Conde Nast Traveler

Condé Nast Traveler magazine is filled with the travel secrets of celebrated writers and sophisticated travelers. Each monthly issue features breathtaking destinations, including the finest art, architecture, fashion, culture, cuisine, lodgings, and shopping. With Condé Nast Traveler as your guide, you'll discover the best islands, cities, spas, castles, and cruises.

editor’s letter

Conde Nast Traveler

the 2025 READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

hotels • History and heritage hooked you this year, with winners earning points for carving out experiences that left you feeling transported. We’re talking resident poets at Scottish hotels, secret rooms in Ottoman-era palaces, and historian-led walking tours that revisit America’s Gilded Age. You still crave the new, of course, but even here your favorites nod to the locales that shaped them—Singapore skyscrapers included.

Visit in Every Season • There’s no longer a bad time to experience your favorite destinations and hotels. From autumn leaf-peeping in Italy to winter wellness experiences in South Africa’s Winelands, here’s what to know

The Charleston Place

ASK A LOCAL • Jeffrey Clark, the cultural ambassador at The Chanler at Cliff Walk, shares his tips for Newport, Rhode Island

PALM SPRINGS • This desert city is a living museum of 20th-century design, and it’s only a two-hour drive from Los Angeles, give or take. To do Palm Springs right, commit to the bit and live like those who built it did: in supreme style.

ASK A LOCAL • Marcas Mac an Tuairneir, the poet in residence at The Balmoral, A Rocco Forte Hotel, gives us his guide to literary Edinburgh

Le Bristol Paris

Ask to see the hidden hammam at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul • This hotel loves to flaunt itself, with an opulence that’s literally fit for a sultan (indeed, one built it). Yet its greatest treasure lies far beyond the gilded lobby, behind plain wood doors: the original palace hammam. Do as I did and ask the front desk for a tour. When the concierge turned the key to reveal rooms filled with virtually untouched floor-to-ceiling marble, it was like finding a portal to the 18th century.

Marina Bay Sands

SEOUL • K-pop, K-dramas, and K-beauty are no passing fads, and all serve as entry points for experiencing the South Korean capital. Situate yourself centrally to take advantage of the 2,000-year-old metropolis’s 25 districts, where the unassuming and historic ride shotgun alongside the ostentatious and übermodern.

ASK A LOCAL • Poonam Verma, a chauffeur at Raffes Jaipur, on the can’t-miss spots in her hometown

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE • With its cobblestone streets, Spanish architecture, and reputation as a haven for artists and creatives, this charming town is the perfect muse. Plus, it’s ever-evolving, with gallery openings, fresh hotels, and new restaurants to check out. No wonder you say it’s one of the best small cities in the world.

Get a front-row seat at the Faena Buenos Aires tango show

cruise

See Africa by Water • The continent has historically been underserved by cruise lines—until now

cities

Don’t Skip the Second Cities • A weekend in Columbus, Ohio, proves that an under-the-radar midsize metropolis can offer its own set of memorable experiences

airports

resorts • What, exactly, is a resort these days? These results show how rich and diverse the category has become, with a property for every imaginable kind of traveler. A few highlights: a Montana cattle ranch where guests can live out their Yellowstone dreams; a Botswana safari camp with a strong conservation focus; and a historic and beloved Bahamas retreat that is enjoying its next act.

ASK A LOCAL • David Hernandez, the director of bars at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos...