Where to stay in 2025

We’re warming up for 1 January, the kick-off point for 12 months of exciting trips. If you’re starting to plan your holiday calendar too, let us help with our month-by-month guide to where to stay in 2025: highlighting cultural events, natural wonders and optimum weather conditions, plus every new and noteworthy hotel you should be in the know about, from Athens to Zanzibar. It’s going to be a very good year…

IN JANUARY, STAY IN…

THAILAND

As soon as Christmas is done and dusted, most Northern Hemisphere dwellers are fully fed up with winter. At this point, the wisest among us pretend to be birds and fly south — and in the buzzy Thai beach town of Hua Hin, a Standard outpost is on hand for some fun in the sorely missed sun. Get in there early, before the Chinese New Year crowds start to arrive at the end of the month.

CARIBBEAN

Seasoned sunseekers will also find some rays over in the Caribbean. If you’ve already ticked off the more well-trodden islands of Barbados, Jamaica and St Lucia, there’s always another isle waiting in the wings: namely, one of the US Virgin Islands. Lovango Resort & Beach Club is a private-island paradise that’s 10 minutes by ferry from St John, one of the archipelago’s main landmasses.

DUBAI

If you’re taking the well-run approach to New Year’s resolutions and are aiming to get fit(ter) for 2025, Dubai‘s wellness wonder Siro One Za’abeel, sister brand to One&Only, is here to help you start as you mean to go on. It’s set within the same eye-poppingly H-shaped building as One&Only One Za’abeel, which focuses less on fitness and wellbeing, and more on regular holiday indulgence.

SWITZERLAND

Not yet done with cooler temperatures? Then head to snowy Switzerland, where the winter-wonderland scenes linger long after the festive season. In the laidback resort of Adelboden, The Brecon offers an antidote to showy Gstaad, with Sixties interiors behind the classic-chalet façade. More mountain magic awaits at The Cambrian nearby, where a peak-facing terrace has a pool with a view. Continue your Swiss Alps odyssey with a stop at Grand Hotel Belvedere in Wengen, which — as if things couldn’t get any more idyllic — is reached by cog railway.

IN FEBRUARY, STAY IN…

BERLIN

Pack your woollen tailoring and fine knits for a chic, winter city break in Berlin, whose attractions are largely weatherproof and streets quieter in low season. Check in at two new Smith-approved stays: Sly Berlin, a design-forward basecamp with a rooftop terrace and robata grill in easterly Friedrichshain; or target central Mitte with a sojourn at Château Royal Berlin — an art hotel bolstered by mid-century design and finessed Mediterranean dining.

THE FRENCH MOUNTAINS

Ski lovers, we present you with a delicious dilemma: the Pyrenees or the Alps? We have newcomer hotels in either. Choose between on-the-slopes La Voie Lactée in La Mongie, where the Pic du Midi stands sentry, and links to the Pyrenean resort of Baréges extend the ski area. In the Tarentaise, the Experimental group unveils Experimental Chalet Val d’Isère — an irresistible cocktail of retro interiors, Savoyard dining spots and a pool-toting spa.

IN MARCH, STAY IN…

SRI LANKA

Spring is most agreeable in Sri Lanka’s golden south. Start deep in the forest at Glenross Living, where the pool hits a higher altitude than most trees. Edge closer to the coast at slow-paced Kurulu Bay; clean lines, low-rise architecture and soaring palms frame views of Koggala Lake. And you’ll sleep to the sound of the ocean at Ahu Bay, a cluster of serene beach houses on a secluded stretch of coast in Ahungalla.

AUSTRALIA

Start your summer early in Australia — ‘Mad March’ brings a roster of exciting events in Melbourne: the F1 Grand Prix, Comedy Festival and Food and Wine Festival all take place this month. Bed down at the StandardX in eclectic ’hood Fitzroy, with a rooftop restaurant set high above its vintage stores, bars and brunch spots. A few hours north of the city is the peaceful Lancemore Milawa, a mere stumble away from the Brown Brothers Winery, making late lunches and prolonged wine tastings almost too easy.

PARIS

What could be more chic than the 7th arrondissement au printemps? Paris breaks into bloom in March, with daffodils and cherry blossoms lining the capital’s pathways and parks. Stay at Hotel Hana — which translates to ‘flower’ in Japanese — for an urbane blend of Eastern finesse and French flair. Le Grand Hotel Cayre permeates its interiors with the spirit of its creative past, taking design cues from the Roaring Twenties.

IN APRIL, STAY IN…

MEXICO

Mexico is spirited year-round, but particularly so during Semana Santa (Easter week). Revellers celebrate with parades, fireworks and alfresco concerts, and at three-bedroom Mesón Hidalgo in San Miguel de Allende, you can survey the street processions from a cacti-crowned rooftop. Hotel Cigno’s central Mérida co-ordinates mean you can tap in or out of festivities — its stone soaking tubs and riad-style courtyard might convince you to do the latter — but for an off-grid escape, retreat to jungle-swathed Kokoro Mio near Bacalar’s blue shores for spiritual temazcales and treehouse cabanas.

LAKE GARDA

Swap your spring clean for a soul-cleansing stay at Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda, which offers holistic resets via souped-up therapies and high-tech treatments. You should get a healthy dose of sunshine here, but warmth is also delivered at the six panoramic saunas. If your approach to wellness is slightly more extreme, staff can arrange bespoke health programmes, or you can take part in the Lake Garda marathon to get the blood and endorphins flowing.

IN MAY, STAY IN…

ATHENS AND ITS RIVIERA

The Mediterranean season is just getting started in May, so you could have its glamorous islands and stylish shorelines to yourself. Wake up and smell the coffee and the freshly baked sourdough and pastries with a stay at Ergon Bakehouse Athens, or ascend allegorically to Mount Olympus by checking in to La Divina in the city’s historic heart. Over in the glamorous ’burbs of the Athenian Riviera, join The Roc Club in Vouliagmeni or try 91 Athens Riviera in jet-set-approved Glyfada. Attention gyros lovers: a street-food festival is held in Athens over three weekends each May.

SPAIN

For a hearty dose of vitamin D after a long northern European winter, sunny Spain is ready to receive you. El Born — Barcelona’s hippest ’hood — is set to get even cooler with the arrival of Borneta; or you can make the border of the equally buzzy Eixample and El Raval districts your base with a stay at Hotel Regina. Further along the Catalonian shoreline, La Bionda Hotel Begur will gladly be your coastal casa, and nearby in Girona, time your trip to Torre del Remei with the flower festival to see the city in full bloom. In the Basque Country, discerning diners will approve of the food and drink offering at Hotel Nafarrola; and you can make a princely pitstop at Palacio Arriluce Hotel, housed in a grand Bilbao mansion.

PORTUGAL

Another place to start the extended Continental summer as you mean to go on is the Algarve, where a new Viceroy resort recently joined the Ombria estate, home to various private residences and, naturally, a golf course. In the eastern Algarve, Verdelago Resort is breezy, beachfront Portugal at its Atlantic-lapped best. Serene sunny days are also promised in Lisbon this month — Patio do Tijolo in Bairro Alto has been crafted by some helpful artists, whose photography is on display.

IN JUNE, STAY IN…

THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

From campagne to côte, the South of France in June is for sophisticates attending yacht-racing off Antibes, showjumping in Cannes and high-art performances in Provence at the Festival of Lyric Art or Fête de la Musique. Auberge La Coste, set on Villa La Coste’s legends-only art estate, is a fitting hideaway. Meanwhile, on the coast, soap factory turned aristocratic residence Château de Théoule will make you feel just as upwardly mobile.

ICELAND

Learn how to pronounce ‘Hæ hó jibbí jei!’ for Iceland in June — it’s the cheer of Independence Day on the 17th, with country-wide parades and pop-up shows. In the remote wilds, Highland Base Hotel celebrates with a waffle buffet, and keeps midnight-sun-all-night season suitably joyful, with geothermal bathing and hikes through steaming mountain ranges.

SCOTLAND

Edinburgh may experience rainbows nearly year-round, but on 20 June, Pride deliberately paints the town with them, marching down the Royal Mile and swirling through ceilidhs and club nights. Watch the city glitter from Gleneagles Townhouse’s roof terrace, resting rave-weary heads in its grand Georgian rooms. Then peace out at Another Place, The Machrie on Islay, enjoying better-than-usual weather with coastal walks and Llagavulin whisky tots.

IN JULY, STAY IN…

ENGLAND

The buzz of bees, Centre Court’s polite applause, strolls across the lawn à la Jane Austen (of whom Brits are celebrating 250 years in 2025)… July is a hazy affair in the English countryside. Get woozy at any number of our new additions, such as the unstuffy New Park Manor in the New Forest, Rest + Wild’s rustic-luxe cabins in Shropshire and Exmoor, or the charming Cavendish Hotel at Baslow on the Peak District’s Chatsworth Estate. Other reasons to go gaga in the sunshine: a turreted Victorian manse called Langdale Chase on Lake Windermere, and the year’s most satisfying no-brainer: a new Pig hotel in the Cotswolds.

KOH SAMUI

Escape the Southern Hemisphere’s cooler climes with a stint on Koh Samui, where Thailand’s famous hospitality is in full force at Marasca Samui, a fresh and effortlessly friendly resort on Chaweng Beach. Letting loose is a given here: wellness sessions, cocktails at the beach club or in your private cabana, and late-night parties that go on until sunrise.

PERU

July is peak season in Peru, and the best chance for a dry, cloudless ascent to Machu Picchu. But hold your Paso horses, because there’s so much more to the Sacred Valley. Por exemplar, Andenia, an oasis of fruit trees, hammocks and plunge pools a few towns down river. Here, you’re well-placed to explore other highlights such as the dramatic ruins of Ollantaytambo, high-altitude lakes and sections of the Inca trail on horseback. While further south, more adventurous sorts can camp out — albeit luxuriously so — amid Andean grasslands in Puqio’s chic tents.

IN AUGUST, STAY IN…

THE DOLOMITES

If you’ve spent winter on the slopes, and aren’t quite ready to part with those oh-so-scenic settings, dedicate August to the almighty Dolomites. Whether you’re heading to these flower-freckled mountains for the season’s hiking and biking events, or food and folk festivals, My Arbor is a healing Brixen base. Or, ascend Alpe di Siusi’s summit for far-stretching scenery, provenance-first fare and all the Alto Adige wine you can sip at Como Alpina Dolomites.

NEW ENGLAND

New England’s east coast comes into its element in August, when lobster rolls, whale-spotting and sailing are just a few of the joys on the agenda. Sample Cape Cod’s sultrier side at Awol Provincetown, or get hooked on the fishing town of Falmouth at The Coonamesset. Blind Tiger Portland — Danforth Street and Bluebird Ocean Point Inn are your nautical crashpads for the tail end of Maine’s Lobster Festival. And in Nantucket, The Brant delivers coastal charm in spades and all the ‘greasy luck’ you’ll need for whale-watching forays.

IN SEPTEMBER, STAY IN…

UPSTATE NEW YORK

It’s harvest season, and in Upstate New York that means nature’s bounty is on deck at the Hudson Valley Wine and Food Fest — a big hit around these parts. Post-indulgence, make a date with The Ranch Hudson Valley, a wellness retreat that’s keen on community, the outdoors and organic fare from local farms. In the mountainous Catskills, former motor-lodge Camptown is entering its cosseting prime, with timber cabins, fire pits and a sauna hut at your disposal.

NEW YORK

Once summer’s hair-frizzing humidity takes a hike, New York is unbeatable. In September, sidewalk and rooftop dining are still in vogue, the swingers are out (at the US Open, that is) and Little Italy’s open-air Feast of San Gennaro dishes out indecent amounts of pasta. Sleep it off at The Twenty Two, New York, a Brownstone layer-cake containing art deco suites, a Levantine restaurant and a rakish, clubby bar.

FINLAND

Famed for its ochre shorehouses and riverside walkways, Porvoo is Finland’s most photogenic city. Its allure peaks in autumn at the onset of ruka, the Finnish word for the kaleidoscope of colours created by the changing leaves. Runo Hotel Porvoo is the natural complement with its earthy palette, Nordic interiors and suites warmed by monumental tiled stoves. Be sure to avail yourself of the hotel’s wilderness guide, who can arrange forest bathing, foraging and coastal cruises.

CALIFORNIA

California’s reputation as an open-air playground is cemented in September, when the conditions are perfect for all things outdoors. Let the good earth guide your hand at Dawn Ranch, a creative retreat amid soaring redwoods in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. For a full detox, we prescribe The Ranch Malibu, where the wellness programmes, meals and experiences are tailored to your personal goals. And at Under Canvas Yosemite, swap screentime for waterfall hikes, strolls in the Sequoia groves and fireside stargazing.

IN OCTOBER, STAY IN…

PIEDMONT

Truffle-lovers should head to Piedmont in October, when the region’s prized fungi are harvested in the forests of Alba and hills of Asti. Le Marne Relais straddles the vine-garlanded countryside between the two, with a mod-rustic spa and artist-inspired rooms. More grape escapes can be found at storied residenza Vigne di Fagnano 1709, and bucolic Villa La Madonna, which combines Scandi interiors with a trio of Italian hallmarks: food, family and tradition.

MARRAKECH

As Europe starts cooling down, Marrakech lives up to its ‘Red City’ moniker, remaining hot, hot, hot throughout October. Soak up the autumnal rays at Riad Brummell, a reimagined 19th-century palace with a glistening rooftop pool and knee-weakening views of the Atlas Mountains beyond. Outside the riad walls, don’t miss the Harvest Festival: a thriving, two-week celebration of the city’s organic food scene.

ZANZIBAR

October brings out Zanzibar’s bright side, with balmy climes for comfortable beachside lounging. At Bawe Island — a tropical paradise set on its namesake private enclave — that’s top of the to-do list. Followed closely, of course, by restorative spa stints, delectable dining and lazy days in private, pool-toting villas. Flights are at their cheapest, crowds at their thinnest, and warm, clear waters present favourable conditions for underwater adventures among the island’s colourful coral reefs.

IN NOVEMBER, STAY IN…

SWEDEN

Snow doesn’t faze Stockholmers, who’ll kayak the archipelago, snow-shoe through Bogesund Nature Reserve, then de-thaw in a sauna. So Villa Dahlia’s Tegnérlunden Park setting won’t be lost on you under a blanket of snow. Nature is a theme at the hotel — named for the flowers growing round the original owners’ summer home — as it is in the city’s museums, with an immersive ‘forest’ at Tekniska and surrealist landscapes to see at Moderna Museet.

ITALY’S CITIES

The weather’s touch-and-go, but November’s a surprisingly sensual time to traverse Italy. Use Rocco Forte House Milan as a base for seeing James Blake-scored ballet at Teatro alla Scala and Leonora Carrington’s lore-laden paintings at Palazzo Reale. Use Venice’s Violino d’Oro as a base for dining on the warming stews and bedazzled biscuits of the city’s seasonal saintly festas. And hole up at This Time Tomorrow in Florence, for aperitivi under heaters; comfort-eating ribollita, truffles and chestnut cake; and trying fresh-off-the-presses olive oils at the Regello festival.

INDIA

Northern India hits Goldilocks temperatures in November; it’s a fertile time, when flowers bloom abundantly and migratory birds return, thus ideal for comfortably exploring greener climes, such as the Asola-Bhatti Forest, home to Anvaya. Speaking of gold… the hotel’s Gehry-esque architecture has a turmeric hue as cheering as the mango-margaritas served on-site, with visits from native wildlife enriching your experience further.

IN DECEMBER, STAY IN…

BRAZIL

Poolside picantes isn’t a typical Christmas tradition, but it could be, if you spend the festive season prone on Soho House São Paulo’s terrace. The stylish group has given its design template a little Latin American flair throughout an Italianate building in the luxury-led Cidade Matarazzo complex, where guests can celebrate amid lush greenery while playing pool, chilling before city-wide views and partying till late.

AUSTRIA

Along the promisingly named Panoramastrasse in South Styria, you’ll spy the pitched red roof of The Old School Guesthouse. Now converted to a homey hideaway, it’s filled with Christmas spirit come December: the region’s natural wines get a good mulling, guests learn festive feasting tips and weave wreaths in the communal kitchen at its heart, and snow-dusted walks are followed with warm spells in the alfresco wood-fired sauna.

VERMONT

In December, Stowe’s slopes are as generously powdered as its warm apple-cider doughnuts are with brown sugar. Ideally placed bed and breakfasts Awol Stowe and Bluebird Cady Hill Lodge will make a stay extra sweet, with luxe mountain-lodge styling, hot-tub soaks or fire pit gatherings. Located near the Ben & Jerry’s factory and Von Trapp beer hall, while giving way to the pine-fresh Green Mountains, they encapsulate the town’s wintry charms.

THE MALDIVES

Dry, balmy weather, bright seas and skies, and clear snorkelling and diving visibility are more than enough reasons for us to bag a break in the Maldives. Vakkaru Maldives in the Baa Atoll biosphere makes the prospect especially enticing with its mansion-size villas, sports complex, Ayurvedic spa and distractions-all-day kids’ clubs. It’s more of a people-pleaser than even Santa could hope to be.

For more travel inspiration, don’t miss the stays we’re still wish-listing from 2024