The digital flood of European vacay snaps has dried to a trickle, school’s back in session, work’s ramping up and it’s official – summer is over.
If, like us, this makes you all kinds of depressed, we’ve got just the solution to shoo away those post-holiday blues… booking your next trip, of course! You’ll find tons of inspo and intel in all 30 LUXE City Guides. Read on for our chosen autumn city breaks, where falling temps and leaves make the journey all the more agreeable.
Barcelona
If the iPhone-wielding influencers and khaki’d coachloads deterred your visit over summer, now’s the perfect time to say ‘Hola!’ to this spicy Catalonian senorita. With temps still hanging at beach level, blissfully accessible landmarks and restaurants, and festivals spanning jazz, wine and art, the glittering, blue skied bombshell has never looked or sounded better.
Where to sleep: LUXE loves the moody Mercer hotel in character-packed Barri Gòtic for the most sumptuous of stays.
Sydney
Though it’s actually springtime Down Under, Sydney still makes the list as a sparkling destination for any northern hemishperers seeking bloom over bluster, or chasing that dwindling summer sun. Rounding out the year you’ll find ever more clement weather, the Sydney Spring Carnival, Fringe Festival, Listen Out music festival, Sydney Contemporary art fest, Sculptures by the Sea, myriad food, comic, sport and dance celebrations, plus those beaches. What’s not to love?Where to Sleep: Sydney has welcomed a plethora of new hotels this year, but hip n’ happening Surry Hills gets our vote with spruce bunker Little Albion Guest House or heritage-meets-modern Paramount House Hotel.
Florence
If price hikes and irksome queues are your holiday kryptonite, chances are you sidestepped Renaissance babe Florence in the spring and summertime, when you’ve about as much chance of seeing Michaelangelo in the flesh as you do getting anywhere near his David in the Galleria dell’Accademia. But with the cool breeze comes fewer visitors and many more reasons to get thee to Tuscany. Wine and oil seasons are nigh, so harvesting and tastings are yours for the taking, theatre and opera seasons kicks off, and regional food festivals plus the 50 Giorni de Cinema film fest take place. And did we mention the patchwork pretty countryside? Magnifico.
Where to sleep: Modish SoprArno Suites is packed to the rafters with vintage furny, art, frescoes and rare-for-Italy king-sized beds. There are only 11 bunkers so be sure to reserve well ahead.
New York City
Few cities in the world can match Gotham in the fall (or any time of year really), with Central Park transforming into a real life impressionist painting dappled in burnt oranges, flame reds and deep clarets. Fashion Week, Halloween parties, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the benchmark New York Comedy Festival are just some of the notable dates to be marked in your calendar. But the absolutely unmissable event as far as we are concerned is the fabulous Open House weekend, where for just three days the city unlocks some of the most important and usually off limits architectural spaces across the five boroughs.
Where to sleep: Marrying a customised Scandi aesthetic with New York edge and beyond exceptional service, 11 Howard is stylish and socially conscious SoHo stay.
Tokyo
With its ravishing cherry blossoms and crisp, fragrant air, springtime Japan may forever reign supreme, but with autumn comes fantastical foliage, snuggly fashion and soul-warming soups and broths. Though koyo (the viewing of autumn leaves) is an ancient annual custom, the descending crowds do not even remotely compare to that of sakura season, so you can enjoy your lush leafy moment in relative P&Q. Japanese maples are dotted all over town, from Koishikawa Kōrakuen to Rikugien and the Nezu Museum garden, so check out the full LUXE roundup to ensure you miss nary a frond.
Where to sleep: For something a lil’ different, check into funky futuristic crib BnA Studio Akihabara.
Istanbul
Istanbul‘s searing summer sun is retreating, making for perfectly balmy days and cool nights in a city that comes alive in the autumn light. If the spectacular sunsets, crunchy changing leaves, aromatic foods and romantic cityscapes fail to beguile, the blessedly quiet markets, bazaars, attractions, and cultural event standouts (Filmekimi fest, anyone?) certainly will.
Where to sleep: Occupying an Itlaliante C.19th palazzo (once home to the US embassy) Soho House brings its trademark chutzpah to Istanbul with Anatolian-accented design, palatial drawing room, Cowshed Spa and rooftop dips.
Planning a globe-strutting Autumn adventure? Shop the complete LUXE collection…
