Luxury travel news from around the world (July 2024)

In our latest round-up of luxury travel news, we bring you a selection of the most exciting updates from the world of high-end travel. From innovative advancements in private jet booking to new alliances enhancing outdoor luxury experiences, our latest edition is packed with a number of inspiring developments. Read on to to learn about some of the world’s finest accommodation developments and the latest news on exclusive luxury travel services.

Equinox Resort Treyam in Magna, the coast of NEOM

Equinox Hotels, a revolutionary leader in high-performance luxury hospitality, is proud to announce plans for the opening of Equinox Resort Treyam, one of Magna’s twelve destinations, located on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. Magna’s destinations, including Treyam, are part of NEOM, the evolving regional development, taking shape in northwest Saudi Arabia.

Promising an unrivaled hospitality experience in one of the world’s most stunning and undiscovered locations, Equinox Resort Treyam brings Equinox Hotels’ high-performance lifestyle to a majestic destination between the mountains and the sea.

MIRAI Flights saves time offering private jet booking in one click

MIRAI is a pioneering private jet broker that has embraced technology to revolutionise the private aviation industry. In addition to offering instant quotes and bookings, MIRAI also provides discounted real-time Empty Legs flights, where flexibility is limited but prices are lower.

World of Hyatt alliance with Under Canvas

World of Hyatt is inviting guests and members to immerse themselves in memorable outdoor experiences and stays at Under Canvas’ 13 outdoor resorts, including Under Canvas’ new luxury outdoor resort, ULUM Moab. The new alliance provides members with unprecedented access to iconic, upscale experiences across many U.S. national parks and other notable outdoor destinations. World of Hyatt members can now book their stays at Under Canvas camps and ULUM Moab through Hyatt to start earning and redeeming points.

The Under Canvas and ULUM outdoor resorts offer World of Hyatt members some of the most sought-after and curated luxury outdoor experiences. Spread across spectacular destinations in the U.S., such as Montana’s Yellowstone National Park, Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, Acadia National Park in Maine and Yosemite National Park in California (anticipated opening in May 2025), Under Canvas camps offer extraordinary upscale hospitality, with safari-inspired tents and complimentary programming such as nightly campfires with s’mores, board games, yoga and kid’s activities. The camps also offer wholesome and nutritious food and beverage options through innovative menus that embrace seasonality and thoughtfully sourced ingredients.

Air France offers exclusive services for VIPs arriving at Paris CDG

Air France has inaugurated a new airport journey for its La Première customers at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, featuring a newly created check-in lobby and airport suites. Upon arrival, La Première guests are welcomed by a dedicated concierge who attends to their luggage and guides them to the exclusive check-in lobby. Here, an attentive Air France team handles all departure-related procedures, including check-in and luggage assistance.

The check-in lobby is furnished with 15 seats and two private lounges, accommodating La Première passengers both arriving and departing. Customers can relax post-flight, use the available shower facilities, and easily retrieve their checked baggage, ensuring a seamless and luxurious travel experience.

Second property in Taiwan for Capella Hotels and Resorts

Capella Hotels and Resorts have announced plans for their first resort in Taiwan, Capella Kenting, which will be the brand’s second property in the country. This world-class resort, set to be the first of its kind in Southern Taiwan, will occupy 99,000 square meters along the western coastline of Taiwan’s Hengchun Peninsula in Pingtung. The resort is designed by renowned Italian architects Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel of ACPV ARCHITECTS, who drew inspiration from Pingtung’s indigenous architecture and the rich natural environment of the Hengchun Peninsula to create their refined and sophisticated masterpiece.

Hilton expands luxury portfolio with partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World

Hilton is expanding its luxury hotel offerings by adding nearly 400 boutique properties from the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection. These properties will now be available for booking through Hilton.com and the Hilton Honors app.

The SLH collection joins Hilton’s luxury brands, including Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, LXR, and Signia. Hilton Honors members can now earn and redeem points for stays at these new boutique hotels, adding to their travel options within the Hilton portfolio.

Viking Vesta: The first of three new ships for Viking

Viking has announced that its newest ocean ship, the Viking Vesta®, has been “floated out”, marking a significant construction milestone as the ship touches water for the first time. With a gross tonnage of 54,300 tons and 499 staterooms for 998 guests, the small ship is set to debut in July 2025, offering itineraries in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

The traditional float-out ceremony occurred at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona and signifies the ship entering its final construction phase, where water fills the building dock, allowing the Viking Vesta to float.

InterContinental Bellevue at the Avenue hotel opens in the Pacific Northwest

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts announced that InterContinental Bellevue at the Avenue is open to guests. This 208-room luxury hotel, situated within the $1bn+ Avenue Bellevue complex developed by Fortress Development, marks the brand’s debut in the Pacific Northwest. With breathtaking views of Lake Washington and downtown Seattle, InterContinental Bellevue at the Avenue is poised to become a premier destination for local, regional, and global travelers.

INNSiDE by Meliá debuts in Portugal with a new opening in Braga

Renowned lifestyle hotel brand INNSiDE by Meliá has just opened its first property in Portugal: the INNSiDE Braga Centro in the iconic Retiro das Convertidas building. This modern hotel has been fully renovated to offer guests a seamless blend of leisure and business. With its designer spaces, casual atmosphere designed to unwind and inspire, and accessible premium service, the hotel is the perfect starting point to discover the local scene in the city. 

INNSiDE Braga Centro is in the heart of the city, on Avenida Central, making it easy for curious travellers to explore the destination’s most iconic landmarks. Just steps away from the hotel lie The Portas de Braga and the majestic Sé de Braga Cathedral, two of the city’s most historic monuments. 

Vietnam Airlines to launch non-stop service from Hanoi to Phnom Penh

Vietnam Airlines has announced the launch of a nonstop service between Hanoi and Phnom Penh. Additionally, the airline has signed cooperation agreements with key partners in Cambodia to foster aviation and tourism development between the two countries.  The new route is set to commence on 27 October 2024, with a frequency of four flights a week on Mondays; Wednesdays; Fridays; and Sundays on Airbus A321. Passengers currently travelling from Hanoi to Phnom Penh must transit through Vientiane, Laos, on the airline’s Indochina service. 

This new route will bring Vietnam Airlines’ total number of routes between Vietnam and Cambodia to five by the end of October, including four direct routes: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh; Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap; and one Indochina route. The total number of flights between the two countries will reach 86 per week. 

Tour Savannah’s intracoastal waterways on one-of-a-kind classic boats with Kessler Charters

Launched in May 2024 by Kessler, Kessler Charters is the newest luxury boat company in Savannah offering tours and excursions with their fleet of two antique, hand-crafted wooden vessels. Groups of up to six people can experience an intimate, timeless adventure of the Savannah waterways to soak in the city’s classic charm and hidden historical gems.

Palace Hotel Tokyo awarded MICHELIN Guide’s highest distinction

Palace Hotel Tokyo, a luxury property beloved since its opening in 2012, has been awarded Three Keys by the MICHELIN Guide. This recognition highlights the hotel’s achievements in delivering the world’s most extraordinary stay experiences.

As one of only three properties in Tokyo to receive this top distinction, Palace Hotel Tokyo enhances its reputation as the only Japanese-brand hotel to achieve this elite status. The hotel also boasts a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating for nine consecutive years and recently received a Five-Star rating for its evian SPA TOKYO, one of only four in Japan.

Experience luxury your way at Kivotos Santorini 

Perched atop Santorini‘s highest point in Imerovigli village, Kivotos Santorini invites you to bask in the lap of personalised luxury. From the moment you arrive, every aspect of your experience at this sublime hideaway is meticulously customised to suit your preferences, style and aesthetic. Here’s a glimpse into how this chic and cavernous boutique hotel is redefining luxury through bespoke services and curated gastronomy, transforming each stay into an unforgettable story you not only get to tell but also shape! 

World’s first cravat museum opens in Zagreb

A unique museum dedicated to ties, the Cravaticum – Museum Boutique of the Cravat, located in downtown Zagreb, has officially launched. The museum’s concept and ethos is to illustrate the  historic significance of neckties, and contribute to the worldwide promotion of Croatia, as a homeland of the cravat.

Despite its focus on a 400-year-old artifact, this treasure house of ties is far from outdated. Cravaticum celebrates both the introduction of the cravat, brought to the world by the Croatian soldiers in the 17th century, and the evolution of this fashion accessory to the present day. From immersive uniforms of a Cravat regiment to innovative designs of Juraj Zigman, the renowned Croatian fashion designer who has worked with Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Rit U.O., Cristina Aguilera, Cardi B and others.

Michelin-Starred Samrub Samrub Thai takes over Dining on the Rocks of Six Senses Samui this August

Chef Prin Polsuk of Bangkok’s newly minted Michelin-starred Samrub Samrub Thai takes over Six Senses Samui‘s signature restaurant, Dining on the Rocks, for two evenings this August to showcase Chef Prin’s unique cooking concept.

Chef Prin’s culinary principles is to preserve traditional Thai cooking techniques and long-lost recipes dated back to the era of King Rama VI and reinterpret them using seasonal local ingredients embodying his ethos of living in harmony with nature’s cycles. His menu for this take over in Samui will also link with how local fishermen enjoy their cuisine, in which Chef Prin and his team previously had their experiences first-hands.

EVA Air wins more kudos as one of the world’s best international airlines

EVA Air, Taiwan’s leading independent airline, has won yet more accolades, this time from Travel + Leisure’s  readers as one of the World’s Best International Airlines of 2024. Based on their experiences with cabin comfort, inflight service, customer service and value, readers responding to the publication’s annual “World’s Best Awards” survey ranked EVA 10th on the list. Survey results are available on the “Travel + Leisure” website . 

The “World’s Best Awards” survey covers 125 categories and approximately 186,000 “Travel + Leisure” readers completed the 2024 survey, casting more than 700,000 votes for more than 8,700 unique properties, airlines, airports, hotels and cities. EVA, along with Singapore Airlines, La Compagnie, Emirates, All Nippon Airways, Qatar Airways, Korean Air, Japan Airlines, Thai Airways International and Etihad Airways, has been selected as one of the Top 10 International Airlines this year.

Boatsy: Pioneering a new way to book sailing holidays

A new boat-rental marketplace, Boatsy, is pioneering a new way to book sailing holidays. Founded by a collective of sea-loving entrepreneurs with roots in tourism and technology, Boatsy will redefine the consumer experience of booking seafaring trips.

Boatsy aims to transform the conventional boat rental process, turning mere rentals into unforgettable experiences, and empowering customers to seamlessly book their itinerary and preferred boat in one streamlined process. Thanks to a network of local experts in key sailing destinations, and user-friendly platforms on the web and mobile apps, guests have ultimate-autonomy, and can even ‘instant book’ their trip. The platform reduces grey areas and promises the maximum predictability of any trip, from the finer details of an itinerary to potentially unexpected fuel costs, equipping consumers with all the must-have information to book a successful holiday at sea.

New ships and premier experiences give fresh options to Galapagos travelers

With a variety of tour options and availability remaining this year, plus exciting new opportunities in 2025, AdventureSmith Explorations is the go-to for expert trip planning.

Experiencing the magic of the iconic Galapagos Islands is unlike any other adventure on Earth. That’s why the travel experts at AdventureSmith Explorations, the leader in small-ship adventure cruises, have curated a collection of Galapagos cruises that invite travelers to embark on the journey of a lifetime aboard some of the most luxurious and innovative vessels in the archipelago today. With a range of new ships and unique itineraries, travelers are sure to create core memories in one of the world’s most pristine natural environments.

New spa and wellness offerings at Grand Hotel Tremezzo

Grand Hotel Tremezzo – the epitome of elegance, deeply rooted in traditional Italian values of family and hospitality – has proudly unveiled an enhanced spa and wellness program at T Spa. Through years of mastery, Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s expert spa therapists have mastered traditional techniques and now introduce innovative treatments, including the Italian Hammam ritual and the Moroccan Dream Hammam to their impressive spa menu.

Saddle up for an Argyll cycling break this Autumn

The Pierhouse Hotel at Port Appin has teamed up with one of the country’s leading adventure cyclists, Markus Stitz, to put Argyll on the map with a new cycling retreat.

From 18th to 20th October, cycling enthusiasts will be offered the opportunity to join Markus as he explores some of his favourite Argyll cycle trails on gravel tracks, quiet roads and cycle paths by day. Markus will also host a dinner and an entertaining talk for guests on the Saturday evening.

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Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Telegraph.