Choosing a honeymoon is one of the most enjoyable aspects of wedding planning. Will it be a far-flung bucket list adventure? A fly-and-flop tropical island escape? Or a five-star city break? The choices are endless, but what couples are demanding is not.
Discerning newlyweds look for more than just a five-star hotel in a beautiful destination and are increasingly seeking out meaningful experiences and travel that reflects their values.
The new luxury is less about grandeur and opulence and more about having access to somewhere exclusive and off-the-beaten-track; whether that’s a barefoot chic eco lodge off the coast of Madagascar, a tented tiger safari or a unique suite in an historic London building. The ultimate trend for this year is slowmance – romantic hideaways where the pace of life is slower and WiFi’s non-existent. Here are some of the best honeymoons to snag for 2026.
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Britain
Experience perfection
Cotswolds
The most sumptuous countryside hotel and private members’ club in the UK, Estelle Manor is honeymoon heaven. Couples can alternate between wallowing in a four-poster, being pampered in the spa and dining on dim sum in the opulent Billiards Room. The fact that the historic-yet-contemporary Jacobean mansion, which Telegraph Travel scored 10/10, is ringed by 3,000 acres of parkland and gardens on the edge of the Cotswolds only adds to its bucolic allure.
Double rooms from £595pn, B&B (0330 162 7243)
Stay in the heart of the city
London
Give your wedding a fairytale ending by checking into Raffles at the OWO’s two-floor Turret Suite, which includes a living room built into a tower with sweeping views of Buckingham Palace at Horseguards, St James’s Park and the Houses of Parliament. Twenty-four-hour butler service is handy for those who can’t bear to tear themselves from the view, although don’t go too heavy on the in-room Champagne – you wouldn’t want to miss out on complimentary access to the hotel’s Guerlain Spa and pool.
Double rooms from £5,000pn, B&B (020 390 77500)
Retreat to the country
Derbyshire
What’s remarkable about the beautiful estate of Wildhive Callow Hall, rooted in nature, is the range of accommodation. Lovebirds can opt to stay in the Victorian gothic manor, but there are also treehouses with al fresco copper bath tubs or cosy wood cabins (Hives) dotted among the trees offering total peace and privacy. Wherever you lay your heads, don’t miss cocktails at the bar, botanical massages at the spa or yomping around the 35-acre grounds.
Double rooms from £188pn, room only (01335 300 900)
Europe
Go for glamour
Lake Como, Italy
Newly-opened Palazzo Venezia is the only five-star hotel in Como’s Old Town and has glamour and romance running through its DNA; from aperitivos in the rooftop bar to boat trips on the famous lake. Gaze at Lake Como from bed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of a Corner Junior Suite and don’t miss floating around in a swimming pool built into the lake at nearby Villa d’Este – yet another honeymoon hot spot from the team behind Palazzo Venezia.
Corner Junior Suite from £981pn, B&B (+39 031 5375 241)
Honeymoon with a side of wellbeing
St Tropez, France
Philip Starck’s boutique hillside Lily of the Valley hotel in St Tropez might be centred around wellbeing, but its Loft Suite is made for amour: garden, pool, airy bedroom, al fresco roll top tub and meals crafted from seasonal, local produce delivered directly to your room. When you finally leave your love nest, the French Riviera is right on your doorstep – and a private beach club.
Loft Suite from £448pn B&B (+33 4 22 73 22 00)
A different side to the Balearics
Mallorca, Spain
For couples seeking a different Balearic beat to that of Mallorca’s glamorous beach resorts, a new bolthole in the island’s rural centre will appeal. Time seems to slow down at Son Xotano, a sympathetically-restored 13th-century manor ringed by lavender-filled gardens and olive groves. All 22 rooms are dreamy, but honeymooners should book a Superior Junior Suite with Terrace, featuring a stone archway-framed bed and panoramic views. Laze around the pool on cosy, striped cabanas-for-two, dine on Mediterranean-inspired dishes beneath the stars and enjoy wine tasting in nearby vineyards.
Double rooms from £255pn, B&B (+34871027359)
Asia
Sleep in a jungle
Ubud, Indonesia
Unique and unforgettable, Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape, can be found in the valley of Batur Mountain, 40 minutes north of the cascading rice terraces of Ubud, the cultural heart of the island. There are just sixteen luxurious wooden villas (bales) each with a dining space, open-plan kitchen, swimming pool, butler service and, astonishingly, no walls or doors – the hotel’s wildly immersive concept means the only thing separating you from the jungle beyond is a pair of floaty curtains.
Bales from £1,053pn, B&B (+62 361 6208181)
Search for stars and stripes
Ranthambore National Park, India
It’s not only the thrill of spotting tigers in the wild at Ranthambore National Park that makes a stay at SUJÁN Sher Bagh unforgettable, it’s also the pathways illuminated at night by hundreds of lanterns. 12 elegant, 1920s safari-style canvas pavilions are styled with vintage furniture, brass tubs and private terraces with pools. After days spent tracking big cats it’s a joy to return to cracking campfires under star-lit skies and tuck into food made from ingredients plucked fresh from the organic vegetable garden. Sher Bagh celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, and it remains one of the best examples of low-impact eco tourism in the world.
Pavilions from £990pn, B&B (+91 11 4617 2700)
Eat yourself happy
Phuket, Thailand
Trisara means “Third Garden in Heaven” in Sanskrit, which feels apt when you’re immersed in the fragrant jasmine and frangipani-filled gardens above a private bay on Phuket’s jungly northwest coast. Suites and villas (perfect for familymoons) overlook the ocean and boast bathrooms with outdoor showers and huge bathtubs. The jewel in the hotel’s crown, however, is its Michelin-starred Pru restaurant – the island’s first and only Michelin-star – where ingredients are sourced straight from the sea and on-site farm. Don’t miss a signature massage in Jara Spa or snorkel excursions over colourful reefs.
Seven nights from £3,968pp, including breakfast and return flights (01244 604457).
Africa & Indian Ocean
The ultimate island getaway
Huvafen Fushi, Maldives
Many islands in the Indian Ocean can lay claim to white sand beaches, crystal-clear lagoons and over-water bungalows, but Huvafen Fushi, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and a major refurbishment, offers couples so much more. There’s a sensational Spaquarium (the world’s first underwater spa), organic RAW restaurant, uber-romantic villas with private infinity pools and boat trips led by a resident marine biologist that allow you to snorkel with turtles.
Seven nights half-board and including flights from £3,699pp (020 3797 0896)
Beyond the game drive
Borana Lodge, Kenya
Just four thatched roof cottages built out of rock and cedar overlook thousands of acres of pristine wilderness at this conservation-focused escape. Honeymooners tend to hide away in Cottage One, which lies farthest from the main lodge and has a huge double bed and private verandah for open-air dining and wildlife spotting.
Safari drives to glimpse the big five in the shadow of Mount Kenya bookend days filled with activities including horse riding, tours of Waitabit Farm (the largest permaculture project in East Africa), meeting the local Maasai community and treatments in The Wallow spa.
From £694pn, minimum two-night stay, full-board (+254 (0)702 243 171)
The ultimate flex
Sainte Marie island, Madagascar
A stay at Voaara on remote Sainte Marie island off Madagascar’s east coast is the ultimate flex for couples seeking a lesser-known destination for their honeymoon. Set in 100 acres of jungle and beach, seven bungalows and a three-bedroom villa are made for barefoot coastal living: think driftwood pillars and beams, indoor-outdoor bathrooms and wafty curtains. Med-meets-Asian food incorporating plenty of fresh seafood is a major highlight, as are couples’ massages with locally made Anoka oils overlooking the beach.
Bungalows from £1,133pn (+261 (0)32 89 016 00)
Oceania
Unwind in splendid isolation
Tasmania, Australia
Honeymoon in splendid isolation at Saffire Freycinet, a remarkable, low-impact design lodge with a stingray-shaped roof and twenty timber-lined cabins and pavilions with breathtaking views of the pink-hued Hazard mountains. It’s the only lodge inside spectacular Freycinet National Park, home to hidden bays, ancient Aboriginal sites and magical shell middens, and there’s natural romance at every turn; from aphrodisiac Melshell oysters served at the raw bar to idyllic outdoor bath tubs shaded by forest.
Cabins from £1,534pn, all-inclusive (+61 3 6256 7888)
An old favourite in a new way
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
The Westin Bora Bora Resort & Spa is the first resort to open on Bora Bora for nearly a decade, and it is all your tropical island honeymoon dreams rolled into one. Contemporary overwater bungalows have steps into the ocean and some come with private pools and spectacular views of Mount Otemanu. Meanwhile, the white sand beach is flanked by a large infinity pool on one side and a turquoise lagoon on the other. Hop on complimentary bikes and explore via sandy paths and wooden walkways; see turtles hatching and feeding in the Eco Centre; and dine by candlelight lagoon-side at Maere, where a new menu is created every day depending on what local fisherman have caught.
Eight nights from £7,995pp including breakfast and flights with Turquoise Holidays (07537162950)
Keep it simple
Queensland, Australia
There are glitzier, pricier places to stay in the dazzling Whitsundays on the Great Barrier Reef, but few are as charming as the adults-only Elysian Retreat. Arrive by helicopter (or boat) and stay in one of ten thatched white and wood beachside cottages sat between reef and rainforest. A simple sanctuary of calm with private decks and hammocks strung between trees, it’s so laidback the biggest demands on your time will be canapés around the firepit at dusk, daily yoga lessons and Ayurveda-inspired treatments in the spa. The fact it’s all-inclusive adds to the bliss.
From £530pn all-inclusive (+611800765687)
The Americas
A blast from the past
Bahamas, Caribbean
The Potlatch Club is a glamorous pocket of paradise – it’s like stepping into a Slim Aarons’ shoot. Established by a trio of East-coast socialites back in the 60s, it attracted the rich and famous for decades before falling into disrepair. Paul McCartney even honeymooned there with Linda back in 1969. Thanks to a seven-year renovation it’s now back to its heyday and the results are enchanting – tranquil cottages with pink coral floors and porches with rattan daybeds dotted around 12 acres of tropical gardens edged by a stretch of Eleuthera’s finest pink-sand beach. A spa, Fig Tree restaurant and two pools complete the lowkey luxe vibe.
Double rooms from £577pn including breakfast (+242 699 7001)
Escape to Eden
Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica
The latest resort to open on this remote 1,400-acre forested stretch of coast, Nekajui Peninsula Papagayo is a sensuous, Garden of Eden-esque getaway. Watch the sun melt into the Pacific Ocean from an open-air treehouse bar, go on guided early-morning nature hikes, treat yourselves to a couples’ massage in a treetop treatment room and dine on modern Peruvian cuisine at Puna. Suites tick all the honeymoon boxes – plunge pools, outdoor showers, vast beds – and Niri Beach Club, reached via a glass funicular, is blissfully relaxed.
Ocean Reserve room from £1,125pn including breakfast (+506 4081 1221)