Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: meet the travel winners transcending destinations

Ours is the most well-travelled generation in history. So much so that the industry is reported to be worth $11.1 trillion, with 790 million of us packing our suitcases to go galavanting in the first seven months of 2024 alone. More than 2.5 million people made their way up the Empire State Building, and the Peruvian authorities have increased Machu Picchu’s capacity by around 1,000 extra visitors per day for 2025.

While frantically floundering around a destination and ticking off a bucket list might appeal to some, many are now searching for meaningful adventures that minimise environmental impact and offer a deeper connection with themselves and the destination.

This is why wellness remains firmly on the travel agenda, with the Global Wellness Institute projecting spending to reach $8.5 trillion by 2027. In the coming year, expect to see hotels targeting leisure travellers and road warriors alike with sleep therapy and organic vegan meals. Hotels such as One & Only’s new Siro One Za’abeel in Dubai are the benchmark to watch.

Not surprisingly, slow travel is, if you’ll excuse the mixed metaphor, fast becoming the norm, whether extending our stay in select destinations or taking our time getting there. Operators are stepping up to meet the challenge, not least those in the cruising, train and yachting sectors. Meanwhile, savvy hoteliers like Locke are championing the rise of apartment hotels, such as its recently opened Locke de Santa Joana in Lisbon.

The Orient Express has just launched its first sailing yacht, the Corinthian, a precursor to next year’s relaunch of 17 original train cars dating from the 1920s. Nipping at its heels is Belmond’s new Britannic Explorer, the marque’s first luxury sleeper train in England and Wales. Airlines are also taking off with upgraded products, beginning with swankier lounges (thanks, Finnair) and refreshed upper cabins, such as British Airways’ first-class seat, Turkish Airlines’ Crystal business-class cabins, and the new Aria suite by Cathay Pacific.

Luxury travel has, of course, long been a touchstone, but, increasingly, how we capture the essence of ‘luxury’ is becoming more fractured. Sustainability is key at Wallpaper* HQ and we avoid destinations that are plagued by overtourism – preferring, say, Santa Monica Beach, where a soothing pastel-hued Regent has just landed, over Beverly Hills – and check into hotels that are not just ecologically conscious, but which also give back to the community.

All-inclusive hotels are on the rise, with luxury resorts revolutionising what was once considered a somewhat low-brow concept with an elevated offering that covers everything from exclusive wines to diverse excursions. Kudadoo in the Maldives, for example, prides itself on its triple-A concept, where ‘anything’ is available ‘anytime’ or ‘anywhere’, from massages and watersports to champagne on tap. The same goes for The Emory, London’s first all-suite hotel, where just about everything – including helicopter transfers – is available around the clock.

If there is a common thread to what 2025 has to offer the intrepid globetrotter, then it is that travelling well – with all the nuances that phrase encompasses – is the golden ticket to hold. Lauren Ho

Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025 travel winners

Judged by Wallpaper* travel director Lauren Ho, alongside travel editor Sofia de la Cruz, the travel winners of the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025 shed light on the industry’s need for ‘deeper connections’ and slower journeys. Read on to find out who is top of their game.

Best opening

Locke de Santa Joana, Lisbon

‘A much-loved Portuguese city welcomes a new accommodation offering from a design-focused hotel group.’ Lauren Ho

Locke de Santa Joana is located at R. Camilo Castelo Branco 18, 1150-084 Lisboa, Portugal; lockeliving.com

Best suites

The Emory, London

‘A Belgravia hotel showcases the creative aesthetic of a host of world-class designers.’ Lauren Ho

The Emory is located at Old Barrack Yard, London SW1X 7NP, UK; the-emory.co.uk

Best slow journey

L'Observatoire Suite by JR at the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

‘An artist’s vision for a famous train encourages its passengers to be curious and adventurous.’ Sofia de la Cruz

belmond.com

Best social hub

The Wilde, Milan

‘A next-generation member’s club that reflects the cosmopolitan Milanese spirit.’ Sofia de la Cruz

The Wilde is located at Via dei Giardini, 16, 20121 Milano, Italy; thewilde.com

Best home away from home

Vipp Todos Santos

‘A new guesthouse from the Danish design brand brings a Scandinavian aesthetic to a desert location.’ Sofia de la Cruz

vipp.com