1. A TASTE OF HISTORY
Bodrum’s balance of Turkish heritage, rich culture and beguiling beaches makes Amanruya a special location for travellers seeking something beyond sun, sea and sand. Turkey has a vibrant culinary landscape, which can be explored through the hotel’s visits from award-winning guest chefs.
For a further taste of local life, take the 45-minute trip from Amanruya to the village of Etrim, a place unchanged since ancient times, to witness the making of traditional, hand-knotted Turkish carpets. You can also explore local vineyards, take a boat trip across the Aegean, with a picnic and visits to Hattat Bay and Apostol Island. Spend four to seven nights and enjoy complimentary nights, daily breakfast, dining credits and airport transfers.
2. IBIZA ON MY MIND
Fewer tourists this year make Ibiza an even more appetising proposal for fashion-forward travellers wanting to soak up the beautiful sun, sights and style of this Balearic Island. Recently opened for its first full season, Amàre Beach Hotel Ibiza has beach chic scribbled all over it, from its simplified modern interiors and softly-spoken sea-inspired colour palette to its stunning beachfront setting in Bou Cove. This summer, Amàre has partnered with acclaimed celebrity photographer, Jordí Gómez, to host its very first Amàre Art Series, in which Gómez will enhance the hotel’s hedonistic vibes with his alluring photography. Once you’ve danced the night away to the DJ mixes at the hotel’s exclusive beach club, you can sleep it off in an I Was Here Room, or soak up the views from your private terrace.
3. BANGKOK'S NEW WELLBEING DESTINATION
After the stresses of the past year, we’d probably all benefit from a wellness escape to realign and recalibrate. One hotel thinking just that is The Peninsula Bangkok, which is introducing a comprehensive retreat programme from September 1st, designed to offer guests a sense of tranquility and harmony of body and mind.
Based on four elements, the holistic approach centres around exercise (yoga, Pilates, HIIT and Muay Thai), mindfulness (meditation, breathing sessions and the healing arts), healthy dining choices (from plant-based journeys to anti-inflammatory cold presses) and sleep (with a relaxing stay in a Deluxe Room). The Active Body & Healthy Mind two-night package also includes daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, up to five treatments at The Peninsula Spa, up to five exercise classes and a mindfulness breathing class. Outside of your programme, you free to wander the city exploring Wat Arun temple, Phahurat Market and Royal Barges Museum.
4. FAMILY VALUES
A country and culture known for its hospitality and family values, Thailand is the perfect destination for those looking for a holiday to suit all ages. Anantara Mai Khao Phuket’s Ultimate Family Vacation offer allows you to escape to this bucolic hideaway that’s nestled in tropical gardens and fringed by lush national park.
You’ll sleep in luxury accommodation and get daily breakfast, daily access to Anantara Vacation Club Mai Khao Phuket’s water park, DIY kite making and flying experience on the beach, complimentary kids’ activities, 25 per cent savings on spa treatments and F&B, early check-in and late check-out, with children under 12 staying and enjoying breakfast for free.
5. CAMP ROCK
Hard Rock Hotel Maldives’ Summer Family Camp-Cation puts the fun in sun with one of the most exciting kids’ club offerings in the Indian Ocean. The ‘Play Hard, Pause Hard’ approach customises experiences for all ages, with everything from sports, to arts and crafts. There’s music classes and dance lessons, marine life discoveries and a Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Whilst the kids are occupied, you can kick back and soak up the summer at Hard Rock Café. Sounds like bliss, doesn’t it!
6. A DIGITAL DETOX IN MOZAMBIQUE
Decamp to an African Island paradise with Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort in Mozambique, where you can lose yourself in total seclusion amidst jaw-dropping tropical beauty and protected ocean life. Far removed from modern distractions, here you can have a true digital detox, should you wish, focusing more on nature and nurture. An aqua-marine playground, here you can swim with dolphins or feast your eyes on the annual migration of humpback whales. The longer you stay, the more you save here, allowing you to make even more memories. Stay four to seven nights to save 25 per cent on an all-inclusive Bazaruto Fully-Inclusive Package, or stay nights or more to enjoy 30 per cent. The Sea View Pool Villa offers elevated luxury high in the treetops, with a plunge pool just for you.
7. A NIGHT UNDER THE STARS
A hotel brand that stops at nothing to deliver unique, exceptional experiences wherever you are in the world, from walking with a naturalist to watch migrating zebras to a heli-surfing day-trip to Indonesia’s famous G-Land, it’s all in a day’s work for Four Seasons. If you’re in Hollywood and fancy a night with the stars, the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel, is serving up a unique urban glamping experience atop the hidden roof terrace of the Veranda Suite, which will be transformed into your own after-dark playground. Sleep in a 10-foot tent for two, illuminated by a crystal chandelier, sip Flaming Sorbet cocktails around a campfire, and tuck into a custom eight-course menu rounded off with s’mores – made of 24-carat gold, no less.
8. ITALY'S FASHION FAIRGROUND
If opera, Vespas, coffee and cobbled streets lined with exclusive boutiques sounds like your kind of thing, a stay in the ultra-stylish city of Milan should sate your appetite. Once you’ve shopped til you drop in the Quadrilatero della Moda and The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and soaked up the culture at the Duomo and Teatro alla Scala, point your well-heeled shoes towards the Presidential Suite at Mandarin Oriental Milan, a residence fit for royalty. Not only does it have a beautiful balcony overlooking the stunning views of Via Monte di Pieta, it also has a fully kitted out kitchen, a dining room, steam room and a master bedroom that is flooded with natural light. You’ll welcome the oversized freestanding bathtub after a day touring the city, as well as the opportunity to mingle with Milan’s elite at the hotel’s hip al fresco dining spot, Seta.
“An urban oasis in the heart of Italy’s most fashionable city, here you can enjoy your daily slice of la dolce vita”
9. THAILAND'S HOLISTIC HAVEN
A legend reopens this month, with Phuket’s Amanpuri hotel inviting guests back from August 1. For over three decades, this resort has served as a sanctuary for those in need of nature, with a stay here soundtracked by the whispers of coconut palms and the sighs of the Andaman Sea. Aman’s first resort presides over its own peninsula, meaning space and privacy abound. To make the most of this holistic haven, join its Journey To Peace: As It Is Retreat, which will be led by a Buddhist monk and mindfulness coach. On the journey, you’ll be guided on how to ‘let go’, allowing you to find clarity and solace in the moment with breathwork and meditation, whilst also cleansing your body with a variety of treatments at Aman Signature Spa.
The journey includes full-board accommodation and runs from October 19-25. Appealing to your other senses, the resort’s Amanpuri Villa Experience showcases the very best of the Amanpuri lifestyle from the comfort of a stunning and spacious villa. If you stay for three or more nights, you can enjoy full board whilst utilising the services and skills of your own private Thai chef and butler. You can also indulge in a 60-minute holistic massage and take advantage of the Eco-Beach Discovery Centre and digital hub, which is perfect for occupying smart young minds.