At the start of a new year, we’re always on the lookout for upcoming travel trends. We’ve got our own travel plans, of course, but we want to know where you’re dreaming of. So we asked, you voted, and now it’s time to reveal your top places to visit in 2025.
Remote, off-the-beaten-path gems topped the list this year, from secret beaches in Greece to village hideaways in France. Unlike last year’s Hotlist, you opted for places a little closer to home and favoured intimate boutique boltholes. We love to see that slow, mindful travel is en vogue for the new year, and sustainability seems to be top of mind.
Without further ado, here’s your 2025 Hotlist…
Top Beach Escape
Winner: Onar, Greece
Onar means ‘dream’ in Ancient Greek, and that’s exactly what this is. Tucked away on a secluded cove on the east coast of Andros, this cluster of simple stone cottages is the perfect place to disconnect. Linger over leisurely breakfasts, lounge by the communal pool, or slip down to the turquoise bay below. Though you may not have heard of this island before – it’s just a couple of hours from Athens, and one of our absolute favourites for gorgeous, rugged landscapes and some of Greece’s best beaches.
Runners-up: The Gili Beach Houses, Uga Jungle Beach, Zannier Bai San Ho
Top Adventure Escape
Winner: The Slovenian Mountain Hideaway, Slovenia
Spend the day skiing, white-water rafting, hiking, cycling – whatever your adventurous heart desires – then return to the stunning views and luxurious spa where three saunas are a perfect tonic after a long trek, or on one of the colder mountain days. This is the ultimate escape. To the east are snow-capped mountains; to the west are endless valleys trailing down to the Adriatic Sea. The nearest neighbours are 1km down a steep winding road, and the silence is absolute.
Runners-up: Awasi Patagonia, Nour el Nil, Jawai
Top Affordable Escape
Winner: La Maison Blanche, France
Live out your dream of escaping to the French countryside in this lovingly restored B&B in a peaceful Provencal village. Waking up in your cosy lime-washed room or stepping out into the leafy, stone-walled courtyard with its petite pool and olive trees, you’d think you were on a movie set. But it’s the food prepared by owner and chef, Marc, that really sets this place apart. Everything you eat here is either homemade or locally sourced, much of it organic, all of it seasonal and delicious.
Runners-up: Modus Vivendi, Baoussala, Little Agave
Top Romantic Escape
Winner: Como Cocoa Island, Maldives
It’s no surprise this sliver of sandy perfection was voted the top romantic escape for 2025. On the tiny island of Makunufushi in South Male Atoll, this boutique resort has 34 intimate villas and suites moored on stilts above a vast turquoise lagoon. There’s a fantastic restaurant, luxurious spa, open-air yoga room, infinity pool and a private stretch of white sandy beach washed by warm seas in every shade of blue.
Runners-up: Ponta dos Ganchos, Zannier Sonop, StarBed Hideaways
Top Family Escape
Winner: Haus Hirt, Austria
We were pleased to see this Alpine boutique spa hotel at the top of the list for Family Escapes. There’s just something about Haus Hirt: from the eclectic interiors to the magical mountain views and warm, personal service. It’s a gathering place for all generations with plenty of activities nearby year-round, including hiking and skiing. Then there’s the romantic, old-world dining room, cocktail lounge, library, and an entire spa floor with a range of treatments. Kids are brilliantly looked after – plus it’s Full Board and totally hassle-free.
Runners-up: Song Saa Private Island, Rebali Riads, Elmley Nature Reserve
Top City Escape
Winner: Exmo. Hotel by Olivia, Portugal
Once a warehouse, then a bank, this beautifully restored heritage building is now a buzzy boutique hotel with everything you could want from a city stay. Overlooking the Douro in the heart of Porto, you can walk almost everywhere and see almost everything from most rooms. Inside, it’s design-led with quirky decorative details; the rooms are sun-lit, spacious and quiet (a rarity for a city hotel), and the friendly staff will help guide you to the best of Porto.
Runners-up: Future Found Sanctuary, CPH Living, The Greenwich Hotel
Top Eco Escape
Winner: Areias do Seixo, Portugal
This isn’t the minimalist, rustic stay most people associate with the word ‘sustainable’. Here, contemporary chic meets eccentric bohemian to create a stylish upmarket eco-retreat. There’s an on-site restaurant and bar featuring the hotel’s (delicious) organic produce, an Ayurvedic spa, an outdoor pool heated by solar panels, and a decked path leading to the beach. And every part of the building is designed with the surrounding ecosystem in mind, with geothermal heating, cork insulation, and even imaginatively upcycled decor.
Runners-up: Bambu Indah, Azul Nomeolvides, Banyan Camp
Top Food & Wine Escape
Winner: Village Castigno – Wine Hotel & Resort, France
Another off-the-beaten-track favourite – this place is a food-lover’s dream. Spread across a tiny hilltop hamlet in France’s Laguedoc region, this boutique hotel has acres of vineyards and not one but three great restaurants to choose from. There’s the classic French bistro, a Thai restaurant, a higher-end Michelin-starred affair and even a laid-back microbrewery for craft beers and charcuterie boards. A picturesque spot and a true gem for those in the know.
Runners-up: Cavas Wine Lodge, Filodivino Wine Resort & Spa, Babylonstoren
Top Wellness Escape
Winner: Florblanca, Costa Rica
This collection of villas nestled in jungly gardens is truly a haven for those seeking rest and rejuvenation – with wild surf, white sands and an award-winning spa. You have the ocean on your doorstep, bird ballads and monkey chatter to wake you in the morning, a shapely pool, yoga, pilates and fresh, creative cuisine. If you’re not surfing the waves, stroll over to the spa for treatments romantically perched above rushing water. Or just enjoy the serenity of your own villa – and escape the world for a while.
Runners-up: Hotel Miramonte, Ecohotel El Agua, Kamalaya
Top New Escape
Winner: Aloni Design Houses, Greece
We’re just as excited as you are about this pair of two-bedroom villas in Kefalonia. Looking out over the cypress-studded slopes to the Ionian Sea, each house has a private pool and calm, uncluttered, yet beautifully appointed interiors. You’d never guess they were built in 2023, with their harmonious blend of traditional and contemporary, though their newness lends itself to all the modern comforts you could hope for. There are stunning beaches and beach bars just a short drive away, but because it’s on the northern side of the island, it’s still a peaceful and secluded retreat.
Runners-up: Landet, The Collective at Woolsery, Avana Retreat
Top destination for 2025
Winner: Greece
Greece has captured traveller’s hearts for centuries and it isn’t hard to see why it’s set to be our most popular destination for 2025. Myriad islands with azure seas, Mediterranean skies, white-washed chapels, and tumbling villages bursting with bougainvillia. It’s picture-postcard stuff. Santorini’s sea-crater, Mykonos’ windmills and Crete’s palm beaches are classic holiday images. Or venture into the colourful mainland and you’ll find the green of fir forests, the silver of olive groves, the brown of stone villages and frescoed monasteries, and the mosaic of spring flowers beneath snowy peaks.
But then there are the very secret Greek islands and hidden paradises: sleepy villages with some of the best authentic food and empty postcard beaches. Our collection of handpicked hotels and hideaways in Greece is extensive and varied – with everything from glossy, star-studded Mykonos hotels to intimate island boltholes in the Dodecanese.
Contact us for free travel advice or for help with booking your 2025 adventure.