Now is your chance to slow down or turn up the fun. We’ve chosen 10 properties that make it easy to do both, offering packages that provide unusual experiences.
This time of the year is long, hot and, honestly, a little exhausting. By this point, most of us are running on low batteries and daydreaming about anywhere other than the office or planning to break free from our usual routine. It is the season for checking out and checking in somewhere that actually feels like an escape. We’ve selected properties that evoke the perfect mood: good food, a change of pace and just the right amount of fun in the sun. Each one has something special to offer. No fuss, no filler, just solid summer stays that know precisely what people in need of a break are longing for.
ANANTARA HOI AN RESORT & ANANTARA QUY NHON VILLAS
Hội An & Quy Nhon, Vietnam
Anantara’s five-day journey through Central Vietnam offers a closer look at the ancient Champa Kingdom. Starting in Hoi An, stay at Anantara Hoi An Resort, just a short stroll from the city’s heritage core. The trip includes a guided visit to the My Son sanctuary, once the religious and political heart of the Champa civilisation. From there, The Vietage by Anantara, a luxurious 12- seat train carriage, links Hoi An to Quy Nhon on a slow, six-hour ride through ethereal landscapes with gourmet onboard meals. In Quy Nhon, check into a private villa at Anantara Quy Nhon Villas, set along a quiet stretch of coast. From there, the Banh It Towers (a cluster of Cham temple ruins) make for a memorable day trip, complete with a countryside picnic. Back at the resort, there’s time to try traditional martial arts or simply relax by the sea, far from the usual.
@anantarahoian @anantaraquynhon
ANANTARA UBUD BALI RESORT
Bali, Indonesia
Anantara Ubud Bali Resort is hidden deep in Bali’s lush jungle. Different from the usual tourist trails, this spot offers a chance to really connect with the island’s quieter side. The new ‘Local Immersion’ package is all about exploring this side of Bali, from sacred forests and hidden waterfalls to emerald rice paddies. Guests can join guided adventures with a local naturalist, learn the delicate art of Balinese floral offerings or sample Bali’s very own grapes in an intimate tasting session. Back at the resort, two infinity pools cater to both peaceful relaxation and family fun, while the spa has treatments rooted in the island’s famous healing rituals and traditions. With daily yoga, wellness sessions and easy access to nearby cultural gems like the Sacred Monkey Forest and Tegallalang Rice Terraces, it’s a place to slow down, reconnect and soak in Bali’s true spirit.
@anantaraubudbali
AVANI AO NANG & AVANI+ KOH LANTA
Krabi, Thailand
With Jurassic World: Rebirth filmed in Krabi, Avani is leaning into the moment and honestly, it works. The area already feels like it belongs in a movie, with dramatic cliffs, hidden caves and stretches of water that look too perfect to be real. This isn’t just a place to switch off; it’s one of those rare spots where you actually want to explore. Avani splits the stay between its Ao Nang and Koh Lanta resorts, which gives you two completely different settings in one trip. There are boat trips to islands, kayaking through mangroves, jungle hikes and visits to actual filming locations if you’re feeling curious. Kids get dinosaur-themed surprises while adults get proper spa time (lava stones, mocktails, the lot) and the whole thing is planned in a way that still leaves room to do nothing, if that’s the mood. It’s an easy, outdoorsy, low-stress kind of holiday with just enough of a story behind it.
@avaniaonangcliffkrabi @avanikohlanta
BÜRGENSTOCK RESORT LAKE LUCERNE
Lucerne, Switzerland
The Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne isn’t your typical luxury hotel. Set 500 metres above the lake, it has sharp architecture with jaw-dropping views of the Swiss Alps. It’s the perfect base for those who want a break from the usual hotel buzz. The new 007 Experience taps into the James Bond adventure, the kind you only see on screen. You’ll stay in a sleek lake-view suite before boarding a private PC-12 aircraft to fly around the iconic Matterhorn, soaking in views mostly seen in movies. Then comes the thrill, a 220-metre bungee jump off the Verzasca Dam, the same jump Pierce Brosnan did in the film GoldenEye. Back at the resort, things slow down. Swiss beverages, chocolates and the Lakeview Bar’s quiet atmosphere round it all out. No flash, no fuss, just a smartly curated escape with a few memorable kicks thrown in.
@burgenstockresort
DESERT ROCK RESORT
Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
Built into the mountains of Saudi Arabia’s west coast, Desert Rock Resort is a rare kind of escape – remote, quiet and entirely grounded in its surroundings. The resort’s villas and suites are carved into ancient rock formations, featuring minimalist design and expansive desert views that stretch as far as the eye can see. The focus is on stillness and space, with private terraces, open-air lounges and uninterrupted silence. Hiking trails through canyons and cliffs, guided stargazing walks and heritage treks help give a deeper look into the region’s history. For a slower-paced experience, spa treatments are held in rock-carved rooms and private dinners can be arranged in secluded outdoor spots – a resort designed for those looking to reset. With clear night skies, dramatic scenery and a sense of privacy throughout, Desert Rock offers a stripped-back, thoughtful kind of luxury.
@desertrockresort
FOUR SEASONS HOTELS ISTANBUL
Istanbul, Türkiye
Istanbul in the summer is a city at its most cinematic and the two Four Seasons properties show you exactly why. Whether you’re waking up to the call-to-prayer in Sultanahmet or watching boats drift past your terrace on the Bosphorus, every moment feels like part of a scene. This season, the hotels are turning up the atmosphere: film screenings under the stars, seafood dinners by the water and sweet breaks with Nicolas Lambert’s afternoon tea at Yalı, Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus. You can even cruise between the two hotels on a private sea shuttle accompanied by a photographer to capture the memories. There’s a new rakı ritual, fusion mixed drinks on the rooftop, Hammam sessions steeped in Ottoman tradition and private tours that take you behind the postcard pictures of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. All this, plus the hundred other things you can do in Istanbul, makes for an action-packed summer at its best.
@fsbosphorus @fssultanahmet
MAXX ROYAL BODRUM RESORT
Bodrum, Türkiye
This resort occupies a private peninsula in the Göltürkbükü area of Bodrum. Surrounded by the Aegean Sea and carefully landscaped with Mediterranean flora from Türkiye, Italy and Spain, Maxx Royal Bodrum seamlessly blends seclusion with top-tier service. It features spacious suites and private villas with heated seawater pools, steam rooms, gyms and expansive terraces. A dedicated packing and unpacking service is available across all room types. Dining spans multiple cuisines, with Caviar Kaspia, Spago by Wolfgang Puck, ORO by Alfredo Russo and The MAINE. A full calendar of live music and sophisticated lounges completes the scene, with Scorpios Bodrum just around the corner. Wellness is taken up a notch at the Maxx Wellbeing Centre, with IV therapy, flotation, ozone treatments and advanced skincare by Biologique Recherche and Natura Bissé. Tailored fitness sessions include Pilates, CrossFit and anti-gravity yoga. Families are well accommodated with age-specific kids’ clubs, infant care amenities and a dedicated children’s restaurant.
@maxxroyalbodrum
METT MARBELLA – ESTEPONA
Málaga, Spain
Between Marbella and Estepona, the METT Hotel & Beach Resort sits on the sun-drenched Costa del Sol, offering a pared-back take on Mediterranean living. The five-star property is built around a central pool with views of the sea and features 249 rooms and suites focussed on comfort and ease. Dining is an important factor, where Isola serves Italian classics, Ammos brings a taste of Greece to the beach and Azure Beach Club, a concept that originated in Dubai, keeps things lively with music, food and fun that runs from day to night. Mornings might begin at RAISE Fitness & Wellness, afternoons on the water with Jet Skis or paddleboards and evenings with a quiet treatment at MOI Spa. The pace is unhurried, the setting is calm and each part of the day flows into the next effortlessly.
@mettmarbella
PORTRAIT FIRENZE
Florence, Italy
Portrait Firenze puts you right by the Arno, but its summer offerings go far beyond the views. The days are built around slow exploration and well-planned pleasures, such as private boat rides that drift past the Ponte Vecchio, exclusive riverside aperitivos and gelato trails through Florence’s best artisanal gelaterias. The hotel’s summer programme brings the city to life in small, personal ways. Craft your own signature scent at a guided perfume lab using local essences, take to the hills for a cycling tour through Chianti or play a round at one of Italy’s most scenic golf courses with the perks of Portrait in place. There’s even a chance to explore the ninth-century abbey at Badia di Passignano in the countryside. Everything is curated by the hotel’s lifestyle team, making it easy to slip into the city’s rhythm without the stress of planning – a polished but laid-back base for discovering Florence your own way.
@portraitfirenze
WALDORF ASTORIA MALDIVES ITHAAFUSHI
Maldives
There aren’t many places in the world where you can wake up on a private island and hop into a Ferrari, but Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi isn’t aiming for typical. Spread across three islands, including one fully private, the resort is all about excellence: overwater villas, 11 restaurants, a stunning spa and the kind of service that gets everything right. Now, they’ve added something a little unexpected into the mix, a hand-built Ferrari Testa Rossa J, delivered through a collaboration with Hedley Studios. It’s a scaled-down electric version of the 1950s’ classic and one of only 299 in the world. Guests staying on the private island can take it for a spin along palm-lined paths or catch it parked at private events and dinners. It’s not there to impress, just to delight in that subtle way the best luxury often does.
@waldorfastoriamaldives