Working on a 2020 list of hot spots? This time, pick your destination based on your hotel choice. And in 2020, you’re in luck. There is an impressive list of luxury properties opening for the first time across the globe, all daring to be explored.
From grand urban getaways including the Cheval Blanc in Paris, to old school romance with the Raffles in India’s Udaipur, to sensual experiences at Potato Head Bali.
Below are the 21 hotel openings we’re keeping an eye on.
Villa Copenhagen, Denmark
The historic, century-old grand central post office turned luxury hotel is located next to Tivoli Gardens. Villa Copenhagen focuses on conscious, approachable luxury with all things eco-friendly across its 390 guestrooms and suites – including a luxurious Earth Suite made solely from sustainable materials – as well as stunning interior gardens and dining outlets. A new must-visit in the Danish capital.
Raffles Udaipur, India
This is the first Raffles in India. Often referred to as the “Venice of the East,” Udaipur is located in the western state of Rajasthan and famous for its rich cultural heritage, lakes, temples and palaces. With such a setting, and such a brand, Raffles Udaipur will be a truly palatial hotel, occupying its own private island in the middle of picturesque Udai Sagar Lake. With 101 luxurious suites, the hotel will feature the famous Raffles Long Bar and Writers Bar, 1100 square metre Raffles Spa, a rooftop restaurant, swimming pool and sprawling gardens, with spectacular vistas of the lake, hillside and neighbouring 400-year-old temple.
Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto, Japan
Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto will represent the true essence of Japan, showcasing harmony between the natural environment, scenery and history in its hotel experience. The property features 160 guest rooms, including Onsen Suite rooms, and a Presidential Suite. Each room is a contemporary reimagining of the traditional Japanese tea room fashioned from meticulously selected natural materials and fitted using time-honoured techniques. Located at the centre of the property is a garden measuring 1300 square metres focusing on ‘Teiokuichinyo’ – the harmony of garden and architecture. A natural onsen flows into the hotel, the only hotel to boast this feature, making wellness and the spa an integral part of the hotel culture.
One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
One associates luxury with One & Only, and no less here, with One&Only Mandarina opening along a refined, rare, undeveloped stretch of coastline. Amid the verdant jungle wilderness, this resort is woven seamlessly into the diverse, dramatic vistas of one of Mexico’s last tropical beachfront jungles with a combination of 104 free-standing villas that float above the treetops or perch against the cliffs – each with its own private plunge pool. Residents will get a corner of paradise all to themselves, whilst still accessing the fine restaurants, open air spa, and extensive equestrian facilities available. A broader trend amongst new hotels is to promote balance, not just with yoga mats and surfboards, but as a development ethos, and Mandarina captures this well, preserving natural resources and supporting local economies.
Pendry West Hollywood
The next big thing on the iconic Sunset Strip? Pendry West Hollywood is one of the most anticipated developments in the creative heart of Los Angeles. The ‘new luxury’ hotel, designed by the acclaimed Martin Brudnizki Design Studio evokes Californian glamour – with 149 guestrooms, including 37 suites and 40 additional residences. Wolfgang Puck takes the F&B helm with their culinary experiences, alongside other stand-out features including a spectacular rooftop pool and bar adorned with chic cabanas, Spa Pendry -a tranquil sanctuary offering personalised wellness treatments, and curated public art collections showcasing local talent, a bowling alley, and screening room.
The Sense Experience Resort Tuscany, Italy
Located off the tranquil western central coast of Italy, bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, The Sense Experience Resort is an eco-retreat made up of 12,000 acres of natural park and pine forest with a private beach in Tuscany’s Maremma region. Inspired by the five senses, the resort offers 112 guestrooms and suites with light flooding in through their floor-to-ceiling windows, many with views of Elba Island and the historic Torre Mozza. Guests are taken on a sensory culinary journey at Eatè restaurant; rotating street food menus for quick eats and picnics at onsite food truck L’Apino; and barefoot seven-course suppers on the beach under the stars. Other highlights include an outdoor pool with swim-up bar, complimentary bicycle rentals, cooking courses, yoga and Pilates, and a wealth of adventure activities, including deep-sea fishing, island trips by boat, and vineyard tours.
Six Senses Shaharut in the Negev Desert, Israel
Six Senses Shaharut translating into ‘moments before dawn’, takes up residence in the Israeli Negev Desert. Perched on a dramatic cliff and designed to preserve and and reflect the natural landscapes, each room offers panoramic views of the desert, the hotel will offer suites and villas with the villas built from local rocks and pigments. The hotel will also utilise regional cacti and indigenous desert blooms as well as sourcing furnishings from local artists. The restaurant will be accompanied by a tented Bedouin dining experience and the spa will house a Six Senses signature Alchemy Bar. Other features include an indoor and outdoor pool, alongside a gym, yoga studio, nail bar, open-air cinema, kid’s club and a fully-functioning camel stables. Naturally, camel safaris are on offer.
One&Only Portonovi, Montenegro
Among a string of new resorts that One & Only are adding to their portfolio of beachfront, urban and nature retreats is their first foray into Europe in Montenegro, and they have chosen the playground for the jetsetters.
Located on the edge of the Adriatic Sea, on the western coast of the Balkans, between the towering mountains and inky sea will be 113 guestrooms, suites and villas, along with 10 One&Only Private Homes. Features of the homes include a private beach and jetty, as well as secluded individual pools and internal Venetian private courtyards. Directly above the guestrooms is a wellness spa retreat run by Espace Chenot – a destination spa in its own right, with access to the charming cobblestone streets of Kotor Old Town and the dreamy riviera escape of Tivat.
Desa Potato Head, Bali
Potato Head, Bali’s coolest resort, debuts a new creative village in Seminyak this winter. What does that mean, exactly? In Bali, desa means village and within this, they have 168 guest rooms and a beachfront pool, but also a farm to table restaurant, an art gallery, a lab focused on sustainability, a recording studio, and a subterranean discotheque.
They work with the mission, provide good times and do good in the world. It’s an experiential playground for guests to become engaged and inspired, whether that’s dancing till dawn or learning how to upcycle plastics into products.
Cheval Blanc, Paris
Located in the heart of Paris, on the edge of the River Seine and moments from the Louvre, iconic hospitality group from LVMH branches out to Paris as its fifth intimate location. This idyllic, opulent but petite Maison is promising to bring the spirit of Paris right to your doorstep, combining historical, cultural and contemporary features. The Maison will be a residential haven with floor-to-ceiling windows in the 26 rooms and 46 suites offering views of famed landmarks and city life. There will also be a new gourmet experience from the three-Michelin-starred chef Arnaud Donckele, sitting on the seventh floor along with a large terrace. Or guests can indulge in a deluxe pampering session at the specially tailored Dior Spa Cheval Blanc.
Six Senses New York, USA
Six Senses New York, the group’s first North American property and its flagship urban property, will be located in New York’s Chelsea neighbourhood, in between the High Line and the Hudson river. Its 137 rooms, spread across 10 storeys, will live inside The Eleventh building, in the distinctive XI complex. Guestrooms and suites are contemporary in style, and while you won’t have to take off your shoes in this property, it continues to emanate the calm experience at the heart of the Six Senses brand. Two restaurants will showcase the brand’s popular culinary approach to wellness by serving fresh, seasonal and locally-sourced produce and ingredients. The Six Senses Spa introduces a layered approach to wellness with treatments that are an intuitive mix of science and human awareness, where a high-tech and high-touch approach is crafted around the individual.
The Mayfair Townhouse, London, England
From the team behind five star stately home Cliveden House, New Forest’s stately home Chewton Glen, Cotswolds coaching inn The Lygon Arms and London’s distinguished 11 Cadogan Gardens, comes London opening The Mayfair Townhouse. With 172 rooms & suites (including 2 Penthouse Suites and Garden Suites), The Dandy Bar, private gym and versatile event spaces, it brings a discreet London address in the form of townhouses which formed the setting for Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.
Four Seasons Napa Valley, California
Set along Napa’s famed Silverado Trail, this hotel has slowly been taking shape for some yeas, but it is finally set to open sometime this summer on 23 verdant acres just south of the hamlet of Calistoga. With only 85 rooms and suites, the hotel aims to be a secluded wine-country hideaway. Guests can dine in the Truss Restaurant and Bar with a terrace overlooking the pools and surrounding mountains, take a stroll through the on-property organic vineyards, or relax during a soothing spa treatment. Rooms and suites start at 480 square feet and include upscale farm-inspired touches like whitewashed wood wall panelling, low-slung leather chairs, and roaring fireplaces.
The Pig at Harlyn Bay, England
The original Pig near Brockenhurst in 2011, opened by husband wife team, made British countryside cool forever. Their interiors to their top-notch kitchen-garden-to-table dining set it apart. Now they are opening their seventh in Cornwall, set just outside Harlyn village. It will have 26 bedrooms in a grand 16th-century house and stables, plus four Shepherd’s Huts. The usual signature touches – Potting Shed spa rooms, kitchen-garden-fuelled restaurant – will be present, alongside new features with the old pigsty transformed into a hangout where returning surfers can snack on wood-fired flatbreads.
Arctic Bath, Swedish Lapland, Sweden
The latest development from the people behind Sweden’s Treehotel is equally extraordinary. This February, Arctic Bath, a lifebuoy-shaped low-impact spa hotel, opens on the Lule River, close to Harads. Built in a circular shape on the water, Arctic Bath floats during the summer and freezes into ice during the winter, offering visitors a year-round Arctic wellness experience, with a giant ice bath in the middle, ringed with three saunas, a spa treatment room and hot baths. With 12 floating rooms, it is inspired by the timber-floating era when felled trees were transported downriver for processing, with the main building being inspired by a ‘log jam’. There are also six larger, elevated cabins built on the tree-lined shore, three of which sleep up to five guests and three suites sleeping two people.
Can Ferrereta, Mallorca, Spain
The masterminds behind the art-filled neoclassical Sant Francesc Hotel Singular, fourth-generation hoteliers the Soldevila Ferrer family, have stepped into Santanyi for their second venture, Can Ferrereta.
One of Europe’s most exciting new hotels for 2020, Can Ferrereta will open just in time for this year’s summer season in Mallorca. About 50 minutes from Palma and close to a clutch of unspoilt beaches, the 17th-century mansion will have 31 individually designed characterful rooms and suites, as well as a spa, a hammam, an 80ft pool and a seasonally minded restaurant. As at Sant Francesc, intriguing Spanish art – from the family’s private collection – will be a highlight.
Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle, France
Airelles, known for its exceptionally luxe French properties – including ski favourites Les Airelles in Courchevel and just-opened Mademoiselle in Val d’Isere – raises the bar even higher this spring.
If you have ever fantasised about staying in one of the most opulent palaces in the world, Airelles makes it a reality. A 14-room property inside the glorious grounds of the famed Château de Versailles, the sprawling royal residence that dates back to the 17th-century reign of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and overlooks the Orangerie and the impressive Pièce d’Eau des Suisses. Along with a wellness centre and restorative spa by Valmont and a 15 metre indoor swimming pool, guests will be able to retrace the footsteps of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette unencumbered, with exclusive experiences in The Palace and grounds.
Elang, Anambas Island, Indonesia
Indonesian private-island escapes are having a moment. Seriously swish Bawah Reserve makes the case for ultra luxury sustainability, in Indonesia’s remote Anambas Archipelago. Overlooking lush jungle and azure waters, the resort’s upcoming Elang Private Island is set to offer guests one of six cliff-side lodges where the look is very much barefoot luxury, with driftwood and bamboo featuring prominently in the design. Butler service, a spa and beach are all on offer, while the natural seawater swimming pool is refreshed at every tide. The island’s dramatic Clubhouse was inspired by Indonesia’s tribal communal houses and will serve as a restaurant, provided you can pull yourself away from your lodge. Guests will have access to Bawah’s facilities (just a short boat ride away), and for the ultimate castaway celebration, adults-only Elang can be taken over in its entirety.
Ambiente, A Landscape Hotel, Arizona, USA
Sedona’s psychedelic red-rock vistas are a sight to see, and we are going to get an even better view with the opening of Ambiente. This remarkable property will have forty cube-shaped rooms that seem to ‘hover’ above the ground, as if in a mirage. Clad in reflective dark-bronze glass, each will mirror the silhouettes of the craggy surroundings and blend into the scenery. The idea being, minimal disturbance to natural vegetation and trees during the build, and plans to resurrect the site’s ancient waterways to recreate a natural water-flow system. Minimally decorated and moodily lit rooms will have double-sided fireplace, some with rooftop decks for stargazing sessions, and a lagoon-inspired pool and spa.
Habitas Namibia, Africa
Safari camps are going high-power sustainable, and there is nowhere more forward thinking than Namibia with its openings coming thick and fast.
With Selection’s art-installation-like Shipwreck Lodge to the Angelina Jolie-approved Omaanda just outside Windhoek. Habitas is all about fostering personal development and connecting people to nature through shared experience, Their second opening in Namibia will open about half an hour from Windhoek in a 35,000-acre private reserve. It will have 15 rooms – constructed for minimum environmental impact – atop a hill alongside a restaurant, a pool and a fire-pit area to lounge in. Activities will include nature walks and safari drives guided by San Bushmen, jam sessions led by local musicians and innovative meditation sessions.
These lodges help prove that safari camps can be leaders in conservation, sustainability, design, eco-sensitivity and hospitality.
Leonardo Di Caprio's Eco Resort (Name TBC), Belize
Leonardo DiCaprio’s much anticipated eco resort is set to open its doors in Belize this yaer. Situated on Blackadore Caye, off the Belize coast, the resort will feature a hotel, 36 bungalows and 36 villas equipped with circadian lighting and solar panels. It will also feature a research station focussed on climate change in an attempt to be the ‘world’s first truly restorative island development’.
Any Questions or Tips to add?