Balearic Bliss
The vision I had in mind hinged on a scooter – hands holding Sam’s chest, chin resting on his shoulder as he drove us toward the lighthouse. Instead, while I guard our luggage near a ferry terminal and he makes our case to the rental attendant, my fantasy begins to fray at its edges. “I just need to know how to turn it on,” Sam says, tinkering with the bike, his confidence waning ever so slightly as this gatekeeper to our adventure shakes his head and grumbles, something about foreigners and scooter safety. For a Bygone Mediterranean, Head to This Tiny Spanish Island The vision I had in mind hinged on a scooter – hands holding Sam’s chest, chin resting on his shoulder as he drove us toward the lighthouse. Instead, while I guard our luggage near a ferry terminal and he makes our case to the rental attendant, my fantasy begins to fray at its edges. READ MORE What Does Responsible Travel Mean to You? READ MORE The Best Luxury Resorts in Costa Rica Viridian rainforests, thermal springs, cloud-streaked highlands, coffee and cocoa farms atop rich volcanic soil, and the beaches, of course, with sand in shades of pink, black, khaki, and white. Costa Rica isn’t a large country, but it wildly overdelivers in natural beauty and ecological diversity. READ MORE These Small-Group Tours Make Vacation a Breeze Witnessing the northern lights in Finland. Watching lion cubs wrestle while on safari in Kenya. Moments like this are meant to be shared, and for solo travelers, couples, families, and friends looking to make group-chat plans a reality, Virtuoso travel advisors turn to Collette’s small-group Exploration tours. The family-owned travel company has spent over a century cultivating on-the-ground relationships and connections around the world, so travelers can feel like locals wherever they roam. READ MORE Josie Sexton, a senior editor at Virtuoso, The Magazine, shares what she’s been loving lately. Packing: Summer Hours’ Le Week End (a clean citrus scent) and Sofie Pavitt Face’s Omega Rich Moisturizer, my go-to winter and shoulder-season face cream. Watching: Ryan Gosling absolutely nailed his solo-man-in-space role in Project Hail Mary. Less appealing: Louis Theroux’s take on the manosphere in his latest Netflix documentary – it made me squirm, but I loved it. Coveting: I first visited Formentera a few years ago on a yoga retreat and noticed some of the yogis there wearing Pascale Monvoisin jewelry. Ever since, I keep an eye on the Parisian designer’s artifact-like pendants and signet rings. Dreaming of: Tanzania and Mozambique. This season’s hottest download: the MyTSA app , which tracks security wait times in U.S. airports. Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ absurdist photography is on display in Athens through mid-May. L’Objet’s oh-so-pretty Grand Tour line takes design cues from sketches and collections made by nineteenth-century travelers. If Outlander ’s final season has you eyeing the Scottish Highlands, we’ve got you covered . Bookmark this sunset-quality predictor for upcoming summer vacations. Ready to travel? Let’s go. Connect Request A Quote
Hot on the Scene
Two hotels recently opened their doors along Venice’s canals, in time to welcome the well-heeled set flocking to the upcoming Biennale. We’re eyeing Airelles Palladio, Venezia and Orient Express Venezia for Euro summer this year, and elswhere, a Ritz-Carlton that’s camouflaged in the Riviera Nayarit jungle and Faena’s theatrical NYC debut. Catch up on the new properties we’re loving below, and take a moment to share what traveling sustainably means to you in our (short!) survey. The Best New Hotels of 2026 (So Far) With the April opening of Orient Express Venezia, two emblems of cross-cultural contact – the fabled sleeper train and the floating city – finally meet. The 47-room hotel’s home is Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, a fifteenth-century noble residence built under the supervision of Filippo Calendario (mastermind of the Doge’s Palace), and gently ushered into the twenty-first century by Aline Asmar d’Amman, the designer behind the Eiffel Tower’s restaurant. READ MORE What Does Responsible Travel Mean to You? Take our 12-question survey. Take The Quiz City Guide: Silver Lake’s Indie Spirit Quiet bohemian enclave no longer, Silver Lake reigns as Los Angeles’ vintage-wearing, music-loving life of the party. Despite its popularity, Silver Lake – five miles north of downtown – keeps its east side independent streak alive. Long-standing boutiques such as Broome Street General Store and Rockaway Records share walkable hillside streets with a beloved, twice-weekly farmers’ market and some of the city’s most coveted modernist homes. READ MORE How to Spend a Sun-Soaked Week on Antigua The Caribbean is synonymous with beautiful beaches, and Antigua has some of the most (and best) of them – one for every day of the year, to be exact. It’s possible to spend an entire week languishing on just the island’s west coast, where one of its most pristine stretches of white sand, Galley Bay, forms a gently arcing crescent, sheltered by verdant bluffs at either end. READ MORE This Los Cabos Resort Takes Dining Seriously Food-truck fish tacos, garden-to-glass cocktails, pristine Pacific-sourced sushi – Los Cabos’ diverse dining scene spoils travelers. They can access it all across the six restaurants (plus two bars and a Champagne terrace) at the 112-room Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal. Nestled within one of Cabo San Lucas’ most prestigious neighborhoods – fronting a boulder-framed private beach where the ocean meets the Sea of Cortés – Waldorf Astoria reopened last fall after a multiyear renovation. READ MORE Étienne Petitpez, general manager at Airelles Palladio, Venezia, shares what he’s been loving lately. Packing : My Whoop band and Ethical Nutrients magnesium tablets to help manage travel fatigue. Reading : Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. Dreaming of : A safari at Singita Sabi Sand. Vote for Virtuoso, The Magazine in the American Society of Magazine Editors Best Cover contest! Just “like” your favorite cover: samba in Rio is here , and Lake Como’s Passalacqua is here . Chicago fine-dining icon Alinea celebrates 20 years with a Las Vegas residency this spring. NYC’s contemporary-art hub, New Museum, reopens tomorrow after a two-year closure and expansion. A for your next car trip. Pianist Max Richter’s pieces inspired by Krug Champagne have us ready for a stroll in the French countryside. Ready to travel? Let’s go. Connect Request A Quote
Just Add Water
Spring forward with the latest Virtuoso, The Magazine. We’re beaching it in the Adriatic, highlighting the joys of small-ship cruising, and catching up with chef Curtis Stone for his Playa del Carmen recs. Scroll on to take the plunge. This Cruise Was the Best Way to Get a Taste of My Croatian Heritage At a wooden table inside a restaurant near the trailhead at Kamacnik Canyon, I shared platters of local cheese, deer salami, and fresh vegetables with my fiancé, Mak; about a dozen of our fellow travelers; and our guide, Smila, who declared the canyon “the greenest place on earth.” READ MORE Take on Japan, the Med, and More, Small-Ship Style Fishing boats bearing colorful banners waved us into Uwajima on Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s major islands. Our ship, the Abercrombie & Kent-chartered Soléal, docked in the port city, which rarely sees cruise calls, for an architecture tour in the nearby towns of Ozu and Uchiko. READ MORE Packing a Sketchbook Helped Me Travel Deeper By the time the bartender slid my amaretto sidecar onto the marble counter, I’d sketched a few outlines in my notebook: pink granite, a buttery bit of seaweed, a lonely-looking pine cloaked in pale lichen. That morning, I’d walked through spruce forest on Ship Harbor Trail to a rocky headland in Maine’s Acadia National Park. READ MORE AmaWaterways Adds New Ships, Sailings, and Programs in 2026 As the largest cruise line devoted exclusively to plying the world’s major rivers, AmaWaterways has long set the standard with its elegant fleet, diverse onboard programming, immersive shore excursions, and expert-led specialty itineraries. This year, it continues to raise the bar. READ MORE What to Expect on an Expedition Cruise to Norway’s Svalbard Archipelago There are beautiful coastlines and ancient history, of course, but it’s what’s on the plate that makes the Mediterranean’s most alluring destinations truly appetizing. Luxury small-ship cruise line Silversea celebrates the Med’s gourmet cachet through S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste), its comprehensive culinary program that brings an authentic, locavore focus to onboard dining, cooking classes, shipboard talks, and exclusive shore excursions. READ MORE Curtis Stone, the chef behind Woodend at Maroma, a Belmond Hotel, Riviera Maya, shares what he’s been loving lately. Packing: Timekettle translator earbuds. I don’t need to do much prep; I just speak into them, and the earbuds translate in real time. Reading: Dish magazine from New Zealand, and I read The New York Times online every morning. Referencing: The Italian app Osterie d’Italia highlights restaurants focused on natural, local, and slow food. I’ve found some incredibly authentic places through it. Dreaming of: Korea! I’ve never been and would love to go. I’d also love to take my wife back to Cartagena, which is a beautiful place. Beach season is coming – prep with a Ritz-Carlton x Kilometre Paris bag . Singapore’s acclaimed 1,300-bottle gin bar, Atlas, has launched its own version of the spirit . California may be in for a superbloom this spring. A global history of macaroni and cheese? Yes, please. Ready to travel? Let’s go. Connect Request A Quote
Eye Candy
Every year around the same time (right now, to be precise), the season’s enduring chill leaves us craving a sunny respite. If you’re feeling the same – or just looking for a new weekend getaway – allow us to present a fresh batch of vacation ideas: an art deco escape in West Hollywood, a Bahamian beach trip with a side of contemporary art, and a food-focused reset in Saint Lucia. It’s all below, along with news on Japan’s cherry blossom forecast. Spring, we see you! Five Things We Love: Sunset Tower Hotel It’s the spring of 1929: Audrey Ruston (later, Hepburn) is born in Brussels, Al Capone is arrested in Philadelphia, and the first Academy Awards take place in Hollywood. Just west of that event, along Sunset Boulevard, a 15-floor residential tower designed in the Zigzag Moderne style becomes one of the first high-rises of its kind in Los Angeles. READ MORE How to Tap Into One of the Caribbean’s Most Exciting Art Destinations Turquoise waters, pink-sand beaches, sprawling resorts – most travelers to the Bahamas book it straight to a sunbed, but on my recent visit, I found myself in a giant tent outside the convention center at Nassau’s Baha Mar resort, staring up at a 17-foot-tall, mahogany-wood sculpture by Bahamian artist Antonius Roberts. The piece, Back to Back, Belly to Belly, was on display at the Fuze Art Fair, which showcased the work of 120 artists from 21 countries. READ MORE When I Needed a Reset, I Went to Saint Lucia By the time my partner, Harvey, and I arrived in Saint Lucia that spring, the most appealing form of celebration I could imagine was sleep. We’d landed a few days after my birthday and just a week after the end of an intense, monthslong media-award-judging process. It’s some of the most rewarding work I do, so I was thrilled to have made it through another season of cross-country travel and lengthy deliberations READ MORE In This California County, Sustainable Travel Comes Easy Travelers road-tripping along California’s Pacific Coast Highway can once again pass through Monterey County’s 80-mile stretch of the scenic drive, a portion of which reopened in January after three years of closures. While this Big Sur coast is rightly renowned for its dramatic cliffs and misty redwood forests, the county’s natural beauty covers way more ground. READ MORE Taste the Mediterranean on These Culinary-Centric Sailings There are beautiful coastlines and ancient history, of course, but it’s what’s on the plate that makes the Mediterranean’s most alluring destinations truly appetizing. Luxury small-ship cruise line Silversea celebrates the Med’s gourmet cachet through S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste), its comprehensive culinary program that brings an authentic, locavore focus to onboard dining, cooking classes, shipboard talks, and exclusive shore excursions. READ MORE Quentin Luk, head bartender at Regent Hong Kong’s Qura, shares what he’s been loving lately. Packing: Beats headphones so I can listen to Queen or Maroon 5 – both great companions for long journeys. Reading: Recently, I’ve been interested in culinary culture and how to implement cocktails into the daily dining experience – The Art & Science of Foodpairing is enjoyable on the topic. Scrolling: Gronda. It’s a recipe app with demos by famous chefs and bartenders. Dreaming of: Melbourne, to visit friends, explore the bar scene, and attend a family wedding. Salem, Massachusetts’ Peabody Essex Museum is hosting a celebration of sculptor Edmonia Lewis – a Black, Indigenous Mississauga master of the form – through June 7. This exploration of painter Danielle Mckinney’s portraits is a coffee-table must-have. Japan’s cherry blossom forecast is live. The Guggenheim Collection and watchmaker Swatch collaborated on new timepieces inspired by Monet, Klee, Degas, and Pollock. Globe-trot in the Year of the Horse with Montblanc’s apropos accessory. Ready to travel? Let’s go. Connect Request A Quote
Urban Influence
For Virtuoso, The Magazine ’s City issue, we made a botanical splash at one of CDMX’s chicest hotels, Casa Polanco, before diving into the surrounding neighborhood’s modern arts scene. Writer Alexandra Owens shares a compelling case for why art and design lovers should visit now. If fromage is more your thing, we’ve also got a new guide to eating your way through Paris, one cheese at a time. Scroll down for the goods. A New Wave of Modern Design Is Heating Up Polanco On first impression, Polanco feels a little like the Upper East Side, as friends had told me it would. It’s one of Mexico City’s most lavish neighborhoods, complete with Michelin-starred darlings (Pujol, Quintonil), high-end retail (its jacaranda-lined Avenida Presidente Masaryk sports Gucci, Ferragamo, and Hermès, plus other haute heavy hitters), and coveted real estate. READ MORE Where to Find the Best Cheese in Paris It was more than misting, but not quite drizzling, one night in Paris just before Christmas. You know the kind, when you step out of the hotel thinking, This is fine, and Those fancy hotel umbrellas are so huge and stupid, then after walking a few blocks realize this is definitely not fine and you’d give anything for said huge and stupid umbrellas. It was 30 minutes to opening at one of Paris’ most in-demand restaurants, and I was more than peering, but not quite leering (OK, I was probably leering) into Bistrot des Tournelles in the Marais. READ MORE Five Things We Love: The Parker Palm Springs Palm Springs has always been my home away from humdrum. That two-hour straight shot from Los Angeles into the desert (followed by a hard right into the former playground of Elvis and Sinatra) shakes off the worldliest woes. When my wife and I got married there 25 years ago, an old-timer at the hotel bar told us not to worry about the rain pelting down everywhere else in Southern California. READ MORE Safari’s Quiet Season Delivers a One-of-a-Kind Experience Across East Africa, each season carries its own rhythm. Between November and March, that tempo slows into what Micato Safaris calls the “quiet season.” The plains turn lush and green, temperatures are mild, and baby animals are plentiful. It’s not quiet because there’s less to see – there are just fewer crowds around. Low traveler numbers (with the exception of the holidays, which are always in high demand) translate to fewer game-drive vehicles in the bush, clearing the way for intimate moments to witness wildlife and the beauty of calving season. READ MORE Thebe Magugu, founder and creative director of his eponymous fashion brand, shares what he’s been loving lately. Packing : A Chanel silk headscarf, which I use as a do-rag to protect my hair on flights, and the Thebe Magugu sterling Sisterhood pendant. It’s a good luck charm of mine. Reading : Good to Great by Jim Collins. Watching : Weapons and The Substance are two of my favorite recent movies – they’re both quite intelligent horror. Dreaming of : Japan. Every time I’ve been due to visit, something ridiculous happens, the last being contracting chickenpox. I’m hoping for no disease or plague this time! The White Lotus heads to Saint-Tropez: The show will reportedly film at Château de La Messardière this summer. The days of using airline-provided headphones are over. Until we’re back in Seoul, we’re into this at-home alternative to a Korean body scrub. Tour Chilean painter Matta’s preserved Italian home. Skip the hot toddy: Drink one of these bartender-recommended warm cocktails instead. Ready to travel? Let’s go. Connect Request A Quote
Get To Know Andorra
Happy New Year! We’re thrilled to return to your inboxes for another year of travel inspiration. Up first: the Euro ski break you didn’t know you needed, four great trips for a digital detox, high-fashion jewelry designer Titya Tin’s travel picks, and more. Where to Ski Next Andorra is tiny. Smaller than Luxembourg yet larger than Malta, the principality is home to just 80,000 residents, about half of whom are citizens. Sequestered in the eastern Pyrenees, it’s one of the world’s few countries without an airport, roughly a three-hour drive from Toulouse or Barcelona. About forty minutes in a car will get you across it. Where to Ski Next Little shimlike Soldeu is the region’s top ski base. The town sits like a dark cluster of mushrooms at the foot of Grandvalira ski resort, one of Europe’s largest, with a cable car running directly to the slopes. On my first morning, I woke to clear and crisp skies, the sun laying a golden frond over the peaks. An overnight snow had left a few inches of powder, already engraved with the crazed script of animal tracks and a few early skiers’ cursive lines. READ MORE Four Vacations Made for Disconnecting My life is a constant stream of buzzing, dinging, and scrolling. One quick email check-in often turns into hours lost to open tabs. Last summer, after realizing I hadn’t been offline for an entire weekend in more than four years, I ventured into Canada’s Northwest Territories in search of silence. I was nervous – the world wasn’t going to slow down just because I had decided to – but on day three of my weeklong rafting expedition on the Nahanni River, I settled into life without Wi-Fi. READ MORE Hey Car Lovers, Bookmark These Hotels Guests gawk through oversize sunglasses as I drive a miniature replica of a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa past the valet at The Boca Raton, but what appears to be a toy car is actually a work of art. The handmade vehicle – with matching helmet – is from Hedley Studios, the in-demand British builder of drivable electric cars scaled to between 66 and 85 percent of their original size. READ MORE Titya Tin, founder of Cambodian- and Parisian-inspired jewelry line Tityaravy, shares what she’s been loving lately. Photo by Hong-Ly Lao. Packing: My Arizona Love pouch, which holds all my skincare and sun accessories. Planning: A lot of French novels, such as those by Karine Tuil. Visiting: The Fondation Cartier in Paris – it’s magical, and helped me imagine my new collection, Sugarcane. Dreaming of: Cambodia and New York. The latest in highly recommended travel pillows. (Pair it with this most whimsical of weekenders.) Worth a scroll: these 1930s U.S. national park posters – or go see them IRL at New York City’s Poster House. New coffee table books celebrating The Mark and Oetker Hotels’ Le Bristol Paris are out now. Ready to travel? Let’s go. Connect Request A Quote
Wild Kingdoms
Expedition cruising’s latest golden child, Western Australia’s Kimberley, delivers on natural marvels (a horizontal waterfall!) and up-close wildlife. Read about a recent adventure in the region below, along with next year’s must-watch cruise-ship debuts and packing picks from Mexico City-based fashion designer Olivia Villanti. Australia’s Kimberley Is Worth the Cruise An expedition cruise reveals the region’s billion-year-old landscapes. First light gradually illuminated the sandstone cliff, uncovering one sedimentary stratum after another like a geological striptease. Saffron, gold, brown, cream, and pink layers mingled in the gnarled crag above our boat on the King George River, revealing how unrelenting natural forces have shaped Australia’s Kimberley region for some 1.8 billion years. READ MORE The 19 Most Exciting New Cruise Ships Setting Sail Next Year Arriving in March, AmaWaterways’ 24th ship on Europe’s rivers, the 152-passenger AmaSofia, upholds the line’s wellness focus with morning fitness classes and bicycles for onshore explorations. Following its first spring on the Rhine, the AmaSofia will transit to the Danube, sailing from Vilshofen, Germany, to Budapest, stopping for excursions to Mozart’s former stomping grounds in Linz, Austria, and the Weissenkirchen fortress that once held Richard the Lionheart. Departures: Multiple dates, June 14 through December 27, 2026. READ MORE Where Next: The Ten Best Places to Go in 2026 Every year, we check in with Virtuoso advisors and our contributors around the world to hear more about the best places to go in the year ahead (and why). Trips that prioritize cultural immersion are hot, according to the just-released Virtuoso Luxe Report – a survey of more than 2,400 Virtuoso advisors around the world – as are getaways that put food or adventure first. READ MORE What (and Where) to Eat in Morocco A love affair with Moroccan food begins even before the first taste: Fragrant souks brimming with saffron, cinnamon, and ras el hanout. Roadside citrus groves on coastal northern drives. That first, perfectly overwhelming hit of cumin as a chef lifts the lid of a warm tagine. A centuries-deep blend of Amazigh, Arabian, Andalusian, Jewish, and Mediterranean influences has helped shape Morocco’s culinary identity, a complex mélange of flavors and cooking styles that’s led to hundreds of signature dishes, from hearty, chickpea-studded stews to fresh oysters served with locally grown limes. READ MORE Get to Know Ras Al Khaimah, the UAE’s “Nature Emirate” The United Arab Emirates doesn’t skimp on glitzy grandeur, but it’s also rich in some of the region’s most stunning natural beauty. On the Arabian Peninsula’s east coast and just over half the size of Rhode Island, small but mighty Ras Al Khaimah beckons travelers with golden sand dunes, rugged mountains, and 40 miles of coastline – all within an hour’s drive of each other. The “nature emirate,” as it’s known, also teems with deep Emirati culture and captivating ancient sites. READ MORE The Red Sea Destination Celebrates Its Biodiversity Even before it first welcomed travelers in 2023, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea destination has been charting new frontiers in ecotourism: The 10,000-square-mile region along the northwest coast encourages visitors to not only travel consciously but also become active participants in the area’s natural preservation. With all its resorts targeting LEED Platinum certification, The Red Sea prioritizes carbon neutrality and plans to deliver a net conservation benefit by 2040. READ MORE Olivia Villanti, founder of Mexico City’s Chava Studio , shares what she’s been loving lately. Packing: My True Botanicals hand cream – a gift from a friend and great for dry skin. My little Parker Thatch pouch holds miscellaneous things such as my passport and baggage stickers, and doubles as a clutch at my destination. Watching: The Juan Gabriel documentary on Netflix. He’s an icon in Mexico, and this shows why his music connects with people on such a human level. Shopping: My friend Esteban Caicedo’s line, Azotea , manufactured here in Mexico. His aesthetic is so fun and chic. It’s (finally) official – your Apple Wallet can now store U.S. passports and driver’s licenses. Coming soon: a gorgeous new way to arrive at the Amalfi Coast. The FIFA World Cup draw is this weekend – where will your team be playing next year? Intrepid Travel just partnered with outfitter REI on a series of adventure-focused trips. We’re picking up A Killer Wedding , a thriller set in Ireland, for our next vacation read. Ready to travel? Let’s go. Connect Request A Quote
The Best Holiday-Season Stays
12 Better-than-Hallmark Holiday Season Escapes There’s no place like home for the holidays – but there might be someplace better. The platonic ideal of a December hotel, cruise, or tour doesn’t just take travelers from their ho-hum hangouts – it places them inside a faraway snow globe, perusing village markets and skating across frozen ponds. Or it transports them to the tropics, swapping brrrs for blankets of white sand. These holiday escapes take the stress out of Christmas travel: Gravy dinners are a given, Santa Claus is coming, and checking into a tinseled suite is just the start of the fun. READ MORE Five Things We Love: Fairmont Golden Prague Fairmont Golden Prague reopened in April 2025 after a five-year-long renovation, but the 1974 Brutalist building’s past is intentionally kept in view. From its perch on the Vltava riverfront in Prague’s UNESCO-listed Old Town, the building still presents its sharp concrete profile; inside, though, the atmosphere shifts. Earthy color palettes soften the architecture, while handblown glass, sculpted wood, marble floors, and gilded detailing bring in warmth and texture. READ MORE Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: On Adventure and Aging In a country as large as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, knowing where to start is key. Stretching 800,000 square miles across the Arabian Peninsula, with expansive direct access to both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia spans ancient wonders to modern marvels, encompassing archaeological sites, neo-Islamic architecture, sustainable coastal landscapes, and new design-forward hotels. READ MORE This Mexico Resort Is a Magnet for Multigenerational Families On a balinese daybed on a morning graced with gentle breezes, I’m surrounded by the swish of rope, the clink of hardware, and Adriatic waves lapping against the idling hull of the Sea Cloud Spirit. Twenty-two crew members run rigging across the decks and up the masts to unleash more than an acre of bright-white canvas over the tall ship. The intricate process unfolds with the Croatian coastline as a distant backdrop. READ MORE Meet the Riviera Maya Retreat that Connects Guests to the Real Mexico Nestled between the jungle and a quiet Caribbean cove, the 349-room Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya doesn’t skimp on options for unwinding, from its soothing and sophisticated jungle-meets-ocean design and secluded white-sand beach to the private plunge pools in every suite and the cenote-inspired spa. But when it’s time to explore, the choices are just as expansive. READ MORE Christelle Hilpron, general manager of Cheval Blanc St-Barth , shares what she’s been loving lately. Packing: The small leather envelope Cheval Blanc gifts to guests – it’s perfect for keeping all my travel documents in one place. Reading: Belle Greene by Alexandra Lapierre, a portrait of a brilliant, strong-willed woman ahead of her time. Watching: Downton Abbey – I find it’s an echo of l’art de recevoir , which is so essential in the hospitality world. Dreaming of: The Norwegian fjords, for a change of scenery from tropical Saint Bart’s. chic winter coat for the Volvo driver in your life. At long last, the Grand Egyptian Museum is officially open , with King Tutankhamun’s tomb as a centerpiece. If you’rx`e planning to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in the U.S., keep an eye out for Jewel on Holland America Line’s float . Renoir’s sketches are now on display at NYC’s Morgan Library & Museum. A must-have Golden State souvenir: Chocolatiers andSons collaborated with Ed Ruscha on a limited-edition Made in California bar. Ready to travel? Let’s go. Connect Request A Quote
Banyan Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe
Winter Is Secretly the Best Time to Visit These European Cities The world’s most discerning travelers are rethinking the seasons that shape their journeys. According to the 2025 Virtuoso Luxe Report, a majority of travel advisors now field requests for off-peak trips designed to dodge both congestion and heat waves. And as European vacations swell in popularity, much of the buzz comes from winter trips to places such as Slovakia, Norway, and northern Italy where comparatively cool temps are part of the draw, according to the European Travel Commission. READ MORE Sustainable Travel Spotlight Banyan Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe Thirty villas blend seamlessly into Mexico’s largest wine country, where the hotel’s onsite Pictograma Winery and vineyard produces grenache varietals exclusively. Spice Islands Spend seven nights on board the Aqua Blu sailing Indonesia’s Banda Sea and exploring a seventeenth-century fortress on Banda Neira as well as the “Thousand Temples” of Misool. Learn More A Journey Through Kenya and Zanzibar During this 11-day safari, visit the Maasai Mara and Laikipia in Kenya before touring Stone Town, Zanzibar, and unwinding on Mnemba Island. Learn More Ready to travel? Let’s go. Connect Request A Quote
Independent Hotel
Virtuoso’s Best Travel Companies of 2025 Thousands of Virtuoso advisors voted for these hotels, cruise lines, and tour operators. Private yacht outings to barrier islands and concierge-curated beach days at the 153-room Dewberry Charleston echo the Lowcountry bons vivants lifestyle. Overlooking Marion Square from a onetime federal building, the property also winks at nostalgia with Stickley armoires and a brass bar for nursing daiquiris and juleps. READ MORE In the storybook mountain village of Entre-deux-Guiers, France, an order of Carthusian monks has stewarded the secret formula for Chartreuse since 1764. While travelers can’t visit the monastery, the green and yellow versions of this sweet, herbaceous elixir are behind-the-bar fixtures from Parisian cafés to Megève chalets. Its enchanting anise character livens up classic cocktails, such as the Bijou (gin, Chartreuse, sweet vermouth, and orange bitters) and the Last Word (gin, Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice). READ MORE Five Can’t-Miss Experiences in Saudi Arabia In a country as large as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, knowing where to start is key. Stretching 800,000 square miles across the Arabian Peninsula, with expansive direct access to both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia spans ancient wonders to modern marvels, encompassing archaeological sites, neo-Islamic architecture, sustainable coastal landscapes, and new design-forward hotels. READ MORE Here’s What It’s Like to Sail the Adriatic Sea on a Majestic Tall Ship On a balinese daybed on a morning graced with gentle breezes, I’m surrounded by the swish of rope, the clink of hardware, and Adriatic waves lapping against the idling hull of the Sea Cloud Spirit. Twenty-two crew members run rigging across the decks and up the masts to unleash more than an acre of bright-white canvas over the tall ship. The intricate process unfolds with the Croatian coastline as a distant backdrop. READ MORE Inés De Los Santos, owner of Buenos Aires cocktail bars CoChinChina, Kōnā, and Costa 7070, shares what she’s been loving lately. Packing: Caudalie face mist, compression socks, and a good sun hat. Reading: Eternal Japan by Amélie Nothomb is on my nightstand. Listening to: The podcast Modapedia. Dreaming of: Athens, Milan, and Florence. Grand Budapest Hotel fans, unite: London’s Design Museum opens an exhibit showcasing director Wes Anderson’s archives next month. This just-released cookbook from celebrity chef Diane Kochilas celebrates the flavors of Athens. Aurora Expeditions recently announced that they’ll plant marine life and remove a kilogram of waste from the ocean for every passenger that sails with the line. Have you seen Michelangelo’s grocery list? This toiletry bag, designed to keep products upright, might be a game changer. Ready to travel? Let’s go. Connect Request A Quote
