Travel
The 2024 Men’s Health Travel Awards
Published
6 months agoon
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AdminTHERE’S A WHOLE big world out there. With only so much time to explore it—even less if we’re talking just vacation time—where do you go? Maybe you’re into meditative retreats with morning yoga sessions, plant-based dining, and nightly aura cleanses. Or maybe snowboarding, mountain-biking, or free-climbing is more your thing. Or, perhaps, you’re looking for something more vacation vacation—toes in the sand; a cold drink in hand. Whatever you’re into, we got you.
Our expert team of editors and Men’s Health advisors spent the last twelve months researching dozens of destinations, accommodations, and tours. We visited every one and narrowed our favorites into three categories—Active, Recovery, and Relax—so you can find the experiences that work for you.
Pack up. Ship out. This is the 2024 Men’s Health Travel Awards.
Its name roughly means a “club for mutual improvement.” Much of that centers on the hotel’s Gear Garage, an on-the-house feature that lets you borrow sporting equipment, including bikes, scooters, skateboards (!), and even kayaks to cruise the nearby Scioto River.
First a 19th bank, then a music school, it’s since been converted into a sharp designer hotel. The luxe, glass-enclosed lobby hints at the long list of high-brow amenities you’ll find here—including gourmet room service and a stunning spa—all within steps of the city’s best sites. However, its main attraction is the 1,615 square feet gym (one of the biggest in the city) that’s loaded with Technogym equipment and Therabody recovery gear.
Surrounded by 200 private acres less than an hour from NYC, this ultra-luxe retreat focuses on rebooting your health with an ass-kicking fitness regimen and a structured, plant-based diet. Morning hikes, afternoon strength training, yoga, and professional massage are all on the daily agenda.
Located at the foot of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, this adventure-minded hotel offers direct access to some of the country’s best skiing. With on-site gear rentals, a swanky restaurant, a heated outdoor pool, and a fitness and recovery center, it’s also the perfect base for exploring Grand Teton National Park too.
Situated on 180 acres of preserved green space, this stunning French Revival-style mansion is one of South Carolina’s newest and most elegant boutique hotels. Steps from the front door are 15 miles of private hiking trails and easy access to the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond. Pro tip: Check out the swanky on-site bar with a solid mocktail menu.
More than “just a place to crash,” every hotel in this series of adventure-minded outposts with locations across the U.S. serves as the perfect base camp for hiking, skiing, surfing, mountain biking, and more. Think: On-site rentals, gear lockers, roaring campfires, and local craft beers—all in a dog-friendly atmosphere.
Our go-to expedition cruise line just keeps getting better. Its two all-new polar-class ships explore the world’s most remote destinations (think Antarctica and the Arctic Circle) in a category of comfort, luxury, and elegance that no other adventure cruise can touch.
This sister property to Outbound Hotels’ Mammoth Lakes outpost is a renovated retro-mod motel with a campy, Wes Anderson film vibe that just works. Amid Jackson’s sky-high accommodations, this is a surprisingly affordable, vintage alternative minutes from everything the area is known for.
Located in Iceland’s rugged and remote central Highlands, this sister property to the iconic Blue Lagoon Retreat looks, feels, and is worlds away from the country’s well-worn tourist trail. For hearty travelers who appreciate solitude, adventure, and austere beauty, it offers all three in spades.
With a sleek, shimmering façade, this new 36-story highrise offers panoramic views of the Houston skyline. Step outside for a stroll through the adjacent 160-acre park, or hit up the rooftop infinity pool or whole-floor spa for some daytime Zen without leaving the property.
Tucked between a private, adults-only beach and Panama’s wildlife-rich jungle, La Coralina is a welcome respite for relaxation-seeking travelers. The location alone is reason to come, but the all-new series of yoga, meditation, and wellness retreats is reason to stay a while.
With massive flower displays, beautiful guests, and luxurious furnishings dotting every common area, this Barcelona hotel oozes relaxed, cosmopolitan luxury. Everything from the designer toiletries to the two-Michelin-Star restaurant to the stunning views makes the sky-high nightly rates here worth the price of admission.
The first Edition hotel in Latin America is a study in sexy, modern luxury—all set on a 620-acre nature preserve. Inside, the vibe is like “posh Euro disco” meets “relaxed Mexican retreat,” and it somehow all just works. Plus, its tranquil spa—replete with a sauna, three pools, and detached massage rooms—is one of the best in Quintana Roo.
Virgin brings its unique brand of bold, rock-n-roll hotel design to NYC’s trendy NoMad neighborhood. The whole-floor gym and new Exhale Spa might make you never want to leave. If you do, the 40-story high-rise is centrally located to Penn Station, the Empire State Building, and much, much more.
Basketball courts, 24-hour room service, pickleball, a fitness studio—and that’s just the onboard fun. With more than ten itineraries dropping in 2024, HAC now spans the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and Japan.
With world-class hiking, sailing, kayaking, snorkeling, and spa’ing, Scrub Island might be the best Caribbean Island you’ve never heard of. Its namesake resort offers it all in ultra-relaxed, private surroundings worthy of a luxurious honeymoon getaway.
Tucked into Oregon’s famed Willamette Valley is this funky “neighborhood” of 36 renovated Airstream trailers. It’s equal parts “vintage adult campground” and “oh-to-be-a-kid-again” getaway, complete with an on-site pool, lawn games, and easy access to the area’s best vineyards.
Tucked into Downtown Louisville’s famed Whiskey Row, this handsome, five-star hotel pays homage to the city’s roots with a healthy dash of modernity. It’s a quick walk to the Ohio River, or stay in and relax at the glass-topped rooftop bar, Repeal Oak-Fired Steakhouse, or your own riverview suite.
Bright, breezy, and just the right amount of classic New England charm, this five-star resort offers everything you’d ever want in a picture-perfect Cape Cod escape. You’ll find on-site tennis courts, world-class beaches, and cozy cottages, many with gas fireplaces, marble bathrooms, and stunning ocean views.
Somehow this R-C outpost manages to stand out, even amid NYC’s red-hot NoMad district. It’s within walking distance of the city’s most famous attractions and locals-only neighborhoods, all while maintaining the brand’s signature, cool-as-a-cucumber flavor of relaxed luxury inside.
With easy access to the Champs-Élysées and guest suites with Eiffel Tower views, this swanky boutique hotel is about as sexy as it gets for travelers to the City of Light. Inside, the vibe is all “cozy Parisian escape” with velvet curtains, vintage sofas, and a library lounge that supplants the typical hotel reception desk.
After undergoing a massive renovation, JW Marriott’s MC property delivers an expected class of branded luxury in the city’s swanky Polanco District. The interior is replete with luxury accommodations, including a rooftop pool, pillowtop mattresses, 24-hour room service, and a warm, tasteful design that’s heavy on dark wood, plush carpeting, and floor-to-ceiling windows.