the 2024 hot list WHERE to STAY, CRUISE & EAT NEXT

It's inevitable: Every spring when we pull together the Hot List, our annual collection of the world's best new hotels, restaurants, and cruise ships, a staffer remarks that this latest iteration has got to be the best one ever. After a year's worth of traveling the globe-to stay the night at a converted farmhouse in the middle of an olive grove outside Marrakech or sail aboard a beloved cruise line's inaugural Antarctic voyage-it's easy to see why we get attached.

But this year's Hot List, our 28th edition, might really be the best one ever. It's certainly our most diverse, featuring not only a hotel with a suite that was once Winston Churchill's office but also the world's largest cruise ship and a Peruvian Japanese restaurant in Cape Town. We were surprised and inspired by this year's honorees, and we know you will be too.

stay » KENYA

Angama Amboseli

At Amboseli, size is everything. Some of Kenya's few remaining "super tuskers" (bull elephants with tusks so long they almost reach the ground) make an epic journey along an ancient migratory path in the shadow of Africa's highest peak. It's an environment where big ideas are not only welcome but also needed-and Angama has risen to the challenge with its third lodge. Located within the Kimana Sanctuary, the 10-suite canvas-roofed Angama Amboseli is part of a wildlife corridor connecting Amboseli with protected areas in the Chyulu Hills and Tsavo West. Built in partnership with the NGO the Big Life Foundation, it's the company's first foray into hands-on conservation. From the Mnara, a Wi-Fi-equipped watchtower, guests can spot herds parade across marshland into neighboring fields at sunset as lights from the villages twinkle on the horizon. The messaging is positive rather than preachy, allowing the beauty of this patch of paradise to shine through. Elephants have inspired every element of the interior design from columnar pillars resembling their legs to place mats mimicking the pattern and texture of their skin. All tents-set several pachyderm spaced strides apart-have superb views, a signature for Angama, which has the best spot along the Oloololow. Lying back and watching the wild world go by is the biggest treat of all. From $1,650 per person, per night; angama.com

stay >> SANTA MONICA

The Georgian