Want to get ahead of the travel pack? The hot travel trends and destinations are already forming for next year, from the safari scene to ultra-luxe hotel openings, active pursuits and top destinations. If you’re looking for the best luxury vacations to book, here’s your starter’s guide. Wild, unspoiled nature and low formality are two things that will set the tone, says the founder of trend forecasting website Globetrender, Jenny Southan. “Sometimes when people are investing a lot in a trip, it can create a lot of pressure,” she explains. “When everyone is in a relaxed state of mind then time together becomes more enjoyable.” From hotel merchandise to padel games, here are some of the top trip styles and places to travel in 2025.
1. The “it” hotel
One of the top trends Jenny has noticed is what Globetrender is calling “hotel hotlisting”. “High-net-worth travellers are chasing new hotel openings around the world to tick off, and in so doing may find themselves exploring places they hadn’t considered before,” she explains. Some of her top openings to watch in luxury vacation destinations for 2025 include the Corinthia Bucharest in Romania, Six Senses Papagayo in Costa Rica and One&Only Moonlight Basin in Montana. Luxury Gold’s tours tick off many of the most sought-after hotels on the planet: your hotel hotlist might include Belmond Hotel das Cataratas, at Argentina’s Iguassu Falls (the Grand South America tour), South Africa’s striking Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa (Spectacular South Africa), and Ireland’s Ashford Castle (Castles & Kingdoms tour).
Brazil’s Belmond Hotel das Cataratas, by Iguassu Falls, might make your hotel hotlist
2. Accessible safaris
Safaris are for everyone – or they should be. Jenny points to a leader in this field – Ximuwu Lodge, in South Africa’s Klaserie Private Nature Reserve – as a pioneer of accessible safaris. Ximuwu’s vehicles are adapted for wheelchair users, as well as its lodge bedrooms, pool, corridors and communal areas; there are mobile ramps to access wildlife hide locations, strategically positioned for optimal lighting so all visitors can capture great images of the Big Five.
3. Nature for family bonding
Some of the best luxury vacations for the year ahead will be in naturally bountiful nations, says Jenny. “Nature-based retreats trump cities, for example. And less formality will enable everyone to feel more relaxed than white glove service,” she observes. “The emphasis will be on time together as a family – not leaving your children in a kids’ club all day, or with a nanny. In Italy, the Borgo Egnazia hotel is organising ‘Family Happiness Breaks’, for example.” Whether nature immersion means rugged National Parks or white sand beaches to you, think about getting the family out to an outdoors-focused destination such as Norway, Ireland or Australia.
National Parks like Banff in Alberta, Canada, could be the place for your next family vacation
4. Padel in paradise
Luxury vacation destinations are getting sporty with the latest fitness trends. “We have identified a trend for ‘Racketeering’, whereby people are seeking out hotels and resorts where they can play tennis and other popular racket sports, such as padel and pickleball,” says Jenny. Even the billionaires are at it. “Necker Island, Richard Branson’s resort in the British Virgin Islands, recently installed new padel and pickleball courts, while other high-end properties and cruise ships are following suit. Unlike tennis, padel courts are smaller and the games are easier to master. Plus they’re social,” says Jenny.
5. The screen-inspired trip
“Nantucket on the US east coast and luxury Thailand will be big due to ‘jet setting'”, says Jenny – the two destinations feature in new Netflix show The Perfect Couple, starring Nicole Kidman, and the upcoming series of The White Lotus respectively. Other inspiration for 2025’s best luxury vacations will be the upcoming film Paddington in Peru and the Mediterranean island of Malta, which served as a location for both Jurassic World Rebirth and the highly anticipated Gladiator II. For southeast Asian serenity, White Lotus style, try Luxury Gold’s Inspiring Indochina itinerary; for Paddington worthy landscapes, book Treasures of the Incas.
6. Winter sun outside the box
New openings in classic locations such as the Seychelles will be big for next year, says Jenny, who cites the new Cheval Blanc in the islands as one of the most exciting openings on her radar. A Four Seasons is also coming to Belize, putting this less well-trodden Latin American destination on the luxury map. “I saw that Bahrain is promoting itself as a winter sun holiday destination,” she adds, “and there are a number of new luxury hotels opening on Saudi Arabia’s Red sea coast”. Get ahead of the high-end travel crowd by booking less obvious winter sun destinations before everyone else gets there.
Ancient spa practices from Cambodia to India will inspire wellness trips
7. Wearable hotels
One huge travel trend in the hospitality world is luxury merchandise, says Jenny. “More and more luxury hotels are jumping on the ‘shoppable stays’ trend, where they launch highly covetable branded merchandise, fashion apparel, sports gear and homeware. These are often in partnership with couture brands such as Dior and Fendi, but also the likes of Lacoste and Superga,” she says. “Pioneers include the One&Only and Four Seasons groups, as well as Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Marbella’s Puente Romano Beach Resort, the Beverly Hills in LA, and Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Passalacqua in Lake Como.”
8. South America for digital nomads
South American countries including Argentina, Brazil and Colombia are emerging as the new digital nomad destinations, Globetrender has found. Good value living costs, sunshine, nature and vibrant communities are all thought to be draws for the world’s wealthy entrepreneurs -and where the working-from-abroad crowd goes, the luxury travellers will follow. Some of the best luxury vacations for 2025 can be found in magical Peru, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. See the best of the Latin American continent on Luxury Gold’s epic, 23-day Grand South America tour.
9. Authentic spa destinations
Tapping into historical spa and healing practices will be a big trend of 2024, say Jenny and Globetrender – they recently reported on the Skjol bathing ritual you can experience in Iceland. In terms of the best luxury vacations, the world’s top spa destinations will include India for Ayurvedic practices (the luxe hotels on the Imperial Rajasthan tour have you covered), Peru’s Inkaterra lodges for ancient medicinal treatments (Treasures of the Incas) and Cambodia and Laos for steam baths, meditation and massage (Inspiring Indochina).
10. Fabulous rail journeys
Taking the train will be a core part of the luxury experience in 2025, says Jenny – going on recent Globetrender reports of The Vietage train’s new experiences in Vietnam, and champagne catering on Belmond’s luxury trains in Singapore and Europe. Bucket-list rail experiences abound in Luxury Gold’s itineraries: from Switzerland’s mountain scenery aboard the Glacier Express to Norway’s Flam Railway and Japan’s iconic bullet trains, you can ride the rails in style on several continents.
