Summer Travel 2024 Bucket List (2024)

It’s never too early to start your summer travel planning

The way months pass so quickly, it’s not too early to start fantasizing about where you would love to direct your summer travel energies 2024. With the new year comes fab new destinations, from hotels to attractions, that will give you even more reason to pack your bags to visit places for the first time, or revisit old favorites with something new to see.

Here’s fodder to fuel your summer travel daydreams.

Los Angeles

Maybe you’ve been to the City of Angels. If you’re looking for an excuse to go again, here’s one: the Hotel Lucile, an intimate, 25-room property housed in a church built in 1931 and opening in 2024. There’s a pool, restaurant and epic views of the city from the rooftop. The hotel is in the heart of hipster central, the Silver Lake neighborhood. You’ll be around the corner from the much-beloved Silver Lake Farmers Market and will also find trendy boutiques, spots for a cup of joe, restaurants, a two-mile loop for walking and running, and more.

London

Even if you’ve been across the pond to London, there’s good cause to return. Starting in the spring of 2024, London will allow you to trip down memory lane exploring Elizabethan high society at the new Museum of Shakespeare on the site of the old Curtain Theatre, which showcased productions like Romeo and Juliet and Henry V in the 16th century. Expect immersive, multi-sensory encounters thanks to artificial intelligence technology and other wizardry. You’ll be able to step on stage, too. You’ll also want to check out Six Senses London, a new hotel opening in 2024 that will remind you of an old-fashioned London underground station.

Note: At press time we learned that while the building is complete and public spaces are open, the museum has pushed its opening date to 2025.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

There’s a lot of buzz about Zemi Miches All-Inclusive Resort, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. Opening in the fourth quarter of 2024, it’s the first property of the hotel chain’s upscale brand to open in the Dominican Republic. The 502-room beachfront resort will wow with its lush greenery and mountain landscapes. Choose from among nine food-and-drink options. Enjoy a nightclub, retail shops, pool complex with water park, fitness center, spa, beauty salon, kids club and more.

Botswana

You’ve been dreaming about that bucket list safari trip to Africa. Make it happen. The luxurious Tawana Camp opening in May will put you in the heart of the wilderness on the Moremi Game Reserve. There are just eight suites, including two for families, each with its own lounge area, private terrace, plunge pool and air conditioning. Take in views of the lush riverine forest. Be ready for adventure with guided game drives led by experts who know how to find the lions, leopards, giraffes and other animals you can’t wait to see. The property’s features include a walk-in wine cellar, 16-meter lap pool, lodge library and outdoor fire pit.

Ocala, Florida

Spring will bring more than daffodils. There will be an addition to the World Equestrian Center, also known as “Disneyland for horse lovers,” The Riding Academy Hotel, with nearly 400 suites. Guests of the academy get a twofer of sorts as they’ll have access to The Equestrian Hotel, the five-star property steps away. The grand fireplace with its marble and custom ceramic dogs will be the hot spot to hang out, and you’ll love the antique hand carved wooden horse in the lobby and the artwork featuring dogs dressed as jockeys, trophy lamps in guest rooms and cool stuff throughout the hotel. There’s a pool, sun deck, fitness centers and spa. Hop in a golf cart and you’re minutes away from restaurants, boutiques and equestrian competition arenas.

Glendale, Arizona

In 2024 the VAI Resort opens in Glendale on 60 acres, with white sand beaches, a six-acre swimming pool, bars, restaurants, and Konos Island, which features a Mediterranean restaurant, private cabanas and epic views from the 130-foot-high aerial bar. As if that weren’t enough, VAI Resort is also where you’ll find the Mattel Adventure Park, where toys and board games come to life. Barbie fans will go nuts over the Barbie Beach House and Dream Closet Experience, where they can curate a wardrobe with Barbie thanks to hologram technology. Model car lovers can drive their own Hot Wheels car through a four-level track.

Tenerife, Spain

You can’t go wrong when you’re in Costa Adeje, the resort area located on a beloved part of Tenerife’s coastline nestled between mountains on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. Your big decisions at the new Tivoli La Caleta Resort will be which of the three outdoor pools to play in, whether to sip a co*cktail at the beach club, or whether to surf, dive or go for a sail with hopes of spotting dolphins or whales. The five-star resort that’s awash in subtropical gardens will also be home to the first Anantara Spa in Tenerife.

Grenada

When it comes to visiting the Caribbean, Grenada often isn’t the first island that comes to mind. There’s a new reason it should. Early next year the Spice Island will be home to Six Senses La Sagesse, designed in the style of a traditional fishing village with suites, rooms and residences overlooking a lagoon. Take your pick of watersports, diving shipwrecks, walking spice trails or simply chilling beside a waterfall.

Palm Springs, California

If you’re in the mood for the desert, make your way to the Thompson Palm Springs, which will open in May with 168 bungalow-inspired rooms and suites with private balconies or patios. Chill at one of two rooftop pools or the full-service spa. Feast on Middle Eastern cuisine and enjoy the vino at the on-site HALL Napa Valley Tasting Room. Golfers will be in heaven with more than 100 courses in the area. Pickleball and tennis are also huge in Palm Springs, and you can take a ride on horseback or a guided Jeep tour through the desert.

Top image by iStockphoto.com/AzmanJaka.