Mykonos, Ibiza, St Tropez? Been there, done that. This summer, follow the trendsetters and take the celebs to the new ‘in’ destinations of the day. Some are old favorites with renewed appeal thanks to glitzy hotel or beach club openings. Others are unpolished, out-of-the-way gems with an adventurous appeal. No matter what kind of landscape your boat faces, it will be with you while you holiday among the cool crowd…
Bodrum, Türkiye
Bodrum is back baby. This Turkish resort’s reputation has waned in recent years, but it’s now firmly back in the A-list books, with a number of new openings rivaling glitzy party capitals like Mykonos and Ibiza. Don’t take our word for it, ask Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell or Roman Abramovich: all new visitors to the area.
Check out the newly opened Maxx Royal (from £750), a stylish retreat that highlights art in a secluded bay. Works by French steel sculptor Bernar Venet and digital installations by Turkish Refik Anadol await you, as well as bedrooms with terraces with panoramic views of the blue of the Aegean. There’s also an elaborate 4,500-square-foot wellness area, and there’s a big emphasis on food, with branches of Wolfgang Puck’s California favorite Spago and Mayfair’s THE MAINE courtesy of Montreal restaurateur Joey Ghazal.
Right next door you will find a new attraction for the jet set: the first overseas branch of the cult Mykonos beach club Scorpios; It is known for its holistic healthcare, social hedonism and on-point music. Watch the sun set from the cozy family-style restaurant or head to the stylish Bodrum EDITION, where the restaurant was awarded a star in this year’s Michelin guide.
Albania
With its white sand beaches, crystal Adriatic and Ionian waters and rugged green peaks, Albania has everything you could want in a Mediterranean holiday – but for most Brits it flies decidedly under the radar. That’s all changing though as rumors spread and curious travelers follow the likes of half-Albanian singer Dua Lipa to holiday in this underrated gem.
The Albanian Riviera, as it is known, stretches from Vlore to Saranda; Saranda is located just opposite the famous Corfu. Dua Lipa has reportedly been spending time near Ksamil at Kep Merli, a luxury development of whitewashed private villas covered in bushes and surrounded by powdered sugar sands.
The summer sun lingers long enough to make September’s week-long dance festival ION on the Dhërmi coast a ray-kissed affair, but if you prefer slightly cooler climates, you can escape to the Albanian Alps, also known as the Cursed Mountains, for lakeside inns. The latter is a great place to try traditional dishes like tavë kosi (baked lamb with rice), but for stylish plates worthy of discerning foodies, head to Mullixhiu in the capital Tirana instead. Former Noma chef Bledar Kola’s spectacular menu of goat, quail and traditional jufka pasta earned the restaurant a spot on the 50 Best Restaurants Discovery list.
Folegandros, Greece
Crete, Santorini, Athens; So far, it’s very clear. The elite are looking for something new; High-end tour operator Black Tomato, which reports a 20% increase in bookings in Greece, says research into offbeat destinations is increasing rapidly. In 2024, all eyes will be on little-known Folegandros; It’s a little little-discovered gem, unaffected by mass tourism, where days are spent swimming in the shallow waters of Agios Nikoloas beach or hiking uphill to the alabaster Orthodox Church of Panagia.
Now what makes it hot? New design-focused Gundari Resort (from £520) – one of this year’s most exciting hotel openings. Think minimalist yet impressive strips of stone and cream and private infinity pools overlooking the water, set in 80 acres of rugged cliff views. An uncompromising immersion in nature, style and holistic wellness (including meditation workshops, energy healing, healthy food from Michelin-starred chef Lefteris Lazarou).
Kosovo
Luxury tour operator Cox and Kings says Kosovo is the hottest ticket of the summer for those longing for extraordinary discoveries. Its epic countryside beckons active travelers with soaring mountain peaks, soaring valleys, rushing waterfalls, and dense forests populated by eagles, wolves, and bears. This year’s launch of the Trans Dinarica Cycle Path, connecting eight countries of the Balkans along 2,090 miles of scenic cycle path, makes it more accessible than ever.
Another draw? Monasteries. In mountainous Peč, visit the Peć Patriarchate, a Serbian Orthodox church and nunnery complex dating back to the 13th century, or explore the Visoki Dečani Monastery near sleepy Dečan. The second, Resort Ujevara e Drinit (from £80), is set on stunning riverside grounds and serves contemporary cocktails on elegant outdoor terraces. Or head to the beautiful city of Gjakova, where the historic market Čaršija e Madhe is full of bars and restaurants.
Finland
It doesn’t get colder than the northern countries: Tour operator Scott Dunn states that there has been a 400% increase in holiday applications to Finland compared to 2023. The mild weather is partly due to this, as more active travelers and families try to escape the sweltering heat. Waves of the Mediterranean. But solid green credentials and a reputation for class A design also add to the appeal. No wonder the likes of the Beckhams and Ed Sheeran visit here.
Don’t miss the elegant new Hotel Maria (from £248) in the capital Helsinki, owned by three-time Olympic gold ski jumping medalist Samppa Lajunen; Spacious suites, sparkling chandeliers and opulent crown moldings dominate. After exploring the magnificent thermal facilities, the wellness concierge will direct you to in-house nutritionists and therapists with magic hands.
Meanwhile, in Lapland, amid hundreds of hectares of untamed forest, the carbon-negative Octola Private Wilderness is the Arctic region’s first luxury spa and health clinic. It’s so exclusive that you can only make a reservation if you join a waiting list.
Grenada
This small but stylish Caribbean island has timeless celebrity appeal; Simon Cowell, Oprah Winfrey, Mick Jagger and Justin Bieber have graced its idyllic shores. Summer is technically low season, but if you can brave the short, sharp downpours, you’ll be rewarded with lower hotel rates and fewer crowds.
Yachts tend to congregate around St George’s Harbour, home to waterfront restaurants such as Sail’s and The Aquarium, where they drink iced white wine and lobster before retiring to the privacy of their ships.
Style-conscious landlubbers, meanwhile, head to the recently opened Silversands Beach House (from £556); Its intimate 28 contemporary rooms are nestled among the greenery at the southwestern tip of the island, with a 12-metre infinity pool at the centre. (Sister hotel Silversands Grenada recently appeared on ITV’s The Fortune Hotel).
Also on trend is the newly opened Six Senses La Sagesse (from £632), which spans 15 hectares on the south coast and ups the luxury level with multi-storey pool suites and spacious villas. The largest of the plot, which has four bedrooms, is dramatically situated on a cliff with almost panoramic sea views.
Chester, United Kingdom
This historic city in the north-west of England is not an obvious jet-set magnet. But this June, the icing was drawn, including Prince William and Princess Eugenie, for the high-society wedding of the year, when billionaire Duke of Westminster Hugh Grosvenor married Olivia Henson. And the royal spotlight effect has pushed the rest of us to discover the city’s charms on our own.
There are plenty of them: picturesque rows of half-timbered houses, Roman city walls, a 1,000-year-old cathedral where the couple got married, as well as new hotel openings. At the soon-to-be-launched Wildes Chester, spaces will come with silver-ceilinged bathrooms and period fireplaces, and new safari-style overnight lodges at Chester Zoo will add a whole new dimension to the animal experience later this year.
Plan your visit to the city with the electric Chester Pride on August 17th and don’t forget to visit Krum Gelato. On his wedding day, the Duke offered locals free scoops of his ice cream.
Cotswolds, United Kingdom
The Cotswolds are beautiful, idyllic but not trendy, right? But that all changed this summer with intelligence that Taylor Swift had rented a local farmhouse worth £3.3 million to use as a home base during her UK tour. Now we all have new motivation to don the wellies and live out the rural fantasy like T-Swizzle.
And in fact, the region has been increasing its cool factor since last year. In Oxfordshire, Estelle Manor (from £625), a private members’ club on 85 acres of parkland, complete with Roman-inspired spa, brasserie serving Alaskan king crab and mini Landies for kids to drive around, has opened. And the reopening of Cowley Manor under the Experimental Group banner with The Bell in Charlbury, a new pub with interior design by Dorothée Meilichzon and rooms from Daylesford (from £366).
The regeneration revolution continues apace this summer with the opening of a new branch of The Pig in the former Barnsley House hotel, and in nearby Oxford, The Store Hotel, housed in the historic Boswells store and overlooking a rooftop bar. city. Elsewhere, East London-inspired grill Pit Kitchen is opening at Todenham Manor Farm, serving delights such as Persian chicken thigh shawarma and corn fritters. And solid accommodation Ellenborough Park, near Cheltenham, has opened The Lodge, a stylish self-catering accommodation, so you can combine impeccable hotel service with Swift-style discreet privacy.