Where To Go In January 2025

Once the New Year crowds have subsided, January is the perfect time to go skiing. Our first Alpine port of call is France's Haute-Savoie region, specifically, Megève. Sitting at 1,100m in the hollow of the Mont Blanc massif, it is the chicest ski resort in the French Alps. The village itself dates back to the 13th century. Still, it became fashionable in the early 20th century when the Rothschild family — seduced by its cobbled streets and traditional farmhouses — decided to create a French ski resort to rival the Swiss classic, St Moritz. As well as its spectacular time-old views from the Mont d’Arbois plateau, you can make the most of its now vast ski area, which has 235 pistes for all levels — plus cross-country ski trails. Stay just above the village at Les Fermes de Marie, a five-star hotel with cocoon-like bedrooms and rustic-luxe interiors.

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Read our Megève Insider Guide here.

Newly opened this season, Le Chalet Saanen is our second chalet project in the Gstaad Valley. Located in the lively village of Saanen, only minutes from iconic Gstaad. Featuring freshly renovated interiors that nod to the 60s and 70s alpine culture, its seven bedrooms make it ideal for big group gatherings or a couple of families. The Eggli and Horneggli lifts are a three-minute drive away, and the infamous Tiger Run on the Wasserngrat mountain is a short drive as well. For those otherwise inclined, there are cross-country tracks and winter hikes that start right from the front door. After a day in the great outdoors, warm up in the Outdoor Finnish sauna, before tucking into a feast by a private chef, or head into the village for the best Côte de Boeuf at restaurant 16.

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Read our Gstaad Insider Guide here.

A few miles further east, escape to The Brecon, an Alpine hideaway in the charming village of Adelboden, where warm hospitality and meticulous attention to detail create an unforgettable experience. Just 45 minutes from Bern and two hours from Zurich and Geneva, this luxury chalet hotel offers a delectable escape from the everyday, with the comforts and care of a cherished friend. Beyond the Brecon’s doors, you’ll find excellent pistes in winter for skiing and snowboarding. At the start of January, Adelboden becomes the capital of the international Skiing World Cup with the famous ski world cup taking place on the legendary Chuenisbärgli.

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This month, our ski tour is also taking us to the spa town of Bad Gastein in the Salzburg Alps. You can jump on a train in Salzburg and, within an hour and a half, you will be pulling into the oldest train station in the Alps, opened by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1905. Cut into a steep mountainside with a dramatic waterfall, Bad Gastein is known for its Kaiser Wilhelm Promenade, grande dame hotels, and mineral-rich thermal waters. Bed down at The Cōmodo, a new design hotel, which brings together 70 Mid-century-modern-inspired rooms (ask for one with views into the Gastein Valley), a buzzing lobby space, a farm-totable restaurant, and a slick spa inspired by Bad Gastein’s wellness tradition and natural healing powers. When you are not toasting your holiday on the sun terrace or doing lengths of the outdoor pool, admire the hotel’s art collection or get to work in its co-working space or library.

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Winter in Kyoto is magnificent. Even though you will miss cherry blossom season — and its attendant crowds — there is so much to recommend this city in January, when the mountains are capped with snow, onsens come into their own and warming Japanese dishes such as hotpots are served. The place to stay is Shinmonzen, a small and luxurious hotel that sits on its namesake street, which is known for its artistic community and antiques shops. Sister to Villa La Coste in Provence, Shinmonzen was designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando, and took 10 years to complete. Shaped by omotenashi, Japan’s singular approach to hospitality, its eight-course tasting menus are something to savor. Make the most of the hotel’s insider access to local experiences, which include tea ceremonies and meditations within the grounds of the oldest Zen temple ‘Kenninji’. In January, you can also catch the start of Kyoto’s blooming plum trees, which have been prized for centuries and inspired many a haiku.

With Burns Night on January 25, the first month of the year is always a cozy, boisterous time to visit the Scottish Highlands. Long blustery walks where the elements are in charge, and candle-lit pub lunches are the order of the day. For the new year, we have our sights set on Aldourie Castle, the latest opening from the WildLand group. Set on the shores of Loch Ness, is a 300-year-old baronial castle that has been elegantly recast as a magical holiday home. As well as 500 acres of gardens and woodlands to explore, you will love the Boathouse — which has handy swimming access to the loch (not for the faint-hearted in January) and doubles up as a rather unique events space.

Now onto winter sun, and Australia’s Byron Bay Hills where in-the-know locals are flocking — and opening stylish new hotels. One such local is creative director Julia Ashwood, who has opened Sun Ranch alongside fashion designer Jamie Blakey in Coopers Shoot. A chic eco lodge set on 55 acres of old farmland, it was inspired by 1970s California ranch houses. Chef Pip Sumbak cooks over fire in the Field House’s alfresco dining area, with menus powered by local farmers’ markets and the hotel’s own kitchen garden. Byron’s surf beaches are only 20 minutes away by car, but there is so much to keep you busy at Sun Ranch: from a floating wood-fired sauna to ice baths, daily yoga and kayaking, sound healings and horse riding.

For a deserted island escape, we are looking towards the Philippines for January 2025. Head to Palawan, a pristine region in the Cuyo archipelago that is blessed with beautiful beaches and tropical rhythms. It is here that you will find Pamalican, the smallest island in the archipelago, which you can reach from Manila in a hour by a private, 15-seater seaplane. Pamalican is home to Amanpulo, which has 42 casitas — and no neighbors. An — albeit supremely luxurious — Robinson Crusoe-style set-up, it is the lush jungle, powder-soft sands and aquamarine waters that center stage at this Aman outpost. File this one under honeymoons.

84 Rooms recommends: The Best Ski-In & Ski-Out Hotels To Book This Winter, and The Best Hotel Lobbies In the Alps.