Journal

Dispatches & Discoveries

Notes from our advisors - hotels we love, destinations we believe in, and the experiences worth crossing the world for.

Featured · Hotels

The Best Luxury Hotels in New York City for 2026

The Mark, Aman New York, The Carlyle, The Peninsula and the two new openings quietly rewriting the Manhattan hierarchy - which hotel suits which trip, and how our advisors pull off suite upgrades in a city that almost never gives them.

July 2026 · 13 min read

Hotels · July 2026

The Best Luxury Hotels in the Swiss Alps for Summer 2026

Beyond winter - the mountain hotels worth flying to in July and August. Gstaad Palace, The Chedi Andermatt, Bürgenstock and the alpine grand dames where hiking, lake swimming and long lunches beat any beach.

Insights · July 2026

The Greek Islands Honeymoon Guide: Where to Actually Go in 2026

Skip the Santorini crowds. A ZOMA advisor's honest map of the Cyclades, Dodecanese and Ionian for honeymooners - the islands, the hotels, the ferry logistics and the weeks when the light is at its best.

Destinations · July 2026

Seychelles Honeymoon: The Nine Resorts Worth the Flight in 2026

North Island, Fregate, Six Senses Zil Pasyon and Four Seasons Desroches - the private islands and inner-granitic resorts our advisors book on repeat, with the island-hopping logic that makes a two-week honeymoon feel like three.

Hotels · July 2026

The Best Luxury Hotels in Costa Rica for 2026

Nayara Tented Camp, Nekupe, Kasiiya Papagayo and the Peninsula Papagayo resorts - the design-forward lodges and beach hideaways redefining Costa Rican luxury, and the two-region itinerary our advisors build most.

Hotels · June 2026

The Best Luxury Hotels in Tokyo for 2026

Aman Tokyo, Bulgari, Janu, Hoshinoya, The Tokyo EDITION Toranomon and the Four Seasons Otemachi - the six hotels our advisors send clients to, ranked by neighbourhood, view and the small service details that separate them.

Hotels · June 2026

The Best Luxury Hotels in London for 2026

Claridge's, The Connaught, The Berkeley, The Peninsula London, Raffles at The OWO and Mandarin Oriental Mayfair - a Londoner-advisor's ranking, with the suites worth the upcharge and the ones that aren't.

Insights · June 2026

How to Plan a Maldives Honeymoon in 2026

Overwater vs beach villa, seaplane vs speedboat, when to book, which atoll suits which couple - the step-by-step Maldives honeymoon playbook our advisors use, plus the perks the resorts never publish.

Destinations · June 2026

Bali Honeymoon: The Twelve Luxury Resorts Worth Booking in 2026

Como Uma Ubud, Amandari, Four Seasons Sayan and Jimbaran, Bulgari Uluwatu, Nihi Sumba - the two-island Bali-and-beyond honeymoon our advisors have refined over a decade of trips.

Hotels · June 2026

The Best Luxury Hotels in Dubai for 2026

Bulgari Resort, Atlantis The Royal, One&Only The Palm and Royal Mirage, Four Seasons Jumeirah, Jumeirah Al Naseem - which Dubai hotel suits which trip, and the two-hotel stay that beats any single choice.

Hotels · May 2026

The Best Luxury Hotels in Italy for 2026

Passalacqua on Lake Como, Il San Pietro di Positano, Le Sirenuse, Aman Venice, Hotel de Russie Rome, Belmond Splendido Portofino - the definitive ZOMA ranking of Italy's finest, region by region.

Hotels · May 2026

The Best Luxury Hotels in Paris for 2026

The Ritz, Le Bristol, Cheval Blanc, Hôtel de Crillon, Plaza Athénée, Four Seasons George V - a palace-hotel-by-palace-hotel comparison from a ZOMA advisor who has stayed at all of them.

Insights · May 2026

How to Plan a Luxury Honeymoon in Italy in 2026

Amalfi, Lake Como, Puglia, Sicily and Tuscany - the four itineraries our advisors build most for honeymooners, with the hotel pairings, driver logistics and off-menu experiences that make each one special.

Destinations · May 2026

The Best Honeymoon Resorts in Bora Bora for 2026

The Brando, Four Seasons Bora Bora, The St. Regis, Conrad, Le Bora Bora by Pearl Resorts and the InterContinental Thalasso - which overwater bungalow to book, which lagoon view is worth the upgrade, and how to combine Tahiti properly.

Insights · May 2026

Santorini vs Mykonos: Where to Actually Stay in 2026

The caldera hotels, the beach resorts, the party crowd and the quiet coves - a ZOMA advisor's honest, side-by-side breakdown of which Greek island suits which traveller, and the third option almost no one considers.

Newsletter · May 2026

The May Edition: Greece, Bhutan & Lake Como

Mykonos welcomes its first Four Seasons. A Himalayan circuit across five Bhutanese valleys. And the Lake Como EDITION, in a guest's own words. The ZOMA newsletter, Volume V.

Hotels · June 2026

The Best Luxury Hotels in the Maldives for 2026

From Soneva Jani's overwater retreats to Cheval Blanc Randheli and the new Capella Maldives - the twelve resorts our advisors book on repeat, with the perks, transfer logistics and seasonal strategy you won't find on the booking sites.

Insights · June 2026

How to Plan a Luxury Honeymoon: The 2026 Insider's Guide

A step-by-step playbook from ZOMA's advisors: when to book, how to choose between an island and a safari, the honeymoon perks hotels never advertise, and the timeline that gets the suite you actually want.

Insights · June 2026

Four Seasons vs Aman: Which Luxury Hotel Brand Is Right for You

The honest, no-marketing comparison: service philosophy, design language, food, wellness, and family-friendliness. When we book Four Seasons, when we book Aman, and the four hybrid trips where we use both.

Experiences · June 2026

How Much Does a Luxury African Safari Cost in 2026?

What you actually pay - per person, per night, all-in - across Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana and Rwanda. The price drivers, the seasonal swings, and where the conservation fees go.

Insights · June 2026

The Luxury Travel Trends Defining 2026

Slow travel, longevity retreats, expedition cruising, the return of the staffed villa, and the destinations our clients are flying to that they weren't twelve months ago. What's changing - and what to book before it does.

Insights · May 2026

What Does a Luxury Travel Advisor Actually Do?

Beyond booking - the real work of a luxury travel advisor, why clients pay nothing extra for VIP perks, and how to tell a great advisor from a glorified booking agent.

Hotels · April 2026

The New Wave of Mediterranean Boutique Hotels

From Mallorca's Tramuntana fincas to the cliffside Aegean and Puglia's restored masserias - the design-led, owner-run stays redefining luxury in 2026, and how to book them with VIP perks.

Destinations · March 2026

A ZOMA Guide to Quiet Caribbean Escapes

Where to disappear when the islands get loud - Mustique, Petit St Vincent, Eleuthera, Dominica and four more retreats our advisors book on repeat for honeymoons and reunions.

Insights · March 2026

Why We Still Recommend Private Aviation in 2026

Time, security and the math behind the upgrade - when charter pays back, what it actually costs in 2026 and the questions to ask your broker before you wire a deposit.

Experiences · February 2026

Inside the World's Most Personal Safari

Twelve Singita lodges across South Africa, Tanzania and Rwanda decoded - which camp suits which trip, when to go, and the perks ZOMA layers onto every booking.

Destinations · February 2026

Off-Season Japan: Cherry Blossoms Without the Crowds

Plum blossoms, post-peak sakura and the ryokan strategy our advisors use to give clients Japan at its most beautiful - and emptiest - across Kyoto, Tokyo and Hakone.

Hotels · January 2026

The Five Hotels Worth Booking Before They Open

Pre-opening rates, soft openings and the relationships that get our clients into Aman Niseko, Rosewood Amalfi Coast and Six Senses Telluride first.

Destinations · January 2026

Alpine Winter, Redefined

Beyond Verbier and Courchevel - Lech, Andermatt, Megève and the next generation of catered chalets where insiders ski this season for better snow and quieter slopes.

Experiences · December 2025

The Insider's Guide to Yacht Charter in the Mediterranean

Why the captain matters more than the boat, the routes worth booking in 2026 and what charter actually costs - APA, VAT, gratuities and all.

Wellness · December 2025

Wellness Retreats in Asia That Actually Deliver

From COMO Shambhala Bali to Amankora Bhutan and Ananda in the Himalayas - the six Asian retreats where the program is as serious as the design.

Insights · November 2025

The Art of the Upgrade

How VIP recognition really works at Four Seasons, Rosewood and Belmond - and the four-week pre-arrival playbook ZOMA uses to secure suites, credits and welcome amenities.

Reviews Cruise Reviews