Every year we inspect hundreds of hotels and destinations. How else can we personally advise our clients about where to go and where to stay?
While creating our 2023 travel calendar we reflected on the last 12 months of travel. These are the places that most impressed us, from upcoming destinations and new hotels to iconic cities and our clients’ favourite places.
Upcoming Destinations
We’re continually exploring what’s possible for our clients in new and exciting destinations. Our question is always, can these countries offer a genuine luxury holiday experience?
Kenya
Kenya always had incredible wildlife and safari. Now, a new class of contemporary lodges and camps makes Kenya one of the world’s hottest destinations. That’s the view of our marketing director Stephen Bailey after his December trip.
Australia
Australia is not about luxury accommodation. It’s about nature and being on a beach with kangaroos. It’s about the things you will always remember.
When Australia reopened, private consultant Tomas Safarik explored its stunning landscapes and famous cities.
Saudi Arabia
Is Saudi Arabia safe? Is it a luxury holiday destination? Are the stereotypes true? Where can you go and what can you do there? Travel designer Matous Grund went to explore this quickly upcoming destination.
Jamaica
Jamaica is not about high levels of luxury. It’s about the people. This is a beautiful country with so many nice experiences.
Travel designer Adela Hubnerova explored Jamaica and her conclusion is that it’s a good destination for a young couple or a group of friends, thanks to all the unique things to do.
Jordan
Jordan is home to Petra, the Wadi Rum Desert, Red Sea and Dead Sea. Stephen Bailey found a lot more as well, while inspecting the country’s best hotels.
He found an adventure destination for families and couples, with a series of world wonders.
Principe
Sundy Praia was the highlight of our trip to Principe, a small West African island entirely covered in rainforest. It’s a new island paradise, completely off the tourist radar and certainly not for everyone.
Favourite Places of Our Clients
There’s always something new in the most popular destinations, so every year we’re checking out what’s changed, for good or bad. Not only new hotels but inspecting how the service and quality has changed at our best selling hotels.
Maldives
Six resorts were visited on our most recent trip including Nautilus, Milaidhoo, Amilla, Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani.
Dubai
In September, two of our travel designers stayed at nine Dubai hotels in just two weeks. Their favourites were Bulgari Dubai and One&Only The Palm.
Mauritius
Travel designer Filip Pačes explored Mauritius from a family perspective, so he can give these recommendations about how to best visit the country with children.
South Africa
How does it feel to go on your first ever safari? It’s such an important question when planning a first-time safari for anybody. These are Tomas Safarik’s South African safari memories.
New Hotel Openings
Every six months we publish a hot list of new hotels in our Explorer magazine. These are the best four we visited last year.
Rosewood Vienna
Finally a hotel providing contemporary luxury in the Austrian capital. Instantly I found a feeling of intimacy and privacy which is hard to find in city hotels.
Bulgari Paris
What impressed us most was the sense of space and silence. Of course the hotel sparkles, but there’s a personal warmth that comes with the experience.
JOALI BEING
JOALI BEING is an amazing place for adults who want to focus on themselves and their wellbeing. It’s for people who want to feel re-energised.
Rosewood Madrid
Curated and carefully connected spaces create an intimacy I always struggle to find in big capital cities. And the design is exceptional of course.
Iconic Cities
Who would ever need an excuse to visit an iconic city? These trips were a lot more play than work!
New York
Staying across the Hudson River in Brooklyn, at the Williamsburg Hotel. Tomas Safarik gets out of Manhattan and sees what’s changed in NYC after the pandemic. He has some great trip recommendations too.
Barcelona & Madrid
Two timeless Spanish cities with new five-star hotels and travel experiences. Based on three different trips, this is the best of what’s new in Barcelona and Madrid.
Rome
Baglioni Hotel Regina was the choice for this Valentines Day weekend with a baby. Rome offers incredible choice and later in the year, Stepan Borovec went to compare the best of both the old world and what’s new.
Lisbon
Lisbon is more vibrant than ever, partly thanks to the reopening of Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon. Stephen Bailey found what the city delivers when it’s used as a layover destination.
Once-in-a-Lifetime Experiences
There are some things you’re only likely to do once. There are no second chances and to offer personal advice we must experience them too.
Orient Express
Our most read article was Matous Grund’s trip on the Orient Express from Paris to Vienna. So many of you have this experience on your bucket list and Matty has some very important recommendations in his trip report.
Trekking in Everest Region, Nepal
There are no luxury hotels near Everest. There are definitely no roads either. It’s a different type of luxury in the high Himalayas on a two-week expedition.
Tulia Zanzibar
Zanzibar’s best two hotels are owned by Czechs. Tulia Zanzibar offers a very authentic and local experience and was our project director’s honeymoon destination! And honeymoon should definitely only be once.
Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman
Zighy Bay is for people who are bored with Dubai. They are bored with all the usual new hotels and want something different. They are looking for an experience that is fresh and high end.
Where are we Exploring Next?
Have you signed up to our weekly newsletter? In the coming months we’ll be reporting on the new Atlantis the Royal, Porto Zante, JOALI Maldives, Morocco and South Africa.
We love to travel. And when we travel we always ask two important questions. Is this a holiday experience for our clients? How can the experience be enhanced for our clients?
So we can advise you personally. Where do you want to go on holiday next?
