20 New Hotels for the New Year

DumaTau will return in August with a smaller sibling. Little DumaTau will be an exclusive, intimate camp with four tented suites. The area is famed for large herds of elephants and exceptional game viewing along the Savute Channel. But what’s most interesting is the intersection of conservation-led safari (using 100% solar power) and wellness sanctuary—the new lodge will have a spa and gym, a rarity in the bush.

 The Americas

Austin Proper

In its soft opening now with all the bells and whistles to come this spring, the first Proper hotel outside California is true to the brand’s values of unexpected luxury, excellent location, groovy interiors by Kelly Wearstler and site-specific features by local tastemakers. That means restaurant-bars from McGuire Moorman Hospitality, including The Peacock Mediterranean Grill and Goldie’s Sunken Bar so far (with two more on the way). Even with 244 rooms and 79 suites, it has managed to reach LEED Gold status, making it the only certified sustainable hotel in the area. There’s a gym with lake views, a yoga studio with space for pop-ups, Peloton bikes that can be delivered to guest rooms, and a spa in the works. Lady Bird Lake is a stone’s throw away, putting hiking and cycling trails in easy reach.

The Green O by Paws Up, Montana

If you’re like me, your first response was to raise an eyebrow at the name. Never mind what she’s having. The new camp and the resort that it’s part of are located on 37,000 acres of land in a Blackfoot River Valley township called Greenough—pronounced "green-o"—after shepherd Paul Greenough, who once owned the land. What they call Glamping 2.0 is an adults-only, year-round retreat with 12 design-forward accommodations, from an elevated Tree Haus to a Green Haus with a living roof, all with floor-to-ceiling windows.

1 Hotel Toronto

After opening in cities not normally associated with sustainability and nature (Midtown Manhattan, Miami Beach, Brooklyn), the progressive 1 Hotels brand is taking its sustainable philosophy north. Opening this summer, the 1 Hotel Toronto is inspired by Canada’s natural beauty, the character of King Street West and the Toronto marketplace—and entirely made with existing structural and reclaimed materials gathered from the local community, including timber, driftwood and local limestone.

Palmaïa, the House of AÏA, Riviera Maya

In case the dieresis—that weird umlaut-y thing—didn’t give it away, this resort marches to its own drummer. The newly constructed, 314-suite beachfront retreat is out to provide “one-of-a-kind immersive jungle and beach experiences.” That includes a lavish spa, an open-air gym, a cenote (swimming hole) and a temescal (sweat lodge). The Architect of Life program offers transformative wellness for the mind and body including sound healing, gravity control, multimusical vibration, Vipassana meditation, sungazing, yoga and mandalas, all led by the on-site shaman. With the Rituals of Sound program, the resort will host deep fusion DJs, live acoustic artists and interactive music acts daily. The founder’s commitment to sustainability includes a plant-based menu at all of the restaurants, a pledge to be carbon-neutral by 2021 and a promise to pay for the carbon offsets of guests’ flights when they book through the website. He’s clearly drunk some Burning Man Kool-Aid: The all-inclusive pricing is rebranded as a “gifting culture,” and personal butlers are called Nomadic Guides. 

Rosewood Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda

At the end of a four-year renovation, this classic island escape (founded in 1964 by conservationist Laurance Rockefeller) has been updated for modern luxury travelers while staying true to its roots as an exemplar of ecotourism. (It also heralds that the Virgin Islands are back in business after Hurricane Irma.) Spread over 500 acres of private beachfront land, the resort now features 80 guest rooms, suites and villas with ocean views and locally inspired décor. There are four restaurants, a cliffside spa, a robust recreation program with various water sports and outdoor activities, eight new tennis and pickle ball courts and an authentic and immersive Rosewood Explorer’s children’s program.

Six Senses New York

Six Senses’ formula works in part because the hotels are in remote locations that force you to slow down. So it remains to be seen how they will adapt that formula to the city that never sleeps. But so far, all signs are good. When the hotel opens in the XI Building in West Chelsea in the fall, it will have an 45,000-square-foot spa and members club with everything from cryotherapy and tincture bars to sound bowl therapy and acupuncture; the city’s only geodesic meditation room; and all sorts of flexible spaces for fitness and mindfulness classes. They’re touting it as the most comprehensive wellness experience the city has yet seen. 

Asia

andBeyond Punakha River Lodge, Bhutan

In the middle of this year, the first Asian lodge from remote-hospitality pioneer andBeyond will sit on the shores of a river, giving it access to kayaking and rafting activities, as wells the cultural treasures of the mountain village of Punhakha.

Haritha Villas + Spa, Sri Lanka

This all-villa Ayurvedic retreat opened last month as a haven of bend-over-backward hospitality on the beautiful southern coast. It sits on a forested hilltop estate and brings together nature, design and personalized service. Each of the nine villas is attended by one of the handpicked team of Villa Masters. Guests can enjoy off-menu, farm-to-table dining anytime, anywhere, and the two-story Jungle Spa offers polished pampering, serious wellness programs crafted by two resident Ayurvedic doctors, and unlimited daily yoga, meditation and fitness classes.

The Junei Hotel, Kyoto

All eyes are on Japan for the 2020 Olympics, and Tokyo is getting some nifty new hotels to go along with that. But the most seductive opening is smaller. Set for March, the Junei (part of Secret Retreats) will have 11 designed rooms with fragrant cypress bathtubs, including a Bamboo Suite with "a sojourn surrounded by bamboo and filled with moonlight" as its concept. There’s a Wagyu dining space and a rooftop Japanese garden where guests can watch the moon rise over the hills.

Orient Express Mahanakhon Bangkok

The whole Orient Express Hotels thing is still a bit confusing, even after the original OE hotel portfolio took on a new identity as Belmond. The trains and cruises entity held on to the Orient Express name, and now it’s launching a new hotel brand. Like the trains, the hotels will be steeped in tradition, legend and luxurious adventure. For this one, esteemed designer Tristan Auer is reimagining the Art Deco stylings and botanical motifs of the original train carriages. Guerlain will be on board for spa duties.

Rooms Hotel Kokhta, Georgia

The first Rooms hotel, in Tbilisi, quickly became a darling of the international smart set. This one promises to adapt that formula to a ski-in, ski-out winter resort and year-round alpine getaway. The 95 light-filled guest rooms have a mix of vintage and custom furnishings, heavy on the natural, the organic and the simple. Balconies have wicker furniture and cozy blankets. This being Georgia, the food promises to be abundant and delicious.

Tanah Gajah, a Resort by Hadiprana, Bali

A few weeks ago, the Chedi Club Tanah Gajah in Ubud returned to its roots as it became Tanah Gajah, a Resort by Hadiprana—the flagship of a new hospitality group. It was built in the 1980s as a holiday home for Indonesian architect and designer Hendra Hadiprana, and then it fell into GHM’s fold. Now the intimate yet spacious property has 20 art-filled accommodations, ranging from one bedroom suites with open air bathrooms and lotus pond views, to a one-of-a-kind two bedroom estate with a private pool. The ceiling of the restored building is adorned with a traditional Balinese painting that shares Hendra Hadiprana’s life story, and his presence is still felt thanks to her collection of sculptures, antiques and artwork.

The Theodor, Tel Aviv 

Opening in February as part of the super-cool Brown Hotels group, the Theodor is a Bauhaus-inspired hotel at at the beginning of Rothschild Boulevard. The landmark Bauhaus building will include 34 spacious rooms and suites, plus a private garden and a restaurant. It’s a contemporary vision of Bauhaus, with vivid geometric designs, black-and-white color schemes and herringbone wood flooring, all paying tribute to the early 20th century.

Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô, Vietnam

In Vietnamese, the name means “bay of corals,” and that’s exactly where this new resort—opening in August—is located. It’s in the heart of a secluded and preserved 93-hectare site facing an impressive kilometer-long white sand beach. Surrounded by spectacular hills, lush vegetation and rice paddies, the resort lies far from the mainstream tourist paths—meaning it’s not easy to get to, but it’s worth the journey. It has 71 spacious villas (46 with private pools), three restaurants and three bars, a beautiful spa and wellbeing area and an activity center.

Europe

Castel Hörtenberg, Italy

The South Tyrol region is a curious hybrid of Latin and German culture. This year there’s even more reason to go, thanks to the opening last month of this fairy tale Renaissance castle-turned-five-star guest house in Bolzano, the gateway to the Dolomites. Just a few minutes by foot from downtown, it seems to have appeared out of a different era. Inside, after a long renovation, it’s back to the peak of its beauty. It’s the first castle hotel in the capital.

Galleria Vik Milano

For all of Milan’s importance in the fashion world, it hasn’t had many hotels that push hard on design. It’s getting one now in the form of Galleria Vik Milano, the first European outpost from South America’s Vik Retreats, in the heart of the fashion district. Upon entering, guests are welcomed by Rodin’s Thinker, in monumental scale alongside an immersive dry fresco covering the ceiling and walls by Italian artist Alex Folla, featuring eight mythological figures holding up the world. Throughout the 90 suites and public spaces, the building’s strong architectural features are reinforced by hand-painted murals. That’s in addition to an extensive collection of international art, site-specific installations and a mix of contemporary, midcentury, vintage and antique furniture.

La Réserve Eden au Lac, Zurich

Philippe Starck has just restored the 100-year-old Eden au Lac hotel, the only luxury property on Lake Zurich. It now has 40 rooms and suites, most of them with lake views.

Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid

Built in 1910, the iconic landmark is undergoing an extensive renovation to re-open under the Mandarin Oriental flag in late 2020. It will significantly upgrade the facilities and services while maintaining the hotel’s Belle Époque style and Cesar Ritz’s pioneering spirit. The redesign of the 153 rooms will restore the many fine interior architectural features while incorporating valuable artistic pieces from the property’s collection, including crystal chandeliers, antique paintings and sculptures. Quique Dacosta, one of the most celebrated chefs in Spain, has signed on to design, develop and oversee operations at the five restaurants and bars.

Torel Palace, Porto

With each of their hotels, Portugal’s Torel group sets the bar higher for design and service. So their fifth opening, at the end of this month, promises to be worth a trip. It’s in the 1861 bourgeois Palacete Campos Navarro, one of the city’s most distinguished examples of Romantic architecture. Each of the 24 rooms honors a Portuguese writer or poet. The restaurant is an original concept from chef Vitor Matos, who has a Michelin star in his restaurant across town, Antiqvm.

“>

With a slew of attention-grabbing lodges opening (and reopening) from Montana to Madrid, 2020 seems like an excellent yr to journey. Some are one entrepreneur’s ardour venture, whereas others are large-scale strikes by the massive manufacturers. What they share is a painstaking consideration to element, a willingness to rewrite the principles and—in fairly just a few circumstances—real consideration paid to sustainability. Right here’s what’s on the map now.

Africa

DumaTau Camp & Little DumaTau Camp, Botswana

After a renovation this winter, DumaTau will return in August with a smaller sibling. Little DumaTau can be an unique, intimate camp with 4 tented suites. The realm is famed for big herds of elephants and distinctive sport viewing alongside the Savute Channel. However what’s most attention-grabbing is the intersection of conservation-led safari (utilizing 100% solar energy) and wellness sanctuary—the brand new lodge can have a spa and fitness center, a rarity within the bush.

 The Americas

Austin Correct

In its delicate opening now with all of the bells and whistles to come back this spring, the first Proper hotel outdoors California is true to the model’s values of sudden luxurious, wonderful location, groovy interiors by Kelly Wearstler and site-specific options by native tastemakers. Meaning restaurant-bars from McGuire Moorman Hospitality, together with The Peacock Mediterranean Grill and Goldie’s Sunken Bar up to now (with two extra on the best way). Even with 244 rooms and 79 suites, it has managed to achieve LEED Gold standing, making it the one licensed sustainable resort within the space. There’s a fitness center with lake views, a yoga studio with area for pop-ups, Peloton bikes that may be delivered to visitor rooms, and a spa within the works. Girl Chook Lake is a stone’s throw away, placing mountain climbing and biking trails in simple attain.

The Inexperienced O by Paws Up, Montana

In case you’re like me, your first response was to lift an eyebrow on the title. By no means thoughts what she’s having. The new camp and the resort that it’s a part of are positioned on 37,000 acres of land in a Blackfoot River Valley township referred to as Greenough—pronounced “green-o”—after shepherd Paul Greenough, who as soon as owned the land. What they name Glamping 2.zero is an adults-only, year-round retreat with 12 design-forward lodging, from an elevated Tree Haus to a Inexperienced Haus with a dwelling roof, all with floor-to-ceiling home windows.

1 Resort Toronto

After opening in cities not usually related to sustainability and nature (Midtown Manhattan, Miami Seaside, Brooklyn), the progressive 1 Accommodations model is taking its sustainable philosophy north. Opening this summer time, the 1 Hotel Toronto is impressed by Canada’s pure magnificence, the character of King Avenue West and the Toronto market—and fully made with present structural and reclaimed supplies gathered from the local people, together with timber, driftwood and native limestone.

Palmaïa, the Home of AÏA, Riviera Maya

In case the dieresis—that bizarre umlaut-y factor—didn’t give it away, this resort marches to its personal drummer. The newly constructed, 314-suite beachfront retreat is out to offer “one-of-a-kind immersive jungle and seaside experiences.” That features a lavish spa, an open-air fitness center, a cenote (swimming gap) and a temescal (sweat lodge). The Architect of Life program affords transformative wellness for the thoughts and physique together with sound therapeutic, gravity management, multimusical vibration, Vipassana meditation, sungazing, yoga and mandalas, all led by the on-site shaman. With the Rituals of Sound program, the resort will host deep fusion DJs, stay acoustic artists and interactive music acts day by day. The founder’s dedication to sustainability features a plant-based menu at all the eating places, a pledge to be carbon-neutral by 2021 and a promise to pay for the carbon offsets of visitors’ flights after they ebook by way of the web site. He’s clearly drunk some Burning Man Kool-Support: The all-inclusive pricing is rebranded as a “gifting tradition,” and private butlers are referred to as Nomadic Guides. 

Rosewood Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda

On the finish of a four-year renovation, this classic island escape (based in 1964 by conservationist Laurance Rockefeller) has been up to date for contemporary luxurious vacationers whereas staying true to its roots as an exemplar of ecotourism. (It additionally heralds that the Virgin Islands are again in enterprise after Hurricane Irma.) Unfold over 500 acres of personal beachfront land, the resort now options 80 visitor rooms, suites and villas with ocean views and regionally impressed décor. There are 4 eating places, a cliffside spa, a strong recreation program with numerous water sports activities and out of doors actions, eight new tennis and pickle ball courts and an genuine and immersive Rosewood Explorer’s kids’s program.

Six Senses New York

Six Senses’ formulation works partly as a result of the lodges are in distant places that pressure you to decelerate. So it stays to be seen how they’ll adapt that formulation to town that by no means sleeps. However up to now, all indicators are good. When the hotel opens within the XI Constructing in West Chelsea within the fall, it can have an 45,000-square-foot spa and members membership with all the things from cryotherapy and tincture bars to sound bowl remedy and acupuncture; town’s solely geodesic meditation room; and all types of versatile areas for health and mindfulness lessons. They’re touting it as probably the most complete wellness expertise town has but seen. 

Asia

andBeyond Punakha River Lodge, Bhutan

In the midst of this yr, the primary Asian lodge from remote-hospitality pioneer andBeyond will sit on the shores of a river, giving it entry to kayaking and rafting actions, as wells the cultural treasures of the mountain village of Punhakha.

Haritha Villas + Spa, Sri Lanka

This all-villa Ayurvedic retreat opened final month as a haven of bend-over-backward hospitality on the gorgeous southern coast. It sits on a forested hilltop property and brings collectively nature, design and personalised service. Every of the 9 villas is attended by one of many handpicked group of Villa Masters. Company can get pleasure from off-menu, farm-to-table eating anytime, anyplace, and the two-story Jungle Spa affords polished pampering, critical wellness applications crafted by two resident Ayurvedic docs, and limitless day by day yoga, meditation and health lessons.

The Junei Resort, Kyoto

All eyes are on Japan for the 2020 Olympics, and Tokyo is getting some nifty new lodges to associate with that. However probably the most seductive opening is smaller. Set for March, the Junei (a part of Secret Retreats) can have 11 designed rooms with aromatic cypress bathtubs, together with a Bamboo Suite with “a sojourn surrounded by bamboo and crammed with moonlight” as its idea. There’s a Wagyu eating area and a rooftop Japanese backyard the place visitors can watch the moon rise over the hills.

Orient Categorical Mahanakhon Bangkok

The entire Orient Categorical Accommodations factor remains to be a bit complicated, even after the unique OE resort portfolio took on a brand new identification as Belmond. The trains and cruises entity held on to the Orient Categorical title, and now it’s launching a brand new resort model. Just like the trains, the lodges can be steeped in custom, legend and opulent journey. For this one, esteemed designer Tristan Auer is reimagining the Artwork Deco stylings and botanical motifs of the unique prepare carriages. Guerlain can be on board for spa duties.

Rooms Resort Kokhta, Georgia

The primary Rooms resort, in Tbilisi, rapidly turned a darling of the worldwide sensible set. This one guarantees to adapt that formulation to a ski-in, ski-out winter resort and year-round alpine getaway. The 95 light-filled visitor rooms have a mixture of classic and customized furnishings, heavy on the pure, the natural and the easy. Balconies have wicker furnishings and comfortable blankets. This being Georgia, the meals guarantees to be plentiful and scrumptious.

Tanah Gajah, a Resort by Hadiprana, Bali

Just a few weeks in the past, the Chedi Membership Tanah Gajah in Ubud returned to its roots because it turned Tanah Gajah, a Resort by Hadiprana—the flagship of a brand new hospitality group. It was constructed within the 1980s as a vacation dwelling for Indonesian architect and designer Hendra Hadiprana, after which it fell into GHM’s fold. Now the intimate but spacious property has 20 art-filled lodging, starting from one bed room suites with open air loos and lotus pond views, to a one-of-a-kind two bed room property with a non-public pool. The ceiling of the restored constructing is adorned with a conventional Balinese portray that shares Hendra Hadiprana’s life story, and his presence remains to be felt because of her assortment of sculptures, antiques and paintings.

The Theodor, Tel Aviv 

Opening in February as a part of the super-cool Brown Accommodations group, the Theodor is a Bauhaus-inspired resort at firstly of Rothschild Boulevard. The landmark Bauhaus constructing will embrace 34 spacious rooms and suites, plus a non-public backyard and a restaurant. It’s a recent imaginative and prescient of Bauhaus, with vivid geometric designs, black-and-white shade schemes and herringbone wooden flooring, all paying tribute to the early 20th century.

Zannier Accommodations Bãi San Hô, Vietnam

In Vietnamese, the title means “bay of corals,” and that’s precisely the place this new resort—opening in August—is positioned. It’s within the coronary heart of a secluded and preserved 93-hectare website going through a powerful kilometer-long white sand seaside. Surrounded by spectacular hills, lush vegetation and rice paddies, the resort lies removed from the mainstream vacationer paths—that means it’s not simple to get to, nevertheless it’s definitely worth the journey. It has 71 spacious villas (46 with personal swimming pools), three eating places and three bars, a wonderful spa and wellbeing space and an exercise heart.

Europe

Castel Hörtenberg, Italy

The South Tyrol area is a curious hybrid of Latin and German tradition. This yr there’s much more motive to go, because of the opening final month of this fairy story Renaissance castle-turned-five-star guest house in Bolzano, the gateway to the Dolomites. Only a few minutes by foot from downtown, it appears to have appeared out of a special period. Inside, after an extended renovation, it’s again to the height of its magnificence. It’s the primary fort resort within the capital.

Galleria Vik Milano

For all of Milan’s significance within the trend world, it hasn’t had many lodges that push laborious on design. It’s getting one now within the type of Galleria Vik Milano, the primary European outpost from South America’s Vik Retreats, within the coronary heart of the style district. Upon coming into, visitors are welcomed by Rodin’s Thinker, in monumental scale alongside an immersive dry fresco overlaying the ceiling and partitions by Italian artist Alex Folla, that includes eight mythological figures holding up the world. All through the 90 suites and public areas, the constructing’s robust architectural options are bolstered by hand-painted murals. That’s along with an intensive assortment of worldwide artwork, site-specific installations and a mixture of modern, midcentury, classic and vintage furnishings.

La Réserve Eden au Lac, Zurich

Philippe Starck has simply restored the 100-year-old Eden au Lac hotel, the one luxurious property on Lake Zurich. It now has 40 rooms and suites, most of them with lake views.

Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid

In-built 1910, the iconic landmark is present process an intensive renovation to re-open beneath the Mandarin Oriental flag in late 2020. It is going to considerably improve the services and providers whereas sustaining the resort’s Belle Époque model and Cesar Ritz’s pioneering spirit. The redesign of the 153 rooms will restore the various tremendous inside architectural options whereas incorporating worthwhile creative items from the property’s assortment, together with crystal chandeliers, vintage work and sculptures. Quique Dacosta, one of the celebrated cooks in Spain, has signed on to design, develop and oversee operations on the 5 eating places and bars.

Torel Palace, Porto

With every of their lodges, Portugal’s Torel group units the bar larger for design and repair. So their fifth opening, on the finish of this month, guarantees to be value a visit. It’s within the 1861 bourgeois Palacete Campos Navarro, one of many metropolis’s most distinguished examples of Romantic structure. Every of the 24 rooms honors a Portuguese author or poet. The restaurant is an authentic idea from chef Vitor Matos, who has a Michelin star in his restaurant throughout city, Antiqvm.