Nothing makes us more excited to get up and go than putting together our annual Hot List, now in its 27th year. This curated collection of the world’s best new hotels, cruises, restaurants, cultural destinations, and transportation projects is a labor of love for our global team, which spends the year researching, visiting, and vetting the entries to bring you a definitive directory new standards for hospitality. This year, we changed up our approach to destinations, anointing a list of places around the world which appear in multiple Hot List categories—including hotels, restaurants, cruises, museums, and more. The result is a tight, dynamic collection of places you should travel next. Here's where in the world to go now, based on our 2023 winners.
Click here to see the entire Hot List for 2023.
All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
New York
It’s hard to imagine a year that New York couldn’t top a Hot destinations list, but there has likely not been a better year in a while than this to do so. New York swept across the categories in 2023 with three hotel openings: a reborn classic in the Hotel Chelsea, a graceful international addition in the Aman New York, and the fun arrival of legacy brand Ritz-Carlton in a neighborhood defined by hotel cool, NoMad. Our New York editors practically fought over which of the top restaurant openings city wide to include, but Brooklyn’s Place des Fêtes has introduced a refreshingly non show-y approach to wine and nibbles that ultimately earned it a spot as one of the world’s hottest restaurant openings. Nearby, from Indian chef of the moment Chindan Pandya continues to be one of the hardest reservations to score in town. And back in the heart of Manhattan, the new Broadway Museum brings visitors closer than ever to the stories of the Great White Way. And to sweeten it all, getting there just got a lot more comfortable: terminals in both LaGuardia and Newark have been completely redone.
Dubai
There seems to always be plenty ofreasons to drop in to this emirate at the crossroads of the world. But this year, a single Dubai hotel makes that case alone: Atlantis the Royal, the sexy, splashy, appropriately over the top mega hotel which opened in January with a Beyonce performance that became the talk of the globe. It ups the wow factor for a place that is already setting the standard for luxury. And yet for all its dazzle, quieter projects delivered with heart and talent now have equal hand in shaping the place. Point in case for this year is the opening of Jun’s, from celebrated expat chef Kelvin Cheung, whose international approach means dishes featuring tempura, chaat, and avocado all in one.
Sydney
This time last year, Australia still had its borders closed to the world. Upon reopening, it’s exploded with fresh ways to explore the country, including a focus on community-driven sustainability. Sydney is definitely the place to begin any trip there, and this year the Emerald City opened the landmark Sydney Modern Project, which focuses an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, as the largest expansion to the 150-year-old Art Gallery of New South Wales. Helping the city continue its expansion of hipper, less corporate hotels is the Ace Sydney, which arrived in creative Surrey Hills, bringing its trademark party scene with a cool rooftop restaurant and all-day bar in the lobby.
Argentina
This South American country is perennially popular. But a pair of openings plays to both its urban and bucolic appeal: In Mendoza, the country’s first female enologist, Susana Balbo, opened SB Winemaker’s House and Spa Suites inside a 100-year old property with art, exceptional cuisine, and a hyper focus on wine. It may just be a game changer in terms of places to stay in this area. And back in Buenos Aires, the revolutionary Kōnā Corner is from acclaimed Argentine chef Narda Lepes and her passion for all things Japanese. The standout dishes include agedashi tofu, Hanetsuki gyoza, tonkatsu, miso beurre blanc trou, and f*ckusai.
Oslo
When it comes to big Scandinavian cities, Oslo often plays understudy to foodie Copenhagen or stylish Stockholm. But we think this is the year for Norway’s capital to really take center stage. One reason is the new, buzzy Sommerro hotel. Located in the heart of the city’s Frogner neighborhood, the 231-room property channels the building’s 1930s origins, tapping into the period’s glamour with gusto—hand-knotted rugs, inlaid wooden headboards, and deco chandeliers. With seven smart bars and restaurants, including Tak Oslo, a Nordic-Japanese spot and the city’s only rooftop restaurant, the hotel has become a lodestar for the city’s cool crowd. Adding to Oslo’s fresh shine is the new National Museum, which brought the the collections of the former National Gallery, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Norwegian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design together in one very large, minimalist-mod building. The museum spotlights Norwegian art through the ages, think Edvard Munch’sThe Scream, but also shines a light on Indigenous Sámi artwork.
Bangkok
Bangkok is, of course, one of Southeast Asia’s biggest, busiest cities. It’s hot, humid and hectic—in the best of ways. It’s a city of minimal, sleek luxury hotels, gilded Buddhist temples, and some of the best street food in the world. But what we find so intoxicating about this city–and why it’s one of our Hot List destinations–is its ability to surprise us. This past year saw the arrival of the bright and boldly-decorated The Standard Bangkok Mahanakhon, which brought a new sense of playfulness to the city’s hotel scene. Chef Prin Polsuk, one of Bangkok's most decorated Thai chefs, opened Velas, where he delivers exciting dishes that defy culinary borders. And just when we think we have the brief on this most urban of metropoles, the Benchakitti Forest Park, an expansive green space with 100 acres of tropical trees and trails, opens smack in the center of the city.
Antarctica
It feels like a pretty major statement to say that Antarctica is one of the global destinations that we’re most excited about this year. It feels like an even bigger deal to announce that, for the first time in the 27-year history of our annual Hot List, we’ve included a hotel located in Antarctica. That honor goes to the adventure-chic Echo camp, with itssix freestanding, futuristic pods that look out at the dramatic mountains of Queen Maud Land. Further proof that experiencing Antarctica is more appealing than ever: three of our Hot List cruise ships—Silversea’sSilver Endeavor, Aurora Expedition’sSylvia Earle,and Seabourn’sVenture—all sail to the seventh continent.
