Beijing, China
In the past year, China's capital has seen the opening of a $25 billion, 7.5 million-square-foot new airport designed by Zaha Hadid as well as a new Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, which "has a boutique hotel feel, with 73 capacious rooms, yet offers big-time amenities like a state-of-the-art spa, a sleek fitness center with a lap pool, two on-site restaurants, and a library," Scott Bay wrote for Travel & Leisure.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
"Travel to Malaysia, and you're likely to be headed to its alluring beaches or the historic Straits cities of Penang and Melaka," Carey Jones wrote for Travel & Leisure. "But a recent explosion of chic hotels and restaurants has put Kuala Lumpur in the spotlight."
Chic boutique hotels as well as Four Seasons and the W opened locations in Kuala Lumpur in 2018, and the dining scene is having a moment, Jones reported.
Kyoto, Japan
"As visits to Kyoto continue to climb, a trend that will only intensify when the Olympics come to Japan this summer, innovative hotels and museums are opening," Lawrence Osborne wrote for Travel & Leisure.
These openings will include an Park Hyatt Kyoto, an Ace Hotel, and Aman Kyoto, which sits in the forested foothills northeast of the city, according to Osborne.
"The Aman's guest pavilions, all minimalist in style and largely made of cedar, are set along a mountain stream," Osborne wrote. "The surrounding garden is landscaped with monumental stone walls and pathways ... The whole effect is one of simplicity and understatement."
Singapore
In 2019, Singapore's iconic Raffles Hotel reopened after a two-year renovation, and next year the city-state will introduce new green spaces, pedestrian walkways, and reconstructed railway stations, Lila Harron Battis reported for Travel & Leisure.
Then there's Changi Airport, which has consistently been ranked among the best airports in the world and which Battis describes as having "the feel of an enormous botanical garden, thanks to lush plantings and a towering central waterfall."
Songyang County, China
Rural Songyang County in China's eastern Zhejiang province has been experiencing an architectural renaissance, according to Battis.
"Since 2014, architect Xu Tiantian has been radically overhauling the region's villages, bringing over a dozen serene, striking buildings that serve as both tourist draws and community hubs," Battis wrote for Travel & Leisure.
Sri Lanka
"Sri Lanka has long been popular among surfers and adventure travelers," Madeline Diamond wrote for Travel & Leisure. "Though the country is still on the mend after last Easter's bombings in Colombo, a new crop of resorts opening in 2020 make the island nation a luxury destination to be reckoned with."
These openings include Haritha Villas & Spa and new sustainable resort Alila Koggala, Diamond reported.
Rajasthan, India
"The colors, creative traditions, and opulent palaces of Rajasthan are what many of us picture when we think of India — but this coming year, even those who think they've been there and done that should plan a return trip," Flora Stubbs wrote for Travel & Leisure.
In 2020, luxury hotel operators Six Senses and Raffles will both open their first properties in India, according to Stubbs.
Taiwan's mountains
Travelers should look beyond Taipei to Taiwan's mountains in 2020, Chadner Navarro reported for Travel & Leisure.
"Seventy percent of the island is covered with craggy peaks, but until recently, red tape made hiking permits tough to come by," Navarro wrote.
Now, the government has streamlined the application process, Navarro writes, making it easier for travelers to visit "the very best of the island's scenery, such as the Lake Jiaming National Trail, which runs through a hemlock forest, and the Nenggao Cross-Ridge Historical Trail, an ancient trade path used by the indigenous Atayal and Seediq tribes."
