Glossy images of A-listers sporting Dior handbags, Rolex watches and the latest luggage from Rimowa are enough to spark envy, provoking a sense of longing for private jets, exotic destinations and free-flowing booze of top-notch quality.
But while some celebrity holidays are classy retreats in the sun, others are more garish than they are glamorous.
Many upper-crust enclaves are, naturally, tres chic – but others are filled with an abundance of branded luggage, overpriced cocktails dressed up with glitter and cliche sunset selfies highlighting extreme wealth through cleverly chosen backdrops.
So, which celebrity holidays pass the classy test, spots that have maintained their status as pillars of elegance?
And which can be dubbed ‘new money’ – where you’re more likely to spot influencers taking selfies and billionaires flashing the cash than the quiet luxury of a private holiday?
The hopelessly naff holidays
THE INFLUENCER HELL-HOLE THAT IS MIAMI
Samie Elishi was spotted while holidaying in celebrity hotspot Miami ahead of the White Fox Presents: La Tropica Runway Show during Miami Swim Week in May
Miami has, over the years, become a playground for the faux wealthy who want to see and be seen.
A core component of many criticisms of Miami is its fake, flashy nature, with one Tripadvisor review of the city’s Ocean Drive saying: ‘There are people who flaunt their possessions in obscene ways in this place. Real genuine people make way for fake people with lots of regard for themselves here.’
Unfortunately, the same description can be handed to celebs holidaying in the hotspot as of late – notably (shock, horror) influencers Olivia Attwood and Samie Elishi.
They might have been visiting on a luxury PR trip for Space NK, but that says it all: this is a hangout at which to be spotted.
In days gone by, Miami might have been cool and laid-back – nowadays, though, it’s full of teens celeb-spotting and celebs trying to take a step into the limelight.
GOOD OL’ MARBS
Venezuela and her new husband Noah chose the four-star hideaway on the Costa del Sol to begin married life
They stayed in a £166-a-night hotel, the Iberostar Selection Marbella Coral Beach
Few celebrities have as great an ability to create a ‘flashy’ image than the Fury family – and oldest daughter Venezuela is no different.
Venezuela Fury gave social media followers a glimpse at her £30,000 honeymoon in Marbella after returning to a new life in a caravan with her new husband.
The 16-year-old, heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury’s daughter with wife Paris, exchanged vows with Noah Price at the Victorian Royal Chapel of St John’s on the Isle of Man in May.
The couple then embarked on a lavish honeymoon on the Spanish coast, a wedding gift from Venezuela’s parents.
They checked into the four-star hideaway on the Costa del Sol for a much-needed escape after their lavish, and somewhat chaotic, wedding celebrations.
The Iberostar Selection Marbella Coral Beach has been hailed as one of Spain’s best all-inclusive resorts and is known for attracting couples and high-end tourists looking for a quieter stay away from the crowds.
In an area once synonymous with lacklustre buffets, bingo nights, poor plumbing and cheap sangria, the hotel has been described as outstanding for its sense of style while ‘exuding Mediterranean glamour’.
To bring it back down to earth, however, last year sausage roll chain Greggs teamed up with Jet2holidays to offer 20 customers the chance of a three-night stay in the resort for just £1.30 – the price of their most popular snack.
The lucky winners received a limited-edition sausage roll-inspired suitcase packed with bucket hats and other holiday essentials.
MONACO’S DOWNWARD SPIRAL
Kim enjoyed Lewis’s celebrations at the Monaco Grand Prix
Monaco is divisive – is it the playground of the generational rich, or an up-and-coming influencer hotspot?
Year-round, it retains some of its classy vibe – but during the Grand Prix, all of that goes out the window as a string of influencers descend upon the gold-lined streets to up their Instagram cred.
As you’d expect from an F1 WAG, Kim Kardashian watched the qualifying race and final from above the Ferrari garage, alongside her sister Khloe.
Kim made her grand debut onto the F1 track to cheer on her Ferrari driver boyfriend Lewis Hamilton.
She filmed partner Lewis Hamilton on the podium and attended the post-race celebrations alongside him before joining him at an exclusive after-party later that evening.
But the couple’s first F1 appearance in Monaco last weekend is raising eyebrows among critics – given her huge entourage in tow.
And she’s not the only celeb to soak up the huge crowds and abundance of photographers – Khloé Kardashian, Holly Willoughby and F1 WAG Alexandra Leclerc were also in attendance.
There to support the sport, for sure – but also dressed up to the nines for the cameras.
WHAT HAPPENS IN IBIZA…
The former Spice Girl, 52, also shared a loved up snap of her and David as they enjoyed the sunset
I’m A Celeb star Coleen enjoyed a beach day in Ibiza with friends
Ibiza does have a classy side, yes – but the fact of the matter remains, the Spanish destination is too well-known and full of celebs to have a real ‘old money’ feel.
The Beckhams, of course, frequently holiday in the region, having also visited last month.
The Beckham clan was back in the Balearics, one of their favoured overseas destinations, for a family holiday with Harper, Romeo and his DJ girlfriend, Kim Turnbull.
Victoria, 52, shared images of her and David as they enjoyed the sunset from their £16million super yacht.
Quiet? Well, yes, given they stayed on a yacht, a far cry from the party-loving crowds of the town.
But class at its finest? We’re not so sure – too many pairs of giant sunglasses and oversized sunhats. And so many pictures.
Meanwhile, Coleen and Wayne Rooney enjoyed a kid-free trip to Ibiza, hitting the beach with a group of pals this month.
Coleen arrived at the beach, a regular haunt for the Rooneys and their friends during their trips to Ibiza, with Wayne also in the holiday spirit, sporting a bold look of a zig-zag print shirt and clashing print shorts.
This Ibiza trip is, while more ‘obvious’ than the Beckhams’, still an example of the garish nature of the island.
DU-BYE
The Rooneys – along with a whole host of other celebs – are confirmed Dubai devotees
Very much the Middle East OG when it comes to high-octane tourism playgrounds, Dubai is undoubtedly nectar for nouveau riche Brits whose main holiday ambition is to look like they’ve made it in life – the Rooney family being a prime example.
Sure, it is currently off the map as a result of ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
But the emirate is arguably the most ‘new money’ destination of them all.
Despite the shiny outward opulence, Dubai sends the bad taste barometer off the scale. It’s gaudy, mainstream and overwhelmingly free of culture.
Factor in its dubious approach to its migrant workers, and the oft reported sleazy underbelly of prostitution – including allegations of degrading ‘Porta Potty’ sex parties – and suddenly it doesn’t feel quite so glam.
The ones that retain their class
AMORE IN AMALFI
Newlyweds Dua Lipa and Callum Turner have been enjoying a sunny honeymoon in San Domenico Palace hotel in Italy, following their star-studded £1.5 million wedding
It seems Dua Lipa can do little wrong these days – and her honeymoon destination of choice is the cherry on top.
Just days after her lavish three-day wedding extravaganza, the singer and her new husband Callum Turner showed just how in love they are as they soaked up the sunshine on their romantic honeymoon on the Amalfi coast.
The couple were spotted at the luxury San Domenico Palace hotel in Taormina near Catania earlier this month and then seen walking hand in hand through the picturesque town.
The Four Seasons Hotel San Domenico Palace, where a suite can cost upwards of €4,000 (£3,459) a night, is in the Sicilian hilltop town of Taormina beside the Ionian Sea.
Many will recognise the hotel as the setting for the blockbuster HBO series White Lotus with its iconic clifftop setting and view of the volcano Mount Etna.
It is, without a question, classy and cool. Fitting for the pop star bride.
CARAVANS ARE ACTUALLY QUITE COOL NOW?
Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash, pictured, enjoyed a trip to Haven Kent Coast Holiday Park in 2024
Back in 2024, Stacey Solomon, 36, enjoyed a trip to Haven Kent Coast Holiday Park with her husband, Joe Swash, 44, and children.
Guests can stay at the site from just £49 for four nights in the park’s saver caravans, which include a fully equipped kitchen, 32-inch television and two bedrooms, as well as a bathroom.
A far cry from the metal-roofed caravans with outdoor shower of the past, these are more similar to what you might find in a hotel suite – from ‘stunning lake views’ on wrap-around decking, to multiple televisions and even a dishwasher in the well-kitted-out kitchen.
As such, the caravan holiday is certainly on the rise – and is, against all odds, becoming increasingly chic.
Many caravan parks, including Haven, Away Resorts and Waterside Holiday Parks, have seen a boom in bookings too – while Gumtree has reported a 133 per cent surge in demand for campervans, motorhomes and caravans since the start of the year.
And while most will recall happy childhood summers spent under metal roofs, BBQs at the caravan site after a long day at the beach and heading to the toilet and shower block in flip-flops, the caravan market has drastically changed since then.
Both the portable and static abodes have become better equipped and more comfortable than some ordinary houses and hotel rooms.
A ROMAN HOLIDAY
Ewan McGregor and his wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead enjoyed the Italian sunshine
They just celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary, and Ewan McGregor and his wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead looked as loved-up as ever as they were spotted kissing and snapping selfies in Rome.
We confirm: Rome is still in.
The Star Wars actor, 55, and Sky High star, 41, were seen snapping selfies and enjoying the Italian sunshine, mooching around the city.
MUSTIQUE MAGIC
Mustique’s beaches and royal credentials add to its exclusive ambience
Kate Middleton and Prince George arriving at Mustique in 2014
Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Mustique, Saint Vincent, in 1977
An essential hallmark of a still truly glamorous, ‘old money’ destination is, of course, privacy – and few destinations provide this as much as Mustique, an island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – perhaps best known for its royal connections.
Les Jolies Eaux, a lavish five-bedroom villa gifted to the late Queen Elizabeth’s sister in 1959, located on the southern-most tip of Mustique, offers its guests absolute privacy – and was described by Princess Margaret as the only place she could truly relax.
Nowadays, a week’s stay will set guests back a whopping £37,000.
Away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi, such names as Kate Moss and the Middletons regularly retreat to the private island, with the latter staying at Les Jolies Eaux itself.
The private island of crescent beaches, aquamarine shallows and tropical forest dotted with some of the most sumptuous mansions in the world has been a favourite sanctuary of the Middleton family.
…and one that’s a bit of both
ST TROPEZ – YAY OR NAY?
Pete Wicks and Olivia Attwood also jetted to the south of France for a summer break
George and Amal Clooney recently enjoyed a sun-drenched sojourn in St Tropez, where they celebrated the actor’s milestone 65th birthday in May: all class, elegance and subtlety.
Indeed, their trip to the picturesque town is every bit the glam holiday – but St Tropez is not always quite so slick.
During the summer months, it’s drawn in stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Naomi Campbell – and when it gets busy and full of influencers, it loses some of its allure.
For instance, Pete Wicks and Olivia Attwood packed on the PDA during another romantic getaway to St Tropez this month.
The couple sparked up a steamy romance after the presenter split from husband Bradley Dack in January.
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