25 of This Season’s Hottest Hollywood Hideouts

Entertainment heavies were in good cheer after the SAG-AFTRA strike concluded in November, celebrating the holidays by heading to exotic as well as familiar destinations. 

Liev Schreiber was busy photographing adorable wildlife against the icy backdrop of Spert Island in Antarctica (where UTA’s Jeremy Barber also traveled), of which luxury travel adviser Michael Torbiak of M. domo Travel says: “Antarctica is the last frontier. It guarantees you a snowy white Christmas, and it’s one of the only places in the world you can see emperor penguins.” Meanwhile, Catherine Zeta-Jones, who has spoken about her love of Indian film, trekked into Mahabalipuram in southern India. Traveling with husband Michael Douglas and children Carys Zeta Douglas and Dylan Michael Douglas, she shot a video communing with a local elephant. “This is the perfect time to go to India because it’s not too hot or rainy, and it’s one of the last places on earth you can do a tiger safari,” adds Torbiak. 

Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky escaped to Tavarua, a small island resort in Fiji, where the hunky actor took their son on a full-day fishing trip and caught a swordfish big enough to feed the local village, while his Spanish actress-model wife surfed and snorkeled.

High-end travel guru Judy Stein of The Stein Collective, an affiliate of SmartFlyer, says she noted enthusiasm among her clients this year for safaris in Africa and sojourns to Northern Europe. The latter saw Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell traveling to see the northern lights in Sweden’s Lapland; Christina Hendricks and Tanya Saracho each visiting Scotland; Franklin Leonard relaxing in the Cotswolds; and Brad Pitt and his girlfriend, Ines de Ramon, spending a whirlwind few days in Paris celebrating his 60th birthday. 

Mexico, too, was requested by many of Stein’s clients, with Cabo, Riviera Maya and Riviera Nayarit among the most popular spots. Kyle Richards opted for Punta Mita on Riviera Nayarit, staying at Susurros del Corazón resort, while Gwyneth Paltrow and her clan, including daughter Apple, chose Cabo as their destination. Meanwhile, Rebecca Romjin and Jerry O’Connell and kids hit the beach at Hotel Esencia in Riviera Maya.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took their family to Costa Rica toward the end of December, stopping in Zapotal, Nandayure and Guanacaste. Visiting Africa were Danai Gurira (who went sailing on a traditional dhow in Kenya), Lupita Nyong’o (Zanzibar) and Anya Taylor-Joy (who got close to gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park). In Thailand, Gersh’s Leslie Siebert and her husband, Steven, of Lighthouse Entertainment, luxuriated at the Amanpuri resort. 

Some seasoned travelers preferred to stay with their tried-and-true favorite getaways. Heidi Klum and Jennifer Lopez each were spotted in St. Barts, as were Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sanchez, who celebrated her 54th birthday with island regulars David Geffen and Barry Diller; the ebullient Sanchez reportedly danced on a table. The couple also found time for a little getaway to Saba, a small island in the Dutch Caribbean. Also hitting the Caribbean were Mark Wahlberg and Rhea Durham, who hung out in Barbados, and Taylor Sheridan and wife Nicole who were in Turks and Caicos.

Aspen as usual attracted its fans, including Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell and Kate Hudson; Rihanna and A$AP Rocky; Justin and Hailey Bieber; Kendall Jenner; and Paul Wesley. Among the names in Hawaii were James Gunn (who enjoyed a farm-to-table dinner at Maui Bees farm in Maui) and Greg Berlanti and Robbie Rogers vacationed in Kona.

On the East Coast, John Travolta hit the slopes in Stowe, Vermont, while Jessica Alba and Cash Warren toured the nation’s capital with Jamie Patricof and Kelly Sawyer, winding up at the White House holiday party. In Palm Beach, Florida, Rachel Zoe and her family cozied up in the pink Colony Hotel (where Paltrow recently designed a bungalow). David Beckham and his family gathered at their Miami home for a group photo, while Netflix’s Scott Stuber and Molly Sims took their kids to Disney World. 

Sports always is a holiday staple, and this year was no exception. Timothée Chalamet was spotted at a Lakers game; Chris Rock and John Legend were courtside at Madison Square Garden for the Knicks; and Taylor Swift flew to Kansas City to see her NFL boyfriend, Travis Kelce, play. The Chiefs lost, but at least she didn’t get booed on Christmas. 

A version of this story first appeared in the Jan. 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.