The World's Best New Hotels - Now Open in All Their Glory

The World's Best New Hotels is now available exclusively for subscribers of our newsletter, Way to Go. The latest update from March 2024 features over-the-top wellness in Dubai, a Grand Canal jewel, affordable charmers in Jackson Hole and Aspen (really), Paris chic for under 250€/night (again, really), and so much more. Happy hoteling!

The end of 2023 delivered even more interesting hotel openings across the globe — an eccentric and eclectic mix of one-off passion projects, meticulous preservations, feel-good initiatives, and affordable design gems in surprising locales. The creative minds behind them range from our favorite heavy hitters and corporate behemoths to quirky mini brands and innovative independents. As ever, we tend to steer clear of giant hotels because we prefer a more personal and intimate vibe. We update this list periodically, so bookmark this page if you want to keep track of the newest and greatest around the world.

** indicates new additions to the list as of December 31, 2023.

New Hotels in the United States

** The Fifth Avenue Hotel **
New York City, New York
We’ve been waiting for this one for a few years — the new NoMad hotel that merged The Mansion, a Gilded Age landmark built by McKim, Mead & White, and The Tower, a new 24-story glass tower. Martin Brudnizki's design is, as ever, romantic and colorful and maximalist — with elaborate window treatments, playful wallpaper, chinoiserie, and old-world marquetry (especially in The Portrait Bar). Beloved NYC chef Andrew Carmellini, who has focused on casual eateries in recent years, returns to his fine dining roots at Café Carmellini, serving classic Italian and French dishes accompanied by an 1,800-bottle wine list overseen by his longtime sommelier Josh Nadel. Want even more Gilded Age glamour? You’ll find it in the impressive ballroom, a space designed to thrill today’s robber barons and scenemakers.

** Fontainebleau Las Vegas **
Las Vegas, Nevada
The new Las Vegas masterpiece at the north end of the Strip heralds the future of casino style — expansive, elegant, light-filled, and sophisticated. The first impression is striking at every approach — the soaring porte-cochere where cars arrive, a towering Urs Fischer sculpture at once entrance, the kinetic gold sculpture Oceans that evokes the movements of the world’s oceans at another. (High concept for a casino? Indeed. The stakes are high in this town.) The 36 food and beverage outlets run the gamut from super casual in the upscale Promenade food hall — Capon’s Burgers (as in burger master Josh Capon), Bar Ito sushi counter (as in ITO omakase in NYC and soon Vegas) — to Fontainebleau-created eateries Don’s Prime (the steakhouse named for owner Jeffrey Soffer’s father) and La Fontaine (for Champagne brunch) — to outposts of beloved restaurants like Mother Wolfe (Evan Funke’s Roman joint), Cantina Contramar (Gabriela Camara’s Mexico City hotspot), and Chyna Club (Cantonese by Hakkasan founder Alan Yau). The club scene is strong at LIV, as is the gaming, with 1300 slots, 130 table games, and an active sports book. So too is recovery at the Lapis Spa & Wellness, in the gym overlooking the Strip, and at the seasonal Oasis pool deck. The hotel winks at its sister hotel, Fontainebleau Miami Beach, through such if-you-know-you-know details like naming a lounge Nowhere (a nod to the Florida staircase) and a bar Collins (as in its street address). Even more fun to spot are all the bow tie motifs throughout — in the floors, the carpets, the chandeliers overhead at Bleau Bar — a warm homage to signature accessory of Fontainebleau’s original architect, Morris Lapidus.

** Raffles Boston **
Boston, Massachusetts
The award-winning Asian hotelier known for luxury, service, and its Singapore Sling cocktail made its North American debut in a sustainable new 35-floor building that welcomes guests into a three-story Sky Lobby on the 17th floor, to maximize those city views. The 147 elegant guest rooms and suites occupy the lower floors, with the 20-meter indoor pool, gym, and Guerlain spa in the fourth floor. The hotel lured chef George Mendes away from NYC to oversee the culinary program — Amar, his signature restaurant, serving modern Portuguese cuisine; the Long Bar & Terrace, the signature Raffles bar; The Blind Duck, a Boston spin on “the blind pig,” the Prohibition term for speakeasy; and Café Pastel, a streetside patisserie. Guests who can’t bear to check out can consider moving into one of the hotel’s residences.

** Le Petit Pali - Carmel **
The expansion of the new Le Petit Pali brand from Palisociety debuted this summer in the charming Central California coastal town Carmel-by-the-sea. Two buildings comprise the bespoke bed and breakfast —  Le Petit Pali at Ocean Ave has 34 rooms with fireplaces and a romantic seaside color palette; Le Petit Pali at 8th Ave is a craftsman-style inn with 24 guest rooms. What sets this little-inn model apart from traditional B&Bs is collection of delightful breakfast and social hour offerings (Taittinger mimosas in the a.m., snacks from notable local spots in the p.m.). It’s also incredibly fresh and clean and cute. Modern travelers who know and love the Palihouse experience will recognize the thoughtful details (Linus bicycles) and personal touches (hot water bottle service, Baci chocolates delivered daily on the house). Laguna Beach and Brentwood locations will follow in late 2024.

The Inn at Mattei's Tavern, Auberge Resorts Collection
Los Olivos, California
If you'd like to find yourself driving California's Central Coast on Highway 101 through Santa Barbara wine country, start by looking up Santa Ynez Valley, a idyllic swath of rolling vineyards, independent shops, and restaurants — and the hotel that befits its growing status as a vinicultural destination. A stagecoach stop built in 1886 has been transformed into a tavern and inn with 67 rooms and cottages, a restaurant, outdoor pool, old-growth palms, and a spa. Guests can take part in a number of cool experiences like making campfire pies, infusing their own bottle of olive oil, and harvesting and preparing sea urchin alongside experts.

Southall
Franklin, Tennessee
It’s all about the healing power of the land at this sleek and modern farmhouse inn, with its greenhouses, fields of heritage crops, orchards, and a spa in the Nashville countryside. Sixty-two rooms and 16 cottages show off local craftsmanship and curation. Health, nature, farm, and culinary experiences help guests connect with their environs.
Feel-Good Factor: The property has a state-of-the-art composting and recycling facility, energy-conserving geothermal systems, and a self-reliant watering system that allows them to disconnect from the municipal water supply.

Ulum
Moab, Utah
We're 163 million miles from Mars, but there's plenty of alien landscape to go around at this new tented desert resort deep in southern Utah’s red rock country (about a half hour from Arches National Park and an hour from Canyonlands). It's cosmic, but the sleeping tents will ground you. There are 50 of them, outfitted with big en-suite showers, toasty wood-burning stoves, plush beds and fold-out couches from West Elm. The 200-acre property — which also has a modern lobby lounge with a restaurant, terraced fire pits, yoga deck, and tiny pools for cooling off on hot days — overlooks the spectacular Looking Glass Arch, the nearly impossible natural rock formation that is the focal point of the area.

Lily Hall
Pensacola, Florida
Every city deserves at least one hospitable example of adaptive reuse, and the inspirational refurbishment of the historical Old Mount Olive Baptist Church will give the Panhandle community (especially those who worked to save the endangered 1928 building) a way to celebrate under the roof once again. Fifteen guest rooms and a charming garden terrace that seats 100 make it terrific for a wedding. Design details (exposed brick, double-sided outdoor staircase) have been preserved; nostalgic nods have been added: Brother Fox restaurant is an ode to the former church pastor and Sister Hen is a tiny Prohibition-style bar (dress code, house rules) for two dozen guests who find their way to the candlelit room on a given night.

A-Frame Club
Winter Park, Colorado
Thirty-one deep A-frame lodges (a classic Mid-century ski cabin silhouette) are nestled in an old-growth forest in the Rocky Mountains. There are soaking tubs and Noguchi lamps, Malm fireplaces, a Frenchie alpine restaurant, and cozy saloon. A retreat for all seasons.

Nine Orchard
New York City, New York
You wouldn’t expect to find a luxuriously restored Neo-Renaissance bank building turned hotel on the graffitied streets of the Lower East Side, but both the neighborhood and the boutique bolthole share an edge, energy, and magnetism for local creative enterprises. Michelin-starred chef Ignacio Mattos is responsible for the food at the lovely Corner Bar (a Frenchie bistro), the upcoming Amado Grill (grand tasting menu), and the spectacular Swan Room (opulent former bank teller station). Residential-style guest rooms (116 of them) have vintage furnishings, ceramics by design darling Tyler Hays, and custom sound speakers that emit the warm, curated tunes of local DJ Stretch Armstrong. Many bathrooms have windows (a NYC rarity); the Terrace Suite is an absolute secret garden with iconic skyline views.

Hotel Chelsea
New York City, New York
The restoration in the works for years was well worth the wait. Legendary 1884 Hotel Chelsea, long synonymous for downtown debauchery, is back in action with all its charms and quirks. Some of the original tenants are still here (who’d give up that lease?), living alongside 158 redesigned rooms filled with vintage-style furniture and charming touches like original wood floors, stained glass windows, fireplaces, marble bathrooms with rainfall showers, and closets lined with patterned wallpaper. Spanish restaurant El Quijote is also back and happening, while restored wood paneling and cozy sofas make The Lobby Bar just as excellent a watering hole.

Hotel Barrière Fouquet's New York
New York City, New York
Group Barrière, known primarily for chic hotels throughout France (Paris, Courcheval, Cannes), brings their very French elan to a quiet stretch of Tribeca. The 97 guest rooms and suites designed by very busy hotel designer Martin Brudnizki feature Art Deco-inspired furnishings in pastels and a fantastic custom toile de jouy wallpaper that replaced the typical frolicking French maidens with the Statue of Liberty, The Odeon, downtown tenement buildings, and subway entrances. Also on site are Brasserie Fouquet's New York, hidden Titsou Bar, Spa Diane Barrière (there’s a pool!), and Cannes Cinema screening room where the seats are plush chairs and chaise lounges.

Hotel Genevieve
Louisville, Kentucky
The Bunkhouse group settled into a growing East Market neighborhood of the “New Louisville” area notable for its concentration of boutiques, bars, and breweries. The Parisian-inspired hotel fits into its surroundings with 122 charming rooms. There is also a restaurant, rooftop bar, and mini market run by Top Chef alum and James Beard nominated chef Ashleigh Shanti (who we featured in A Chef’s Tour of Asheville).

Drift Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
After a trendy build in Cabo, the hospitality brand opened 30-key hotel in the California desert with a variety of room sizes, including four-bedroom options for large groups. Moorish and Spanish Colonial Revival architectural cues are delivered in a neutral color palette with modern updates. A pool with a bar and cabanas makes a great centerpiece; upscale Baja fare is available all day. Drift Santa Barbara, another California spot which also opened in January, has a modern, minimalist atmosphere, a raw bar, and a cafe serving Coastal Collective Coffee.

The Georgian
Santa Monica, California
Whether you're driving up or down the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, it's hard to miss the vibrant turquoise Period Revival-meets-Art Deco 1930s oceanfront landmark that once hosted Monroe, Chaplin, Gable, and their ilk. The former gilded-age playhouse started to show its age over the years (and even became a retirement home at one point), until BLVD Hospitality — known for bringing the Ace Hotel and Soho House’s warehouse to Downtown L.A. — stepped in to revive it to its glamorous yesteryears. Guests are invited to travel back in time, greeted by bellmen in baby-blue suits, vintage rotary phones in the lobby playing voice messages from the bygone era, and champagne and dessert buttons in the suites. Costal Italian fare is served on the Sunset Terrace and dining room; Prohibition-style cocktails are on offer at the Sunset Bar.

Hotel Per La
Los Angeles, California
We were crestfallen with NoMad Los Angeles in Downtown LA shuttered, because the transformation of the 1922 Bank of Italy headquarters into a hotel had been a total stunner. And we were delighted to see that the new owners not only left the great bones they found intact but also leaned into the Italian heritage in the culinary offerings and decor. Also good to see: The Mouth-of-Truth sculpture still occupies its prime place overlooking the rooftop pool.

Wayfinder Waikiki
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
Much of the lodging in Hawaii feels stuck in the '80s (dark wood furniture, palm tree textiles, condo vibes), so it's exciting to see an affordable and adorable option pop up. The 228 rooms here include doubles with city views and a spacious pool house suite for families — all painted in pleasing blues and greens and decorated with eclectic wood furnishings, unique light fixtures, and bold patterns in the headboards and throw pillows. This is what you'd expect to find at a young, cute surfer girl's pad. With tropical cocktails and poke bowls to match.

The Lodge at Healdsburg
Napa, California
Another classy hotel option for wine country enthusiasts — just a mile from Downtown Healdsburg. This is the kind of place you could book for your parents: The design is traditional with a modern twist (but nothing crazy!), with relaxed tones and textures and lots of seating arrangements in front of and near the many indoor and outdoor fireplaces.

Tributary Hotel
McMinville, Oregon
We're keeping our eye on McMinville, the Healdsburg of the Willamette Valley, because the emerging scene is both rugged and sophisticated. A husband-and-wife team of first-time hoteliers converted a century-old hardware store into a homey inn where every suite has a fireplace, deep tub, and sitting and writing areas. Tributary pays homage to the region, especially at refined in-house restaurant ōkta, which sources most of its products from their five-acre farm nearby.

Camptown
Leeds, New York
The incredibly adorable website is a tip-off that we’re crossing the threshold — over the Rip Van Winkle Bridge — into a little magical zone in the Catskills. Twenty-six dog-friendly log cabins have comfy beds and living areas, wood-burning stoves, and tiny kitchenettes. Elsewhere on the 22-acre property is a main house with 24 rooms, a Mexican-inspired restaurant, honor pantry, grilling area, fire pit, and forthcoming swim club, pool bar, and sauna.

The Manchester
Lexington, Kentucky
“Warm and woody — like the bourbon that fueled them,” is an apt way to describe the spirit of the hotel rooms smack-dab in the center of this horse-riding, horse-racing, horse-betting town. The rooftop bar evokes hot and hazy memories of South Florida, and the forthcoming Granddam lobby lounge will have plenty of nooks for canoodling. The suites feel like a good setting for living out a literary fantasy that includes (but is not limited to) a clawfoot tub and a writing desk.

The Quoin
Wilmington, Delaware
The clever Method Co. hospitality folks are at it again — this time renovating the city’s former Security Trust & Safe Deposit Company building into a 24-room hotel layered with patterns, colors, and sophisticated design motifs. There's a neighborhood restaurant, a courtyard shared with the historical society, and a beautiful cocktail den in what was once called "The Money Room." Not to mention the city’s first rooftop lounge. (C’mon, Wilmington!)

Eastwind Oliverea Valley
Catskills, New York
The "hygge-design" hotel company continues its upper New York expansion with a new locale nestled in Ulster County. Expect lots of the Eastwind vibe they've established: 30 Scandinavian-inspired rooms, lofts, and signature A-frame Lushna cabins, a wood-barrel sauna, hammocks, and fire pits. Some of the most popular hikes in the valley are easily accessible — Giant Ledge, Panther Mountain — but guests will feel nature's presence even indoors at cozy, plant-forward, sustainably-minded Dandelion restaurant and bar.

Moxy Williamsburg
Williamsburg, New York
Northern Williamsburg typically gets all the buzz when it comes to hotels, so we are excited to see the always-a-good-time Moxy brand expand south along Bedford Avenue to the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge. The breezy lobby (home to Bar Bedford, open-concept meeting areas, and plenty of co-working space) showcases the hotel's friendly nature. Also alluring is LilliStar, the indoor-outdoor rooftop bar and restaurant with unobstructed views of the bridges and downtown Manhattan skyline. Rooms are cozy (as they go in New York) and smartly designed with easy-on-the-eyes marble sinks, great for getting ready for a fun night out at Jolene, the hotel’s Dolly Parton-inspired nightclub with disco-spinning DJs on a great sound system. Williamsburg is brunch city, so its best to break bread and wash down herbaceous cocktails at the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant Mesiba.

Moxy Lower East Side
New York City, New York
In addition to Moxy Williamsburg, the Lightstone real estate group added Moxy Lower East Side to their portfolio (which also includes Moxys of recent vintage in NYC, South Beach, and Downtown Los Angeles). Performance is the name of the game here, starting from the entrance that feels not unlike a runway and extending into food and drink venues designed for good times. Japanese restaurant Sake No Hana serves sushi and izakaya dinner in an open-plan space filled with see-and-be-seen tables. Hidden-in-plain-sight nightclub Loosie’s is what happens with a disco ball explodes and spreads fairy dust on everyone in the house. The live entertainment at piano lounge Silver Lining, may be the closest NYC gets to Sinatra-era supper clubs. The Highlight Room on the rooftop has amazing views and a very attractive clientele. The Fix, the all-day lobby cafe, bar, and lounge, is also the co-working space, but good luck concentrating on your laptop. It may be more prudent to retreat to one of the 303 compact and playful rooms upstairs.

Aman New York
New York City, New York
One of the splashiest openings of recent vintage, in part because of the Crown Building conversion into 83 suites and 22 apartments, in part for the nightly cost of said suites (if you have to ask, you can't afford it), in part for the private Spa Houses bigger than most New York studio apartments (you can't afford this either), and in part for already-mile-long wait list to join the exclusive member's club (which rumor has it costs $200,000 to join).

New Hotels in Europe

** Le Grand Mazarin **
Paris
The first city hotel from Maisons Pariente, the family hoteliers who create charming hotels in popular French destinations, is in the always-chic Marais near Hôtel de Ville. Martin Brudnizki continues to dominate the global hotel design scene, here transforming an historic 14th-century building into 61 stylish rooms and suites with decor that transports guests back in time. Boubalé restaurant is Michelin chef Assaf Granit's modern homage to Ashkenazi grandmothers, notably his own. Especially alluring spaces await underground at The Library Bar, which has a no cell phone policy (merci, Maisons Pariente!), and in the mosaic-lined swimming pool beneath a fresco that reinterprets the work of Jean Cocteau.

** Broadwick Soho **
London
Prints and patterns — ikats, leopards, stripes, florals — contrast in brilliant harmony, and the eye candy abounds at designer Martin Brudnizki’s London debut, a converted townhouse in central London. In the étagère opposite the lobby. In the Francis Bacon triptych above the check-in desk. In the Murano sconces and Deruta ceramic tabletops in Dear Jackie, the Italian restaurant named for the owner’s mother. In the turntable hidden in a cabinet in the Nook guest lounge. In the guests-at-the-opera wallpaper in the roof-level bathrooms. In the elephant pedestals that hide the in-room minibars. Too much excess? Hardly. Bring it on.

** Raffles London at The OWO **
London
This year saw the London debut for two Asian-based luxury hotel groups, Peninsula and Raffles. Big news! Even bigger: Until now, The Old War Office in Whitehall was the exclusive lair of politicians, diplomats, spies, and only those who knew the secret handshake. (If these walls could talk, they’d spill the tea on Churchill’s battle strategies and Ian Flemings’ spycraft secrets.) After an extensive renovation, the magnificent landmark OWO opened to the public in grand style under the Raffles flag. How grand? It was host to the inaugural The World's 50 Best Hotels award ceremony in September 2023. with 125 rooms and suites; nine restaurants, three of them helmed by World’s Best Chef Marco Colagreco; three bars; one extremely impressive spa, gym, and wellness space; and what they are promising will be “privileges and amenities beyond compare.”

** The Peninsula London **
London
For his first London hotel, an elegant new build overlooking the Wellington Arch and Hyde Park Corner, designer Peter Marino was inspired by the tony surroundings — fancy Belgravia and the three royal parks. A colonnaded lobby, inner courtyard, triple-glazed windows, and soundproofing keep the city's lively auditory antics at bay in the 190 rooms and suites, which will have bragging rights as the largest average room size in London. In one of the more charming room quirks we've seen in forever, the dressing areas are equipped with a nail dryer, because apparently the hotel owner once had to wait what was obviously too long for his wife's nails to dry before heading to a party and didn't want anyone else to have to suffer the same fate. The Peninsula Spa includes an indoor pool and a 24-hour gym, but for those who prefer to exercise their Black Cards, the hotel's shopping arcade is lined with discerning boutiques. Also of note are the eateries. At Canton Blue restaurant, the walls and private booths are lined with  beautiful displays of color-coordinated Cantonese porcelain (plates-on-walls are a very big decor element this year, as seen also at the Broadwick across town). Up on the rooftop, Brooklands by chef Claude Bossi is a love letter to British aviation and automotive technology: The 1933 Napier Railton car that still holds the record at the Brooklands race track greets guests on the way up, the elevator evokes the wicker basket of a hot air balloon, and a model of the Concorde is suspended above the dining room.

** COMO Le Montrachet **
Puligny-Montrachet, France
COMO Hotels & Resorts made their French debut in 19th-century inn Puligny-Montrachet, the tiny Burgundy village famous for its white wine. Thirty rooms decorated in shades of blue, green, and gray (the colors of lavender) are located in three buildings overlooking a village square, while the culinary offerings change to match the harvest and to optimize the 17,000 bottles in the wine cellar.

** Violino D'Oro **
Venice, Italy
Collezione Em, the family behind Grand Hotel Minerva in Florence and others in Forte Dei Marmi, restored and combined three former hotels (no easy feat!) into a new luxury option near Piazza San Marco.  The home-like boutique palazzo is intimate in size (a mere 32 rooms and suites, only eight tables at Il Piccolo restaurant) and meticulous in its thoughtful design, incorporating the handiwork of both celebrated and up-and-coming Venetian and Tuscan artisans — Rubelli fabrics,  Venini chandeliers, Flos lighting, Ginori ceramics, among others (see them all on the hotel's This Is Home Made In Italy feature). Original pieces in the rooms and public spaces reflect the history of Venetian art dating back to the 1600s — a collection to rival the museums around the corner — while the Salotto, with its glass wall overlooking the Grand Canal, is like a cinema of passing gondolas. Does it all sound like a Venice fairy tale? That's exactly what it is.

** Bulgari Hotel Roma **
Rome, Italy
The Italian fashion powerhouse opened its flagship hotel in its hometown, choosing a suitably grand, 1930s modernist building along the Tiber River in Piazza Augusto Imperatore. Roman heritage permeates throughout the 114 rooms and suites, the restaurants and bars, the library filled with books about the city, the indoor pool with mosaics inspired by the Baths of Caracalla, and the landscaped rooftop terrace overlooking the hills of Rome.

** COMO Alpina Dolomites **
Alpe di Siusi, Italy
The architecturally striking hotel with 60 soothing, wood-filled rooms offers ski-in, ski-out access to the slopes and mountains of the UNESCO-protected valley in South Tyrol. In-house spa COMO Shambhala is the place to go to soothe muscles after a long day of outdoor action.

** Hotel La Palma **
Capri, Italy
Capri's first and oldest hotel, long a favorite of writers, painters, and artists, celebrated its 200th birthday with a seriously rejuvenating makeover by the discerning team at Oetker Collection. And they invited an impressive gang to the party: London designer Francis Sultana, here with his first hotel project, worked with Italian artisans on 50 rooms and suites, while beloved local Michelin-starred local chef Gennaro Esposito oversaw the eateries — beautiful rooftop terrace Bianca and Gennaro's all-day restaurant on the street-level. Depending what you want in your Capri experience, it's either a pro or a con that the hotel is not located on the water but rather smack in the middle of the island's action just off the Piazzetta. When you do want water, the hotel's Da Gioia beach club is a short ride downhill in Marina Piccola, and the on-site pool desk is reserved for guests only.

** Grand Hotel Son Net **
Mallorca, Spain
This meticulous restoration of a circa-1672 manor house is a prime locale for travelers who adore action in the great outdoors (cycling, mountain biking) and glorious, pampered living once they dismount. The fabulous 31-room bolthole brims with artwork, romantic interiors, gardens, antique fireplaces, a private family chapel, and tremendous views.
Read More on Fathom: This one's been on our radar since the early days of Fathom. Our original story will give you a feel for the place.

Bracken Hide
Isle of Skye, Scotland
The landscape is so breathtaking on this rugged island that you normally might not pay any mind to your accommodations. But the 45 cozy timber cabins are so warm (thanks, heated flooring) and so comfortable (yay, power showers), and so well-placed (check out those views), that you may find yourself perfectly content to experience the wild light and earthly delights … from your bed. The on-site restaurant offers locally sourced and sustainable seafood and the whisky bar offers lots more than wee drams (though that’s plenty).

Marine Troon
Ayrshire, Scotland
This coastal gem feels Old World and new in that Wes Anderson-y way (i.e.: frilly chairs meet modern window dressings in a nostalgic pastel color palette). Note: The Scottish have a way of pulling off wildly patterned carpeting — it just works. The imposing 89-key hotel overlooks the 18th hole of the Royal Troon golf course, with a cute fringe-and-floral dining room and a tranquil spa with a giant indoor pool for guests who aren’t inclined to spend time on the green.

Lanserhof Sylt
Sylt, Germany
Health, wellness, and I-wanna-life-forever aficionados are already flocking to the striking thatched-roof medical center and spa amid the dunes on German island in the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea. They're coming for life-enhancing (and waist-whittling) treatments on the cutting edge, like chronomedicine and psychoneuroimmunology, just part of a holistic program that includes exercise, nutrition, medical analysis, meditation, and chamber music concerts in the fireside lounge.

Sommerro
Oslo, Norway
Norway’s largest-ever preservation project saw the conversion of the Art Deco landmark that was once the city's electrical company into 231 rooms in six categories (from shareable lofts to Heritage suites), four restaurants, three bars, Oslo's first year-round rooftop pool, an 100-seat gilded theater, a preserved Roman bath, and the city’s first year-round rooftop pool. Great care was taken in the meticulous restoration to retain as much of the original artwork and period touches as possible, like 1930s textile motifs. The hotel’s extensive art collection features work by emerging local artists, and a ceiling mural celebrates “the wonders of electricity.”
Feel-Good Factor: Plastic bottles are banned, and the hotel runs on 100 percent renewable energy.

The Peninsula Istanbul
Istanbul, Türkiye
This may be the best address in town, if you consider the location — on the Bosphorous, close to buzzy Karaköy, with perfect Golden Horn views — and the clean, contemporary design by Zeynep Fadillioglu (the first woman to design a mosque) — of 177 guest rooms and suites across four buildings, of which three are historical landmarks from the early 1900s. Not enough for you? Then head downstairs to the striking spa and feast your eyes on the even more striking pool and ease yourself into the hammam. Now you see what we're talking about.

Mamula Island
Bay of Kotor, Montenegro
Why was an Austro-Hungarian military fort dating back to the 1850s so elaborately decorated and frescoed? Because, legend has it, founder General Lazar Mamula thought the island would make a lovely retirement estate. Less lovely was the island’s stint as an Italian fascist military prison in World War II, though not even that dark history diminished locals' love for the island. Generations of Montenegrans have summered here, learning to swim, stealing first kisses, and feasting on the octopus and calamari fished from the surrounding seas. This spirit of joyful memories is what the new owners hope to capture in converting the long-abandoned UNESCO World Heritage Site into a 32-room hotel with three restaurants, four bars, three pools, a holistic spa, and a memorial museum, all poised to welcome new guests as well as those locals.

De Durgerdam
Amsterdam, Netherlands
In a small fishing village fifteen minutes north of the city is a lakeside inn brimming with maritime history and design. A handful of rooms, each individually designed, include three suites with wood-burning stoves, custom tiles (from the oldest Dutch manufacturer), and raincoats for guests ill-prepared for the country's signature Dutch mist. A very special restaurant from two of Amsterdam's Michelin-star chefs serves locally sourced delights from the bottom of the sea — and has a zero-waste policy in the kitchen.
Other feel-good factors: solar panels, grey water recycling, a dedicated building for employee well-being, and an electric salon boat for transfers from the railway to the hotel.

Six Senses Rome
Rome, Italy
Yes, it’s located in the center of Rome, but this is a Six Senses, so serenity and sustainability abound: In Patricia Urquiola designed rooms with rounded furnishings in gentle pastels. In the spa inspired by ancient Roman baths. In the carefully restored building that runs entirely on green power. Timeless touches include 600-year-old marble columns in the entrance and a 4th-century baptismal font visible through a glass floor in the restaurant.

Palazzo Ripetta
Rome, Italy
In the 1600s, this palazzo in the center of town was a conservatory where devoted nuns looked after and taught underprivileged young women for some 300 years. Today, the family-owned hotel has been reborn, with 78 rooms, including family-friendly options, duplexes, spa suites, and a two-floor apartment with a kitchen. Contemporary art sits alongside ancient Roman pieces, as it often does in this town, where history tends to infuse everything.
Feel-Good Factor: The zero-impact building runs on 100 precent renewable energy.

Portrait Milano
Milan, Italy
It would be hard to overstate how impressive this project is, which is not as much a new hotel build as the recovery of a colonnaded piazza in the center of Milan’s fashion district that, before it had been abandoned for twenty years, had been home throughout the centuries to a seminary, a hospital, and, most recently, the offices of prestigious Italian designers. Lungarno Collection, owned by the fashion-y Ferragamo family, infused 73 spacious rooms and suites with such high style touches as thousands of art, design, and culture coffee table books; marble bathrooms; and enormous closets for the fashion set that will no doubt make this a new home base. On the ground floor are chic boutiques, a terrific in-house lounge and restaurant (they do a fab, light-filled breakfast buffet), and an outpost of trendy Beefbar restaurant.

Casa Baglioni
Milan, Italy
Baglioni Hotels upgraded in Milan by downgrading. Whereas their former Carlton Hotel had 89 fusty rooms, Casa Baglioni in the discreet Brera neighborhood only has 30, and they're all handsome, with striking designer lighting, fixtures, wallpapers, and furnishings. Geometric bookshelves decorated with pretty glass and ceramic objects fill the lobby and rooms, and the intimate restaurant is the new home of Michelin-starred chef Claudio Sadler. The overall vibe is elegant and bijoux, making the hotel feel like a very special find.

Casa Cipriani Milano
Milan, Italy
Another casa in Milan? (Are you sensing a theme?) This one, however, has an added members component, like its sister hotel in downtown Manhattan, with dining areas on the ground floor and roof level reserved for members and hotel guests. (Begone, interloping peasants of the gawking public!) Fifteen rooms and suites on two floors are super chic, the design a mix of Italian fashion (black and white photos line the walls) and English gentleman's club (cue striped wallpapers and dark wood paneling). No expense was spared in designing the Wellness Center: The Finnish cedar wood in the sauna, the vaulted ceiling in the hammam, and the green onyx walls in the salt water floatation pool don't come cheap.

Helvetia & Bristol
Florence, Italy
You’d think a hotel that’s been welcoming guests since 1885 has seen and done it all, but not the Helvetia & Bristol. The classic hotel has reinvented itself by expanding into the former Bank of Rome building next door (The Bristol), where they added moody rooms and suites designed by Anouska Hempel and an outpost of beloved Florence restaurant Cibrèo. While excavating the subterranean La Spa on the site of ancient Roman baths, they discovered ancient and medieval spa ruins, now visible in the salt room and the fitness studio. The Helvetia wing got its own glow-up (restored historic floors, furnishings, and wall coverings) and is our preference because when in Florence, we like things big, colorful, and opulent.

Vermelho Hotel
Melides, Portugal
Christian Louboutin’s first hotel is as opulent, colorful, and striking as the footwear that has made him famous the world over. The designer, a regular visitor to the coastal town south of Lisbon, was inspired by the area’s creative community and languid pace and personally curated the antiques, artwork, ceramics, and tiles in the thirteen unique rooms, restaurant, and communal spaces. A team of creators also lent their skills to the project — an Italian sculpted the façade, a Greek artist hand painted the frescoes, an Indian workshop created the glass-blown mural chandelier, and local goldsmiths hammered the silver bar. Louboutin says this is how he and his crowd live in Portugal, and now we get to pretend we’re part of the cohort.

AmanLusa Comporta
Comporta, Portugal
You have a few more seasons to make it to Comporta and still brag about it as a discovery. But the secret is getting out about this Algarve alternative for good reason. The scene is laid-back and the pine trees, rivers, and beaches are inviting. Bring your surfboard or a novel and flip-flops to this chic, well-priced eco-friendly bolthole that mirrors its surroundings.

Six Senses Crans-Montana
Crans-Montana, Switzerland
Any ski-in/ski out property has us dancing in our ski boots. Toss in a global hotel brand renowned for its wellness ethos, and you've given us a match made in Alpine heaven. Forty-five Swiss chalet-style suites overlooking the craggy vistas of the mighty Matterhorn and the 4 Vallées range have floor-to-ceiling windows, natural stone and timber elements, and cloud-like beds that will restore tired bodies after a day on pistes. As at all Six Senses resorts, the wellness offerings are anything but ordinary and include Finnish, rock, and bio salt saunas; a stretching pod; and a biohacking recovery lounge with infrared heat and vibrational therapy. Outside the resort, guests can tube and toboggan from the hotel, dog sled on the glacier, and have snowshoe adventures into the village of Aminona.

Almanac Palais Vienna
Vienna, Austria
What happens when Vienna’s imperial past meets its contemporary future? It might look like two 1870s buildings on fancy boulevard Ringstrasse overlooking Stadtpark, refit to accommodate 111 rooms and suites with elegant furnishings in fifty shades of taupe. An impressive, two-floor subterranean wellness area gives nod to the city’s long history of spa culture, down to the 14-meter thermal pool. Donnersmarkt Restaurant serves veg-friendly Austrian Alpine cuisine and a selection of local wines, some from the hills surrounding Vienna.

Almanac X Prague
Prague, Czech Republic
A second Almanac opening brings their portfolio to three European hotels, with more coming soon. Almanac X, the brand designed for a younger and experience-hungry clientele, took over and gave a colorful update to what had been Alcron Hotel, the Art Deco landmark that was the city’s first luxury hotel. Alcron Restaurant, named in its honor, serves a contemporary take on Czech cuisine.

Amyth of Mykonos
Mykonos, Greece
There's more to the island than partying, and this adults-only, all-suite hotel is the boho-chic place to experience the quieter and more mellow side of Mykonos. (Okay, okay, the clubby scene is only 20 minutes away when the urge to rage strikes.)

Domaine des Etangs, Auberge Resorts Collection
Massignac, France
Auberge Resorts took over a 13th-century château in Southwest France near Cognac and transformed it into a seriously beautiful adult playground that sounds a lot like the ultimate bougie fairy tale. The setting is thousands of acres of gardens, meadows, lakes, and forests. The rooms are in cottages and a castle, the wellness center is in the old mill, the modern art gallery is in the old dairy barn, and the tennis court is actually floating on a lake.

New Hotels in Latin America + The Caribbean

Casa Polanco
Mexico City, Mexico
A chic outfit worthy of its posh neighborhood surroundings, with a leafy veranda restaurant, library, and terraces. Rooms are bright and light (shout out to the gorgeous houndstooth bed linens). Elsewhere you’ll find giant windows and the fabulous wrought iron details you can’t get enough of in this city.

Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Resorts Collection
Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
Serving an uptown version of the bohemian beach life — on a jungle-y bluff 40 minutes from Puerto Vallarta. This is a great spot for families with young kids: Besides spacious beach bungalows for spreading out, the resort offers a complementary kids club, baby-sitting services, and experiences for a range of ages. There’s a Mexican farmhouse-inspired dining room, a gorgeous pool with a swim-up bar, a soon-to-come ocean-centered spa, and access to one of the best beaches in Punta de Mita.

Goldwynn Resort & Residences
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau holds great appeal for time-strapped East Coasters in need of a tropical getaway that’s easy to get to. Less appealing, however, are the gargantuan resorts dotting the island. Bridging the gap between convenience and size is Goldwynn, a sleek and modern resort with 81 studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom options with kitchens and balconies overlooking the ocean or the golf course. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Goldwynn has a handful of dining and drinking options, including a MediterrAsian restaurant, a holistic spa featuring ancient therapies like abhyanga massage, and a 24-hour gym.

Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo
Panama City, Panama
In the early 20th century, the grand hotel was Club Union, the place in town to spot luminaries like Albert Einstein, Helen Keller, and Queen Elizabeth. In the early 21st century, the 159-room hotel wows with bright white French colonial architecture, modern design, a sweeping terrace, and waterfront views. Its location, within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is close to a Frank Gehry-designed museum dedicated to biodiversity as well as the newly restored Teatro Nacional. New direct flights from the U.S. and a new terminal at the Tocumen International Airport ensure easy access for business and leisure travelers. Bottom line: It's an exciting time to visit.

Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort
Punta Mita, Mexico
Fifteen plush tents on 48 acres of forest overlook the sparkling Pacific Ocean. The intimate, adults-only camp covers meals, beverages, snacks, and a spa treatment — and guests can fill in the rest of their time fostering personal growth through nature activities and cultural excursions. The minimum stay is three nights, but you might want to book more to take advantage of surprises like secret picnics, quick morning paddles with a pro, and other personalized experiences set up by the team.

Fasano São Paulo Itaim
São Paulo, Brazil
The second Fasano outpost in the city, this one in the business-y Bibi neighborhood, is part of a large contemporary complex that will also have restaurants, cafes, bars, and residences. The new hotel (20 years after the first) makes good on the brand's signature bold look and design influences. The 107 residential-style rooms on 20 floors celebrate many Brazilian influences through its decor and furnishings. There's also a spa, gym, outdoor terrace, lobby hang, and rooftop with a pool, bar, and great city views.

New Hotels in Africa

** Angama Amboseli **
Kimana, Kenya
Set on private land against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro is Kenya’s first community-owned conservancy (run by 844 Maasai members), a 10-suite lodge suitable for families — and elephants! (The infinity swimming pool has a drinking trough for its pachyderm neighbors.) Besides plush tented suites, including two sets of connecting family units, the lodge offers guests a large sundowner fire pit, game room, and photography studio complete with camera rentals and tutorials.

** Rosemary **
Marrakech, Morocco
In her Marrakech studio, Belgian designer Laurence Leenaert of LRNCE is sought after by the fashion set for her joyful and unconventional handicraft designs, which can be found on leather goods, cushions, textiles, ceramics, wall hangings, and mirrors. Her new adults-only Moroccan riad is a traditional courtyard house that transports you her whimsical universe, a carefully restored, beautifully decorated five-bedroom jewel box with wrought iron beds, terrazzo tiling, stained glass doors, and a rosemary-scented hammam. The best amenity? Workshops guided by the designer herself — chiseling tile, painting ceramics, or carving plaster.

** Farasha Farmhouse **
Marrakech, Morocco
In-the-know event planners/guides/fixers Rosena and Fred Charmoy of Boutique Souk opened an artsy countryside retreat in a deep olive grove about 30-minutes from the Medina. With four rooms, a gorgeous pool, and charming garden paths, the farmhouse is an ideal setting for small and very special occasions and group trips.

Duke's East
Okavango Delta, Northern Botswana
Natural Selection, the conservation-first safari outfitter has debuted a smaller, more intimate sister property to Duke's Camp: four open-canopy tents nestled beneath towering ebony and leadwood trees in a remote stretch of the Okavango Delta. Immerse yourself in the wilderness on game drives, mokoro (dugout canoe) excursions, fishing, and sunset boat trips. Scenic helicopter flights and rock art visits are also available.

Zambezi Sands
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
The river lodge in Zambezi National Park is the debut property from Batoka, the first black female-founded luxury hospitality company in Africa. The safari experience delivers on big game (elephants, lions, hippos) and luxury accommodations (ten Bedouin tents have plunge pools, outdoor showers, deep tubs, and viewing decks; one two-bedroom suite has a private pool and a dining room). The dining room has an open theater kitchen where guests can see how chefs incorporate locally sourced ingredients into updated Zimbabwean dishes.
Feel-Good Factor: Vimbai Masiyiwa, Batoka’s young CEO and co-founder, is committed to empowering the local community through guest experiences into the local villages and development and design workshops for female artisans, all part of her goal to ensure Batoka is at its heart “for Africans, by Africans.”

andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge
Grumeti River, Tanzania
The stunning property in the remote western end of the Serengeti National Park was hit by Covid and a devastating flood, necessitating a full rebuild. Original designers Fox Browne Creative and Jack Alexander returned made things better and even more integrated into the natural landscape with low-slung buildings that follow the natural curve of the river. Floor-to-ceiling windows in semi-tented suites provide optimal views of hippo pods and lion prides. A stay includes twice-daily game drives for spotting the Big Five and the black-and-white colobus monkeys unique to this stretch of the Serengeti.

Zambezi Grande
Zambezi National Park, Zambia
Along the banks of the lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia, this new family-owned luxury lodge (open April through November) ditched the overused traditional khaki, thatched roofs and overstuffed leather furniture scheme for a maximalist mix of earth-toned textiles and locally made artifacts to give a welcoming sense of place and connection to the expansive bush and river landscape.
Feel-Good Factor: Through the hotel's Chengetai Tree Project, guests can purchase trees and supplies that will be planted in the local Muguramano and Chijata villages to help fight deforestation and build an outdoor classroom where children learn about farming and organic gardening.

KuKaya
South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
Six spacious, thatched-roof chalets were built on the grounds of former President Kenneth Kaunda's holiday home, each with private plunge pools and outdoor dining areas, where guests can prepare their own meals outfitted with barbecues, fire pits, and pizza ovens. KuKaya differs from most safari camps, which are all-inclusive and run on a set schedule, because it lets guests build their own safaris. The base rate covers accommodations, one private drive per day, and daily service and cleaning. Any additional game drives, walking safaris, spa treatments, and sundowners are offered a la carte, allowing for for more flexibility, customization, and privacy.

New Hotels in Asia

Villa Palladio Jaipur
Jaipur, India
The nine-room estate a short distance from the bustling city center is Rajasthan on overdrive, a riot of colors, patterns, textures, and craftsmanship. If it's not high-ceiling'd or hand-painted, it's probably inlaid with marble, tented, or overflowing with jasmine and hibiscus. (It's also all very, very red.) There's a pool, a garden, a restaurant, and a meditation/yoga area — and overall it's an absolute show-stopper.

Cap Karoso
Sumba, Indonesia
The eco-minded hotel named for the beach it sits on in a less-explored area in West Sumba has 47 rooms and 20 villas filled with local touches like hand-carved wood panels, ikat textiles, custom ceramics, and local artifacts. The owners, a French couple and first-time hoteliers, are passionate about honoring their adopted community and surroundings, and have designed programming to inspire the same respect in their guests.
Feel-Good Factor: The resort's water treatment systems are environmentally responsible, as are the plants in the landscaping. Their solar panels provide half their energy, and their farm supplies much of their food. 

Bulgari Hotel Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
After a long, long Covid shutdown, Japan has reopened — and is more crowded than ever. Ninety-eight rooms and suites occupy the top seven floors of a skyscraper in the up-and-coming, centrally located Yaesu neighborhood. Everything is as stylish, fashionably restrained and disciplined, and of the highest quality — the tailored decor, expansive spa and fitness offerings, and the restaurants led by two three-Michelin-star chefs, one Italian, one Japanese. In other words, it's exactly what you'd expect from Bulgari.

New Hotels in Australia

qtQT
Gold Coast, Australia
Aussies know how to walk on sunshine, so it's high time the fun-loving, Australian- and New Zealand-based brand hit the Gold Coast, creating a nostalgic surfer paradise steps from the beach. Rooms are designed as cozy shacks evocative of 1960s beach culture: Shiplap A-frame cabins feature relaxed linen bedding, surfboard storage, board games, and balconies. After mornings on the surf break, guests can sign up for curated experiences like pottery classes, whiskey and gin tastings, and Pilates.

Ace Hotel Sydney
Sydney, Australia
Does anyone mix entrepreneurial spirit with cool-kids atmosphere as well as Ace Hotels? Nope, and for their Down Under debut they transformed the former Tyne House brick factory in Sydney’s Surry Hills, warming it up with earthy tones and textures, low-slung furniture, late-night DJ sets, and other fun neighborhood happenings. Crowning the 18-floor building is buzzy Kiln, led by chef Mitch Orr, who serves a self-proclaimed Italian-ish cuisine with Japanese and Southeast Asian accents.

Capella Sydney
Sydney, Australia
Capella spent seven years restoring the 1900s Department of Education building for their first hotel opening outside Asia. The Luxury rooms and suites, 192 in all, are enhanced by original artwork, an expansive lounge in the original courtyard, a spa with a 20-meter indoor pool, and three bars and restaurants.
Feel-Good Factor: Rather than focus on the surf town's usual attractions (Bondi Beach, the Opera House), the hotel embraces the heritage of Australia's First Nations: Dedicated culturists (onsite guides and native concierges) curate Aboriginal guest experiences — historic storytelling, Q&As, tastings, and guided tours of the Carriageworks Farmers Market to meet native producers and makers.

All the New Hotels of Note

They may not all be fresh-paint new, but they are of recent vintage and are organized geographically below. Have fun falling down the rabbit hole!

• United States: The Northeast
• United States: The South
• United Stats: The West
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• Europe
• Africa
• Asia
• Australia