Oslo, Copenhagen, Rabat, Split and the rest of next year’s most-wanted city breaks, with the hotels to book while Booking.com’s Black Friday deals are live.
Every year, a handful of cities move from “maybe one day” to “booked”. Sometimes it is a new flight route, sometimes a museum opening, sometimes simply a mood. For 2027, the data is already pointing in a clear direction. Marriott’s latest research found that UK travellers book their trips almost five months in advance, earlier than any other market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and its booking data showed growing interest in Oslo, Copenhagen, Rabat and the Croatian coast. Barcelona, meanwhile, remains one of the most booked destinations for British travellers.
What that means in practice is simple: the best rooms in the most-wanted cities go early. And right now, during Booking.com’s Black Friday sale, there is a window to secure them at a better price than you are likely to see once the new year rush begins.
We’ve chosen ten cities that we think will define 2027, from the confirmed favourites to the rising stars, and paired each with a hotel worth planning a trip around. Check your dates on each link and look for the current deal before it disappears.
1. Oslo: The Thief
Oslo has quietly become one of Europe’s most exciting cultural capitals. The National Museum, the Munch museum on the waterfront and the opera house with its walkable roof have transformed the city, and travellers have noticed. The Thief sits on Tjuvholmen, a sliver of land on the harbour that was once a haunt of thieves and smugglers, hence the name.
Today it is all about art. The hotel’s own collection is impressive, and the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art is next door. Rooms are sleek and moody, with harbour views, and there is a spa for when the Nordic chill sets in. Spend your days between galleries, saunas on the fjord and long lunches of excellent Norwegian seafood.
When to go: spring, when the light returns and the city comes alive.
2. Copenhagen: Villa Copenhagen
Copenhagen is a perennial favourite, and 2027 looks set to be another big year for the Danish capital. Villa Copenhagen occupies the city’s grand former Central Post Office, a listed building from 1912, and it has been reimagined with a strong focus on sustainability and design.
The highlight is the rooftop heated pool, with views across the city skyline. Rooms are spacious and calm, and the location, right beside Tivoli Gardens and the central station, makes it easy to explore on foot or by bike. Spend your days cycling between neighbourhoods, from the colourful houses of Nyhavn to the cool cafés of Vesterbro.
When to go: late spring or early summer, when the days are long and the harbour baths open.
3. Rabat: Sofitel Rabat Jardin des Roses
Rabat is Morocco’s calm, elegant capital, and it is finally getting the attention it deserves. Its medina is relaxed, its kasbah is beautiful, and its UNESCO-listed old town has a gentle pace that makes it a refreshing alternative to Marrakech. Sofitel Rabat Jardin des Roses is set in seven hectares of Andalusian-style gardens, close to the royal palace.
The hotel is a peaceful base, with a large pool, a spa offering traditional hammam rituals, and gardens full of roses and orange trees. Explore the blue and white lanes of the Kasbah of the Udayas, the Hassan Tower and the Chellah ruins, then retreat to the gardens. Rabat is also an easy train ride from Casablanca, which opens up a two-city trip.
When to go: spring or autumn, when temperatures are perfect for walking.
4. Split: Cornaro Hotel
Split has long been the gateway to the Croatian islands, but it has become a destination in its own right. The old town is built in and around the extraordinary Diocletian’s Palace, a Roman emperor’s retirement home, and people still live and work within its ancient walls. Cornaro Hotel sits just a short walk from the palace, with smart, contemporary rooms and a rooftop terrace with views across the old town.
Spend your days exploring the palace, swimming at Bačvice beach and taking the ferry to the islands of Brač or Hvar. In the evening, the Riva promenade is the place to watch the sun go down over the Adriatic. It is a city that rewards slowing down.
When to go: May, June or September, to avoid the summer crowds.
5. Barcelona: Cotton House Hotel
Barcelona is one of the most booked destinations for British travellers, and it is easy to see why. The architecture, the food, the beaches and the energy of the city make it endlessly appealing. Cotton House Hotel is set in the nineteenth-century headquarters of the city’s cotton guild in the Eixample district, and it is one of the most elegant hotels in town.
There is a beautiful spiral staircase, a library, a garden terrace and a rooftop pool. Rooms are refined and calm, with high ceilings and original details. Barcelona is a city for walking, so explore Gaudí’s masterpieces, the Gothic Quarter and the markets, then come back to the peace of the hotel. For more ideas, see our guide to the best things to do in Barcelona, and why the city is having its moment.
When to go: spring or early autumn.
6. Naples: Grand Hotel Parker’s
Naples is chaotic, beautiful and utterly alive, and more travellers are discovering it as a destination rather than a stopover on the way to the Amalfi Coast. Grand Hotel Parker’s has been welcoming guests since 1870, and it sits on the hillside above the city with views across the bay to Vesuvius.
The hotel is a beautiful old-school grand dame, with antiques, a library and a terrace restaurant with a view that will stop you in your tracks. Spend your days exploring the historic centre, the National Archaeological Museum and the underground city, eating pizza where it was invented, and taking day trips to Pompeii or Capri.
When to go: spring or autumn, when the weather is warm but not too hot.
7. Porto: Torel Palace
Porto has become one of Europe’s favourite city breaks, and it continues to grow in popularity. Torel Palace Porto is set in a nineteenth-century palace in the city centre, with rooms named after Portuguese writers and a pool in the garden.
The city is made for wandering, with its steep streets, tiled facades and the riverside Ribeira district. Visit the Livraria Lello bookshop, the São Bento station with its azulejo tiles, and the Serralves Foundation for contemporary art. Eat well, walk a lot, and watch the sun set over the Douro.
When to go: spring or early autumn.
8. Valencia: Caro Hotel
Valencia is the Spanish city that more and more people are falling for. It has the beaches, the food and the sunshine, but with a more relaxed pace than Barcelona or Madrid. Caro Hotel occupies a nineteenth-century palace in the old town, and during its restoration, archaeologists discovered layers of history, including sections of Roman and Arab walls, which are now part of the hotel’s design.
It is an intimate, stylish place to stay, with just a few dozen rooms. Explore the City of Arts and Sciences, cycle through the Turia gardens, eat paella where it was born, and spend an afternoon at the beach. Valencia is a city that is easy to love.
When to go: spring, especially in March for the Las Fallas festival.
9. Ljubljana: InterContinental Ljubljana
Slovenia’s capital is small, green and charming, and it makes a wonderful base for exploring the country’s lakes and mountains. InterContinental Ljubljana is one of the tallest buildings in the city, and its upper floors offer views of the Julian Alps on clear days.
Ljubljana’s old town is car-free and full of cafés along the river. Walk up to the castle, browse the central market, and take day trips to Lake Bled or Lake Bohinj. It is a city for those who like their breaks easy and beautiful.
When to go: spring or early summer.
10. Palermo: Rocco Forte Villa Igiea
Palermo is one of the most fascinating cities in Europe, a mix of Arab, Norman and Baroque influences, with an incredible street food scene. Rocco Forte Villa Igiea is a beautiful Art Nouveau villa on the water, designed by the architect Ernesto Basile.
The hotel has been beautifully restored, with gardens, a pool overlooking the sea and a spa. Spend your days exploring the markets, the cathedral and the Palatine Chapel with its golden mosaics, and take day trips to Monreale and Cefalù. It is a city that will surprise you.
When to go: spring or autumn.
Two cities, one trip
One of the joys of this list is how easily the cities pair up. Copenhagen and Oslo are a short flight or an overnight ferry apart, and together they make a perfect Scandinavian fortnight of design, food and saunas. Naples and Palermo can be linked by an overnight ferry across the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is an adventure in itself. Rabat sits on the same rail line as Casablanca, Fez and Tangier, so it is easy to build a Moroccan journey around it. And Split is the starting point for ferries to the Croatian islands, which means a city stay can easily become an island-hopping trip.
If you have a little more time, consider combining a city with somewhere quieter. Ljubljana works beautifully with a few nights by Lake Bled. Valencia pairs well with the beaches further south on the Costa Blanca. And Porto is the gateway to the dramatic landscapes of northern Portugal, from the Peneda-Gerês National Park to the surf beaches of the Atlantic coast.
What these cities have in common
Look closely at the list and a pattern emerges. These are cities where the pace is slower, the food is central to daily life, and culture is part of the fabric rather than something you queue for. Travellers are increasingly choosing places that feel real and lived-in, where a morning can be spent in a market and an afternoon on a long walk, rather than racing between landmarks.
They are also cities that reward a return visit. Few people see everything in Naples or Palermo on a first trip, and Copenhagen changes with every season. Booking now, at Black Friday rates, means you can treat 2027 as the year you finally get to know one of them properly.
When to book, and when to go
There is a simple rule for city breaks in high demand: book the room early, and travel slightly off peak. Spring and early autumn are the sweet spots for almost every city on this list, with comfortable temperatures, fewer crowds and rates that are kinder than in high summer. Booking now, months ahead, gives you the widest choice of rooms and the best chance of a deal.
How to book for 2027 now
Booking early is about more than just price. It is about getting the room you want, in the hotel you want, on the dates you want. During the Black Friday sale, many hotels offer deals on stays well into next year, so it is worth checking your dates now.
Look for flexible cancellation if you are not yet certain of your dates. It gives you the chance to lock in a good price now and change your plans later if you need to. And remember that the best rooms, such as those with views or balconies, are always the first to go.
For more inspiration, read our pick of the travel trends that will really define 2027.
The verdict
If you want to follow the crowd, Copenhagen and Barcelona are classics for a reason. If you want to be ahead of it, Rabat and Ljubljana are the cities to watch. For culture, it is Oslo. For food and chaos, it is Naples and Palermo.
Whichever city calls to you, now is the moment to book. The deals are live, the rooms are available, and 2027 is closer than you think.
