These Are The Villas, Hotels & Restaurants To Book This Autumn

THE ASIAN OFFSHOOT

The Langham, Bangkok

Reservations are now open for The Langham in Bangkok, which will welcome its first guests on 20th December. On the banks of the Chao Phraya River, this highly anticipated 75-room hotel will centre around Bangkok’s historic Custom House, an 1888 landmark being carefully restored as part of the development. The 60 rooms and 15 suites will sit within a new building designed by Thai architect Smith Obayawat, with its curving form inspired by the movement of the river. Interiors combine residential-style comfort with natural textures, soft lighting and subtle references to Siamese design, while views stretch across courtyards, the Bangkok skyline and the river. The hotel will also feature the brand’s Chuan Spa and a range of bespoke river experiences.

Visit LanghamHotels.com

THE LISBON OPENING

Villa Dorothéa, Lisbon

There’s a new reason to explore Lisbon’s elegant Lapa neighbourhood. Villa Dorothéa is a 20-room boutique hotel set across five interconnected 19th-century houses, creating the feel of a private micro-neighbourhood rather than a traditional hotel. Original cobbled pathways, secluded courtyards and terraces filled with jasmine and bougainvillea weave between the buildings, while interiors combine original architectural details with contemporary colours and textures. The Secret gastrobar is a highlight, serving Portuguese small plates, locally sourced ingredients and cocktails amid rooftop views towards the Tagus. Elsewhere, there’s a library curated with Salted Books, an honesty cart, and plans for communal suppers, wine tastings and rooftop DJ sessions. Add in in-room yoga equipment, Swedish massages and a pillow menu, and this feels like a particularly thoughtful base for a Lisbon city break.

Visit VillaDorothea.com

THE TUSCAN HIDEAWAY

Borgo Pignano, Florence

Borgo Pignano Florence brings the spirit of the much-loved Tuscan estate near Volterra into the centre of the city. Set in five hectares of private grounds on Montughi Hill, minutes from Florence’s historic centre, the restored 15th-century property comprises 11 heritage buildings and offers an unusually peaceful setting for a city stay. Its 32 rooms and suites have been designed by Guy Oliver, combining bespoke furnishings, Venetian fabrics and marble bathrooms with views across the gardens and Tuscan hills. Dining is overseen by Michelin-starred chef Stefano Cavallini, with menus rooted in Tuscan tradition and organic produce from the Borgo Pignano estate. There’s also a 30m heated outdoor pool and historic gardens to explore. For a more private stay, Villa La Sosta offers five en-suite bedrooms, a plunge pool and a formal Italian garden, alongside access to the wider estate’s facilities.

Visit BorgoPignano.com

THE REFURB

Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Rio de Janeiro

Following its centenary celebrations in 2023, Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel is entering a new chapter with the renovation of its Pool Wing and pool area, due to be unveiled in November. Following a meticulous 19-month renovation, the Pool Wing – originally established in 1948 above the hotel’s iconic pool and lounging terrace – will return as an all-suite address. Each suite will have a private balcony, with most overlooking the famous pool and Copacabana Beach. The redesign will also introduce a new signature bar, contemporary Italian restaurant and boutique dedicated to Brazilian craftsmanship, alongside five floors devoted to wellbeing. Design celebrates Brazilian creativity, with local talent behind every element.

Visit Belmond.com

THE CITY STAY

Hyde Mexico City Reforma, Mexico City

Hyde Hotels has made its Latin American debut with Hyde Mexico City Reforma, a 106-room lifestyle hotel on the grand Paseo de la Reforma. Bringing Hyde’s bohemian, music-led spirit to one of Mexico City’s most vibrant neighbourhoods, the hotel overlooks the Ángel de la Independencia and puts guests within easy reach of galleries, boutiques, restaurants, bars and nightlife. Food and drink are central to the experience, with Enzu Restaurant & Bar opening this month. The restaurant combines contemporary Japanese cooking with Mexican-grown produce and Ensenada seafood, alongside an omakase counter, robata grill and cocktail bar. Later this autumn, Sun & Moon will join it, offering a more neighbourhood-style space that shifts from coffee spot by day to cocktail lounge by night.

Visit HydeHotels.com

THE ITALIAN ESCAPE

Villa Paola, Calabria

Calabria’s luxury hotel scene is having a moment, and Villa Paola is one of the most compelling reasons to visit. Above Tropea on Italy’s spectacular Coast of the Gods, this adults-only retreat has undergone a major transformation by Italian design studio Palomba Serafini Associati, reducing the historic property to 14 larger rooms and suites. Originally a 16th-century Franciscan convent, the hotel’s renovation balances its heritage with a more contemporary aesthetic. Natural materials, earthy tones and local craftsmanship feature throughout, while terraced gardens look out across the Tyrrhenian Sea. At De’ Minimi, the hotel’s restaurant, seasonal Calabrian cooking is built around produce from its own gardens and local suppliers. The property has already drawn celebrity attention – Dua Lipa reportedly chose Villa Paola as the first stop on her recent honeymoon. Beyond the hotel, Tropea offers white-sand beaches and clear waters, while Calabria’s villages, ancient ruins and distinctive cuisine make it an appealing alternative to Italy’s more established destinations.

Visit VillaPaolaTropea.it

Torvioll Jashari

THE RESTAURANT

Marküs, Zurich

Acclaimed chef Markus Stöckle has opened Marküs, an intimate restaurant in Zurich’s Altstadt. Housed in one of the city’s oldest surviving buildings, dating back to 1260, it’s Stöckle’s most personal project yet, drawing on everything from his Bavarian roots and time spent in Japan to his experience in three-Michelin-star kitchens and the regional cooking of Spain. The result is a hyper-seasonal tasting menu that combines meticulous technique with a playful, experimental spirit. The setting is as distinctive as the food. Designed with Milan-based Studio Dragó, the ground floor features lacquered red walls and black detailing, while the historic Goethe Room upstairs retains its original 13th-century wood panelling.

Visit Markues.ch

THE AIRLINE UPGRADE

Emirates Premium Economy

Emirates has unveiled a new Premium Economy seat designed to bring some of the privacy and polish of Business Class to the cabin. Debuting on the airline’s new Airbus A350 aircraft, the seat features a full-height electric privacy screen – a first of its kind – alongside electric adjustment, a leather U-Dream headrest and wireless charging. There’s also a 13.3-inch 4K HDR touchscreen for inflight entertainment, plus USB-C charging and a tray table with an integrated phone holder. The elevated experience continues beyond the seat, with Royal Doulton china, Robert Welch cutlery and amenity kits made using bio-based materials and stocked with Aveda skincare. From October, passengers will also be able to enjoy Wiston Estate Brut NV, which becomes Emirates’ first English sparkling wine.

Visit Emirates.com

THE MADRID ARRIVAL

Nobu Hotel, Madrid

Madrid has welcomed its first Nobu Hotel, bringing the brand’s familiar combination of Japanese-inspired dining, contemporary design and polished service to the city’s Las Cortes district. Between Plaza de Cibeles and Puerta del Sol, the 50-room property is centred around a three-level dining destination. The headline act is the Spanish capital’s first Nobu restaurant, where signature dishes such as black cod miso and yellowtail jalapeño sit alongside new creations using Spanish ingredients. There’s also a cocktail bar inspired by the building’s former life as a bank, with original vault features and a vinyl DJ system, while The Rooftop offers sunset drinks and a shareable menu overlooking the city. Design studio Gronda has given the hotel a warm, contemporary look, combining bronze ceilings, dark stone and timber with large windows overlooking Madrid’s streets.

Visit NobuHotels.com

THE MARRAKECH ADDRESS

Riad Beij, Marrakech

Riad Beij is an intimate six-bedroom property in Marrakech’s sought-after Mouassine district. The latest addition to hotelier Anthony Besquent’s collection of boutique guesthouses and wellness spaces, the riad has been meticulously restored over eight months by local artisans, with traditional Moroccan craftsmanship at the core of the design. Besquent’s signature pared-back aesthetic combines warm beige tones with dusty pink and salmon hues inspired by Marrakech’s famous walls. Natural materials including plaster, wood, stone and marble create a calm, contemporary feel. Each individually designed bedroom features tadelakt finishes, zellige-tiled rainfall showers and atmospheric lanterns, while larger rooms have their own seating areas. Outside, a sun-drenched courtyard centres around a plunge pool, while the rooftop has a second pool, pergola dining and panoramic views towards the Koutoubia and Atlas Mountains. Guests can also access spa treatments at Maison du Tui Na, Besquent’s wellness centre in the Kasbah, with tuk-tuk transfers included.

Visit Booking.com

THE WINE ESCAPE

Relais d’Amboise, Loire Valley

Relais d’Amboise is a major new hotel in the Loire Valley, bringing together two of Amboise’s historic properties – Le Choiseul and Le Manoir des Minimes – into one riverside estate beneath the Royal Château of Amboise. The setting is particularly rich in history, just moments from Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci’s final home. The estate stretches across former noble residences, limestone troglodyte caves, restored gardens, terraces and viewpoints overlooking the Loire. Interiors by Fabien Roque and Roque Intérieurs bring together natural materials, soft colours and artisanal craftsmanship, including four suites carved directly into the rock and a spa hewn from tuffeau stone. Artistic direction by Joséphine Fossey adds a contemporary layer while retaining a strong connection to the region’s Renaissance heritage.

Visit RelaisdAmboise.com

THE WINTER RESORT

Rosewood Courchevel Le Jardin Alpin

Rosewood Courchevel Le Jardin Alpin is the hotel group’s first winter resort, occupying a prime ski-in/ski-out position in Courchevel 1850. Designed by French interior designer Tristan Auer, the property has 51 rooms and suites, including three signature houses, all exuding the understated luxury associated with the Rosewood name. The on-site Asaya spa offers treatments designed specifically around post-ski recovery. Guests can also enjoy sunrise coffee on La Saulire overlooking Mont Blanc, or take advantage of First Track, which gives them access to the slopes before the lifts officially open. Having launched in April, the property will reopen in December for its first full season.

Visit RosewoodHotels.com

Mr Tripper

THE GOLF TRIPS

La Dolce Vita Orient Express

This autumn, a three-night Northern Greens round trip on La Dolce Vita Orient Express takes passengers from Rome to Turin, Brescia and Tuscany before returning to the capital. Along the way, there are opportunities to tee off at Royal Park I Roveri, Franciacorta Golf Club and The Club at Castiglion del Bosco. Between rounds, there are meals aboard the train by three-Michelin-starred Heinz Beck. In spring, the three-night Italian Swing journey offers the same elevated on-board experience, but encompasses stops at Puglia’s San Domenico Golf Club, The Club at Castiglion del Bosco near Siena, and Antognolla Golf’s championship course in Umbria.

Visit Orient-Express.com

THE CULTURE HIT

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has just opened in LA's Exposition Park. Founded by Star Wars kingpin George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson, it’s a bold bid to give comics and cinema the same standing as painting and sculpture. Visitors to the suitably space-age building can learn about the history of storytelling through images from prehistoric cave paintings to contemporary illustration, murals and film. Across its 30-plus galleries, there are works by Artemisia Gentileschi, Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo, Robert Colescott, Frank Frazetta and Robert Crumb, plus the complete Lucas Archives (1971-2012). And when you’re done, there’s the Skywalker Grill.

Visit LucasMuseum.org

Travel Notes: Autumn