SOURCE: Sotheby’s
From Thailand to Portugal, these are the locations to head to this new year, writes Francesca Perry
One of the best things about starting a new year is making plans. Not the resolutions to change bad habits, no—but the plans for holidays, travel, cultural events, new experiences and what to look forward to. 2025 has some special things in store, and whether it’s a new museum opening or a TV show setting come to life, these are places to be this year.
Phuket, Thailand
The anticipation for the new season of HBO show “The White Lotus” has been building for more than a year, and as 2024 drew to a close, details and a drop date finally emerged: the luxury-drenched, sharp-witted TV series will return to screens this February. While the first and second seasons were set in fictional five-star resorts in Hawaii and Sicily respectively, this new season takes viewers to the tropical destination of Thailand. With filming locations centered on the island of Phuket, all eyes will surely be on the sandy-shored region this year. Whether you stay in the historic city of Phuket, with its colorful 19th-century and Sino-Portuguese architecture, or a secluded coastal retreat elsewhere on the island much like this impeccable five-bedroom villa, the White Lotus-esque lifestyle awaits—just without the drama.
New York, New York
The Big Apple is an exciting destination at any time, but in 2025 three major art museums will reopen, demanding a visit. In April, the long-awaited unveiling of the renovated Frick Collection will take place, following its five-year closure. The museum, established in 1935 to preserve the art collection of industrialist Henry Clay Frick and located in a Beaux-Arts mansion, has been enhanced by New York architect Annabelle Selldorf, including new gallery spaces. This historic apartment in the Upper East Side, featuring a terrace that looks out over the city, is ideally located just a few blocks from the museum.
Later in the year, the New Museum will reopen. Situated on the Bowery, the striking, SANAA-designed museum—dedicated to showcasing diverse contemporary art—has undergone an expansion, with an eye-catching new geometric building by OMA / Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas. Last but not least, the Studio Museum in Harlem—focused on art and culture from the African diaspora—will open its new home in fall, designed by Adjaye Associates in collaboration with Cooper Robertson.
Sintra, Portugal
Just outside the capital of Lisbon, Sintra is a town on the Portuguese Riviera famed for its stunning historic architecture and picturesque landscapes. The area is populated by grand estates, such as the 18th-century, 12-bedroom Quinta da Alegria with its extensive landscaped grounds. Originally designed by Daniel Gildemeester, the Dutch consul in Portugal, the estate was acquired by a princely Austrian family and restored to its original splendor in 2007, earning a prestigious certificate as a property of national interest in the process.
This February, a new museum for ceramics, the Albuquerque Foundation, will open in Sintra, housing the collection of Brazilian entrepreneur Renato de Albuquerque and his granddaughter Mariana Teixeira de Carvalho, alongside contemporary temporary exhibitions. The museum occupies the former Albuquerque family home, a historic estate transformed sensitively by Brazilian architecture firm Bernardes Arquitetura. U.S. artist Theaster Gates will inaugurate the museum’s contemporary program, with a solo exhibition of curated sculptural ceramics.
The Hawaiian Islands
Every three years, Hawaii hosts a sprawling triennial of contemporary art, celebrating artists from the archipelago state as well as the wider Pacific region. The triennial returns February 15-May 4, 2025, with events and exhibitions at 13 sites across Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island. Curated by Wassan Al-Khudhairi, Binna Choi and Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu, this edition of the triennial will focus on “healing, solidarity, and shared humanity” through art. It’s also the perfect opportunity to take in the culture and landscape of Hawaii, from the thriving capital of Honolulu to the unique Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
SOURCE: Sotheby’s