(CNN) – After more than a year of bans, quarantine and social distancing, we are all more than ready for a big, celebratory vacation in which I just got through a pandemic.
Unfortunately, with many international borders still closed and some countries facing their second – or third or fourth – Covid-19 wave, much of the world is not yet ready for the surge in leisure travel (although there are certainly signs of it). of progress).
Still, we can plan, right?
From tropical island excursions from the Maldives to Hawaii to glamorous urban getaways in Sydney, Hollywood and Singapore – we dream – and save – these post-pandemic splurges.
Starting prices are in US dollars per night.
The Brando, on an island 30 miles north of Tahiti, is a celebrity favorite.
Courtesy The Brando
The Brando, French Polynesia
If you’re looking for an exaggerated, one-off bucket list, you can’t beat The Brando, Marlon Brando’s ultra-luxurious private island resort in Tetiaroa, 30 miles north of Tahiti.
The distant resort is a favorite of celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper, and Ellen DeGeneres. Former President Barack Obama also fled to the island to write his memoir after stepping down in 2017 (Kim Kardashian recently notoriously hosted her 40th birthday party on the island in October 2020).
It has only 35 thatched-roof villas, each with a private infinity pool, alfresco dining area, and all the amenities you would expect from a five-star hotel in London or New York. But the greatest luxury ever? Your own private section of powder white sand and turquoise sea just steps from your bedroom.
The brando, Tetiaroa private island, French Polynesia. Prices start at $ 3,500.
W Melbourne, Australia
Opened in February 2021, W Melbourne is the first five-star international hotel to open in Australia this year – a hopeful sign for tourism, despite Australia’s current border stay closed to international travel.
Built in the glitzy $ 1.25 billion Collins Arch district, which also houses luxury residences and upscale retail and dining, the ultra-modern hotel has five restaurants and bars, plus a heated, gold-roofed indoor pool, pool bar, and DJ -Cabin.
Its 294 rooms are as luxurious and design-oriented as you’d expect from a W hotel, with plush deep soaking tubs and sweeping views over the city or Melbourne’s Yarra River.
W Melbourne, 408 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Australia. Prices start at $ 450.
Private spa cottages are scattered across the Sensei Lanai amid lush vegetation.
Courtesy of Four Seasons
Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort, Lanai, Hawaii
This adult-only wellness retreat is the epitome of post-pandemic luxury: First of all, it’s on the Hawaiian island of Lanai, which is so peaceful and secluded it feels like you’re on your own private island.
Then there are the posh suites, hidden so discreetly in the jungle-covered Koele Mountains of Lanai that you will hardly notice the other guests.
Eventually, you’ll get a personalized wellness route created by your own Sensei guide that will set you up with spa treatments and wellness activities – from morning meditation to sound baths – aimed at relieving ongoing stress or anxiety.
Sensei Lanai, 1 Keomoku Highway, Lanai City, Hawaii. Prices start at $ 1,130 for single occupancy / $ 1,610 for double occupancy, including $ 600 per person in Wellness Experience Credit (room rates of $ 650 or more, single or double occupancy only).
A swimming pool and several hectares of labyrinths, lakes and gardens are part of the charm of the Hotel Château du Grand-Lucé.
Adam Lynk / Courtesy Hotel Château du Grand Lucé
Hotel Chateau du Grand-Lucé, France
Tucked away in France’s idyllic Loire Valley, this tranquil 18th-century chateau feels like a million miles from the rest of the world – despite being only 55 minutes from Paris by train.
The 17 sprawling, sun-drenched suites, each with hand-painted murals, crystal chandeliers and antique Louis XV furniture, make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. (Most opulent is the Le Grand-Lucé Suite, which has breathtaking views of the gardens and a lovely claw-foot bathtub).
Outside there are 80 acres of mazes, lakes and rose gardens, and a beautiful stone-framed swimming pool – the perfect country retreat.
Secluded and luxurious, Jack’s Camp is a unique retreat.
Courtesy Jack’s Camp
Jacks Camp, Botswana
If you’re looking for an ultra-exclusive escape, there isn’t much more secluded than Jack’s, a luxurious safari camp tucked away in a million-acre private game reserve in the Kalahari Desert. (There are only two other camps in the reserve).
The legendary camp, which opened in 1993, closed for renovation in 2019 and reopened in January 2021 with 10 huge luxury tents (more than twice the size of the original tents) with plush four-poster beds and beautiful old world safari decor and private plunge pools overlooking the Makgadikgadi salt pans.
There is also a library, a billiards room, a bar and a grand tea tent with Persian carpets and plush pillows – the perfect place to relax with a glass of iced tea after a long, hot day on safari.
Jack’s Camp, Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Kalahari, Botswana. Fares from USD 1,450 all-inclusive (including game drives).
1 West Hollywood has some of the largest, most luxurious rooms in all of Los Angeles.
Courtesy of 1 West Hollywood
1 Hotel West Hollywood, Los Angeles
If a glamorous city break is more your style, there is nothing like this elegant urban oasis on Sunset Boulevard.
Opened in 2019 – just months before the pandemic broke out – the rooms are among the largest and most luxurious in Los Angeles, with earthy, minimalist-chic décor, sumptuous marble bathrooms and unparalleled views of the Hollywood Hills.
Then there’s the daybed and cabana-lined pool, a true refuge of calm and tranquility high above the busy, palm-lined streets of LA.
Most impressive, however, is the brand’s sustainability-focused ethos, which can be seen everywhere from design (furniture is made from recycled California wood) to food (an on-site organic garden supplies restaurants with herbs and vegetables).
The entire hotel is also plastic and (almost) paper free, and guests can join a loyalty program that allows them to reduce their carbon footprint every time they stay – details that make the difference when we venture into a world after Pandemic occur.
Crown Sydney, Australia
Soaring gracefully above the Sydney skyline, Crown Sydney opened on December 28, 2020 after four years of construction and a whopping $ 1.7 billion, and is now the newest and most luxurious hotel in Sydney.
The glittering, flower-shaped skyscraper, calling itself a six-star hotel, has 14 restaurants and bars (including the world-famous Nobu), an infinity pool overlooking Sydney Harbor (cabanas can be booked from $ 500 and 349 equipped guest rooms with deep marble bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.
The decadent spa has yoga and meditation terraces, relaxation rooms, infrared saunas, and a separate hydrotherapy retreat inspired by a Roman bathhouse – the perfect place to get worried.
Crown Sydney, 1 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo, New South Wales, Australia. Prices start at $ 850.
One of the pools at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo floats on Lake Como.
Courtesy of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo
Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Italy
As Europe’s borders reopen to international travelers, your first stop should be the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, an iconic Art Nouveau hotel on the shores of Lake Como.
The 90 rooms are all individually furnished and equipped with luxurious details such as spacious balconies, terraces and whirlpools. Although it is worth every euro to splurge in the lake-view rooms, the rooms with a view of the garden with a view of the beautifully manicured grounds also offer an oasis of calm.
Outside you will find three swimming pools, including one that floats directly on the lake.
Soneva Jani, Maldives
If you want to give your family a post-lockdown vacation that will blow them away, Soneva Jani is for you: the overwater villas come with private infinity pools and water slides that lead you down to the sparkling turquoise ocean.
Other family-friendly attractions include an overwater movie theater, observatory, and an ice and chocolate room. Each villa also has a retractable roof so children can doze under the stars.
For parents: a sumptuous spa, extensive wine cellar, multiple dining options from sashimi to Spanish tapas, and sunset boat trips (you can even bring the kids with you – if you want).
Soneva Jani, Medhufaru Island, Manadhoo, Maldives. Prices start at $ 3,290.
Raffles Singapore, a grande dame of luxury hotels, recently updated its suites.
Courtesy Raffles Singapore
Raffles Singapore
If you’re looking to spend a lot of money – let’s say Crazy Rich Asians – then you can’t beat Singapore’s legendary Raffles: one of the grande dame hotels in the world and now the benchmark for many other five-star hotels around the world.
The 133-year-old property is the definition of luxury, from its recently renovated suites (with the same old-world colonial charm as always, but with subtle contemporary accents) to its sleek Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling Cocktail was invented in 1915 has been .
Each guest is assigned their own butler who offers a rare type of service that is intuitive and thoughtful, yet discreet – perhaps the greatest luxury of all.
