Where to go in spring

Marrakech: for souks, sun loungers and gardens at their greenest

Marrakech in spring is when the city hits its stride. Days are warm without summer’s heavy heat, the medina is made for wandering and the souks reward a wrong turn (even the ones you pretend were planned). Winter rains leave the gardens looking their best, from Jardin Majorelle to Menara’s olive groves. Afternoons are for switching gears, from the souks to a sun lounger. If you fancy a change of scene, spring is the easiest time to tack on a day trip to the Atlas Mountains.

La Mamounia draws you in with palm-lined gardens and cooling courtyards, plus a history that feels properly lived-in. The hammam is the real deal and dining comes with serious credentials courtesy of restaurants by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Selman Marrakech, just outside the centre, doubles down on drama with an 80-metre palm-fringed pool, Jacques Garcia-designed stables and purebred Arabian horses that steal the show.

Japan: for hanami and hotel hopping

If you’re anything like us, you can’t talk about spring without Japan coming up. Cherry blossom viewing turns daily walks into a ritual, with parks made for picnics, riverside paths turning pink and temple gardens looking as if they’ve been arranged for the occasion. April and May keep the momentum going with crisp, walkable days, so you can spend more time outside and take the scenic route on purpose.

The Peninsula Tokyo has the location (opposite the Imperial Palace, close to Ginza) and the kind of luxury our members appreciate, including a fleet of Rolls-Royces, MINI Coopers and Teslas that makes sightseeing feel like a treat. Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto centres on an 800-year-old pond garden, especially photogenic in spring, and features a large spa for post-temple-trail recovery. Patina Osaka serves up tea with ceremony, alongside an entire floor dedicated to wellness and panoramic views of Osaka Castle.

Barcelona: for landmark architecture and rooftop terraces

Barcelona is a shoulder-season win. Days are sunny and the city’s best buildings reward slow appreciation, from the Gothic Quarter’s quieter corners to Gaudí façades. With Barcelona named UNESCO-International Union of Architects World Capital of Architecture for 2026, you've got a pretty good excuse to keep looking up. Parks and Montjuïc are in bloom, rooftops are back and calçots season all but guarantees a long lunch.

If you subscribe to the theory that life improves by the water, Hotel Arts Barcelona is proof. One of the 1992 Olympic Port towers, it’s part of the city’s silhouette, with pools that keep pulling you back and a rotating contemporary art collection. Dinner is a highlight too, with two-Michelin-starred Enoteca by Paco Pérez on hand, the sort of place regulars book early. For a city-centre counterpoint, Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona nails the location on Passeig de Gràcia, then seals the deal up on Terrat, its rooftop terrace for sunset cocktails and sweeping city views.

Rome: for the city’s greatest hits, minus the heat

Spring in Rome is always a delight. Mornings suit an early Vatican slot, afternoons invite a slow circuit of galleries and gardens and evenings belong to the terrace table you ‘just grabbed for one drink’. The best part is how easy it feels to stay out longer, with aperitivo outdoors and the city’s gardens stealing the spotlight from the monuments.

If walls could talk, Hotel de Russie’s would have plenty to say. Hemingway checked in and Cocteau called it ‘paradise on earth’, which feels fair once you’ve found the tiered Secret Garden. It’s a rare Roman sanctuary of rose bushes, orange trees and mature pines, tucked between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps. At Orient Express La Minerva, make time for breakfast with a live harpist playing and the rooftop terrace that turns people-watching into a pastime.

Istanbul: for tulip season, tea stops and Bosphorus sunsets

April in Istanbul is when the city flourishes. Tulip season brings colour everywhere, from Emirgan Park and Gulhane Park to the flowerbeds around Sultanahmet Square. It’s also when sightseeing feels unhurried again, with bright, walkable days made for ticking off the classics, preferably with a tea stop (or two) along the way. Add a ferry across the Bosphorus, a proper hammam reset and a waterfront table at golden hour, and you’ve got the city at its best.

The Peninsula Istanbul is a strong pick for those who like their city breaks with waterfront views and a little ceremony. If you’re going to do it properly, book the Peninsula Suite for its private rooftop terrace, outdoor pool and in-suite hammam. Aliée Istanbul - A Paris Society Collection Hotel celebrates the art of eating well, with Michelin-starred dining at Taste by Thomas Bühner and farm-to-table plates in a former royal garden at Little House. Finish at Pink Bar for cocktails, where the spicy mango tends to become the drink of choice.

Portugal: for vineyard views and city buzz

Portugal in spring can be done two ways. Go inland to the Douro for vineyard views and properly restorative days, or stay in Lisbon for Chiado walks, galleries and a rooftop table that ‘accidentally’ becomes dinner. And if you do fancy both, it’s an easy pairing: countryside first, city second, with terrace time either way. 

Six Senses Douro Valley sits high above the river in a 19th-century manor. Days can be as active or as horizontal as you like: outdoor pool, mountain bike trails, tree climbing and forest bathing if you’re feeling virtuous. The spa is genuinely worth prioritising, including underwater sound therapy and treatments using garden ingredients. The Alchemy Bar workshop is a firm favourite for make-your-own scrubs and balms. Round off the day in the Wine Library with a tasting.

Bairro Alto Hotel is Lisbon’s original boutique address, freshly updated and perfectly placed on Praça Luís de Camões, right where Chiado meets Bairro Alto. Rooms mix antique and contemporary pieces with proper soundproofing, so you get the buzz outside and the quiet inside. Book BAHR on the fifth floor for panoramic views of the River Tagus. There’s also a pastelaria for daytime sugar and an obligatory pastel de nata.

Somerset: for a world of its own

Spring in Somerset is all blossom, bright greens and walks that naturally end somewhere warm. Come for fresh air and a change of pace, then settle into the estate rhythm: slow starts, time outdoors, the spa, then dinner that feels like the main event. This is the kind of weekend where you do a lot, without feeling busy.

The Newt in Somerset is a hotel-as-the-destination favourite, set around elegantly restored Hadspen House, built in the 17th century, with gardens designed for aimless wandering. Don’t miss the cyder orchards (70 apple varieties), the on-site cyder mill, croquet on the lawn and the ice cream parlour that appears at exactly the right moment. The spa is in a former cowshed with an indoor-outdoor pool, while the estate’s beehives set the scene for bee safaris and honey tastings.