(MENAFN- Live Mint) (Bloomberg) -- If the post-holidays chill has you pining for palm trees and island bliss, here's a bit of good news: 2025 has lots of new resorts to deliver on your castaway fantasies, in nearly every corner of the world.
Caribbean hideaways, restored fincas in the Balearics,
sumptuous overwater villas in up-and-coming Bahrain, and an Australian island resort close to the Great Barrier Reef: There's an easy escape to be had no matter where you live.
What they all have in common is an
embrace
of culture and nature, helping guests
enjoy far more than the local beaches.
Consider this a starter list; 2025 contains numerous highly intriguing openings, like Saudi Arabia's
Red Sea Edition
and Rosewood Miyakojima in Okinawa, Japan, with too few details yet to be set in stone. A few more we've told you about already-like the W Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic or
Salterra, a Luxury Collection resort in Turks and Caicos whose opening date has been long delayed. (The former was supposed to pop in 2024, but now it's coming in April 2025.) Others, like
Voaara,
opening soon on Madagascar's Sainte Marie island, will work best as part of a larger itinerary.
The 10 spots below, however, will be easily accessible from major cities around the world-and offer so much more than sand and a view.
Better yet, there's something for every budget, including one LVMH-owned property with rates under $300.
Ardbeg House, Scotland
Get there from:
Glasgow, a 45-minute
flight away.
If you're flying from London, you'll have to connect in the Scottish city; the total trip is around 3.5 hours LVMH
Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy SE
invests millions in the conversion of a seaside hotel next to
the centuries-old Ardbeg Islay single malt Scotch whisky distillery-all on Scotland's remote and rugged isle of
Islay-you can bet it will become one of the next great luxury destinations. The result, expected to open in the fall of 2025, will be called Ardbeg House.
Although details are sparse on what its
12 guest rooms and suites will look like, they will be the work of Russell Sage Studio, which is known for designing the opulent Goring
hotel in London. The prices, however, will be far gentler than LVMH's usual four-digit nightly fees, starting at under $300.
Expect lots of programming around whisky, including several spaces where you can imbibe
the island's signature spirit. They'll include an
indoor-outdoor“Islay Bar” and a recreational space with a
whisky cave-not to mention all the tasting rooms a short drive away. (Have the hotel hire you a car; don't drink and drive!)
Rooms from $282.
Cheval Blanc, Seychelles
Get there from:
Nairobi and Addis Ababa are three
to four
hours away by plane; from Doha, it's just under five hours by plane.
Another LVMH
opening, but this one is from its ultra-luxurious boutique brand, Cheval Blanc, which
has made its
much-anticipated
debut
on the Seychelles archipelago-only its sixth location in the world.
Opened on Dec.
1
on Mahe Island, it has 52 sumptuous maisons,
all located along the island's pearlescent coastline or
discreetly tucked into the lush tropical hillsides. Each is positioned to overlook the turquoise Indian Ocean and the rocky bluffs of Anse Intendance beach, with private pools and interiors by Jean-Michel Gathy. On-site will be five restaurants, including one serving Seychellois Creole dishes,
a children's play area stretching more than 16,000 square feet
and eight treatment rooms at
the Guerlain spa. Rooms from $2,500 per night.
Hawar Resort by Mantis, Bahrain
Get there from:
Dubai, a
75-minute flight away.
The pristine Hawar Islands,
12 miles south
of mainland Bahrain, are
rich in desert species such as Rhim gazelle
and Nubian ibex. Unlike most deserts, though, these are ringed with spectacularly clear waters and brimming coral reefs. And soon the islands will
have their first luxury hotel.
Hawar Resort by Mantis, part of Accor SA, opens
on the main island's western shores in January, with overwater villas that look as if they're straight out of the Maldives. Each has a private deck
and infinity pool overlooking the Arabian Gulf,
where you might spot
schools of dolphins, manatee-like dugongs, flamingos and Socotra cormorants.
The hotel will offer both
a kids'
and teens'
club, plus five restaurants and a seasonal pop-up dining concept that will host celebrity chefs. In an interesting twist that makes use of the desert landscape
of
the island's interior, guests
can also test their survival skills at the on-site Bear Grylls Survival Academy Train Like Bear Zone. (Because apparently, survival training is the hottest new luxury amenity around.)
Rooms from $548 per night; overwater villas from $1,551.
Miraval the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
Get there from: Jeddah, a roughly
90-minute flight away. From Doha or Istanbul, it'll take between three or four hours decision of whether to vacation in Saudi Arabia remains a complex one, but if you're interested in giving it a chance, longevity retreat leader Miraval Resorts & Spas
is choosing the Red Sea's Shura Island as its first location outside the US. Opening in fall 2025, Miraval the Red Sea will focus on all-inclusive
wellness
and mindfulness programming, with activities that prioritize
self-care and reflection, in line with the brand's resort locations in Arizona, Texas and Massachusetts.
The
180-room beachfront resort
will include a huge spa with 39 treatment rooms, some
with vitality cold plunge pools and a hydrotherapy tub,
plus yoga studios with sea views
and a smoothie bar.
Saudi Arabia
is expected to welcome at least 30 resorts to the broader Red Sea region
in the next three years
as part of a major push for tourism. Consider it an excuse to get your New Year's resolutions off to a good start, while checking out a burgeoning luxury hotspot.
All-inclusive
rates from $1,200 per night, per person.
Romègas, Malta
Get there from:
Rome or Athens, both around four hours from Valletta by plane is on a luxury ascent, and the five-year-long renovation of a former 16th century palace in capital city Valletta's historic center-culminating in September-proves the point.
Local design studio Camilleri Paris Mode and
EM Architects were tasked with preserving details and adding new flourishes of Maltese craftsmanship in the 23 rooms; included on their lists were
ancient carvings on the stone walls, enclosed Maltese
balconies and“palladiana” terrazzo flooring made with larger-than-usual slabs of marble.
Even the rooftop pool area has provided
an opportunity to showcase
the work of Maltese artists such as ceramicist
Nico Conti and sculptor John Paul Azzopardi. And the restaurant, too, will have a Maltese focus with local
chef Marvin Gauci at its helm.
Rooms from $333 per night.
Rumi
on Louth, South Australia
Get there from:
Adelaide, a 55-minute
flight away. From Melbourne, it's
a 3 to 4 hour
journey with a connection's only 10 minutes from Port Lincoln, on the mainland, to
Louth by catamaran-and yet, the shift in landscapes makes it feel as if you've
traveled
to a bygone
era. What started as a vacation home for Adelaide-based tech entrepreneur Che Metcalf is now being transformed into a full-blown resort; in 2025 Rumi will have
solar-powered
villas that blend into the surroundings with outdoor
hot tubs
and fire pits, plus two restaurants and a fleet of
personal e-bikes and buggies.
A stay here will mean embracing the outdoors, from coastal walks and whale watching to beach picnics and kayak fishing. This is a version of adventure that engages your senses more than your muscles: Think
stargazing at night, and birdwatching by day, when you can look out for Cape Barren geese, rock parrots or
penguins.
Rooms from $374 per night.
St. Regis Aruba
Get there from:
New York City, a 4.5-hour
flight away, with
direct flights most any other east coast capital as well Jan.
22
this
Marriott International Inc.
brand
is set to usher in a fresh dose of glamour
to Aruba's two-mile long
Palm Beach. After a 20-minute drive from Queen Beatrix International Airport, guests will arrive at
a
gleaming
lobby with double-height ceilings and a minimalist, mostly white color scheme that emphasizes the
turquoise waters just beyond.
The resort's 251 rooms and suites are styled simply with
soft tan and teal hues, leaving space for sprawling
bathrooms with free-standing tubs. If you're here to party, there will be a swanky,
9,000-square-foot casino on-site, plus
three restaurants and two bars. But there are also many ways to relax, including
a seven-treatment-room spa and walking-distance proximity to the
Bubali Bird Sanctuary, where you can spot herons, ducks and egrets from an observation tower.
Rooms from $1,598 per night.
The Sundays, Hamilton Island, Queensland
Get there from:
Brisbane, just under two hours' flight away, is the easiest point of access Island, or“Hamo” as locals call it, is the largest island of the Whitsundays, a 74-island chain that's home to
Australia's Great Barrier Reef. It's also where
a smart 59-room
hotel-appropriately named the Sundays-will open in April.
Think of it as the little sister to
qualia, which is among Australia's most iconic luxury lodges and
located on the same
island. (The two resorts share the same ownership.) The Sundays, however, is more laid back and
family-friendly, with low-slung, midcentury-inspired interiors and
floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows in all the rooms.
There's also
an
infinity pool that gives way to grassy lawns and beach lounges, plus a
restaurant with terrace seating that faces
palm-fringed Catseye Bay.
Of course you're going to go diving or snorkeling, but there's loads to do on land, too, from seven miles of hiking trails to explore to tee times
at the nearby Hamilton Island Golf Club. Rooms from $554 per night.
Twinpalms Bangtao Phuket Tented Resort
Get there from: Bangkok is just
a 90-minute
flight away; direct flights are also available from Seoul, Hong Kong, and other Asian hubs luxury safari lodge experience has come to Phuket, courtesy of Thailand-based Twinpalms Hotels & Resorts which on
Dec.
1
opened 28 luxurious tents on the island's sparkling Bangtao beach.
The location is clever: It puts you
an easy half-hour's drive from lively
Patong Beach, but far enough from its raucous nightlife. That lets you focus on a more idyllic experience on the property-it's adults-only, with additional tents and suites set around
lush gardens and a lagoon of those accommodations have large bathrooms with rain showers; some also have private plunge pools. And the dining choices are ample, with access to all of the restaurants at three other Twinpalms resorts in the
vicinity. That's in addition to two restaurants that serve Thai and international dishes right here on the sand, and a poolside dining spot that's
all about Mediterranean surf-and-turf tapas. Rates from $313 a
night per
beach tent.
Vestige Son Ermità and Vestige Binidufà, Menorca
Get there from:
Barcelona, a 55-minute flight away, is the closest major hub,
but most large European cities have direct options.
Tranquil Menorca
has grown in popularity as an alternative to booming Mallorca, and local brand
Vestige Collection is aiming to meet the newfound demand. It's set to open two side-by-side
18th century fincas, or farm houses, as luxe boutique
hotels in June 2025, each with roughly a dozen
antique-filled rooms and suites
on a shared 2,000-acre estate.
Vestige Son Ermità will have panoramic views over farmlands and the sea from its hilltop position
while Vestige Binidufá will be tucked in the valley.
The hotels will share more than just a ton of scenic land: They'll also have
two restaurants-one with a fully plant-based menu-three swimming
pools
and a full roster of cultural activities like cooking classes,
boat tours and visits to archeological sites. There's also
nearly three miles of coastline on-site, including several
tranquil coves-all reachable on foot from Son Ermità or a short drive from Binidufá.
Rooms from $955 per night.
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