The hottest holiday offers in September

It may be known as the smallest big city in the world, but Reykjavik has plenty for every type of globetrotter. For starters, there are its geothermal pools and natural hot springs, where you can soak year-round in the warm waters. Indeed, it’s a base for a wealth of outdoor activities to throw yourself into such as river rafting, highland hiking, ice caving, golfing and boat tours, where you spot minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbour porpoises and humpback whales in their natural habitat. Not forgetting that the Icelandic capital is a fantastic place to see the northern lights in winter. There is also a flourishing arts and culture scene, and the restaurants are buzzing. Center Hotels Laugavegur has location on its side, set at one end of the main shopping street in downtown Reykjavik, while the hotel is cosy, comfortable and contemporary in design and has everything you need for your city break, with 102 ensuite rooms and suites, a restaurant and concierge service.

British Airways Holidays offers two nights at the Center Hotels Laugavegur from £289pp, travelling on selected dates between 1-31 January 2025 inclusive. Includes economy (Euro Traveller) return flights from London Heathrow Airport, one checked bag at 23kg per person and accommodation. Book by 30 September 2024. Price shown on ba.com includes any applicable discount. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply.

Set in the middle of the Nevada desert, everything about Las Vegas dazzles. The Strip is the epicentre – a neon-lit wonderland of showstopping entertainment, sprawling malls and sleek casinos. From Elvis impersonators, pool parties and quirky museums to futuristic concert venues and celebrity-chef restaurants, this 24-7 playground has something for everyone. It may be a city that never sleeps but, when you do want some shuteye, Fontainebleau Las Vegas takes luxury to a new level – literally. The newly opened hotel is the tallest in town, a tribute to its famous Miami sister property but on a jaw-dropping scale. There are no fewer than 3,600 rooms and suites, 36 restaurants, lounges and cafés, a 150,000sqft gaming floor and a six-acre pool deck. Whether unwinding in the ginormous spa or dancing your socks off to Calvin Harris, who has a residency at the resort’s exclusive club, let the good times roll…

British Airways Holidays offers a $200 food and beverage credit per room per stay and exclusive rates at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Valid for stays of five nights or more for travel until 30 September 2025. Book by 30 September 2024. The specified offer will appear in red text during the booking process, should it be applicable. Price shown on ba.com includes any applicable discount. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply.

Barbados may be small – it is just 21 miles long – but its coast is dotted with more than 60 beaches, from palm-fringed swathes of white sand to rugged bays. The translucent waters are ideal for swimming and snorkelling, while the more adventurous can dive among sunken wrecks or surf the ultimate wave. Back on land, hike in the forest, spotting green monkeys and iguanas as you go, and explore the characterful towns with their plantation-style architecture. Waves Hotel & Spa hugs a pristine stretch of shoreline on the Platinum West Coast of Saint James. The focus at this all-inclusive boutique hotel is on wellness, with guests invited to relax, rejuvenate and reset. Stays include complimentary spa treatments, wellness activities, motorised water sports and nourishing dining options (Shiso restaurant with its sashimi, sushi and signature five spice Asian ice cream deserves a special mention). Though if you want to lie supine all week with a rum cocktail in hand, you can do that here, too.

British Airways Holidays offers a five per cent hotel saving on stays at Waves Hotel & Spa, Barbados. Valid for travel until 30 September 2025. Excluding 1-10 November 2024 and 18 November-13 December 2024. Book by 30 September 2024. The specified offer will appear in red text during the booking process, should it be applicable. Price shown on ba.com includes any applicable discount. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply.

Cancun and the Riviera Maya deliver sugary white beaches lapped by an azure Caribbean Sea. Some spots may have a reputation as being party destinations, but there’s so much more to the Riviera Maya for those travelling with kids. Visit the Mayan ruins, marvel at the underwater art museum, take a boat to Isla Mujeres and snorkel along the second longest barrier reef in the world. If you do want to let your hair down, the nightlife is buzzing. And, whether you’re in Cancun for cocktails or chilling (or both), the Hyatt Inclusive Collection includes a series of stunning resorts, from adults-only Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya, set amid lush jungle, to the beachfront, family-friendly Dreams Sapphire Resort & Spa. Whichever you choose, with wide-ranging food and drink options and every manner of activity and entertainment included in the price, there’s no nasty end-of-stay bill to burst your holiday bliss bubble.

British Airways Holidays offers savings of up to £200 on selected Secrets Resorts & Spas in Mexico and up to £100 saving on various Dreams Resorts and Spas. Valid for selected 2024 travel and for new bookings made between 9 and 30 September 2024. The specified offer will appear in red text during the booking process, should it be applicable. Price show on ba.com includes any applicable discount. Subject to availability. See ba.com/secrets for full offer details and T&Cs

Universal Orlando Resort has every manner of ride and attraction across its trio of theme parks – Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Volcano Bay Water Theme Park. As well as blockbuster thrills and adrenaline-fuelled spills, you’ll find plenty of chills at Universal’s eight hotels – all close to the action of the parks –  with a hotel to suit every budget. Universal Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites have a relaxed, beachy vibe. Think sunny décor and smiling staff, plus large pools, laidback bars and flavourful dining options. And while you get all the perks of staying at a Universal hotel – including early park admission and complimentary transportation to all three theme parks (a valid theme park ticket is required) – it’s geared towards affordability. After all, who doesn’t love an endless summer?

British Airways Holidays offers flights plus seven nights stay at Universal Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites from £629pp. Valid for selected January 2025 travel. Book by 1 October. Based on two adults sharing. T&Cs apply. Subject to availability.

What’s more, book flights + five nights or more at Universal Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites and stay in a Standard Two-Bedroom Suite for the same price as a Standard room and a Pool Two-Bedroom Suite for the same price as a Pool room. Or at Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort stay in a Standard Courtyard Family Suite for the same price as a Standard room and a Poolside Courtyard Family Suite for the same price as a Poolside room. Valid for travel from 2 September 2024 to 31 March 2025. (excluding 26 December to 1 January). Book by 24 October 2024.

Book the two-bedroom suites specified above at each hotel within the travel dates specified and this will already be discounted. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply.

For sun-drenched glamour, the French Riviera ticks every box with its grand villas, designer boutiques, cool beach clubs and low-key-chic restaurants. Taking pride of place on the glittering Côte d’Azur, Nice has long been the go-to for discerning travellers – and for good reason. Recently recognised by Unesco as the original winter resort town, it has a year-round balmy climate and is easy to explore by foot, making it the ideal city-break destination. Wander the winding streets of the historic old town and gen up on art at the museums, browse the bustling market, indulge in the Nissarde cuisine (the likes of salade Niçoise, pissaladière and ratatouille) before strolling along the seafront promenade. Stay in the heart of the action at the Splendid Hôtel & Spa, a family-run 130-room hotel that prides itself on its warm welcome. The rooftop is the perfect spot for a swim followed by a chilled glass of Provençal rosé as the sun dips into the Mediterranean Sea.

British Airways Holidays offers two nights at the Splendid Hotel & Spa from £209pp, travelling on selected dates between 1 March to 31 March 2025 inclusive. Includes economy (Euro Traveller) return flights from London Heathrow Airport, one checked bag at 23kg per person and accommodation. Book by 30 September 2024. Price shown on ba.com includes any applicable discount. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply.

Visitors to Prague looking for romantic castles, ornate palaces and golden spires will not be disappointed, as the capital of the Czech Republic makes for a magical minibreak. Wander the higgledy-piggledy cobbled lanes of the Old Town, making sure to stop at the main square, which is lined with exquisite Gothic and Baroque buildings (don’t miss the mediaeval Astronomical Clock). The 600-year-old Charles Bridge is one of the most photographed monuments in the world for good reason: it’s beautiful, as is Prague Castle, founded in the 9th century. How better to soak up the fairytale atmosphere than by staying in the Art Deco Imperial in the centre of the city? The hotel, completed in 1914, promises old-world glamour (think Art Nouveau mosaics, marble floors and gilt mirrors downstairs, richly furnished bedrooms and free-standing baths upstairs) with all the mod-cons you want from a stay. The storied Café Imperial, which serves traditional Czech favourites with a contemporary twist, has long been popular with discerning diners. 

British Airways Holidays offers two nights at the Art Deco Imperial Hotel from £209pp, travelling on selected dates from 1-31 March 2025 inclusive. Includes economy (Euro Traveller) return flights from London Heathrow Airport, one checked bag at 23kg per person and accommodation. Book by 30 September 2024. Price shown on ba.com includes any applicable discount. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply.