If the thought of winter has you itching to book a sunny escape, here are five new getaways to consider, from California to the Caribbean. Check into a restored Bahamian retreat where Greta Garbo once stayed, or splurge on a luxury villa overlooking the turquoise waters of Turks and Caicos. Soak up the sun on your balcony at a sleek resort north of the hubbub in Cancún, Mexico. Try reiki at a wellness resort on a private island in the Dominican Republic. Or flee to the desert where you can delight in views of the San Jacinto mountains from a rooftop pool in Palm Springs, Calif. Whatever you choose, warm waters and barefoot adventures await.
CANCÚN, MEXICO
SLS Playa Mujeres
This 498 room-and-suite getaway, scheduled to open this month, will be the first all-inclusive resort from SLS Hotels & Residences, known for luxury hotels in fashionable destinations like Miami and Dubai. North of the bustling Cancún strip in a gated waterfront community, the hotel’s spacious rooms and suites aim to bring the outdoors in with earth tones and private balconies, terraces or gardens with pools.
Wander over to the beach, go for a swim in one of several pools, or unwind at the spa with its thermal baths and gym. Families will discover areas for children to play as well as participate in activities like creating sand castles using Mayan architectural principles. The hotel also has a marina and can arrange for a boat to take you to the Mesoamerican Reef, the second-largest barrier reef in the world (keep in mind that reefs are fragile environments). For golf lovers, the Playa Mujeres Golf Club, which has an 18-hole course designed by Greg Norman, is less than a 10-minute drive away.
And for day trips that promise both history and beauty, explore the ancient Maya cities of Chichén Itzá and Coba, each about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from the resort. When you return, catch a film at the resort’s cinema or stop into one of more than a dozen restaurants and bars serving up international fare, including Greek, French, Japanese and, of course, Mexican cuisine. Prices from $549 a night for double occupancy in what the resort calls its “delight” room category.
PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.
Thompson Palm Springs
On Palm Canyon Drive, in the heart of the Uptown Design District and about an hour’s drive to Joshua Tree National Park, this 168-room-and-suite, Hyatt-brand hotel, opened in October. All rooms, which incorporate pale wood and the palette of the surrounding desert landscape, have balconies or patios. Some have views of the San Jacinto mountain range. (An adults-only tower along with a pool and lounge is scheduled to open later this year.) Within walking distance of the Palm Springs Art Museum, which was designed by the architect E. Stewart Williams, the hotel celebrates the area’s passion for design and culture with its own works of art, including a mosaic of rainbow tiles on its facade by Jeffrey Gibson, who this year became the first Native artist to represent the United States with a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale.
The hotel’s main rooftop pool deck offers striking views of the mountains and is connected to the onsite Lola Rose Grand Mezze restaurant. Savor the vistas along with Levantine cuisine — charred meats, spreads and bread from the tandoor oven — and pair your dishes with a California beer or wine. Additional spots to drink and dine are slated to open in the coming months, including a wine-tasting room called HALL Napa Valley Tasting Room & Wine Lounge, as well as Bar Issi, from the Boujis Group, a Los Angeles-based hospitality group. Prices from $550 a night.
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS
South Bank
This just-opened property on the soft sands of the island of Providenciales has 92 residences, including villas on the beach, oceanfront homes, boat houses along a marina (each with a dock), and, in the future, a six-story building designed by the Italian architect Piero Lissoni. The airy, contemporary accommodations have large windows and from one to six bedrooms. All have views of the water, and some overlook a tranquil lagoon that’s ideal for swimming. There are also pools, including a 150-foot-long beachfront pool, tennis and pickleball courts, bicycles, a fitness center and a spa with waterfront treatment rooms. A boat concierge can arrange yacht and speedboat rentals, book fishing trips and scuba diving outings and plan a boat party.
On dry land, linger over cocktails at the Nuttin Bar by the lagoon, and try Mediterranean-inspired dishes on the beach at Lua at South Bank. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, a consortium of independent hotels, the property is managed by Grace Bay Resorts, which owns, develops and operates luxury properties, including Grace Bay Club. Special opening rates: from $888 a night for bookings made through Dec. 18, with travel dates through Dec. 18, 2025.
Also from Grace Bay Resorts: Rock House, a resort tucked into the cliffs of Providenciales’ quieter north shore, recently added 10 luxurious stand-alone Reserve Villas, raising the number of accommodations to 56 studios and free-standing homes. The new villas, each with its own swimming pool, courtyard, unobstructed water views and at least two primary suites, provide plenty of room for families or groups. The villas also include butler services, which can help with unpacking luggage and making restaurant reservations and in-villa spa treatments. Spend afternoons strolling along the walking paths and the sandy beach, cool off in the infinity pool, hop on a paddle board or a water bike, or climb into a clear kayak where you can observe whatever might be swimming below as you glide along. Prices from $1,800 a night.
SAMANÁ, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Cayo Levantado Resort
This all-inclusive luxury resort some 120 miles northeast of Santo Domingo, is on a private island in the bay of Samaná, a seasonal breeding spot for humpback whales. You’ll arrive by boat from the Samaná peninsula to find 218 spacious and tropical suites and villas, some with plunge pools, scattered amid palm trees and white sand beaches. The emphasis at the resort is on health. Take part in activities such as reiki (an energy therapy with origins in Japan), sound healing and yoga sessions, ice baths and art workshops, including ceramics and traditional palm hat making. Explore the traditions of the Taíno, Indigenous people of the Caribbean, through cultural experiences like a cassava bread-baking workshop, which ends with you taking a well-deserved bite out of your creation.
Get a massage or facial at the spa. Try snorkeling, kayaking or paddle-boarding. Taste local ingredients at the resort’s five restaurants where menus tempt with Dominican, Japanese-Peruvian fusion and international fare. Listen to live merengue music and cap off the night at one of the resort’s bars with — what else? — a Dominican rum cocktail. All-inclusive prices from $489 a night in November and from $587 a night in December. Some activities, such as spa treatments and use of the resort’s Yubarta wellness zone (named for the humpback whale), have an additional cost.
ELEUTHERA, THE BAHAMAS
The Potlatch Club
Once visited by Greta Garbo and Paul McCartney — who penned some lyrics for the Beatles on Potlatch Club notepaper — this intimate property on the pink sands of Eleuthera slipped into neglect decades ago. Today it’s come back to life as a boutique hotel after a seven-year renovation. There are just 11 accommodations, including suites, cottages and villas, beyond which verandas and pavilions beckon. And you don’t have to be a star to check in.
Set amid 12 acres of lush gardens by a quiet stretch of beach, Potlatch takes its name from the feasts and gift-giving ceremonies of Native Americans of the Northwest Pacific Coast. Bright white buildings with interior designs by the Bahamas-based designer and book author Amanda Lindroth are accented inside with pastels. You’ll also see playful striped awnings, pink coral stone floors and checkered floors from 1919.
Wake each morning to coffee and breakfast by the pool at the Fig Tree restaurant, where dishes are described as a fusion of Caribbean and Asian flavors. Later, grab a seat at the Sand Bar and sip a cocktail like the Bahamian Goombay Smash, made of rum, lime, pineapple juice and local honey. Treat yourself to a massage, be it at the spa, in your guest room or even on the beach. Try paddle-boarding or kayaking at nearby Governor’s Harbour, or let the hotel arrange an itinerary, like a boat charter to take you swimming with turtles. Prices from $775 a night. Beginning Nov. 21, from $975 a night with a minimum of three nights.
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