In assembling this list of new travel-worthy properties and experiences, Robb Report Malaysia takes you into Asia Pacific’s most influential travel expo. Each year, the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) organises an Asia Pacific-centric, invite-only tourism show—a glittering showcase of the latest and hottest in luxury travel, attended by an international cast of luxury travel specialists and selected luxury media.
At Singapore’s Sands Expo & Convention Centre, 740 luxury travel suppliers showcased the gamut of every conceivable travel offering from around the globe: major luxury hotel chains, tourism boards, travel bureaus, airlines, cruise lines, extreme adventures, medical tourism, golf resorts, private islands, rail journeys, religious travel, river cruises, shopping destinations, wildlife safaris, ski resorts, private air travel, and unique and cultural attractions.
A Visa report revealed during ILTM 2025 showed Asia Pacific as the source of approximately half of all new high net worth individuals for the coming years—between 2025 and 2028—and a slice of the market that the report estimates is worth US$2.14 trillion. To capture the attention of this burgeoning influx of new travellers, luxury travel players have tailored the requisite offerings to cater to their preferences: relaxation, deepening relationships, culinary experiences, shopping, cultural activities, and the like. You’ll find plenty of that and more in this compendium of the 77 top spots to visit and experience luxury travel in all its iterations.
Mandarin Oriental
At Mandarin Oriental Singapore, the MO Bar became a viewing room for the Inside The Dream short film. This new and globally launched cinematic journey takes viewers into the heart of Mandarin Oriental’s artistry, precision, and members of staff, all of which contribute towards the group’s famed hospitality.
Through this film, one sees the days and hours in which the team continually aspires to deliver best-in-class service, locations, and experiences, from the coast of Mandarin Oriental Bodrum in Turkey to last September’s glittering launch of Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing, and then via the Royal Path leading to Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London.
At the launch of Inside The Dream, a day before at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, Laurent Kleitman, group chief executive of Mandarin Oriental, said: “At Mandarin Oriental, we are masters of our craft. Inside The Dream honours the dedication of our colleagues, who consistently deliver extraordinary moments with grace, precision, and a deep sense of purpose. This film is a tribute to their expertise and to the immersive experiences that define our brand.”
In the coming months, Mandarin Oriental will welcome new hotels in Vienna, Mallorca in spring 2026, and downtown Dubai, the latter marking the second Mandarin Oriental flag in the city after Mandarin Oriental Jumeira. Closer to home, on peninsular Malaysia’s southeast, The Sirēya Desaru Coast, a rainforest retreat by the South China Sea currently operated by Mandarin Oriental, will be rebranded as Mandarin Oriental Desaru Coast come January 2026.
In the heart of Austria’s capital, Mandarin Oriental, Vienna is housed within an Alfred Keller-designed art nouveau building within the city’s UNESCO-listed First District. Steps away are major landmarks and attractions, such as St Stephen’s Cathedral, the Hofburg—the former imperial palace of the Hapsburg dynasty—the Vienna State Opera, and the Golden Quarter.
One of Europe’s hottest travel destinations, Mallorca, will welcome Mandarin Oriental Punta Negra, which blends into the island’s natural beauty. Expect dining experiences by the atmospheric seaside location, with richly flavoured dishes inspired by the Mediterranean’s fresh ingredients and its culinary heritage.
Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai finds its home in the 303m tall Wasl Tower, boasting the region’s tallest ceramic façade. The property comes with 259 rooms and suites, 224 residences, a two-storey MO Spa, and a whopping nine dining destinations that range from French and Chinese to Italian and Nikkei.
Hilton
This year is also shaping up to become one of the biggest for Hilton’s flagship brand, Waldorf Astoria. In April, it welcomed Waldorf Astoria Osaka amid the blossoming of sakura. The hotel’s location in Umekita offers easy access to understanding the dynamism of the city, starting with historic landmarks such as Osaka Castle, as well as Dotonbori’s gastronomic thoroughfares and the retail haven of Shinsaibashi.
September saw the opening of Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique, set on dramatic cliffs. Back in Asia and just this month, Waldorf Astoria Shanghai Qiantan will mark the city’s second Waldorf Astoria, a sister property to Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund. The Qiantan property is situated along the Huangpu River, with interiors taking a design leaf from the city’s Art Deco architectural heritage. Dining includes modern European, as well as Riverjoy, which serves Min cuisine and famed seafood dishes from the Fujian province.
Other Waldorf Astoria openings this year and next include Rabat Salé, within Morocco’s tallest building, a half-a-billion Sydney property, London, Hanoi, Jakarta, Tanger (also in Morocco), and Jaipur. The pick of incoming Waldorf Astoria properties will undoubtedly be Waldorf Astoria Kuala Lumpur, slated for an end-2026 opening and marking the brand’s debut in Malaysia. It rises within the city’s famed Golden Triangle, which is home to cultural landmarks, shopping meccas, and culinary destinations. A total of 272 suites, starting from 80sqm, allows for capacious living, while the 1,590sqm pillarless Waldorf Astoria Grand Ballroom will play host to grand events and wedding dinners in the years to come.
The city of Kuala Lumpur will also see another Hilton luxury brand, in the form of Conrad Kuala Lumpur, opening by mid-2026, with 481 rooms across 50 floors, five distinctive dining destinations, including two speciality restaurants and two bars.
Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH)
Last year’s integration of Hilton with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has allowed for more than 400 properties to be added to Hilton’s global footprint, and, in turn, enabled the 226 million Hilton Honors members to redeem nights at SLH’s soulful properties.
In China, SLH welcomes new signings in secondary cities offering more nature and space for visitors, such as The Hanyu Garden Reserve in Suzhou, Huang Yan 36 in Xiamen, Younch Hotel in Xi’an, and Into Hotel Chibi in Hubei. Meanwhile, India’s expansion offers a view of the western Himalayan range with Amaya in Himachal Pradesh.
Other properties joining the SLH fold include Brij Lakshman Sagar in Rajasthan, Mary Budden Estate in Uttarakhand, and Baale Resort’s seven fully serviced villas in north Goa. On the other side of the globe, the Hermes Galapagos Mega Catamaran sails from Puerto Ayora in Ecuador, the first ultra-luxury cruise with jacuzzi-equipped suites to relax in, as you traverse the Pacific Ocean towards the prehistoric world that inspired Charles Darwin in his seminal theory of evolution.
Accor
Over at Accor, its diverse portfolio at the luxury range now comprises Orient Express, Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel, Emblems Collection, and MGallery.
This year has seen a slew of openings, such as Sofitel Cairo Downtown Nile, Raffles Sentosa Singapore, Fairmont properties in Udaipur, Mumbai, and Tokyo; and Orient Express La Minerva in Rome.
When in Rome, one may also partake in the recall of the golden years of travel from the 1960s and 1970s with the newly launched La Dolce Vita Orient Express, the first Italian-made luxury train, offering eight curated itineraries through the country, combining art, landscapes, and the cuisine of Heinz Beck, a founder of The Order of the Knights of Italian Cuisine who also helms La Pergola, the first Roman restaurant to have been awarded three Michelin stars.
In Brittany, we find Domaine du Liziec – Vannes MGallery located in the wooded Brocéliande area by the Gulf of Morbihan. The property, beautifully restored from a 16th-century Breton estate, comprises 71 rooms set on a 15-acre site of French gardens and forest.
Also making its entry into the world this year is the ‘reawakened 15th-century Venetian palace’, Orient Express Palazzo Dona Giovannelli. Rounding up Accor’s eclectic offering is Emblems Collection, which welcomes Rimrock Banff, an iconic Canadian Rockies retreat.
On the sea, the 721ft Orient Express Corinthian sets sail in 2026 with 54 suites, a capacity for 140 guests, and 170 members of crew. It debuts at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and will be open for buyouts in June and July, with individual bookings from August.
IHG
Tom Rowntree, IHG’s vice president of global luxury brands, notes that the approximately US$2 trillion pie in luxury travel will also see, for the first time, seven generations travelling the world. In the case of IHG, its Vignette Collection will introduce the world’s tallest all-hotel tower in Dubai. Ciel Dubai Marina, Vignette Collection, will rise from the Dubai Marina across more than 80 floors, with 1,000 rooms and suites, three restaurants, the highest infinity pool in the city, an observation bar and lounge, and an eagle’s view across the Arabian gulf and city skyline.
This year-end will also see Kimpton Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong and Kimpton Naluria Kuala Lumpur open. The latter offers 466 rooms, with a destination rooftop bar and lounge, as well as a rooftop pool that overlooks the kinetic Tun Razak Exchange integrated precinct. In the evenings, the Kuala Lumpur property’s Kimpton Social serves up lively scenes of drinks and conversation within an interior designed by the award-winning Hassell Studio.
Next year, InterContinental celebrates its 80th anniversary across 226 hotels, with Brisbane and Halong Bay joining the family this year. It also debuts the Doors Unlocked campaign, which offers access to money-can’t-buy experiences, such as insider access to London Fashion Week with designer-led private tours and intimate dinners with chefs.
The long-awaited Six Senses London at The Whiteley also opens at the end of this year, following in the wake of Rome and Kyoto. Further down the line and a little closer to home, Six Senses Bangkok will rise in the historic Silom district by 2028, designed as a traditional lantern with 100 rooms, and a Joyce Wang-designed penthouse spread across 700sqm.
1 Hotels
Photo: Mikkel Vang
ILTM Asia Pacific 2025 also saw a familiar name rejoin the party: Starwood Hotels, founded by hospitality legend Barry Sternlicht, following its rebranding from SH Hotels & Resorts earlier this year. Its current portfolio includes Baccarat Hotels, 1 Hotels, and Treehouse Hotels. With 1 Hotels’ approach, the ethos of making room for nature allows all guest rooms to have live plants inside, with its properties averaging between 2,000 and 3,000 plants per hotel. Following the late 2024 opening of 1 Hotel Tokyo, this year sees a new 1 Hotel Copenhagen, a cool and hip space revolving around events where ‘everyone’s invited’. Following that is 1 Hotel Melbourne, located in the city’s CBD on the banks of the Yarra, and 1 Hotel Seattle, at the foot of Puget Sound.
Photo: Mikkel Vang
“I wanted to capture the beauty of nature in a hotel and, in doing so, commit to safeguarding it as best I can—a responsibility that I believe we all share. It’s 1 World,” says Sternlicht, 1 Hotels’ chairman. “1 Hotels’ mantra is to make hospitality more sustainable, to open eyes to nature’s beauty, and to redefine luxury around nature itself”. To reduce carbon on its operations, 1 Hotels’ effort will see a collaboration with partners to eventually realise the goal of replanting 100,000 trees, adding to other sustainability initiatives such as diverting 75 per cent of waste from landfills across 30 waste streams and implementing the One Less Thing programme—where guests can leave behind items, from garments to books, which will be donated and given a second life.
Marriott International
In much the same way, 2025 has also seen Marriott India achieve its goal for this year’s World Environment Day, planting 100,000 trees across its 150 properties in the country by engaging approximately 15,000 volunteers.
The Luxury Group by Marriott International’s The Intentional Traveler report offers an insight into the evolving behaviour of high-net-worth travellers across seven markets, namely Australia, Singapore, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, and Thailand. Drawing from 250 respondents from each market, this 2025 report offered a reading of their travel priorities, with 90 per cent citing wellness experiences as a determining factor. Perhaps a reflection of the vicissitudes of modern life, the availability of offerings at properties of spa retreats, forest immersions, nutrition programmes, sound healing, and sleep therapies become an alluring element in their decision-making for their next vacation. Be it wellness, yoga, or meditation, guests are looking to be totally transformed, to improve body, mind, and palate following their journeys.
Most recently, The Laurus, a Luxury Collection Resort, debuted as the first Singaporean property under the brand. Located on the vacation-vibes island of Sentosa and within the Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort, The Laurus is composed of a sensory garden of habitat niches and nesting structures, artworks by local artists with disabilities, and Singapore’s cultural heritage seen in its colonial-meets-tropical aesthetics. One also finds artisanal delicacies such as nyonya kueh and crafted chocolates from sustainably sourced Asian cacao.
Early next year sees The Dali Edition open in the picturesque Yunnan province of southwestern China, with the property situated at an altitude of more than 2,000m, perched on a plateau and offering 150 guestrooms, including suites and villas with private pools opening to grand views of the Cangshan Mountain or Erhai Lake. The hotel combines the luxury flourishes of an Edition property with a gateway to the unique Bai local culture via its proximity to the old town of Dali.
The year 2026 also ushers in Hotel The Mitsui Hakone, the uber-luxe sister property to the already uber-luxe Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto, recently awarded the highest Michelin three-key rating and also holding the Forbes Travel Five-Star rating (making it only one of two hotels in Japan to achieve this distinctive feat). The 126-key Hakone property rises from the scenic grounds of Kowakudani in Kanagawa prefecture, across a 135,000 sqm mountain landscape. This location, once home to the Mitsui family, boasts hot springs, views of Mount Fuji from Lake Ashi, and natural attractions such as the Jakotsu river and Chisuji Falls. All guest rooms are supplied by water drawn directly from the site’s thermal springs and, like its Kyoto sibling, will also be flagged under Marriott International’s Luxury Collection.
Belmond
The art of slow travel, as propagated by Belmond, is now represented by Oscar-winning British actress Tilda Swinton in a film series, Discover a New Pace of Travel, where she narrates her embrace of the art of slowing down. Choosing to linger, to contemplate, and to savour become the keystones to the travel experiences that are tied to Belmond’s offerings. Its recent launch of the Britannic Explorer is the UK’s first luxury sleeper train in England and Wales. Through the landscapes of the Lake District, Cornwall, and Wales’ Eryri national park, passengers will enjoy on-board wellness therapies as well as cultural programming on and off the train. Gastronomes will find chef Simon Rogan—whose restaurants collectively hold eight Michelin stars and two Michelin Green stars—designing the onboard British gastronomy.
In Italy, Splendido, a Belmond hotel, reopens and re-introduces travellers to the Grand Dame of the Italian Riviera. The internationally renowned Martin Brudnizki Design Studio orchestrated the renovations, with larger spaces and suites opening to the beautiful views of the bay of Portofino. Behind this former 16th-century Benedictine monastery’s pastel-hued façade, guests will discover botanical frescoes, design elements in Carrara marble and locally sourced Lavagna stone. A nearby private estate, Villa Beatrice, also opens to travellers for the first time, having been in private hands for the past 110 years.
In Sicily, the Lido Villeggiatura Beach Club at Villa Sant’Andrea is now open for fun in the sun, welcoming you to enjoy beachside elegance with mixology nights, special dinners, and fabulous parties. Guests can also take slow walks along the coast or embark on sailing adventures to nearby Isola Bella and Syracuse onboard a sleek 38ft gozzo, a style of fishing boat built by the Aprea family of master boat builders from Sorrento.
The grandest reveal for Belmond this year is Hotel Cipriani in Venice, with star architect and designer Peter Marino rekindling the magic of this emblematic hotel for modern history by keeping the quintessence with a twist of his ineffable style. Marino, who also chairs the Venetian Heritage Foundation, infuses mystery and grandeur into spaces with artworks, a light-filled lobby, two master suites reimagined as Venetian apartments (each with its own salon and library), and 11 suites and junior suites attached with private balconies overlooking the Casanova Gardens.
Hyatt Hotels
Across Asia Pacific, Hyatt Hotels’ luxury and lifestyle brand portfolios see a strategic growth for brands such as Andaz, The Standard, and Park Hyatt, as well as the debut of the Manhattan-originated Thompson Hotels with Thompson Shanghai Expo opening at the end of this year. The first Thompson in Asia Pacific seeks to become a home base for culture vultures, with its spaces harmonising Shanghai’s industrial legacy and cosmopolitan legacy across 254 guest rooms and suites, and 2,036sqm of event space.
Shanghai also welcomes Andaz Shanghai ITC, a second Andaz to the city, located in its commercial neighbourhood of Xujiahui. In the city of angels, Andaz One Bangkok opens within the city’s latest landmark, with Thai-inspired cuisine at the Andaz Tavern and Lounge, and panoramic views of the verdant Lumphini Park. A little more than an hour away, The Standard, Pattaya Na Jomtien is already welcoming guests at the upscale seaside enclave that bears the same name. The Na Jomtien beach is a calmer oasis, with laid-back rhythms, and is popular for kitesurfing, exploring nearby islands, or simply discovering the neighbourhood of independent cafes, restaurants, and creative spaces.
Over in Japan, we find the 30-year legacy that is Park Hyatt Tokyo, Asia’s first Park Hyatt when it opened in 1994, reopening following a 17-month refinement. This property, which has entered the annals of pop culture being the setting for the 2003 film Lost in Translation, keeps iconic elements such as the New York Grill & Bar in place, and also sees the welcome reopening of modern brasserie Girandole by Alain Ducasse—an opportunity for guests to savour its famed gourmet breakfasts during their stay.
Back in Malaysia, the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur on the top of the Merdeka 118 skyscraper has earned plaudits for its exceptional cuisine and desserts, courtesy of a stellar kitchen team of executive chef Stig Drageide and executive pastry chef Holger Deh. At Cacao Mixology & Chocolate, the city’s highest bar, enjoy inspired chocolate-based treats with million-dollar views of the kinetic skyline while grooving to bossa nova rhythms.
Pan Pacific Hotels
ILTM Asia Pacific this year introduced version 2.0 of Pan Pacific Hotels, which streamlines its brand alignments, with Parkroyal as the group’s social local brand and Parkroyal Collection as its sustainable green brand.
With the group’s projections of the sustainable tourism market on track to hit US$12.82 trillion by 2034, plenty of new properties will join an impressive biophilic portfolio, from Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, Singapore, which features 2,400 trees inside its building, to the urban rooftop farms of Parkroyal Collection Pickering, also in Singapore, which grows more than 50 varieties of vegetables for garnishes, sauces, and ingredients, as well as Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur’s use of repurposed wood. Among its impending arrivals are Parkroyal Jakarta in 2026, in addition to the following year’s openings of Parkroyal Siem Reap and Pan Pacific Siam Bangkok.
A A$50 million investment has also conditioned and uplifted the largest of Pan Pacific’s Australian hotels, with the 488-key Pan Pacific Perth emerging from its chrysalis following an extensive two-year renovation. It now boasts Perth’s largest convention space, at 2,500sqm, with tables made of upcycled denim and chairs from ocean plastic.
Langham Hotels
The Langham—the first European grand hotel to introduce lifts, hot and cold water, and afternoon tea when it opened in 1865 in London—brings its legacy of British roots and Asian heritage into the 21st century with openings in Venice, Tokyo, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Riyadh. In Saudi Arabia, the hotel brings the first T’ang Court to the Middle East when The Langham, Diriyah opens next year within the US$62.2 billion tourism giga-project, on a boulevard that recalls the Middle Eastern version of the Champs Elysees. Meanwhile, The Langham in Bangkok announces seasoned hotelier Nick Downing as its general manager for the 78-key property, which incorporates the city’s historical Custom House while bringing to life T’ang Court, a Chuan Spa, destination bar, pastry-creation cafe, and a gallery sharing the area’s past.
Meanwhile, its loyalty programme, Brilliant, introduced early last year, continues to develop specialised VIP experiences. Among its range of benefits are a points redemption for a curator-led talk and access to a V&A Cartier exhibition, followed by afternoon tea at Palm Court in The Langham, London.
Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Under Preferred Hotels & Resorts, which connects hotels and destinations to key partners worldwide, its Believe In Travel ethos aims to expand that love for travel as a positive change in the hearts and minds of travellers. Its members include familiar names in hospitality: The Dusit Thani, Aurika Udaipur, The Leela Gandhinagar in Gujarat, Himalayas Hotel Shanghai, Amara Singapore, and The Archipelago in downtown Taipei, which opened earlier this year.
For 2025, new exciting openings include Al Habtoor Palace Budapest, which features a Sir Winston Churchill Suite; Royal Hideaway Corales Suites in Tenerife, Spain; and Oros Luxury Beach Resort nestled on Crete’s white mountains in Rethymno, Greece. In London, The Newman Hotel, in the creative Fitzrovia neighbourhood, blends Bloomsbury’s artistic vibe with Soho style. Meanwhile, in the ancient city of Valletta in Malta, the boutique 23-room Romègas Hotel celebrates the best of Maltese culture with a destination restaurant helmed by the country’s culinary ambassador, chef and restaurateur Marvin Gauci.
Meliá Hotels International
Meliá Hotels International continues its Asian growth with 42 currently in operation and 10 in the pipeline. The spiritual island of Bali will soon host Paradisus by Meliá, which transforms the 40-year-old Meliá Bali—the first international Meliá outside of its native Spain—into an all-inclusive wellness resort, thanks to a US$40 million upgrade. Planned for a December 2026 opening, Paradisus by Meliá in Bali will consist of 485 suites and seven villas set on Nusa Dua’s lush grounds. This new and first offering of Paradisus by Meliá in Asia intends to capture the essence of the destination with transformative wellness encompassing the gamut of spa, biohacking, innovative treatments, and balanced nutrition, with a family concierge as well as The Reserve, an adults-only haven.
Gran Meliá, the brand that expresses Spanish luxury in respecting things done well and a connection to the land, will welcome Villa Le Corail in Vietnam’s coastal resort city of Nha Trang, with lagoon-fronting villas of up to four-bedroom configurations, appointed with glamorous Minotti and Roberto Cavalli Home Interiors furniture.
Ayana
At the Ayana Komodo Waecicu Beach Resort, guests may now participate in its all-new Manta Point excursion, which forms part of its full-day island-hopping tour. Embarking on a 39ft flybridge cruiser, they will cruise on the beautiful waters towards Padar Island, diving into the sparkling reefs of the Coral Triangle along the way, before basking on Komodo National Park’s famous pink beaches.
For 2026, new sail and stay packages offer guests a chance to embark on a multi-day voyage onboard Ayana Cruises’ 177ft luxury phinisi, Ayana Lako Di’a, composed of nine cabins for up to 18 guests. This discovery of the biodiverse Komodo National Park by sea enables guests to enjoy full-board gourmet meals, an array of water, leisure and wellness activities, as well as an encounter with the famed Komodo dragons.
Tourism Australia
Saying g’day at ILTM Asia Pacific 2025, Tourism Australia introduced a swathe of luxury travel experiences across its vast landscapes. The desire of luxury travellers for seclusion and privacy is easily had at Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island of New South Wales, or Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.
Tourism Australia’s portfolio of marketing collectives includes a defined range of experiences: Australian Wildlife Journeys, Cultural Attractions of Australia, Discover Aboriginal Experiences, Great Golf Courses, Great Walks, and Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia.
This continent’s vast landscape enables incredible moments for travellers, such as the moving spectacular drone show at Wintjiri Wiru, Uluru, in Northern Territory. At Lizard Island Resort, guests can fish and snorkel literally on the Great Barrier Reef. Next year, The Lands by Capella will usher in a new luxury event venue in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, while the addition of the Australis and Aurora suites to the Journey Beyond trains (expected in April 2026) doubles the size of its current Platinum cabins. At the Petaluma winery in Adelaide Hills, guests can combine horse riding and wine tasting, or take it even easier by sailing out of Sydney Harbour on the 150ft superyachtSolaré, which features a coastal Italian restaurant, cocktail bar, and beach club.
Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO)
At ILTM Asia Pacific, the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) also had news to share, having achieved a new record of 36 million tourist arrivals in 2024. With more than 31 million tourist arrivals already from January to September this year, the country looks poised to surpass last year’s mark for tourist arrivals.
Among the new luxury hotels introduced by JNTO were the Simose Art Garden Villa in Hiroshima, a one-of-a-kind destination combining wall-less villas, a restaurant, and an art museum carrying the works of Matisse and Chagall.
In total, JNTO has selected 14 areas around the country that are working towards being luxury destinations, such as the unspoilt natural beauty of Hachimantai in Iwate Prefecture. Here, one finds powder-snow slopes and ANA InterContinental Appi Kogen Resort, a three-time consecutive winner at the World Luxury Hotel Awards since its inception in 2022.
Next year will bring the 24-room Azuma Farm Koiwai resort to the Hachimantai location, offering farm life experiences and, possibly, one of the world’s first transportation options via an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) shuttle from the nearby town of Morioka. In this region, the prevailing embrace of the Japanese concept of Ke (褻) is in evidence, referring to the ordinary, everyday world of routine and private life as seen in the location’s deep connection to nature and its quaint shops.
The same spirit of Ke may also be found at the hands-on encounter of Joboji lacquerware at Tekiseisha Studio in Ninohe, viewed as one of the top manufacturers in Japan. In the volcanic region of Unzen in Kyushu, the Takeda Katatsumuri Farm lets you practise agriculture on volcanic soil, followed by memorable gastronomy made from the local produce because “it comes from people who take risks in pursuit of deliciousness”, says Takafumi Yoshida, owner-chef of Italian restaurant Villa del Nido, in Kunimi Town, Unzen city.
Visit Rwanda
Visit Rwanda brings news of Qatar Airways joining the list of eight international carriers flying into Kigali International Airport. Its continued tourism push will see the World Cycling Championships in Rwanda with 20,000 participants. The country also welcomes Mövenpick Kigali as its latest five-star offering in the country. In Akagera, thanks to sustained conservation efforts, more than 1,000 white rhinos and 300 black rhinos join the safari landscape, where visitors can sign up for a tour. The conservation efforts have also restored the mountain gorilla population to 200 currently, which has enabled recategorisation of the species from critically endangered to endangered. At the King’s Palace Musuem in Nyanza, guests can re-live the days of the African kings with dancing and swinging buffaloes. The same location also offers visits to tea and coffee plantations, with accommodation options such as the One&Only Nyungwe House.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises, which has been staking its claim as the world’s most luxurious cruise line for the past 30 years, now looks to reinvent and capture the new market. Ultra-luxury cruising sits at the very top of an industry that has reached a whopping US$65.9 billion order book value as of June. Along with increased interest in expedition voyages, the new Regent Seven Seas Prestige will debut in 2026, 40 per cent larger than the cruise line’s existing ships, but with only 10 per cent more capacity in terms of guests. The pinnacle stateroom on offer will be the new Skyview Regent Suite, the largest suite on sea, with 836sqm of space across two floors. Move fast as 12 of the 13 available sailing dates are already sold (priced at US$25,000 per night).
Explora Journeys
On the water, Explora Journeys—a relative newcomer to luxury cruising—has matched the vision of the MSC family to “redesign ocean luxury”, with a stated goal of having six ships on the water by 2028. In the year and a half since its launch, Explora Journeys has garnered more than 30 industry awards and launched two ships, including an onboard Rolex boutique on the Explora I. “Our ships are floating hotels with a lobby bar, and only front views with no backyards,” says Achille Staiano, chief commercial officer of Explora Journeys. Throughout the ships, artists perform regularly at seven different lounges, while evenings consist variously of Parisian cabaret, New York jazz club, or classical music concerts. Explora Journeys’ ships are also an ode to art, connecting passengers with top artists of the world, with its Galleria d’Art offering captivating visual experiences onboard. Its third ship, Explora III, sets sail in the summer of next year, offering penthouses and residences, five heated pools, six restaurants, and 12 bars and lounges “to allow guests to find their own spot”.
