While some people look forward to winter and its opportunities for cuddling by the fire, sipping hot cocoa, and making snow angels, many of us are ready to flee somewhere warm as soon as temperatures start to dip. If the freezing cold, snow, and ice have you down, we've got the cure: a getaway to one of these luxurious hotels and resorts in the Caribbean, Mexico, Florida, and beyond. For anyone seeking upscale accommodations and toasty temps, here are our picks for the best winter getaways worldwide.
Best Warm-weather Getaways
- Editor's Pick: Susurros del Corazón, Punta de Mita, Mexico
- Montage Kapalua Bay, Lahaina, Hawaii
- Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
- The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, Marana, Arizona
- Zemi Beach House, Shoal Bay East, Anguilla
- Sunset Key Cottages, Key West, Florida
- Nayara Springs, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
- Jade Mountain, Soufrière, Saint Lucia
- Rosewood Mayakoba, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- Holiday House, Palm Springs, California
- Kimpton Kitalay Samui, Bophut, Thailand
- The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, Bora-Bora, French Polynesia
- Six Senses Uluwatu, Bali, Uluwatu, Indonesia
- Amanyara, Northwest Point, Turks and Caicos
- Napasai, Maenam, Thailand
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Editor's Pick: Susurros del Corazón, Punta de Mita, Mexico
Why We Chose It
This beachfront Auberge Resorts Collection property on Riviera Nayarit's Banderas Bay has 91 light-filled, ocean-facing guest rooms, suites, and villas.
Key Specs
- Free Wi-Fi: Yes
- Resort Fee: No
- Room Rate: $$$$
Notable Amenities
Complimentary wellness classes, welcome craft beer or cocktail, natural Ram Ram bath amenities
Hotel Description
When you check in to Susurros del Corazón — which you do at an art-filled, wood-slab table (no front desks here) — you're assigned a cuate, which means "buddy" in Spanish. This personal butler tends to your every need, whether it's making reservations at the open-air, farmhouse-style Casamilpa restaurant or arranging a massage at the Ondita spa. In addition to lounging under an umbrella on the white-sand beach or next to one of the three cascading infinity pools, guests can book activities such as snorkeling off the nearby Marietas Islands, taking surfing lessons in front of the resort, or joining a seasonal whale-watching expedition with a naturalist. Parents appreciate Los Morritos, a fee-based kids' club for ages 5 to 12, where children can make Mexican art and practice their fútbol skills with friendly counselors.
Montage Kapalua Bay, Lahaina, Hawaii
Why We Chose It
Residence-style suites at this refined beach resort on Maui's northwestern shore start at a spacious 1,250 square feet.
Key Specs
- Free Wi-Fi: Yes
- Resort Fee: Yes, $65 per night
- Room Rate: $$$$
Notable Amenities
Courtesy shuttle service within the resort, daily Hawaiian cultural activities, guided hikes and tide pool exploration, Gloss Moderne toiletries
Hotel Description
If it's space you're seeking on a Hawaii winter getaway, Montage Kapalua Bay, with its ultra-roomy one- to four-bedroom residences, more than fits the bill. These homey spaces not only have full gourmet kitchens but also marble bathrooms with deep soaking tubs. That said, the outdoors beckon here, as the hotel occupies a prime beachfront location on 24 beautifully landscaped acres. While your kids spend time participating in the fee-based activities for children ages 5 to 12, you might book a treatment at the on-site spa, tee off at the nearby Plantation Course, or simply chill at the pool. The upscale resort also hosts its own sunset luau twice a week, year-round.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Why We Chose It
This lakeside property near the Magic Kingdom wows with its five-acre water park, featuring a huge family pool, winding lazy river, waterslides, and a splash zone.
Key Specs
- Free Wi-Fi: Yes
- Resort Fee: No
- Room Rate: $$$$
Notable Amenities
Kids for All Seasons program (ages 4 to 12), children 5 and under eat free with paying adult, fitness center, courtesy transportation to Walt Disney World theme parks
Hotel Description
For the ultimate kid-friendly winter getaway, make haste to Four Seasons Resort Orlando, where guests are entertained not only by the sprawling water park, but also by Disney character breakfasts, a Tom Fazio-designed golf course, fitness center, game room, and basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts. Guest rooms have private balconies, and some provide a view of the nightly Disney fireworks. There are six restaurants at this AAA Five-Diamond Resort, including the Michelin-starred Capa steakhouse. Soothe sore muscles after a day walking around theme parks with a massage at the on-site spa followed by a stint in a zero-gravity lounger in the Solarium lounge.
The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, Marana, Arizona
Why We Chose It
About 20 miles northwest of Tucson, this upscale retreat with three neighboring golf courses is among Travel + Leisure's World's Best resorts in Arizona.
Key Specs
- Free Wi-Fi: Yes
- Resort Fee: Yes, $60 per night
- Room Rate: $$$
Notable Amenities
Use of driving range and rental clubs, use of mountain bikes, daily group fitness classes, Frette linens, Asprey bath products
Hotel Description
With the Sonoran Desert as its backdrop, The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain makes a great home base for travelers seeking both adventure and relaxation. Guests can kick back at one of three swimming pools: one with private cabanas, another with a 235-foot waterslide, and a third that's reserved for adults only. The surrounding landscape is ideal for exploration on foot. Take a morning hike or sign up for informative treks into the wilderness to view ancient rock art, survey a variety of cacti, and even spot scorpions at night. Fee-based Ritz Kids Rangers programs focus on educational outdoor exploration for ages 5 to 12. Other highlights: a spa offering treatments inspired by indigenous rituals and Core Kitchen & Wine Bar, which has 2,800 bottles of wine to choose from.
Zemi Beach House, Shoal Bay East, Anguilla
Why We Chose It
This boutique resort on the northeast shore of Anguilla sits on a strip of white-sand beach and features a standout spa.
Key Specs
- Free Wi-Fi: Yes
- Resort Fee: No
- Room Rate: $$$$
Notable Amenities
Kids' club, complimentary breakfast buffet, tennis court, Frette linens, Malin+Goetz bath amenities, beach bag and flip-flops
Hotel Description
Zemi Beach House has direct access to serene Shoal Bay Beach, where guests can borrow kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and snorkeling equipment when they're not floating in the crystal-clear Caribbean Sea. Relax at any of the four different pools, including an adults-only infinity pool. The resort's spa is located in a 300-year-old Thai building that was transported to Anguilla and reassembled, providing a unique space for Asian- and African-inspired treatments and rituals, including some inspired by traditional Moroccan baths. Modern guest rooms reflect the colors of the outdoors with shades of tan and blue. Be sure to check out the Rhum Room, which stocks 140 kinds of small-batch, single-estate rums. Zemi Beach House is a member of Hilton's LXR Hotels & Resorts, so you can use Hilton Honors points here.
Sunset Key Cottages, Key West, Florida
Why We Chose It
Charming one- to four-bedroom cottages with full kitchens nestle among lush landscaping on a private island just off Key West.
Key Specs
- Free Wi-Fi: Yes
- Resort Fee: Yes, $250 plus tax
- Room Rate: $$$$
Notable Amenities
Continental in-room breakfast; use of tennis and basketball courts, including racquets and balls; use of fishing poles and bait
Hotel Description
You'll feel a world away from the daily grind at Sunset Key Cottages, yet its small private island is easily accessible from sister property Opal Key Resort & Marina, on Key West, via a 7-minute boat ride that's covered by the resort fee. Yes, that $250 fee is hefty, but it includes a basket of breakfast goodies delivered to your porch daily, turndown service with local treats, and an ice cream cart that makes its rounds every afternoon. You certainly won't go hungry here, as elegant Latitudes restaurant serves seaside breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each treatment suite at the on-site spa has a full bathroom and shower, as well as a private patio.
Nayara Springs, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
Why We Chose It
Perennially named to Travel + Leisure's list of World's Best resorts in Central America, Nayara Springs is an adults-only rainforest retreat where each villa has its own plunge pool fed by natural mineral springs.
Key Specs
- Free Wi-Fi: Yes
- Resort Fee: No
- Room Rate: $$$$
Notable Amenities
Complimentary laundry, in-villa or restaurant breakfast, daily yoga classes
Hotel Description
We wouldn't blame you if you never left your Springs Villa, with its terrace, canopied four-poster bed, mineral springs-fed plunge pool, and private garden with dual rain showers. But Nayara Springs' tropical property on the edge of Arenal Volcano National Park invites exploration. Stroll a path on a hunt for resident sloths and admire the colorful bougainvilleas and philodendrons. Off-property excursions include hiking through the rainforest canopy on hanging bridges, bird-watching around the volcano, and rafting on the Peñas Blancas River. Unwind at the spa, where some treatments incorporate volcanic mud and coffee from a local farm.
Jade Mountain, Soufrière, Saint Lucia
Why We Chose It
St. Lucia's extraordinary Jade Mountain is deliberately tech-free. There are no televisions, radios, or telephones in guest rooms, and visitors are asked to keep their phones on vibrate in public spaces.
Key Specs
- Free Wi-Fi: Yes
- Resort Fee: Yes, 10% of room rate
- Room Rate: $$$$
Notable Amenities
Guided walks and hikes; daily in-room bento box; use of stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, snorkeling gear, and tennis racquets
Hotel Description
Jade Mountain is an architectural marvel — it's an ultra-luxe tree house of sorts, built into a mountain, with bridges and walkways that lead to guest rooms. Each of the 24 Sanctuary rooms has a large infinity pool with expansive views of the St. Lucia Pitons, while the five Sky suites offer 15-foot ceilings, an open fourth wall with fabulous vistas, and chromotherapy whirlpool tubs. Guests have use of two beaches: Anse Chastanet, below the resort, where cool minted spray, fruit kebabs, and sorbet are offered daily, and Anse Mamin, a 10-minute walk or a complimentary boat ride away.
Rosewood Mayakoba, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Why We Chose It
Guests of Rosewood Mayakoba arrive at their spacious accommodations by boat, as the Riviera Maya property is set amid lagoons.
Key Specs
- Free Wi-Fi: Yes
- Resort Fee: Yes, 15% of room rate
- Room Rate: $$$$
Notable Amenities
Complimentary kids' activities, nonmotorized water sports equipment, in-room bottle of mezcal, toddler and baby gear
Hotel Description
Rosewood Mayakoba has its very own stretch of white-sand beach, but its location nestled in a mangrove jungle is what sets it apart. Be sure to take the introductory eco-tour to learn more about the property's flora and fauna. Accommodations range from studio suites with private plunge pools to the six-bedroom Founder's Villa. Sense, A Rosewood Spa, is located on its own island, and the resort has eight different restaurants and bars. Find your fancy among four distinct pool areas, including Aquí Me Quedo, an adults-only hideaway with three beachfront plunge pools.
Holiday House, Palm Springs, California
Why We Chose It
With no televisions in its 28 modern guest rooms, this adults-only boutique hotel in downtown Palm Springs invites communal gatherings.
Key Specs
- Free Wi-Fi: Yes
- Resort Fee: Yes, $29 plus tax
- Room Rate: $$
Notable Amenities
Included continental breakfast, Tesla charging station, Cowshed bath amenities
Hotel Description
Named among Travel + Leisure's World's Best resorts in California, this Palm Springs treasure opened in 1951. Its interior design maintains those mid-century roots with cobalt blue and white patterns throughout the property, as well as original works by such artists as David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein. The hotel's location is ideal for exploring Palm Springs; you're just a couple of blocks away from the Palm Springs Art Museum and the Cactus to Clouds hiking trail. The property's quiet, laid-back vibe also encourages relaxing by the pool under towering palm trees.