After more than a year of blockades, quarantines and social distancing, we're all ready for a big, celebratory, I-just-survived-the-flu vacation.

Unfortunately, with many international borders still closed and some countries facing a second, third, or fourth wave of the new Crown Pneumonia epidemic, much of the world isn't ready to step up its leisure travel (although there are clear signs of progress).

Still, we can plan, can't we?

From the tropical islands of the Maldives to Hawaii, to the glamorous city resorts of Sydney, Hollywood and Singapore, we dream - and save - for those post-pandemic splurges.

Starting at $US per night.

Brando, French Polynesia

If you're looking to splurge on a once-in-a-millennium extravagance on your bucket list, Brando is Marlon Brando's ultra-luxurious private island resort, located in Titiaroa, 30 miles (about 30 kilometers) north of Tahiti.

The remote resort is a favorite of celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper and Ellen DeGeneres. Former U.S. President Barack Obama also escaped to the island to write his memoirs after leaving office in 2017. (More recently, Kim Kardashian threw her 40th birthday party on the island in October 2020.)

It has just 35 thatched-roof villas, each with a private infinity pool, outdoor dining area and all the comforts you might enjoy at a five-star hotel in London or New York. But the biggest luxury of all? Your own private sandy beach and blue-green ocean just steps away from your bedroom.

The private island of Tetiaroa, Brando, French Polynesia. Rates start at $3,500.

Melbourne, Australia

Opening in February 2021, the W Melbourne is the first international five-star hotel to open in Australia this year, a promising sign for the tourism industry, even though Australia's borders are still currently closed to international travel.

The ultra-modern hotel is built within the glittering, $1.25 billion Collins building district, which also houses luxury residences, upscale retail and dining facilities. The hotel boasts five restaurants and bars, as well as a gold-roofed indoor heated pool with a poolside bar and DJ booth.

The hotel's 294 rooms are luxurious and design-centered, like you'd expect from any W hotel, plus plush deep soaking tubs and views over the city or Melbourne's Yarra River.

W Melbourne, 408 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Australia. starting at $450.

The Lanai Teacher, Four Seasons Resort, Lanai, Hawaii

This adults-only wellness retreat epitomizes luxury post-flu living:For starters, it's located on the Hawaiian island of Lanai, which is so serene and isolated that it feels like you're on your own private island.

Then there are the luxury suites, tucked away in Lanai's jungle-ridden, cloud-covered Kohl's mountain range, where you'll barely notice other guests.

Finally, you'll get a personalized wellness journey with your own wake-up guide to spa and wellness activities - from morning meditations to sound baths - designed to eliminate any ongoing stress or anxiety.

Lanai Sensei, 1 Kimokku Highway, Lanai, Hawaii. Rates start at $1,130 single/$1,610 double and include a $600 wellness experience credit per person (from $650 single or double).

France

Tucked away in France's idyllic Loire Valley, this tranquil 18th-century place feels far from the rest of the world - even though it's only 55 minutes by train from Paris.

You'll feel like you've stepped back in time in each of the 17 spacious, sun-drenched suites, decorated with hand-painted murals, crystal chandeliers, and antique Louis XV furniture. (The most luxurious are the suites, with panoramic views of the gardens and a lovely claw-footed bathtub.)

Outside, there's an 80-acre maze of lakes and rose gardens, as well as a beautiful stone-edged swimming pool-the perfect rustic escape. France. Interest rates from $720.

Jack's Camp, Botswana

If you want a super-luxurious escape, it doesn't get much more secluded than Jack's House, a luxury safari camp tucked away on a million-acre private wildlife reserve in the Kalahari Desert. (There are only two other camps on the reserve).

The legendary camp, opened in 1993, is due to be refurbished in 2019 and January 2021 with 10 huge luxury tents (more than twice the size of the original tents) equipped with plush four-poster beds, ornate old-fashioned décor, and private swimming pools overlooking the salt flats.

There is also a library, billiards room, bar and a luxury tea tent with Persian carpets and plush cushions - the perfect place to unwind with a cup of iced tea after a long hot day on safari.

Kalahari, Botswana. Prices start from $1450 (including game drives).

West Hollywood Hotel, Los Angeles

If a glamorous urban escape is more your style, it doesn't get much better than this stylish urban oasis on the Sunset Strip.

The hotel opens in 2019 - just months before the pandemic breaks out - and its rooms are among the largest and most luxurious in Los Angeles, boasting rustic, minimalist chic decor, sumptuous marble bathrooms, and views overlooking the Hollywood Hills unrivaled views.

Then there's the sofa bed and the cabana-side pool, a true sanctuary of calm and serenity perched high above the busy, palm-fringed streets of Los Angeles.

But most impressive of all is the brand's sustainability-centered philosophy, which is evident everywhere, from the design (the furniture is made from reclaimed California wood) to the dining (an on-site organic garden supplies the restaurant with herbs and vegetables).

The entire hotel is also paperless and (almost) paperless, and guests can join a loyalty program that allows them to reduce their carbon footprint with each stay - touches that will make all the difference as we enter a post-pandemic world.

1 West Hollywood Hotel, 8490 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA. Rates from $670.

Crown Sydney, Australia

After four years of construction and a massive $1.7 billion investment, the Crown Sydney officially opened on December 28, 2020, soaring gracefully over the Sydney skyline as the newest and most luxurious hotel in Sydney today.

Billed itself as a six-star hotel, the gleaming, bulkheaded skyscraper boasts 14 restaurants and bars, a huge pool overlooking Sydney Harbour (cabanas can be booked starting at $500) and 349 year-old rooms with marble bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows offering far-reaching views.

The decadent spa features yoga and meditation terraces, relaxation rooms, an infrared sauna and a separate spa retreat inspired by Roman bathhouses - the perfect place to wash away your worries.

Crown Sydney, Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo, NSW, Australia. Rates from $850.

Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Italy

As the borders of Europe begin to reopen to international travelers, your first stop should be the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, the iconic Art Nouveau hotel nestled on the shores of Lake Como.

Each of the hotel's 90 rooms is individually decorated with lavish details like spacious balconies, terraces, and whirlpool tubs. While it's worth every euro spent on the lake-view rooms, the garden-view rooms overlooking the beautifully manicured grounds also offer an oasis of tranquility.

Outside, you'll find three swimming pools, one of which floats directly on the lake. Italy. Rates from $980.

Gianni, Maldives

If you're looking to take your family on a post-confinement vacation that will blow their minds, Soniva Gianni is the place to go: its overwater villas come with private infinity pools and waterslides that will take you to the sparkling turquoise ocean below.

Other family-friendly attractions include an overwater movie theater, a stargazing platform, and an ice cream and chocolate house. Each villa comes with a retractable roof, so kids can doze off under the stars.

For parents:A luxurious spa, an expensive wine cellar, multiple dining options from sashimi to Spanish tapas and Sunset Maldives. Rates from $3290.

Raffles Singapore

If you're looking for a big seller, like the one for Crazy Rich Asians, then Singapore's iconic Raffles can't be beat:It's one of the world's most luxurious hotels for noblewomen, and the benchmark for many other five-star hotels around the globe today.

The 133-year-old hotel is synonymous with luxury, from the recently updated suites (which boast old-world colonial glamour as usual, but with subtle contemporary elements) to the elegant Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling cocktail was invented in 1915.

Each guest is assigned his or her own butler, who offers a rare kind of service, intuitive and attentive, but discreet - perhaps the greatest luxury of all.

Raffles Singapore, 1 Beach Road, Singapore Rates from $940.