The best new hotels in the world: 2024 Hot List
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It’s inevitable: every spring when we pull together the Hot List, our annual collection of the world’s best new hotels, restaurants, and cruise ships, a staffer remarks that this latest iteration has got to be the best one ever. After a year’s worth of travelling the globe – to stay the night at a converted farmhouse in the middle of an olive grove outside Marrakech or sail aboard a beloved cruise line’s inaugural Antarctic voyage – it’s easy to see why we get attached. But this year’s Hot List might really be the best one ever. It’s certainly our most diverse, featuring not only a hotel suite that was once Winston Churchill’s office but also the world’s largest cruise ship and restaurants from Cape Town to Bali. We were surprised and inspired by this year’s honorees, and we know you will be, too. These are the Hot List hotel winners for 2024.
All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Salva LopezhotelGrand Hotel Son Net, Mallorca hotel review
Now and then, there arrives a new hotel that feels like it's been around forever. Son Net, a baroque 17th-century estate cradled by Mallorca’s Tramuntana Mountains, is such a hotel – a place of densely layered and singular antiquarian exuberance. A grand family estate that was first turned into a hotel by American real estate mogul David Stein in 1998, Son Net has been reborn under Javier López Granados, the art collector and creator of iconic Andalusian resort Finca Cortesin. López Granados handed the creative reins to Lorenzo Castillo – a Madrid-based art historian, antiques collector, and interior designer – who filled each of the 31 rooms and suites with heirlooms from across the world. Castillo also designed bold fabrics for the vast suites’ curtains and upholstery that nod to styles from chinoiserie to Spanish colonial and Italian Renaissance. The final result feels like the home of a magpie collector – one with an eye for both ominous oils and comical ceramic ducks. As the sister property to Finca Cortesin, the hotel also hits a level of service that few Mallorcan hotels can match. Dextrous waistcoated staff attend to every whim, in every artfully curated space: from the fabric-walled Chimney Room serving up house gin cocktails to the locavore restaurant in a double-height former olive press; from the aquamarine pool set in cypress-scented gardens to the soon-to-open 10,763-square-foot spa with Morrish touches. Add to this a backdrop of sacred mountains, and the entire setting feels like a grand tour of the imagination. From £550. Toby Skinner
Tyso Sadlo & Caleb Conde @ Herd RepresentedhotelFirst in: La Palma, Capri review
Once the epitome of la dolce vita, Capri is dangerously close to becoming fully eroded by day trippers on Grand Selfie tours. Luckily, Hotel La Palma – an Oetker Collection–helmed revival of the island’s first hotel, built in 1822 – arrived fashionably late to the scene last summer. The property evokes images of Capri’s bygone jet-set glamour: Maltese designer Francis Sultana bypassed those ubiquitous cobalt-and-lemon tiles and “I Heart Capri” T-shirts for a stripped-back neoclassical vision inspired by Villa Lysis and Villa San Michele. Everywhere you look, white linen curtains waft like togas, and mosaic floors beckon guests to truly watch their steps. The colour schemes of airy whites and sky blues are reminders of the island’s legendary luxury: the view of the Bay of Naples, as seen from the gods of Emperor Tiberius’s palace. Hotel La Palma boasts those same views, though its position opposite Dolce & Gabbana on Via Vittorio Emanuele is a bit more mortal. The hotel boasts its own patisserie run by pastry master Carmine di Donna, while Gennaro Esposito – famed for his two-Michelin-starred Torre del Saracino in Vico Equense near Sorrento – oversees the new La Bianca roof terrace. But on an island where sun loungers can be booked one year in advance, the hotel’s Da Gioia beach club is the biggest splash. From £513. Stephanie Rafanelli
Vincent LerouxhotelFirst in: Le Grand Mazarin, Paris
Martin Brudnizki, the designer who has been everywhere this past year, is all about stories, and few are as seductive as the idea of an aristocratic-era literary salon in the Marais, just moments from the Seine and the Hôtel de Ville, and opposite the BHV Marais, surely Paris’s most fun department store. At Le Grand Mazarin – from Maisons Pariente, the group behind chic stays such as Provence’s Hotel Crillon Le Brave – the sense is of being in a film about a sumptuous 14th-century hotel, all pastels and layers of velvet and embroidery; everything a little softer than other recent Brudnizki projects in Soho or on New York’s Fifth Avenue. It’s built in the round with a stunning glass atrium winter garden at its heart. A bijou indoor pool, a rarity in central Paris, is overlooked by a free-form forest mural by in-demand artist Jacques Merle, and the hammam and spa specialise in extra-speedy treatments. The restaurant, Boubalé, is run by Michelin-starred chef Assaf Granit with a menu paying homage to the Ashkenazi cuisine of his parents’ heritage: Kurdish kreplach cooked in beurre blanc, potato pierogi, pickled herring and mamaliga (polenta). Tucked away in the basement is the perfectly dinky Le Bar de Boubalé, which oozes relaxed sophistication but with a dash of Wes Anderson-style whimsy. Doubles from about £400. Viv Groksop
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Ana LuihotelCésar Lanzarote
Naming a hotel after Lanzarote’s greatest art and design icon, then building it in his father’s former home, is a bold move. But the latest outpost by the fledgling Numa Signature group (Amagatay and Morvedra Nou in Menorca) is an unapologetic love letter to
César Manrique, the architect and activist who art-directed Lanzarote with his style of whitewashed volcanic modernism. This isn’t the first Manrique- and nature-inspired design on the island, but it’s the most polished, and a step up for this underrated destination. There are 20 rooms amid an estate of vineyards, newly furrowed olive groves, banana trees and pineapple plantations. Rooms have views of the ocean, volcanoes or both, and most have terraces and interior courtyards filled with plants. Interior designer Virginia Nieto leverages the landscape to weave a natural tapestry of lava stone and wood finishes with a white, brown and green palette. The pool, shaped to resemble a lake, is surrounded by sunloungers ensconced in semi-circular stone dividers, a nod to the walls that protect the vineyards from Atlantic winds. Guests roam among vines that are already yielding wine; soon to follow will be the production of olive oil to accompany chef Zebenzui Ferrera’s seafood specialities, including John Dory with calamari and Canarian red mojo sauce. This is art and nature in immaculate union: Manrique would surely approve. Doubles from about £360. David Moralejo
Nikolas KoenighotelFirst in: The Tokyo Edition, Ginza
Three years after the opening of the Tokyo Edition, Toranomon, the brand’s second address in Japan is a delicate, intimate addition to the city’s luxury hotel scene. Both hotels share the same DNA, courtesy of the crafted minimalism of Japanese architect Kengo Kuma coupled with the edgy New York vision of Edition founder Ian Schrager. But there is added depth and warmth to the new hotel, reflected in its scale (just 86 rooms and suites spanning a new 14-story structure, resolutely low-rise by Tokyo standards); a quiet back-street location in buzzy, upscale Ginza; and an aesthetic that goes heavy on a dark walnut palette in contrast to the lighter oak of its sister hotel. Hedonism is a must at any Edition: at Ginza, guests indulge at Japan’s first Punch Room, with silver bowls of cocktails served in an intimate space (don’t skip the yuzu and brown rice tea), or at a plant-packed rooftop terrace serving natural wines – a unique experience for the city. From £630. Daniella Demetriou
John AthimaritishotelRaffles London at The OWO hotel review: “The London hotel opening of the 21st century”
The most talked-about hotel to have opened in London this century faces off the mounted cavalry troopers of The King’s Life Guard with reborn aplomb. From 1906 to 1964, this was the War Office, where Winston Churchill boomed out briefings to staff on the wraparound Grand Staircase while secretary of state for war; where D-Day was planned; and where the spies had their own entrance. In 2016, the Empire struck back when the lease was purchased by the Mumbai-founded Hinduja Group, which sank £1.5 billion into the building and brought Raffles on board. It took seven years and an 80-foot excavation to create the 120 rooms and suites, nine restaurants, three bars, 20-metre pool and 27,000-square-foot Guerlain spa by design firm Goddard Littlefair (Gleneagles, Villa Copenhagen). Grand state offices have become plum suites, including The Haldane in smart red damask, once Churchill’s office. OWO’s interiors impresario, Thierry Despont, sadly died last summer before the final unveiling, but he conceived its look of regal masculinity wrapped in a palette of blazing red, which references the Household Cavalry. Three of the restaurants are by Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco, including a fine-dining spot, a private-table option and Saison, the all-day space. Best for boozing and schmoozing is the Guards Bar, which heaves with gossipy politicians and media types; and the tiny Spy Bar, occupying an old interrogation room in the basement, is a good evening bookender with its red velvet banquettes and half of the car from No Time to Die on the wall. From £1,100. Lydia Bell
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Bulgari HotelhotelFirst in: Bulgari Hotel Roma
Bulgari opened its flagship store on Via Condotti back in 1905, and has finally unveiled a crown jewel flagship hotel in its hometown. Every inch of this instantly venerable institution, a stone’s throw from Augustus’s mausoleum, is adorned with museum-worthy pieces: handcrafted mosaics from Friuli, handblown lamps from Venice’s Murano and Gio Ponti Ginori icons from the 1930s. It all comes with next-level modern comforts: custom mattresses and bedding with a pillow menu; bathtubs fit for a Roman emperor under mosaics in the design of a Bulgari brooch; Dyson hairdryers; and a 21st-century lighting system that’s gratifyingly easy to use. There’s a Niko Romito restaurant (he helms a place in Casadonna with three Michelin stars, and oversees most Bulgari restaurants); a spa with a columned Roman-bath-styled pool; jet-lag-cancelling massages; and a terrace bar with hundreds of plants and views across the Eternal City. A partnership with the Torlonia Foundation facilitates the rotation of priceless statues in the lobby, which sit alongside the brand’s exquisite jewellery. The starting rate is fearfully expensive – well-heeled guests aren’t just paying for the exquisite digs, but sightseeing in vintage Fiat 500s, personal shoppers and a fleet of chauffeured cars. Doubles from about £1,370. Ondine Cohane
Courtesy Jason Dewey/St. Regis KanaihotelThe St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya
When viewed from above, the St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya looks like a deconstructed Olympic logo – a series of curvaceous shapes sitting on over a mile of private beach. It’s meant to be a celestial schematic (inspired by the 1,000-plus stars in the constellation Pleiades), with gleaming, ultramodern white buildings hovering over protected mangroves. While the scale may seem overwhelming at first, the genius of its indoor-outdoor architecture reveals itself throughout one’s stay. Every thoughtfully designed, Mayan-inspired room has a view of the sea; there are elevated wooden walkways in lieu of cement paths; and the whole place is surrounded by a ridiculous amount of greenery. The generous footprint allows for a variety of tastes and needs to be accommodated – solo travellers, honeymooners, girlfriends on getaways, extended families – with minimal overlap. There are multiple beach clubs, a kids’ club, and seven dining options (and dedicated butlers to help you manage it all). But the pièce de résistance here is the spa: it’s like a boutique resort within the resort, and you could easily spend the entire day there, whether getting pampered or not. Offerings include separate men’s and women’s outdoor aqua-thermal circuits with pools and a menu of treatments that incorporate ancient Mayan traditions. Best yet, the spa can be experienced even if you’re not staying on property. Similarly, St. Regis guests can easily pop over to the Edition or the Etéreo (an Auberge resort), the hotel’s neighbours in this gated development. From £870. Rima Suqi
William AbranowiczhotelThe Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York
The latest to join the chorus line of hotels recasting the appeal of New York’s NoMad district, this private mansion turned jewel box stay high-kicks things up a notch. The original 19th-century building was part of the estate of the socialite Charlotte Goodridge, and has been refurbished by designer Martin Brudnizki into a sensorial treat to match its gilded past. For all the seeming ubiquity of Brudnizki-created spaces of late, this one feels like it couldn’t have been by anyone else. The vaulted lobby is dressed up in ornate panels; corridors are bedecked with vivid wallpaper featuring oversized flora and fauna; rooms are filled with painted screens and pagoda-style lamps that are an ode to the travels of hotel owner Alex Ohebshalom; and a go-for-broke assemblage of art, from old-world oils to modern photography, adorns every corner. It’s the bold palette Brudnizki is known for, a dreamlike pastiche that would have been chaos in the hands of anyone less practised. Just as adept is the hospitality that extends from the ready-to-please butler service on each floor to extra touches, such as the candle that’s slipped into your room after you’ve complimented the scent in the lobby, or the Martini cart that appears at the door for an eleventh-hour craving. It’s a place to return to: for cocktails named after your favourite destinations at the Portrait Bar, oysters à la pomme and lobster cannelloni at Café Carmellini – but most of all for the chance to wake up in a giant cabinet of curiosities. Doubles from about £700. Arati Menon
Guillaume de LaubierhotelFirst in: Nolinski Venezia
Most of Venice’s household-name five-star hotels are converted palazzi. In this respect, and others, the Nolinski – 43 rooms and suites on Calle Larga XXII Marzo, the smartest shopping street in town – is different. It occupies a 20th-century building constructed not as a grand private residence but as a stock exchange. Yet there’s nothing the least bit stock exchange-y about it. Its five-storey façade, in a version of the Liberty style, is subtly animated by rippling lines and wavy undulations, suitably rich in maritime associations. Interior designers Yann Le Coadic and Alessandro Scotto have pulled off a nifty trick, deploying an adventurous mixture of elements in a way that creates an impression of great restraint and serenity. Mirrors feature prominently, along with a remarkable collection of glassware, assembled specifically for the hotel. Indeed, the art throughout has been curated, hung and displayed with exceptional flair – nowhere more so than in the ravishing little Library Bar on the piano nobile. Venetians have a particular fondness for sunny courtyard spaces; the Nolinski’s is a doozy, with a small but extremely fetching adjoining bar and dining room. Upstairs, in a stupendously domed space with gold-trimmed arches, fine-dining restaurant Palais Royal is due to open in spring, overseen by chef Philip Chronopoulos, a protégé of the late Joël Robuchon and much admired for his Hellenic take on classic French cuisine. Doubles from about £730. Steve King
ALEX GRABCHILEVhotelCap Karoso, Sumba, Indonesia
For years after the millennium, Nihi Sumba was the only top-end stay on Sumba, an island of raw beauty, epic surf, wild horses and ancient animist culture. More competition has edged in over recent years, but none quite like Cap Karoso. Opened by French couple Fabrice and Evguenia Ivara on the island’s untouched western perimeter, it is surrounded by pointy thatch-roofed uma mbatangu homes, their design unchanged for centuries. Unlike many Sumbanese resorts, Cap Karoso doesn’t ape the local style. Its sprawling 47 rooms and 20 villas are straight-lined and concrete-clad, with a crisp tropical-modern feel. With slatted roofs casting perfect lines of shade and day beds sprinkled throughout, barefoot guests – the sort that flit between Tulum and Santa Teresa – waft around the pools, restaurant and surf-caressed beach. But Cap Karoso is still imbued with some of the magical old soul of the island. A striking artwork of coloured threads is draped on the back wall of the lobby, woven by Kornelis Ndapakamang, one of the best-known ikat makers on Sumba. Scattered everywhere are Indigenous symbols, sculptures and paintings. Fishermen populate the landscape and nut-brown wild horses gallop past. As the sun sets, everyone gathers for papaya spritzers and jackfruit piña coladas before dinner at the long communal table for just-caught-and-plucked feasts by the latest visiting chef – Oliver McGeorge from Paris’s Michelin-starred, sustainable Frenchie is lined up for summer. Doubles from about £245. Chloe Sachdev
hotelFirst in: Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island, Seychelles
Imagine opening the floor-to-ceiling doors of your villa and strolling to the back of your garden to see baby hawksbill turtles emerging from the soil and waddling across the beach towards the sea. This is a reality for guests at the new Waldorf Astoria on Platte Island, a quarter-of-a-square-mile speck in the Indian Ocean. Lying 80 miles south of Mahé, the Seychelles’ biggest island, this sand cay has been transformed into a solar-powered Eden, reachable only by 14-seater aircraft for an eco-conscious blend of nature and cosseting. Platte’s naturally protected reef teems with marine life, including the largest hawksbill population in the Seychelles. To protect the turtles’ egg-laying, all 50 villas are built slightly back from the shoreline. Snorkelling sessions led by the on-site marine biologist allow for joyful face-to-face encounters with adult turtles, baby reef sharks, and stingrays that glide in crystal-clear shallows. Personal 24-hour concierges can organize whale watching, scuba diving, in-villa treatments, and more. In this far-flung setting, the restaurants must bring their A game – and they do, including Creole-Latin fusion dishes at Maison des Epices and Moulin’s plant-focused plates sourced from the resort’s garden. The Milky Way is splashed across the sky on clear nights, adding a celestial note to a place of happy nature worship. From £2,227. Noo Saro-Wiwa
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The LanahotelThe Lana, Dorchester Collection, Dubai
The Lana represents the much-anticipated debut of the Dorchester Collection in the Middle East. This new, intimate, 225-room hotel in Downtown Dubai is the epitome of “anti-bling” – and a sign that Dubai really is able to hold its own among the big-name global cities that the Dorchester Collection already operates in.
William Jess LairdhotelMaroma, A Belmond Hotel, Riviera Maya
$$$This palm-studded resort has been one of the most beloved destinations on the Riviera Maya since it opened in 1995. But a complete reimagining of the 72-room hotel has given it a renewed edge over its neighbours – without losing any of its soul. Arriving at Maroma involves driving through thick mangroves where spider monkeys swing from the trees (the property sits on 200 acres of jungle) before reaching its signature whitewashed architecture and thatched roofs. The design still leans heavily on the region’s Mayan vernacular – the curved stucco buildings are based on ancient geometric principles – and wider Mexican craftsmanship. In fact, almost every detail of the restoration, overseen by interior designer Tara Bernerd, prioritized Mexican makers and artisans (80 per cent of the property’s furnishings and objects were made in the country), from the hand-painted Saltillo floor tiles and woven wall hangings to the cotton “manta” caftans left in rooms for guests to slip into. Rooms overlook the palm tree-lined pool, the Caribbean Sea, or both, and feature more of those beautiful tiles, along with whitewashed walls hung with regional textiles. Every detail is designed to keep guests rooted in the Yucatán Peninsula: even the in-room bar, which is far from mini, is stocked with local spirits like pox, a Mayan liquor made of corn, sugarcane, and wheat, and Mayalen Guerrero mezcal in a beautiful bottle. Of the two restaurants on site, the pick is Casa Mayor from Mexican chef Daniel Camacho, which does mind-blowing tomato salads. (The chef also teaches a predictably delicious tortilla-making class.) While the property is spectacular, you shouldn’t miss the chance to explore the surroundings, which include a network of cenotes reached through underground caves. A swim in the pools, bats swooping overhead, is the stuff memories are made of. From £675. Lale Arikoglu
hotelFirst in: Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino
The private Costa Navarino reserve in the Peloponnese’s Messenia is already known for its dunes, secret bays, world-class golf courses and family-friendly resorts – but Mandarin Oriental’s Greek debut takes things up a notch. With sweeping views of the coast, the resort is cast organically into the hillside, with flora-topped pool villas and gardens alive with pirouetting butterflies and bushels of oleander and rosemary. The 51 suites and 48 pool villas are spacious, and even entry-level rooms can interconnect for families. The creations of local artisans are everywhere, from the bespoke latticework headboards to the organic thyme-flavoured chocolate. Breakfast tapas, or paramana, are served on the lavender-scented terrace of Oliviera restaurant, including homemade yogurt topped with pistachio and honeycomb, and milk cake. Aside from Eastern Mediterranean restaurant Tahir (whose silken baba ghanoush is a must), the pizza omakase counter at Pizza Sapienza impresses with its 48-hour-proved, perfectly singed slices topped with freshly picked courgette flowers and local horta bitter greens with nduja. The citrus-hued spa has a panoramic 25 metre pool and indoor- outdoor gym stocked with pepper and ginger kombucha shots. This is a resort for all generations, with access to Costa Navarino’s four golf courses, tennis academy and plentiful water sports; and new free kids’ club, laden with wooden toys. And thanks to its excellent GM, Raul Levis, there’s warmth in its soul. Doubles from about £855. Jemima Sissons
Mark Anthony FoxhotelFirst in: Estelle Manor, Oxfordshire
Hospitality titan Sharan Pasricha’s acquisition of this Jacobethan hall with parkland on the cusp of the Cotswolds has heralded a glamorous new dawn – and created an outpost for Mayfair members’ club Maison Estelle. To transform the austere panelled shell, he hired designers including Roman and Williams (NoMad London, Freehand New York), then installed a riot of paintings and sculptures with a focus on English artists such as Billy Childish and Erin Lawlor. The 108 rooms and suites are split between the main house, kitchen-garden blocks, Scandinavian-styled woodland cottages and handsome private homes. In spite of the upholstered silk furniture, Persian rugs and antiques, they feel pared down and modern. Everything celebrates the good life, with eating taken as seriously as work (there are on-site desk spaces, a creche and gym at The Clubhouse). Breakfasts and informal suppers unfold in The Brasserie, where the evening menu includes a raw section of caviar and oysters, and juicy steaks served with the marrow. The Billiards Room has an excellent Chinese selection focused on dim sum and bao by ex-Hakkasan chef Ah Tat Ip. There’s a Japanese restaurant by Nobu alum Sergej Leonenko, and the bloom-filled Glasshouse centres on British heritage vegetables and wood-fired roasts. A fun, clubbable and boozy atmosphere pervades at the 25-metre pool, and hangovers can be soaked off in the phenomenal Eynsham Baths, a Roman-inspired spa in carved marble with sculpted columns. Doubles from about £450. Lydia Bell
Gregory COPITEThotelFirst in: 1, Place Vendôme, Paris
The French capital has more than its fair share of hotels with Studio 54-style waiting lists or storied suites. 1, Place Vendôme – owned by the Scheufele family behind Swiss fine jeweller and watchmaker Chopard – counters that razzle dazzle with an elegance that’s quintessentially Parisian but more homely, especially for those accustomed to butler service. Designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon (The Dorchester, Peninsula Shanghai), it’s a new jewel for the regal 1st arrondissement, amid Place Vendôme’s murmur of top labels, and directly above the Chopard boutique. Guests enter through an imposing blue door, unbranded except for an enigmatic cursive “C”. This place is more akin to a members’ club than a hotel (it’s only accessible to guests and their visitors), so many conventions are dispensed with. There’s no lobby, rather the grandeur of an entrance hall with an 18th-century stone fireplace and sweeping staircase. Check-in, as with dining, happens wherever guests please: in the library-salon, one of the sumptuous lounges or their bedroom – of which there are five, plus 10 suites including the double-height, Versailles-worthy, gilded confection known as Appartement Chopard. There’s a glass-walled table d’hôte that allows guests to peer in on the chefs while dining; a winter-garden conservatory with a jungle-themed mural crafted from thousands of cabochon gemstones; and a Chinese-inspired fumoir. This is classic Paris, cut with an haute-private edge. From about £1,115. Katie Baron
Will PrycehotelThe Peninsula, London
It’s a sign that a hotel opening is a real event when even the taxi driver excitedly explains the subtly marked genders of the lion
statues outside (hint: look for the egg). The Peninsula London has been 30 years in the making, with the Hong Kong brand spending decades looking for a goldilocks site before opting to knock down an office block that housed the headquarters of building company Sir Robert McAlpine, overlooking the Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner. For all the staff buzz (just ask any of them about the feng shui), the sense inside the new eight-storey edifice is of a frictionless bubble. The creamy seven-star cosseting feels distinctly Asian, despite the red buses and daily Household Cavalry horses outside. All the key brand markers are here: the Rolls-Royces in Peninsula green; the tinkly underwater pool music; the afternoon teas in the vast lobby; the robo-loos and drawers with nail dryers; and Cantonese classics at Canton Blue and its adjoining Little Blue bar, with sultry interiors inspire by the 19th-century Keying trading junk. There’s also a nostalgic Britishness at play, from the de Gournay wallpaper depicting the Royal Parks to the Brooklands restaurant-bar inspired by the UK’s golden age of flying and motor racing. It’s already Michelin-starred for its modern British dishes by Bibendum’s Claude Bosi, and has rare views across the parks to the London Eye. This is a hotel for a new London: global, solvent and demanding only the best. Doubles from about £1,300. Toby Skinner
Brian SiambihotelAngama Amboseli, Kenya
Size is everything in the Amboseli National Park’s ecosystem. Some of Kenya’s few remaining super tuskers make a vast journey along an ancient migratory path below the hulking shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. It’s an environment where big ideas are not only welcome but needed – and safari outfit Angama has risen to the challenge with its third property. Within the Kimana community sanctuary, the 10-suite canvas-roofed lodge is part of an elephant corridor connecting Amboseli with protected areas in the Chyulu Hills and Tsavo West National Park. Built in partnership with the Big Life Foundation NGO, it’s the company’s first major foray into hands-on conservation. It doesn’t shy away from the realities of human-wildlife coexistence – that’s part of the story. From the Mnara, a wi-fi equipped watchtower, guests can see herds parade across swamps at sunset as lights from villages twinkle on the horizon. Elephants have inspired every element of the interior design, from pillars resembling their columnal legs to place mats mimicking their abrasive skin. Even dung has been used to craft the thermoregulating adobe walls. All tents – spaced several pachyderm strides apart – have superb views, a signature for Angama. Beyond a forest of fever trees, the sometimes snowcapped summit of Kilimanjaro can be seen through the clouds – often so close, it feels within touching distance from the bed. Lying back and watching the wild world go by is the biggest treat of all. From about £1,300 per person, per night. Sarah Marshall
Casa LucíahotelCasa Lucía
Buenos Aires has many epithets, but none are quite as fitting as “the Paris of the South” – especially when you venture towards the elegant café- and park-strewn barrios of Retiro and Recoleta. It’s here, in the middle of Calle Arroyo, where Spanish hotel group Unico has unveiled Casa Lucia, one of the city’s most exciting hotel launches in recent memory. Housed in the Edificio Mihanovich – a 20-story neoclassical icon that was the tallest building in South America when it opened in 1928 – the hotel (which sat closed for the past five years) has emerged from a top-to-toe renovation where porteño glamour seeps into every space. There’s the light-flushed atrium lobby, covered by a glass roof that connects two seven-story wings of the original building, as well as a spa and a 52-foot pool flanked by mirrors. Just off the central atrium is Cantina Restaurant, where the steaks would impress a hungry gaucho, and Le Club Bacan, an intimate lounge bar serving up tapas, louche sounds, and more than 400 wines chosen by master sommelier Aldo Garcia. Rooms are spacious and modern, with a cool palette of grey greens; many have outside balconies with sun loungers and outdoor showers affording wide views over the city to the Río de la Plata. It all feels like a soothing embrace in a city that – for better or worse – often skews on the side of chaos. From £470. Stanley Stewart
Mark Mediana/Fontainebleau Las VegashotelFontainebleau Las Vegas
Saying that Fontainebleau is the longest-awaited of any Las Vegas property is no hyperbole: in fact, the 737-foot-high tower (the tallest hotel in Las Vegas) was topped out in 2008 but sat vacant through several ownership changes before Jeffrey Soffer’s Fontainbleau Development reclaimed it in 2021 – and unveiled the final product in one of the most star-studded and lavish parties in Las Vegas history at the end of 2023. The hotel is a soaring tribute to the original architect of its iconic Miami Beach sister property, Morris Lapidus, complete with a massive oval lobby, monolithic bow-tie-shaped porte cochere, and other midcentury modern glam details. The 67-story Fontainebleau (now the tallest hotel in Vegas) features 3,644 rooms in several categories that afford incredible views of either the mountains or the Strip from floor-to-ceiling windows. There are some truly new-to-Vegas experiences on the dining front: numbering among the 36 restaurants and lounges are Mother Wolf, which doles out Roman pizza and hand-cut pasta; and the witty Washing Potato, serving up dim sum and street food. The clever Reboot Lounge offers everything from a signature foot massage to compression therapy for legs (great for recovering from a long flight). Fontainebleau takes all the best Las Vegas amenities, adds a bit of Miami glamour, and supersizes everything on a massive stage. From £236. Emily Gordon
Carlton Cannes, A Regent HotelhotelThe Carlton Cannes – A Regent Hotel: first in review
A six-year hotel restoration, including two and a half years of complete closure, is serious business. That’s why everyone was clamouring to rush in when the Boulevard de la Croisette’s century-old grande dame, in a dramatic I’m-ready-for-my-close-up moment, finally flung open her doors in spring 2023 to unveil a swoon-worthy rejuvenation. But there’s more. Rebranded as a Regent Hotel, the Carlton’s neo-resort comeback works its charms beyond the showy marble-stucco-columned lobby and gorgeously spruced-up tea salon. The sprawling peristyle garden courtyard and splashy infinity pool (which morphs into a skating rink in winter) are just part of the draw. There’s also a dazzling Le C-Club Spa for personalized holistic massages and Dr Barbara Sturm treatments, plus a luxe cutting-edge fitness centre with a boxing ring where you can slug away with a private coach. Aquanauts may prefer a plunge in the turquoise Med and relaxing on a sunbed at the Carlton’s private beach, which still oozes To Catch a Thief glamour. Upstairs, the reimagined sea-view rooms have an unfussy, minimalist beach feel. There are also cavernous seventh-floor signature suites and a massive penthouse for glitzy movie mogul bashes. Come sundown, guests drift to the intimate Bar °58 for signature cocktails (try the tequila old-fashioned spiked with agave and bitter chocolate) then continue on to the newly added restaurant Rüya for mouthwatering Anatolian-style dishes to share among friends. Gracious service remains paramount, with 14 concierges in high season. The Carlton Cannes’s legendary glow is brighter than ever. From £345. Lanie Goodman
hotelThe Peninsula Istanbul: first in hotel review
Life in this city revolves around the Bosphorus, so naturally the hotel scene does too. Already, the Peninsula in the three-year-old mixed-use Galataport cruise terminal has become one of Istanbul’s hot spots, thanks to the rooftop restaurant Gallada, overseen by Fatih Tutak – Turkey’s only chef with two Michelin stars. Architect Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu has transformed four adjoining buildings into a sleek mash-up of past and present: the massive Bauhaus-era Lobby restaurant was once the port’s passenger terminal, while a newly constructed wing is home to large light-filled suites overlooking the river. Each of the 177 rooms is filled with the usual hallmarks and comforts of a Peninsula – monochrome palettes, thick Tai Ping carpets, and state-of-the-art technology – but it’s the spa where the brand’s ethos shines brightest. There’s an 82-foot-long indoor swimming pool as well as eight treatment rooms and a gorgeous sauna. This is Istanbul, however, which means the spa reaches its pinnacle with a purpose-built hammam – a shimmering, marble-lined space to rival the most established baths in the city. From £606. Lale Arikoglu
hotelChelsea Townhouse, London
If you know London, you also know how prized its private communal gardens are to the residents lucky enough to live by them. The Cadogan Place Gardens in Sloane Square, with their mature trees and gated railings, are among the most prestigious – and the newly opened Chelsea Townhouse gives its guests access to that rarified local perk. The 36-room hotel – the third London property and the sixth hotel in the Iconic Luxury Hotels collection—sits across from three redbrick Victorian townhouses and includes roomy, ground-level suites with French doors that open directly into the garden. The decor here leans antique but is light-touch and chic – think botanical prints, pleated lampshades, velvet headboards, and the odd porcelain figurine. Much of the period furniture has been repurposed from its predecessor, the Draycott Hotel, but the redesign has breathed new life into its spaces, which are bathed in restful shades of grey and cream. Its communal areas include a fire-warmed dining room and bay-windowed library, made cosier with staff who anticipate your needs. Once nestled in this cocoon, it’s easy to forget the abundance at your doorstep: Stylish sister property 11 Cadogan Gardens – with a clever little gym that’s available for Townhouse guests – is around the corner, as is Pavilion Road, a pedestrian mews street with indie restaurants, bars, and design shops. Further out in Chelsea and Kensington, opportunities abound for a great night out; but as you wind your way back to this comfy, tucked-away sanctuary, you’ll be ever glad to be home. From about £455. Arati Menon
Colima 71hotelColima 71, Mexico City
Tucked away in Roma Norte, one of Mexico City’s most lively corners, this former school is the area’s latest minimalist refuge with a focus on contemporary art. Famed Mexican architect Alberto Kalach led a local design team that transformed the property into a spacious hotel with 16 residential-style studios. In the cosy lobby, there’s a floor-to-ceiling photography installation by Iñaki Bonillas. Just beyond, in the courtyard, is the next showpiece: a hollow latticework steel structure by Sofía Táboas, another globally renowned Mexican artist. The staircase is adorned with a suspended sculpture made of bicycle tyres, stainless steel, and brass by Guatemalan provocateur Darío Escobar. Most rooms have outdoor balconies, white oak bed frames draped in Portuguese cotton linens, and kitchens stocked with ceramics produced by Indigenous communities in Oaxaca. Colima 71 blends a boutique hotel with aspects of a serviced apartment building – so it doesn’t have a restaurant, but there are treats. A barista drops by to deliver coffee made with beans from Chiapas and heartier dishes such as ricotta-and-guava-stuffed rolls from Panadería Rosetta, an acclaimed bakery by Rosetta’s Elena Reygadas, who was voted the world’s best female chef in 2023. For evenings, there’s an honesty bar – made from emerald marble imported from Iran – stocked with Mexico’s top tequilas and mezcals. From £315. Michaela Trimble
Gentl & HyershotelDawn Ranch: First In
Over the past few years, long-bohemian Sonoma has seen a handful of splashy, big hotel openings that make the area feel like it’s headed in the same way as ritzy neighbouring Napa. Dawn Ranch is not one of those openings – in the best, most magical way possible. The cabins, cottages, and glamping-style tents (87 keys all in) are spread out across the retreat’s 22 riverside acres punctuated by ancient giant redwoods, grassy meadows, and a century-old apple orchard. From the minute you step on site, there’s a clear invitation to slow down and take in the surrounding nature. The check-in area is low-key and more outdoor than indoor, with a chalkboard that highlights the week’s activities – morning yoga or meditation, an origami workshop, stargazing in the orchard, or live music at the band shell. The front desk can kit you out with picnic blankets, sketchbooks, and binoculars, and there are acoustic Fender guitars available for campfire sing-alongs. There are quiet places – a bench in the sweet kitchen garden, a picnic table under the shade of a cedar – that beckon for guests to stop and stay put for a moment. While the decor and design is very contemporary, there’s this lovely throwback-to-simpler-times feel (and no phones or TVs in the room help keep this vibe going). Dawn Ranch is the rare property that makes it easy to relax, truly befitting its idyllic setting. From £240. Rebecca Misner
Studio UnfoldedhotelFirst in: De Durgerdam, Amsterdam
A former 17th-century clapboard inn in a fishing village just a 20-minute cycle from downtown Amsterdam, De Durgerdam has been restored and relaunched as a friendly hotel, with astonishing food by the team behind Michelin-starred restaurants 212 and De Juwelier. Named after the historic village it calls home, the 14-room creation is a celebration of simple, low-impact design, with a mix of vintage and custom-made furniture (Hypnos beds with beautiful wave-inspired local tulipwood headboards); but also of the golden age of Vermeer, through its moody use of natural light, velvety throws and palette of green, rust and putty. The relaxed open-plan restaurant, De Mark, takes over the whole ground floor and is already a local favourite, with a wood-burning stove, a bar and doors that open on to a terrace overlooking saltwater lake Ijmeer (an inlet of the North Sea until it was dammed in 1932). It’s overseen by head chef Koen Marees, known for his imaginative, vegetable-forward menus featuring dishes such as roasted cod with buttermilk and cream of barbecued celeriac, and tomato steak tartare. Downstairs is a candlelit wine snug. Guests can whizz into town in a cab, hire one of the hotel’s electric bikes to explore, or just cosy up by the fire. The braver among them scamper down the hotel jetty and leap into the lake. Doubles from about £260 Francesca Syz
Farasha FarmhousehotelFarasha Farmhouse
Marrakech has been abuzz with the arrival of new medina and Palmeraie hotels in the past year. But it’s this farmhouse embedded in an olive grove between the Atlas and Jbilet mountains, 45 minutes from the medina, that feels most like a gear-shift in the city’s hotel scene. The vision of husband-and-wife event stylists Fred and Rosena Charmoy – who have planned some of the most talked-about parties in town over the past 20 years – it’s the kind of in-the-know desert retreat you would expect to find in Ibiza or Joshua Tree. There are no flashy signs; instead the Hamsa, or Hand of Fatima, is etched on a rock to signal you’re close by. Long pathways sprinkled with argan nuts lead the way to the dusty-pink converted farmhouse. Inside, the smooth space looks like a sleek art gallery, with shimmering tadelakt surfaces. Vintage Italian sofas join pieces by local artists and craftspeople, from shaggy carpets by Beni Rugs to Amine El Gotaibi’s giant woolly art installations and coffee-table books handed down from the city’s legendary Vreeland estate. Of the three oversized suites in the main building, the two cavernous rooftop rooms are the best for views across to the mountain peaks. In the wispy gardens, an adobe house has been turned into a stylish casita, where traditional clay contrasts with oxblood and mustard zellige tiles. The 164-foot pool has huge daybeds between plumes of olive trees, where guests sprawl before drifting into evenings fueled by hibiscus sundowners and New Age cosmic chats. From £300. Chloe Sachdev
hotelFirst in: Broadwick Soho, London
This Martin Brudzinski-designed hangout on the corner of Berwick Street and Broadwick Street is no elegant grand dame or glassy international transplant. Instead, the 57-room hotel owned by a group of friends throws patterns (leopard print, zebra stripe, geometric lines), textures (cork panelling, glitter DJ booths, silk walls) and colours (flamingo pink, crimson red, aquamarine) together to create a joyful place to stay. As is Brudzinski's way, spaces here are hardly shy and retiring. The designer's trademark maximalist vibe naturally draws comparisons to his other projects, especially Annabel's, but Broadwick is her own person entirely. Two enormous elephants hover above the street-level entrance in top hats and bow ties, while bedrooms pick up the motif and run with it by placing handcrafted Jaipur elephant mini bars front and centre and decking the walls in shimmering elephant print wallpaper. A hotel this fun, of course, needs sharp public spaces for merrymaking: Flute is the disco-chic rooftop bar; Dear Jackie is a sultry, dimly lit restaurant with an impeccable Sicilian-inspired menu; and little sister Bar Jackie is a more casual café with strong coffee for soothing weary heads the morning after the night before. Then there's The Nook, a guests-only den for nightcaps or afternoon snoozes. The result is a hotel that feels fresh while simultaneously fitting right into the London scene; a space that trades heavily on its glamour and distinctly Soho soul. Sarah James
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Further HotelhotelFurther
With Bali’s traffic-choked Canggu district bursting at the seams, the smart crowd have set their sights on Pererenan, a sleepy village one beach to the west. Even though new villas have pitched up over recent years, they abut rice paddies and turmeric-hued temples – a flashback to the Canggu of three decades ago. At Pererenan’s heart sits the new Further, a “diffused hotel” spread out over two terra-cotta-toned buildings (with more on the way) along the village’s palm-hemmed main drag. Each is home to parts of Further’s ambitious collective of creative spaces. There’s a board shop and concept store by Australian label Thomas Surfboards; a boutique by Jakarta-based natural skincare brand Oaken Lab; and a breezy, tropical-Parisian bistro for classic apéro sundowners and dinners of pumpkin Pithiviers and steak tartare smothered in sambal. Upstairs, almost a dozen suites by Aussie design outfit Studio Wenden riff on traditional Balinese shapes and textures, with walls bedecked in burnt sienna plaster and breezy brickwork that filters the morning sun. Robust furnishings made from cast iron, earthy travertine, and timber balance out the sultry black-and-white photography, and a wraparound balcony doubles as an alfresco bathroom. This is go-slow territory, with palo-santo-scented mornings filled with leisurely lie-ins and picnic-basket breakfasts delivered to your door (an in-house restaurant will follow at a later stage), while jazzy tunes seep from the record players in every room. On an island riddled with copy-and-paste hotels, Further brings a fresh perspective. From £180. Chris Schalkx
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Courtesy The GeorgianhotelThe Georgian
There can be few more iconic frontages anywhere in the US than the turquoise art deco façade of “Santa Monica’s First Lady” – a star magnet since 1933, but which had become more of an Accidentally Wes Anderson curiosity than a hotel to rival the best of Los Angeles. That’s emphatically changed after an overhaul by BLVD Hospitality (Soho Warehouse in Downtown LA) and design firm Fettle, best known for creating Hoxton hotels from Portland to Rome. The 84-room address has emerged with its deco-meets-Havana vibe smartly updated, with bellboys dressed in powder blue uniforms and scalloped details from the reception key cupboard to the headboards in pastel-painted rooms. Velveteen opulence and whimsical hedonism are the order of the day. Guests arrive to a glass of fizz, and can pick up a rotary phone to listen to imaginary conversations with celebrated former patrons (Monroe, Chaplin, Gable et al); those in suites can press a Champagne button to summon a bar cart. The 1918 Steinway is still tickled at The Georgian Room, a speakeasy-style basement restaurant and bar with a horseshoe-shaped quartzite counter. There’s a caviar service among the Italian-meets-SoCal dishes at the ground-floor restaurant, which spills out onto a lovely ocean-facing terrace. With regular art exhibitions, one of which featured bright abstract canvases by Sharon Stone, there’s a tangible sense that The Georgian is entering a new golden age. Doubles from about £550. Lizbeth Scordo
Courtesy The Global AmbassadorhotelThe Global Ambassador, Phoenix
Phoenix has its fair share of easy-to-categorise hotels, from rambling retreats for families to Old Town Scottsdale party spots seemingly custom-made for bachelorette blowouts. But a chic, cosmopolitan hotel? A property that’s a legitimately cool day-and-night destination for locals? Absolutely nonexistent in the Valley of the Sun – until the arrival of the Global Ambassador. At first blush, you feel more like you’ve touched down somewhere in Europe: peek outside at the sweet pool with its pink-striped chaise lounge and orange-with-white-piping sun umbrellas, and you’ll swear you’re on the Amalfi Coast. Despite the abundant modern touches (and complete lack of southwest design aesthetic), however, the backdrop of the magnificent Camelback Mountain will remind you exactly where you are. The overall palette in the 141 guest rooms and suites is soft beiges and whites, with many different textural delights – and there’s good framed art everywhere. Of the five food and drink venues, rooftop restaurant Théa is the crown jewel, thanks to a Mediterranean-inspired dinner menu and 360-degree views of Camelback at sunset. The cutting-edge spa and fitness offerings nicely round out this stylish, sophisticated hotel – one that feels totally transportive yet exactly right for this fast-changing desert city. From £275. Rebecca Misner
Habitas AtacamahotelOur Habitas Atacama
There’s a stillness in the Atacama Desert, where undulating red-sand landscapes are graced with brittle shrubs, slow-moving camelids, and the impending volatility of geological formations. But safe from the towering volcanoes and bursting geysers, ripe for days of exploring, the recently opened Our Habitas Atacama is an oasis for adventure travellers. Here, adobe walls and thatched roofs keep travellers rooted in the destination, with earthly pleasures like a plant-focused menu and desert-herb body scrub that speak to the wellness-inclined. The sprawling 51-room lodge is a natural extension of the Our Habitas brand – which has already found a home in bohemian destinations like Bacalar, Mexico, and Agafay, Morocco – promising creature comforts like a shimmering pool with cocktail service, as well as quiet gardens where you can plop down to stargaze at night. The elevated but unfussy atmosphere is a treat in a destination best known for its backpacker accommodations and ultra-high-end lodges: Much like the nearby Licancabur volcano, which straddles the Chile-Bolivia border, Our Habitas lands invitingly in the middle. From £240. Megan Spurrell
hotelHighland Base, Iceland
Iceland really has been the “land of fire and ice” of late, with the recent eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula causing the temporary closure of The Retreat at Blue Lagoon, a 60-suite hotel and subterranean geothermal spa. Luckily the sustainably minded wellness company’s new sister venture, a year-round off-grid retreat for adventure extremists, is 110 miles – and another planet – away in Iceland’s vast and mostly frozen interior, which remained unexplored until the 1930s. Highland Base in Kerlingarfjöll – a vast reserve of snowdrift-blanketed peaks, glaciers, lava fields and silence – might as well be on the moon. Getting there is a mission. In winter, after arriving at Skjol Basecamp – 90 minutes on the Golden Circle from Reykjavik – it can take two to five hours of “floating” over virgin snow in adapted Super Jeeps. The angular Highland Base huddles in a valley like a Nordic minimalist space station, a 28-room hotel and six pod-like lodges occupying the abandoned structures of the pioneers who have gone before. The lodges, which have sunken living rooms, Polaroid-like windows and hanging ponchos, were designed with sustainable aged wood and concrete by Icelandic firm Basalt Architects, masterminds of the Blue Lagoon. There’s also a sleeping bag option in A-frame huts left over from a 1960s summer ski school. Activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking, as well jumping in the geothermal baths to see the Northern Lights after dinners of Arctic char and warming shots of Brennivín schnapps. Doubles from about £285. Stephanie Rafanelli
Anna MalmberghotelHotel Corazon, Mallorca
Mallorca’s west coast has long been a magnet for writers, artists and musicians seeking spiritual connection – an intangible alchemy that has been channelled into Hotel Corazón. A wild and spoiling spot between Deià and Sóller, it’s the creation of photographer Kate Bellm and her partner, the artist and cactus gardener Edgar Lopez, who set out to open a hotel that feels more like the private home of an arty friend, a place where anything seems possible. Their creative pals are regular guests, and the 1970s-inspired, free-flowing sculptural interior design blurs the boundaries between indoors and out. Palm fronds peek through the windows of the 15 linen-draped bedrooms, each unique, with shaggy carpets and egg-shaped dome showers in hazy shades of pink, sage and ochre. At the heart of the property is the abundant land, which is cultivated using traditional regenerative
farming techniques. Vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs are harvested to conjure up seasonal dishes, served on the restaurant terrace backed by mountain views. Palm-leaf parasols cast languid shade onto day beds by the pool, and healing medicinal teas and elixirs are sourced from the garden. Sound baths, yoga and reiki are on offer, as well as insider advice on where to find hidden waterfalls and caves. Hotel Corazón immerses guests in the island’s artistic scene – an invitation to dare to dream. Doubles from about £230. Katie Metcalfe
Krista KeltanenhotelHotel Maria, Helsinki
In a country where the sun hides for a large part of the year, light is more precious than gold. Carefully considered illuminations appositely form the design backbone of Finland’s latest top-drawer opening, an elegantly attired dame igniting buzz in the capital. Inside the former 19th-century battalion residence in the Kruununhaka district, crystal pendants sparkle from 159 chandeliers, and dozens of opaque selenite wands nostalgically mimic snow lanterns above the Champagne- and caviar-stocked bar. In the 117 bedrooms and suites (there are 38 of the latter, the highest number in Helsinki), a dizzying selection of lamps and ceiling lights can be dimmed with one touch of an iPad for sultry cinematic effect. But even beyond its highly charged interiors, this lustrous beauty is set to shine. Founder Samppa Lajunen, a former skier with three Olympic golds, has high hopes for the first wellness concept hotel in the Nordics. Finnish sauna culture and hot and cold therapy are central to the spa and health club, where nutritionists, personal trainers and therapists join forces. In restaurant Lilja, head chef Ville Rainio is on track for a Michelin star with his New Nordic menu based on Finland’s bountiful larder – from cheeses made in nearby suburb Töölö to reindeer meat from inside the Arctic Circle in Lapland. This is a distinctly local hotel with finessed service not previously seen in this part of the world. Proof that Finland can deliver more than husky rides and auroras, it’s an enlightening find. Doubles from about £386. Sarah Marshall
hotelJannah Lamu, Kenya
I fell for Lamu, the 14th-century former powerhouse on the maritime trade route between Africa and Asia, as a student in the late 1980s—a time of semi-ruined mansions and no electricity. The island, specifically the outlying former fishing village of Shela, is a bohemian hot spot today, and the new Jannah Lamu is buzzing with energy (and air-conditioning, still a rarity here). This is the latest hospitality project of Kenyan designer-hotelier Anna Trzebinski, who has incorporated old village buildings and outdoor spaces into one innovative “constellation hotel.” It’s easy to shed layers of stress here, lulled by the sounds of Shela: children kicking around a football, calls to prayer, village elders putting the world to rights, and donkeys drinking from stone basins at the hotel’s bougainvillea-draped entrance. Jannah – now the highest building on the skyline – features Gaudí-esque curved windows and a vertiginous staircase tower, which connects the bedrooms to the penthouse and communal roof terrace. The Swahili-chic decor is punctuated with touches of glamour, and terraces overlook the wooden dhows on the bay – three of which are at the disposal of Jannah guests. The hotel also owns a canopied and cushioned barge, for languid day trips to distant dunes and islands, morning swims through the mangrove inlets where turtles like to surface, or shopping trips to vibrant Lamu Town just along the coast. Because as everyone who lives here knows, the essence of Swahili culture is inevitably best imbibed afloat. From about £175. Catherine Fairweather
Dimitris Poupalos/MonumenthotelMonument
Classified as a modern monument, this mansion was designed in 1881 by Ernst Ziller, the German architect whose eclectic neoclassicism shaped Greece’s new 19th-century capital. Hotelier Grigoris Tolkas spent three years transforming the neglected beauty into an intimate hotel, undeterred by strict building restrictions, maddening bureaucracy and spiralling costs. Restoration specialists from the Ministry of Culture painted the delicate acanthus flowers on the ceilings and trompe l’oeil stairwell, which leads to nine subtly different rooms and suites. There are sepia-toned limewash walls, brass lamps beside bespoke wooden beds and a smattering of contemporary Scandinavian furniture to keep things from sliding into retro pastiche. Modern bathrooms are concealed in mirrored boxes, a neat trick that makes the lofty rooms seem even bigger. Some suites have marble balconies overlooking the domed church of Agios Dimitrios, the pavement scene at fashionable Linou Soumpasis restaurant and the Parthenon hovering above the rooftops. A locally sourced breakfast is the only meal served in the subdued living and dining room that occupies the whole ground floor. The complimentary sauna and steam room in the basement is a lovely perk. Service is hyper-personal, from the morning crew remembering your coffee order to behind-the-scenes tours tailored to your interests, whether you’re into art, architecture or eating your way around Athens. This is a charming hideout in the heart of the city, where you can peel back layers of the past while checking the frenetic pulse of the present. From about £240. Rachel Howard
Six Senses Southern DuneshotelSix Senses Southern Dunes
If it seems peculiar that the first hotel in Saudi Arabia’s ambitious new constellation of Red Sea stays has opened a 45-minute drive from the coast, then be clear: this 10,800-square-mile virgin territory is about much more than water. Guests can take a predawn hike across silent, sinuous dunes to a cinematic sunrise show, with the sea on the horizon. This new Six Senses is an oasis in the truest sense of the word. Surrounded by a vast expanse of desert and rock undulations, it is clustered with palms and heat-resistant plants. Here, the sonorous splash of water meets the melodious cooing of doves, drawn by the shade of petal-shaped rope awnings. Foster + Partners–designed, dune-hugging villas are desert-modernist in mood, with sweeping angular canopies providing natural shade from the harsh sun and solar-heated plunge pools for cool respite. In the sprawling spa, treatments cover everything from detox and weight management to antiaging and biohacking; but for sheer relaxation it’s hard to beat the Desert Bliss, a cranio-sacral massage performed on a bed of warm quartz sand. Zero-proof cocktails are dispensed around a palm-fringed main pool on lazy days, and at the resort’s highest point, Arabic fine-dining restaurant Al Sarab revolves around what’s local – abundant seafood and cheese – enjoyed against a fiery sunset backdrop. From £625. Nicola Chilton
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Chris SchalkxhotelJW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa
South Korea’s Jeju Island has long been a beloved weekend getaway for local city slickers. They fly in for the miles of hiking trails that weave past soaring volcanoes and craggy coastlines, then flock to the island’s restaurants for their famed hay-smoked Jeju black pig, juicy mandarins, and shellfish caught by the illustrious Haenyeo divers. It wasn’t until recently, though, that Jeju finally had a resort worth traveling out of the way for. Pitched up on a cliff on the island’s southern tip, the JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa is a sprawling, straight-lined complex of basalt rock. For the interiors, hotel guru Bill Bensley drew inspiration from Jeju’s natural and cultural landscape: Jolts of yellow marble in the rooms nod to the canola fields that bloom every spring; the frames of timber hanok (traditional Korean buildings) in the lobby mimic the island’s oldest settlements. A spacious hot spring complex with indoor and outdoor pools, three local-minded restaurants, a tea lounge, and a jimjilbang (Korean-style sauna) with various themed rooms make it tempting to stay in – but the spectacular walking routes unfurling from the hotel’s art-studded backyard will convince even the staunchest couch potato to strap on their hiking boots. From £625. Chris Schalkx
hotelFirst in: La Nauve Hotel & Jardin, Cognac
Though France’s Henri IV was a Bourbon, he had a taste for cognac. He insisted that the Charente, which flows through the city, was the loveliest river in his kingdom. The good king would, then, surely approve of La Nauve Hotel & Jardin, which occupies a particularly splendid position on the banks of the river. This blindingly white, 19th-century neoclassical villa is flanked by two outbuildings of similar vintage and surrounded by a dozen emerald green acres that will only get better with age. Much of the garden was redesigned and replanted while the hotel was being created; and though it is already looking gorgeous, the climbing plants taking over the trellises by the water lily pond promise lovelier views with each growing inch. There are currently a dozen rooms—eight in the main villa and four in the smaller of the two outbuildings—and the interiors are charmingly eclectic. Despite the great quantities of gleaming marble and the mesmeric, grand-scale Venetian chandeliers in the lobby, there’s an intriguing hint of the Alps throughout the place. The abundance of wood—not only in the floors and ceilings, but also in the elaborate inlaid headboards, doors, and wardrobes—is an unexpected delight. Further elegant touches include luminous onyx panels, brass details embedded in the parquet, and, here and there, carved birds perched in the rafters. La Nauve’s two restaurants, the fine-dining Notes and the indoor-outdoor Brasserie des Flâneurs, are both overseen by Anthony Carballo (ex-Le Meurice and Shangri-La Paris) and are outstanding additions to the resurgent local food-and-drink scene. From £390. Steve King
ALESSANDRO MOGGI/La RoqqahotelLa Roqqa
It’s been eons since a new hotel graced Porto Ercole, a chic but discreet village on the Monte Argentario peninsula that’s home to Caravaggio’s tomb. The newcomer creating ripples on this part of the rock-strewn Maremma coastline is petite La Roqqa, a cliffside retreat whose distinctive coral-orange façade and secluded views of the Tyrrhenian Sea provide a forward-looking alternative to Hotel Il Pellicano, the area’s sine qua non grande dame since 1965. In the 55 rooms and suites, floor-to-ceiling windows let sunshine flood onto walls of sage green or Terra di Siena orange, which pop against crisp white bed linen. Designers Palomba Serafini, Milanese masters of uncluttered contemporary chic, have mixed midcentury pieces and Gaetano Pesce’s iconic Up chairs with ultramodern features, including an eye-catching white central staircase spiralling from the entrance. On the alfresco rooftop, Ferragamo-clad locals sip Negronis gilded by sunset rays in view of the 16th-century Forte Stella and harbour yachts below. Aperitivo hour turns into dinner at the outdoor Scirocco restaurant, where chef Francesco Ferretti knocks up fresh sea bass and other local seafood capped with Venetian grappa. Days spent lounging at the hotel’s smart Isolotto Beach Club are broken up by lunches of avocado and tuna salads paired with a local white. Or you can ask friendly staff to book you a Vespa tour along the rugged coast. It’s La Dolce Vita reimagined for the next generation. From £375. Erin Florio
hotelFirst in: Mamula Island Hotel, Montenegro
Gulls wheel above the worn stone of an island monastery, and the Dinaric Alps rise from crystal-clear waters by a thin coastal strip of red-roofed fishermen’s cottages, Venetian merchants’ palaces, and Orthodox churches. Here, where the last narrow spit of the Croatian coast plunges into the Adriatic and meets Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor, the massive, pale limestone walls and central tower of Mamula Island hotel dominate a rocky islet. Reimagined from a 19th-century fort – and preserving its martial grandeur – the property contains 32 rooms and suites, spread through the dramatic, barrel-vaulted spaces of former cannon rooms and officers’ quarters, their interiors softened with natural fabrics, warm brass, solid oak, and smooth curves. Outside, the view links the sea, mountains, and sky. This connection resonates throughout: menus at the three restaurants featuring local oysters and freshly caught lobster, cocktails at the rampart bar infused with Mediterranean pine and olives, and holistic rituals using sea sponges and local limestone in the spa’s serene stone rooms. Guests can unwind with dawn yoga or recline on the island’s small beach. A few hundred feet across the water lie the sea caves, beaches, abandoned forts, and submarine tunnels of the unspoilt Luštica peninsula, with medieval-walled Kotor, the cascading old town of Herceg Novi, and the glorious marinas of Porto Montenegro and Portonovi a short boat ride away. From £430. Jonathan Wiggin
Paul Costello/The CelestinehotelThe Celestine
Built in 1791 as a private residence in the fabled French Quarter, The Celestine marks the glowing return to what its storied former tenants – the Creole chemist Antione Peychaud, responsible for his namesake bitters and a female hotelier who ran the fashionable Maison Deville hotel (where Tennesse Williams is said to have penned A Streetcar Named Desire) – would have enjoyed. The property, named after Peychaud’s wife, was lovingly restored by local restaurateur and hotelier Robert LeBlanc (The Chloe), interior designer Sara Costello (The Chloe), and cocktail whiz Neal Bodenheimer (Cure, Cane + Table). A stylish sprawl of 10 rooms features antique furniture, four-poster beds, pencil drawings, and a trove of 19th-century oil paintings discovered in the building’s attic. Sip a Sazerac from your balcony or descend into the dimly-lit Pecyhaud’s Bar for a nip. Outside, a tropical-fringed courtyard with a babbling fountain is a delightful spot for a Ramos Gin Fizz amid the sounds of jazz music wafting from the legendary Court of Two Sisters next door. From £180. Kate Donnelly
Nikolas Koenig/The Riviera Maya EDITION at KanaihotelThe Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai
Making its debut in Latin America, The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai brings the brand’s quintessential late-night soirees and chic city style to an expansive, 620-acre nature reserve in the Yucatán Peninsula’s Riviera Maya. With interiors by the Ian Schrager Company in collaboration with the design firm Rockwell Group, and architecture by Edmonds International, the resort was created with cenotes (freshwater limestone pools) in mind. After walking up an orchid-lined staircase, guests arrive at a seating area with views of an oversized lagoon-like swimming pool – the resort’s centrepiece – that looks straight to a palm-lined path leading to the sea. It’s here where the property’s cenote-inspired architecture really shines, courtesy of a bamboo yoga deck designed by Eduardo Neira. The structure’s undulating walls continue to the surrounding limestone buildings – mimicking the seismic ripple that occurred when an ancient asteroid struck Chicxulub – which contain 182 guestrooms, including 30 suites, most with plunge pools and terraces providing either ocean or mangrove views. During a stay, guests are privy to the menus of two Mexican chefs who both appear on the World’s 50 Best lists: Francisco Ruano leads the resort’s signature restaurant Ki’is (meaning “zest” in Mayan), which is known for its revolving tasting menu; while Tomás Bermúdez helms So’ol (Mayan for “oyster”), an outdoor seafood eatery overlooking the Caribbean Sea. From £580. Michaela Trimble
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Rahul Kizhakke VeettilhotelMementos by ITC Hotels, Ekaaya Udaipur
Breakfast by the lake, yoga under the stars, bird watching, nature hikes, outdoor movie screenings – no demand is too high at Mementos by ITC Hotels. The hotel, which is the first under ITC’s Mementos brand, promises mental souvenirs you’ll be tapping into days after your vacation. The hotel is situated 50 minutes from central Udaipur, but therein lies its charm. It’s a perfect alternative for travellers looking to spend time in the countryside, away from the thick of the throng yet within easy access to the historic centre. The 117 villas and suites start from 500 square feet and, depending on the category, come with either terraces, gardens, private plunge pools, or all of the above. All rooms offer a view—some overlook the valley, while others the lake. They are sumptuously decorated with golden accents simmered by a muted colour palette. Some bathrooms come with Victorian-style bathtubs that sit under sunroofs or the warm glow of a chandelier. For meals, there’s the ITC signature Royal Vega, where your silver thali gleams with recipes from the kitchens of maharajas of the past. At Kebabs & Kurries, feast on perennial favourites such as galouti kebabs, dal Bukhara, and nihari. But before you settle down in one of these restaurants, note that sunset drinks are de rigueur by the infinity pool at the Rock Bar. From £300. Shradha Shahani
Elsa Young for Molori MashumahotelMolori Mashuma, Zambia
Iconic Mana Pools National Park has a reputation for many things: otherworldly scenery, a plentiful elephant population, riverfront game drives spotting majestic hippos and crocodiles, and prides of lions easily tracked to the park’s five marshy watering holes. But one thing this rugged area is decidedly not known for is its luxury options – until now. Situated 15 miles south of the Zambia border and named for the water pan it overlooks, Molori Mashuma brings the magic of a Zimbabwe safari intimately close thanks to suites perched on the edges of a watering hole in an unfenced property, where the wildlife is not only experienced on game drives – it’s also rambling through camp, day and night. Still more high-end hideaway than tented camp, the property has six permanent suites that boast viewing decks and chic interiors designed by Hesse Kleinloog Studios of Johannesburg: think hardwood floors, stocked armoire bars, colour-popped rattan light fixtures, stand-alone tubs, and outdoor showers. A central, open-air area houses the fully-stocked cocktail and coffee bar, a braai (charcoal grill) for elevated barbecue dining, a nature-engulfed swimming pool, and a wine pod where imported South African vintages are uncorked daily. But it’s the scenery that makes even these five-star comforts sometimes feel like a blip on your radar: prepare to come within an arm’s reach of majestic elephants who reliably mill through camp almost every day to graze and seek shade. Once the adrenaline of those encounters wears off, slip into your private plunge pool or deck daybed (depending on your suite) to come back down to earth behind a pair of binoculars. From £1,389. Shannon McMahon
SHA WellnesshotelSHA Wellness Clinic Mexico: First Guest
When the original Sha Wellness Clinic opened its doors in Alicante back in 2008, it immediately stood out from other destination spas, taking a holistic, in-depth approach to the often vague concept of “wellness.” This follow-up property includes the same comprehensive treatments and cutting-edge medical techniques – only this time, the address is on a prime stretch of beachfront in Costa Mujeres. The rooms and suites all come with private balconies and studio-size bathrooms, but the health clinic – complete with six stories and a hundred treatment rooms – is obviously the star attraction here. On the top floor there’s a fully equipped gym and a terrace for yoga or sound baths; in the basement there is a hydrotherapy circuit with a sauna, steam room, Roman bath, and cold plunge around a lovely pool; and in between are numerous areas with a dedicated purpose, from ageing well to traditional Chinese medicine. Cutting-edge tech abounds, from machines that give you an intense core workout to a bed for advanced cell regeneration therapy. The vibe is calm, cool, dim, and science-y without being overly medicalized. The food is expectedly nutritious but surprisingly flavorful: Following the recommendations of the Harvard Medical School, as well as centuries of Eastern thought, dishes at Shamadi, the main restaurant, emphasize vegetables of various colours, whole grains, proteins (including fresh local seafood), and alkaline foods. If you need a reminder to take care of yourself, a visit to Sha Mexico will flawlessly do the trick. From £4,474 for four nights. Jesse Ashlock
hotelNorth Island, Botswana
North Island Okavango—Natural Selection’s intimate new “micro-camp”—is proof that the best safaris happen when the wildlife comes to you. Here, elephants snuffle in the shadows of overhanging jackalberry, fig, and ebony trees; at night, hippos splutter clumsily, fish eagles squeal, and frogs belt out a lullaby chorus from the surrounding lagoon. Active wild dog dens have lured natural history filmmakers, and sightings of leopards and lions are on the rise. This daringly modern island escape in the African bush delivers the best of the Okavango Delta: top-class game viewing (by land and water), eye-widening scenery, and sunsets demanding moments of reverential silence every evening. Prioritising privacy, four villas fan out along walkways that weave between termite mounds on either side of the dining area and marble-top honesty bar—the place is even intimate enough for an exclusive-use buyout. An outdoor gym, hot tub, and rainbow selection of fresh juices nod to an evolving trend of health-conscious safaris. Guilt-free on so many levels, the camp runs on 100% solar energy; operates in partnership with local partners, the Nakwa and the Magobagoba Youth Trust; and provides jobs and revenue as part of a private community-owned concession on the edge of the Delta’s panhandle. Guest benefits include the option to game drive off-road through grasslands and floodplains beyond dawn and dusk—but all roads lead temptingly back to the villas, where afternoons are spent dipping in plunge pools, reading on wrap-around verandas, or watching animals from the comfort of your bed. From about £1,100. Sarah Marshall
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Tomooki Kengaku/Courtesy TRUNK(HOTEL) Yoyogi ParkhotelTRUNK(HOTEL) Yoyogi Park hotel review
It’s a surreal Tokyo anomaly to find an infinity pool with lush treetop views floating serenely six levels above the ground – especially one in ultra-urban Tomigaya, somewhere between the fashion-forward crowds of Harajuku and the nocturnal neon of Shibuya. Yet this pool – with its taupe sun loungers and curated clientele – is the heartbeat of Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park, a refreshing 25-room escapist haven. This is the third in a hat-trick of Tokyo spaces by Trunk, pioneers of so-called “punk omotenashi” (the latter translates as mindful Japanese hospitality). Alongside Tokyo’s Keiji Ashizawa Design, Copenhagen’s Norm Architects brought the interior elements to life. The softly minimalist pale decor, smooth curves, natural textures, bespoke furniture, and splashes of foliage are testimony to this Japandi DNA. The Trunk philosophy of community can be found in the buzzy ground-floor Pizzeria e Trattoria L’Ombelico, with its wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas (the garlicky, clam-packed Nojiri is named after Trunk’s charismatic owner, Yoshitaka Nojiri) and pet menu. But the signature space is the sixth-floor guests-only Trunk Pool Club, with its sea-toned tiles, sandblasted concrete walls, crafted cocktails, and oysters on ice. These are best enjoyed poolside or in the sunken fire pit beneath Tokyo’s electric skies. From £352. Danielle Demetriou
The St. Regis RiyadhhotelThe St. Regis Riyadh
The only hotel inside Via Riyadh – a bijou mall of designer boutiques, hand-picked restaurants, and a cinema complex, wrapped within monumental sandstone walls at the edge of the Saudi capital’s Diplomatic Quarter – the St Regis Riyadh nods to the hotel brand’s New York heritage as well as its new Saudi home. There’s the signature Bloody Mary, made alcohol-free per the kingdom’s laws; 24/7 personalised butler service; and at Jackie restaurant, a Greek American menu inspired by the eponymous former first lady. A more local sense of detail is imbued in the gold-lined tea cups, the lustrous mother-of-pearl decorating the doors in the 2,421-square-foot Royal Suite – one of only 83 rooms and suites – and the intimate majlis-like spaces within the hotel’s sweeping hallways and lobby areas. The spa is a 13,437-square-foot enclave of contrasting textures, undulating dune-like walls, and expert hands. The 400 Journey, a 150-minute signature treatment named after Caroline Astor’s turn-of-the-century New York social set, leaves you with glistening gold-flecked skin and muscles softened by a 24-karat-gold hot stone massage, both courtesy of luxury UK beauty brand Amra. The snow shower, which one might expect to feel like sleet on a grey day, is energising and rejuvenating. Meanwhile, upstairs at Stella Sky Lounge – located on the third floor beside a modest, heated pool – a DJ plays for a shisha-smoking crowd as night falls. From £720. Clare Dight
Rupert PeacehotelOne&Only Aesthesis hotel review
In its 1960s heyday, Asteria Beach was a playground for socialites and starlets; many black-and-white Greek movies were shot in the modernist cabanas and open-air restaurants. Now this peninsula on the Athens Riviera pulls an equally glamorous crowd to the One&Only’s long-awaited Greek debut – a resort so rigorously art-directed that it sometimes feels like a movie set. Following the low-density blueprint of the original structures, bungalows and villas built from local stone and pale timber are scattered between exuberant gardens and the shoreline. The shallow bay isn’t great for swimming, but it’s perfect for learning to paddleboard or launching off to the nearby islands of Aegina or Kea (where another One&Only opens in summer 2024) – and anyway, all the bungalows and villas come with private pools. With two relentlessly responsive hosts at your disposal, you’ll be hard-pressed to venture beyond the gilded compound. There’s a lively scene at Ora, a vibrant Greco-Italian all-day affair, where plump aubergine, lobster, and lamb are wood-fired or flame-grilled in the open kitchen; and at El Bar, chef Paco Morales’s hedonistic spin on Andalusian tapas bars, where Iberico flamenquin and oysters escabeche are paired with a fiery pisco punch or sherry cocktail. Daytime drinking and sunset DJ sets keep up the tempo at the beach bar, Manco. Self-indulgence is gently encouraged by the therapists at the Guerlain spa too. Euphoria-inducing facials and wellness rituals focus on deep relaxation and inner glow, which pretty much sums up a stay at this smoothly operated urban resort. From £650. Rachel Howard
Belén ImazhotelPalacio Arriluce, Bilbao
The mills of God grind slowly—or, as they say in Spain, “Las cosas de palacio van despacio.” But most of the time, patience pays off. In the case of the transformation of the Palacio Arriluce into a luxury hotel, expectations were almost as high as the imposing façade itself, as well all wondered when the doors of Palacio Arriluce Hotel would open. The result rises above any and all of those expectations—we are facing a true masterpiece of hospitality. The long-awaited five-star hotel, a member of the distinguished collection of Leading Hotels of the World, turns the guest into a protagonist of a movie. Sometimes the romantic, historical, mysterious hotel feels like stepping into Downton Abbey or Hogwarts. Other times it may be a scene taken from Pride and Prejudice or a Sherlock Holmes story. Art (with works by Sonia Delaunay and František), gastronomy (with the signature of chef Beñat Ormaetxea), and contemplation all coexist in this icon of the Biscayan coast, wrapped in a halo of luxury, sophistication, and charm. Palacio Arriluce offers one of the most coveted luxuries today, that of watching time go by: reading one of the books from the library, playing croquet, chatting in front of an abstract painting, enjoying a glass of txakoli (a traditional wine from the Basque Country), relaxing at the spa, or admiring the sunset from the pool. Don't call it a hotel—call it a palace. Doubles from about £380. Maria Casbas
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Palazzo RomahotelPalazzo Roma
Though many dream of palaces fit for a king, finding an undiscovered one these days is a tall order. Enter Palazzo Roma, a bona fide 18th-century palace turned boutique hotel and the latest (and most dazzling) debut from the buzzy Shedir Collection, owned by JK Place cofounder Eduardo Safdie. Hidden away on the southern stretch of the iconic Via del Corso in the heart of Rome’s ever-bustling historic centre, the 39-room showstopper melds incomparable architectural details – lavishly restored frescoes, intarsia wood ceilings, a baronial marble staircase – with a distinctly modern sensibility (and a 1,000-plus-piece art collection) to jaw-dropping effect. This is all thanks to the singular vision of Milan-based designer Giampiero Panepinto, the aesthetic maestro who designed the restaurant at Hotel Vilòn, its achingly chic sister property just a short stroll away. The palatially proportioned rooms boast 16-foot ceilings, splashy colour palettes, and colossal bathrooms honed in rare marbles that would wow Caesar himself, while the common areas delight and surprise: a statue of Euterpe, the Greek Muse of music, presides over the striking Salla de Musica, the palace’s former ballroom-cum-lobby. Meanwhile, more than 100 timepieces beckon in the azure-hued Clock Room, a prime perch for an aperitivo and fresh-fried arancini from Core – the fresco-wrapped, chandeliered restaurant – after a day spent pounding Rome’s black-cobblestoned streets. In a city teeming with new five-star hotels, this storied stunner just may be the jewel in the crown. From £780. Alex Kirkman
Pemako PunakhahotelPemako Punakha, Bhutan
This is the first top-end Bhutanese-owned hotel in the scene-stealing Punakha Valley east of Thimphu – home to the magnificent Punakha Dzong, the region’s iconic 17th-century fortress. And this is no small thing in a kingdom that has drawn big hitters such as Aman, andBeyond, and Six Senses. A series of buildings in the wooden, sloping-roofed Bhutanese vernacular style – including 21 tented villas – is slung across 70 lush acres of a river valley. The design was dreamt up by hotel designer Bill Bensley to unfold in layers, like the whorls of a lotus. Everything was plotted with the natural landscape in mind, and there was minimal felling of trees to create the one- to three-bedroom villas, each with a private heated pool and a spacious deck. Inside, Serge Ferrari fabrics and copper fixtures – including the bathroom tubs – meet an aesthetic rooted in Bhutanese culture, colours, and works of art. Druk beer is stocked in the minibar, there’s a traditional hot-stone bath in the spa, and prayer flags flutter on the lawns. From the welcome ritual by the resident lama and the warming butter tea to the guided excursions to temples and viewpoints, everything pays homage to the country, its people, and their spiritual beliefs. This is a place that invites you to slow down and be immersed in the quietude and beauty of the forest, the hills, and the river. From £1,393. Diya Kohli
Andean TravelhotelPuqio, Peru
Peruvian hotel brand Andean has form when it comes to instilling sharp modern design in the most dramatic of settings, from Titilaka on the shores of Lake Titicaca to Cirqa in the cobblestoned streets of Arequipa. But with eight-room Puqio, it has reached new heights. The tented camp, which also has some traditional adobe round houses, is Peru’s first. It sits in the show-stopping Colca Valley, where Inca-era agricultural terraces line the hillsides and gliding Andean condors mirror the slow pace of life below. In the tradition of the great safari camps, expert guides take travellers to look for wildlife during the day, or on treks and horseback rides to nearby archaeological sites. But there’s a sense of adventure that goes beyond admiring the nine-foot wingspan of the local birds of prey or taking photos of the ubiquitous free-running vicuñas, cute Peruvian relatives of the llama. There are zingy outdoor showers and cosy fire pits from which to watch the sunset over the Colca Canyon (twice as deep as the Grand Canyon). And, although the lodge sits in the heart of the Peruvian Andes, its artful menus and creative cocktails feel on par with Lima’s best restaurants, with a spin on local ingredients such as coca leaves and sancayo (a mouth-puckering cactus fruit). Puqio marks a new era for the Colca Valley and allows travellers to bed into the area’s slower pace for several days, in digs that make it hard to leave. From £649. Megan Spurrell
Vincent Leroux/Raffles Al Areen Palace BahrainhotelRaffles Al Areen Palace Bahrain
Arabic script covers the ceiling of the Writers Lounge in the new Raffles Al Areen Palace Bahrain – verses by famed local poet Ahmed Mohammed Al Khalifa celebrating the tiny kingdom’s rich culture. The hotel – a collection of 78 angular villas in pristine white, with ornate mashrabiya screens, pointed archways, and private pools – is designed to celebrate the same. Artworks reference the nation’s pearl-diving and maritime history, most evocatively in a ceramic sculpture inspired by the seashells that litter Bahrain’s seabed. The adjacent Al Areen Wildlife Park and Reserve is reflected in the conservatory-like lobby, which opens into a reception hall filled with cascading plants, water fountains, and loungers in emerald green. Within the low-lying villas – available in one-, two-, and three-bedroom iterations – pale wood is offset by intricate Arabesque wall carvings, beds are covered with Stearns & Foster mattresses made exclusively for Raffles, and a bedside diffuser by Parisian brand Compoz emits scents tailored to your mood. Raffles’s dedicated team of butlers can be reached 24/7 to organise a special bath ritual or a barbecue with a private chef. If you can bear to drag yourself away from this cosseting space, all-day dining restaurant Palma specialises in Mediterranean food with a Bahraini touch, using ingredients sourced from Bahraini and Saudi producers; and Ycone Paris by celebrity chef Yazid Ichemrahen has an artful display of viennoiserie, pastries, and desserts, including the chef’s signature crème brûlée with vanilla from Madagascar and Tahiti. From £960. Pearl Yan
Kona Village, A Rosewood ResorthotelFirst in: Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort
Originally opened in 1965, Kona Village was an early “if you know you know” type of place, prized for its location and laid-back vibe. After a tsunami struck in 2011 and destroyed much of the original structure, the legendary resort sat in ruins until global real estate investment company Kennedy Wilson and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts partnered to reimagine what once was – and they’ve managed to thread the tricky needle between honouring and acknowledging the past while looking to the future. Some of the 150 free-standing bungalows are right on the beach, others look out over the resort’s natural lagoon, and many have expansive private lanais or patios. The decor scheme is a riot of texture – carved wood, woven palm, wicker – and layered colours, mostly neutrals with pops of ocean blue here and there. The Asaya spa, meanwhile, is one of the most visually stunning spaces on grounds: It’s built into the lava flow and has views of the Hualalai volcano off in the distance. All in all, this new iteration of Kona Village ticks every last box. The design is stellar and channels the location beautifully, the service is warm and professional, the beach and the natural setting cannot be topped, and perhaps most importantly – and hardest to pull off – the vibe is just so good. It’s the platonic ideal of the “Hawaiian hotel.” Or, more simply put: Close your eyes and imagine the dreamiest Hawaiian getaway possible. Now open them. From £1,440. Rebecca Misner
Andrew J LOITERTONhotelFirst in: Regent Hong Kong
I wouldn’t be the first to call a new hotel an instant classic, but few earn that praise quite so literally as Regent’s latest Hong Kong outpost. This Kowloon landmark has been around since the 1980s, but for the past two decades flew the InterContinental flag above its lobby. Since last November, after a top-to-bottom revamp spearheaded by Hong Kong-born designer Chi Wing Lo, the all-caps Regent emblem once again gleams golden over Victoria Harbour. Lo replaced the hotel’s Dynasty-era dazzle with a high-glam but timeless new look: Rooms come bedecked in blond oak and granite, with curvy furniture and brushes of onyx, brass, and caramel-coloured leather. The restaurants, some of which have been around since the hotel’s early days, have been spruced up and deliver a cross-cultural pick-and-mix of chichi Cantonese, fine Japanese, and steakhouse classics. At the new Qura Bar, sharp-suited bartenders mix Negronis and Sazeracs from vintage spirits that predate the hotel’s first iteration. Regent’s facelift has rung in a new era for this beloved property, but its trump card, luckily, remained unchanged: Few hotels offer a better vantage point over Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong’s neon-lit skyscraper jumble. From £615. Chris Schalkx
Rosewood MunichhotelRosewood Munich
It’s been more than a decade since Munich had a top-end hotel reveal. Sensing an opportunity, Rosewood – gifted at reimagining
historical properties – snapped up and repurposed the aristocratic Palais Neuhaus-Preysing, which dates from 1703, and the old
headquarters of the State Bank of Bavaria. The result is a hotel that’s bringing a modern edge to the heart of Munich’s Altstadt, land of chiming glockenspiel clock towers and biergartens. While the imposing façade and the lobby’s original grand staircase and Baroque frescoes remain, London designers Tara Bernerd & Partners have created an airy, contemporary look for the interiors. Bavaria’s mountains and lakes are the inspiration behind the 132 rooms (more than 40 per cent of which are suites) in soothing greens, browns, tactile leather and velvet, and bathrooms with smoky-white marble and brass fixtures. Historical edifices such as these allow for regal amounts of space: the most exclusive suite, the König Maximilian I, has a fireplace and a terrace overlooking the iconic Frauenkirche cathedral. At the main restaurant, Brasserie Cuvilliés, city types gather for modern Alpine dishes such as spinach dumplings with pecorino and brown butter, and Bavarian rice with mountain cheese, pear, sorrel and artichoke. The Sekt-sipping couples among them segue to the moody Bar Montez for nightly jazz. This, along with the Asaya Spa’s pool, saunas and dreamy body treatments, is adding a new dimension to Munich’s social buzz. Doubles from about £595. Liz Humphreys
Silversands Beach HousehotelSilversands Beach House, Grenada
Grenada is just 26 miles long, but it packs a punch: here you will find lush rainforests, nature reserves, spice plantations, the charming town of St. George’s, and beaches so perfect that they look photoshopped. For those seeking a serene island escape, the 28-room Silversands Beach House is the place. Time seems to stop here, a feeling that begins the moment you drive up the entrance and the turquoise waters of Porto Beach come into view. The rooms and suites are so lovely – private terraces, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sea, calming shades of cream and light wood – that you may never want to leave, but the dreamy infinity pool and sandy beach just a few steps away make a great case for venturing out. The food at the upscale Mediterranean-inspired Azzuro restaurant is another highlight: pasta is made in-house, seafood is locally sourced, and the roasted vegetable pizza (plus addictive sorrel cocktails) is the perfect finale to a day spent on the water. There’s also plenty to experience nearby, and the staff will gladly guide you through activities, whether it’s touring the beautiful island with Garth or a rum tasting with Shanel and Lester. The vibes are unhurried, gracious, and sweet, and you’ll feel yourself slipping into island time along with everyone else. From $TK. Pallavi Kumar
Natelee Cocks/Siro One Za'abeel, DubaihotelSiro One Za'abeel, Dubai
Encased within Dubai’s newest landmark, the debut hotel for Kerzner International’s new Siro brand is conceptualised around fitness, self-care, and recovery. While Siro One Za’abeel’s 132 rooms may look basic at first, they are anything but. Between the muted tones and clean lines, every element serves to enhance Siro’s grand mission. Mattresses are thermoregulated, the pillow menu has 11 categories, the integrated Siro app controls blackout blinds to wake guests up in natural synchronisation with their circadian rhythm, and – at the recommendation of elite runners who test-drove the rooms ahead of the Dubai Marathon – ceiling fans have been installed to prevent dry throats after a night of heavy air conditioning. In-house nutritionist Heeral Shivnani can put together a macro-counted meal plan for the duration of your stay, while the neon-lit lobby-cum-community-hub serves salads, bowls, and protein shakes. In the 9,687-square-foot Fitness Lab, imposing cardio machines look squarely onto Downtown Dubai’s towering skyline; and upstairs in the Recovery Lab, everything from cryotherapy and electro-muscle stimulation to calming vibroacoustic therapy is on offer. Once you’re done with all that recharging, wind down with yoga and reformer Pilates studios, relaxation suites, and sound-healing sessions before your (scientifically designed) good night’s sleep. From £195. Sophie Prideaux
Jack JohnshotelShinta Mani Mustang – a Bensley Collection
Even by the standards of cult hotel designer Bill Bensley, this is a breakthrough project – for its embrace of Himalayan culture and spiritual traditions in a vast and mysterious landscape, overlooked by the 23,000-foot-tall Nilgiri mountain, one of the tallest on earth. The building, in local grey-brown Baglung stone, seems to melt into the arid, wind-scoured mountains and the black river that snakes around it: the sacred landscape of the ancient kingdom of Mustang. Inside, Bensley’s quirky interiors offer a warmer palette of cashmere-felt runners and goggle-eyed tiger rugs; drapes and banners referencing the prayer flags of the region; and lovely studies of the terrain by the Australian painter Robert Powell. There’s a large repertoire of treks and excursions in the company of knowledgeable guides that lead to ethereal mountain lakes, tiny centuries-old villages and the gorgeous frieze-filled gompas, or monasteries, of Tibetan Buddhism, fragrant with juniper smoke. These high-altitude exertions are followed by sublime picnic lunches on hilltops or by lakes. There are archery lessons, cooking classes, cocktails under yak-hair lampshades in the Aara Bar and consultations with a local amchi, a practitioner of Tibetan medicine. But staying and gazing is just as pleasurable. Each of the 29 rooms has floor-to-ceiling views of the Nilgiri, endlessly majestic and reverie-inducing as it absorbs the changing light and froths the wind around its triple peaks into tempests of clouds. Doubles from about £1,430. Chandrahas Choudhury
hotelFirst in: Son Vell, Menorca
In any setting or landscape, Vestige Son Vell would stand out – an imposing 18th-century Italianate villa made of stone the colour of clotted cream, and surrounded by olive and fig trees, holm oaks, chestnuts, palms, and luxuriant formal gardens. In its actual setting and landscape, amid the gently undulating agricultural fields at the western edge of Menorca, it stands out all the more. It’s probably safe to say that none of the island’s other farmhouses, charming as they are, possess this kind of dreamy, exotic elegance. The pale lusciousness of the exterior provides the basis of the design scheme throughout the 33 bedrooms – six in the main house, 27 in five single-story bungalows – and is complemented by neutral-tone textiles, limewashed timber beams, and well-judged metallic accents. The views from the villa’s upper stories are wonderful, across treetops and gardens to the ruggedly dramatic coastline, which – if the temptation to relax by the pool or feast in one of the superb restaurants can be overcome – cries out to be explored on foot or on horseback. Son Vell was the first hotel to open under the family-owned Vestige brand; half a dozen more hotels and private rental properties, all occupying buildings of historical or architectural significance in various parts of Spain, are due to follow in short order. If Son Vell is anything to go by, the arrival of Vestige is nothing but good news, marking the beginning of an extremely interesting period for the Spanish hotel scene. From £675. Steve King
hotelSun Ranch, Byron Bay
Byron’s centre of gravity has long been swinging inwards from its shorelines to its greener pastures and charming weatherboard
villages. Already the not-so-secret postcode for eco-entrepreneurs and Hollywood hideouts, the Byron Hinterland has increasingly felt out of bounds to anyone without an invitation to one of its hillside homes, which has made the opening of Sun Ranch inevitable. The hotel is the vision of Jamie Blakey, who launched rock ’n’ roll denim brand One Teaspoon, and her best friend, Julia Ashwood, who grew up in the area and has cofounded some of the buzziest restaurants in this go-slow region. Spread across more than 55 acres of undulating green hills, this groovy ranch is a loud maximalist hee-haw of colour, textile and pattern. There are bright walls in shades from azure to flamingo, swirling terracotta flooring, opulent velvet lounges and sculptural beaded chandeliers. In the coral Cowboy Bar, bottles of tequila and mezcal are infused with chillies for varying levels of spicy kick. In the main “rambler” house, the four bedrooms offer access to a private pool. Outside, where horses roam, families staying in the colourful two-bedroom timber barns have a hoot on electric bicycles, while young couples and mates down by the dam time each other in the wood-fired sauna and ice bath. Up in the distance, overlooking the property, a monolithic slab of concrete has been chiselled into the Pool Club, where sunbaking and lazy laps to a background of funky jazz and tequila are the order of the day. Doubles from about £338. Chloe Sachdev
Simon Brown/Warren Street HotelhotelWarren Street Hotel
To step into the Warren Street Hotel is to immerse yourself in the whimsical and wacky world of Kit Kemp. As the interior designer’s third New York City property with the Firmdale hospitality group (and 11th overall), each space is packed with her trademark eccentricity and magpie-like knack for sourcing eclectic artworks and inspiration from around the world – from the British craft and ceramics on display in the light-filled “Orangery” downstairs to the abstract sculptures greeting guests in the buttercup yellow lobby. Even the carpets are done up in a limited edition batik pattern, courtesy of Kit Kemp for Wilton Carpets. Meanwhile, no two rooms are the same – all have been designed by Kemp to exude their own personality, whether it be through the patterned headboards above king-size beds, one-of-a-kind artworks spanning all sorts of creative movements and styles, custom-made wallpaper and egg-shaped lighting, or even an occasional mishmash of antique furniture. Downstairs at the restaurant, where Tribeca locals jostle with guests for a prime-time table, dishes like a rich foie gras terrine and spaghetti alle vongole are served beneath custom-made wallpaper so beautiful it almost rivals the murals at the Carlyle’s legendary Bemelmans bar uptown. Kemp is a master when it comes to transforming a space into a riot of colour and wit, and this latest endeavour may just be her most playful yet. From £700. Lale Arikoglu
Courtesy Violino d'OrohotelHotel Violino d’Oro, Venice
It’s easy for hotels to say they want guests to feet at home – it’s harder to pull off. But from the moment you enter this intimate boutique hotel just five minutes from Piazza San Marco, you feel like you’re being welcomed into the abode of a sophisticated host. That’s because it’s a very personal project for Sara Maestrelli, who’s joining her aunt Elena in the family business. (The Maestrellis own hotels in Florence and Forte dei Marmi, but this property is the first of theirs to be part of the Leading Hotels of the World.) They were adamant that Violino d’Oro be a completely “made in Italy” project that not only showcases archival designs by Fortuny, Venini, and Martinelli Luce, but also supports young Italian artists and artisans – including the Micheluzzi sisters, whose Venetian glass vases decorate the hotel; and Allegra Santini, who created regenerated marble busts for the rooms. The locally minded, artisan-led philosophy extends to the bar, where lauded bartender Francesco Adranga shakes up creative cocktails using Gin Venice (one of the only gins made in the Venetian lagoon); and Il Piccolo restaurant, which serves gourmet dishes with an emphasis on plant-based and gluten-free options served, naturally, on Ginori porcelain. But more than the fancy trappings, it’s the staff – from the charismatic general manager, Annabella Cariello, right down to the receptionist – who make you feel at home. From £685. Laura Itzkowitz
Andrew MontgomeryhotelVilla Mabrouka, Tangier
Last year, designer Jasper Conran once again proved both his love of Morocco and his gifts as a hotelier. An instant classic, Villa Mabrouka is a sensitive renovation of the former Tangier love nest of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in a magical secret garden by the Kasbah. Conran’s thoughtful follow-up to the delightful L’Hôtel Marrakech is a lesson to our age of design overkill and bells-and-whistles luxury, with nods to masters of subtle design like Jacques Grange—the creator of the “non designed” aesthetic—and YSL himself. You can almost see Saint Laurent wandering in his dressing gown through the horseshoe arches of his bedroom, now the Marrakech suite; there he goes, strolling along reconditioned black-and-white marble floors, beneath the antique chandeliers, and past salvaged Roman artifacts until he reaches the hammam. Meanwhile, Conran reminds us of the simplicity of true luxury: the morning birdsong in the hide-and-seek gardens, the hand-peeled orange slices for breakfast, the figs for snacking in sun loungers beside the kidney bean pool, the white linen sheets ironed every morning, and the eternal indigo of the Strait of Gibraltar. He visits the property regularly to tinker, like a piano tuner. Next up: a new restaurant and bar. From £395. Stephanie Rafanelli
Courtesy Baillie LodgeshotelSouthern Ocean Lodge: First In
$$When the catastrophic “black summer” bushfires of 2020 burnt down Southern Ocean Lodge, many thought it was the end of the story for one of Australia’s greatest luxury lodges. A fixture on Kangaroo Island’s sensational stretch of wild southwest coast, the resort was originally opened in 2008 by husband-and-wife duo James and Hayley Baillie, and it quickly became the soft-landing of choice to explore the “Australian Galápagos.” This story received a much-welcomed plot twist in December 2023, when the resort reopened as a near replica of its former sci-fi self, shaped like a low-flying saucer hovering above the Southern Ocean, with uninterrupted last-stop-before-Antarctica views across the sea. The resort now comprises 25 glass-fronted suites that extend across the limestone cliffs, each with midcentury-modern curves, sunken living rooms, fireplaces, and sliding doors that open to private patios and the fresh Antarctic breeze. On the western edge of the lodge, the four-bedroom Ocean Pavilion suite is a new addition—it sits like an amphitheatre with an infinity pool, a plunge pool/spa, and views across the coastal cliffs. Another tweak is the now north-facing spa, complete with a chill-out lounge, small gym, sauna, three treatment rooms, and hot and cold plunge pools. The reoriented spa turns its back to the sea to give guests a glimpse of the 250 acres of nature reserve surrounding the resort, all while they’re being massaged and scrubbed with the island’s bounty of lavender, eucalyptus, and pure Ligurian honey. From £1,800. Chloe Sachdev