The best warm weather hotels this winter
November is the perfect time to jet off to somewhere sunny. Here are the hotels that will have you feeling completely recharged
05/11/2025
When you’re making a break for far-flung sun in cooler months, the getaway is made all the sweeter with a carefully chosen resort – where infinity pools stretch to cocktail-hued horizons, loungers line secluded white-sand beaches and chic bedrooms let you embrace the indoor-outdoor lifestyle that dominates in sultry climes. Enjoy the coddling embrace of the sunshine to the fullest at one of these plush stays, designed to help you make the most of the warm weather from morning until night.
Mount Nelson’s pink Georgian-style façade has its own registered Pantone colour
Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, South Africa
While you might think of South Africa for safaris – or for driving the coast-hugging Garden Route – you can also pair these once-in-a-lifetime experiences with downtime enjoying the sublime sunny weather. In the heart of gateway Cape Town, the pink and palatial Mount Nelson has been an institution since 1899, replete with attractive suntrap pool, manicured gardens and delicate afternoon teas taken in a conservatory. Book one of the historic terraced house suites with trellised verandas for your own personal outdoor space, or the spectacular Strelitzia Suite with a top-floor terrace overlooking iconic Table Mountain.
High Life says: When you fancy a sun-soaked experience beyond the grounds, the hotel will sort a surfing lesson in Muizenberg, with surfboards, wetsuits and an oceanside lunch all included.
The St Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort in Dhaalu Atoll
The St Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, Maldives
Scattered across the equator in a chain of sand, coral and azure water, the Maldives is a bucket-list kind of winter sun getaway. Enjoy all that the island nation is known for, from chic overwater villas to exceptional service, fine dining and romantic atmosphere, at St Regis Maldives Vommuli. Dramatic, contemporary and multi-storey villas rising above the sea let you plunge in for a dip at daybreak straight from your bed, while alfresco dining in palm-coddled surrounds is soundtracked by tropical bird song or undulating waves. Don’t miss a visit to the Iridium Spa, also almost entirely outdoors with a vast hydrotherapy pool and sunrise yoga sessions.
High Life says: Be at the Whale Bar at sunset to enjoy the theatrics of sabrage: when staff open a Champagne bottle by striking it with a sword. It’s a St Regis cocktail-hour tradition.
A charming room at The View Agadir
The View Agadir, Morocco
Salty Atlantic dips off a broad crescent beach. Iced coffees are sipped along a buzzy seaside promenade. Shopping in a spice-scented souk is followed by a feast of freshly landed grilled fish. Agadir is less than a four-hour flight from the UK but, with its mid-20°C winter days, it feels much further away. At beachside The View you can make the most of the weather and also the unique Moroccan atmosphere, mixing days relaxing on the sands with explorations in the atmospheric city centre. Coastal-inspired rooms in white and aquamarine overlook the ocean expanse via floor-to-ceiling windows and each one comes with a balcony or terrace so you can savour your time in the warm outdoors.
High Life says: At the spa, a distinct Moroccan accent brings in sun-warmed sense of place. Sample a steamy skin-rejuvenating hammam or try an anti-aging facial that draws on traditional local beauty methods.
Vast palm-fringed pool at Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa
Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa, Dubai
When it comes to winter sun, Dubai is a no-brainer with its reliably dry days, buzzy beach clubs, world-class entertainment and a speedy flight time from London of just seven hours. This luxe hotel maximises it all with a waterside location on Jumeriah Beach (wait until you see the Arabian Gulf views out your window) and 19 acres of verdant gardens. Three alfresco pools, ringed in palms and loungers, ensure you never get bored while taking a sun-filled dip, and the beachfront is overlooked by lifeguards – ideal if you have children in tow. Speaking of children: there’s a kids’ club that caters to tots as young as four.
High Life says: The hotel has multiple dining venues, but if you’re hungry to explore further afield, book the Dine Around by More Cravings half-board package. This allows you to eat in more than 130 restaurants throughout the UAE. You could munch Italian in Abu Dhabi, Indian in Dubai or American in Ras Al Khaimah.
Villa with a private plunge pool at Hammock Cove. Opening image: the beach at Hammock Cove
Hammock Cove, Antigua
For reliable winter sunshine with a side of adults-only serenity, this luxurious all-inclusive resort in beautiful Antigua nails the brief. Set right on the cerulean ocean just outside Devil’s Bridge National Park – a dramatic natural rock arch sprayed by Atlantic surf – its location on the island’s northeast coast feels secluded and exclusive, with views to undulating headlands intersecting the blue beyond. Divine villas make the most of the climate, with private infinity plunge pools, large decks and loungers on which to spend the day horizontal. With your own bar in the room and in-villa dining available 24/7, you never need budge.
High Life says: The resort prides itself on good food. As well as multi-course menus and sommelier-led wine tastings, you can enjoy cooking demonstrations and candlelit dinners under a gazebo. And, of course, this being the Caribbean, there are also rum flights on tap.
AMARA’s adults-only seawater infinity pool for spa guests
AMARA, Cyprus
Even as much of Europe shivers under a blanket of frost, in Cyprus the winter days push into the high teens and bright sunshine sets the perfect scene for poolside relaxation or splashes in the sea. AMARA near Limassol invites you to lean into the sunshine setting with floor-to-ceiling windows leading to private balconies, outdoor restaurants galore and a seawater infinity pool that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. Meanwhile, a rooftop bar lets you drain cocktails long after sunset.
High Life says: Late autumn or winter is also the perfect time to explore Cyprus’s many historic sites dating to ancient times, as daytime temperatures are more manageable than in summer. From AMARA, the Amathus Archaeological Site, a kingdom dating to 11th-century BC, is a must – it’s only 20 minutes’ walk along the coast, or ask the hotel to arrange a transfer.
Barceló Maya Grand Resort sits on a white-sand beach
Barceló Maya Grand Resort, Mexico
Fringed by palm-dotted, surf-kissed white sands, this Cancún resort provides exactly the kind of restorative sunshine R&R that you need in the depths of the cold winter months. With daytime temperatures typically hovering in the high-20s, you’ll have just the climes you need to enjoy the mile of beach, rambling gardens and range of water sports. Several lagoon-style pools, only steps from the coast, provide a change of pace after you’ve snorkelled in the sea, while a dedicated splash pool and multiple slides let little ones have fun from dawn till dusk.
High Life says: The resort, which is brimming with facilities – including 16 restaurants, a tennis court, a playground and a games room – is actually home to four separate hotels. Upgrade to a higher category room for some exclusive benefits, such as access to a private lounge and discounts on spa treatments.
