Want to become an astronaut, albeit in avatar form? Imagine yourself in the year 2070 at the breathtaking Museum of The Future in Dubai, opened, deliberately, on the palindromic date of 2/2/2022. The building’s unique—the exterior a flattened bagel shape lying on one of its longer sides, the whole rising seven floors high. Locally based architect Shaun Killa has produced, in effect, a giant shiny stainless sculpture with cut-out Arabic calligraphy: “The future will be for those who will be able to imagine, design, and build it. The future does not wait; the future can be designed and built today”—one of three predictions by Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Honestly, the whole is so beautiful, it doesn’t matter whether you understand what the calligraphy means. Just be awestruck. Insider tips? Book your visit far ahead as the waitlist is weeks long. Go for the first slot at 10 am to avoid too much backing-up of bodies when you are in there, and the stylish Jumeirah Emirates Towers hotel has a three-minute internal walkway from its lobby direct to the museum reception hall. 

Allow at least two hours for the Museum of The Future immersion, that inexplicably somehow seems directly aimed at you, personally. Guided by real and avatar astronaut facilitators, enter an elevator with 360-degree augmented reality. Blast off, with Dubai and its enormous desert ambience fast disappearing below, to be replaced by outerverse. The elevator judders to a halt. Emerge, in reality, at the museum’s top floor, with dozens of buttons and “toys” for kids, honeymooners, and the grey-haired to push, operate, and keep busy with.

Thereafter, working your way down, at your own pace, undergo astronaut assessment to see yourself in full gear on a space conqueror wall. Touch and feel space engineering reality. Further down, walk through future rainforests with thousands of genetically preserved blossoms and bugs, displayed as low-hanging chandeliers in ever-changing lighting (Disney goes future). Take sense therapy to the next level, with opportunities to experience, say, sound waves reaching the palms of your hands for no obvious reason. 

Then check out the future today, with displays of robotic equipment to allow paraplegics to walk and, for all, copper-infused jackets to help prevent disease. And more, much more, including a concept store, and a café.

What does dining in future look like? It’s notable that arguably the world’s most famous restaurateur-who-cooks, Copenhagen’s Rene Redzepi, has announced he will be closing Noma in 2024, replacing it with a food laboratory. Is three-starred Michelin dining on its way out? It is probably safe to predict that in years to come, diners will want food they want when they want it, with lots of choice. Already, the just-opening Atlantis the Royal, Dubai, offers 17 eating venues, plus the chance to sign at its nearby sister resort, Atlantis the Palm. 

Today, with a taste, literally, of the future, diners want outside eating, and produce provenance. The Peninsula Bangkok was almost ahead of its time when, a decade ago, it opened a table for four in its small produce garden on the five-minute walkway to its cascading trio of swimming pools.

At Cesar Pelli-designed Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, there’s a branch of the Sembikiya fruit store down in the building’s ground-floor lobby. Go through an instant learning experience of finding out which melon came from where, and why some strawberries are worth their weight in gold. Splurge on Nyohou strawberries, also known as Sembikiya Queens (individually wrapped, they sell in boxes of 12 for about US$85).

There is a global gourmet trait for good food, good for you. At Six Senses Zighy Bay, taste tuna caught off-shore an hour ago, and salad from the resort’s own extensive organic garden. The future will see even more of this: Heckfield Place, an hour’s drive west of London, has its own working farm and dairy.

At the same time, there will be a determined thrust for tradition, but sometimes with a new slant. Take afternoon tea, more important than ever. There’s exquisite porcelain at Capella Bangkok, a popular late afternoon venue for Gen Z males.

There are stunning teatime views at Four Seasons Hong Kong, and, across the water, from the hundredth-and-third floor of The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong (try the braised pear relish tart with confit Ahi tuna and raspberry crust, part of the spring-themed afternoon tea).

In future, expect yet more breaking of silos as tradition blends with branding. In New York, pole position is held by Sunshine Insurance Group’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences. Brand Baccarat, headquartered in Paris, is currently held by four Hong Kong entities: Corbin, Dolphin, Sammasan, and Tor. Baccarat Hotel’s just-launched afternoon tea costs US$3,000—for two. Since it’s served from noon to 4 pm, make lunch out of Petrossian caviar, white Alba truffles, Bellota ham, Kobe beef, and lobster, finishing with a Sachertorte (no, not from Vienna. Hotel Sacher Wien’s MD Matthias Winkler says “anyone” can make and sell a Sachertorte as long as it’s not labelled “original”). And as a souvenir of Baccarat Hotel’s afternoon tea—or lunch—you get to take home a teapot and two saucerless cups. Genuine Baccarat, naturally.