What’s New in Travel This Season
From under-the-radar sanctuaries to new hotels on the horizon, there’s plenty in the world of luxury travel to get excited about right now. Here are some of the best to have on your radar…
Japan’s historic Kyoto district welcomes the new Six Senses Kyoto to downtown Higashiyama. Taking inspiration from the serenity of the city, rooms and suites offer views either over the cityscape, or into the garden of the 16th-century Toyokuni Shrine opposite. In keeping with the wellness hospitality brand, the spa is the highlight of the property, combining traditional healing methods and innovative science with Japanese Zen culture across it sleek, airy space. sixsenses.com
Navigator’s favorite Parisian spot, the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, part of the Dorchester Collection, has transformed 49 room and suites, including the legendary Royal Suite. The new interiors, created by French design firm Moinard Bétaille, artfully balance the hotel’s 18th-century and haute couture style with a fresh, contemporary feel. Each Parisian-style “apartment” offers a unique layout, while the recurring design theme pays homage to the iconic
Virginia creeper plant that adorns the façade of La Cour Jardin. The Royal Suite, with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a sauna and hammam, living room, dining room, and balcony, offers guests panoramic views of the Eiffel Tower and Avenue Montaigne. dorchestercollection.com
A true Cannes legend comes to London with the opening of La Môme London. Bringing a touch of French Riviera elegance to Belgravia, French restaurateurs Ugo and Antoine Lecorché have channeled the vibrant energy and timeless style of the iconic Cannes hotspot, La Môme Plage, to The Berkeley in Knightsbridge. Renowned for its fun, stylish and relaxed atmosphere, and the best of Mediterranean cuisine, guests can expect plenty of high-style and joie de vivre at La Môme London, with live music, including a DJ, chanteur, and pianist. the-berkeley.co.uk
Rescued from the brink of ruin, Hôtel du Couvent is a 17th-century monastery restored into a unique, boutique hotel in the old town of Nice. In a departure from the excess usually associated with the Côte d’Azur, the property offers guests a chic retreat with a reserved atmosphere. With accommodations spanning charming monastic rooms to sea-view apartments, a Roman bath spa, and three restaurants, Hôtel du Couvent is designed to offer the best of the Mediterranean lifestyle. Wellness is at the core of its offerings, with temperature-controlled indoor pools below ground and custom-made remedies from the herbs of the property’s garden. The gardens also house one of the one of two main restaurants – La Guinguette – while the more formal Le Restaurant is located in the courtyard. hotelducouvent.com
Looking to follow the Athenian cool crowd this summer? Head to the Cycladic island of Folegandros, where the new boutique hotel Gundari provides a refuge from its energetic neighbors. Perched on the island’s soaring cliffs, the resort’s 27 bio-climatically designed suites and villas are all south-facing with infinity pools that blend with the expansive Aegean below. The hotel also has a cliffside pool with a swim-up cocktail bar, and an organic farm amid its 80 acres of land, with a wine bar and farm-to-table restaurant. gundari.com
The converted 15th century villa, Il Salviatino, provides the perfect retreat for culture vultures heading to Florence. Located in the foothills of the great city, the hillside summer refuge for great Florentine families, artists, and poets come and gone, fuses Florentine history with art, wellness, and award-winning cuisine at Giacomo al Salviatino. Emerging fresh from renovations, the boutique property offers guests 39 restored suites and a new state-of-the-art spa. Nestled within the original greenhouse in the estate’s iconic Italian gardens, the new spa includes a sauna, steam room, heated pool, and an ice bath, along with treatment rooms for a range of holistic and rejuvenating wellness experiences. salviatino.com
A firm favorite on the cruising map, Portofino has long attracted the yachting crowd to its quintessential Italian harbor. This summer sees the town’s original grand dame, Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino, enter a new era of seaside glamour as the iconic property reveals the final major phase of its multi-year renovation. The transformation will comprise an entirely new main building, with a focus on new rooms and communal areas. This new area welcomes a Dior Spa, with four treatment cabins and a relaxation spot on an exclusive roof terrace. belmond.com
Once a favorite destination of artists and poets, the Greek island of Mykonos is primarily known for its summer party scene, but proving that the island has another side to it is the luxury boutique hotel Kalesma. The Aegean idyll, which is perfectly situated over Ornos Bay, opened in 2021 and has enveloped guests in classic Mykonian warmth and hospitality. This year the property nearly doubles in size, offering guests more options for lounging and dining, with a new taverna, pool, and 19 new rooms. kalesmamykonos.com. The famous party island will also welcome a design-led Four Seasons Resort Mykonos this summer. The Mykonos outpost will have 94 rooms, villas and suites, all with spectacular views of the Aegean Sea. fourseasons.com
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