ADVERTORIAL • December 2024

Four brilliant breaks for the culturally curious in 2025

Thinking ahead to your 2025 adventures? It’s a good year to immerse yourself in a completely new city: somewhere with bucket-list experiences on your doorstep, a thriving food scene, or layers of history and architecture

Sign up to Marriott Bonvoy and, thanks to its partnership with us, you can collect Avios with each participating hotel you book. There are more than 30 trusted hotel brands and 10,000 destinations, so you’re bound to find one to suit for that perfect short break. 

It’s completely free to join Marriott Bonvoy and, for a limited time only, you’ll collect 250 bonus Avios when you do. Then you can start collecting even more Avios with one of these cultured city stays, each a gateway to an intriguing destination.

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Moxy Tromso
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Moxy Tromsø, Norway

Best for: Bucket-list sights
Tromsø is northern Norway’s gateway to the northern lights – or midnight sun – depending on which time of year you’re in town. As well as being one of the world’s best places to see the aurora borealis, it has unique cultural experiences on offer hosted by the Sami people, Lapland’s Indigenous community. Moxy Tromsø puts you in the heart of things. Surrounded by dramatic mountain and water views, it has a Sky Bar that’s a must for cocktails, a Grab and Go station, a compact gym and industrial-chic rooms.

The Club says: All guests are welcomed with a ‘Got Moxy’ cocktail or mocktail at check-in, which is best enjoyed from your room, with undisturbed views of the fjord and mountains of this delightful Arctic playground.

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Garamond
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Garamond, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Krakow, Poland

Best for: An underrated scene
Poland’s cultural capital has exquisite architecture and sociable city squares, partly thanks to having been spared in the bombing raids of World War II. Ornate Gothic churches, a history-packed Jewish Quarter, a 16th-century castle and a moving museum in Oskar Schindler’s old factory building are all must-sees. Right on the edge of the old town, close to St Mary’s Basilica, the Garamond boutique hotel whispers with stories, too – it was once the HQ of a popular Polish newspaper and retains glamorous Art Deco design details. Admire stained glass, vintage typewriters and cocktail bar inspired by the Orient Express.

The Club says: Get to know the local cuisine with the hot Polish breakfast option, alongside a generous buffet spread at the elegant Kuryer restaurant.

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Ivens
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The Ivens, Autograph Collection, Lisbon, Portugal

Best for: Style and design
Lisbon is the place if you want to return feeling inspired. Home to hundreds of innovative artists, interior designers, architects and chefs, it excels at striking dishes, colourful tiling and lovingly preserved buildings. Soak it all in at The Ivens, where interiors are inspired by Portugal’s history of global exploration. Glossy palm plants deck a dark-wood lobby where wallpaper, textiles and objets d’art evoke tropical islands, jungle birds and treasures collected from far-flung shores. Named after Portuguese adventurer Roberto Ivens, this boutique stay has meticulously appointed basic rooms, as well as lavish suites with arched windows and murals.

The Club says: The dolce vita osteria vibes of the Ristorante and Crudo Bar are worth dropping in for – designed by renowned architect Lázaro Rosa-Violán, this is a theatrical, maximalist space.

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Istanbul
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JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus, Turkey

Best for: Trailblazing dining
The ideal city break hotel should drop you right into the action, with a vibrant scene on your doorstep. So it is with the JW Marriott in Istanbul’s Karaköy neighbourhood – home to boutiques, cafés, and markets. First-timers will also be within an easy taxi of the top sights, including the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace – but can return to some of the city’s coolest coffee shops, galleries and cocktail bars in industrial-chic settings. Retire to the hotel to indulge in its own foodie spectrum of eight distinctive culinary concepts, including the Michelin-listed Octo, on the ninth floor, a cosy tea lounge and Skull & Bones cocktail bar.

The Club says: After a long day’s exploring, the spa here is a true sanctuary, reflecting the city’s centuries-old hammam culture with its scrub-downs in marbled surroundings.

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