Luxury Summer Holidays with a Twist

Oliver Broad

Originally published in J’aime Magazine…

RB Collection’s award-winning team shares their top recommendations for an original summer luxury getaway.

This year, we’re seeing clients move away from typical beach holidays in search of more authentic destinations and enriching experiences. While many still crave some rest and relaxation by the sea, the trend is shifting toward destinations that offer unique opportunities rather than simply beautiful pools and pristine beaches.

Based on our clients’ bookings and current industry observations, we’ve identified the most compelling travel trends for this summer season.

The Rise of Luxury Train Travel

One of the most significant shifts we’ve observed is the growing popularity of train travel. More clients are choosing to reach destinations like the Italian Lakes or Southern Spain by rail. You can now depart London St Pancras at breakfast time and enjoy dinner in Barcelona the same evening with just one change in Paris.

We’ve been crafting these bespoke rail journeys for several years, and their popularity continues to soar. Popular stops include Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Córdoba, Granada (home to the magnificent Alhambra Palace), and Málaga. Many clients opt to combine train travel with a return flight or explore alternative routes home.

This slower-paced approach allows travellers to absorb local scenery and relax in spacious, comfortable environments while minimising time spent in airports. Another favoured route runs from London through Paris to Geneva, Milan, and the Italian Lakes. This summer, Oliver will experience the legendary Glacier Express in Switzerland, a breathtaking alternative that showcases alpine splendour.

La Dolce Vita Orient-Express: A New Era of Luxury Rail

This year marked the launch of La Dolce Vita Orient-Express (pictured above), a stunning new luxury train based in Rome. This retro-styled marvel offers one and two-night journeys throughout Italy, including Venice and Portofino, and even extends to Sicily via an innovative train ferry service.

Hotel group Accor, partnered with luxury giant LVMH, demonstrates serious commitment to transforming luxury travel. Accor has also opened La Minerva in Rome, the first of many planned Orient Express hotels designed to host passengers before and after their rail adventures.

Offering more spacious accommodations than Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, La Dolce Vita caters to a new generation seeking contemporary comfort and style over nostalgic grandeur.

Discovering Alternatives to Overtourism

Italy’s overwhelming popularity has driven prices to unprecedented levels, particularly in destinations like Sicily, which gained fame through shows like “The White Lotus.” Overtourism during peak season has become challenging, prompting us to seek compelling alternatives.

Oliver & Nathan have both now visited Montenegro (pictured above, taken by Oliver in Kotor Bay), on separate trips to visit hotels and explore what is on offer to our clients. With its mirror-like waters in Kotor Bay and stunning mountain regions, Montenegro is emerging as a serious rival to the Italian Lakes—offering similar beauty with lower prices and fewer crowds.

Prestigious brands including Regent, One&Only, Chedi, and Aman have invested in Montenegro, with more development expected under strict building controls that protect the country’s pristine landscapes.

Nathan’s stayed at the One&Only Portonovi and highly recommends it for a great high-end luxury escape.

New Luxury Properties Worth Watching

For beach enthusiasts, Oku opens its fourth property in Andalusia this July, following successful launches in Ibiza, Kos, and Bodrum. These laid-back luxury hotels feature Japanese minimalist design and target younger travelers in vibrant Mediterranean destinations.

Nearby, the new Fairmont La Hacienda Costa del Sol opened in February, offering a more traditional resort experience with its own golf club. Located just 20 minutes from SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort, it provides excellent recreational opportunities. The property sits perfectly between Marbella and Málaga to the north and Gibraltar to the south, ensuring easy flight access.

Our favourite spot along this coast remains Marbella Club, perfectly positioned for seafront walks to both Marbella and Puerto Banús. The area excels in shopping, sports, and exploration, with the picturesque historic town of Ronda easily accessible.

Greek Island Glamour

Nathan also visited Greece’s newest luxury destination: One&Only Kéa Island (pictured above), just 45 minutes by speedboat from Athens. Touted as one of this summer’s most glamorous hideaways, it features exclusive private pool villas. Given One&Only’s reputation as one of the world’s most luxurious hotel brands, bookings are expected to be in high demand following its spring opening.

Nathan has visited the One&Only Kéa Island as well as the One&Only Aesthesis, just outside of Athens.

Long-Haul Value and Cultural Richness

For families seeking better value during school holidays, Mauritius offers tropical paradise at a fraction of traditional European costs. This Indian Ocean destination provides culturally diverse experiences, and while the flight is longer, travellers can easily break the journey in Doha, Abu Dhabi, or Dubai, with convenient departures from regional UK airports.

Bali and Malaysian Borneo present another excellent option for school holidays, offering rich cultural experiences including ancient temples and incredible wildlife in tropical settings. These destinations align perfectly with the growing trend toward more enriching family holiday experiences.

Perfect Short Breaks

Malta’s capital, Valletta (pictured above, taken by Oliver during his recent visit), has experienced a remarkable renaissance in recent years. While busy during peak summer, it makes an exceptional choice for early or late season breaks. Oliver recently visited and was impressed by the island’s investment in preserving its historic city center, including the extensively refurbished Grandmaster’s Palace.

The city offers charming boutique hotels, many featuring rooftop terraces and small pools, with regular flights from Birmingham making access convenient. Valletta’s abundance of characterful bars and restaurants can be extended with a visit to peaceful Gozo, just a short ferry ride away.

To book your next luxury holiday, contact us on 01543 258631. Visit our luxury travel lounge in Boley Park, Lichfield by appointment.

Main image: The beach at Trou Aux Biches, Mauritius – one of our favourite family-friendly hotels.

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Great cruise, boat, taxi, hotel, meal (and more!) arrangements in Athens and Corfu. Oliver has this amazing ability to know what we would enjoy, which is why I've already booked my next trip with RB! To the Carribbean we go in November!! 🥳 Thanks Oliver and the entire team at RB!

Zain Qazi

‘As usual, Sam at RB Collection arranged our recent Iceland/Scotland cruise with attention to every possible detail. He remembered what had worked for us previously and used that knowledge to enhance our experience. No question was too much trouble for either Sam or his colleague Clare. We would not consider anyone else for our holiday arrangements; RB Collection are truly superb!’

Hilary Carroll

Wonderful way to book a wonderful holiday. Such a personalised & attentive approach to helping us find the perfect family holiday! Couldn’t recommend more!!!

Pandora Bahrami

They found us the perfect hotel for our London stay. Exactly the right balance of perfect location, incredible breakfast and they really listened to what we wanted. I even had access to one of London best gyms included in the stay!

Katie May Medley

RB Collections are a wonderful family run firm who welcome you into the family from the first holiday you book with them. My special thanks go to Clare who always ensures my booking runs smoothly and takes the stress out of the process of decisions by ‘knowing’ and implementing my preferences using information she has ascertained from previous bookings. I don’t have to remember…..Clare does it for me.

Janet Goodwin

Having just returned from a fantastic long weekend at Disneyland Paris, we had to leave a review for Sam and the team at RB Collection. They removed all the stress from organising the trip and ensured everything was in place for a truly memorable trip for all the family. We can’t thank them enough and we will certainly be back for future holidays. Our experience has been 10/10 👍🏻

Mike Boyden

Just returned home from a wonderful holiday in Madeira arranged by Sam from RB Collection. Every detail from flights, hotel, transfers, recommended restaurants and "must to do's" was excellent and all documents arrived by post in good time for checking before departing on our holiday. Due to the weather, our journey was delayed by two days. However after contacting RB on the emergency number in the holiday package, all was sorted by the team - an upgraded hotel room at the same hotel, flight, transfers, taking away all the stress from ourselves and allowing us to enjoy our extra two days. One cannot put a price on a phone call and text messages when something unfortunate happens and you feel vulnerable. On our return, the excellent service has continued by Sam and colleagues who are now dealing with the necessary correspondence with the airline company. My husband and I and children at home who were concerned when we were stranded, cannot thank the team at RB enough for their support and professionalism and we are looking forward to many more holidays using the company. Tom & Janet

Tom&Janet Marks

We came to RB Collection with an idea of some of the places we wanted to visit in Rajasthan, India - and they made it all happen, expertly and efficiently. Oliver and Clare were a pleasure to deal with, sorting every aspect and adding their own ideas to really enhance this wonderful trip. They checked in while we were away to make sure everything was going well (which it was) and I knew they'd be on hand if we needed anything. Thank you!

David Page

The purpose of this review isn't to confirm that our holiday was a 5 star experience (which it was, by the way) but it's a review to say that RB Collection's involvement in planning, booking and safety netting our holiday experiences has been truly 5 stars. Are people bothered if my wife and I had a great holiday - I suspect no...... Are people interested in the company that was instrumental in creating 5 star holidays - I suspect yes ......and so it's RB Collection's skills and involvement that get this 5 star rating. As a family we have booked our own holidays almost exclusively by ourselves for 35 years - until a year ago when we used RB Collection's services for the first time to book a holiday to the Ice Hotel in Sweden. We chose to book through them because we had no experience or knowledge of the Ice Hotel and their exclusive Ice Hotel Website was great. Their involvement made all the difference - in particular their personal commitment to making things work and since the first contact, they have been getting to know our travel "needs, wants and likes" more by each contact. Our next holiday was a Silversea Cruise - one that we could easily have booked ourselves, but RB's influence allowed us to save a significant (4 figure!) sum. Reason alone to recommend! Our third and most recent booking with RB was a safari which could not have been a better holiday experience. The reasons for this are as follows: 1. Up until raising the possibility, I knew nothing about safaris i.e. where to go / at what time of year / for how long etc. Within 72 hours of a discussion of a suggestion by me for a Tanzania trip (based on a google AI search), I was infinitely far better informed and after weighing up possibilities, we opted for a Kenyan trip to Amboselli and the Masai Mara. What a brilliant decision! 2. Whilst the travel options were perfect for our particular needs, RB's involvement to seamlessly arrange the multiple transfers on our journey came to the fore. This was particularly evident on coming back from Zanzibar (beach unwind) to Nairobi International, which would have presented a significant challenge had we opted for self booking, due to the (multiple) security & immigration stages. (Yes, of course - we would have negotiated the stages - we're grown ups - we can look after ourselves, but oh my. the loss of wasted heartbeats would have been significant!) Turns out that what was arranged for us was faster than "fast track" and I certainly became aware of lots of people looking enviously towards us and our safari representative as we whizzed by! 3. Photography is an important aspect of our holidays. Good photographic subjects / scenes are our means of ensuring that we're seeing good stuff, which - IMHO - is a main focus of a holiday. Our safari guides had been well briefed about my photography wishes and from the get-go, they discussed what we were looking for from our holiday and so every day we had a mutually planned itinerary for the wildlife that never disappointed. Our guides had been particularly selected from the briefing given by RB pre-travel to the safari people. In a nutshell, RB have changed our attitude to holidays and their associated experiences. In our time with them, we have undertaken holidays that we have never done before and we are now definitely thinking differently about what to do in the future. Add to this, the reassurance and safety net that travel agency booking confers and I think that RB Collection definitely deserves a 5 star review. By the way - we live distant to their location - all of our dealings have been by telephone and email so don't think you need to be locals to use their services.

Colin Scott

A big shout out for RB Collection ….they have done it again !!!! Made our World touring a pleasure AGAIN ….having done the cruising in various parts of the world …the Canada trip…..the India & Nepal trip…& just recently the Hongkong Australia New Zealand trip…it’s like being transported on a Dreamliner !every attention to detail from getting to the airport arriving at the destinations & being picked up & taken to the various types of accomadation ….Thanks Team RB & especially to Sam for this last one 🌴☀️😎

Linda Taylor

call: 01543 258631 email: vip@rbcollection.com

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