If you love travelling (like us!), you’ll love looking at new hotels or destinations in between trips. The good news? There are plenty of new resorts and hotel updates to check out for your next getaway. We also have hotel deals here in Singapore, for your next staycation fix!
A London Summer
The Doyle Collection has announced the summer programme that will unfold across its luxury hotels in London for 2025. At The Marylebone, for example, there’ll be a Jazz Brunch with Champagne, including live performances and unlimited antipasti, fresh salads, seafood and desserts. The Bloomsbury, meanwhile, has created the “AIRE Sanctuary in the City” spa package inspired by ancient Roman, Greek and Ottoman bathing traditions. Or, for exclusive access to the V&A’s Cartier exhibition dedicated to jewels and watches, stay at The Kensington, just a 10-minute walk away.
Slow Sailing in Turkey
Salamander Voyages is launching a brand new slow-sailing itinerary in Turkey this May. The seven-night itinerary is for those seeking a deeper connection to Bodrum and the surrounding region. Instead of covering vast distances, you’ll get to immerse in the culture, history and natural beauty of the Turkish coast. And you’ll also have more time sailing under the open sails, swimming and snorkelling. Enjoy wine tasting with local experts, pick fresh fruit in Salamander’s old captain’s garden, wander through bohemian markets, meet local carpet makers, have lunch anchored off the ruins of the ancient amphitheatre at Knidos and more.
Smooth Staycay with Kids
Marina Bay Sands has revamped its family-centred offerings! Central to this new programme are the Sands and Paiza Family Suites, oneand two-bedroom suites up to a generous 145 square metres in size to provide plenty of play space for little ones. The children’s room is decked out with bunk beds, a Nintendo Switch console and a full bookshelf, and youngsters get a curated Adventure Pack with a plushie of Rori, Marina Bay Sands’ lion mascot. There’s a kitchenette stocked with baby food, too, and the suite has child-friendly furniture, cooking appliances and flatware for making refreshments and snacks.
Families can also make use of helpful hotel amenities including The Pantry, with a washing machine, dryer, sink, ironing board, baby monitors, thermometers and milk bottles available for purchase. The Hideaway, meanwhile, is a lounge for kids with movie screenings and video games, and the Play Den has handicraft activities and games with Engagement Ambassadors on site to engage with kids. Alternatively, just hang out in the hotel’s children’s pool.
Maldives Magic
# Four Seasons Resorts Maldives
Four Seasons Resorts Maldives has just unveiled two extraordinary new estates designed for big reunions, milestone celebrations and ultra-luxe getaways. The Three-Bedroom Kuda Estate is located at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa and the Four-Bedroom Landaa Estate at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru. Expect a mix of privacy and paradise, with secluded beachfronts, private pools, dedicated butlers, plus fab dining, marine adventures and wellness sanctuaries.
bit.ly/kuda-estate-maldives | fourseasons.com/maldiveslg
# JW Marriott Kaafu Atoll Island Resort
Located in Kaafu Atoll’s largest lagoon and just 15 minutes by boat from the airport at Malé is the newly opened JW Marriott Kaafu Atoll Island Resort. Stay in one of 80 private pool villas with expansive terraces, uninterrupted ocean views and access to pristine lagoons. Travelling with family or a group of friends? The Three-Bedroom Ocean Residence is ideal, perched right above the gleaming water. The villas echo Maldivian gedhoru huts, with traditional roofs and vibrant turquoise doors, while the resort design blends indoor and outdoor living with open-air showers and floor-to-ceiling glass doors. There’s also seven dining venues and bars, an overwater spa, wellness offerings including sunrise yoga, plus activities for all ages from dolphin safaris to sunset cruises and a kids’ club.
Property in Penang
The first Autograph Collection hotel in Penang has opened in the city’s historic Millionaire’s Row. Millen Penang is a 146-room designer hotel with a colonialinspired design and panoramic views of the Andaman Sea. Each room has marble-clad interiors and luxurious bathtubs framed by floor-to-ceiling windows. A restaurant showcases Penang’s local flavours, plus there’s a 24-hour fitness centre, infinity pool and, later this year, the opening of the Nut&Meg Wellness spa and a new charcoal-grill restaurant.
Hiking Holiday in Laos
There’s a new community-based hill trekking route in remote northern Laos to explore. On 16 February, six women from Australia took on the four-day trek organised by Camino Women (Australia) and Khiri Travel (Laos). The remaining eight days of their trip included a slow boat ride on the Mekong river, a train ride, visits to Buddhist caves and an elephant park, walks in paddy fields, meetings with various ethnic group villagers, and experiencing the UNESCO world heritage township of Luang Prabang. Five more trips are scheduled this year, followed by two per month in the next high season, November 2025 to February 2026.
Find out more at khiri.com and leatherbacktravel.com.
Relax in the French Riviera
This stunning Provençal estate set against a classic Mediterranean backdrop will open this month after a comprehensive renovation. Villa La Guettière features nine bedrooms divided between two residences. The main house has six bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, and some with a private terrace. A heated infinity pool overlooks the Med, and there’s an expansive terrace, a lounge, a dining area and wine cellar. You’ll also find a wellness area with sauna and hammam and a private cinema. Guests can benefit from exclusive services provided by the team from the nearby Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc.
oetkercollection.com/fr/hotels/hotel-du-cap-eden-roc
Trip to Thailand?
Meliá Pattaya Hotel has opened its doors! This 234-room hotel just a short drive from Bangkok offers expansive views of the Gulf of Thailand. Soak in the sun at the Lay Beach Club or enjoy sunsets from the rooftop restaurant with sky bar. There’s also an executive lounge, a swimming pool with an adjacent bar, YHI Spa, kids’ club Kidsdom, a fully-equipped gym, coworking space, meeting rooms and more. Of the property’s room portfolio, 18 rooms and 16 suites belong to “The Level”, an upgraded experience with personalised services and benefits. Pattaya Beach and Walking Street are both nearby, with offshore islands offering great swimming and snorkelling. Check the website for opening deals and other info.
melia.com/en/hotels/thailand/pattaya/melia-pattaya
Business Class Bites
Need another reason to book an Emirates’ Business Class flight? How about 18 new dishes on offer from May, designed by Moët & Chandon’s Head Chef of Michelin-star renown, Jean Michel Bardet, and Emirates’ Vice President of Culinary Design, Doxis Bekris. Each meal has been paired with an exclusive champagne too, for the first time in the air. The Grand Vintage 2016, for example, is an ideal pairing with the poached scallops with green melon, blanched kumquat, lemon gel and roasted almonds, while the Rosé Impérial is just right for the roasted duck with braised aubergine, chickpeas and ras el hanout-spiced couscous.
Find out more at bit.ly/emiratesnewmenu.
10 Best Aussie Beaches in 2025
Tasmania has won the top spot in Tourism Australia’s annual list of the country’s best beaches for the first time, with the pristine 10km Bay of Fires getting the nod. Here’s who else made the ten!
- Bay of Fires, Tasmania
- Woolgoolga, NSW
- Emily Bay Lagoon, Norfolk Island
- North Kirra Beach, Queensland
- Little Lagoon, Western Australia
- Fishery Bay, South Australia
- 1770, Queensland
- Scarborough Beach, Western Australia
- Caves Beach, NSW
- #10 Cowes Beach, Victoria
Like this? See our Travel section for stories on destinations in the region and beyond.
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