The top travel destinations of the year weren’t just your average beach resorts or tourist-swarming metropolises. The year’s most interesting places to travel were those with a capacity to consistently surprise visitors, with a landscape or cityscape rich in culture and history, and with a design language that couldn’t possibly be parroted elsewhere. In other words, these destinations were places uniquely and unapologetically themselves, and because of this, they’re sure to remain incredible places to visit into 2025 and beyond.
This selection of the year’s top destinations span the world, and include both large cities—like Kyoto, teeming with delicious cuisine and majestic architecture—and more relaxed getaways—like Portugal’s southern coast, among beaches and ancient rock formations. The selection includes the destination as well as a hotel which, with its elegant design and well-curated offering of amenities, skillfully embodies everything beloved about the place in which it’s located.
Here is a rundown of five of the year’s best travel destinations.
Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico – Otro Oaxaca
The southern Mexican state of Oaxaca has become an attractive travel destination, particularly due to tourist centres like Puerto Escondido lining its coast. A bit further north, the state’s capital, Oaxaca de Juarez, is a culturally rich and design-forward city well worth the visit. Small and easy to navigate on foot, Oaxaca de Juarez is packed with art galleries, restaurants, and mezcalerias. The city is considered an important culinary capital of Mexico, with establishments serving up renowned regional dishes like tlayudas and Oaxacan mole.
Grupo Habita, the fast-growing boutique hotel developer with properties across the country and into the United States, has an intimate, modernist hotel right in the middle of Oaxaca de Juarez’s historic centre. Otro Oaxaca offers a bold brick-and-limestone-heavy design with a bit of a brutalist bent. A seamless flow of inside and outside spaces constitutes the property’s layout, with ample terrace space offering magnificent views of the city. The hotel also boasts of a striking underground spa experience.
Kyoto, Japan – The Shinmonzen
A short train ride away from what may be the busiest city of the world, Japan’s capital, lies Kyoto, often considered the country’s cultural centre. An intriguing mix of the busily contemporary and the historical, Kyoto’s cityscape features beautiful natural landscapes and gardens intertwined with architecture that spans centuries. The hundreds of ancient shrines spread across the city contribute to a magnificent cultural fabric that attests to why Kyoto is such a worthwhile travel destination.
The Shinmonzen is a luxury boutique hotel designed by Tadao Ando, an internationally renowned Japanese architect who, among other honours, won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1995. Inspired by the minimalist style of the ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, the Shinmonzen is meant to embody the essence of culturally-rich Kyoto through subtly elegant suites featuring natural materials like bamboo, tatami-matted floors, and stunning views of the Shirakawa River.
Marrakech, Morocco – IZZA
Marrakech has long been appreciated for its opulent luxury. The Moroccan city features incredible classical architecture and a beautiful central medina, with a souk, or market, that’s a thousand years old. In the modernist era, the city was an important destination for artists and creatives, who left their mark upon its streets. One highlight is the Jardin Majorelle, a large botanical garden created by the French artist Jacques Majorelle while he lived in the city.
The IZZA hotel is sequestered within the medina itself, with a panoramic rooftop that looks out over the old city centre. The hotel’s design is inspired in equal parts by classical Marrakech architecture and by the influence made on Morocco by the creatives who have journeyed to the country. Each room is inspired by a different artist who made an impact on Morocco in some way, from beat poet Allen Ginsberg to French designer Yves Saint-Laurent.
Lake Como, Italy – C-Hotel
Lake Como is the third-largest lake in Italy, located far in the north, adjacent to Switzerland. The region around the lake is one of the country’s most beautiful destinations—which is saying a lot for a country like Italy. Lake Como’s picturesque landscape at the foot of the Alps features hills dotted with charming small towns and romantic lakefront views. The region is known for its natural beauty, as well as for its restaurants and invigorating hikes.
Lake Como’s hotels are often stately villas set into the region’s hilly terrain. Defying expectations, C-Hotel has a design immersed in staunch minimalism. The family-run boutique hotel is a quiet modernist property enclosed by a private garden, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows across its face. The hotel’s spa features, including an outdoor saline pool, Turkish bath, and solarium terrace, make it an ideal place for a relaxing retreat.
Algarve, Portugal – Hospedaria
The Algarve is Portugal’s southernmost region, a place full of natural wonders. Its awe-inspiring beaches, cliffs, canals, and lagoons, some featuring rock formations that are millions of years old, have elevated it to the ranks of top international destinations. The Algarve is enjoyable for both adventure-seekers and those of a more calm disposition—the region is as ideal for activities like hiking, kayaking, and surfing as it is for relaxing on the beach.
Hospedaria isn’t located in centres like Faro or Lagos, but that’s just what makes it charming. The tiny rural hotel, located near the small coastal city of Tavira, was created from an old abandoned tavern that was over a thousand years old. The property was carefully restored to become a five-room getaway that channels a love for the simple life. Each room in Hospedaria has its own private outdoor space featuring almond or fig trees, while a communal terrace features a pool perfect for refreshing under the sun.