Luxury leather and travel goods brand Carl Friedrik has analyzed Euromonitor’s top 100 city destinations to reveal the best bleisure cities in the world. Using data from Airbnb, TripAdvisor and other sources, Carl Friedrik has compiled a guide to the best luxury bleisure destinations.
Key findings
- Lisbon is the best luxury bleisure city scoring the highest score of 1,078 out of 2,150 in the index—great news for those applying for Portugal’s new Digital Nomad Visa
- Rome provides the best luxury accommodation for bleisure breaks with 329 Airbnb Plus listings and over 1,000 Airbnb listings available
- Barcelona is the best city for co-working spaces with 93.86 percent of co-working options rated 4 stars-plus
- Rome is the top city for gastronomic delights with 99.5 percent of 11,306 eateries being rated 4 stars-plus
- Those seeking a relaxing spa experience should head to Phuket with 84.88 percent of their 496 spa and wellness centers rated 4 stars-plus
- Krakow is the best city to visit for landmarks and viewpoints with 87.31 percent of 268 attractions analyzed rated 4 stars-plus
10 Best Luxury Bleisure Cities in the World
To create the index on the best luxury leisure destinations the study on behalf of Carl Friedrik analyzed:
- The cities with the most luxury accommodation available
- The cities with the most highly rated co-working spaces
- The average rating for the different types of activities in each city
- The average Wi-Fi quality in each city
- The Safety Index score for each city
Using the data collected on accommodation, co-working, restaurants, spas and wellness centers, landmarks and viewpoints, Wi-Fi and safety from the 100 most visited cities in the world, points were allocated to each city to determine which ones ranked best overall. Here is the top 10 list of the best luxury bleisure cities in the world.
The top destination for luxury bleisure was Portugal’s capital and largest city, Lisbon, scoring 1,077.5 points out of a possible 2,150. This is great news for those keen to work remotely as the Portuguese government has recently announced a scheme that will let freelancers and remote workers live in the country for up to 12 months.
Five of the top 10 bleisure cities currently offer digital nomad visas and residency to those looking to extend their trip. Portugal, Spain, Australia and the U.A.E. all provide this, with Italy looking to follow suit soon.
In second place is London with 982.2 points, followed by Rome in third place with 982.
Top Cities for Luxury Accommodation
Rome came in the top position with the full 250 points. The study found that the average cost of an Airbnb Plus listing with Wi-Fi is $226 and the average Airbnb listing with Wi-Fi is $159.
Cape Town ranked in second place with 245.3 points, followed by Lisbon with 240.9 points.
Best Co-working Cities
Barcelona topped the list with 350.9 points out of 550. The analysis found that 93.86 percent of the city’s co-working spaces were rated 4 stars-plus. Warsaw ranked in second place with 334.1 points, followed by London with 320.3 points.
Cities with the Best Restaurants
Rome came top of the list with an estimated 11,306 restaurants, and average rating of 4.06 and 99.5 percent of eateries being rated 4 stars-plus. This resulted in a score of 185.2 out of 350. In second place is Melbourne with 168.7 points, followed by Playa Del Carmen in third with 167.6.
Top Spa Cities in the World
Famous for its beautiful beaches, Phuket topped the list for travelers looking to make time for restorative activities on their next bleisure break. With an estimated 496 spas and wellness centers the study found that the average rating was 4.65, with 84.88 percent of the total number of spas rated 4 stars-plus—giving the city a score of 250.4 out of 350.
Cancún came in second place with 223.5 points, followed by Chiang Mai in third with 194.3.
Best Cities for Landmarks and Viewpoints
Kraków took the top spot as the city with the best landmarks and viewpoints. With an estimated 268 landmarks, and an average rating of 4.49 the analysis found that 87.31 percent of landmarks in the city were rated 4 stars-plus on TripAdvisor resulting in a score of 216.7 out of 350.
Edinburgh came in second place with 200.7 points and Lisbon followed in third with 196.3 points.
Top Cities for Strong Wi-Fi
Riyadh emerged as the best place for bleisure workers to visit with Wi-Fi connection ranking first across the locations assessed, scoring the full 200 points. Riyadh was shown to have an average Wi-Fi speed of 137.5Mbps and excellent Wi-Fi quality.
Dubai took second place with 195.4 points, followed in third place by Copenhagen with 190.09 points.
The Safest Cities to Visit
Japan’s Sapporo took the top spot with the full 100 points for the Safety Index score of 92. Singapore and Egypt’s Hurghada came in joint second place with 95.4 points, followed by Vienna in fourth place with 86.7 points.
Source: Carl Friedrik
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