Luxury holidays 2025: Stylish hideaways far from the mainstream

Luxury holidays are no longer loud. They hide behind old monastery walls, float over the sea on elegant trains, or flicker like campfire light in the desert. Those traveling in 2025 will seek authenticity with style, but without spectacle. A former Cistercian monastery just outside Paris is becoming a historic retreat. In Bangkok, a classic hotel is celebrating its comeback: The Dusit Thani combines familiar splendor with new clarity. In Mallorca, Valldemossa lies quietly and regally in the mountains, while a British sleeper train rolls back onto the tracks with velvet, crystal, and plenty of nostalgia. Luxury travel is reinventing itself. More personal, more conscious, more surprising. Traditions are not being discarded, but rather further developed. Comfort remains, but with character.

Live like a king

Just 45 minutes from Paris, the Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay awaits its guests as a true gem of stylish splendor and impressive expanse amidst nature. Built in 1118, the property served as a monastery for centuries and later as the summer home of Baroness Charlotte de Rothschild before being transformed into the luxury hideaway it is today for almost 60 million euros.

The elegant rooms and suites are located in the main building, or you can book a pavilion by the lake. There's no chance of getting bored here: From private cinemas to croquet tournaments, numerous activities are offered. A kids' club is also available. Those preferring a quieter setting can rent a boat or bicycles and explore the surrounding nature. The spa offers holistic wellness: In collaboration with the skincare brand Tata Harper, guests are pampered with high-quality beauty products and select treatments. The former Rothschild hunting lodge has been transformed into an exclusive dining spot serving seasonal French cuisine of the highest quality.

Behind the project is entrepreneur Laurent de Gourcuff , founder of the Paris Society, known for a string of trendy nightclubs and restaurants such as Raspoutine, Castel, Monsieur Blue, Girafe, and Gigi—and most recently, the legendary Art Nouveau restaurant Maxim's. For ten years, he dreamed of opening an idyllic country hotel far from the hustle and bustle of Paris. Inspired by the charming Soho Farmhouse in the picturesque Cotswolds, an exclusive retreat by the Soho House Group for London's elite, he wanted to create a place that offered peace and quiet. abbayedesvauxdecernay.com

Luxury vacation Zanzibar: Elegant Robinson feeling

Spread across 30 hectares of natural paradise on a secluded island off Zanzibar, Bawe Island Resort welcomes guests in style by private boat or helicopter. The 70 exclusive ocean-view villas are strategically positioned to enjoy breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.

Ranging in size from 200 to 500 square meters, they offer lush gardens, heated pools, and personalized butler service. Guests can choose between overwater Lagoon Suites, beachfront Zanzibar Villas, and the magnificent Sultan Palace. In-villa dining with private chefs ensures absolute privacy. Four exceptional restaurants and a wellness area are part of the ensemble.

The Cocoon Collection's new luxury retreat strikes a balance between a true Robinson Crusoe feeling and pure elegance. Guests can enjoy exclusive safaris in Tanzania, diving, snorkeling, or kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding tours. Yacht and speedboat charters are available for excursions. Attilio Azzola , founder of The Cocoon Collection: "Our vision was to balance luxury and sustainability while preserving the island's ecosystem." baweisland.com

Comeback for Bangkok's hotel icon

When the Dusit Thani opened in 1970, it was one of Bangkok's first luxury hotels and, with 22 floors crowned by a golden spire, was the tallest building in the metropolis for a decade. With its Thai style and hospitality, it was the epitome of jet-set elegance for tourists and locals alike for decades. A former director of the Frankfurter Hof, Reinhard J. Heermann, also managed the hotel for several years. So there was great sadness when the landmark was demolished in 2018 to make way for a new complex. But when the hotel reopened at the end of last year, guests and critics alike were thrilled with the new incarnation of the icon.

The new Dusit Thani Bangkok is the centerpiece of Dusit Central Park, a multi-purpose complex featuring ultra-luxury residences, a shopping center, a state-of-the-art office tower, and an 11,200 m² rooftop park overlooking Lumpini Park. There's even a ten-part documentary series on YouTube documenting the successful transformation. dusit.com

Mallorca royal

The exclusive five-star hotel Valldemossa – The Natural Sanctuary has opened in the picturesque mountain town of Valldemossa on Mallorca. This special hideaway, part of a former royal palace, offers 12 exquisite suites and combines historic flair with modern luxury.

The picturesque stone houses, surrounded by an organic garden and an olive grove, offer breathtaking 360-degree panoramic views of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Serra de Tramuntana mountains. The interiors are decorated in a 1950s French style, with carefully selected original furniture from that era.

Gourmets can enjoy a culinary journey from Asia to South America at the De Tokio a Lima restaurant, while the Sanctuary offers wellness treatments that combine traditional Chinese medicine with Western methods. valldemossahotel.com

Sailing with the Orient Express

Starting in June 2026, the Orient Express Corinthian, the renowned brand's first sailing ship, will set sail for the Mediterranean, the Adriatic, and later the Caribbean. Inspired by the golden age of luxury cruising and built with state-of-the-art technology, the ship brings the Orient Express style to the oceans. At 220 meters long and with 4,500 m² of sail area, the world's largest sailing yacht sails purely by wind power at speeds of up to 17 knots.

On board, guests will find 54 luxurious suites with panoramic views, five exquisite restaurants, eight stylish bars, and a marina at the stern for romantic evenings. The vision: an exclusive experience that combines luxury, aesthetics, and technology. sailing-yachts.orient-express.com

California's starry sky

Folly Mojave, the second jewel in the Folly collection, is nestled amidst California's wild beauty, where the Mojave National Preserve meets Joshua Tree National Park. Three freestanding structures, named for the elements of wind, water, and fire, offer minimalist, luxurious retreats for complete relaxation in beautiful, spectacular natural surroundings. They blend perfectly into their surroundings, offering every comfort, breathtaking views, and absolute privacy.

The Mara Pavilion boasts a central social and wellness area, complete with a spa, heated pool, sauna, and steam room. In the evenings, guests can gather around the fire pit or gaze from their bed on their private open-air terrace at the clear starry sky, which reveals the Milky Way in all its beauty. follycollection.com

Mythical Rhodes

Located on the edge of a remote peninsula in Rhodes, the Amoh Resort is inspired by the island's mythological heritage. Located on the site of an old quarry near the Acropolis of Lindos, it pays homage to the history of local craftsmanship. Local stones and warm, earthy tones were used in the design of its 197 rooms and suites, as well as its four restaurants, two bars, and 700-square-meter spa.

The island's cuisine is celebrated at the Mediterranean restaurant Lithos, while the Italian-inspired Cava Di Pietra and the Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant Umi Panga offer international cuisine. Glaze promises the finest dry-aged steaks. The resort features private beaches, several outdoor pools, and an indoor pool, and will open in the summer. amoh.com

Night train

With the Britannic Explorer, Belmond presents the first luxury sleeper train in England and Wales. The train combines the tradition of travel with modern British cuisine and culture. Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan creates seasonal, sustainable menus that celebrate Britain's culinary heritage.

On board, guests can expect a wellness suite and a cultural program offering exclusive insights into the country's hidden gems. The three-night voyages from London lead through Cornwall, the Lake District, and Wales. In the evening, a bar inspired by Victorian apothecaries invites you to enjoy cocktails and craft beers. The design studio Albion Nord created an interior full of British charm. belmond.com

Royal Dining Car

The luxury resort Palazzo di Veragna near Bologna, founded by the important entrepreneur and visionary Carlo Gherardi, has now added an extravagant restaurant, the seventh: a railway carriage from 1921, once the prototype of the royal train, takes guests on a culinary journey of discovery.

Chef Davide Rialti spoils guests at Treno Reale Carrozza Ristorante with refined and elegant cuisine that celebrates the train's historic routes and eras. From Turin to Florence and Rome, Brussels and Naples, each dish is a tribute to the region's excellent ingredients.

The dinner begins with a fitting blow of a whistle, simulating the departure and the start of the journey. The elaborate decoration with gold leaf, brass, and velvet, as well as the artistic works of Giovanni Bressana, make the restaurant car a very special destination for gourmets and transport them back to long-forgotten times. Gherardi: "The Palazzo di Veragna is the epitome of what we call the Heritage of Italian Lifestyle." palazzodivarignana.com

Easy travel

Lufthansa and AirPortr now offer an innovative baggage collection and check-in service in Frankfurt. Luggage is picked up directly from your home or hotel, transported safely to the airport, and checked in for your flight. Real-time updates and digital receipts ensure complete transparency. This allows you to travel directly to security without heavy luggage, comfortably and stress-free. The service can be booked from €25 and is already available in several cities around Frankfurt. In addition, the Lufthansa Group airlines offer another service for their guests that integrates the Apple AirTag tracking function into their baggage tracking and apps, allowing passengers to digitally track the location of their luggage. airportr.com

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