Chasing the Sun: The World’s Most Glamorous One-of-a-Kind Warm Weather Escapes
- Sarah Buckley
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
A TravelAnne Feature for the Luxury Explorer in Search of Sunshine, Escape, and Renewal!
By: Sarah Buckley
Whether it's a 2-week escape or a 2-day weekend getaway, TravelAnne is here to make it happen.
When the world goes cold — when it seems there are fewer days and life is dulled to hushed shades — then comes a certain type of yearning. It’s not just that you want to “get away,” but rather, things were good before and you’d like them to be again. Of the climate: warmth, yes — but also a great warming of color, taste, rhythm and sense of self.
And beautiful places don’t only come with sunshine. They offer renewal. Slowness. A softening.
The destinations below were not selected just for their beaches and temperatures but for the atmospheres they offer — all of them conducive to time’s expansion, fraying of the body, a call to remember (or perhaps to experience) a softer rhythm of life.
The Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix, Arizona
In January and February, the Arizona Biltmore is a desert-daydream: golden light, crisp evenings and a resort that somehow feels both iconic and low-key. Next to the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, citrus-and-palm gardens rise up in its Frank Lloyd Wright–inspired geometry. Begin with a morning hike or an early round of golf, then float between pools and cabana lines terraces. By nightfall, order a mezcal cocktail beneath the stars and settle into modern South Western dining — warm, stylish and utterly unhurried.
Yasawa Island Resort and Spa, Fiji
After an hour-and-a-half flight from Nadi Airport in Fiji’s Viti Levu on a small demure blue Cessna aircraft, guests land softly at the grassy runway at Yasawa Island Resort and Spa.
When the winter crowds sound too loud, Yasawa Island Resort and Spa is the remedy: remote, all-inclusive (including activities), and blissfully barefoot.
Your thatched beachfront bungalow includes a hammock, a daybed and an outdoor shower so “getting ready” becomes part of your vacation. Days are simply glorious — saltwater swims, leisurely lunches, pole stretches of doing nothing at all. To give it a touch of place, cue up a choir rendition from nearby Bukama Village, then return to your elbow rest and let the sun take care of the rest.
Angama Mara, Kenya
Angama Mara trades winter gray for big skies and the enjoyment of the Mara plains, with superb wildlife-viewing year-round. Think elevated glamping: upscale tents, breezy vistas and days shaped around early game drives and sunlit pauses between sightings. Once the savanna’s last light dissipates, it becomes intimate — candlelit dining, a crackling fire and that kind of quiet you find only far from cities. It is a warm-weather getaway for travelers who crave nature’s drama with polished comfort.
The Hotel del Coronado, California's Coronado Island
Located on Coronado Island in San Diego Bay, the Hotel del Coronado offers a take on coastal winter that’s done right: warm-ish air, sunny afternoons and a Victorian(setting) full of beach. While away your day at a walkable there-are-tables-in-the-sand pick, sunning on poached-egg-emitting terraces or biking along the shore. Do the costume party and take a class at the local cookie-making laboratory; or when it’s cold, make the most of the hotel’s playful touches — its renowned beachfront ice rink, evening light displays (which double as your front row seat to sunset) — then toast some s’mores beside a fireside. It’s a January-February reset: ocean air, old-school glamour, no snow boots.
Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort, Thailand
This resort in Chiang Rai province is surrounded by dozens of miles of lush jungle.
For a warm-weather escape that still feels like a journey of wonder, the Anantara Golden Triangle lines beguilingly at the crossroads of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos — lush, cinematic and refreshingly not-the-beach. The heart of the resort is its rescued-elephant program, which provides unforgettable up-close encounters as the animals roam close by. Spring for the see-through “Jungle Bubble,” a night beneath the stars, surrounded by jungle sounds and the soft glow of lanterns. Among river views and Thai flavors and wildlife sightings, winter feels a very long way off.
The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
Midwinter Grand Cayman is cheating — sunny, balmy and bright enough to instantly reset your mood. At the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman they keep it glossy but beach-first, with suites that are the stage for slow mornings and salt-air afternoons. Linger over a Champagne-infused brunch before swapping your schedule for time snorkeling, swimming in the ocean or taking refuge under a shaded cabana with a good book. For the kind of January–February trip when warmth is a fact and decisions are blissfully few: pool or sea, now or later.
COMO Cocoa Island, Maldives
The low-to-the-water appeal that would make poet laureate of winter Ted Hughes feel like an absolute joke. Days are organized around the lagoon — snorkeling, swimming or just sitting and watching where the sea battles through morning blue to sunset silver. Its seasonal programming hints at a celebratory energy, but the true luxury is silence: open skies, salt air and restorative ease. If January and February for you typically translate to heavy coats, this is your counterspell — light, warmth and happiness at its most elemental: barefoot days softly tangled up into each other.
Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, Maui
Grand Wailea on the island of Maui is a January–February standby: sunny days, gentle trade winds and a great stretch of beach out front. Spend mornings splashing about in the water, followed by a long, open-air lunch before giving yourself a spa day that’s essentially hitting reset on winter. When you’re ready to hit the road, Maui’s scenic drives and lookouts provide big-sky beauty without much exertion. Back at the resort, dine your way through the on-site restaurants as the light fades to gold. It’s Hawaii in its most restorative form — sunlit, graceful and so satisfying.
The Breakers Palm Beach, Florida
Winter in Palm Beach is so totally chic, and The Breakers is its grand oceanfront anchor: sunny days, sea breezes and a place that makes lounging an art form. January and February encourage long beach walks, terrace breakfasts, and pool-to-beach afternoons that slip by. Put on your fanciest sweats for a multicourse meal, and finish the night with a cocktail and panoramic views. It’s the tropical vacation without a passport, just a readiness to slow your pace while the Atlantic does all the work.
Royal Mansour Marrakech, Morocco
Royal Mansour Marrakech is winter sun with texture: Pungently colored days layered with chilly blue evenings and a private-riad stay that’s such heightened domestic surroundings it feels like you’re living inside a jewel box. Step out of the city’s riotous souks and into quiet courtyards, exquisite craftsmanship and (best of all) to have your own private pool. Days can be as buzzy as you want — medina wandering, rooftop tea, spa time — before returning to lantern-lit serenity. New year, no beach: It’s “Missing Egypt,” starring Marrakech itself; and it comes with the gloss only Royal Mansour can provide: silent, self-indulgent and très transporting.
Four Seasons Hotel Austin, Texas
Winter feels a little bit lighter (mild temps, outdoor-friendly days) at Four Seasons Hotel Austin’s downtown-themed winter resort which places everything great about the city nearby. Begin with a walk along the water, and then embrace Austin’s dance-friendly blend of food, music and cool. Relax with a spa moment and an unrushed dinner back at the hotel. In colder months, the property frequently brings seasonal nods — cozy treats, celebratory sips — but rarely in a way that detracts from the mission: to take a warm-weather getaway rich with culture and comfort without any airfare drama.
Marbella Club, Spain
The Marbella Club is a Mediterranean pause button — even more so in January and February, when Málaga’s steamy streets let you feel like you’ve discovered an icy retreat from the various forms of weathering expected during winter months across other parts of the world. The property marries relaxed seaside glamour with Andalusian character, from olive-and-citrus styling to menus that highlight coastal flavors. Fill your days with promenading, long lunches and the light lifting. Come evening, sit down for a meal that feels quietly celebratory — think scallop carpaccio and local sweets like turron – then raise a glass to the simple joy of being warm, far from winter.
When You’re Ready to Come in Out of the Sun
Warm weather doesn’t merely alter the climate around you; it alters you.
It lengthens your breath.
Softens your shoulders.
Brightens your sense of being.