Autumn has its own rhythm, marked by harvests, cultural celebrations and landscapes in transition. In Italy, the season unfolds around vineyards and truffle country, while London and Hong Kong welcome cherished traditions and new cultural moments. Along the Red Sea, autumn offers a warmer escape shaped by water, wellness and desert landscapes, while in Montana, days in the wilderness give way to firelit evenings and stargazing beneath clear alpine skies. Together, these experiences offer travellers a compelling way to encounter each destination through the flavours, stories and landscapes that define it.
ROCCO FORTE HOTELS
Across southern Italy and Rome, Rocco Forte Hotels traces the season through nature, history and the rituals of the table. At Masseria Torre Maizza in Puglia’s Itria Valley, an expert botanist leads guests through the Parco delle Dune Costiere, exploring its biodiversity and regenerative farming traditions before transforming gathered wild herbs into bespoke infusions at Bar Bougainvillea. In Sicily, Villa Igiea reveals the enigmatic side of Palermo through Palermo Noir, an after-dark journey through the districts of Cuba, Seralcadio and Kalsa, shaped by legends, historic intrigue and the enduring traces of the Spanish Inquisition. Guests of Hotel de Russie can leave Rome for the Frascati hills, where a traditional scampagnata at Santa Benedetta Winery pairs a hands-on cooking class with estate wines and olive oils. Back in the capital, Hotel de la Ville brings the day to a close at Cielo Bar, where the Shooting Stars cocktail collection takes inspiration from Rome’s landmarks and skyline.
Further north, truffle season connects Florence and Milan through two distinctive journeys. Guests of Hotel Savoy can venture into the Tuscan countryside with truffle expert Giulio and his Lagotto dogs before gathering for a truffle-led lunch at his home. The experience continues in Florence with globally renowned, award-winning mixologist Salvatore Calabrese’s Truffle Negroni at Bar Artemisia and a themed dinner at Irene, where white truffle appears in dishes ranging from pan-fried eggs to vanilla ice cream. From The Carlton in Milan, travellers can continue into Piedmont’s UNESCO-listed Langhe region to explore Alba, the world capital of the white truffle, and the Castle of Grinzane Cavour, where the region’s culinary heritage meets the winemaking traditions of Barolo and Nebbiolo.
For reservations and more information, please visit https://www.roccofortehotels.com/
THE PENINSULA HONG KONG
Hong Kong’s autumn theatre calendar takes an imaginative turn when Charlie and the Chocolate Factory makes its city debut at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on 4 November. As Official Hotel Partner of the production, The Peninsula Hong Kong will extend the story beyond the stage through a collection of themed experiences. From 10 November to 10 December, Felix will serve an afternoon tea inspired by Roald Dahl’s fantastical world, set against sweeping views of Victoria Harbour. Golden Ticket chocolate bars, chocolate and fruit pastries, and playful cocktails and mocktails bring a polished interpretation of the tale to the hotel’s top floor.
The collaboration will also include a limited-time family stay inspired by the production, alongside a series of Golden Ticket surprises shared through the hotel’s social channels. Together, the experiences create a timely family city break in which harbour views, theatre and The Peninsula’s longstanding traditions are woven into one journey, allowing the story to continue long after the curtain falls.
For more information, please visit https://www.peninsula.com/en/hong-kong/special-offers/dining/whimsical-afternoon-tea-at-felix
ONE&ONLY MOONLIGHT BASIN
Set at an elevation of 7,000 feet across 240 secluded acres, One&Only Moonlight Basin places travellers within Montana’s vast alpine wilderness, bordered by more than 17,000 acres of permanently protected land. During the milder part of autumn, the landscape can be explored through more than 15 miles of guided hiking and mountain-bike trails, fly-fishing and paddleboarding on the property’s alpine lakes, or excursions to Yellowstone National Park, an hour away. When the first snow arrives, the terrain shifts towards snowshoeing, Nordic skiing and fat-tire biking. Low-rise lodges, freestanding cabins and four- to six-bedroom Private Homes provide a warm counterpoint to the outdoors, with fireplaces, expansive windows and private hot tubs overlooking the surrounding peaks.
After dark, Montana’s exceptionally clear skies become part of the experience. The private Observatory houses the advanced PlaneWave telescope, one of the best in the world, with expert astronomers guiding year-round stargazing sessions. Days outdoors can be followed by mineral-inspired treatments at the 17,000-square-foot One&Only Spa, restorative time in the outdoor onsen and cold plunge, or ranch-to-table dining at Wildwood, where Montana game, trout, honey and seasonal produce connect the menu to the surrounding landscape.
For reservations and more information, please visit https://www.oneandonlyresorts.com/moonlight-basin
THE PENINSULA LONDON
At The Peninsula London, autumn is shaped by the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of Asia’s most cherished celebrations of reunion, gratitude and the harvest season. Throughout September, Canton Blue – featured in the MICHELIN Guide – will present seasonal lunch and five-course dinner menus rooted in Cantonese culinary tradition, with dishes ranging from refined dim sum and Typhoon Shelter-style oysters to Wagyu ribeye and The Peninsula’s celebrated mango pudding. An intimate Mooncake Masterclass led by Master Dim Sum Specialist Chef Ling Ling will introduce guests to the craftsmanship behind the symbolic delicacy before a three-course Cantonese dinner.
The season also marks the launch of Mahjong Mondays in Canton Blue’s Tea Lounge from 14 September. Bespoke sets created in partnership with Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong woodwork atelier Start From Zero provide the setting for evenings of conversation and friendly competition, accompanied by hand-pulled noodles and an apricot gin and yellow baijiu martini. At The Peninsula Boutique & Café, the hotel’s mooncake collection includes its signature mini egg custard mooncakes, first created at The Peninsula Hong Kong in 1986, while the newly restyled Little Blue Noodle Bar terrace offers warming bowls of noodles as London’s autumn evenings begin to draw in.
For reservations and more information, please visit https://www.peninsula.com/en/london/5-star-luxury-hotel-belgravia
AMAALA
Set along Saudi Arabia’s north-western coast, AMAALA offers a warmer interpretation of autumn, bringing together three sheltered bays, desert landscapes and the Tabuk mountains within a destination shaped by wellness and exploration. Its Red Sea waters are home to spotted dolphins, reef sharks and protected green turtle nesting sites, while experiences led by Galaxea, WAMA and Akun take travellers from snorkelling and diving to kayaking, eFoiling, hiking and cycling through secluded wadis. The forthcoming Corallium Marine Life Institute will deepen this connection through aquarium exhibits, marine research and educational experiences centred on the Red Sea ecosystem.
Three distinct properties are now welcoming guests across the destination. Four Seasons AMAALA pairs 900 metres of calm, swimmable beachfront with HYLIAA Wellness & Spa and a series of landscape-led gardens, while Six Senses AMAALA unfolds between gentle beaches and a mangrove-fringed lagoon, anchored by a 3,000-square-metre spa and integrated longevity clinic. The newly opened Rosewood AMAALA adds a residential-style retreat along 1.4 kilometres of coastline, where Asaya, natural rock pools, Rosewood Explorers and eight dining venues bring together wellbeing, family experiences and Saudi culinary heritage.
For reservations and more information, please visit https://www.visitredsea.com/en/destinations/amaala
PORTRAIT HOTELS
Autumn brings a quieter rhythm to Italy’s great cities, when cooler days invite travellers to linger longer in museums, theatres and historic piazzas. Across Portrait Milano, Portrait Roma and Portrait Firenze, the season unfolds through thoughtfully curated experiences that place guests at the heart of each destination, whether discovering Milan’s celebrated cultural scene, wandering Florence’s Renaissance streets or taking in Rome’s timeless beauty from above Via Condotti.
At Portrait Milano, guests can experience one of the city’s most enduring cultural institutions with the La Scala Experience, offering privileged access to the world-renowned Teatro alla Scala, where opera and ballet return to centre stage for the autumn season. Those looking to extend their Italian journey can continue the experience through Portrait Duet, a tailored itinerary combining stays across Portrait Milano, Portrait Roma and Portrait Firenze, inviting travellers to discover Italy’s most iconic cities through the changing colours, culture and atmosphere of autumn.
For reservations and more information, please visit https://www.lungarnocollection.com/
THE RED SEA
Spanning more than 28,000 square kilometres of Saudi Arabia’s north-western coastline, The Red Sea brings together an archipelago of over 90 untouched islands, dormant volcanoes, mountain canyons and the world’s fourth-largest barrier reef system. As autumn arrives, warm days and calm seas make it an ideal season for exploring both above and below the waterline, from diving and snorkelling through coral gardens with Galaxea to kayaking and paddleboarding with WAMA, or hiking and biking across desert terrain with Akun. On Shura Island, the destination’s hub, Saudi Arabia’s first island golf course, Shura Links, adds an 18-hole championship round framed by lagoons, dunes and sea views.
Across the destination, a growing collection of resorts reflects this balance of sea, wellness and desert. On Shura Island, Miraval The Red Sea, the wellness brand’s first property outside the United States, centres its adults-only, all-inclusive retreat around the 3,000-square-metre Life in Balance Spa, alongside mindfulness and movement programming shaped by its Red Sea setting. Elsewhere across the destination, Six Senses Southern Dunes unfolds among desert dunes at the foot of the Hijaz mountains, while Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve and The St. Regis Red Sea Resort offer overwater and beachfront villas across the Ummahat Islands. Inland, Desert Rock Resort’s DarkSky-approved skies and mountain setting bring a cooler, stargazing counterpoint to the coast as the season turns.
For reservations and more information, please visit https://www.visitredsea.com/en