Local Foreigner

A true urban jungle, Bangkok is one of the world's great cities. Its culinary heft can't be overstated, with more street food stalls per capita than almost anywhere else on earth (including Jay Fai, who has been Michelin-starred since 2018 for her giant crab omelets). The city's architecture is a fascinating tapestry, with traditional canal-side homes standing on their stilts near gleaming skyscrapers, like the MahaNakhon tower, which looks like it's dissolving into individual pixels. At street level, schools of vibrant motor bikes take corners quickly, and looking up, you'll see the sky train whiz past before disappearing around a bend. Even the most dedicated urban explorers need a reset after a day in this City of Angels, and in 2025, Aman returned to its country of origin to open the ideal oasis. With just 52 rooms and a 16,000 square foot spa, plus an infinity pool overlooking the trees of Nai Lert Park, it's the hotel equivalent of a charging station, where you can power back up to head back into the marvelous melee.

Opening fabulous hotels in Italy - already home to some of the world's most gorgeous properties - is truly like gilding a lily. But guess what? We like gilded lilies. In April, two headliners opened their doors, and Local Foreigner's Tracy Stromberg was the first guest to cross the threshold at both (tough gig). In the hills outside of Florence, Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, reopened after an 18-month renovation. The former Renaissance convent, which offers incredible views over the city below, has been recrafted with impeccable taste and attention to detail. "The new Villa San Michele is absolutely stunning," Tracy reported on the team Whatsapp, while poolside, drinking a garden spritz. Two days later, she was off to La Serenissima and the hotly-anticipated Airelles Venezia. "Guys, I just arrived at Airelles. Literally first guest to step foot inside," came the update. "I feel like Tom Hanks when he finds out shopgirl is pretty. 'I knew she would be. She has to be!!!' It’s MAGNIFICENT!!!" A stream of behind-the-scenes photos followed, and while we can't share them here, your Local Foreigner advisor knows all the details - down to the room numbers with the best views and the tea on the cocktail bar that's still to come. So: Italy this summer, anyone?

There's untz-untz/stay out until the morning Greece, and then there's no-cars-only-donkeys/I want to take a pilgrimage to Epidaurus Greece. You already know innately which one is for you, and if it's the latter, Amanzoe is waiting. Designed as a modern-day Acropolis, with 360-degree views over olive groves and the Aegean Sea, Amanzoe sits pretty on the east coast of the Peloponnese. There are no crowds or selfie sticks angling for the best view of the sunset here - just hyper-local menus, a private pool for every room, and a spa menu that quotes Hippocrates. Dare we say it puts the "ahhh" in Aman, or is that too cheeky for a Monday?