Twelve destinations to bookmark for 2022 travel plans
After two years of travel trepidation, 2022 has marked a welcome return to foreign travel, and with it a pent-up and rewritten agenda for the best places to visit.
In the spirit of optimism, our 2022 travel forecast includes 12 destinations to bookmark for a trip this year. Spanning the ultimate city breaks, much-missed ski resorts, luxurious beach trips and some off-the-beaten-track ideas, these are the top destinations to reignite your love for travel and adventure.
From new townhouse hotels in Edinburgh to an art lovers’ retreat in Menorca via the Caribbean’s new it-place, here is our edit of the 12 best travel destinations to use up those last remaining holiday days. Cue the wanderlust…
OCTANT, PORTUGAL
Earlier this year saw the launch of an all-new Portuguese hospitality brand, Octant, which took eight boutique, design-led properties across the country and repurposed them for a unique proposition that shines a spotlight on localism through food, wine and experiences. Pre-existing hotels from the Algarve to the Azores all come under the premium new Octant umbrella, each offering a signature take on laidback but luxurious holidays.
Top of our list is Vila Monte, a stone’s throw from Fuseta on the south coast. The converted farmhouse puts food and wine at the centre of its offering, hosting regular tastings from its paradisical whitewashed lobby. More than just a picturesque place to spend a long weekend, Octant Vila Monte goes the extra mile to make a memorable stay, offering private lakeside tasting menus by candlelight and seafood picnics to enjoy at the beach with a bottle of local espumante.
NEW YORK CITY
New York is back, baby, and as a city break destination post-Covid, it’s more bustling than ever. There’s an ongoing conveyor belt of new hotel openings in New York, where a luxury haven away from the hustle and bustle is so very essential to a good trip, so there’s always somewhere new and exciting to rest your head.
Our top pick is ModernHaus Soho (modernhaushotel.com), a design-led hotel in Manhattan’s hottest shopping district with an achingly cool art collection and vibey rooftop bar, Jimmy, offering views extending from Brooklyn right round through downtown and over to Jersey.
Also noteworthy to New York’s hospitality scene are two hotels Brits should already be very familiar with. Ace Hotel Brooklyn (booking.com) takes the same slick, industrial interiors of its since-closed Shoreditch offering to buzzy Boerum Hill, offering a cool space to cowork in the day and a hot spot to drink at night. More recently still, The Ned (booking.com) has set-up in NoMad on a slightly more bitesize scale than its City of London flagship, serving up elegant interiors and an exclusive club space for live jazz – though you’ll have to be an existing Ned or Soho House member to truly enjoy it.
PALM HEIGHTS, GRAND CAYMAN
With its soft white sands and turquoise seas, a winter trip to the Caribbean is just the tonic for many a weary traveller. In 2022, Grand Cayman is set to be put on the map thanks to Palm Heights on Seven Mile Beach, the island’s first boutique hotel. Bringing back more than a whiff of old Caribbean glamour, it mixes a high-octane ’70s mansion style with beachfront living and an incredible new garden spa and athletics club, opening in January. palmheights.com
ROSA ALPINA, DOLOMITES
Epicureans, this is the ski destination for you. Set in Italy’s Unesco-protected South Tyrol region, you’ll find endless blue-skied days, the vast Dolomiti Superski area, postcard-perfect mountain rifugios with hearty Alpine food and the chance to experience a ski safari. Stay at the Rosa Alpina in the charming village of San Cassiano for the ultimate in grand Dolomites living. Family run, it has a spectacular spa and a triple Michelin-starred restaurant. rosalpina.it
EXPERIMENTAL MENORCA, MENORCA
Its neighbours, Ibiza and Mallorca, tend to get all the attention, but Menorca is fast becoming the go-to Balearic Island for those in the know. Endless beaches with gin-clear waters minus the crowds, beach shack restaurants and vineyards make it quite the Mediterranean escape. Bed down at the Experimental Menorca, an agriturismo set in an old finca with colourful interiors by French designer Dorothée Meilichzon, inspired by the likes of Dalí and Picasso. When you’re not beach hopping, stop in at Hauser & Wirth’s latest project on Illa del Rei in Mahon, the island capital. menorcaexperimental.com
GLENEAGLES TOWNHOUSE, EDINBURGH
With its cobbled streets, Gothic architecture and dynamic gastronomic scene, Edinburgh is adding to its allure as a city break destination. Its number is set to rocket further in March when the Gleneagles Townhouse opens its doors on St Andrew Square, in the iconic building which once housed the British Linen Company and later, the Bank of Scotland. With a rooftop bar overlooking the city, 33 bedrooms and a private members’ club, this will be a place to see and be seen. Book a table at Timberyard, one of Edinburgh’s most exciting restaurants in a candlelit converted warehouse, while you’re in town. gleneagles.com
KASIIYA PAPAGAYO, COSTA RICA
Perhaps 2022 is the year you fancy an adventure, after a couple of years of exploring our Great British countryside. Top of our list for this year is Costa Rica, which ticks boxes for beach, mountains, rainforest and a commitment to eco tourism. Enjoy a taste of the pura vida on the Nicoya Peninsula, where a nature-loving community of locals and global nomads have come together. Expect pristine beaches, fun beach bars, artisan craft studios and a clutch of small hotels and surf shacks. Stay in a luxury tent suite at eco beach resort Kasiiya Papagayo, which has some of the best snorkelling in Costa Rica. kasiiya.com
THE HOXTON, ROME
A romantic weekend away in the Eternal City is always a good idea: aperitivo on sunny piazzas, candlelit trattoria dinners and speeding past the Colosseum on a Vespa with your lover. Now, the opening of a new Hoxton Rome outpost has given us an extra reason to go. Set in Parioli with a gorgeous outdoor terrace, you’re within easy walking distance of Villa Borghese and its stunning gardens, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the trendy Monti neighbourhood. Grab a negroni on Piazza della Madonna and people-watch to your heart’s content. thehoxton.com
THE BRADLEY HARE, WILTSHIRE
Wiltshire is the West Country county quietly garnering serious weekend-away appeal, with beautiful countryside and lovely pubs in abundance. Our favourite is the new pub-with-rooms, the Bradley Hare, which punches well above its weight thanks to very good food and handsome interior design by James Waterworth (ex-Soho House). Think handpicked antique wooden furniture, handsome bathtubs and irreverent, contemporary art. Set aside some time to walk around Stourhead’s National Trust gardens and pop to the nearby Bath Arms for a glass of wine by the fire. It’s also an easy drive to Babington House, The Newt and fashionable Bruton with its galleries, craft shops and Merlin Labron-Johnson’s relaxed wine bar, The Old Pharmacy. thebradleyhare.co.uk
CLUB MED, LA ROSIERE
An intimate ski resort, La Rosiere is a Savoyard jewel in the French Alps. Nestled in an area known as the Balcony of the Tarentaise, it sits at an altitude of 1,900m and is also home to Club Med’s sparkling new opening. It has ski-in-ski-out access and panoramic views, as well as a wellbeing hub with a heated pool, spa and yoga club. All inclusive and family friendly, it’s a welcome way to return to old-school après culture in the Alps – and eat very well while you’re at it. clubmed.co.uk
SINNER, PARIS
Just a Eurostar away, there’s a reason Paris is known as the City of Love, with buzzy bistros, clandestine cocktail bars, vintage shopping, walks along the Seine and sexy hotels. The Marais is home to one of its sexiest new addresses: Sinner. A boutique hotel with stained-glass windows and opulent decor, it’s irresistibly naughty. Also new to town is Soho House Paris over in Pigalle, the mischievous ninth arrondissement. Housed in Jean Cocteau’s former home, it has a pretty covered courtyard that’s perfect for a glass or two of vin rouge. sinnerparis.com
ADAGIO, PEMBROKESHIRE
With sweeping white sand bays, lush national parks and off-the-beaten-track places to stay, Wales gives Cornwall a run for its money in the staycation stakes. And in 2022, we’re looking to beautiful Pembrokeshire as the Welsh destination to explore, come rain or shine. Base yourselves at Adagio, a cosy hideaway set in a sprawling meadow with chic interiors and a freestanding bath. During your stay, make the most of the area’s windswept beaches, Pembrokeshire National Park being on your doorstep, and evenings settling in at the Red Lion pub or Tides Wine Bar. kiphideaways.com
See the full news here.
Source: GQ Magazine