Dorsia’s 2026 Travel Plans

This year’s travel planning is…. complicated.  My eldest has started school, which instantly torpedoes any flexibility we used to possess.  Last year she celebrated her January birthday in Dubai; this year she’s gonna get a lesson in real life by enjoying the British weather.

But the main reason is because of two properties I am desperate to visit, yet both are being coy about their opening date: Fregate and Bulgari Maldives.  I would happily build my entire year around those openings, but alas, hotel openings are as reliable as building contractors.  Although, when I say “coy”, I really mean we all know they’re not really going to open until 2027.  

Also, I’m turning 40, which I guess means my hair will start to fall out and I need to buy another Porsche or something.

So, let’s take a quick look at the openings for 2026.  According to me, anyway.  

Never bet on an opening date.  Never.  But signs suggest a few of them may actually materialise, and now I need to wedge them into the calendar without putting my life on hold and then discovering none of them open anyway, and I’ve wasted a year trying to get a tan in Bognor Regis.

• London: Waldorf Astoria Admiralty Arch and Cambridge House — easy enough, seeing as they’re barely an hour’s drive away.
• Maldives: Bulgari Maldives, Mandarin Oriental Maldives (if it materialises), and HERE (helpfully delayed into 2026, just last week).
• Fregate (they’re saying October.  I’m saying prove it.).
• Singita Elela (bookable, allegedly, for an 11 December opening).
• Airelles Venice (currently promising 1 April).
• Amanvari
• Zamara Private

Here’s what we’ve got planned so far.

February

South Africa

A bit of Cape Town, a bit of coast, and a little safari to round things off. A balanced diet.

As you will often discover, there is my brain that says “go do this, you’ll love it” vs the “I need to know if this new shiny thing is any good”.  So rather than returning to Ellerman House, which I consider one of the best city hotels in the world, I’m gonna go try out Belmond Mount Nelson.  Why?  Cos I feel compelled to create more work for myself.

Dubai

There’s a big part of me that wants to go to Saudi Arabia (Desert Rock looks awesome), but an even bigger part that suspects if I write anything negative I’ll end up in a dumpster. Nearly 40 years of breathing has taught me I’m quite fond of it. So instead I’ll play it safe and return to Dubai, where they might toss me in a dumpster anyway after my Atlantis The Royal review.

I’ve stayed at One&Only The Palm before but never reviewed it, so that’s one resort taken care of.  I keep debating whether to return to my beloved Bulgari Dubai or finally try the Four Seasons, purely because I’ve never been before. But I also know that if I choose the Four Seasons, the regret will hit instantly and I’ll blame all of you for enabling it. So, naturally, I have chosen the most sensible option of all: ignore the Bulgari entirely and head straight to Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, where the review will almost certainly get me chopped up.

March

This is Rwanda’s moment. Everyone already knows you can go gorilla trekking there, it’s one of life’s extraordinary experiences.  But with the launch of Magashi Peninsula, you can now do proper high-end safari too. Until now, most visitors would see the gorillas and promptly flee the country to Kenya or Tanzania.  And I agreed with them.  But now, if you add in a bit of One&Only Nyungwe House for chimp trekking, suddenly you’ve got a very solid week.

The only catch is the 7–10 hour drives between lodges, or the wallet-obliterating pricing of helicopter transfers. I’ve chosen the latter, obviously.

April

South-East Asia

Excluding the almighty, god-like (Godzilla?) nation of Japan, I haven’t set foot in Asia for years. Well, aside from the Maldives, which I routinely forget is technically Asia. But other than that.  We’re finally doing Banwa Private Island and Nihi Sumba, so my self-appointed status as the global authority on private islands can remain intact.

Then we’re trying Bulgari Bali, purely because we’ll already be in the neighbourhood and my wife wants to go. I will, of course, remember why I hate Bali within fifteen seconds of landing, but marriage is all about compromise. And nothing says “I love you” quite like giving someone the opportunity to hear you say “I told you so”.

We’ll wrap things up at the new Raffles Sentosa and the refurbished Raffles Singapore

Venice

Later in the month, one of my favourite hotel groups on Earth, Airelles, opens their first property outside France: Airelles Venice. It personally offends me that rooms start at €2,200 a night for 33 sqm — roughly the same price as going to an all-inclusive like Singita Sasakwa on my own. Worse still, there’s no universe in which I stay in the base room, so suddenly we’re talking €6,000 a night. Oh well. Research demands sacrifice.

May

There are still a few exclusive-use properties and villas I need to tick off in Kenya, notably Sirai House, Laragai House, Reteti House, and Loirien Mara. I could also go see Zamara Private.  My addiction to Kenyan villas remains undefeated.

Morocco

Then it’s Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay with the family. I’ve heard many good things, it looks fantastic, it’s easy to reach from London, and the cost of a beachfront villa doesn’t personally offend me.

June

My last trip to Botswana was epic. So why not go back for another round? I’m very keen to try Daunara, as well as Mashatu Euphorbia, while also squeezing in Zarafa and Selinda. And if Xigera will have me, I’m tempted to return — the game viewing has improved dramatically, according to them.  I need proof.

July

I’m starting the month with a solo trip to catch the Great Migration again and to see what’s happening at the refurbished Singita Mara River Tented Camp. Then it’s over to Singita Sasakwa — squeezing in a stay just before their 2027 refurb, which will naturally force me to return yet again. I’ll be in the signature Hillside Suite, and then finishing up at the newly opened Laba Laba Grumeti Art Lodge.

Once I’m back, we’re off on a big family trip. Where? No idea. I keep toying with the idea of returning to The Brando via Amangiri or One&Only Moonlight Basin, but right now the plan is gloriously, completely vague.

August

Islas Secas.  Amanvari.  Amanera.  All resorts.  All places we might go to.  Maybe.  C’mon hotels, open so I can plan my life better!  I’d even consider going to the Maldives at this time of year, when it’s off-peak, if Bulgari is open by then.  But it won’t be.  Decisions, decisions.

September

Royal Malewane will have reopened from its refurb, Tengile River Lodge will be independent, and it’s time I finally return to the first safari lodge I ever stayed in: Singita Lebombo. I’ll also get to experience MalaMala Rattray’s Camp, whose PR team is working so hard you’d think they were promoting the Second Coming.

October

I would really like to go to Namibia. Much like I would really like to go to Zambia. But as you may have gathered, my travels are largely dictated by the presence of ultra-luxury properties. Zambia is nowhere close. Namibia is getting there. I’m tempted — very tempted — but I may hold off just a little longer.

Kenya

Where I’m definitely going is Kenya.  This is for the big four oh-my-gawd.  You know the irony of me always telling everyone Arijiju has no availability?  Well, guess who went to book his own birthday trip and found there was no availability?  Ah well, Ol Jogi and Wild Hill it is.  I think I’ll survive.

And hopefully Fregate to finish.  A hotel opening when it says it will?  Now that would be a birthday to remember.

December

I’m very torn about whether I should go to Singita Elela on opening day. My sensible side says absolutely not. My FOMO side says I’ll crumble the moment the first review drops.  And boy will they drop, we all know Singita will make a massive fuss about this.

So for now, I’m pencilling this slot in for Bulgari Maldives, operating under the optimistic assumption that by then it will actually be open and, conveniently, it’s the time of year we’re usually in the Maldives anyway. If Mandarin Oriental has opened by then, we’ll fold that in too. And HERE, assuming they finally open by 15 December — I mean, they never did say which year.