Since it opened 30 years ago, the Domaine de Murtoli has offered the privacy, space, and service sought by the very famous and very wealthy, while at the same time improving the land it occupies and generating much of its own produce – including, now, biodynamic wine. The only problem was that its original 20 houses and shepherds’ huts, scattered across the 6,178 acres that owner Paul Canarelli had inherited from his grandfather, were often booked up. Enter the nine-room Hôtel de la Ferme (opened in 2021), at the heart of the estate, and now A Mandria di Murtoli, a 10-minute drive through the maquis to the north. With 10 rooms and suites in renovated farm buildings, this new boutique hotel has the same rustic-luxe soul as its older siblings but is more decorative and playful in its expression: Tiles by Cesararda mirror the dappled greens and blues of Sardinia, across the strait. Ideal for group celebrations, the layout is centred on a beautiful pool and a chic outdoor bar and informal Italian restaurant situated among fragrant immortelle and lavender. Guests also have access to the Domaine itself, with its sensational Table de la Plage and theatrical Table de la Grotte, set within and atop a cluster of giant granite boulders. From £241. Lisa Johnson

Florence can get a bit hectic. It’s not just the cavalcade of artistic treasure; it’s also the crowds surging along the banks of the Arno and through the galleries of the Uffizi. Which is what makes the Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Collection, such a delight. Sitting on the first hills above the city, it’s a spacious retreat on a quiet street in a residential neighbourhood and yet barely a 10-minute taxi ride from the Piazza della Repubblica. The building seems to have had nine lives, from aristocratic palace to prestigious private school before its stunning revival in 2025 as one of Florence’s most sumptuous hotels. The design team, ArchFlorence, has managed the neat trick of creating spaces that feel both palatial and intimate. Through every doorway there is another discovery: the wonderful Conservatoire, once a courtyard and now full of books and sofas, natural light, and midmorning pastries; La Gamella, now one of the top restaurants in Florence, overlooking formal gardens; even a theatre that hosts dinner dances and concerts. Every room has arresting original pieces – paintings, sculpture, ceramics – from the owner’s impressive contemporary collections. But the real star here is Florence. The Collegio offers what visitors have wanted in Florence since the days of E.M. Forster, namely, a room with a view. Open your curtains in the mornings and there it is: a panorama of red rooftops, palazzi, campanili, and Brunelleschi’s incomparable dome. From £995. Stanley Stewart

Of all the smart new hotels that have recently opened in the Dolomites, Castel Badia—set in a manor house that dates back to the year 1000 – is at the top of the pile. The hotel, an Alpine counterpart to ­Puglia’s Borgo Egnazia, was created by Ian Schrager’s protégé Aldo Melpignano, who brings a new sense of cool to high-end Italian hospitality. The building has served as a courthouse, a convent, a private castle, and, since the 1970s, a hotel. A recent renovation saved everything that could be saved: The floors, wood ceilings, stuccoed vaults, and frescoes remain. A painting of an abbess gazes down from the wall of the show kitchen at the casual, traditional Stube, where chef Andrea Ribaldone prepares dishes like grilled pumpkin served with truffles and olive oil; he will also open a fine-dining restaurant in the coming year. Silence reigns in this ancient castle, where life, as it did in the Middle Ages, revolves around the courtyard. Through that nexus you access the garden, swimming pool, guest rooms (there are 28 in total, along with a three-story chalet), basement spa with frescoed relaxation rooms overlooking the mountains, and crypt of San Lorenzo, a ­protected site that, like the rest of the castle, is open to the public. This remains a sacred place, even as guests enjoy its sybaritic offerings. From £477. Sara Magro

To understand Madrid’s idiosyncrasies, you must first learn the word castizo. It refers to something typical, genuine, authentic…and also to a spirit of Madrid that everyone imagines and no one wants to lose. The Palace was, is, and always will be castizo. Now it is also luxury. And that’s because, after a complete and thorough renovation, Madrid’s grande dame has returned. The meticulous revitalisation of the façade, carried out by Ruiz Larrea Arquitectura, involved working on more than 8,000 square meters through in-depth scientific analysis to recover the original aesthetics and materials. The iconic “Palace colour,” a soft beige that contrasts with the terra-cotta-painted ornamentation, has also been restored. Inside, the building’s other great treasure is its wrought-iron-and-glass dome, designed by Eduardo Ferrés i Puig in 1912. It now shines after painstaking refurbishment, which was no small feat: 1,875 pieces of glass were restored one by one after dismantling and cataloguing the dome, thanks to the work of more than 100 specialists in a workshop set up on-site. Lázaro Rosa-Violán designed the interior of the common areas, 20 event halls, and the 470 rooms and suites, having drawn clear and logical inspiration from the hotel’s legendary history and some of its most famous guests, such as Picasso, Mata Hari, Dalí, Lorca, and Hemingway. From £433. David Moralejo

This secluded modernist villa-hotel and five-acre estate is sheltered in the long arm of Gondang Beach in northwestern Lombok, nestled in a coconut grove in the lee of the often cloud-wreathed Mount Rinjani. The iconic volcano, the second largest in Indonesia, rises above an emerald patchwork of rice paddies at the estate’s shoulder, while to the west, the complex faces a wide ocean horizon. This is a ringside seat on the constantly changing spectacle of the surf and the violet sunsets, the stirring drama of Bali’s famous Mount Agung, which is silhouetted against the skyline and emits occasional plumes of smoke. The nine low-slung villas—along with the main hub containing the OFYR grill restaurant and the wellness and communal living space (with a lounge, a small gym and yoga studio, a bar, and a Kerastase hair salon)—are built from rough stone conceived to blend into a startling pewter-colored beach. The diamond sparkle of mica in decorative stones catches the light of the evening lanterns and flares on the private terraces as dusk. The sober Brutalist linearity of the architecture, the minimalist palette, and the restrained aesthetic enforce a deep sense of tranquillity and a quiet, restorative luxury that enhances rather than detracts from the peerless views. It’s a place to decompress, breathe, and forget the world; total privacy and 24-hour service guaranteed by your personal butler and chef. From £513. Catherine Fairweather

Perched at the edge of the desert, Marrakech is improbably a garden city, its medina an intricate jigsaw of riad courtyards that reflect deeply held Islamic beliefs about water, light, and the art of living harmoniously with the natural world. Jnane Rumi – the Garden of Rumi – sits squarely within this tradition in the Palmeraie, Marrakech’s historic palm grove. It was designed by Tunisian-born Charles Boccara as a private home and has just 12 rooms: seven in the mansion, four garden pavilions, and one private villa. Boccara grew up in Casablanca and graduated from the Beaux-Arts de Paris, and this mini manor house – with its arches and domes, expressive use of local materials, and elegantly ­mullioned windows that connect the house with a glorious garden of centenarian palms and pistachio trees – embodies his elegant Euro-Maghrebi style. It’s a seductive oasis that ­naturally gathers life, which is why owners Gert-Jan van den Bergh, an art-restitution lawyer, and his somatic-therapist wife, Corinne, felt compelled to transform it into a ­cultural hub, platforming contemporary Moroccan artists and designers, and curating art events and creative retreats. From £440. Paula Hardy

On opening week at 1 Hotel Copenhagen, the check-in counter was already buzzing. In the plant-filled lounge, couples, and families were sprawled across blond-wood Danish modern furniture, eating cardamom-laced buns, and warming their hands by a hygge-worthy fireplace. Not surprising, because the hotelier has gained a large American (and increasingly European) following for its biophilic design and commitment to sustainability. Fans love it because they know exactly what they’ll get, whether in Miami or Melbourne: reclaimed materials, earthy textures, and greenery used as architecture rather than ornament. For its newest outpost, the brand feels intentional about also being of its place. The hotel is housed in the refurbished former Skt. Petri Hotel, once the celebrated Daells Varehus department store, and sits slap-bang in the middle of the Latin Quarter. In the spacious, sun-lit rooms, there are signs of a more Nordic interpretation of decor. At Fjora, the menu is anchored by slow cooking that’s mindful of waste and sourcing: Nordic trout, fermented drinks, and other produce from nearby purveyors. Other hints follow: Rows of bicycles—the preferred local mode of transport—are at the ready, and the backyard is surrounded by apartment buildings, where life carries on. It’s these locals that 1 Hotel hopes to lure with open-invitation sauna events and lobby DJ sets, a marked counterpoint to the city’s grandes dames. From £233. Arati Menon

The current spa trend for longevity treatments is all well and good, but gemütlichkeit—the Viennese version of hygge—is a whole lot more fun and life-affirming. Rather than a cryotherapy chamber, it’s best experienced in a grand café with a coffee and cake in hand, along with the time to stretch out for half a morning. That’s the mood at the Mandarin, where life revolves around the glass-roofed court at its heart. The coffee splutters from the shiny Modbar machines on one side; the cakes are courtesy of pastry chef maestro Christian Grübler, who fizzes like baking soda while describing his creations. In place of the expected schnitzel, however, is a clever, seafood-forward menu from Thomas Seifried, who brings a little Caribbean sunshine from his time in the Cayman Islands. Once a rather fusty courthouse in the historic first district, the building has been subtly transformed by the London-based Goddard Littlefair studio, which set out to soften its austerity and pay homage to the Vienna Secession Art Nouveau period. The result is a luminous space etched and furnished with geometric design riffs, from the piano-key motifs on the molding and marble sunbursts on the floor to the ’20s-style club chairs and hand-tufted rugs, while a celebratory Champagne-pop of a chandelier greets guests in the lobby. Striking abstract works by some of Austria’s top female artists are sparingly displayed—such as the hypnotic Op Art paintings by Barbara Piller in the bedrooms. Below all this is the spa, quite as neat and reassuring as a Chanel perfume box, where still waters reflect the plumes of grey onyx on the walls and treatments include sound therapy. Many of Vienna’s grand hotels are operatic in their outlook; this is more like chamber music—a symphony of quiet luxury. From £595. Rick Jordan

There’s an understated new arrival in Milan’s fashionable heart, the Quadrilatero della Moda. In many ways it’s the epitome of the Milanese. Neither flashy nor maximalist, it eschews grand gestures and unnecessary embellishment and focuses instead on exceptional high quality and craftsmanship. Part of Rocco Forte Hotels, this is very much a family affair. Interior design is overseen by Sir Rocco Forte’s sister Olga Polizzi, who worked with Philip Vergelyn and Paolo Moschino to create calming spaces that whisper rather than shout. The suites with private terraces among the neighbourhood’s rooftops really do sing, though—they’re delightful on sunny mornings and evenings, and ideal for peering at the fashion action in the street below. Facing the silence of the inner courtyard, the rooms are conducive to the best night’s sleep, especially when one is cosseted by fluffy pillows and wrapped in silky smooth sheets. Additional relaxation comes courtesy of the bijou spa by Irene Forte, Sir Rocco’s daughter, where therapies use made-in-Italy products infused with apricot, horse chestnut, and hibiscus seed from her B Corp–certified skin-care brand. The food is equally wholesome, made with seasonal ingredients sourced from artisanal producers. And this being Milan, an aperitivo is a must. The Carlton Bar’s classics are reliable standards, but cocktail maestro Salvatore Calabrese’s signatures will keep guests sipping and chatting long into the night. From £1,150. Nicola Chilton

With global wellness behemoth Six Senses’ first foray into the UK, Bayswater no longer languishes in the shadow of Notting Hill. The once faded Whiteleys department store is now a £1.5 billion -development that folds in the hotel and world-class residences. While the building’s assets remain intact – grand façade, towering windows, domed ceiling – the interiors have been transmogrified into a biophilic haven, where a thousand plants bring a magical realist feel to the lobby, flanking the spiral staircase and sprouting inside vitrines designed to look like those that once displayed handbags and gloves. Many of the 109 rooms and suites have terraces – the Whiteley Suite hogs a 1,345-square-foot roof space – and design studio AvroKO’s inky blues, deep orange accents and fresh herringbone floors create a cosily light-flooded interior world. The restaurant offering has rocketed Bayswater into the food stratosphere. Executive chef Eliano Crespi uses British ingredients for international dishes rolled out from his fermentation lab and open kitchen. But the pièce de résistance is Six Senses’ first members’ club, open to locals. A whole subterranean floor is devoted to biohacking hardware (for cryotherapy, red-light therapy and more) and there’s a thermal suite with a magnesium plunge pool, Finnish sauna, quartz crystal bed, and 20-metre swimming pool. There’s even a room where an alchemist leads workshops and conjures tinctures, and a resident crystal healer who can bathe stones in the moonlight for the best vibes in town. From £825. Sarah Bannerman

Recently, there has been plenty of talk about the rise of a new type of elevated UK farm-stay – some design-led, others with serious foodie credentials – but this retreat near Ugborough in south Devon nails it all. To diversify their 450-acre regenerative livestock farm, the Owens family launched 10 suites in their Victorian farmhouse and a pair of repurposed stone barns last year. All feel connected to the land through a palette of layered, natural materials: custom oak furniture, Welsh sandstone floors, and Naturalmat mattresses made with wool from their own flock of Manx Loaghtan sheep (the farm also has Boer goats and Tamworth-Berkshire pigs). Serendipitous moments might include a slice of lemon drizzle cake at teatime or a chat with head gardener Shelley about what’s growing in the garden, while a changing weekly program of activities rotates between farm tours, gin tastings, and yoga in the greenhouse. One of the biggest draws, though, is the informal, four-course suppers, eaten at the communal table in The Refectory, where executive chef Elly Wentworth plates up dishes such as shorthorn beef agnolotti or roasted wild bass from an open kitchen. It’s a truly spoiling yet authentic farm stay. From £638. Emma Love

Aman Nai Lert Bangkok is not a place one loves then leaves. It stays with you. For nearly a year, over and over, I’ve wished to be back in its ninth-floor infinity pool, delicate shadows from a massive sampong tree canopy dancing on the salt water as a wispy breeze fluttered in my hair. I can’t count how often I’ve begun salivating when I thought of the tender, sticky-sweet-and-salty moo ping pork skewers and limitless bowls of melt-in-your-mouth mango I devoured at breakfast. And I crave deeply the energy-releasing tap-tap-tap of the hand-carved teak tools used in the extensive and empyreal hotel spa’s singular Nud Tok Sen massage. These are not only happy memories; they are all connected to the rich storytelling of this urban resort built amid a seven-acre bubble of lushness that was the early-20th-century teak retreat of visionary Thai entrepreneur and businessman Phraya Bhakdinorasreth, known as Nai Lert – it’s well worth a tour. His descendants’ hotel and private members club is intimately tethered to its place down to the littlest detail, such as custom-designed tipis for the youngest guests depicting Nai Lert’s famous pet leopard, Chao Taem. (The classic-luxury touches are there too, like circular bathtubs – so large that they’re practically plunge pools – best enjoyed with gratis Billecart-Salmon Champagne from the minibar.) Glamorously artful and thoughtful in both aesthetics and hospitality, the bolt-hole is perhaps Bangkok’s most personal, chockablock with intimate references in a setting best described as elysian. Being a guest here feels like being woven into the fabric of its history too. From £830. Kathryn Romeyn

In the early noughties Park Hyatt Tokyo’s indelible Kenzo Tange-designed tower inspired cult film Lost in Translation. Following a recent 19-month closure and renovation, the air of enchantment that lingers around this hallowed icon in Shinjuku is not only alive, but as effervescent as ever. Paris-based Studio Jouin Manku’s reinvention should please the most loyal patrons, including Sofia Coppola, with a reverent yet refreshing take on masterful interior designer John Morford’s original vision. This is a noticeable ramp-up, which retains Park Hyatt’s moody, slightly traditional, forest-imbued vibe and much of its pre-existing art, layering the look with new commissions from those same Japanese talents. The 52nd floor’s landmark New York Bar and neighbouring Grill are still fabulous, serving up nostalgia alongside flawless martinis, live jazz, Ruinart bubbles and buttery Japanese beef. Eleven floors down, the new Girandole by Alain Ducasse is a dreamy culinary jaunt to Paris atop white linens; and Kozue salutes the seasons via intricate kaiseki courses presented with bows and smiles by kimonoed servers, overlooking Mount Fuji. The hotel’s atmosphere is restorative: yuzu bath salts and hushed orange sunrises; swims at Club on the Park beneath a glass atrium ceiling; tranquillising calligraphy-inspired facial massages using soft handcrafted Kumano brushes. What has always been true about Park Hyatt Tokyo still is: guests aren’t just booking a Frette-topped bed, but also a ticket to a legendary experience. From £614. Kathryn Romeyn

A shiny new addition to Hong Kong’s ever-changing cityscape, the 50-story Kimpton Tsim Sha Tsui is cleverly built in the shape of a flying V, ensuring sparkling Victoria Harbour views from every angle. Hip yet homely rooms are decked out in warm woods and plush green hues, their whopping picture windows take full advantage of the views looking east in the direction of the old Kai Tak airport runway or south toward the glittering jewel that is Hong Kong Island. Suites take it up another notch with sunken jacuzzi bathtubs set next to the beds. Perched up top like an eagle’s aerie, the 98-foot-long rooftop infinity pool is reserved for guests but anyone can swing by the circular bar at the adjacent Swim Club for tasty little tacos, zingy shochu cocktails, and some light flirting with Hong Kong’s cool fashion crowd. The property’s flagship Chinese restaurant, Jija – from Vicky Lau, one of Hong Kong’s most respected chefs – is also worth a visit for moreish versions of southwest China’s sour, spicy, aromatic dishes – lime shredded chicken, chicken liver parfait with scallion focaccia, Rushan cheese spring rolls – even if you’re not staying at the hotel. From £295. Lee Cobaj

Perched in the green foothills of the Collserola mountains, the METT Barcelona places the city literally at one’s feet. Opened in 1925, the storied hotel ushered in a new era on its centenary under Sunset Hospitality Group’s flagship brand, METT Hotels & Resorts, with a complete design reboot across its shared spaces and 70 rooms and suites. The hotel now includes a Valmont Red Carpet Spa, previously exclusive to New York and Los Angeles, plus a pool club, elegant event spaces, panoramic terraces, and a lively dining scene that opens onto the city: Albarada serves refined Mediterranean cuisine paired with sweeping views and impeccable service. At the effortlessly chic 1925 Vermutería, cocktails, wines, and vermouths flow while dining on tapas day and night. Rounding it all out is the light-filled Florida Lounge by Lladró. From £351. Sara Andrade

Frankfurt hasn’t exactly been dripping with glamour since several of its grandest hotels quietly closed in recent years. Little wonder, then, that The Florentin is one of the city’s most keenly awaited openings. Formerly Rocco Forte’s Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt’s best-known hotel has been reimagined with a sleeker, more worldly sensibility by Singapore-based studio Unscripted, whose past credits range from Aman Tokyo to the Chedi Andermatt, and Atelier Zurich of Switzerland. Italianate flourishes in chestnut wood, bronze, and blush-veined European marble have given way to a more grown-up restraint; the room count has been trimmed to 147 and the spa doubled in size, all in the service of turning the hotel into an urban sanctuary. The operation is overseen by Althoff Collection, one of Germany’s most respected hotel groups, especially for its culinary pedigree. For the bar, it tapped Maxim Kilian, an early mover in the country’s craft-cocktail scene (his white vermouth, peach and rosemary-vodka signature alone is worth settling in for). Over in The Dune, the hotel’s flagship restaurant, Niclas Nussbaumer, whose work earned Restaurant Mühle in Schluchsee two Michelin stars, marries classic French technique with subtle Asian inflections, making a persuasive case for the imminent return of those stars. From £433. Florian Siebeck

This latest Corinthia has revitalised the historic 1920s former offices of the Bank of Italy in Campo Marzio, a district that’s full of life and landmarks, giving Rome back a part of its heritage that had been closed for more than two decades. Its new incarnation is as a modern hotel with 60 spacious and bright rooms with exquisite inlays, mosaics, frescoes and in some categories, lounges and terraces. The Theodoli Heritage Suite on the piano nobile includes the Sala de Consiglio, the room where the bank’s board would meet, and the spa is in the basement, where the vault once stood. The space is now an urban retreat inspired by ancient Roman baths and with treatments that use both natural and hi-tech products. Throughout the hotel, the best advice is to look up: the ceilings are a series of stuccoes, details in gold leaf and frescoes, such as the spectacular one in the Sala de Consiglio that illustrates the history of Italian coinage from the Etruscans to the early 20th century. Travellers and resident Romans alike flock to Viride restaurant to sample chef and TV star Carlo Cracco’s contemporary Italian haute cuisine, such as his famous marinated egg and caramelised Russian salad; while at open-air bistro Piazzetta, the standout dish is the wonderfully light carbonara. In both the restaurants and the Ocra bar it’s easy to bump into Italian politicians on a break – the Italian parliament meets in the building facing the hotel, the Palazzo Montecitorio. From £1,130. Sara Magro

The corner of Mayfair once known as Little America is now home to a Hong Kong–grown hotel brand spotlighting everything from Japanese cooking to French wellness. Centuries-old ties with US presidents (Adams, Monroe, Buchanan), plus its 60-year stint as the setting of the US Embassy, once made Grosvenor Square entirely impenetrable. Now, Rosewood door staff greet intrigued passersby who crane their neck for a look inside the lobby and invite them to take a look around, while diners sip wine on the umbrella-strewn terrace at street level. Theodore Roszak’s 35-foot gilded eagle—an original feature from the building’s embassy era—watches over the square from the newly added seventh-floor terrace bar. Multiple years of renovations transformed the former Chancery; three brand-new floors were made possible by the discovery of the original architect’s plans, which included them). This is an all-suite hotel: here are 144 of them, with textures, rather than gilding, that do a lot of the talking. A slick opening from sushi master Masayoshi Takayama, Tobi Masa is the standout among the five restaurants and bars, while the Asaya Spa, on one of the basement levels, has one of Mayfair’s biggest pools and offers techy skin-care treatments. From top-to-toe, this is a London landmark reimagined. From £1,405. Sarah James

The Seville-born 20th-century architect Aníbal González’s most famous legacy is the grand semicircular Plaza de España in María Luisa Park, but he has many lesser-known Neo-Mudéjar designs dotted around the city too. One such building in the old town is a former art house theatre and cinema, dilapidated for two decades, that reopened after a three-and-a-half-year restoration as the third outpost of Cristine Bedfor hotels. The sheer scale of the space – it unfolds around a scene-stealing, glass-covered central courtyard restaurant with a performance stage – makes it feel quite different from the much-loved original in Menorca. What links the two is the interiors by Lorenzo Castillo. Here, the Spanish Golden Age and the paintings of Diego Velázquez are the inspiration behind the 28 rooms, each of which is decorated in a single colour (oxblood, lapis blue, emerald, mustard) with custom-made textiles from the Gastón y Daniela archive. Moorish-style fretwork on painted wardrobe doors and wall hand stencils references local landmarks. By day, the place to be is the rooftop terrace with its plunge pool and loungers; in the evenings, guests tuck into Spanish-rooted plates such as prawn tartare from Huelva with Málaga-style ajo blanco, Iberian pork stew, and mandarin ice cream. A grown-up evolution for the Cristine Bedfor brand. From £185. Emma Love

Prague is the city of alchemy, of medieval dreamers trying to transform base metal into gold – but also of Communist-era creatives turning repression into art: those twitchy animations of Jan Švankmajer; the novels of Milan Kundera. That’s one of the periods celebrated by this thrillingly reborn landmark on the banks of the Vltava River. Many view the city through a baroque and gothic lens, but this is a brutalist glamourpuss with Star Destroyer lines and low-slung pavilion spaces, coated with gilded ceramic tiles and textured concrete. When it first opened, in 1974, as the InterContinental Prague, it was an aspirational arrival for the Pan Am generation, drawing in guests such as Elton John and Carlos the Jackal. But the Fairmont name doesn’t reveal the story of the local entrepreneurs behind the hotel’s revival, who were determined to rescue a favourite hang-out and use it to showcase Czech heritage, contemporary design and cuisine. The bar, Coocoo’s Nest, pays homage to director Miloš Forman; artist Martin Janecký’s sculptures of the city’s symbols line a wall; and glass-maker Lasvit is behind the sliding doors in every bathroom. The spa and indoor-outdoor pool ramp up the wellness credentials, but the crowning achievement is the rooftop restaurant where Maroš Jambor plates up dishes such as fallow deer loin with celeriac and pine cone – best experienced at golden hour overlooking painterly sunset views of the Prague skyline. From £302. Rick Jordan

The arrival of Palacio de Tavira, the latest hotel from the Spanish group Marugal Distinctive Hotel Management, in historic Tavira, the Algarve’s loveliest town, is a game-changer for the region, finally putting it on the map for the discerning traveller. It follows Marugal’s last, higher-profile Portuguese opening: Vermelho in Alentejo’s Melides, owned by Christian Louboutin. This is an altogether quieter affair, perfectly suiting a town where, as Arnaud Laporte Weywada, a partner at Marugal, says, “life moves gently, people take their time, conversations flow unhurriedly, and a deep sense of authenticity lingers in every corner.” Twenty of the 36 rooms, in oatmeal hues and with floors of pale oak and limestone, are to be found in the old palace, where an original stone staircase takes centre stage behind the imposing 19th-century façade. Another 16 rooms in darker tones of burnt orange and brown, or else soft blue with brown and black, are housed in the newly added Medina, a jumble of dazzling white-washed Moorish-style cubes, with terraces in the local Santa Catarina tiles, an intrinsic part of Tavira’s heritage. Downstairs, Mirsal Restaurant serves richly meaty oxtail croquettes and the freshest of fish from the Atlantic Ocean. From £190. Mary Lussiana

Atop the rocky peak of Sancerre, the medieval Loire Valley village famed for its crisp mineral wines, a privately-owned family château has stood for 150 years. In July 2025, it became Les Hauts de Sancerre, a serene eight-suite hotel with sweeping views of the vine-striped countryside, a pop-up restaurant, and a wine library housed in the 12th-century cellar. Interior designer Jérôme Lescrenier brings a contemporary sensibility to the historic structure by incorporating natural stone, wood, and muted fabrics into the light-filled guest rooms. Artistic direction is led by Stanislas de Poucques, former head of the Brussels Museum of Contemporary Art. For its inaugural season, the hotel debuted an exhibition on its lawn that drew more than 30,000 visitors, and each guest room features a work by Dutch painter Roan van Oort. The sleek 16-seat, pop-up restaurant La Table de Arnaud is housed in the bright salon, punctuated with grand views through the windows. Twenty-one-year-old Brussels-born chef Arnaud Munster serves a tasting menu inspired by the terroir of Sancerre; in 2026, the property will open his new immersive dining concept, L’Atelier des Cèdres. Dumont and Chicard have dreamed up a range of experiences, like visits to the Charlois Cooperage, which offers a rare glimpse into the art of barrel making; wine tastings at the château or in the medieval cellar of La Tour des Fiefs; and encounters with the potters of La Borne village. From £220. Maria Yagoda

Five years in the making, the Waldorf Astoria Osaka is the first outpost of the brand in Japan. Osaka is seeing a spate of new luxury hotels, so the pressure on this one to stand out was intense. The brand has done that by bringing its key features—Art Deco architecture, innovative dining, a grand ballroom, the Peacock Alley lounge where guests gather at all times of the day—and infusing them with an unmistakably Japanese spirit. Renowned designer André Fu (of Upper House Hong Kong and Capella Singapore fame) took his brief seriously—and delivered. The result is a signature Waldorf Astoria that’s still authentic to its location. The hotel has the largest rooms in all of Osaka. Even the regular rooms – with separate living areas, walk-in closets, and, best of all, floor-to-ceiling windows for dazzling views of the city – feel like junior suites. Ask for one of the 13 corner suites, especially if you’re visiting during the annual fireworks festival over the summer. You’ll have a seat good enough to sell tickets for. From £625. Divia Thani

“We need to put Gotland on the map,” says Sanna Rönn, who co-owns boutique Swedish farm stay Sibbjäns with her husband, Pontus, and their friends Jonas Nordlander and Kina Zeidler. Last summer the hotel was in stealth mode, but that didn’t stop it being fully booked with gorgeous, bohemian types. Even the king of Sweden – “a friend of a friend of a friend” – stopped by. There’s a sense that something is brewing on the southern tip of Gotland island. Sibbjäns spans 180 acres of grasslands, forest and coastline, its centrepiece a collection of unassuming stone buildings that have been revamped in cahoots with artisans. Paths hemmed by wild flowers lead to a natural pool with floating water lilies, and a nine-room, 19th-century farmhouse. Rooms have a soothing palette of pale sage, cream and chocolate, with shaggy sheepskin chairs. Some have bathtubs, others capacious showers with nifty displays showing how much water has been saved – one of several eco efforts at play. The hotel doubles as a regenerative farm that produces almost everything it needs; in the lively restaurant, chef Hanna Lukowiesky whips up a five-course dinner with its bounty (Wrangebáck cheese with cucumber marmalade; lamb with cabbage and burnt cream). Days are spent cycling gloriously flat roads, kitesurfing, canoeing or bird-watching; or dining at the Rönns’ secret alfresco lunch spot. This is just the start: plans for a tennis court, yoga pavilion, sauna, outdoor gym, farm shop and glasshouse are in the pipeline. From £235. Olivia Squire

It’s the eternal question in the Maldives: beach or overwater villa? At Somewhere, the first phase of .Here – the new offering from Seaside Collection, which runs nearby Finolhu – there’s no need to choose. Each of its seven residences spans the island: sand at one end and that covetable ladder into the Indian Ocean at the other. Designed by KulörGroup, with interiors by Inge Moore, the two-storey structures have appealing outdoor showers, hammocks and swings, as well as -suspended sky infinity pools, some with waterfalls that drop into a plunge pool. The interiors are blue-toned and the soft furnishings tactile and textured, all voluminous cushions, cloud lamps and fringed curtains. A Roohu, or butler, is assigned to each villa, conjuring spa treatments and activities at the water sports centre; eco-conscious guests can dive deeper on a coral -conservation course, snorkelling alongside marine biologists. Chef Georgios Vasilopoulos, previously of Raffles Dubai and Badrutt’s Palace, oversees open-air restaurant Safar, impressing diners with his seafood barbecues. Guests of Somewhere can pop to Finolhu for dinner at Crab Shack, aquatic plantar reflexology at Fehi Spa and the Oceaneers kids’ club. The second phase, Nowhere, designed for buyouts, opens soon, with two palatial residences and a dedicated spa. From £13,408. Divia Thani

You don’t expect this kind of glamour so close to the airport. After landing, you’re gliding past concrete and mild chaos – and then you arrive. The Fairmont Mumbai appears suddenly – stark white façade, black and gold accents—looking more like a grand 1930s film set than a modern luxury hotel. Inside, it gets only more theatrical. The lobby opens up sensationally: monochrome marble, a sunburst ceiling glowing with stained glass and a giant sculptural artwork that’s a tribute to Mumbai’s Hanging Gardens. Look closer to see that it’s crafted from enamel, repoussé metal, embroidered textiles, and block-printed wood. Deco, yes – but Indian too. Mumbai, after all, has the most Art Deco buildings in the world after Miami. The walls of the hotel are where the real storytelling happens. Artist Venu Juneja has turned Bombay’s past into something archival, emotional, cinematic: vintage train tickets as collages, women clad in saris threaded with Deco motifs, 1920s Indian women aviators reimagined in stylised frames. There are five restaurants, each with its own personality. An Indo-French patisserie situated under cherry trees. A food hall inspired by itinerant traders. A moody Sichuan lounge alive past midnight. Then there’s The Blu Xone, where you can take advantage of cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen, and red light therapy. Less Champagne and caviar, more cellular revival and biohacking. This is Gatsby with a Mumbai address. And yes, the next time someone tells you airport hotels are blah, send them here. From £187. Shunali Khullar Shroff

On this heavenly slice of Nayarit’s coast, where the jungle meets the sea, this sprawling new Rosewood is a choose-your-own-adventure beach getaway – and the second luxe hotel in the Mandarina development, beside the 2020-opened One&Only. Here, every element of the landscape makes way for a unique hotel experience: Right on the sand, the beachfront rooms set guests within earshot of the Pacific, where flocks of pelicans swoop drunkenly in and out of the water, and the local surf spot is shared with local fishermen free diving for octopus. The Flatlands suites promise walking-distance access to the glittering seaside pools, an alfresco restaurant (La Cocina Mandarina) serving bright Mexican seafood, a private plunge pool, and the kids’ club, drawing families who want ease. Lovebirds will likely want to hide away in the mountain suites, which are reached by a winding golf cart ride that ends with panoramic views of the wonders below and nothing more than the sounds of the jungle after nightfall. You won’t be totally alone, though: The Japanese-inspired spot Toppu and the cliffside-built Barra Peñasco cocktail lounge are also hidden on high. While there is no shortage of activities to keep you busy – polo, horseback riding, hiking to a 500-year-old tree, a guacamole-making class, a tobacco-and-peyote balm massage at the spa – few settings make it easier to sit back, exhale, and do absolutely nothing. From £820. Megan Spurrell

Tokyo’s flashy Ginza neighbourhood is known for its luxury shopping brands. But the new Fufu—which means “to giggle” in Japanese – sits discreetly on a quiet backstreet behind the flagship Harry Winston. Guests arrive by passing through an earthen wall, then follow a darkened hallway to the end, where an ikebana flower lantern hangs, each colourful stamen, petal, and leaf vein poetically illuminated. But the 34-room property’s humble exterior belies the artful interiors on floors 7 to 12, which coddle guests in ultra privacy from the moment they arrive. The ethereal lobby, which smells of smoked green tea, is a herringbone configuration of individual check-in alcoves made of snow-white washi paper. Other rarefied materials are found at every turn: aluminium silver designed to oxidise in the elevator, a zelkova-wood bar, and willow-leaf-impressed mud tiles. It goes above and beyond the standard ryokan furnishings of tatami mats, sliding shoji, and hinoki onsen, which Fufu Ginza has too. Privacy is the code word here: An open-air foot bath on the rooftop features cabanas where guests sip sparkling yuzu soda and wine; retractable booths at the eight-seat sushi counter cordon you off from chatty neighbours. The big sell: Every room has a furnished and landscaped terrace and its own private onsen filled with volcanic water trucked in from Atami, 90 minutes away. The hidden bonus, however, is that there is no hotel crowd, and that’s precisely the point. You’ll get only fleeting glimpses of the other guests, as you decompress, reflect, and soak up the seclusion, the biggest luxury in a city of 14 million. From £545. Adam H. Graham

Amsterdam is well known for its Rembrandts and Vermeers—all those Old Master white ruffs and pewterish interiors that line the Rijksmuseum—but it has a contemporary palette too. When the Rosewood opened in 2025 on the Prinsengracht canal, its lobby flickered with swirling Dutch video art, fluctuating from floral still lifes to hypnotic dance routines, curated by the nearby Nxt Museum. An enormous blue vase turns out to be made entirely of Smurfs; a vending machine dispenses marble spliffs made by artist Casper Bratt; and keen-eyed guests will spot a cartoon cat dangling from a window, the work of street artist Frankey. Many of the city’s top-flight hotels are squeezed into conjoined townhouses, but the Rosewood, occupying the former Palace of Justice, has space to play with—thanks to its neoclassical façade, it’s easy to mistake for one of the city’s grand museums. Courtyard gardens have been planted by High Line designer Piet Oudolf, and the former courtroom itself is now an expansive library space with a grand piano instead of a stenographer’s keyboard. At Eeuwen, the main restaurant with a menu that changes with the seasons, one might find Dutch ingredients such as Zeeland mussels, sea vierge, and pork chops plated up bistro-style. Designer Piet Boon has made sure the bedrooms are cosily intimate, with soft fabrics and window-side bath tubs (many with canal views), though most dramatic are the five apartment-size Houses, one of which dangles a collection of Bibi van der Velden jewelry to wear. The subterranean pool and spa, meanwhile, feels like a minimalist hammam with Ayurvedic-inspired treatments; the Advocatuur bar, with its Anton Corbijn rock-star portraits and Indian dishes, was quickly adopted by locals. Rosewood has a knack for reimagining historically imposing buildings and making them fun—nowhere more so than in the former holding cell here, now a tasting room where guests are invited to graffiti the walls and take part in a genever gin ritual. From £737. Rick Jordan

At the stately Waldorf – reborn after an eight-year sidewalk-to-spire refurbishment – the resplendent atmosphere becomes a part of you. You’ll feel yourself stand taller as soon as liveried valets address you by name, relieve you of your bags, and escort you to Peacock Alley, the hotel’s bar and lobby lounge, which is home to a Steinway piano that once belonged to the American composer Cole Porter as well as the iconic Waldorf Astoria clock, crafted for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Both objects – plus the cavernous space’s marble columns, rich wood panelling, and silver-leafed ceilings, all restored to their original splendour – proudly declare the hotel’s historicity. Of course, the rooms are gorgeous, and the food is scrumptious (the citrusy Waldorf salad, invented right here in the 1890s and fine-tuned for modern palates, is a must). But it’s the common spaces like Peacock Alley and the opulent ballrooms – particularly the Grand Ballroom, which has played host to moments like the first Met Gala and the inaugural Tony Awards—that give this place its sense of majesty and deep heritage. Long the site of the city’s most important and consequential social and political events, it’s now ready to welcome a new generation eager to dine, drink, dance, and make memories at the Waldorf. From £1,125. Matt Ortile

In Cairo’s cacophonous downtown, a maze of Beaux Arts buildings and crumbling apartment blocks, the most unassuming elevators can whisk you up to the city’s hideaways. That’s certainly the case for Immobilia, composed of a handful of apartment units in the 1940s Immobilia building, which was once Egypt’s tallest tower and a ritzy hangout for erstwhile A-listers and socialites. After decades of decline, the spaces have been steadily revived by Dubai-based tour operator Egypt Beyond, which first introduced a handful of art- and antique-studded residences that quickly became honeypots for clued-in visitors. The Art Deco interiors are complemented by vintage touches—Murano-glass lamps, moucharaby-style tables, and heavy velvet curtains—and locally commissioned pieces such as wicker bed frames and decorative tassels. The central lounge, clad in polished wood and lined with a velvet sofa that runs along almost its entire length, functions as a living room where evenings fill with dinners prepared by the in-house chef and movie screenings. In a city dominated by big-brand hotels that buffer guests from the buzz, this one feels like a true immersion. From £245! Chris Schalkx

As you leave the highway to turn onto a country road, The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace appears like a Postimpressionist subject, its beige crown backdropped by the freckled green of the Maniyagarh Hills. Rajgarh was commissioned as a fort in the late 17th century. It is from here that the Bundela dynasty presided over a temple town rich with art and a forest full of tigers. Since then, it has lived many lives before becoming an Oberoi property in India, with 65 keys spread over 76 acres. Under the lush cover of sal and palash trees are the garden rooms, ideal for families and guests with mobility restrictions or untethered children. The palace wing up the hill is where the chambers of the Bundela rulers have been redesigned as 17 rooms and suites across three levels, each with stunning views. Keeping with the theme, meals at the restaurant Maanya draw from India’s erstwhile royal kitchens and are accompanied by strains of the sitar. The dazzling temples of Khajuraho are barely 30 minutes away, as is the Panna Tiger Reserve. That said, it’s still tempting to never leave the idyllic grounds. The lakeside pool and spa beckon for a leisurely afternoon of royal relaxation fit for a prince. From £815. Salil Deshpande

The new address in Montana’s Moonlight Basin resort from One&Only, famed for its sumptuous yet tasteful resorts in far-flung destinations (Mauritius, Rwanda, Malaysia, and fabulous elsewheres), represents the hotelier’s American debut as well as its first foray into the outdoor-adventure space. A luxury alpine retreat like this requires a specialised type of hospitality, and the team here—a crew who can do everything from book your activities to whisk you between buildings on a side-by-side ATV—knows exactly what they’re doing. Guests get a direct line to the slopes via the One&Only gondola, as well as access to plush locker rooms, tuning equipment, and gear rentals that will impress even members of Yellowstone Club (the famously tony private ski community next door). Moonlight Basin is worth visiting outside of ski season too. Situated on 240 secluded acres within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the resort links two sections of protected wilderness in southwestern Montana’s Rocky Mountains, providing critical migration routes for species like moose and bobcats, which means some exceptional wildlife sightings. Add fly-fishing, stargazing at the on-site observatory, and unwinding at the 17,000-square-foot spa, and even the most discerning ski bums will find themselves spoiled rotten. From £825. Hannah Towey

Capella Taipei’s designer, André Fu, is a man who knows the importance of making an entrance. Here, at this ultra-luxury hotel, the first such opening in the city in over a decade, guests can swan into the lobby through a repeating arched passageway or sashay up a modernist spiral staircase from the first floor to the second-floor wellness level. Inside, well-dressed guests enjoy afternoon tea beneath a 16-foot-tall mural speckled with the vivid blue of Taiwan’s national bird, a bespoke artwork created by Hong Kong-based French artist Elsa Jeandedieu, one of the hundreds of art pieces that litter the hotel. The 86 rooms are dressed in warm neutrals and mineral blues; some come with balconies and others with entire pool terraces. An all-star cast of restaurants includes intimate Japanese omakase Mizue, contemporary Cantonese restaurant Rong Ju, and upbeat modern grill Ember 28. Come nightfall, there’s also The Glasshouse, a three-story bar with vinyl and live music in the basement; a ground-floor cocktail joint; and a Champagne and whiskey lounge up top. Throw in the 14th-floor swimming pool with a deck overlooking the leafy historic neighbourhood of Dunhua Road—an area made for exploring – and it’s clear that there’s nowhere better to stay in the city of Taipei. From £524. Lee Cobaj

Practically every window, every sliding door, every gap between the trees at Gora Kadan Fuji frames Japan’s most iconic peak, Mount Fuji. In winter, its slopes are covered in snow, the original volcano emoji. On summer nights, dots of light move upward as climbers make their way to the top for sunrise. The mountain may be the star of the show here, but there’s a lot more to love, handy for those days when it’s shrouded in cloud. Gora Kadan Fuji’s 39 suites and three villas feature tatami, granite, paper, and cypress in a flawless blend of traditional Japanese design and contemporary comfort. Service, delivered by attentive staff in exquisite kimonos, is calm and caring. Breakfast is a succession of delicate, locally sourced morsels presented in pretty little dishes. Convivial dinners take place at the seven-seater counter of Kappo and at equally bijou Sushi Fuji Takumi, where seafood from nearby waters is transformed into seasonal nigiri. Carnivores head to Teppanyaki Fuji Kanda for rare-breed Kagoshima beef, and at Kaiseki Cuisine Kadan, elaborate multicourse menus are served on antique tableware. Guests soak neck-deep in communal and private onsen baths, filled from underground springs and snowmelt groundwater. Spa treatments employ fermented rice koji, tachibana citrus, and silk. One in particular, “Head Immersion Therapy,” is a cascade of carbonated hot spring water so deeply soothing it’s like an out-of-body experience. I stay in Gora Kadan’s largest villa, the Villa Hare (pronounced “ha-ray”), a collection of spacious tatami rooms centred around a private swimming pool that reflects Mount Fuji like a mirror. As hard as it is to drag myself out from under my cosy duvet for a 4:20 a.m. summer sunrise, seeing Fuji’s slopes dyed red from the first sunrays is worth the early alarm. But it would be worth it at any time of year. Gora Kadan Fuji is a place to return to in every season. There is magic in these hills. From £325. Nicola Chilton

As I pull up to andBeyond Suyian Lodge, I’m met with a chorus of staff singing and chanting my welcome, and I know I’ve arrived somewhere special. Previously a privately owned cattle ranch, the lodge is the only tourist-centric accommodation in this corner of Laikipia, Kenya. The conserve it sits on spans 44,000 acres and is home to more than 100 different species of African wildlife. Crucially, the land forms part of the wildlife movement corridor, which allows animals to migrate freely and safely without human interference. The lodge is built into the landscape in a way that feels artful, curated, and respectful of its surroundings. Out on the terrace sits a telescope – a reminder of why we’re here and of all there is to see. There are only 14 suites in total, each as spacious as the next. Interiors are a reflection of nature and sourced locally where possible – think stone walls, mustard yellow cushions, and authentic wood side tables. My (enormous) bed faces glass doors that open onto my terrace and gaze out across the plains. Even the mosquito net is chic. All food and drink is included, from the chocha-mocha-rula poured midway through each morning game drive to the self-serve bar at the pool. Between game drives we lounge by the infinity pool, enjoy the gym, and book yoga. But the spa is especially noteworthy; the steam room and cold plunge are open to all guests, and the views are so distracting that it makes the ice water (almost) enjoyable. From £1,120. Sarah Leigh Bannerman

Tarabel, with its pretty 19th-century façade of duck egg blue, is tucked away in Lisbon’s elegant Lapa district, where narrow cobbled streets are lined by embassies and the private palaces of wealthy Lisbonites. Step inside and a world opens up. Light floods in—that special white, Lisbon light. Astonishing views reach across the river Tagus, upon which boats pass by. Tidy terraces of verdant lawn run down to a bottle green pool, sun loungers shaded by white parasols trimmed with yellow, and a purple jacaranda tree spreading its branches over the wall. Tarabel has the feel of a private home, and its interiors have been carefully curated by designer Rose Fournier, following the success of her Riad Tarabel in Marrakech. Nine rooms, some with terraces but all different, house finds from Fournier’s travels: a mirror of shells here, a birdcage there. White dominates throughout: white stand-alone bathtubs in front of white wood trelliswork, white-linen-clad beds, long white curtains. Downstairs, elegantly mismatched plates offer up dishes of lime-cured scallops, roasted gazpacho with freeze-dried raspberries, and beef tartare. All with a view. From £390. Mary Lussiana

Slow-paced Ojai in Southern California has long been a favourite getaway of Angelenos looking to escape the city for a weekend of hiking, chilling, and generally keeping it real. Now, after nearly a decade in limbo, Hotel El Roblar – the oldest in town – is giving travellers a new reason to head to the artsy enclave. Established more than a century ago, the property was most recently functioning as a wellness retreat until it went dark in 2017 after the Thomas fire. When the primo Ojai Avenue address, with its views of the Topatopa Mountains, hit the market, a team of creatives with ties to Hollywood scooped it up and embarked upon a six-year process to restore the local landmark. Much of the original building’s Spanish Revival roots remain intact, including the mission-style arched entryway and stone fireplace complemented by Monterey furniture. There’s a bit of a Wild West vibe, enough to transport you back in time for the duration of your stay. All the while, superlative service reminds you that modern hospitality knows few, if any, limitations. With 50 rooms and bungalows, two intimate restaurants, and a darling pool enveloped by some seriously showy landscaping, this reimagining honours the past. As a bit of icing: A pair of 160-plus-pound Aldabra giant tortoise residents named Abra and Cadabra now lumber about the property’s gardens. From £411. Dana Rebmann

The glowing summer evenings at Lilløy Lindenberg feel like an art house dream sequence: the soft orange light while watching from the outdoor hot tub on the edge of the island the Hurtigruten ferry drift past. Or the long slow nights of listening to Olafur Arnalds and playing Rummikub as Frisian host Antje De Vries works magic on Hella Sopperi mushrooms on the Aga in the shadow-streaked kitchen, where she waxes obsessive about the sea oak or dulce seaweed drying on the walls, which she dives for around the islands. Lilløy Lindenberg is less a hotel than an island reverie, in the curiously unsung archipelago around Bergen, with its rocky beauty and intriguing World War II history. It’s the fourth stay from the German Lindenberg group, which also has artsy hotels in Frankfurt and Pekutan, well off the beaten track in Bali (creative surfer types get misty-eyed about Lost Lindenberg). It sleeps 12 in the main house and the boathouse by the tiny island’s jetty, which has glass double doors that open onto the water. Local makers and untamed art abound on an island that feels magically untethered from reality. From £440. Toby Skinner

Sheltering in Uttarakhand’s remote Kumaon valley, Shakti Prana mostly functions as a glorious landing pad for hikers after their wild mountain adventures. Jamshyd Sethna launched Shakti Himalaya 20 years ago to offer guided walks through the remoter regions of the Himalayas, with stays in restored village houses. Prana is a reincarnation of its award-winning outpost, 360 Leti, dismantled stone by stone and moved when the area became more built-up. The seven-suite lodge blends a modernist aesthetic with hewn rock, teak and copper. Picture windows showcase the heart-stopping Panchachuli and Nanda Devi peaks, and cosiness comes from hearths, wood-burning stoves in rooms and firepits on terraces. A yoga platform perches above the wild grasses, and the sauna has a glass wall with valley-floor views. Chef Yeshi, a Tibetan former monk, concocts everything from momo and ravioli to porridge and honeycomb breakfasts, with jams, chutneys and salads made from the organic garden’s produce. At once spiritual and sensual, private and communal, the experience of being here is extraordinary – especially at 6,300 feet on the edge of a forest, where bears and wild boar roam and lammergeiers soar. From £2,247. Catherine Fairweather

This stretch of Peru’s northern coastline feels remote, untouched, virgin – almost unbelievably so. That’s because it is: The new Inkaterra Cabo Blanco sits on the same unmarred beach that was once home to the Cabo Blanco Fishing Club, a glamorous hub for sport fishermen in the 1950s and ’60s where everyone from Ernest Hemingway to Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio vacationed. The club was around for just under 20 years before closing, but the ethereal Inkaterra is the symbolic phoenix rising from its ashes. It’s built entirely in natural materials – think brushed sandstone, flattened bamboo, woven straw chairs, white linens – creating a design that pairs the modern and modular with a breezily bohemian perspective, and blends into the desert landscape, allowing the vivid blues of the Pacific to pull your focus seaward. The days can be as active or as idle as you please: Surf swells right in front of the hotel, though the swath of sea visible from every room and the panoramic infinity pool are worthy playgrounds for windsurfers, fishers, and wildlife observers alike. Take a sunset cruise on Miss Texas, a fishing boat that Mr Hemingway himself sailed on, or slink into your private plunge pool with a cold pisco sour and watch the night stars twinkle overhead. An artisanal fishing excursion, guided by fishermen from the nearby seaside village of Cabo Blanco, honours a long legacy of sustenance fishing in these parts and aptly ends with your own catch served for lunch. As with every Inkaterra (the Peruvian brand has properties in the Amazon and Cusco regions as well), there’s an eco-mindedness rooted in every stay and a sense that you are treading lightly, allowing nature to shine. From £170. Megan Spurrell

Resembling a futuristic superyacht emerging from the sea, Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab is the final, long-awaited piece in a trilogy that started with Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Jumeirah Burj Al Arab. While the Burj Al Arab is all rigid lines, Marsa Al Arab is feminine, sinuous, and full of surprises. Inspired by the world’s most luxurious boats, architect Shaun Killa created a striking silhouette of organic curves and dramatic drop-offs. The lobby is divided into pockets half-hidden by ­traditional Arabian moucharaby screens, and a custom scent with top notes of black pepper and clove hangs in the air. With understated marine themes, the rooms take design cues from Italy’s vintage Riva boats. In the Bali-esque grounds, thousands of trees and plants – oil palms, ficus, olive trees, and lemongrass – hug meandering paths, thoughtfully appointed terraces, and the resort’s four outdoor swimming pools. The hotel also serves up The Fore, a dining space with four distinct restaurants that are, come morning, transformed through nifty panels and hidden walls into a cohesive venue that serves one of the best breakfasts in Dubai. From £1,500. Selina Denman

For over a century the Edificio Metrópolis—much photographed and admired but for years elusively inaccessible—has defined Madrid’s skyline. Now a distinct and ambitious renovation project, stewarded by Marta Seco and Sandro Silva’s Grupo Paraguas, has restored not only its architectural splendour but also its vital pulse. Reborn as Club Metrópolis, the landmark building’s eight floors now house an international private members club, a 19-room boutique hotel, and seven restaurants, and is set to host a roster of twice-weekly experiences. Hotel guests enjoy club membership and all-area access for the duration of their stay. Lázaro Rosa-Violán’s design brings coherence to the interiors, shaping the building as a single contemporary house where luxury lies in discretion and a sense of belonging and time shared. From the surprising Spa de Langostas restaurant to the rooftop overlooking the city and from the intimacy of the rooms to La Galería’s languid mood, Club Metrópolis comes together as a new way to experience Madrid. From £706. María Casbas

Sprawled along a rocky hilltop above a vast, acacia-dotted plain in Tanzania, Laba Laba Travel’s new flagship lodge combines a leopard’s-eye view of Africa’s most sought-after safari destination with a design collection that roots you in a continent as creative as it is wild. Put simply: there is art everywhere. At the entrance, South African artist and ceramicist Zizipho Poswa’s large-scale, anthropomorphic totem stands sentinel; beyond, Ivorian sculptural designer Jean Servais Somian’s red velvet sofas, repurposed from traditional pirogues, appear to sail into the Serengeti horizon. In the bar are two snake-embraced Nyoka chairs by playful Johannesburg-born polymath Rich Mnisi; in the dining room is Porky Hefer’s leather-stitched Simba. Their works and those of several other contemporary African artists create the soul of the lodge, brought together by owners Xavier Marie and Julie Brisson. Inspired detailing throughout showcases African craftsmanship: individually hand-carved beads make up bespoke jali-style screens; Moroccan zellige tiles were hand-cut to resemble African shields; traditional banana-leaf lining patterned into the ceilings; heavy onyx tables; and stone hand-hewn on-site. The result is a lovely visual paean to Africa. From £635. Pippa de Bruyn

When The Fife Arms hotel opened in Scotland in 2019, its owners – gallerists Manuela and Iwan Wirth – nailed the art hotel genre, filling a former coaching inn with around 16,000 artworks and an unabashed sense of place. The couple returned to their Swiss homeland to open their second hotel, Chesa Marchetta, a 16th-century inn in the Engadine Valley village of Sils Maria, where pieces like Paul McCarthy’s cartoonish sculpture Santa Long Neck share space with pencil­-drawn nudes by Alberto Giacometti and Alpine watercolours from 19th-century artists. But the star is the building itself, fragrant with local arven pine. Inspired by Alpine farmhouse parlours, Paris design studio Laplace has decorated it with gnarled-wood fireside chairs and linens hand-stitched by nuns in the Benedictine convent of St. John in Müstair. Balancing that rustic flair, the bar serves a mean cocktail (try Truffle, made with white rum washed with black truffle oil), and Davide Degiovanni’s menus list “mountain light” dishes such as buttery gnocchi and cavolo nero ragu. As for tiny Sils Maria, it packs a mighty cultural punch: Herman Hesse and Friedrich Nietzsche were once regulars. The latter’s thinking may not be to everyone’s taste, but hopefully the arms-wide-open philosophy of the Wirths will be. From £545. Rick Jordan

Sitting still in the muted browns of the Thar desert that surrounds the Manai village outside Jodhpur in Rajasthan, India, this 40-acre property is an oasis of nuanced, quiet luxury. Translating to “my farm” in Marwari, Mharo Khet is home to native khejri trees, more than 110 varieties of crops and herbs, and a farm-stay experience rooted in sustainability and plant-based culinary excellence. Mharo Khet was founded in 2020 by Rajnush Agarwal and Vedika Prasad, a couple who shared a passion for farming, food, art, and design. Ten expansive cottages named after Indian ragas are scattered across the land, each opening onto private decks with grand sunrise-sunset views. On the property, every artefact and hands-on experience (like miniature painting classes) tells a story of India’s rich craftsmanship. Dining at Mharo Khet is deeply inventive: You can have greenhouse salads by the pool, playful reinterpretations of cocktails, and a nine-course fine-dining experience set in a guava orchard. Guests are encouraged to engage with the land through farm walks with the chef, cooking classes, or a moment of simple indulgence like a traditional champi (head massage) under a khejri tree. Like the drought-resistant Rohida that blooms in the Thar, the colours of Mharo Khet radiate subtly through the desert. From £275. Shikha Tripathi

In-the-know travellers have long sensed the creative whirring of the Sunshine Coast hinterland, where a tight-knit community of makers, growers and designers have been quietly shaping a scene that feels reminiscent of Byron’s earlier, less self-conscious years. As the pendulum gently swings from the beach towards the hills – and the weatherboard towns that dot them – the mood becomes slower, greener and more expressive. Casa Renoir feels like a crystallisation of that shift. Owned by husband-and-wife duo Rory Elsom and Hayley Bonham, who traded Sydney for this fertile pocket of the hinterland, the 40-acre estate channels the romance of southern Italian masserie, with handcrafted stone walls, graceful arches and interiors layered like a still life from antique markets and regional makers. Mornings might begin at La Plage, the freshwater pool, before the day drifts between private villa swims, long lunches and the low hum of cicadas. With only a handful of villas planned, the mood remains intimate, though a programme of visiting-chef suppers and creative gatherings shaped by the community forming around it is in the works. Chloe Sachdev

Naples, Florida, finally has the stunning beachfront resort it has been worthy of. Set directly on the sands of the Gulf Coast, Naples Beach Club, A Four Seasons Resort, balances modern swagger with Old Florida sensibility, bringing a distinctly local point of view to a place long defined by tradition. The seven-story, all-balcony resort settles comfortably into its residential surroundings, but the mood shifts the moment you step inside, where soaring ceilings, bleached pecky cypress surfaces, brass details, and layered millwork suggest the kind of Florida beach house you’d design after landing a grand inheritance. Guest rooms are generously sized and mostly Gulf-facing. There are deep balconies that are furnished for lingering and feature telescoping glass doors that keep the beach visually close. The lobby hums from morning to night, drawing a mix of destination guests and well-heeled locals dressed for sunset. Built on the former site of the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, the resort preserves its legacy where it matters most: HB’s and the Sunset Bar are restored as beachfront anchors, and by late afternoon, ritual reigns as drinks are poured, chairs angle toward the horizon, and the sound of a conch shell being blown like a horn marks the sun’s descent into the Gulf. Across the street, the 30,000-square-foot Sanctuary Spa delivers a hydrotherapy circuit unlike anything else in the region, as well as a rooftop lap pool overlooking the future Tom Fazio golf course. This long-awaited arrival feels rooted in place, confidently current, and unmistakably Four Seasons. From £905. Paul Rubio

Can a $1,200-a-night luxury camp thrive without en suite bathrooms? Yidam Kyap and Dechen Yeshi, the founders of Norden Camp in Northwestern China’s Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, are betting on it. The Tibetan American husband-and-wife team have been refining this bold idea since 2013, when the camp launched as a handful of traditional yak-hair nomad tents on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Now, after a top-to-bottom rebuild last summer, it has evolved into a nine-cabin retreat surrounded by endlessly rolling steppes, where nomads still herd their yaks and sheep. The cabins, each one built using traditional Tibetan joinery and reclaimed timber, sit scattered in an unruly patch of willows and wildflowers. Inside, they’re furnished with wabi-sabi arrangements of twigs and river pebbles, while beds and sofas come swathed in cashmere-soft yak wool spun at Yeshi’s Norlha atelier, a 90-minute drive away. Underfloor heating is a blessing when temperatures dip in spring and autumn, which is also when the stove-warmed tented lounges that most of the cabins open onto are at their cosiest. Meals draw on local ingredients and range from tsampa (barley flour) porridge at breakfast to yak-meat hot pot dinners around a communal campfire. And while the cabins don’t have running water (en suite toilets are of the compost kind) as a way to tread lightly on this fragile land, you’re hardly roughing it: The juniper-scented communal bathhouse, reached via a five-minute stroll through the wild gardens, has spa-like bathing suites with indoor and outdoor showers, private saunas, and copper soaking tub. Going back to basics has rarely felt more plush. From £900. Chris Schalkx

Like its New Orleans namesake, which opened in a 19th-century mansion on St. Charles Avenue in 2020, The Chloe Nashville, the new chapter of Robért LeBlanc’s hospitality brand, favours intimacy, historic character, and a distinctly residential vibe. The 19-room property occupies two restored 1920s Craftsman cottages that once housed Asylum Records and Spirit Music—hallowed ground where Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Chris Stapleton recorded. Restored architectural details (coffered ceilings, salvaged-wood floors, vintage fireplaces) are paired with handsome upholstered furnishings, custom artwork, and antique windows that let in plenty of natural light. Mornings start quietly, with chef-made breakfasts delivered to your door. Downstairs, an all-day Creole-meets-Southern menu—think seafood salads and juniper-roasted hanger steak—draws a steady mix of guests and regulars. A trio of bars pour classic cocktails, many built around Tennessee whiskeys. Outside, a pool and leafy garden create a secluded retreat that feels more like a private residence. The crowd leans local too: musicians, music-industry veterans, creatives, and laid-back neighbours who treat the place like an extension of their own living rooms. It sidesteps Music City’s usual see-and-be-seen energy in favour of something more grounded in its surroundings. From £246. Kate Donnelly

One of the most eye-catching elements of the Park Hyatt Cabo del Sol are the opulent pools at the heart of the resort. The one overlooking the ocean is all straight lines and surrounded by majestic palm trees planted along an axis, drawing your gaze to the deep blue sea. The design of the resort, which is the latest addition to the hotel offerings in Los Cabos as well as Park Hyatt’s first property in Mexico, reflects a perfect balance of land and water. There are no unnecessary frills here; instead the resort’s design consists of clear, bold lines. The cool minimalist vibe continues in the rooms, with a palette of natural colours from linen beige to earthy brown; wood and stone are paired with art inspired by the Baja California region of Mexico. At Mesa Madre, one of the resort’s restaurants, the meals pay homage to the iconic figure of the grandmother in Mexican and Latin American cooking—in other words, these are dishes that will leave you happy in a way that only those prepared by a grandma can. The best example: Octopus in Love, inspired by the classic Mexican dish pulpo enamorado, with a creamy chipotle sauce and avocado, and coated in a fine cilantro powder. Silán, the resort’s signature restaurant, is dedicated to cuisine from North Africa and the Middle East, which is prepared by chef Anas Mnla, who is originally from Syria (his fish in tahini with tomatoes and herb salad is a must). The highlight of the resort is the Costamar Beach Club. Its location is spectacular: You’ll enjoy a front-row seat facing the sea with no neighbours nearby. It feels less like a club and more like your own private beach. From December to April, you can spot whales from the comfort of your sun lounger. From £675. Dennis Braatz

Everyone in Forte dei Marmi knows the Pensione America, a villa built in 1899 and turned into a pensione in 1922. It has long been a landmark in the chicest resort town on the Tuscan coast, one of those wonderfully reassuring places people return to year after year, finding everything exactly as they remembered it. Fortunately, Sara Maestrelli, who, together with her aunt, runs the family’s small collection of hotels, has a knack for infusing the delightfully retro with contemporary updates. Her exquisite taste is seen in the renovation and transformation – with the help of architect Piera Tempesti Benelli – of the old guesthouse into an impeccable five-star hotel. Notable details include hand-painted Sicilian majolica tiles by Nicolò Giuliano, wallpaper by Elena Carozzi, and uniforms by Loretta Caponi, a legendary Florentine business famous for its linens and embroidery made using a 16th-century technique. “Since we reopened, every day someone asks us if they can take a tour, as if it were a museum,” says Maestrelli, happily surprised by the interest. Her hope was that the new incarnation of the hotel would embody the timeless spirit of Forte: the breakfasts that stretch on for hours; the deck chairs facing the sea at Bagno Assunta, the Maestrellis’ beach club; the afternoon snacks and drinks under a beach umbrella; Sabrina Pucci’s spaghetti with clams; and matches at the tennis club – next year Pensione America will open its own courts. From £1,410. Sara Magro

For the past 50 years, California’s Napa Valley has reigned as one of the most renowned wine regions outside Europe. An afternoon drive down its vineyard-framed St. Helena Highway will take you past some of the biggest names in the business: Mondavi, Opus One, Beringer… Not surprisingly, a serious food scene cropped up alongside all this top-tier wine (hello, French Laundry), followed by the arrival of luxury hotels from global heavy hitters. It’s all very lovely, if a bit staid. Enter Le Petit Pali St. Helena, the fifth property from Le Petit Pali, a bespoke bed-and-breakfast concept under hotelier and entrepreneur Avi Brosh’s larger Palisociety umbrella that opened a few miles outside the charming town of St. Helena in the fall of 2025. The 24 guest rooms and five stand-alone cottages are a mix of decor vernaculars, different design eras, and all sorts of patterns, colours, and textures. The vibe is about as far from cookie-cutter as you can get: a bit grandma chic (ruffles, florals, a Smeg mini fridge), a little preppy (plaid throws, a brick wall), a hint of New England cottage (wainscotting, seascapes), and a peppering of midcentury (a leather stool, brass reading sconces). The result: fresh, playful, and novel for the area. Le Petit Pali’s location in the heart of Napa makes it an excellent base for a full-blown wine weekend, but its acres of stunning gardens with plenty of nooks to sit and look out over the surrounding vineyards, along with a cute pool area with green-and-white-striped sun loungers, are permission enough to skip the tasting rooms and stay put. From £262. Rebecca Misner

Shura Island is not so subtly becoming the premier resort destination of the Middle East; by the end of the year, an estimated 11 luxury hotels are set to open on the dolphin-shaped isle. Among the best is the six-month-old Red Sea Edition, a graceful assemblage of 240 low-slung rooms and 53 suites, some serenely facing the calming blue of its namesake. Despite its size the Edition feels like a bastion of privacy and ease for guests: The light oak and coral-stone-floored rooms and suites gather in small clusters around the expansive grounds, so guests never feel the crush of a full house; the main pool has DJ booths and chic cabanas with easy access to a powdery beach and water-sports center, where a dedicated team is eager to set you up with any number of water toys; the show pony of a robust food scene will be the new, locally inspired Anasa from famed Saudi celebrity chef Basma Elkhereiji. Plenty of reasons, then, to never leave once you drive past the gate on day one. But you’d be entirely missing the point of coming here. The area’s treasures include some of the best reef snorkeling and diving anywhere (alongside turtles and clown fish), a round of golf at the blindingly green Shura Links, and a night gazing up at the skies with local astronomers who trace age-old Arab myths as told in the blanket of stars above. As with the best beach resorts, there is always so much more to see off the shore. From £445. Erin Florio

Vancouver Island typically means cedar forests and crashing surf – not scones and Edwardian settees. Yet tucked into Esquimalt, just west of Victoria, Rosemead House truly puts the British into British Columbia. It took a decade and $25 million for owner-developer Lenny Moy and interior designer Karen Wichert to transform a fading, 120-year-old Tudor building into a maximalist, Anglophile fantasy. Local luxury hotel interiors are sleek, serene, and historically grounded with a West Coast flair, says Moy, but there’s no beige here: “We wanted colours to pop.” They do. Think William Morris wallpaper in riotous pinks and greens, British antiques shipped from estate auctions and reupholstered in jewel tones, ceramic parakeets and dishware from London’s Dorchester and Savoy hotels, and – because more is more – the Buckingham Palace replica gates from Netflix’s The Crown. Amenities mix history with modern luxury: Kohler smart toilets, heated bathroom floors, and $23,000 Swedish Duxiana mattresses. I had a cryo-facial at Salt & Ivy Spa before dining at Janevca Kitchen & Lounge, where Top Chef Canada‘s Andrea Alridge serves steaks from a $75,000 wood-fire oven, and there’s trompe l’oeil peach melba for dessert. On my balcony that evening, listening to merry diners below, I felt transported to a posh London fête – until I looked up and saw not the Sceptred Isle but the Salish Sea. From £261. Adrienne Matei

Covered in a lattice façade inspired by the organic forms of a coral reef, Rosewood Doha’s two towers rise unexpectedly from the southeastern tip of Lusail’s Marina District. Nautical references occur throughout, a nod to the hotel’s setting on the shores of the Arabian Gulf but also Qatar’s historic links to the sea: conch shell sculptures, coral fragments, and miniature recreations of traditional dhows decorating the lobby; slivers of capiz shell hand-cut and painted to create shimmering wall coverings in the guest rooms. The property, with 155 rooms and suites, 162 serviced apartments and 276 residences, is a linchpin of Lusail, Qatar’s so-called future city, a jigsaw of residential, mixed-use, and commercial districts that will eventually be home to 200,000 people and 22 hotels. But the hotel also manages to feel intimate, its public spaces softened by a palette of sage green, buttercup yellow, and blue that reflect the ever-changing colours of the sea, and its links to local culture are reinforced in custom artworks by creatives such as Yasser Al Mulla and Azzam Al Mannai. Farm-to-table dining dominates at Asaya Kitchen, part of Asaya Social Wellness Club, one of Doha’s most holistic well-being facilities; Koo Madame focuses on hearty flavors from across China; and The Butterfly Room, home to a bijou patisserie selling jewel-like cakes and an afternoon tea featuring a dedicated chocolate trolley, is helping to make Rosewood the place to see and be seen in the Qatari capital. From £268. Selina Denman

Connected to the Miami mainland by the 3.6‑mile Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne is an island where nature sets the pace, and at its heart lies The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami. Following a $100 million renovation completed in late 2025, the 421-room resort has reemerged as a sun-washed tropical escape that is calmer, lighter, and more aligned with how people want to vacation now. A soaring, light-filled lobby frames the Atlantic through triple-story glass, while the revived Rum Bar anchors a space that stays lively without feeling crowded. Couples, families, and longtime loyalists move easily through the property, to and from refreshed guest rooms and suites finished in a restrained coastal palette of strawberry-blonde woods, warm gold fixtures, and floor-to-ceiling glass that keeps attention on sea and sky. Days pass between the new, 30,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Spa, Key Biscayne, intentionally set apart from the resort’s social energy, the restaurant Luma, where you can dine on Italian-driven plates, and Dune Beach Bar for relaxed, toes-in-the-sand afternoons. Nature is a constant presence, from the protected waters surrounding the island to the open lawns and oceanfront spaces that define the resort experience. Families are well accounted for, with expansive pool areas, Ritz Kids Club programming, and clear separation between adult and family zones. Taken as a whole, the reimagined Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne is the rare Miami-area property where staying put is exactly the point. From £395. Paul Rubio

In a town as adrenaline-spiked as Queenstown, the adventure capital of the Southern Hemisphere, it’s hard to make much noise. Yet the opening of Roki, a polished new luxury hotel on the edge of Lake Wakatipu but right in the heart of town, has done just that. Sure, the location is ideal—a two-minute walk from the thick of things—but the service steals the show. Adventure towns run on logistics: lift passes to organise, instructors to book, gear to rent, cars to load. At Roki, all of that is handled before finishing one’s sentence. Black Defenders await out front, ready to ferry guests to ski fields, vineyards, or long lunches. Sweeping over The Remarkables, helicopters touch down on glaciers and in hidden alpine valleys. In winter a ski concierge sorts passes and equipment; in summer the same precision is applied to mountain biking, hiking, and heli-picnics. There’s also a Rolls-Royce on standby, because why not? Snacks come in the form of dainty lobster rolls topped with ice-cold caviar, and evenings are spent dining on multicourse menus by chef Paul Froggatt, one of New Zealand’s most respected talents. The dove grey, glass-fronted rooms range from one- and two-bedrooms to top-floor suites that can be configured into a seven-room, full-floor retreat complete with a sauna. All views point toward the Central Otago skyline, accompanied by the clinking of Blanc de Blancs in the background. From £1,486. Chloe Sachdev

Most people who visit Turks and Caicos post up at hubs like Grace Bay, but South Caicos, with a local population of a thousand, feels a world away from the buzz of Providenciales. When Salterra – part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection – opened as one of the island’s few resorts in 2025, it brought 100 ocean-facing rooms, a genuinely excellent staff, and a reason to get off the main circuit. Most rooms have polished stone floors and plenty of natural light, and open to a private terrace or patio. Decor nods to the locale without feeling themed; the palette – soft creams and pale pinks – evokes the nearby salt ponds (salinas) and resident flamingos that feed at their edges. At Brine, the resort’s fine-dining restaurant, the chef pairs each dish of a five-course dinner with a distinct flavoured salt, and you get a quick history lesson from your waitstaff about the bygone salt-harvesting industry that once powered the local economy. While you may be tempted to laze around at the adults-only pool, relax at the spa’s relaxation spaces, or eat your fill of shrimp aguachile at the on-site Cobo Bar & Grill, the Salterra adventure team is reason enough to leave your chaise longue. A snorkelling or diving excursion led by biologists Anna Zuke and Joey Plant will give you a newfound appreciation for coral, but if you prefer to stay out of deep water, you can kayak to a shallow sandbar and float in that crystal clear blue. It’s the people who make it hard to leave: My butler, Tony, always made sure I was prepared (and well fed) for my day’s activities, and the bartenders remember your name, drink, and travel story. When you check out, it feels like you’re leaving your extended family. From £545. Hannah Singleton

Cap Cana is chock-full of resorts to get away from it all, but tastemakers, design lovers, and those looking to instil envy in their followers on TikTok and Instagram will want to head straight to St. Regis’s first foray into the Dominican Republic. While you can expect the same high-end amenities of the St. Regis brand – butlers on call to arrange excursions, seafood towers, Champagne, a luxe spa – what sets this hotel apart are the details grounded in Dominican culture. Set on 16 acres of beachfront property, the rambling, indoor-outdoor resort with 200 rooms, including 36 suites, features tropical plants, patterned brickwork, and curved ceilings adorned with wickerwork, all typical of the island. Artworks by Dominican artists are peppered throughout the building, lending the resort a gallery-like vibe. As for local flavours, dine at Cassava for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and head to the Amber Room for a cigar and two fingers of rum. In between, you can play at the Jack Nicklaus Signature Punta Espada golf course, which abuts the property; indulge in services at the salon and the spa, which offers indoor and outdoor lounges; or just unwind on the beach or by the pool (try to score one of the private cabanas). Whatever you decide, as you languorously wander from bed to breakfast, from beach to pool, from lunch to cocktails to dinner, you can relax knowing that everything will be taken care of. From £495. Damian Fallon

George Town is a nostalgist’s fever dream. The pastel-hued heritage shophouses lining its narrow streets hark back to its immigrant past; nasi kandar stalls dating to the early 1900s still serve steaming plates late into the night; and traditional Chinese stilt houses stand quietly, lapped by the sea. Yet alongside these enduring scenes, a more contemporary George Town emerges, shaped by fine dining restaurants, artisanal ice cream parlours and boutiques flaunting linen coordinates. Soori Penang, a new hideaway in the cultural heart of the island, captures this dialogue. The 15-suite retreat lies within the compound of Khoo Kongsi – Penang’s grandest Chinese clan temple – where the hotel’s owner and architect, Soo K Chan, grew up. He has transformed two rows of shophouses into 15 serene suites marked by stone plinths upon which the clan’s emblematic lions sit. Interiors unfold in a restrained, monochromatic palette of wood, granite and alabaster. The decor is minimal but intentional: a carved wooden sculpture mounted on the wall, a bowl of longan fruit on a marble table. Still, echoes of the original shophouses remain in the courtyard, with an air well open to the sky and tall vertical windows fitted with wooden shutters. The culinary programme is European in structure but rooted in local produce; an upstairs tearoom doubles as a seating area and showcase for Chinese tea culture; and guided excursions led by locals highlight heritage Peranakan homes as much as they do the city’s evolving dining scene. From £590. Arati Menon

With a central location at the intersection of downtown and the Uptown Design District, the low-slung property’s white stucco buildings, desert-landscaped pathways, and sprawling pool deck unfurl along two and a half city blocks. Though it’s within easy walking distance to the town’s vintage shops, upscale boutiques, art museum, and increasingly diverse dining scene, the hotel still manages to feel like a true resort. This is thanks to architecture that lifts its rooms and most amenities above street level, shielding guests from the bustle below while simultaneously offering dramatic mountain views. Guest rooms are dressed with midcentury accents like leather headboards, velvet seating, and terrazzo-style tile, and furnished with private outdoor space. For a more serene stay, book a room within Upper Stories, the adults-only wing that opened in spring 2025 and has an exclusive pool and bar and perks like complimentary coffee, wine, and treats served throughout the day. Anchor restaurant Lola Rose Grand Mezze has quickly become a local favourite, with Middle Eastern– and Levantine-inspired spreads, salads, kebabs, and cocktails – go for a proper dinner in the dining room or a drink in the richly detailed lounge, soundtracked by a DJ on weekends. In addition to Hall Winery’s airy tasting room and wine lounge (the producer’s first outside Napa), the June 2025 arrival of Bar Issi, a glam, coastal-Italian eatery from LA’s Boujis Group, rounds out the Thompson’s culinary offerings. From £223. Lizbeth Scordo

Arriving at Tinajani comes with a sense of intrepid accomplishment and some head-spinning altitude—it’s located at 12,900 feet above sea level in the Peruvian Andes. he drive from Juliaca Airport takes you across vast mountain plains and past herds of llamas, through weather-beaten villages and along dusty dirt roads, before twisting into Tinajani Canyon. This hulking strip of anthropomorphic red rock formations that bear thousands of years of human history is now also home to this luxury tented camp, the sixth property from the Peruvian hospitality group Andean, which operates a string of chic boutique hotels intended to bring travellers to the less-touristed southern region of the country. As such, the camp’s relationships with the local community are fostered and integrated into the experience: Excursions to nearby towns to meet with textile weavers and ceramists can be arranged, and locals, used to herding their alpacas across the harsh terrain, advise on hiking routes. The latter activity provides dramatic views and a window into human history dating back to Inca and pre-Inca civilisations; tombs from those periods remain set into the rock faces. After an afternoon of trekking, guests return to tents filled with thoughtful details to accommodate chilly Andean temps and aching muscles—alpaca-wool blankets, roaring wood-fire stoves, and hot tubs ripe for a sundowner. For breakfast, Peruvian fruits and piping-hot muña tea are served against the backdrop of this extraordinary 494-acre nature reserve—a reminder of how far you travelled, just in case you needed one. From £987. Lale Arikoglu

Since 2009 former Diesel creative director Wilbert Das and environmental activist Bob Shevlin, of Bahia’s cult stay Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa, have been at the forefront of sustainable, culturally empowering design. Last July the ingenious hoteliers upped the ante of their upcycled craft ethos with Uxua Maré, a model positive-impact rewilding project to preserve both the biodiversity of a 15-acre coastal plot of threatened Atlantic Forest and the vernacular of traditional Brazilian aesthetics. This time they’ve recycled entire buildings: abandoned fazenda structures relocated over 250 miles to Trancoso and reborn as three solar-powered villas. Everything inside was dreamed up by Das and ex-Diesel collaborator Peter Kempkens and handcrafted by local artisans including Indigenous Pataxó master carpenter Rosivaldo Amiral, affectionately nicknamed Ica-pau (Woodpecker). The classic Uxua motifs are present: indigo-dyed textiles, Bahian yellow glass, Das’s olive-leaf-shaped Paz chairs, and polished-cement bathrooms. Each house has its own private cabana on Itapororoca Beach. Meanwhile, fresh produce is delivered daily from Uxua Roça, a 50-acre agroforestry farm that hosts the Organic Festival Trancoso. The bounty is then cooked up at Mesa Maré by chef talent Renata Buin, along with spear-caught mullet and urchins collected from rock pools. From £675. Stephanie Rafanelli

When Waldorf Astoria made its Shanghai debut on the Bund in 2010, it leaned into nostalgia. Fifteen years on, the newly opened Waldorf Astoria Qiantan firmly looks to the future. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox as part of the Qiantan Media Port master plan, it rises along Pudong’s New Bund like a sleek ocean liner. Discreet drama abounds in its layered, pearlescent interiors: A glass-walled conservatory is located within the lobby; public spaces are clad in vast quantities of ivory Italian marble, and two majestically swooping marble staircases demand selfies from the hotel’s mostly well-heeled domestic clientele. Sail- and peacock-inspired details, as well as the city’s Art Deco heritage, thread through 204 generously sized rooms and suites, most with balconies overlooking the river and original skyline beyond. Perched on its top floor, Fu Cheng – Justin Yang’s refined Fujianese restaurant (with highlights including the smoky, crabmeat-studded glutinous rice and delicacy-filled Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup) is reason alone to book. Downstairs, Arame offers a leisurely European-leaning brunch till 2 p.m., while Peacock Alley – Waldorf’s signature lounge – draws a see-and-be-seen crowd with its seasonal teas and immaculately tiered pastries. Qiantan isn’t yet a byword for glamour, but with peaceful parkland at its riverfront doorstep and the bustle of the city centre just 15 minutes away, it’s exactly how its fans prefer it. From £245. Shamilee Vellu

Rwanda is known for its mountain gorillas. But less well-known are its Big Five creatures in this park adjoining Tanzania. To the park’s north, Wilderness’s Magashi Peninsula is the only luxury lodge within a private 23-square-mile concession. Each of the three villas is located on the game-rich shores of Lake Rwanyakazinga, and activities are personally curated, whether that’s a dawn coffee on board a smart Navis pontoon, bird spotting in the biggest protected wetlands in Central Africa, tracking rhinos, or watching a leopard fish at night. The villas are more like spacious bush homes, decorated in the calming wood tones of the wilderness, with such treats as an outdoor shower, a plunge pool, and a netted rooftop bed from which to watch shooting stars and listen to hyenas cackle. Rwandans are rightly proud of their country’s recent progress, and the smiley young staff are eager to please. Food is light, varied, and tasty, from a cake stand of overnight oats, fruit, and croissants first thing, to well-spiced lunches of chilled soups and salads under a tree, to a three-course lamplit dinner, with choices like plant-based pasta and fire-seared steak. The real star? The head guide Alfonse Ntabana, whose dry wit, intuition, and in-depth knowledge transform every day into a pleasurable adventure. From £1,865. Lisa Grainger