Thrilling New Reasons to Return to These Iconic Cities

All eyes were on London with the coronation of King Charles but that now-past pomp isn’t the only circumstance beckoning visitors to The Big Smoke this year. After three years of renovations to the tune of £35 million, the National Portrait Gallery has reopened. Another iconic spot, Café De Paris returns as Lio London and brings Ibizan flare to the venue. After the cabaret-style show wraps, the tables are pulled back so everyone can dance the night away. Racing fans will want to experience the new F1 Arcade, a licensed Formula 1 experience with food, drink and racing simulators to put amateur enthusiasts safely behind the wheel. For a slice of history right where you lay your head, stay at Kimpton Fitzroy London which has stood in Russell Square since 1898 and boasts a restaurant said to be nearly identical to the RMS Titanic’s dining room.

Does one really need to reiterate the reasons to go to Paris? There’s the Eiffel, Musée d’Orsay, Champs-Élysées, Café de Flore, all the patisseries, to name a few. But The City of Light and next Olympic Summer Games’ venue is always coming up with more convincing arguments to draws us back there. There’s the Rugby World Cup kicking off in September and the return of Paris+ par Art Basel in October. Speaking of art, catch special exhibitions of icons Picasso Celebration: The Collection in a New Light at Musée Picasso and Basquiat x Warhol: Painting four hands at Fondation Louis Vuitton before they close, and tuck in a visit to Centre Pompidou which is shutting down for five years in 2025 for a massive renovation. Perch yourself close to the Iron Lady on the other side of the Seine at the supremely stylish Brach.

The case we made to put Madrid on our 10 Best Places to Go in 2023 bucket list still stands. There are all the Picasso anniversary exhibitions, with Prado’s running until September, Thyssen-Bornemisza’s opening in October and Reina Sofia’s in November. Now, add to that the openings of two very different but equally intriguing museums: the Royal Collections Gallery and Legends – The Home of Football (aka soccer). The food scene alone is worth the visit, with recent additions La Lloreria and Toki garnering all kinds of attention. At Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid, you’re central to all of the aforementioned and have the chic El Jardín de Diana rooftop bar to return to every night.

There are few cities as buzzy as CDMX right now. Mexico’s capital is a hotbed of culture and cuisine. Iconic must-dos include the Museo Frida Kahlo, or Casa Azul as it’s also known for its cobalt exterior, and a day trip out to the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco. If you haven’t been recently, add new restaurant El Tigre Silencioso to your dinner reservations list. Its Baja California-inspired fare served amongst the ambiance of a restored mansion in Roma has made it a new fave. In the equally cool neighborhood next to it, Andaz Mexico City Condesa opened in late 2022 too. The artful hotel features in-room record players, a divine rooftop pool and Wooftop Beer Garden & Canine Club so dogs can also soak up the sun and socialize.

Poet Dorothy Parker said, “London is satisfied, Paris is resigned, but New York is always hopeful. Always it believes that something good is about to come off, and it must hurry to meet it.” The Big Apple is the place to be as this year marks the 50^th anniversary of hip-hop with the banner event being an August 11th concert at Yankee Stadium featuring Run-D.M.C., Snoop Dogg, Lil’ Kim and others. Other must-see new things to New York include the WORLD SPA with nearly every kind of wellness offering imaginable, James Beard Foundation food hall Market 57, and Great Gatsby: The Immersive Show where spectators get to mingle amongst the action. Make the artful ModernHaus SoHo, which just opened in 2021, your new place to stay.

Come for a Red Sox game at Fenway and stay for a concert, either outside or inside at the MGM Music Hall, which is one of two new music venues in Boston, along with Roadrunner. Before a show, feast at new food hall High Street Place or floating oyster bar Tall Ship moored on Pier One. If you fancy the waterfront life, and ferrying back from dinner or to your outbound flight at Logan, book in at the Boston Harbor Hotel. The anchor occupant of the iconic Rowes Wharf building, it also has its very own health club with a 24-hour gym and 60-foot lap pool to help keep sporty guests in shipshape.

As the next batch of presidential candidates start making themselves known ahead of the 2024 election, the nation’s capital gets extra buzzy. But beyond politics, there’s plenty of reasons to visit. Take in MLS All-Star week in July, or the reopened Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum anytime and the National Museum of Women in the Arts once it debuts its renovation in October. Whenever you go, be sure to check out The Wharf waterfront revitalization which puts restaurants, retailers and a promenade right along the Potomac. For a splash of modern color in a city of stately suites, chose the Viceroy Washington DC—it also boasts a refreshing rooftop pool.

Wat Arun, The Grand Palace, Chinatown’s phenomenal street food—add to that list of Bangkok bucket list items a stroll or cycle along the new pathways of the recently expanded Benjakitti Forest Park. While eating your way through Chinatown, don’t miss out on a visit to the “other” Soi Nana, where you’ll find a bevy of cool bars and galleries. With a design inspired by the wai, the Thai gesture of greeting, the Rosewood Bangkok is welcoming in all ways, including its privileged location within walking distance of other iconic spots Lumphini Park, Erawan Shrine and Siam Square.

Beyond the perennial must-dos in 2023’s most visited city in the world, such as hiking or taking the tram up to the Peak for a bird’s eye view of Victoria Harbour, there is the new Hong Kong Palace Museum on the Kowloon side which boasts hundreds of treasures, many never publicly displayed before. If you’re planning a Hong Kong trip this summer, hit up the Summer Harbour Chill Carnival. Over five consecutive weekends starting July 8^th, the Wan Chai harborfront hosts live music, street performances, pyrotechnic shows and X-Games events. Book a Harbour View room at The Upper House to score those big water views without an uphill climb required and enjoy close proximity to the carnival.