News and Insights
Cool Refinement: Chilly “Coolcation” Escapes on the Rise
October 30, 2025
Looking to stay delightful when the heat outside is frightful? Many travelers are eschewing literal and figurative vacation hotspots in favor of cooler climes.
In Europe, the “Coolcation” is fast becoming a thing, with the hospitality-friendly digital marketing platform Sojern reporting flight bookings “spiking” to destinations north of the 51st parallel such as Ireland, Norway, and Estonia, even as traditional favorites along the Mediterranean continue to show strength. Similarly, travelers from the Middle East are increasingly seeking destinations with summer temperatures on the mild side, and earlier this year European-centric travel specialist Jennifer Schwartz of Authentic Explorations hailed 2025 as “the year of Iceland” as much for the country’s cool climate as for idyllic stargazing.
Among trumpet-worthy settings for Coolcationers are The Hotel Maria, recently opened in Helsinki, with a state-of-the-art spa and wellness club tuned into ancient arctic healing principles; Gstaad Palace in Switzerland’s pristine Bernense Oberland; and The Shelbourne on St Stephen’s Green in the heart of Dublin. There is also Iceland’s newest geothermal spa retreat, Laugarás Lagoon, set to open in mid-August along the Hvitá River on the glorious Golden Circle, with three levels of wellness passes for travelers seeking the same. Famed chef & food activist Gísli Matt, whose SKÁL! food hall in Reykjavik was lauded with a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019, will offer a farm-to-table menu at Ylja Restaurant at Laugarás Lagoon, with ingredients sourced from local farms, fisheries, and geothermal greenhouses.
On the other side of the Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon’s renowned Moss restaurant has retained its Michelin star for 2025, a testament to Agnar Sverrisson’s innovative approach to Icelandic cuisine. Complementing its culinary excellence, Blue Lagoon introduced this summer a group floating experience – a tranquil, in-water session for guests to embrace complete relaxation in rejuvenating geothermal waters. With a new visitor center and VIP spaces in development and a new geothermal spa and luxury hotel in Þjórsárdalur Valley planned to open in 2028, Blue Lagoon will definitely remain a frontrunner for one unforgettable Coolcation.
With summer temps offering a refreshing alternative to Mediterranean destinations, the island of Ireland has broadened its offerings to attract luxury travelers, with the opening of the north coast’s first five-star hotel, Dunluce Lodge. The property is situated alongside the fourth fairway at the world-famous Royal Portrush Golf Club, home to The 153rd Open this July, amid some of the most beautiful scenery that Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast has to offer. Further west, The Harbourview Hotel has opened as Ireland’s first ‘whiskey hotel,’ serving over 300 whiskeys with an ongoing supporting program of events, tastings, and workshops to elevate the guest experience.
Summer will also see cruise lines headed for destinations such as Svalbard, an Arctic setting of wild beauty that’s home to polar bears, arctic foxes, harp seals, puffin, blue whales and other cool inhabitants. Among them are the Norwegian shipping line Hurtigruten (“fast route”), founded in 1893 to transport passengers and cargo around the world’s second-longest coast.
Meanwhile, Seabourn sold out its Svalbard Experiences on Seabourn Venture, one of the ultra-luxury line’s two purpose-built expedition vessels, in late spring and early summer. After turning west near the end of June to explore destinations such as Iceland, Faroe Islands, Scotland, and Greenland, the ship embarked on two 23-day traverses of the Northwest Passage between Iceland and Alaska, an explorer’s route made possible for cargo shipping that is now inspiring Coolcations.
Travelers from the U.S. inclined to road trips can head north for “Noctourism” in New Brunswick, Canada. The coastal province, lying less than 500 miles north of Manchester, New Hampshire, which experienced a record 14 days in a row of temperatures above 90° F last July, counts four of Canada’s six Dark-Sky Preserves, including Mount Carleton Provincial Park and Fundy, that protect the night sky from city-generated artificial lighting. Dark Sky International, a global authority on light pollution, counts more than 160,000 sq. km. of “Dark Sky Places” in 22 countries on 6 continents, from China’s first International Dark Sky Community in Xichong, Shenzhen, to the NamibRand Nature Reserve in Namibia, and beyond.
Surprisingly, comfortable summers wait in Salalah in southern Oman, where the Khareef season, or Monsoon season, from June to September kisses the beachfront region with cool temperatures, light rain, and fog, feeding waterfalls and turning the Dhofar Mountains green as the rest of the country bakes. Ironically, the Musandam Peninsula of Oman is famed as the “Norway of Arabia” for its fjord-like coastline. Don’t be fooled: High temperatures at the northeastern point of the Arabian Peninsula typically climb past 100° F through summer.
“For those who like a sense of certainty, a Coolcation makes a lot of sense as there is less of a chance of disruption from wildfires and other issues we have seen in destinations with hotter climes,” says Amy Skelding, Managing Partner FINN Partners Travel Practice UK. “More than a trend, it’s a mindset shift for those who choose a cooler destination and embrace a different sort of adventure.”
Of course, with FOMO, or “Fear of Missing Out,” travelers bound for Coolcations still risk feeling heat: “But Mom! Dad! Everyone I know is gonna be in Ibiza/Dubrovnik/Mallorca, et cetera!”
Just tell them to chill: JOMO travel – “Joy of Missing Out” – is trending, too.