There will be a great deal of attention paid to small places, incredible locations, and very few people in the year to come.

‍

Going into 2023, what are high-end travelers looking forward to? Jules Maury, head of Scott Dunn Private, says Mallorca epitomizes the current trend for "small, incredible places with fabulous views," a little bit away from the crowd.

‍

With fewer people and a more modern edge, Mallorca has Tuscany's rustic charm. For the first time, United Airlines offers a nonstop flight from Newark to Palma, the island's capital. In April, Finca Cortesin's 31-room Son Net estate will open under Maury's guidance under the auspices of Spanish hotelier Finca Cortesin. The GM will shuttle between the two properties. “It’s going to be a grande dame, the most fabulous country-house hotel,” says the owner. Its location in the foothills of the Tramuntana Mountains makes the property ideal for outdoor enthusiasts, says Cari Gray of Gray & Co. Her favorite part is the mountain biking, which she describes as "raw and beautiful." This is what people have been looking for lately. By summer, Virgin Limited Edition will add another property to its collection: Son Bunyola. In an 810-acre estate, the old estate is merged with contemporary additions, including a tower suite in a 15th-century fortification. 

‍

‍

There is beauty in smallness in Africa as well. Angama, a small safari outfitter in Kenya's Maasai Mara, will open Angama Amboseli, a new site with just 10 rooms, in November. The property is located in Kimana Sanctuary, a park famous for its supertuskers and little luxury nearby. Anama was started by industry doyenne Nicky Fitzgerald, who retired in March. Her daughter, Kate, is still in charge of business development; in addition to appointing a Kenyan-born GM, it has created a standalone concession for the hotel with the families in Amboseli. There will be three tented suites at North Island Okavango in Botswana which will be located on the delta's edge, which will be teeming with wildlife during the dry season. Jonathan Goldsmith, of Cazenove + Loyd, says he'd be surprised if booking a single room is easy. "Buyouts will account for the majority of bookings." 

‍

Meanwhile, Bhutan has long emphasized low-density, high-end tourism as a model for luxury travel to Asia, keeping numbers low for minimal effect. By importing its safari-style operation to the country in late 2023, Johannesburg-based &Beyond will offer an even more exclusive version of this approach. The Punakha River Lodge will include six luxury tents and two villas on a riverbank near rice paddies and chili farms. According to Jack Ezon of Embark Beyond, the location will bring together exploration, physical activity, and conservation, as well as river rafting, kayaking, swimming, and bird watching. The 67-room Cap Karoso resort on Indonesia's Sumba is larger than most high-end properties, but it is located on one of the country's best beaches. In the Maldives, diving and snorkeling are available right off your room's balcony. In 2024, hotelier James McBride will open Nihi Rote and Nihi Flores, two Indonesian islands on the luxe travel map that are likely to rival Sumba. 

‍

‍

Many of the hotels prepared for the Olympics-era spotlight are following in the wake of Japan, which just reopened to unchaperoned travel late this year. As Jonathan Goldsmith points out, the Bellustar is a 97-room hotel-within-a-hotel atop a skyscraper in Shinjuku, whose rooms reach almost 3,000 square feet. For a city hotel, Japan is a new experience, so this will be interesting. 

‍

There are also a number of new luxury cruise lines and ships coming worldwide. Several of Explora Journeys' team members have defected from other luxury hospitality companies to work for MSC, which owns the company. According to Rich Report, Embark Beyond is selling it as a floating hotel with longer stays in ports - maybe three nights, so you can have dinner in port. It's not about checking things off." Look for new expedition ships, such as Seabourn Pursuit, which has two submersibles for heading under the Antarctic ocean, and Swan Hellenic's Diana, which blends service with far-flung sailings. 

‍

However, don't assume that luxury isolation is limited to overseas getaways, says Cari Gray. When Coffee Ridge opens in Q4, its 15 villas across 300 acres will be open to adult travelers; nightly rates will start at $6,500, including all activities, including horseback riding and helicopter transfers. "Blackberry Mountain is riding the wave," Gray explains. “Right now, the Smokies are bubbling.”