What constitutes a luxury holiday? It’s a question that might prompt a dozen different answers from a dozen different people. For some, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime safari with nights spent ‘glamping’ out under the stars. For others, it’s living the high-life in Manhattan, a shopping splurge in Paris or basking in the sunshine in the Canaries. And there are plenty of people for whom luxury is a palm-fringed beach resort where we’re pampered 24/7.
Whatever our preferences, most of us assume a luxury holiday requires advanced booking and lots of planning, but the truth is there’s nothing to stop you enjoying a luxury holiday on the spur of the moment. TUI Sensatori range of holidays includes some extremely tempting last-minute deals if you’re itching to get away at short notice.
So stop procrastinating and get booking!
Head to the Med
There are certain things we all expect from a luxury holiday – beautiful surroundings, five-star accommodation, world-beating cuisine, the chance to completely unwind, pursue our passions and have fun. We also want a sense of dedicated personal service, and to feel that we can tailor our holiday to fit us rather than the other way around. Oh, and if we’ve got children we’d like plenty for them to do too. Ultimately, we want to come away from the experience knowing we’ve got a fresh store of special memories to savour.
In Europe, such luxury is never far away, and this time of year much of it resides on the shores of the Mediterranean, in particular destinations like Spain, Greece, Italy and Turkey, as well as islands like Ibiza, Cyprus, Rhodes and Crete.
The box fresh TUI Sensatori Atlantica Rhodes Resort opened this year, is an absolute stunner, situated next to a Blue Flag beach on the southeast of the Greek island.
It comes with five-star facilities, including six restaurants, a world-class spa and opportunities to take part in yoga and pilates classes, as well as sports including archery. If you’re bringing the family, the resort includes the Play House, with staff and facilities dedicated to children’s activities (leaving you free to enjoy the adults-only pool) and there’s a nursery for kids of four years and under.
Ibiza is one of the Mediterranean’s party islands, but there’s plenty of room for those who’d rather chill out. And the perfect place to do that is the TUI Sensatori resort on the southwest of the island.
It’s set on a hill, providing a great vantage point for spectacular sunsets over Cala Tarida Bay (a sundowner at the rooftop bar is the perfect spot to enjoy it) and given the resort is spread out over a wide area of land there are six different pools (including an adults only and a kids splash pool) and six restaurants to sample – the Sunset Mediterranean restaurant offers local dishes like black rice paella.
Caribbean luxury
For travellers, the Caribbean is synonymous with luxury, and it’s not difficult to see why, what with sparkling turquoise waters, dazzling coral reefs, tropical sunsets and some of the most exclusive resorts anywhere in the world.
Add a dash of rum and some deep reggae rhythms and you’ll find yourself in Jamaica, where you can explore some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, places like Montego Bay, Trelawny, Ocho Rios or Seven Mile Beach.
At the last of these you’ll find the TUI Sensatori Resort Negril, set along a palm-fringed white beach. People mostly come here to completely wind down, but for those with more active desires there is plenty of watersport equipment available for snorkelling, kayaking, sailing and so on.
If you took a boat east from Jamaica, you’d arrive at the island shared by Haiti in the west and the Dominican Republic in the east. And close to the most eastern part of the island you’ll find the little town of Uvero Alto on what’s known as the Coconut Coast, a 50-kilometer stretch of tropical shoreline. Here’s where you’ll find Punta Cana resort, built right up to the beach. Be sure to explore some of the country’s lush and mountainous tropical interior while you’re here, including the stunning Parque Nacional del Este, with over 500 species of flowers and 150 types of bird.
In Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula you’ll find the popular city of Cancún. It has a famous party scene but there’s far more to the area than its nightlife. Take its birdlife, for example, just off the coast on the Isla Contoy, where you’ll find all kind of exotic and colourful species, including pelicans and Frigate birds.
Then there are the Maya ruins to explore at places like Chichén Itzá and Cobá. Head to TUI’s Sensatori Resort Riviera Cancun, and you’ll have the perfect place to explore all this region has to offer, before settling down to your luxurious surroundings, complete with in-room hot tubs and a Mojito Lounge that has 18 (count ’em) speciality mojitos to choose from.
All hotels featured in this article can be booked with TUI. Book your last minute holiday today!