22 TRAVEL + LEISURE / JANUARY 2017
WHERE
TO GO IN
2017COURTESY OF HAMILTON PRINCESSWHERE
TO GO IN
2017Bermuda
Reborn
A high-end hotel boom is helping
this sunny British territory
shed its stodgy reputation. Even if
you’ve been there, done that, it’s time
to plan your next visit.Return Trips
MORE SPOTS TO REVISIT
A
fter being hit hard by the fi nancial crisis,
Bermuda is shaking itself out of stagnation
and attracting a new generation of
travellers. In 2014, the island won a bid to
host the 35th America’s Cup, the high-
profi le international sailing race, which takes
place this June. The promise of a fl ood of wealthy
visitors—and a loosening of restrictions on
foreign investment—has sparked a spate of
development. Big news is the $100 million
overhaul of the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club
(doubles from US$279; thehamilton princess.
com), the island’s 132-year-old grande dame,
whose revamped rooms have a fresh,
contemporary look. The hotel has also added a
stellar art collection, a spa, and a restaurant
serving locally sourced fare from James Beard
Award–winning chef Marcus Samuelsson.
Elsewhere on the island, a St Regis, a lavish Ritz-
Carlton Reserve, and the Ariel Sands resort
(backed by actors Michael Douglas and
Catherine Zeta-Jones) are in the works.Okavango Delta
It’s now possible
to spot the Big
Five in Botswana.
Buoy ed by the
anti-poaching efforts
of the government
and local
conservationists,
the impeccably
renovated Sanctuary
Chief’s Camp
(from US$1,180 per
person, all-inclusive;
sanctuary
retreats.com) has
reintroduced rhinos
to the delta. For
lovers of wildlife
and luxury, there’s
never been a better
time to go.Provence
A wave of modish
auberges is changing
Provence’s
staid image. In
St-Rémy, a
landmark mansion
is now the Hôtel de
Tourrel (doubles
from US$244;
detourrel.com), a
seven-room inn
dotted with Eileen
Gray designs. At Villa
La Coste (chateau-
la-coste.com), near
Aix, the estate’s
contemporary
architecture
is a fitting home
for artwork by
Damien Hirst and
Louise Bourgeois.Philadelphia
The first UNESCO
World Heritage
city in the US is
celebrated for its
history, but its
future looks even
brighter. Young
people have flocked
to the city, helping
its food and craft-
beer scenes thrive.
With the spring
debut of the
Museum of the
American
Revolution (amrev
museum.org) and
hotels from W, Four
Seasons, and Study,
this may be Philly’s
best year yet.The Hamilton
Princess &
Beach Club, in
Bermuda.