Chile

With school out and traditional destinations prone to crowds, finding value and quiet in your summer vacation can be an onerous task. But there’s an alternative. Affording an opportunity to hit iconic destinations at a fraction of the cost, the off-season summer getaway is moving into the mainstream. The Swiss Alps, for example, teem with activity and high prices in winter, but right now rates are lower and the jagged mountain peaks are prime for hiking and mountain biking. Herein, eight destinations to explore off-season.

Each year, staff at the Oxford Dictionary sift through the cultural morass to deliver their shortlist for Word of the Year. 2016’s lineup reflected a tumultuous period globally, with nomenclature like Alt-Right, Brexiteer, and Woke front and center. Somewhat cheerier, the word Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) was also present on the shortlist, and it’s a term that came roaring into fashion in 2016. If you’re unfamiliar with the word, it’s becoming increasingly ubiquitous with the concept of coziness and togetherness. Unfortunately, it has no literal translation in English making it difficult to pin down exactly what it means. Hygge was developed as a way of living by the Danish in the 18th century, and is often credited with helping Scandinavian people maintain their cheery disposition despite their long winters. Just like the concept of Feng Shui, hygge has begun to inform interior design choices everywhere from IKEA, to hotels we feature in Kiwi Collection. This week on the blog, we take a closer look at hotels where hygge is central to the guest experience.

Far too often there’s a feeling of arriving home from vacation in need of more time off. Sometimes this is a hangover from our holiday excesses, but often it’s because we haven’t addressed the reason why we took a vacation in the first place — to get away from it all. Carving out some time to decompress can be difficult on a city break, so we’ve searched the globe for eight havens where one can escape from civilization.

It was once the case that hotels would attempt to dazzle with a list of in-room amenities as long as a guest’s arm. However, today’s increasingly savvy traveler expects a little more than lotions and potions underneath the bathroom vanity. This demand is being met in a plethora of ways, but perhaps the most welcome one is the rise of unique experiences that immerse guests in the local environment. Several Kiwi Collection hotels have crafted particularly noteworthy offerings, and we take a closer look at ten.