Since the Renaissance, Antwerp has been a global standard-bearer of design. The Belgian port town became a fashion hub in the 1980s thanks to the Antwerp Six (a group of designers, including Dries Van Noten, who attended the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp). Today, it’s more dynamic than ever. In 2022, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) finally reopened after a decade-long renovation, giving the art scene there a major boost. And in the summer of 2024, the Rubenshuis museum debuted a new garden with 17,500 plants selected by Dries Van Noten himself to provide year-round color.
 
A wave of hotel and restaurant openings are adding to the energy. There’s Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, a 17th-century monastery turned hotel with three fine-dining restaurants and a holistic spa, and Maison Galalith, a guesthouse that jewelry designer Pascale Masselis opened above her boutique in the historic city center. It comprises two apartments decorated in a minimalist style.
 
After dark, Antwerp’s cool kids gather at fresh spots like PrivéPrivée, where celebrity chef Sergio Herman serves just 20 diners at a time, and Cobra, a favorite for cocktails and small plates. As other cities battle with overtourism, creative, uncrowded Antwerp increasingly seems like the place to be.

A long-kept secret is finally out: The 35-mile stretch of coast known as the Athens Riviera is becoming the city’s second center. With its sparkling beaches, day-to-night bars and bustling shops and restaurants, it’s hard to deny the area’s allure—and, like central Athens, it’s also dotted with ancient Greek ruins (including the Temple of Poseidon in southern Cape Sounion), meaning history and culture are part of the fun.
 
Unsurprisingly, this renaissance has piqued the interest of the hotel industry, with big-name brands like Ace Hotel debuting outposts along the coast. But the real name to watch is The Ellinikon. The sprawling, ambitious smart-city project aims to transform a former airport into a year-round destination, including a nearly 500-acre coastal park—set to be the largest on the continent—that will give the city the green space it so desperately needs. A public park and visitors center are already open, with best-in-class sports facilities planned for 2025.

As if you needed more incentive to stay by the water, many of the popular towns along the Riviera—like Glyfada, known for its shopping and nightlife, and affluent Vouliagmeni, where even locals have vacation homes—are less than 30 minutes from downtown Athens, meaning you can slip over for an early-morning tour of the Acropolis and be back on the coast by lunch.

Fast-paced, party-filled Rio might be the first place that comes to mind when you dream of a trip to Brazil, but you’ll find a low-key alternative in the northeastern state of Bahia—the site of Brazil’s original capital, and the birthplace of samba and capoeira. Salvador, its capital city, is quickly emerging as a culinary destination, with its booming restaurant scene and distinctive fusion of pre-Columbian, Portuguese and African cuisines.
 
Bahia is also known for its tree-lined coast, with quiet beaches, rugged Chapada Diamantina National Park (an ideal destination for hiking and waterfall spotting) and a UNESCO-designated historic center. Popular resort brand Anantara is also making Bahia the home of its first South American property. Opening in 2025, its Mamucabo Bahia Resort will be just 90 minutes from the Salvador Bahia Airport (SSA), featuring 116 rooms, suites and villas, in addition to a beach club, a spa and multiple swimming pools.

Big Sky is one of the largest ski resorts in the U.S., offering 5,850 acres of terrain. Still, it’s often passed over for more developed mountains in Colorado and Utah. That’s all about to change as the Montana resort area enters the final phase of an ambitious 10-year project to make Big Sky one of the top ski destinations in North America.
 
Skiers are already enjoying the Lone Peak Tram, which replaced the original gondola from 1995 and can reach the resort’s 11,166-foot summit in less than five minutes. This season, visitors can also look forward to chairlift improvements that will make for faster, more comfortable skiing. Soon, they’ll even have a shiny new place to stay in addition to the Montage Big Sky, which put the town on the luxury travel map when it opened in 2021. High-end hotel brand One&Only has chosen Big Sky as the site of its first resort in the U.S. A new gondola and Ski Lodge restaurant will debut for the 2024–2025 ski season, followed by the full resort—with 73 guest rooms and suites, a Japanese steak house, a hammam-style spa and more—in summer 2025.

Vietnam abounds with luxury accommodations and natural beauty, especially along the country’s 2,000-mile-long coast, where travelers can discover powder-soft beaches and multiple UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Though hopping from city to city along the coast can be challenging, that’s changing with the arrival of The Vietage by Anantara, comprised of two new train cars operating on Vietnam’s national train line.
 
More than an alternative to crowded public trains and long travel days navigating the Southeast Asian country’s airports, The Vietage takes travelers from Đà Nẵng to Nha Trang (with a worthwhile stop in Quy Nhơn), with a menu of afternoon tea, caviar and Champagne to be enjoyed while admiring the passing scenery: rice paddies, ponds filled with lotus blossoms and the Phú Yên mountains. Best of all, each train car accommodates just 12 passengers, meaning you won’t be jostling for elbow room during the journey. It’s a comprehensive, comfortable way to experience some of the country’s best offerings, and at the end of it, you’ll feel well rested and ready to continue on with your travels. Farther down the coast, Regent Phu Quoc just opened on an island off of Hà Tiên, marking the hotel brand’s first Southeast Asian property.

Georgia may be one of the original states in the union, but it’s constantly evolving. Take, for example, the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, a nature preserve with eight miles of hiking trails and more than 12,000 years of Native American heritage and history. Community leaders and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation are pushing for the land to be redesignated as the country’s next national park and preserve. The move would give Georgia its first national park, protect an additional 50,000 acres and surely attract more tourists to this part of the state. Ocmulgee Mounds would also become the first national park comanaged by a forcibly removed tribe.
 
Change is afoot even in Savannah, one of the nation’s oldest cities. Mediterranean-inspired Hotel Bardo Savannah charged onto Instagram feeds when it opened inside the historic Mansion on Forsyth Park in 2024—a process that’s likely to repeat in 2025 when Midnight Auteur, from the mixology wizzes behind Death & Co, debuts the brand’s first hotel, the cocktail-centered Municipal Grand. Some travelers are already wise to the city’s evolution: For 2025, Chase Travel bookings for trips to Savannah are up 32% year over year.^{2Same page link to footnote reference}  As for everyone else? Well, they’ll just have to play catch-up.

For a freshwater furlough in the summer months, you can’t do much better than the majestic Great Lakes. The proof is in the numbers: For 2025, flight and hotel bookings across Michigan, which touches four of the five lakes, are so far up more than 20% year over year.^{3Same page link returns to footnote reference}

The Midwestern state is chock-full of pristine beaches and parkland, and its roster of top-tier hotels is adding to the region’s appeal. The Inn at Stonecliffe and Otis Harbor Springs each underwent major renovations in 2024, while newcomer and design darling the Ada Hotel opened in its namesake city in August 2024.
 
Victory Cruise Lines will also make stops in the state when it relaunches in 2025, joining fellow cruise lines Viking and Pearl Seas Cruises out on the Great Lakes. Expect jaunts to Mackinac Island, a Michigan summer favorite, and the charming town of Escanaba, in addition to cities like Chicago and Toronto.
 
And there are exciting reasons to keep an eye on Detroit, a Michigan city in the middle of its own resurgence: A 22-acre green space along the Detroit River is opening in 2025, as is a new bridge connecting Detroit and Ontario. An EDITION hotel will follow in 2027.

It’s becoming easier than ever to reach this remote island in the North Atlantic Ocean, where you can chase the aurora borealis, climb an ice sheet, travel by dogsled and embark on other outdoor adventures.

The international airport in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital city, is being completely overhauled; the Ilulissat airport is getting a major upgrade; and a new airport is set to open in Qaqortoq in 2026. As a result, travelers are seeing more flight options: As of June 14, 2025, United Airlines will become the first U.S. carrier to offer scheduled service there, with seasonal summer flights from Newark (EWR) to Nuuk (GOH). There’s also increased service from Iceland and Denmark with Icelandair and Air Greenland.

Joining the expanded flight service are new cruise itineraries from HX (formerly Hurtigruten Expeditions), Silversea and Viking, whose three-month sailing will bring travelers from Greenland to Antarctica when it launches in September, including stops in Canada and Chile. They join a number of other major cruise lines, such as Oceania and Celebrity, that already feature Greenland in itineraries that cross the North Atlantic.

And when you’re ready to come in from the cold, Greenland’s Ilimanaq Lodge is reopening its beloved Restaurant Egede with an inspired new menu highlighting local ingredients. (For the past three summers, the lodge hosted KOKS, the famous restaurant from the Faroe Islands that relocated to Greenland during renovations.) It’s just one more reason to visit now, before everyone else shows up.

Despite its rainforests, waterfalls and dormant volcanoes, Grenada is often overlooked for flashier neighboring islands like Saint Lucia and Antigua—but not for much longer. In April 2024, Six Senses chose the Spice Isle (so named for the many spices produced there, including cinnamon, nutmeg and mace) as the location for its debut hotel in the Americas, becoming the first international luxury brand to open on the island. The resort, Six Senses La Sagesse, has 71 rooms, suites and villas set around a saltwater lagoon in southeastern Grenada.
 
Farther west, the striking Silversands Beach House also opened in 2024, with 28 freestanding villas featuring a canopied design, joining Silversands’ first resort on the island. And the crowds are likely to follow. In fact, Chase Travel hotel bookings in Grenada more than doubled in 2024.^{4Same page link to footnote reference}   Go before everyone else to lounge on Grand Anse Beach, tour a spice farm and explore Concord Falls, but also to support the recovery effort on Grenada’s sister islands, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, which were devastated by Hurricane Beryl in the summer of 2024.

Costa Rica is well-known for its pura vida mentality—a positive, easygoing outlook that invites travelers to slip off their shoes and sink onto a beach blanket, or zoom through the rainforest canopy on a zip line. And thanks to a surge of growth in Guanacaste, a province on the Pacific Ocean known as the Gold Coast, more and more travelers have their sights set on this Central American nation.
 
After an action-packed day riding the area’s legendary surf or hiking in national parks, travelers will be able to check in to one of the region’s new properties (next up: Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve). Even old favorites are getting serious updates. The Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica emerged from a major overhaul in 2023, followed shortly thereafter by Nayara Gardens, which unveiled completely revamped casitas. That’s about when the Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo debuted 25 new villas and a beach club, along with a refreshed restaurant with a menu reflecting a country-wide effort to elevate Costa Rican cuisine with dishes like purple-corn polenta and coconut-milk red snapper. Soon, the property will have an updated kids club and a combined lobby coffee shop and vinyl bar.
 
That said, a trip to Costa Rica should really be about active, outdoor experiences. At the end of 2025, a 20-acre sports park is opening on the Peninsula Papagayo, with tennis courts, a yoga deck and even an amphitheater for live concerts. The good life, indeed.

Rail travel has a strong history in Europe, as anyone who’s ever backpacked across the continent can tell you. But 2025 will mark a new chapter for train enthusiasts looking for more ways to explore one country in particular: Italy.

In 2024, Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express debuted its Paris-to-Portofino route, the train’s first trip to the Italian Riviera. The three-night journey, which combines one night on board with two nights at Belmond’s iconic Splendido property in Portofino, will remain a summer special. Meanwhile, Accor’s highly anticipated La Dolce Vita Orient Express train launches in early 2025. Swanky and shiny, with lacquered walls and vintage silverware, the train’s next-level design and culinary program (think: Sicilian brioche and freshly squeezed fruit juices for breakfast) might almost be enough to keep you inside its nine carriages—if not for the eight distinct itineraries on offer, which include a truffle trek through Piedmont.

While they’re not quite as fancy, Italy’s espressi (express) and storici (historic) trains are receiving makeovers of their own, thanks to FS Treni Turistici Italiani; the new tourist-focused brand was launched in 2023 by Italy’s state-owned train operator in response to demands for new rail options and more ways to engage in sustainable travel. So really, everybody wins.

Sustainability and conservation have never been more important to travelers—or more critical to the planet. And in 2025, Kenya’s pristine Suyian Conservancy will make a compelling case for eco-minded explorers. When it opens in July, a new 14-room lodge from luxe tour operators andBeyond will be the only property in this unfenced wildlife habitat. It’s designed to blend in with the landscape’s natural rock formations, and each suite has an indoor and outdoor shower, plus a private plunge pool, where you can cool off after a day on safari.
 
As part of its exclusive tourism agreement for the 44,000-acre preserve, andBeyond is partnering with the charity Space for Giants on both high-end tourism facilities and long-term conservation projects—guests, for example, can spend time with local herders who practice active ranching, which improves soil health. Completing the lineup will be a tented camp and a movable camping experience, plus a few as-yet-undisclosed features. After all, the wildlife here is a big part of the appeal: Keep an eye out for black leopards, Grevy’s zebras and giraffes, plus elephants, lions, oryx and cheetahs.

A former industrial area known as Little River—located just north of Wynwood and the Design District—has over the past few years transformed into one of Miami’s coolest neighborhoods. Where once there were warehouses, there are now art galleries, coffee shops and boutiques with celebrity followings. And that momentum is set to continue in 2025 with The Breeze Way, a modern version of Main Street that spans 11 warehouse bays, an open courtyard and two historic homes.


Still, Little River is probably best known for its burgeoning restaurant scene, with spots like Ogawa (arguably the best omakase in Miami), Magie (a popular wine bar) and Sunny’s (a wildly successful pandemic pop-up turned permanent steak house). And there are a few major debuts coming down the line: Fooq’s, a beloved Mediterranean restaurant downtown that’s been closed for three years, is relocating there, and the team behind favorite Italian spot Macchialina in South Beach is opening a pizzeria, wine shop and market called Bar Bucce. Come for the culture, stay for the food.

Mallorca has long been a favorite of Europeans for its cliff-framed beaches and sunny weather. But until recently, it was less popular with Americans (save for a few cyclists coming for the mountainous landscape). Then, United Airlines launched its first nonstop flight from the U.S. in 2022—and the rest, as they say, is history.
 
A slate of new hotels, chef pop-ups and natural-wine bars across the island provide even more reasons to visit on your next vacation. Grand Hotel Son Net, housed in a 17th-century estate in the foothills of the Tramuntana mountains, reopened in May 2023, and Richard Branson’s Son Bunyola Hotel & Villas, which occupies a 16th-century finca surrounded by 1,300 acres of olive groves and vineyards, debuted a month later. The most hyped of all is the Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor, which opened in August 2024 in a former grande-dame hotel on the island’s northernmost tip.
 
When it’s time to eat, try Mercat Tramuntana, which opened in January 2024 in the mountain village of Puigpunyent, for breakfast, pizza and Friday-night guest chefs; Blai, a new spot in Sóller for tapas and natural wines; La Nouvelle Famille, a natural-wine bar in Santanyí; and Bar Bodega Biniaraix, which has been around since 1937 but recently got new owners, who churn out wood-fired pizzas and host regular pop-ups.

Morocco is ready to welcome you back following the September 2023 earthquake. Both in Marrakech and outside the city, from the Agafay desert to the Atlas Mountains, several new hotels are redefining the country’s travel experience. Riads like Rosemary and Izza provide chic but lower-priced alternatives to Marrakech’s palace hotels, while retreats like Farasha Farmhouse, located just 45 minutes from the medina in the countryside, offer a place for creatives to come together over artist talks, DJ sets and more. Back in town, the Gueliz neighborhood is bursting with cool new businesses, including farm-to-table bakery and café Blue Ribbon and contemporary art gallery L’Blassa Art Space.
 
Times are changing in Tangier, too. Artists, fashion designers and entrepreneurs are reclaiming the narrative from the Western counterculture that defined the city in the ’50s and ’60s, telling a more contemporary story in the process. They’re infusing a subversive, energetic spirit into art and community projects like Kiosk, a one-stop bookstore, gallery and artists residency that sells limited-edition posters by Tanjawi artists, prints alternative city guides and runs tours that promote a more responsible brand of tourism. It all adds up to a new kind of Morocco you just need to experience for yourself. And for those who still want a touch of tradition? Royal Mansour recently revealed outposts in Casablanca and Tamuda Bay.

The secret’s long been out on Lima’s elite food scene; even Netflix has trained its spotlight on the South American capital, where it featured the venerated restaurant Central and its chef Virgilio Martínez for an episode of “Chef’s Table.”
 
But you should also save your appetite for Arequipa, the country’s second-largest city. Though it’s only a 90-minute flight southeast of the capital, high-altitude Arequipa has an entirely different gastronomy. Here, it’s all about mestizo—a confluence of Indigenous and Spanish influences that manifests in hearty, largely inland dishes like rocoto relleno (hot peppers stuffed with beef and cheese) and ocopa (potatoes in a punchy herb sauce). You can try these specialties at picanterías: rustic, lunch-only taverns traditionally helmed by women. Once numbering in the thousands, there are fewer than 100 left in the city.
 
Of course, food is hardly Peru’s only draw. If it’s outdoor adventure and scenic views you’re after, head three hours north of Arequipa to the Colca Canyon. The region is home to a chasm twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, and draws just a fraction of the crowds of Machu Picchu. While there, you can stay the night at PUQIO, Peru’s first tented camp, which opened in September 2023. Pack in even more sightseeing with new tours from trip-planning heavyweights like Abercrombie & Kent and G Adventures, both of which have announced itineraries in and around the Amazon; the former is even debuting its first South American riverboat.

Laid-back beach towns, incredibly fresh seafood, gold-sand beaches and rainforest-fringed mountains are just a few reasons travelers are drawn to this stretch of the Pacific Coast. Now, new outposts from major hotel brands and improved flight connectivity are making it easier to get here, stay here and venture beyond the well-established tourist circuit.
 
The One&Only Mandarina and the adults-only Naviva^®, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita, México were two of the first openings to signal a growing interest in the Riviera Nayarit resort area. In the years to come, Belmond, Montage, Pendry, Fairmont and The Ritz-Carlton are expected to drop flags here, among others. These resorts are designed to keep guests spread out, meaning it’s unlikely the area will ever feel as crowded as similar resort destinations in Mexico.
 
Major developments across the region are also making it easier to get here—and to then get around. A new highway now runs along the coast through the Riviera Nayarit, connecting Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, significantly reducing driving times across the region. A revamped international airport will change the game entirely. Currently, Puerto Vallarta’s airport (PVR) is the key gateway for travelers bound for this area, but when Riviera Nayarit International Airport (TPQ) opens its new $200 million terminal in the first half of 2025, there will be more flights, less driving and a high-tech, digital immigration checkpoint to get you on your way more quickly.

Rainforest-covered volcanoes, ancient forests filled with wildlife, immensely hospitable people from a variety of cultures: It’s no wonder tourism to Rwanda is booming.
 
The East African nation may best be known today for its gorilla trekking experiences, which often include stays at incredible lodges, like One&Only’s properties in Volcanoes and Nyungwe Forest national parks. And more great places continue to open. Wilderness, a luxury lodge and safari operator, has its new four-suite Bisate Reserve lodge in Volcanoes National Park and, in June, they’ll open Magashi Peninsula in Akagera National Park. Meanwhile, a 10-suite camp, Munazi Eco Lodge, opens in Nyungwe Forest National Park in 2025.
 
Traveling to see Rwanda’s diverse landscapes and renowned wildlife has, however, always required a bit of endurance. A new lake boat that launched in 2024, the Kivu Queen uBuranga, makes it possible to experience it all in one go. Mantis—a conservation-focused travel group—offers two- and three-night itineraries on board the 10-cabin expedition vessel plying one of the continent’s Great Lakes. In addition to stops at wildlife-filled islands, travelers can explore Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe Forest National Park on either end of the journey. Though bookings are currently on hold while the Kivu Queen uBuranga undergoes repairs, they are expected to reopen in 2025.
 
Down the road, even getting to Rwanda will be easier, with a new $2 billion airport expected to debut in 2028 that will become the key gateway for travelers. It will be able to accommodate millions more passengers than the current airport in Kigali (KGL).

More than a decade in the making, the Frank Gehry–designed Guggenheim museum in Abu Dhabi’s burgeoning Saadiyat Cultural District is expected to welcome its first visitors soon—and when it does, it will be the largest Guggenheim museum in the world. (In addition to the New York flagship, there are also locations in Bilbao and Venice.) Also planned for the nearly completed Cultural District, just a few miles north of the city center, is the Foster + Partners Zayed National Museum, which celebrates the legacy of the sheikh who founded the United Arab Emirates, as well as the history and culture of the region.
 
And that’s hardly all the Cultural District has to offer. Since 2023, the area has been home to the Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith forum with three houses of worship—a synagogue, a mosque and a church—that also provides guided tours and cultural programming. Right next door, the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation opened in early 2024, showcasing private art collections from across the globe. All this joins the Jean Nouvel–designed Louvre Abu Dhabi, with its lattice-like dome, which put the area on the international map when it opened in 2017.
 
Both individually and collectively, these museums, art galleries and cultural centers are a compelling reason to step away from Abu Dhabi’s beaches and bustling downtown and spend time surrounded by striking architecture, learning the stories of people of differing faiths and backgrounds.

There’s little to rival Scotland’s striking landscapes—but staying indoors is starting to look pretty appealing, thanks to a new crop of accommodations. Both Red Carnation and W Hotels recently debuted properties in Edinburgh—the latter opened in a sleek, futuristic building in late 2023. The annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe got in on the action, too, with its first-ever “floatel” on the river Leith. Glasgow also has plenty to brag about: The Address Glasgow, a boutique-style hotel, opened in early 2024, and House of Gods, an opulent, Kubla Khan–esque adults-only haven, followed a month later.
 
Outside the cities, the acclaimed Glenturret Lalique Restaurant, west of St. Andrews, began offering stays at the centuries-old Aberturret Estate House, while Arbikie Distillery celebrated its 10th anniversary with the launch of luxury cabins, each with a private sauna or hot tub and floor-to-ceiling windows. Also new are the self-catering accommodations at Aberdeenshire’s Harestone Moss (think: an underground burrow house and converted grain silo).
 
The new year brings a few more delights, like Mythtopia, an eco-glamping resort aimed at fans of live-action role-playing that’s set to open south of Edinburgh, and Kilchoan Estate, on the northwest coast, where the group behind Colorado’s Dunton Hot Springs has undertaken a massive renovation. The estate maintains a rewilding initiative, too, aimed at restoring marine and land habitats across the 13,000-acre tract—meaning its natural beauty will outlast the freshly painted rooms.

Netflix’s bingeable series “Squid Game”; director Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning film “Parasite”; the obsession with snail mucin as a skincare cure-all: Unless you’ve spent the past five years offline, you’ve almost certainly clocked South Korea’s contributions to the zeitgeist. But its influence abroad can be traced back much earlier. In the 1990s, a sudden interest in South Korea’s offerings catalyzed a global ascent so rapid and profound its Chinese neighbors even gave the phenomenon a name: the Korean Wave.
 
That wave shows no signs of plateauing: Chase Travel is already seeing 80% more hotel bookings for trips to Seoul in 2025 than during the same period in 2024.^{7Same page link to footnote reference}
 
So, what are people going for today? Pretty much everything. The mammoth capital sits comfortably at the crossroads of tradition and modernity, with beautiful palaces and Buddhist temples within striking distance of reliable, easy-to-use public transportation. There’s 24/7 nightlife, including all-day, all-night karaoke; abundant shopping that spans international luxury brands and local artisan sunglasses makers; a thriving wellness and skincare industry that makes collagen face masks as commonplace as bottled water; a cultural heritage that includes pottery, calligraphy, papermaking, traditional teahouses and bathhouses; and, of course, a vast and varied restaurant scene that now also includes a mastery of French and Italian specialties.

Move over, Big Sur: The hottest new road trip in California starts in the Santa Ynez Valley and traces a southward path to San Diego, letting you discover the state’s buzziest openings while enjoying scenic stretches of coast.
 
In the Santa Ynez Valley, visitors will discover one of California’s most exciting food scenes. This area is filled with The Infatuation–approved restaurants including Bell’s, the popular popup Priedite Barbecue and Bob’s Well Bread Bakery. And there’s plenty to look forward to, including a new counter-service spot in Santa Ynez from the Italian-born chef behind Los Olivos favorite Nella Kitchen & Bar. There are also a handful of new restaurants opening in Solvang. Spend the night at one of the Santa Ynez Valley’s new hotels, including The Genevieve, a boutique property that debuted in a restored Victorian building in 2023. 
 
Continue south to Los Angeles, which is welcoming a spate of new hotels, including the Regent Santa Monica Beach and properties in Silver Lake (such as the forthcoming Hotel Lucile) that are finally making it easy to stay in one of the city’s coolest neighborhoods. End your trip in San Diego, where the Omni San Diego Hotel completed a major renovation in June 2024. And before you fly home, you can check out the state’s first Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club.

Thailand is no stranger to tourists, thanks to an ever-growing spate of resorts. (Case in point: Six Senses The Forestias will open in 2025 on a private lagoon in Bangkok, featuring the brand’s first members club in Asia.) But the long-awaited, forthcoming third season of “The White Lotus” is setting the stage for a deluge of new fans and followers—Chase Travel bookings to Thailand are already up 22% year over year for travel in 2025.^{8Same page link to footnote reference} When the streaming series airs, it will star multiple Thai luxury resorts, including the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui and the Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas.
 
Of course, there’s so much to see and do in Thailand beyond your beachfront villa’s wraparound terrace (including those sugar-white stretches of sand). It’s a destination suited for every type of traveler, whether you’re drawn to the country’s warm waters for diving and snorkeling, the striking Buddhist temples or the food (another order of pad kee mao, please).
 
Thailand is also a convenient stop on a larger tour of Southeast Asia. A flurry of new airlines will make it easier to get around, including Really Cool Airlines, a cheeky name for a serious venture that’s preparing to take off in 2025 with connections between Bangkok and major international cities. Cool indeed. 

Few cities have lived as many lives as Warsaw. These days, the cosmopolitan metropolis is bursting with grand old castles and buzzy food halls, annual jazz and film festivals, and one of Europe’s best nightlife scenes. There’s a brand-new Museum of Modern Art building, and every other month seems to bring another boutique hotel.
 
Since 2022, it’s also become a safe haven for Ukrainians. In 2024, Ukrainian citizens accounted for more than 10% of all business openings in Poland, according to data shared by the Polish Economic Institute. Some of these spots telegraph Ukrainian pride; at Krym, a husband-and-wife team serve Crimean specialties like sarma (meat wrapped in grape leaves) and deep-fried baklava. Others, like Milk Bar Warsaw, offer fresh takes on the classics: think sweet treats like syrniki (fluffy, quark-filled pancakes), served in a former power plant that’s been reimagined by a Ukrainian design studio.
 
Beyond the realm of food and drink, influential local shops like TFH Concept Store, Khmil and Mysia 3 have welcomed their new neighbors with pop-ups to promote Ukrainian businesses, including the designer Olena Przhonska and the independent Osnovy Publishing. So when we say there’s never been more to see in Warsaw, we mean it.

Australia’s largest state has a lot going for it: the wineries of the Margaret River valley, wildflower blooms throughout the outback and distinctive natural features that feel like another world entirely. And now, there are new ways to explore this incredible region—particularly for travelers who want to be on the water.

In June 2024, Seabourn’s new expedition vessel Seabourn Pursuit had its inaugural season in the Kimberley, a remote part of Western Australia known for its rugged waterways, inshore reefs and spectacular scenery. The ship may have put a spotlight on the region in 2024, but it’s not the only reason to consider a trip there in 2025.

There are the coral atolls of Rowley Shoals and the remarkable Horizontal Falls. Travelers might also see migrating humpback whales, green turtles and a wide array of seabirds. For an even more intimate experience, small-group tour operator Kimberley Spirit Tours is expected to launch a luxury houseboat experience in 2025. Basically, the place to be is on the water.