Kyoto changes when you sleep in a forest garden rather than in the center of the city. Temple visits still matter, but so do the hours afterwards: walking between the trees, taking a bath and sitting down to dinner without another journey across town. That is the kind of detail we would build a 2027 trip around.
Japan takes first place in the PrivateUpgrades Travel Trend Barometer 2027. Italy and France follow, with Greece and Spain completing the leading five. Alongside those established favorites, our second ranking looks at ten destinations deserving closer attention, led by China, Argentina and Costa Rica.
The rankings are based on PrivateUpgrades bookings for stays in 2027, recorded as of October 27, 2026. The Top 10 is ordered by booking count; the destinations on the rise are ranked by percentage growth in bookings. They reflect the choices of our travelers rather than worldwide visitor numbers. The hotel choices and suggested routes are our editorial interpretation of that booking picture.
If you are deciding where to travel in 2027, start with the days you want to have. A country can sit high on a list and still be wrong for a particular holiday. Here is how we would turn these twenty destinations into trips worth taking.
The PrivateUpgrades Top 10 Destinations for 2027
Our leading destinations offer enough variety to reward a return visit as well as a first trip. Rather than attempting to cover an entire country, we would give each holiday a clear center: a region, a cultural interest or a hotel that makes staying put worthwhile.
1. Japan: Give Kyoto Time Beyond the Temples
A single journey through Japan can accommodate very different ways of spending time. Tokyo supplies the city days; Kyoto gives gardens, craftsmanship and a closer engagement with the seasons. The mistake is trying to fit every version of Japan into one short visit.
For a first trip, allow around ten nights for Tokyo and Kyoto, adding another stop only if there is room to stay longer. Aman Kyoto, in the northern Takagamine district, places the hotel stay among forest paths rather than busy shopping streets. Its Senkutsu tea house gives another reason to spend an afternoon on the grounds.
That setting involves a trade-off. It rewards guests who want a retreat between cultural outings, not those planning to walk out to restaurants every evening. Match the address to your plans before paying for a larger room.
2. Italy: Stay in One Region Long Enough to Know It
Italy becomes more satisfying when the itinerary loses a stop. A week divided between Rome, Florence, Venice and the Amalfi Coast leaves little space for the meals, countryside and unplanned hours that drew you there.
Our choice for 2027 is a city followed by several nights in Tuscany. At Castiglion del Bosco, A Rosewood Hotel, near Montalcino, the winery belongs to the estate. Brunello tastings can sit alongside time in the Val d’Orcia without turning every day into a driving tour.
A villa makes sense for a family or group wanting shared living space and more independence; a suite keeps the stay closer to the main hotel. Decide how much time you want together before deciding how many bedrooms to book. For this trip, a countryside afternoon is part of the holiday, not a gap to fill.
3. France: Add Champagne to the Paris Stay
Paris rarely needs an explanation. The more interesting decision is what follows it. Champagne gives a short French journey a change of pace without requiring another flight.
Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa sits above the vineyards in Champillon. Its outlook and indoor and outdoor pools make it a place to spend time between cellar appointments, rather than simply a bed after tastings. We would pair a few days in Paris with three nights here, leaving one afternoon free for the spa.
The hillside setting is not a walk-everywhere town address. A driver belongs in a wine-focused plan, especially when visits involve tasting. Two well-chosen appointments in a day leave more room to enjoy the region than a succession of hurried cellar stops.
4. Greece: Let the Peloponnese Be the Holiday
Greece does not require a ferry schedule to feel complete. The Peloponnese offers a compelling alternative to an itinerary spent moving between islands, particularly for guests who want a private pool and several uninterrupted days by the sea.
Near Porto Heli, Amanzoe separates two experiences that are easy to confuse in photographs: the main resort occupies a hilltop, while its Beach Club lies below, reached by a complimentary transfer of around ten minutes.
That distinction should shape the room choice. A hilltop pavilion suits someone who values a broad outlook and a sense of retreat. If being beside the water matters more, the beach accommodation deserves attention. We would keep Athens as a separate cultural stay, then allow the coast enough time to settle into its own rhythm.
5. Spain: Discover a Different Ibiza
Spain earns its place through regional variety. For 2027, our recommendation is to resist treating Ibiza as a single experience. The north of the island offers a different holiday from the restaurant and club circuit farther south.
Six Senses Ibiza occupies a coastal setting at Cala Xarraca, on the island’s northern tip. It works for guests who want the sea, wellness and time at the resort to occupy much of the day.
It is a less convincing base if late nights elsewhere are the main reason to travel. In that case, proximity to your evening plans deserves priority. For a week with a slower pace, we would choose the northern stay and keep excursions selective, rather than spending each day crossing the island.
6. Croatia: Sleep Outside Dubrovnik’s Old Town
Dubrovnik works best when time inside the walls is balanced with somewhere quieter to return to. A sea-facing hotel outside the historic center gives the visit more than one pace.
Villa Dubrovnik occupies a cliffside setting in Sveti Jakov, looking towards Lokrum and the Old Town. That geography is its strongest argument: the city remains the cultural focus, while the hotel keeps the Adriatic in view.
We would spend several nights here before considering another coastal stop. If the holiday continues to an island, treat the transfer as part of the itinerary rather than assuming every connection will be quick. A balcony, the direction of the view and the ease of returning after dinner matter more than an impressive room name.
7. South Africa: Build the Journey Around the Cape
South Africa rewards a longer holiday, but Cape Town, the Winelands and a safari should not be compressed into one rushed week. They are distinct parts of a journey, with travel days between them.
For the Cape Town stay, Ellerman House offers a particular perspective. Its Bantry Bay position faces the Atlantic, while the South African art collection and Wine Gallery make the house itself relevant to the destination.
Allow enough city time for the peninsula, galleries and meals before moving into wine country. A safari can follow if the overall trip is long enough to support it. Trying to add one as a brief final flourish risks spending too much of the holiday in transit. For a shorter visit, the Cape alone has ample depth.
8. Portugal: Pair Porto With the Douro
Porto and the Douro Valley form a natural pairing, provided the valley is given more than a day trip. The city offers walking, architecture and restaurants; the river changes the scale of the holiday.
Six Senses Douro Valley occupies a restored 19th-century manor above the river, near Lamego. Its gardens, wine setting and spa make a three-night stay more persuasive than a single night between drives.
One substantial winery visit leaves more room to enjoy the hotel than a full day of tastings. Guests who want to walk out to different restaurants will be happier spending more of their time in Porto. The valley stay is for those ready to let the hotel, the landscape and a slower meal occupy an afternoon.
9. United Kingdom: Follow London With a Country House
A British trip can change character without another airport. After London, a country-house stay gives museums and theater a counterpoint in gardens, walks and time indoors when the weather turns.
In Hampshire, Heckfield Place centers on a restored Georgian house within a working estate. Its farm and market garden give the countryside a practical role in the stay, while room categories vary in space and connection to the grounds.
Two or three nights give the stay room to develop. A larger room becomes more useful if the holiday includes reading, room service and a rainy afternoon, rather than just returning to sleep. There is little reason to move between several country houses in a few days when the pleasure lies in staying at one.
10. United States: Give the Desert Its Own Trip
The United States is too large to treat as one travel idea. Our 2027 choice is the desert Southwest, with enough time to experience the landscape instead of collecting national-park names.
At Amangiri, in Canyon Point, Utah, the modernist suites and rock-framed pool place the setting at the center of the stay. Nearby Camp Sarika offers a different accommodation style in tented pavilions. They are distinct choices, not simply interchangeable room categories.
Several nights allow for guided outings and time at the property before continuing elsewhere. A long driving day can be rewarding when the journey is the point. It is less appealing when it removes the afternoon you wanted to spend in the desert.
Ten Destinations on the Rise for 2027
These ten destinations stand out in the early booking picture for 2027. “On the rise” does not mean undiscovered: China, Egypt and Turkey have long histories of travel. What makes their momentum interesting is the kind of holiday now available, from a cultural retreat outside Shanghai to a rainforest villa near Arenal.
1. China: Make Room for a Stay Beyond the Skyline
China leads the risers. Its appeal for a returning Asia traveler lies in the possibility of pairing a major city with a substantial cultural retreat, rather than following another city-shopping circuit. Restored historic houses, gardens and time devoted to local traditions can make the hotel a meaningful part of the journey.
Outside central Shanghai, Amanyangyun is built around a conservation project involving camphor trees and historic houses relocated from Jiangxi. The restored Antique Villas and contemporary accommodation offer different relationships with that setting.
This is a resort stay on Shanghai’s outskirts, not a convenient address for walking out onto the Bund. Combining a central city hotel with several nights here keeps the two purposes distinct. Guests with limited time and a city-heavy schedule should stay centrally rather than spend their holiday commuting.
2. Argentina: Let Buenos Aires Set the Pace
Argentina’s appeal lies in the breadth of a journey that still feels connected: Buenos Aires for architecture and long dinners, followed by Mendoza for wine country beneath the Andes. For a traveler who has already paired a European capital with vineyards, it offers a familiar pleasure in a very different setting.
In Recoleta, Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires brings together a restored 1934 palace, the contemporary Posadas building and a garden at the heart of the hotel. The two buildings have distinct characters. Choose the architectural setting that appeals to you before comparing room sizes; the historic palace and a modern room are different reasons to stay.
Give Buenos Aires several full days before moving inland. In Mendoza, leave space between winery visits for lunch and time at the hotel. Adding Patagonia to the same short trip would change its scale entirely. For a first visit with limited time, the city and wine country are enough.
3. Costa Rica: Pair the Rainforest With the Pacific
Costa Rica makes a persuasive choice when nature is the reason to travel and the hotel is part of the pleasure. Arenal’s rainforest retreats and the Pacific coast offer two distinct stays within one holiday. The addition of Nekajui on Peninsula Papagayo gives returning guests another reason to consider the coast alongside the established inland resorts.
Near La Fortuna, Nayara Springs is for guests aged 18 and over. Each Springs Villa has a private plunge pool fed by natural mineral hot springs, making time at the villa as appealing as an outing. Families should choose a different property; the age policy is part of the decision.
On Peninsula Papagayo, Nekajui Peninsula Papagayo, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve changes the setting to the Pacific and tropical dry forest. Rooms, suites and treetop tents offer different ways to use the resort, with pool accommodation worth considering if you plan to spend afternoons there.
Treat Arenal and Papagayo as separate stays with a transfer day between them. Give the coast several nights, and leave wildlife outings flexible: a guided walk can be rewarding without a promised sighting.
4. Egypt: Give Cairo More Than a Stopover
Egypt has a concrete cultural reason for renewed attention: the Grand Egyptian Museum. Its Tutankhamun Galleries and wider collections add a substantial focus alongside the pyramids, making a longer Cairo stay more rewarding. For a luxury journey, the opportunity is to give ancient Egypt enough time on land before continuing onto the Nile, rather than treating the capital as a transit stop.
Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence sits on the Giza side of the Nile. It provides a city base with pool time and dining on the First Nile Boat, rather than a hotel immediately beside the museum or pyramids.
Allow separate space in the itinerary for the museum, the Giza plateau and the city. Cairo traffic makes a tightly stacked day less attractive than it looks on paper. If Luxor or a cruise follows, preserve a proper transition instead of fitting a major visit around an airport transfer.
5. Norway: Start With Design in Oslo
Norway offers an appealing summer alternative for guests who would rather spend long days outdoors than build another holiday around Mediterranean heat. Its luxury appeal is broader than remoteness alone: Oslo adds architecture, museums and distinctive hotels before the journey turns towards the coast or mountains. That combination gives a nature-led holiday a more varied beginning.
Sommerro occupies the former Oslo Lysverker headquarters in Frogner. Its Art Deco interiors and restored public-bath heritage give the stay a connection to the city that a generic overnight stop would miss.
Spend a few nights in Oslo, then choose a separate region for the outdoor part of the holiday. The fjords and the far north are not extensions of a city afternoon. A summer journey for long days and a winter trip focused on northern landscapes need different routes; trying to combine both ideas weakens either one.
6. Vietnam: Let the Central Coast Slow the Journey
Vietnam can bring together cultural travel and a generous beach stay within one country. That is a persuasive alternative for guests who do not want to choose between exploring and resting, or add another international flight to do both. The central coast is particularly useful: a villa resort near Hoi An allows the holiday to slow down without losing its connection to the destination.
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An is an all-villa resort on Ha My Beach. That gives a stay near Hoi An two distinct pleasures: time in the historic town and time by the sea.
Four nights or more would give this part of the journey a different pace from the city stops. A private-pool villa is worth considering when the group will use it; the broader resort setting may be sufficient for a couple spending much of the day out. Plan the route around the season in each region, not one nationwide weather assumption.
7. South Korea: Spend Longer in Seoul
South Korea offers a fresh focus for travelers whose Asian holidays have so far centered on Japan or Southeast Asia. Seoul can sustain a trip through food, contemporary design and palace districts, with a different pace and identity from those familiar routes. The luxury opportunity is to give those interests time and a well-placed hotel, instead of reducing the country to an extra stop on a Japanese itinerary.
Four Seasons Hotel Seoul offers a Jongno-gu address for the northern part of the city. A Palace-View Executive Suite is a specific accommodation choice for guests who want Gyeongbokgung Palace in the outlook; a city-view room should not be assumed to offer the same experience.
Seoul merits several full days before adding another destination. A hotel near the historic districts and one chosen for Gangnam serve different plans. Plot the places you most want to visit first, then select the address. Across a large city, that decision can be more useful than moving up one room category.
8. Morocco: Begin With Marrakech, Then Change the Setting
Morocco’s luxury appeal now reaches beyond a single Marrakech palace. Royal Mansour’s collection extends to Casablanca and Tamuda Bay, giving travelers more than one expression of the country at the high end. For 2027, that broader choice makes a multi-stop Moroccan holiday more persuasive than repeating the same city break.
At Royal Mansour Marrakech, accommodation takes the form of private riads, linked by paths and gardens rather than conventional hotel corridors. It offers enough separation from the city to make both the medina visits and the return to the hotel pleasurable.
The choice has consequences beyond appearance. A riad is part of the reason to stay, particularly for guests who want private time between visits to the medina. The three-floor layouts deserve as much attention as the number of bedrooms when traveling with children or anyone who finds stairs difficult.
For a longer Moroccan holiday, follow Marrakech with a stay in a different setting rather than repeatedly returning to the city after long drives. The Atlas Mountains and the Atlantic coast call for their own nights if they are to become part of the holiday rather than an outing measured mainly in hours on the road.
9. Kenya: Choose the Safari Setting, Not a Promised Sighting
Kenya’s appeal is especially strong when a safari is planned around a personal interest, rather than a checklist of sightings. Wildlife photography is one example: Angama Mara combines access to the Mara Triangle with a photographic studio, equipment rental and tuition. That depth gives an experienced traveler a reason to return, even when the landscape is already familiar. It does not make the wildlife predictable.
Angama Mara occupies an escarpment above the Mara Triangle. Its tented suites look out over the landscape, while access to the reserve involves a descent from the lodge. That elevated position creates a different stay from sleeping down on the plains.
Give one camp enough nights before adding another. Repeated transfers can remove mornings that would be better spent on a drive. The migration is a natural event, not a performance with a fixed viewing appointment; resident wildlife and the quality of the guiding should also justify the trip. Families need an itinerary matched to their children’s ages and stamina, rather than an adult schedule with extra beds.
10. Turkey: Treat Istanbul and Bodrum as Two Holidays
Turkey can combine a substantial cultural city stay with a full-scale Aegean resort holiday. For a family or a couple with different priorities, that is a practical strength: Istanbul need not carry the whole itinerary, and beach time need not mean giving up an interesting first half of the journey. The range of coastal suites, villas and apartments also makes longer shared stays easier to shape.
Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum occupies Paradise Bay, with accommodation ranging across rooms, suites, villas and apartments. The coastal resort experience is distinct from staying amid Istanbul’s daily movement.
Leave enough nights for both instead of reducing Bodrum to recovery after a crowded city itinerary. A larger coastal suite or villa is valuable when the holiday includes time there; it adds little if every day is spent elsewhere. Seasonal resort operations also mean that a coast-focused trip should be planned for the dates when the facilities and experiences you want are available.
Choose the Journey That Fits Your 2027
For a first long-haul cultural trip, Japan remains our leading choice. Italy and France reward a return visit with fewer stops and more time in one region. Argentina offers a city-and-wine journey; China and South Korea suit travelers ready to explore a different cultural route through Asia. Choose Kenya for a safari-led holiday or Costa Rica for rainforest and coast, with enough time to enjoy the hotels as well as the days out.
Choose one of those ideas before choosing the room. A more generous itinerary will often improve the holiday more than a larger suite on a rushed route.
When you are ready to plan, a PrivateUpgrades Travel Designer can help select the hotel and room category, coordinate arrival details and confirm the benefits attached to an eligible hotel rate. Breakfast, credits, upgrades and flexible check-in or check-out vary by property and offer; availability-dependent privileges remain subject to the terms of the booking.
