The Top 15 World Luxury Destinations for 2016

luxury travel

Luxury travel is not a new concept, but it is one that is ever changing. In a world in which a city can be the most exclusive, most expensive and most desirable one day, it can also be out and replaced with something new and even more amazing the next. These cities are among the most luxurious vacation destinations in 2016, though not everyone will agree with each of them. Some are old, some are new to the list and some are cities that never thought they’d be trendy in any way.

Photo by Getty Images

fiji

Fiji

It’s cliché, yes; but it’s magical. This grouping of more than 330 islands is among the most high-end and luxurious in the world. It’s here that travelers find the most expensive hotel brands, the most high-end amenities and the best views imaginable. Bungalows on the water with glass bottoms, clear water and more romance and peace than any other place on earth make it one of the most desired luxury travel vacations of the year for many years running.

Photo by Getty Images 

dubai

Dubai

Even just a decade ago, no one would have bothered considering Dubai a luxury destination for travelers. That’s all changed now that Dubai has become one of the favorite places for the rich and famous to congregate. It’s now considered one of the most luxurious, one of the most expensive and one of the most desirable vacation destinations in the world, and all because you will need a staggering $20,000 per night if you want to stay in the city’s nicest hotel. Basically, you do nothing more than spend money here, and that’s what makes it so luxurious.

Photo by Getty Images 

sri lanka

Sri Lanka

With so much natural beauty, it’s not a big surprise this one makes the list of most luxurious places to visit in 2016. It’s hotels such as the Tri Lanka, with only 11 rooms and the most breathtaking views of Koggala Lake, the Santani, a 50-acre wellness resort and the Wild Coast Camp, which includes 28-tents and a safari lodge on a beach in a national park that make Sri Lanka so upscale, luxurious and beyond magnificent for those looking for a high-end vacation. It’s the best of every world here.

Photo by Getty Images 

seychelles

Seychelles

In the Indian Ocean, not far from Sri Lanka, this beautiful island is the most luxurious of the luxurious. It’s actually just the name of a large grouping of islands, and it’s the island of Fregate that is the most luxurious of the bunch. Only 17 villas make up this small island, each one more lavish than a million dollar home, and each one with its own private infinity pool and ocean view. It’s one of the most expensive islands in the world, and that’s what makes it so desirable for those looking for luxury every single moment of the day.

Photo by Getty Images 

paris

Paris

As always, this is the most romantic city in the world and nothing will change the fact that it is. No luxury travel list is complete without this city on it, despite the length of time it’s been gracing lists such as this one. From hotel rooms that charge more than $26,000 per night to the best restaurants in the world, to the most romantic setting imaginable, Paris is always a luxury destination that tops lists across the globe.

Photo by Getty Images 

guana

Guana

Located in the British Virgin Islands, it’s so difficult to gain access to this island that it tops lists as being one of the most exclusive and most sought-after luxury vacation destinations in the world. With only 895 acres and only 30 guests allowed, it’s the most beautiful island imaginable. Without public access, all guests must take a private plane to a nearby island and then take a luxury yacht from the hotel on the island to gain access. It’s difficult to get into; and not just because most people cannot even afford to get there.

Photo by Getty Images 

musha cay

Musha Cay

It might not be a place that many of us ‘average Joes’ have heard of, and that is for good reason. It’s an island located in the Bahamas, near the Exumas. It belongs to a series of 11 islands in Copperfield Bay. What makes it so much more luxurious and so much more desirable than any other island in the Bahamas is that this island cannot be rented for less than $40,000 per night. That means only the world’s most exclusive travelers and wealthiest members can stay here. Only 12 people may be on the island at once, and the entire island has to be rented for a night. Nothing is more luxurious than renting an entire island.

Photo by Getty Images 

namibia

Namibia

Most people don’t consider African cities to be the most luxurious. In fact, as a whole most people consider the entire country good for only one thing; safari. However, Namibia is one of the fastest growing luxury vacation destinations in the world. With locations such as the Nambwa Tented Lodge, which offers travelers 10 tents situation in treetops and turned into suites that are the most luxurious of luxurious, this place turns camping into an art form of the most exclusive design.

Photo by Getty Images 

puglia

Puglia

Never considered quite as amazing as Italy, this charming area has all that it takes to be a beautiful location. However, it was not until recently that it came onto the map as a luxury travel destination when hotels such as the Masseria Trapana and the La Fiermontina were built. Now the area is one of the most desirable resort locations in the world, and it’s becoming one that everyone puts on their vacation list so that they can say that they were seen there vacationing with the world’s most elite travelers.

Photo by Getty Images

sydney

Sydney

This is a city many people do not consider luxurious, but it’s worked its well up the ladder to become one of the most expensive, and one of the most high-end places in the world to visit. Most people will never be able to afford a trip here, but those who can know that luxury astounds at every moment. From the restaurants to the shopping to the suites in the most famous hotels, nothing here falls short of positively royal, and that’s what makes it one of the most luxurious travel destinations of the year.

Photo by Getty Images

milan

Milan

Forget Rome and forget Tuscany; it is all about Milan. Known for being one of the most amazing fashion locations in the world, Milan has recently become a travel destination for the most luxurious and the most upscale travelers. With high-end hotels and restaurants so exclusive that even the most famous people in the world find it difficult to break into them, it’s so off the charts in terms of popularity you’d think that it’s a new city as a whole.

Photo by Getty Images

mozambique

Mozambique

So exotic and so beautiful, this is a very sought after vacation destination for those who love luxury more than life itself. It’s not the island so much as one particular resort called the Indigo Bay Resort that draws so much luxury, however. This resort offers some of the most upscale amenities and the most beautiful diving in the world. Each villa personifies elegance and luxury, yet manages to blend right into the natural surrounding with little effort.

Photo by Getty Images

moscow

Moscow

Perhaps it’s not a city on your list of most exclusive cities, but it is one of the most luxurious. In fact, Moscow is a city that went through a major rehab in the 90s and became one of the world’s leading luxury destinations. It’s the five-star hotels, the luxury vehicles and the clubs that no one can get into but everyone wants to see to the over-the-top business that is conducted here that makes this city such a luxury destination.

Photo by Getty Images

new york

New York City

Try as you might, there is nothing that takes the luxury out of New York City. From walking the streets of Fifth Avenue to shopping the most expensive designers in the world, to sleeping in some of the most amazing hotels in the world, New York City is everything that luxury is made of in a nutshell. Michelin-star rated restaurants, restaurants so difficult to get into that even the most famous people in the world require a reservation well in advance, this is a city filled with luxury from top to bottom.

Photo by Getty Images

cayo espanto

Cayo Espanto

Located on a small island off the coast of Belize, you can rent this island for an astounding $11,000 per night. The island features you own butler, a personal chef, personal diver, and one of seven villas with its own staff to call your own. Since the water is perfectly clear and most people cannot afford to stay here for even one night, it’s one of the most exclusive and most luxurious destinations in the world thanks to the fact that it is simply unattainable to so many.

Photo by Getty Images

Written by Tiffany Raiford

Tiffany Raiford is a lifelong Floridian, wife to my high school sweetheart and mother of four littles (two girls and boy/girl twins...no, they are not identical and yes, I'm sure). My kids love to whine, so I love to wine. My loves include nap time, bed time, date night, travel and evenings and weekends when my husband is home because he handles all diaper changes.