The Local Foreigner

For 2025, we're hearing a lot about Spain. The best European itineraries combine excellent dining, deep culture, fascinating history, and the opportunity to feel like you’re discovering your own version of the place - stumbling into a coffee shop you wish was in your neighborhood at home, or happening onto a beach that feels like a revelation. And while Italy and France have long held the banner for luxury summers in Europe, in recent years, we’ve seen travelers turning to España for multi-stop itineraries: city time among the world-class museums and tapas bars of Madrid or within the meandering gothic alleyways of Barcelona, horseback riding through the orange-scented breezes of Andalusia, and afternoons with toes in the sand in the Balearics or along the Costa del Sol. Spain has a scene if you’re looking for it, but it also offers endless opportunities to make your own way. #wemaketravelbetter . . . #localforeigner #luxurytravel #iamatraveler #travelinspiration #travelgoals #traveldeeper #itravelbecause #wanderlust #travelbetter #dreamdestinations #fulltimetravel #travelexperts #travelindustry #traveltrends #2025travel

If you caught our top ten most-booked destinations earlier this week, you know that there are no one-trick ponies on the Local Foreigner team. There was representation from Europe, Central America, Asia, Africa, and North America on our most-booked countries list, and that's down to two things - traveler trust and our advisors' vast knowledge base. But you didn't think we let our clients have all the fun, did you? Consistently scouting both classic and new hotels, experiences, and destinations is the key to keeping on top of what's best worldwide - and every piece of detailed feedback gets entered into our industry-leading CRM, where it can be accessed by our whole team. And on Fridays, we're going to keep sharing our favorite highlights with you. Head to our stories for hotel raves from three countries that made our top ten most-visited this year. #wemaketravelbetter . . . #localforeigner #luxurytravel #iamatraveler #travelinspiration #travelgoals #itravelbecause #traveldeeper #wanderlust #travelbetter #dreamdestinations #fulltimetravel #travelindustry #travelexperts #fridayfeedback #hospitalityindustry #traveladvisor

December is a time for escaping and for coming home again - escaping for early runs down European slopes, long lunches at Shellona, and kayaking between Antarctic glaciers, and coming home for crackling fireplaces, sunset walks, and holiday decorations. And while we love a Caribbean beach and a European Christmas market, we’re also firm believers that anything can be a festive trip - Boxing Day shopping in the souks of Marrakech or futuristic concerts at the Sphere? Why not? In December, Local Foreigner team members took it all in. This monthly roundup is just a little peek into how we’re making travel better, one trip at a time. #wemaketravelbetter . . . #localforeigner #monthlyroundup #roundupreel #luxurytravel #luxurytraveladvisor #iamatraveler #wintertravel #wanderlust #fulltimetravel #travelindustry #travelinspiration #traveldeeper #travelgoals #wanderlust #luxuryadventures  #dreamdestinations

We're self-described hotel obsessives around here, whether the situation calls for a tucked away jewelbox or a classic beach resort. We also like to think of ourselves as matchmakers, pairing our travelers with the property that will make a destination sing for them, and the variety in our most-booked hotels list speaks to that specificity. Local Foreigner clients stayed in over 1,400 hotels across the world in 2024, and these were the ones they visited most. 2024, thank you for your thoughtful welcome amenities, epic views, and monogrammed pillowcases - you were an all-timer. But the clock has struck midnight, and we're officially checking into 2025. Cheers! #wemaketravelbetter . . . #localforeigner #luxurytravel #iamatraveler #travelinspiration #travelgoals #itravelbecause #traveldeeper #travelbetter #fulltimetravel #travelindustry #travelexperts #vacationgoals #traveldreams #luxuryhospitality #hospitalityindustry #luxuryhotels #traveladvisor #toptenhotels

In 2024, Local Foreigner clients were everywhere - from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, and from mega metropolises to four-room lodges that can only be reached by helicopter. So pulling the data on travelers' most visited "cities" wasn't asking quite the right question - we needed a way to consider destinations more holistically, as pieces you might use in your travel puzzle. What constituted an individual destination was a subject of much discussion, and ultimately we decided to go with cities and *regions* - so Amalfi, Positano, Praiano, Ravello, and Sorrento got grouped together into the Amalfi Coast, but Capri got counted on its own (and finished in 19th place in its own right.) This means we have capital-C Cities, like Tokyo, going up against entire islands, like St. Barth's - a classic encapsulation of the apples and oranges comparisons and decisions that happen in travel. But after all of our hemming and hawing, we hope this top ten gives you a sense of the shape that travel took this year. And if we're this obsessive about data organization for an Instagram slideshow, just imagine how exacting we are when it comes to planning your trip. #wemaketravelbetter . . . #localforeigner #luxurytravel #iamatraveler #travelinspiration #travelgoals #itravelbecause #dreamdestinations #endofyear #topten #toptencountdown #2024travel #2024roundup #travelindustry #fulltimetravel #traveladvisor #luxurytraveladvisor

Local Foreigner advisors sent clients to more than 95 countries in 2024, planning adventures and explorations everywhere from the mountains of Ecuador to the streets of Seoul to the beaches of Barbados. And while we love the creativity of an off-the-beaten-track trip, there are also classic destinations that travelers return to again and again, and we get to dive deeper during the planning process each time. Clients spent more than 5,000 total nights this year across our top ten most-traveled countries - swipe through to see which one came out on top. #wemaketravelbetter . . . #localforeigner #topten #2024topten #toptencountries #mosttraveled #endofyear #2024wrapup #traveladvisor #travelindustry #fulltimetravel #traveltrends #luxurytravel #itravelbecause #iamatraveler

On Wednesday, we asked Santa for every piece of feedback we receive in 2025 to start, "This hotel changed me. It’s perfect. Exceptional. Flawless. Just go…not much else to say." There's something about bracing cold and feet of snow that makes the world feel new again - and today in Friday Feedback, we're losing all chill about three snowy spots that delighted us recently. #wemaketravelbetter . . . #localforeigner #luxurytravel #iamatraveler #travelinspiration #travelgoals #itravelbecause #traveldeeper #wanderlust #travelbetter #dreamdestinations #fulltimetravel #travelindustry #travelexperts #bucketlistdestination #vacationgoals #traveldreams #discovermore #luxuryhotels #coldweathertravel #skibunnies

One of the best gifts we got this year was the new United non-stop route from Newark to Marrakech that launched in October. The Red City has long been a Local Foreigner favorite - a magical place with a maze of a medina, smoke rising from sizzling grills, and the call to prayer echoing across rooftops. Seasonally, Marrakech is at its best when many European destinations are quieter and colder, meaning travelers with time to wander in the winter may find a sweet spot in Morocco. And with the new flight, you can be under the palms in less than eight hours - Christmas clean up can wait. Head to the link in our bio for more on the blog. #wemaketravelbetter . . . #localforeigner #luxurytravel #iamatraveler #travelinspiration #morocco #marrakech #postcardfrommarrakech #travelgoals #itravelbecause #traveldeeper #dreamdestinations #fulltimetravel #travelindustry #travelexperts #bucketlistdestination #luxuryhospitality #hospitalityindustry #luxurydestinations

Whether it's a slice of Marrakech in St Barths or your own little kingdom in Basel, we have feedback on that. Head to our stories for this week's Friday Feedback. #wemaketravelbetter . . . #localforeigner #iamatraveler #luxurytravel #travelinspiration #travelgoals #itravelbecause #traveldeeper #wanderlust #travelbetter #bucketlistdestination #vacationgoals #fulltimetravel #travelexperts #fridayfeedback

For planners, there’s nothing like the glory of a blank calendar at the beginning of the year - 365 little squares just waiting to be filled with adventures and new experiences. We polled the Local Foreigner team to see where they’re headed in the new year (and what they’re scheming, even if the flights haven’t quite been booked yet.) A few destinations came up over and over again - Mallorca and Menorca, the Eleven Experience chalets in the French Alps, Corsica and Sardinia, and - in a popularity landslide - everyone wants to go to the Dolomites. Head to the link in bio for more travel daydreaming, from Uruguayan beach barbeques to horseback safaris through Kyrgyzstan. #wemaketravelbetter . . . #localforeigner #luxurytravel #iamatraveler #travelinspiration #travelgoals #itravelbecause #traveldiaries #explorethemediterranean #onourradar #dreamdestination #traveltrends #travelwithme

Something about the cold makes us extra hungry - there's nothing like a cozy bowl of French onion soup to find all the chilly corners of your soul and warm them right up. Today in Friday Feedback, we're excited about a Parisian classic and a reborn London institution. And we have a completely unhinged ode to Hillstone that could only have been written during the madness of during holiday travel, because let's be real - sometimes, the answer is just Hillstone. #wemaketravelbetter . . . #localforeigner #fridayfeedback #restaurants #parisdining #londondining #restaurantrecs #travelbetter #itravelbecause #willtravelforfood #traveltoeat

Austria's picturesque capital unfolds like a popup storybook year-round, but during the holidays, the addition of some of Europe's best Christmas markets make it extra magical. Illuminated gothic buttresses soar into the air, which somehow smells like candied almonds (the snow globe is actually an Austrian invention, and it's not hard to see where the inspiration came from), and Rosewood Vienna puts you in the middle of the more than 20 markets in the city. Once you've had your fill of germknödel (a steamed bun filled with plum jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar and poppy seeds), hop on a day train to Lech - as one of Austria's highest ski resorts, this charming Alpine village opens its slopes in early December - or check out the impossibly picturesque new Rosewood Schloss Fuschl, just outside Salzburg. #wemaketravelbetter . . . #localforeigner #luxurytravel #iamatraveler #travelinspiration #travelgoals #itravelbecause #traveldeeper #wanderlust #travelbetter #dreamdestinations #fulltimetravel #travelindustry #travelexperts #bucketlistdestination #vacationgoals #travelcrushtuesday #discovermore #travelexperience #rosewood #luxurytraveladvisor #traveladvisor