored wooden beams on the ceilings. In my suite, an homage to beloved French actress and activist Simone Signoret, the windows—dressed in sumptuous ochre-hued curtains from Declercq, which also supplies Versailles—looked out over classic Haussmann apartments, with Sacré-Cœur like a mirage in the distance. It was quite the backdrop for a gluttonous room service breakfast (croissants, butter sculptures, fresh OJ—you name it), which is served all day. The hotel’s bar and restaurant, Frida, is similarly inspired—a striking steel-and-glass structure seemingly plucked straight from the Centre Pompidou and set in an emerald-tiled oasis that’s meant to honor the colorful home of Frida Kahlo. Here, you’ll find a small, fashionable crowd sipping jalapeño-infused margaritas and quietly gossiping over sea bass ceviche and mini al pastor tacos after shopping in neighboring Place Vendôme. Doubles from $662. —Sophie Dodd

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London

Does London need two Mandarin Orientals? The new Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, on Hanover Square, makes a compelling case for a second outpost, set in a light-filled building that alternates red bricks with steel beams. While the Knightsbridge flagship leans traditional (think Edwardian architecture; British-influenced cuisine from hometown star Heston Blumenthal), the new hotel, by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, feels like a modern, eight-story British townhouse, with 50 guest rooms, 77 apartments, and a subterranean spa with an 82-foot-long pool. The lobby concierge and check-in desks are welcoming, slightly demure spaces that make way for the real heartbeat of the hotel: the impressive, triple-story space anchored by a spiral staircase fashioned from green Ming marble. At his namesake London restaurant, Korean-American chef Akira Back turns out crowd-pleasers (tuna pizza; Wagyu bulgogi tacos; creamy rock shrimp) long into the night. Still hungry? Turn a corner, and you can be one of the lucky 14 to score a seat at the counter of his more formal Korean spot, Dosa, which just earned a Michelin star. Upstairs in my suite, I felt entirely removed, cocooned even, from the action; picture hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper, marble bathrooms, and great desks for the work-from-anywhere crowd. And after a day or two of settling in, more fun details started to reveal themselves: a gold rubber ducky in the tub; a tasteful, mounted fan designed by the fashion team at Vivienne Westwood, just inside the main entrance; even cult-favorite Seed to Skin facial products, stocked in the spa. In a city destination that now seems to have everything under the sun, I find it’s the little things that count. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $1,079. —Jacqui Gifford

Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing

Brochure phrases such as “authentic experiences” and “living like a local” have become clichés, with every urban hotel claiming to immerse its guests in the surrounding community. Few, however, deliver on that promise quite as literally as the new Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing, the brand’s second outpost in the Chinese capital. Scattered around a traditional hutong neighborhood on the fringe of central Beijing’s Forbidden City, the hotel’s 42 courtyard suites alternate with local homes along the hutong‘s stone-paved alleys. Here, your neighbors aren’t other hotel guests, but real Beijingers going about their daily lives.

The suites take over meticulously renovated courtyard houses and blend heritage with high design: under their century-old wooden ceiling beams, they feature marble-clad bathrooms, plush living rooms furnished with contemporary Chinese art, and beds framed in gorgeous headboards from brass and silk embroidery. The communal areas are similarly woven throughout the district. The lobby, set in a gingerbread-trimmed siheyuan courtyard building on the hutong‘s perimeter, doubles as an afternoon tea lounge, and connects to a village-like wellness center with a Chinese tea house, spa, and courtyard for qi yuan gong baths. One alley over, Yan Garden by chef Fei deals in fine Cantonese and Chaozhou specialities such as butter-smooth pork char siu and deep-fried fish maw. The hotel’s perch connects guests to Beijing’s courtyard culture, weaving amid local dumpling joints and ni hao-nodding centenarians. This isn’t just a fresh addition to the city’s already star-studded hotel lineup, but a bold experiment that radically redefines what a hotel can be. Doubles from $1,777. —Chris Schalkx 

The Manner, New York

Detailed black-and-white marble flooring, dark wooden accents, and a nearly 12-foot-tall sculpture greeted me at The Manner, a Standard International spin-off that just opened in SoHo. It spans 13 floors, complete with The Rooftop—a bar serving light bites that will open only to hotel guests in May, with city views and all. The second floor is a gathering space, centered around a colossal floor-to-ceiling fireplace with plush couches and chairs sprawled along the surrounding walls; underneath a retro chandelier is a communal dining table, with pastries and coffee in the morning and serve-yourself beverages come happy hour. The vibe shifts in the adjacent, discreetly hidden Sloane’s, a cocktail bar and lounge where martinis and chicken nuggets go hand in hand. And then there are the 97 guest rooms, which have walls that are either mirrored or painted vibrant shades of red, yellow, or blue; no TVs or art are on display. My suite had not one but two decks overlooking the always-buzzing Thompson Street below and speakers built into the headboard, which I synced to and cranked the ‘70s music while I got ready for dinner. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $799. —Jess Feldman

Mara Toto Tree Camp, Masai Mara, Kenya

The safari started from the plane. I saw my first elephants while approaching the Ol Kiombo Airstrip, a 45-minute flight from Nairobi. After touchdown, I spied warthogs, Cape buffalo, and Grant’s gazelles—their coats glowing pale yellow in the East African sun—on the drive to Mara Toto Tree Camp, a Great Plains Conservation camp run by safari stars and legendary conservationists Dereck and Beverly Joubert. What they’ve created here is a feeling of total immersion and intimacy: Mara Toto Tree Camp has just four tented suites on the Ntiakitiak River. Each one, lifted nearly 10 feet off the ground and connected with snaking wooden walkways, feels a bit like a tree house, with all the adventure you could ask for. Of course, the accommodations are exceedingly comfortable, and the fireside dinners of blackened ribeye, herb salads, and creamy local cheeses are delicious. But you’re really here for the game drives, which are unmatched. Mara Toto has access to both Maasai Mara National Reserve and Mara North Conservancy, the latter a part of the same ecosystem, but with a fraction of the crowds. “Privacy counts,” says Dereck. “You have to be careful to avoid the abundance of tourism, but in Kenya, there are more than enough private corners in nature to explore.” I would say this corner is one of the best. Doubles from $1,445 per person per night, all-inclusive. —Nicole Trilivas

Marisma Camps, Patagonia, Argentina

With species including Magellanic penguins, sea lions, and five types of whales, Argentina’s southerly Chubut Province almost feels like the Galapagos of Patagonia. It’s on this pristine stretch of wild land, between the Andes Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, that Rewilding Argentina, a conservation NGO, has built Marisma Camps. Marisma has just six stand-alone casitas, made in the local style with corrugated metal and quaint wooden trims. Each is rustic and snug, offering a private deck overlooking the South Atlantic, with woolen blankets to cozy up with.

Stays are all-inclusive, with three meals and two daily excursions. I went on a gaucho-led horse ride through the golden steppe at sunset, as well as a sunrise hike to Tehuelche shell mounds, where my guide spoke of the area’s Indigenous history. I also cold-plunged in a protected cove, mountain biked down the brown-sand coast, and kayaked the namesake marisma, or tidal marsh. Llama-like guanacos, dwarf armadillos, and giant flightless birds, called choiques, were all frequent visitors. Guests dine together on three-course menus at a long wooden table, sharing tales of daily outings and wildlife sightings. If Patagonia’s notorious winds dissipate, there are even nightly bonfires and asado-style barbecues by the sea. From $230 per person per night, all-inclusive. —Mark Johanson

Maryhill Estate, Glumslöv, Sweden

At Maryhill Estate, set in Skåne on Sweden’s southern coast and a quick train ride from Copenhagen, groovy tunes set a laid-back mood as soon as I walked in. Another hit from Nordic hospitality company ESS Group, this hotel, with luscious Swedish baths and 163 rooms, takes over the historic Hill House castle, dating back to 1918. The floral decor throughout the vast living spaces evokes an eternal spring. I settled into a velvet armchair in my swanky suite overlooking one of the four heated outdoor pools and inhaled the coastal views. Cushy beds and curiosities in the form of artwork, books, and games decorate each of the country-chic rooms. After a glass of Champagne at the Sugar Pool Bar, a long balmy bath beneath a crisp night sky renewed and refreshed me. As I floated back to my suite, I eyed the animated groups of colleagues and friends circling the billiard tables, dart boards, and backgammon sets. With 11 bars and two restaurants–one serving French-Scandi cuisine, the other focused on Mediterranean classics, there’s no lack of food and drink. Come morning, I felt overdressed as several guests poured over the generous breakfast buffet in their plush green bathrobes, still glowing from a morning dip. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $270. —Kasia Dietz

Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort, Turkey

Last May, Türkiye’s Maxx Royal Resorts made a showstopping entrance into the luxury hotel scene on the Bodrum Peninsula with Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort, a wildly chic paradise that seems to sprout organically from the dreamy Aegean landscape. Low-slung suites and villas, some of which flank the watery edge of a brilliantly conceived, almost labyrinthine pool, unfurl down to a secluded bay and beach. All have balconies or terraces, and many have private pools. The resort is constructed mostly of smooth stone and wood, giving it warmth and elegance. With seven restaurants and four bars, the gastronomy is uniformly superb, and eliminates the need to ever venture off property. Partnerships with Caviar Kaspia, lifestyle hospitality brand Scorpios, and Spago by Wolfgang Puck among others offer international cachet. The 62,000-square foot Maxx Wellbeing Centre is also a dizzying universe of wellness and an oasis of serenity. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $1,129. —Marcia DeSanctis

Melbourne Place 

Melbourne has long been considered the creative capital of Australia but until now hasn’t had a hotel that truly captures its character. Enter Melbourne Place, a distinctive 14-story tower latticed in concrete and glass on downtown’s vibrant Russell Street. Architects Kennedy Nolan have distilled the city’s essence into this 191-room hotel, showcasing impressive art, including hyper-realist portraits by South Sudanese-Australian artist Atong Atem. The textured rooms, gleaming with oiled jarrah wood and Australian terrazzo and marble, range from 205-square-foot Everyday Queens to the 1,460-square-foot Dawn Penthouse with a 10-seat dining table and baby grand piano. My Horizon suite one floor below was a 700-square-foot pleasure pad with a terrace, dining for eight, and a musk-pink hallway bathtub. Street-level restaurant Marmelo channels Iberia in hand-painted azulejo tiles and a brashly delicious menu where Portuguese tarts turn savory with celeriac and spanner crab and the custom charcoal grill lends smoky depths to whole fish and paella-style arroz de marisco. Basement bar Mr. Mills (with a separate laneway entrance; very Melbourne) radiates supper-club vibes from its velvet and timber surrounds, tapas-style snacks, and Douro Valley wines. But its rooftop bar Mid Air that best captures the city’s spirit. With Mediterranean-inspired menus by rising star Nick Deligiannis and a drinks list that leans into distinctive wines from Australia and abroad, this indoor-outdoor space with fireplace and brick masonry “eyes” framing skyline views is a dramatic stage to play out life’s dramas. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $190. —K.H.

Naturally Pacific Resort, Campbell River, British Columbia

Stepping through the lobby doors of Naturally Pacific Resort, in the town of Campbell River on Vancouver Island, I came face-to-face with life-size photographs of the area’s powerful landscape: the rushing waters at Myra Falls, snow-covered Mount Washington, grizzly bears hunting salmon in the Bute Inlet. These displays of wild beauty extend to the 100 rooms: textured wall coverings in blues and greens, earth-toned furnishings, and stone counters and vanities. It also has a 10,000-square-foot garden, an apiary, and an orchard, which supply the hotel’s restaurant. But perhaps the most memorable feature was the option to decline housekeeping and, instead, purchase one square meter of protected rainforest in my name through the resort’s partner, Wilderness International. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $124. —Carrie Honaker

Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

I spent my first evening at Nekajui—the Ritz-Carlton Reserve’s newest hotel, on Costa Rica’s Peninsula Papagayo—halfway down a cliff at a tented tree house bar. The sunset had turned the whole sky a dark pink, the same color as my cocktail, a Negroni sbagliato made with hibiscus and mango leaf concentrate. These views are par for the course at the 107-room cliffside resort. The next day, I loaded my eight-month-old son into the glass elevator, which takes guests down to Niri Beach Club, narrating the view to him as we descended; We could see azure water lapping against a half moon–shaped cove. At the beach club, we grabbed a wicker couch overlooking the water, where we slurped eagerly from baby coconuts and shared tapas (mashed Spanish tortilla for him, wood-fired prawns and pan con tomate for me). There’s a bevy of excursions on Peninsula Papagayo that guests can book at Nekajui’s Explorers Club—zip lining, hiking, snorkeling, and ATV off-roading included. But we caught most of our thrills at the resort, navigating the suspension bridge that connects fine-dining Peruvian restaurant Puna to more out-of-the-way suites, lazing in a poolside cabana, visiting the spa to try all the jets in Central America’s largest hydrotherapy pool, and walking down to the beach to feel the warm water on our toes. Doubles from $2,390. —Maya Kachroo-Levine

Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Saudi Arabia

On a remote archipelago off Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Middle East fulfils every desert island fantasy: Nujuma’s pearl-white sands could have been scooped from the Seychelles, and its calm, turquoise shallows stolen from Zanzibar, Mauritius, or the Andaman isles. But don’t be fooled: it’s all natural and all Saudi Arabian. From Neyrah Spa’s moringa oil used for massages to Tabrah restaurant’s fresh sea bream (served still sizzling from the coals), Nujuma champions Saudi-sourced ingredients. The resort opened in May 2024, just a few months after the region first opened to tourism. Before that, the islands—reached by a 30-minute speedboat ride from the mainland—had been frequented only by fishermen.

As a first-time visitor to Saudi, I was captivated by Nujuma’s insights into the nation’s culture. Its in-house experts offer cultural insight via informal Q&As, while tours include diving on the Red Sea’s pristine reef, planting mangroves, and stargazing with a local astrophysicist. Under a velvet-black sky, I was spellbound by Habib Bafeil’s tales of how ancient seafarers used the stars to navigate—and I returned to my villa to find a telescope set up beside my private pool. With only the sea breeze for company, I explored the full moon’s craters in breathtaking detail. The resort’s 63 villas, designed by Foster + Partners, are spacious, shell-inspired domes, one of which is adapted for wheelchairs (and the entire resort is step-free). They’re scattered across the beach and overwater promenade, laden with luxuries, like butler service, Diptyque toiletries, and sea views from bed. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $2,133. —Hazel Plush

One&Only Kéa Island, Greece

The road that leads to Greece’s first One&Only resort is not for the faint of heart. The hairpin bends between precipitous valleys and parched hills appear to careen off the cliffs into the sea until you are finally ushered to the top and step into a vast, light-filled atrium. From this panoramic hilltop pinnacle, tiers of double-height, glass-fronted villas cascade down to a sheltered cove and beach club. Of course, you could skip the drive altogether and come by speedboat (a 45-minute, adrenaline-fueled ride from the Greek mainland), by helicopter (there’s no airport on Kéa), or even on foot (via a gorgeous coastal trail from Pisses beach). Better yet, charter Stavros, a handsome wooden kaiki moored at the private jetty, for gentle cruises around Kéa’s beach-fringed coastline. Here, it’s all too easy to simply hunker down at the resort and surrender to the blissful isolation and solicitous attention. I spent hours idly watching seagulls from my miniature infinity pool or contemplating the play of light on the hazy hills etched on the horizon from Kosmos bar. A dedicated host is on call 24/7 via WhatsApp to book spa treatments, tennis lessons, diving sessions, or dinner reservations. I found the enormous spa a bit sterile, but the sea-view yoga pavilion motivated me to get in a workout before a long, slow breakfast of kayianas (scrambled eggs with tomatoes, feta, and oregano) and a calming infusion of chamomile blossom. Doubles from $1,672. —Rachel Howard

Ovo Patagonia, Argentina

The journey to this collection of four egg-shaped capsules suspended 885 feet up a cliff is an adventure in itself. After arriving at El Chaltén, a town at the north entrance of Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park, I transferred to Estancia Bonanza, where a 4 x 4 took me to the reception house of Ovo Patagonia. From there, a guide accompanied me on a short hike to the base camp to relax awhile before setting out on a via ferrata climbing trail up to my sleeping pod. Each has three levels: an entryway with a living room and bathroom; an upper-level bedroom; and a lower portion with a glass bottom that reveals the earth below. It’s a thrilling place to spend a night. A staffer delivers everyone a dinner of beef tenderloin or trout; after that, all that’s left to do is soak up the panoramic views of landmarks like Mount Fitz Roy, a legendary 11,000-foot peak—and watch the stars come out. Doubles from $1,600. —Cristóbal Palma

Palazzo Talìa, Rome

Rome has no shortage of splendidly renovated palazzo hotels, but most have a museum-like air and reverently showcase their antique splendors. Not so the Palazzo Talìa, which artfully blends its over-the-top Renaissance grandeur—it started life in the 1500s as the mansion of a papal secretary, then became one of the city’s most aristocratic schools—with stylish contemporary design flourishes created by the studio of Luca Guadagnino, the director of hit films such as “Challengers” and “Call Me by Your Name.” The result is, naturally, cinematic. The public halls all have soaring ceilings covered with original 16th-century frescos and are lined with stately marble busts of ancient Roman emperors and military heroes. But the hotel’s 21st-century touches include furnishings in bright, uplifting colors and cheerful patterned carpets, the railings on the staircase are sheathed in sensual leather, and the courtyard has been turned into a lovely forest of potted plants, making it the ideal place for both breakfast and an aperitivo. The rooms ricochet with Roman sunshine, thanks to enormous arched windows, and are outfitted with minimalist four-poster beds and (in the suites) voluptuously large baths. There are sumptuous lounges for guests to unwind in the cavernous Aula Magna, or Great Hall. But the palazzo’s aesthetic centerpiece is Bar della Musa, which is lined with polished silver tiles that shimmer like the scales of a mythic beast. Of course, the cocktails are named after the Muses, including the gin-based Erato (“she who provokes desire”), the Clio martini (“she who can make famous”), and the mezcal-based Melpomene (“she who sings tragedy”)—all of which can be savored with an array of oysters, caviar, or cacio e pepe potato chips. Finally, the hotel’s location is hard to beat: The Fontana di Trevi is only two blocks from the front door. Doubles from $745. —Tony Perrottet

Palm House, Palm Beach, Florida

Palm House, the first American property for the London-based Iconic Luxury Hotels, opened in Palm Beach not with a bang, but rather with a mother-of-pearl shimmer and a pastel-colored splash. The hotel, housed in a pink Mediterranean-Revival building from the 1960s, feels like stepping into a whimsical fantasy of Murano-glass chandeliers, shell and coral murals, pink marble, and plush, ruby-colored seating (Minda Dowling, the hotel’s art curator, told me it’s “’The Little Mermaid’ meets ‘Alice in Wonderland’” during my stay). Muza Lab, responsible for the interior design, worked with Dowling to devise a more contemporary version of Palm Beach’s classic design codes. The restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating, has views of the pool deck and serves traditional Japanese sushi, nigiri, and ​​kushiyaki alongside Peruvian ceviches. The hotel’s beach concierge service is another highlight—the team will set up all necessities at the nearby Midtown Beach. But it’s the palm-fringed pool deck, with its pink-and-white striped daybeds and a turquoise-tiled swimming pool, that steals the spotlight and makes the hotel feel undeniably like a Palm Beach hot spot. During my recent visit, my 6-year-old splashed in it for hours while I looked on from a nearby shaded daybed, enjoying chilled drinks served by the pool concierge. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $499. —Dobrina Zhekova

Pendry Natirar, Peapack, New Jersey

High on a ridge overlooking the rolling hills of Somerset County, New Jersey, the 66-room Pendry Natirar is a revelation for New Yorkers: a genuine luxury resort just an hour’s drive from midtown Manhattan. The stately manor, once owned by King Hassan II of Morocco, sits on a 90-acre parcel, to which Pendry has added an organic farm, a complex with two pools and a hot tub, tennis courts, and an event space. I spent much of my late-fall visit cozied up by the original hearth in the Great Room, Vesper cocktail in hand. The nearly 20,000-square-foot spa was another highlight, with its salt cave and cedar saunas. Just as impressive were the dining options, whether the exceptional burger at Ladd’s Tavern or my dinner at Ninety Acres, where chef Peter Rudolph puts an emphasis on local products—some harvested just outside the back door. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $850.​ —P.B.

Peter Island Resort, British Virgin Islands

Days are slow and sun-baked at Peter Island Resort, which was damaged in Hurricane Irma in 2017 and has now been restored. Most of the 52 rooms are on Deadman’s Beach, with sliding glass doors that open right onto the sand. Mine had its own kitchen, but I loved eating in the hotel’s two restaurants: the Drake, a classic steak house, and the more casual, open-air Drunken Pelican, which serves jerk chicken wings, roti stuffed with curried chicken, and a potent Painkiller, the BVI’s famed rum drink. The resort has five beaches; my favorite was White Bay, a powdery stretch I had all to myself for a blissful afternoon of snorkeling and sunbathing. The concierge can organize excursions to nearby islands like Virgin Gorda, but I stayed put, hiking the Sunset Loop trail around the island and soaking in my private hot tub. Doubles from $1,000. —S.D.

Populus, Denver

The 13-story, wedge-shaped Populus cuts a striking figure in Denver. Its façade, which is punctuated by eye-shaped windows, was inspired by the bark of Colorado’s native aspen tree, Populus tremuloides. Biophilic design continues inside the 265-room property: headboards are crafted from fallen pine trees, and some artwork is made with pressed wildflowers. In the elevators, guests hear birdsong recorded in Rocky Mountain National Park, and in the street-level restaurant, Pasque, an eye-catching installation made from 500 sheets of reishi-mushroom “leather” hangs above the bar. What’s more, with its commitment to producing zero food waste and using exclusively renewable electricity, Populus is the first carbon-positive hotel in the country. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $299.​ —D.Z.

The Potlatch Club, Eleuthera, Bahamas

In the 1960s, The Potlatch Club, on the island of Eleuthera, hosted VIP guests like Paul and Linda McCartney, who honeymooned at the hotel in 1969. Last summer, it reopened following a meticulous renovation, with 11 suites and cottages scattered across 12 lush beachside acres. Some accommodations are new, some are original, but all are enlivened with era-appropriate accents—cute wallpaper here, a vintage model ship there. Think of it as a Slim Aarons shoot recreated for the Instagram age. Over in the main house, I found McCartney’s lyrics to “Oh Darling” written on a Potlatch Club napkin, framed on the library wall. Doubles from $775. —F.S.

Princes’ Palace Resort, Büyükada, Turkey

Reachable by helicopter or boat, the 69-room Princes’ Palace is located on Büyükada, the largest of the nine Princes’ Islands off Istanbul, where Ottoman intellectuals retreated in the 1800s. The crescent-shaped hotel’s glass facade is visible solely by sea, making quite the first impression when you dock. The main building’s minimalist design revolves around sweeping views of the water and Istanbul’s skyline, which you’ll see everywhere from the terrace of seasonal, farm-to-table Ema’s Dining Room, where seafood is sourced off the coast and herbs are grown in the on-site garden. When I was one of the first to visit Princes’ Palace in mid-December, it was too brisk to take a dip in the swimmable beach below, but I had a prime view of the sunset from my balcony suspended over the Mediterranean-style beach club and the tiered infinity pools. In Turkey, a hammam is practically a given, but the slate-gray, marble-and-tile one here is an experience in itself, especially when paired with a dip in the sea-facing indoor pool. Doubles from  $675. —L.N.

The Ranch Hudson Valley, New York

Malibu, California’s The Ranch—the renowned luxury health and wellness retreat from husband-and-wife duo Sue and Alex Glasscock—has grown a cult-following over the last decade. Who can say if it’s the daily massage, the scenic hikes, or the organic plant-based meals, but something about the restorative program offers a welcome respite from reality. In April 2024, the brand opened its very first East Coast location in Sloatsburg, New York, just a little over an hour’s drive from Manhattan. The Hudson Valley offering is set within a newly renovated, historic 40,000-square-foot estate originally built in 1902. When I arrived on a sunny day in early June, I noticed detailed trimmings along the high ceilings, a light-filled grand staircase, and marble-tiled floors. New York design firm SR Gambrel curated a palette of nature-inspired colors for the 25 rooms and common spaces, like the living and game rooms, the Nancy Meyers-esque dining room, and my favorite spot, the gym that was once a ballroom. There’s also an outdoor pool, sprawled in full view of Sheppard Pond, which is open in the warmer months. While the setting certainly made me feel like royalty, it’s the signature Ranch programming, available for three-night, four-day stays at minimum, that takes the experience to the next level. Each day at this opulent sleepaway camp for adults goes a little something like this: 5:30 a.m. wakeup, morning stretch, group breakfast; 7:30 a.m. hike in the Hudson Valley on a nearby trail prescouted by our hiking guides. Following either a two- or four-hour hike, guests return to a whiteboard schedule where they can choose which yoga or workout class they want to sign up for, and find their daily massage time. After my daily massage, I would often choose to unwind in the 5,000 square-foot solarium featuring an indoor heated pool, hot and cold plunges, and an infrared sauna. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $2,955 per person for a minimum three-night stay. —J.F.

Raffles Al Areen Palace Bahrain

The tiny kingdom of Bahrain, in the Persian Gulf, has long been overshadowed by glitzier neighbors such as Qatar and Dubai. But in recent years, Bahrain has quietly begun making its case: A slew of new developments, including the 2.2-mile Pearling Path UNESCO walking trail and the 35,000-square-foot Time Out Market food hub, are luring travelers beyond the famed Formula One racing circuit. And while the hospitality scene has been steadily growing, few properties have turned as many heads as the Raffles Al Areen Palace. Set in the desert-cloaked south, some 45 minutes from the airport, the resort feels like an Arabesque fever dream: behind a colossal wooden gate guarded by doormen in thawb livery, with Carrara marble-covered hallways, indoor gardens dripping in greenery, and contemporary art pieces by Bahraini artists. The 78 palatial villas are scattered around palm-lined gardens, each with a private courtyard, a Jacuzzi, and a heated swimming pool. Inside, each villa houses a trio of snug lounge areas, and a bedroom adjoined by an indoor-outdoor bathroom clad in creamy marble. Raffles’ legendary butlers elevate each stay with thoughtful, anything-is-possible service. They welcomed me with Arabic coffee and garden-grown dates, offered to arrange in-villa spa treatments and reservations at the resort’s Mediterranean restaurant, and ensured that even the smallest details—like drawing a bath infused with Jordanian olive soap—felt magical. Doubles from $902. —C.S.

Raffles Jaipur, India

If you’ve ever dreamed of living like a maharani, Raffles Jaipur is the place to turn fantasy into reality. Styled like a zenana—the part of an Indian Muslim home reserved for women—the brand’s second hotel in India is a gilded retreat brimming with locally crafted detail. The 50 rooms are outfitted with bone-inlay furniture, Mughal miniature paintings, lotus-shaped marble sinks, and canopied beds with views of the cloud-draped Aravalli Hills. Equally indulgent are the hotel’s restaurants, which include plant-based North Indian cuisine at Arkaa and Mediterranean dishes at the rooftop Sehara. Also a must: the aromatic Jaipur Sling—a twist on the classic Singapore Sling, invented at Raffles’ flagship in 1915—spiked with chandrahas, an herbal liqueur. Doubles from $870. —S.V.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Ilma

This floating hotel has a beach club, a large outdoor lounge area with a staircase leading directly to the water, and a huge inflatable platform, complete with cabanas and sun loungers around a netted ocean pool. Two sides of the hull even fold down to create bar seating hovering just above the waterline. As it courts the non-cruise crowd, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Ilma feels like a hotel, all the way down to the choice of furniture, wines, and 700-piece art collection, among which are an original Picasso, Warhol, and Hockney. You’ll never set eyes on a buffet, either: helmed by two acclaimed chefs, Michael Mina and Fabio Trabocchi, the dining is some of the finest at sea. Ilma is bigger than its sibling Evrima and can carry 448 passengers in 224 stylish suites, all with balconies. With the highest ratio of space per guest at sea, you never feel crowded or as if you’ve joined someone else’s vacation. Accessible ship. Doubles from $7,100 per person for a seven-night sailing. —C.M.

Regent Santa Monica Beach, California

The beachside building that houses the Regent Santa Monica was constructed in 1989, and—I mean this in the best possible way—feels perfectly of its time. At the heart of the hotel, which began as part of the Loews brand, is a multi-story atrium—that quintessential feature of 1980s malls and office complexes. Here, though, all those glass panels shape an airy birdcage that floods the lobby with West Coast sunshine. 

In its former life, the hotel had 347 guest rooms—as part of the Regent’s overhaul, almost all of them have been merged with their neighbors, resulting in 167 double-sized spaces. My north-facing room had a spacious living area with a funky modular couch and a banquette seating area where I ate my room-service breakfast every morning. (Overnight oats topped with peanut butter and a banana was a revelation, and has duly been incorporated into my daily repertoire.) My floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panorama of the neighborhood, with views to the west, overlooking the Santa Monica Pier, and to the east, over busy Ocean Avenue. I had a superb massage at the Regent’s Guerlain spa, the Paris-based fragrance company’s West Coast flagship. (I meant to work out in the impressive 2,000-square-foot fitness center, but lazier impulses prevailed.) But what I’ll remember most fondly is the food at Orla, chef Michael Mina’s signature restaurant, which hit every sweet spot: hearty but not heavy, spiced but not overly so. Mina’s menu pays tribute to his family’s Egyptian roots, and everything I tried was knock-your-socks-off delicious: prawns wrapped in pastry, fluffy breads, a just-right hummus sprinkled with za’atar and pomegranate seeds, a decadent macaroni slathered in bechamel. It was a perfect confluence of Pacific and Mediterranean. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $1,100. —Peter Terzian

Regent Shanghai on the Bund

From my suite at Regent Shanghai on the Bund, along the Huangpu River, I would open the doors to my balcony and see hazy, giant silhouettes on sunny mornings and neon skyscrapers in the evening hours. The hotel’s appeal goes beyond its (rather perfect) location, though. Every repeat stroll through the halls revealed a new artful detail, many by Shanghainese creatives, like the foyer’s lacquered painting of magnolias. There are 135 elegant rooms and suites, dressed in creams and desaturated greens, with shutter-lined windows and closets that nod to the neighborhood’s colonial influence. Most rooms have panoramas along the Bund, and stand-alone bathtubs next to floor-to-ceiling windows give the phrase “soaking up the views” a new twist. As a Shanghai newbie, the Regent Experience agents were heaven-sent, sharing tourist advice and whisking me via house car to the pier for an evening river cruise. It was hard to leave the premises, however, with Regent’s dining outlets: Save for the lobby’s chic pastry lounge, all of the restaurants come with showstopping riverfront views of the Bund. My gourmet Cantonese dinner at Jin Lin was remarkable on its own, the vista a sweet bonus. Instead of standing among the hordes along the promenade, I enjoyed a similar view from a booth at Condé Boutique where I indulged in lemongrass-marinated pork neck and a cocktail. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $485. —Travis Levius

Rosewood Schloss Fuschl, Salzburg, Austria

In the 15th century, the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg built a grand lodge on Lake Fuschl, in Austria’s mountainous Salzkammergut region. Now, the schloss, or castle, has been reborn as the 98-room Rosewood Schloss Fuschl. Given the property’s lineage, I expected it to be thronged by European elites. But I was pleasantly surprised to find locals and backpack-toting travelers among the mix—one afternoon, I squeezed onto a communal picnic table beside a German family, where we all savored smoked trout and generous pours of grüner veltliner. Doubles from $650. —Siobhan Reid

Royal Mansour Casablanca, Morocco

For all the Old Hollywood sparkle that Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman bestowed on Morocco’s most populous city, Casablanca remains something of a second-tier destination for many American visitors. Other than the beautiful oceanside Hassan II Mosque, one of the world’s largest, the city has few must-sees. Enter the Royal Mansour Casablanca, a stunning 149-room property that’s as much an urban resort as it is the key to discovering this underappreciated city. Owned by King Mohammed VI, it has all the modern luxuries one could possibly want, including spacious rooms with marble baths, multiple restaurants, a full-service spa, and a rooftop terrace. Entry-level rooms are fabulously appointed, but those with limitless budgets should book one of the “exceptional suites,” which have private entrances, butler service, private hammams, fitness studios, and screening rooms. Doubles from $657. —Paul Brady

Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Turks & Caicos

This Marriott Luxury Collection resort, just 10 minutes from South Caicos Airport, welcomes guests with coral stone walkways leading up to the property. Menus at the six restaurants incorporate local ingredients like conch and Bambarra Rum—I’m still thinking about the platters of smoky grilled lobster at Cobo Bar & Grill and Key lime tart piled with marshmallow-soft brûléed meringue at Sisal, the lobby bar and restaurant. The 100 ocean-facing guest rooms have hand-carved furniture, textured wall hangings, and prints from a February 2024 study of the islands’ flamingo population. Individual and couples treatment rooms, an aqua thermal facility with a steam room, a dry sauna, and a salt room join a serene hammam in the spa. Here, a massage therapist eased my sore muscles after days spent bonefishing, snorkeling, hiking, and scuba diving. Across the property, the kids’ club offers daily activities, including guided kayaking, paddleboarding, beach discovery walks, and trips to the School for Field Studies’ Center for Marine Resource Studies, which helps restore Turks and Caicos’ coral reefs. I explored the underwater coral plantings as part of the Snorkel for a Cause program at the resort, which was my favorite part of the trip. Doubles from $726. —Carrie Honaker

Silversea’s Silver Ray

The 728-passenger Silver Ray manages to achieve extreme pampering in the unstuffy way that contemporary cruisers crave. Guests on the ship, a twin of 2023’s Silver Nova, are traveling first class, and that comes with both a sense of privilege and room to spread out. At the sultry rooftop pool and in the glass-encased indoors, too, you’ll find yourself mesmerized by uninterrupted views of sea and shore. That local food and libations are available on board—thanks to Silversea Cruises’ S.A.L.T. (Sea And Land Taste) program, which includes a restaurant, bar, and cooking school—is another reminder that you are not in a stagnant hotel, but on a voyage. Guests indulge in Michelin-star dining, endless complimentary Champagne pours, and fancy massages—and sink into the kind of cushy furnishings that make you remember the warmth of your childhood teddy bear. Everyone stays in an oversized suite with a marble-clad bathroom and balcony. Six suites in two categories are wheelchair accessible, as are public areas. Butlers attend to everyone’s needs, and on a cruise in Portugal and Spain, mine asked what would make me happy—and then treated me to a caviar snack daily at 5 p.m. It was my warmup for (onboard) nights on the town, and here the ship even manages to achieve a retro-cool factor, including not only lavish meals in the restaurants but live jazz and light bites in a supper club. Guests hit the tables at the lively casino, watch performing singers and dancers, and gush over vintage Hermès bags in the boutiques. My favorite evening was spent dancing the night away to a band playing 1980s tunes, with views of the Moorish architecture of Cadiz, Spain, as a backdrop. Silver Ray summers in the Mediterranean and winters in the Caribbean. Accessible ship. Doubles from $4,650 per person for a seven-night sailing. —Fran Golden

Six Senses Kyoto

In the historic Higashiyama district, Six Senses Kyoto is an 81-room sanctuary—a place to unwind after a day spent visiting nearby temples. The spa is a halcyon highlight with hot and cold dipping pools, saunas, and an Alchemy Bar to craft body scrubs. Although I was tempted to remain robed, LED-masked, and with my feet up in a vibration therapy chair for the afternoon, that would have cut into my time savoring miso-marinated Tamba pork at restaurant Sekki, sipping Japanese whisky at the jewel-box Nine Tails bar, and taking a long soak in the tub overlooking our private courtyard. Once restored, I tried the hotel activities meant to connect guests with the local culture, including restorative incense rituals and painting sensu (folding fans) with natural pigments colored by food scraps at the hotel’s Earth Lab. My son loved the beautifully designed Grow With Six Senses kids’ club, where he played with wooden toys, tossed boulder-shaped pillows down the slide, and learned to make origami. Doubles from $1,118. —Lindsay Cohn

Soneva Secret, Maldives

When it opened in the remote Makunudhoo Atoll, the hotly anticipated Soneva Secret became the fourth Soneva resort across the Maldives and Thailand. With just 14 palatial beach and overwater villas (its first-of-its-kind floating villa is still under construction), each accommodation has a gym, spa room, one or two bedrooms, a kitchen, and endless places to bask in the Maldivian breeze. I’ve been to 40 resorts in the Maldives, but I’ve never seen a program like Soneva Secret’s private chef concept, where guests choose a cuisine, and a chef with deep ties to its food comes to your villa and cooks a multi-course meal. During my stay, I requested Chinese, Italian, and Japanese, digging into fresh Maldivian sashimi for lunch and al dente prawn pasta for dinner. Soneva Secret also has three restaurants, including an overwater spot called Out Of This World, where adventurous guests arrive for a multi-course European fusion feast via the country’s longest zipline, and The Living Room restaurant, with Soneva’s beloved ice cream and chocolate room opposite its decadent charcuterie and cheese room. Still, I took most of my meals in my villa, where sustainably sourced light timber interiors, reclaimed metal finishes, and petrified wood counters decorated my thatched-roof escape. I made good use of the main bedroom’s retractable roof and fell asleep under the stars. Doubles from $5,800. —Katie Lockhart

The Standard, Singapore

Singapore calls itself “the Garden City,” and this 143-room property leans into that identity. From the outside, the Standard is, well, quite standard for the uber-modern metropolis: a cool, sleek glass box rising from the tree-lined streets of the Orchard neighborhood, named for the nutmeg and citrus farms that once dominated the area. Inside, the mood instantly warms. In the lobby, my eyes were drawn to the terrarium at the check-in desk. The site-specific installation by Thai artist Eric Tobua is a miniature tropical wonderland, replete with orchids and butterflies. Through the lobby’s floor-to-ceiling windows, I could also see a multi-tiered garden courtyard, featuring a soaring green wall alive with all manner of tropical plants—philodendron, nettle, evergreen vines. The horticultural theme continued at the Cafe Standard, the hotel’s all-day restaurant and bar, where I sipped on a refreshing “botanical sling,” a spin on the iconic Singaporean gin cocktail. Upstairs at Kaya, an izakaya-inspired restaurant, another Thai artist, Saran Yen Panya, has papered the walls lavishly with intricate flowers, hand-embroidered by his mother and sister. At dinner, I delighted in the cleverly, if morbidly, named Finding Miso; the gorgeous char of the grilled flounder pairs beautifully with tsuyu, a Japanese condiment made with soy and sake, here enriched with miso. I also loved the tiramisu, its flavor deepened by miso’s umami. That evening, I wasn’t quite ready to sleep, totally enamored by the sparkling nighttime panorama of the cityscape—a view all The Standard, Singapore’s own. Doubles from $216. —Jeff Chu

The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit

The StandardX Bangkok Phra Arthit—which marks The Standard brand’s second outpost in Bangkok, under the more wallet-friendly StandardX banner—is a love letter to Thai talent and terroir. The cavernous lobby features rotating art exhibitions by creatives such Kantapon Metheekul (also known as Gongkan) and Anurot Chanphosri. The adjoining café serves brews from coffee beans sourced in northern Thailand’s Nan province, while the boutique is a one-stop-shop for jewelry by Bangkok-based Hizoga or organic skincare by Patom. The 62 spacious rooms strike a balance between simplicity and fun, with clean lines and tongue-in-cheek touches, such as tea bags tucked into faux cigarette packs. Upstairs, the rooftop opens to a pool overlooking the Chao Phraya River, alongside a bar (try the Mezcal Guavarita with pink guava cordial). While some of Bangkok’s top street food districts, including Yaowarat and Nang Loeng, are just a short taxi ride away, the hotel’s restaurant, Bang, makes staying in just as tempting, with breakfasts including Thai congee or coconut mango pancakes, and dinners of chicken curry-smothered roti and zingy som tum papaya salad. Doubles from $112. —Chris Schalkx

Stockholm Stadshotell 

There’s a stylish new address in Stockholm’s hip Södermalm district—admittedly, in a building constructed in 1875 in memory of King Oscar I. At Stockholm Stadshotell, I stayed in a breezy ground-floor chamber but loved the expansive top-floor suites with fireplaces in each living room. Black-and-white imagery by Swedish photographer Gunnar Smoliansky decorate the walls of the 34 rooms, while woodworker Klara Knutsson enlivens the elevators with scenes depicting local life. Stepping into celebrated chef Olle T Cellton’s Mediterranean-style bistro neighboring slick Salongen bar, I felt like a local at Sweden’s first Relais & Châteaux property. One evening, I spent mingling with the Swedes over a casual bite at the buzzing bistro, and the next, I floated up the spiral staircase to devour the chef’s tasting menu at restaurant Matsalen, set in a former chapel, where I sat in Dorthé Atelier’s woven chairs beside velvety banquettes. And how better to end a Swedish sojourn than with a dip in the private subterranean spa? The ice bath quickly confirmed my non-local status. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $378. —Kasia Dietz

The Store, Oxford, England

There’s a reason why the university city of Oxford has inspired so many generations of children’s authors. The place is a rabbit hole of intrigue. Alas, its tight medieval center doesn’t leave much space for 21st-century facilities, and for decades, it has lacked the hotel that equals its popularity as a destination. 

The 101-room Store, which opened last summer, presents a brilliant solution to this problem. It’s a breezy, modern hotel, complete with a spa (with Oskia products) and rooftop cocktail bar (usually you have to sneak onto a college roof for such a good view). And yet, it still has a bit of Oxford charm, being located in an iconic old building: the venerable Boswells department store, which was open for nearly three centuries before shuttering in 2020. The lobby presents a serene refuge from the tourist hubbub outside, and I found that the Treadwell restaurant offers inventive spins on British classics, like curried chicken pie. Doubles from $373. —Richard Godwin

The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, Florida

Set on 18 acres overlooking the sun-kissed shores of Sarasota’s longest barrier island, St. Regis Longboat Key Resort is a 168-room destination in its own right. There’s a welcoming buzz all over the property—most notably in the lobby, where guests are greeted by daily live entertainment and a full-service bar. Another popular hangout spot is the main pool area with an adjacent Polynesian-themed bar and a lazy river connected to a grotto with a hot tub. Guests soaking in the grotto’s hot tub can press a button and get a glass of Champagne delivered. The resort’s 26 oceanfront suites, ranging in size from one to four bedrooms, are sleek and modern with fully furnished living rooms and balconies with beautiful views of the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico. There are seven restaurants, but I especially loved dining at CW Prime, a high-end steakhouse with an exclusive speakeasy lounge, and at rooftop Oshen, serving seafood with Japanese- and Peruvian-inspired flavors. Other on-site amenities include a 500,000-gallon saltwater lagoon where guests can snorkel among tropical fish and feed stingrays, as well as a 20,000-foot spa complete with hydrotherapy circuits and an infinity pool. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $3,000. —Annie Archer

The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel, New York

When I dined at Casa Tua—a swank restaurant and members’ club in the sparkling Surrey hotel (right) on the Upper East Side—it was brimming with New Yorkers looking for a good martini and a plate of hand-cut pappardelle. Originally opened in 1926, the hotel hosted stars of stage and screen, including Rosemary Clooney and Bette Davis. Following a three-year renovation by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, it has reopened as part of Corinthia Hotels, a European brand making its North American debut. The design is elegant and richly textured: 100 rooms outfitted with Murano chandeliers; cream, gold, and terra-cotta tones; grass cloth lining the walls. My room was one of four with a hand-painted mural inside the closet, depicting one of the bridges in Central Park, just a block away. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $1,000. —Elizabeth Cantrell

Terra Palm Springs, California

Power walking down Palm Canyon Drive on an uncharacteristically chilly day in Palm Springs, I had only one goal in mind: to get myself back into the Himalayan salt sauna at Terra as quickly as possible. The 13-room boutique retreat is the first hotel opened by its founders, a young team of architects and entrepreneurs, but you’d never know it. Diana Ossa, Soli Cayetano, Josh Dobken, and Carrick Young have created what they’re calling Palm Springs’ first wellness-focused hotel—and while their claim sounds bold in a destination built for leisure, the truth is there’s nothing like it so close to downtown. Revamping a poolside motel with modern design certainly isn’t a new approach for the California desert’s hospitality scene (though the team’s use of organic materials brings a fresh vibe). Yet Terra’s immersive wellness options make it an area standout. “There are so many boutique hotels in the area, but we noticed none of them were catering toward that health and wellness aspect,” Cayetano, the project’s creative director, told T+L. “We wanted to bring that down to Palm Springs and allow people to have a more restorative experience.” In addition to Terra’s inviting Himalayan salt sauna, common areas include a cold plunge, a Jacuzzi, and a “rain forest room” with a rain shower, soothing thunderstorm sounds, and lush greenery. The self-led wellness circuit is free and low-key (no one is judged for adding a stop at the pool bar for a craft cocktail or mocktail and a snack catered from neighboring eatery Workshop). Guests can also book an Ayurvedic spa treatment and make use of in-room wellness products like HigherDose infrared Pemf mats, Gracious Minds hydrating sheet masks, Plant People mushroom gummies, and Raw Juicery cleanses. Ground-floor rooms have private gardens, with amenities ranging from an outdoor soaking tub and a private cold plunge to a firepit. A movement-themed room comes with yoga gear, while another is outfitted with technology aimed at optimizing sleep. A yoga class and sound bath is open to all guests on Saturdays. 

“Everyone in L.A. and San Diego is craving that deeper reset,” Cayetano says. “They’re coming on vacation and they want to have fun, but they also want to reconnect with themselves and disconnect with technology.” As I exhaled in the quiet sauna, feeling the comforting heat emanate from the pink walls around me, I had to agree—it was exactly the type of reset this Angeleno was looking for. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $400. —Nina Ruggiero

The Twenty Two New York

In early 20th-century Manhattan, what was an unaccompanied, well-off woman to do if she needed to spend a night in the city, perhaps to do some shopping, or, if she were an actress, artist, or teacher, to spend a few weeks before she could find an apartment? She might have gone to the Margaret Louisa Home, a women’s hotel that ran from 1891 to 1917, where female guests were free to stay without a husband or male relative. The operation was funded by Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt Shepard (yes, those Vanderbilts) and provided a safe, social environment for a growing class of working women. 

Today, after a substantial renovation by London’s Child Studio, the building entered a new but no less fabulous era as The Twenty Two New York, a smashing 77-room hotel just off Union Square. It’s the second location for the brand, which debuted in London’s Mayfair neighborhood back in 2022; like its sibling, the New York outpost has a members-only nightclub and dining room. It also has a vibrant Middle Eastern restaurant, Cafe Zaffri, that’s open to the public. When I dined there on a Wednesday night in the middle of February, it was packed with young creatives sharing plates of fried eggplant with black sesame and toum or harissa-dusted octopus skewers, and sipping Lebanese wine. Done up in shades of dusty pinks and burgundy, or, as my room was, deep, midnight blue and soft cream, the hotel felt hushed and sexy. Doubles from $695. —Elizabeth Cantrell

Valldemossa, Mallorca

A little-known secret about Mallorca is that you can find more history (and incredible luxury) if you leave the beach and head into the mountains. Enter Valldemossa, one of the newest properties to grace the peaks of the Tramuntana mountain range. Built on the former site of Royal Charterhouse Palace, which once housed guests visiting the village of Valldemossa’s 14th-century monastery, the hotel has preserved that antique feeling. A stone staircase framed by olive trees leads to the main terrace, from which a meandering path will bring you to one of the 12 rooms. The pool is a prime spot to enjoy the views of citrus orchards, and the village below—but a table at De Tokio a Lima, the second location of Palma’s hit Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant—offers an even better perch. Aesthetics aside, the heart of the hotel is the Sanctuary, where guests can receive full-body spa rituals tailored to their individual needs. After arriving for my appointment in the morning, I emerged from the treatment room hours later having completely lost track of time, imbued with a newfound lightness and feeling fresh to explore the village down the street. Doubles from $365. —Jamie Ditaranto

Viceroy at Ombria Algarve, Portugal

When I moved to Portugal, I fell in love with the country’s sense of calm. There’s always time to sit for coffee and appreciate the view, and there’s simply no rush. It’s a vibe that’s hard to capture, but the Viceroy at Ombria Algarve somehow manages to embody this sense of calma. The resort has 76 guest rooms spread out across 24 buildings, all surrounding its “town square,” which sits in the midst of 370 acres of private land, punctuated by fig, citrus, and olive trees. Here, guests can lean further into Portuguese culture with artisan-led workshops in pottery, tile painting, and bread baking, or choose off-site activities like visits to a local honey farm, guided hikes, and horseback riding. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $236. —Stacey Leasca

Voaara Madagascar

On the 90-minute drive from the airstrip on Sainte-Marie, a low-key island off the northeast coast of Madagascar, to Voaara resort, the hum of village life gave way to an empty, palm-fringed coast and eventually a sign that read, “Last Stop Before Paradise.” Spread over 100 acres of jungle, with a pearly-white beachfront, Voaara’s secluded setting feels like a utopian private island. The opening marks owner Philippe Kjellgren’s (the founder of the Kiwi Collection) foray into a new brand of barefoot luxury, designed for guests who want to fall asleep to the sound of lapping waves, dine with their toes in the sand, and rinse off from the sea in a jungle-shrouded outdoor shower. “It’s not for everyone,” Kjellgren admitted. But it was certainly for me. Seven bungalows and a three-bedroom villa are steps from the sand, and all feature driftwood beams collected from nearby beaches, funky raffia lighting, and oversized landscape prints from Madagascan photographer Pierrot Men. Guests can snorkel the vibrant house reefs, whale watch with the resident marine biologist, and learn to wing foil with pro surfer Willow Hardy. Kjellgren drew on his favorite touches from some 2,000 hotels he’s visited to inform the property’s whimsical experiences, like a sushi dinner followed by stargazing in the Bird’s Nest, a wood-clad tower topped with an observatory. (Future Voaara locations are also planned for the Caribbean and Rwanda.) I’d say, paradise found. Doubles from $1,300. —Jen Murphy

The Westin Bora Bora Resort & Spa

When one thinks of Bora Bora, the first image that comes to mind is likely an overwater bungalow positioned over crystal-clear waters. The newest resort to the French Polynesian island since 2017, The Westin Bora Bora Resort & Spa, is no exception. One of its main draws is its location at the base of Mount Otemanu, offering an unobstructed view. The design, which is the result of an extensive renovation and rebrand (Le Méridien used to sit on this plot of the atoll), also brings the outdoors in. There are 14 beach bungalows, as well as 128 overwater bungalows—the largest collection in Bora Bora—connected by a winding boardwalk. The vibe is laid-back, but I found the staff’s anticipatory service to be a subtle and welcome part of the stay. For example, on the second day, a server at Tipanier, one of the hotel’s six restaurants, brought our coffee orders as soon as we were seated at breakfast. Snorkeling gear was left outside the door of our bungalow following an offhand comment I made to a waiter about seeing stingrays from our plunge pool. At the spa, the masseuse added a local soothing serum to aid in the healing of the sunburn I’d gotten on my back. And at Maere, the resort’s signature restaurant, the chef cooked all the courses on seafood night for my mother, who does not eat raw shellfish—a shame, in my book, but one the restaurant handled perfectly. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $1,000. —Jess Feldman

Wilderness Bisate Reserve, Rwanda

The main lodge at Wilderness Bisate Reserve, located outside of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, is a near-perfect replica of a royal Rwandan residence, with a towering thatched roof, a crackling fireplace, and an emerald bar. All this is before you even get to your own palatially appointed quarters. The reserve has just four en-suite villas, accommodating a maximum of eight people; each includes a lounge area, fully stocked kitchen, and bar. In the bedroom, guests will find a roaring fireplace, a soaking tub, and a rainfall shower, along with a wood-burning hot tub with a view of the verdant hillside on the terrace. An unforgettable gorilla trek is almost certainly on the agenda, but guests can also tack on a hike to see the golden monkeys swing between the trees and take part in a number of on-site sustainability activities, including planting a tree to help in its effort to reforest the surrounding land. Doubles from $3,200 per person, all-inclusive. —Stacey Leasca

Wood Hotel Bodø, Brumunddal, Norway

Wood Hotel Bodø has something that few other Norwegian hotels do: a rooftop pool. Despite summertime temperatures rarely exceeding 77°F in Bodø, the comfortable 95°F year-round water is one of the hotel’s calling cards, as are the property’s panoramic views of the peninsula. Look left, and the snow-capped mountains of Straumøya are in view; look right, and the vast Norwegian Sea and rounded, granite Landegode island dominate the horizon. Each room—furnished with cabinetry, chairs, side tables, and handblown glass lamps all made in Norway—looks out at either land or sea. At the property’s main restaurant, Attme, the menu is unapologetically Nordic: cod with bacon, marinated scallops with a sea buckthorn ponzo. The hotel sits on Rønvikfjellet mountain, making it the perfect base from which to set out on the web of hiking trails that wind through the surrounding greenery. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $141. —Monique Ceccato