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10 Most Exciting Hotel Openings of 2025

February 12, 2025 by Laura Goodman No Comments
seascape and sunset hour in Victoria, Seychelles

We like to keep our eyes on hotel openings across the globe and 2025 looks set to be a thrilling year for luxury abodes. In this list of the hotel openings we’re most excited about, you’ll find a historic church in Venice, a glamorous country club in Sweden, an art hotel in Lisbon, a palace in India and a luxury sleeper train that boasts the British countryside as its backdrop.

 

Top hotel openings of 2025

Six Senses at the Whiteley

London, UK

Six Senses brings its unique wellbeing concept to the former Whiteleys department store in Bayswater, describing it as “an emporium of the senses”. Draper and entrepreneur William Whiteley opened the store in 1911 as one of London’s iconic department stores, alongside Selfridges, Liberty and Harrods. The spa will “mirror the different energies of city life, from the sensory stimulation and movement of the street to the stillness and calm of a quiet café or park”. There’ll be a huge gym and swimming pool, a relaxation room with vaulted ceilings and the Alchemy Bar, where guests can explore a sensory selection of aromatic herbs, salts, fruits, and spices, and craft their treatment.

British Royale is our 10-day guided tour of England and Scotland’s national treasures.

 

Belmond’s Britannic Explorer

UK

Making our cut of the best hotel openings despite not strictly being a hotel, England and Wales’ first luxury sleeper train is causing a commotion. The Britannic explorer will whisk travelers out of London to their choice of three locations: Cornwall, Wales and the Lake District. But of course, it’s not about the destination. The private sleeper cabins are incredibly plush sanctuaries, inspired by the British countryside and coastline. And in the dining cars, guests will feast on menus designed by Michelin star chef Simon Rogan. There’ll be an onboard spa room, too.

 

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Hjortviken Country Club

Hindas, Sweden

Twenty minutes from Gothenburg, this coolly glamorous concept is described as a “down-to-earth city escape”. Hjortviken country club wants you to get outside and put your phone down – for some cross-country skiing in winter, lake sports in summer, or just to lounge beneath a fringed parasol beside a sparkling pool. The nightclub will be reminiscent of 1980s New York City and restaurants will include a Swedish brasserie and a Cali-style Spanish restaurant. For the in-between times, there’ll be padel, boules and croquet.

 

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Timeless Scandinavia is a 12-day guided tour of Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

 

Mandarin Oriental

Vienna, Austria

Joining new hotel openings for the luxury hotel brand in Beijing, Dubai and Mallorca, this is Mandarin Oriental’s first Austrian property. It will contain 151 rooms and 17 apartments and penthouses arranged around a courtyard in a listed art nouveau building. Designed by architect Alfred Keller in 1903, the imposing building sits on Riemergasse, and served as the city’s commercial court until 2003. Guests will be steps from St Stephen’s Cathedral, in the chic District One neighbourhood.

 

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Harmony of Central Europe is a 13-day guided tour of Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary.

 

Capella

Kyoto, Japan

One of the most exciting luxury hotel brands of recent years is heading to Japan – and specifically to Kyoto’s Miyagawa-chō district, one of the hanamachi (“flower towns”) or geisha districts . The hotel promises to curate cultural experiences with the Miyagawa Maiko Performance School and to create enchanting interiors with the area’s rich heritage woven through them, with artworks and artefacts sitting alongside soothing hues and intricate textures. It will be a 92-room with a bamboo courtyard – a true celebration of Japanese design.

Experience the majesty and mystery of Japan on our 11-day Japan guided tour.

 

The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace

Madhya Pradesh, India

This 350-year-old painstakingly restored palace – once the home of actual royalty – is one of the hotel openings of the year. In true fairytale style, the sprawling, towering residence sits atop the Maniyagarh Hills with views over 60 acres of hillside and a rain-fed lake, close to the 1,500-year-old temples of Khajuraho. There’ll be 66 rooms across the palace and its sprawling gardens, plus an opulent spa, which guests will access by boat, and a restaurant with panoramic views of the nearby tiger reserve.

 

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There are two India journeys to choose from: Essence of India (9 days) and Imperial Rajasthan (13 days) – explore the itineraries.

 

The Cooper

Charleston, USA

On a curve of the Cooper River, this resort-style hotel is being billed as “downtown vibrance meets lowcountry charm”. It will combine lush landscapes and incredible sundowner terrace moments with tantalising proximity to Charleston’s best restaurants and shops – the famous Pineapple Fountain is right next door. An infinity pool will overlook the water and there’ll be a private marina complete with luxury vessels for guest use, a yacht for dinner cruises, and a water taxi for day trips to Daniel Island.

 

Few and Far Luvhondo

South Africa

Spanning 100,000 hectares in the wild and unexplored Soutpansberg mountains of Limpopo, surrounded by some of the biggest Baobab trees in Southern Africa, this luxury lodge is “reimagining the traditional safari” – they’re calling it a “wild, luxurious bush experience”. This is one of the planet’s most biologically diverse regions and Few and Far has designed every inch of it to be meaningful and purposeful. There will be just six impeccable ecolodges and a solar-powered cable car, providing guests with a 25-mile game-viewing perspective above the treetops.

 

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Spectacular South Africa is our 9-day guided tour featuring vineyards, mountains and safari.

 

MACAM Hotel

Lisbon, Portugal

The Museu de Arte Contemporanea Armando Martins will be Europe’s first combined museum and luxury hotel concept. In a beautiful 18th century palace tucked between the neighbourhoods of Belem and Alcantara, MACAM will display 600 pieces owned by the Portuguese entrepreneur of its name (Armando Martins). There’ll be 64 rooms blending an artistic aesthetic with opulent but restful spaces. The complex will also feature a restaurant and cafe showcasing local specialties, as well as an auditorium and museum shop.

 

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Embrace the passion and culture of Portugal on our 13-day journey: Spain and Portugal in Style.

 

Airelles Venezia

Venice, Italy

There are a few new addresses in Venice that are firmly on our radar, but none more strongly than the Airelles Venezia. As luxury hotel openings go, this one looks to be positively palatial – all dark blue velvet, rich mahogany, Murano glass, Rubelli fabrics and custom Fortuny chandeliers. Airelles is the opulent French luxury hotel brand and Venice is … well, it’s Venice. Airelles Venezia will occupy the three buildings of the former Bauer Palladio complex, as well as its 16th century church, Santa Maria della Presentazione, which will be available for weddings and events. There will be a terrace for sundowners, with panoramic views of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace.

Ultimate Italy is a 12-day behind-the-scenes look at Italy’s most amazing locations.

 

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Africa, Asia, Europe, Luxury Journeys

The World’s Best Hotels in 2024 Will Make You Swoon

October 25, 2024 by Laura Goodman No Comments

Every year, 600 industry experts combine forces to declare The World’s 50 Best Hotels, celebrating the very best hotel experiences across the globe. The list is published by William Reed, also responsible for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. In their own words, “50 Best acknowledges the many levels on which hotels operate as well as the people behind them – recognising and celebrating the most outstanding establishments and the individuals who bring them to life”.

 

 

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This year, the world’s best hotel is officially Capella, an incredible riverside oasis in Bangkok, which knocked last year’s number one, Passalacqua in Lake Como, down to a highly respectable second place. Bangkok had a bumper year, with four hotels on the list, making Capella’s victory all the sweeter. Of Europe’s 13 entries, there were some urban classics, such as The Connaught and Claridge’s in London and Le Bristol and Hotel de Crillon in Paris. There were a notable number of new entries in more remote destinations, including Kokomo Private Island, Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman and The Brando in French Polynesia.

Below, we’ve chosen six of our favourite hotels from the list – in destinations you can travel to with Luxury Gold. If any of them capture your imagination, or you’d just like to experience one of the world’s best hotels for yourself, consider extending your stay at the beginning or end of your journey with us.

 

Say hello to the world’s best hotels

No. 6: Aman, Tokyo

At number six, this sleek, hard-edged hotel sits right in the thick of Tokyo, somehow maintaining a zen-like calm in all corners. The lines couldn’t be straighter, the windows couldn’t be bigger, the views through floor-to-ceiling windows couldn’t be more mega – and yet “the transition from city to escapism is instantaneous”. The World’s 50 Best draws particular attention to the window-side stone bathtubs, the temple-like spa, the 30-metre swimming pool and the ethereally light-filled lobby.

Majestic Japan is an 11-day journey taking in Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima and more. The last stop is Tokyo, making it easy to add a couple of extra days in the city.

 

 

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No. 4: Cheval Blanc, Paris

It’s not surprising that LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) makes some of the world’s best hotels, but this is its first maison in a city. It couldn’t be more in Paris – close to the Marais, over the Seine from Saint-Germain, with views of the Eiffel Tower that remain seared in your mind forever. The rooms are chic golden havens, the spa is Dior and Le Tout-Paris is a brasserie that embraces Paris’s skyline like nowhere else. It’s easy to see why this hotel is number 4.

Our Ultimate France journey is two full weeks of French immersion, by way of Monte Carlo, Provence and Bordeaux, finishing – conveniently enough – in Paris.

 

 

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No. 11: Claridge’s, London

Proving it really is timeless, Mayfair’s art deco icon comes in at number 11. It has been literally and figuratively flying the flag for Great Britain among the world’s best hotels since 1856, but recent years have seen the addition of a five-storey subterranean Japanese-inspired spa and a facelift for many of the sumptuous suites. Known for that very English thing – discretion – Claridge’s remains the host of choice for high society, global dignitaries, designers and celebrities.

Our 10-day British Royal journey starts in London, so you can arrive a little early and start as you mean to go on.

 

 

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No. 19: Four Seasons Firenze, Florence

There are four Four Seasons hotels on the list this year, all of them completely different in character. At number 19, this one is the most palatial of the properties, surrounded by Florence’s largest private garden, in the impeccably restored 15th-century Medici family palazzo. The interiors fully celebrate the Italian Renaissance, with dramatic floral displays sitting among frescoes, bronze sculptures, mosaics and moldings aplenty.

It’s about three hours to Florence from both Rome and Venice, where Ultimate Italy begins and ends.

 

 

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Mount Nelson, Cape Town

This is Cape Town’s Grande Dame, affectionately known as The Nellie, or Pink Lady. She’s been with us for over a century and this year she’s the best hotel in Africa, and according to this list, the world’s 28th best hotel. The candyfloss hue of the building flows through the hotel – in the towels, sun loungers, macarons and rose gardens, making for a joyful luxury space. New initiatives include replacing historic oil paintings with emerging African artists. The World’s 50 Best says service is “light-hearted and personality filled”.

Spectacular South Africa is an eight-day journey (or a 10-day journey if you add Victoria Falls), beginning in Cape Town.

 

 

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No. 43: Suján Jawai, Rajasthan

At number 43 is this rare beauty – a luxury camp set into the plain next to the Aravalli mountains, among billion-year-old granite rock formations, where leopards roam free. It consists of 10 tented suites, each with its own private sit-out in the Jawai wilderness. In the dining tent, meals follow the rhythm of safari – there are no set dining times. At sunrise, freshly-made Indian snacks, tea and coffee are served during the morning game drive, followed by stuffed parathas back at camp.

At the end of our 13-day Imperial Rajasthan journey, most guests fly from Udaipur to Delhi for their homeward flight, but Udaipur happens to be a mere three hours’ drive from Suján Jawai.

 

 

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The Rest of the Best Hotels in the World 2024:

  1. Capella, Bangkok
  2. Passalacqua, Lake Como
  3. Rosewood, Hong Kong
  4. Cheval Blanc, Paris
  5. The Upper House, Hong Kong
  6. Raffles, Singapore
  7. Aman, Tokyo
  8. Soneva Fushi, Maldives
  9. Atlantis The Royal, Dubai
  10. Nihi Sumba, Sumba Island
  11. Claridge’s, London
  12. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
  13. Raffles London at The OWO
  14. Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
  15. Hôtel de Crillon, Paris
  16. Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá
  17. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes
  18. Maroma, Riviera Maya
  19. Four Seasons Firenze, Florence
  20. Borgo Santandrea, Amalfi
  21. Desa Potato Head, Bali
  22. Bulgari, Tokyo
  23. The Lana, Dubai
  24. Rosewood, São Paulo
  25. The Calile, Brisbane
  26. The Siam, Bangkok
  27. Park Hyatt, Kyoto
  28. Mount Nelson, Cape Town
  29. One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit
  30. The Carlyle, New York
  31. La Mamounia, Marrakech
  32. Four Seasons, Madrid
  33. Capella, Singapore
  34. Four Seasons at The Surf Club, Surfside
  35. Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
  36. Eden Rock, St. Barths
  37. Aman, New York
  38. Royal Mansour, Marrakech
  39. Amangalla, Galle
  40. Le Bristol, Paris
  41. Gleneagles, Auchterarder
  42. Castello di Reschio, Lisciano Niccone
  43. Suján Jawai, Rajasthan
  44. Singita, Kruger National Park
  45. Six Senses Zighy Bay, Zaghi
  46. The Connaught, London
  47. The Brando, Tetiaroa
  48. Hotel Esencia, Tulum
  49. The Tasman, Hobart
  50. Kokomo Private Island, Yaukuve Levu Island
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Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, Luxury Journeys, New Zealand, USA and Canada

10 of the World’s Best Luxury Resorts to Stay at This Year

July 4, 2024 by Laura Goodman No Comments
Interiors at the Hotel D'Angleterre in Geneva

The best luxury resorts in the world are of course glorious places to stay, but there is so much more to them than their guest rooms – they’re gateways to destinations, and they’re entire destinations in themselves. Whether they happen to be located in the middle of national parks, private white sand beaches, wine country, ski slopes, cities or small towns, they tell a unique story about their place. Here are 10 of our favorites right now.

For billabong swims and hammock time: Silky Oaks Lodge, Queensland

Forty ‘treehouses’ sit snugly in the world’s oldest living rainforest, surrounded by fronds and vines, ferns and mosses. It’s hard not to think of Eden as you lie in your hammock following a dazzling blue Ulysses butterfly or a chattering of palm cockatoos with your eyes. Guests have the chance to learn about the Indigenous culture of the local Kuku Yalanji people who have lived in the Daintree Rainforest continuously, and have a deep connection with it.

 

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For tranquility and connecting with nature: Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel

In the mountains of north Japan, this tranquil ryokan is the only resort built on the shore of the Orase Gorge, part of the Towada-Hachimantai National Park, a protected area teeming with lushness: beech, katsura and Japanese horse chestnut trees, plus over 300 species of moss. Rooms overlook the stream and waterfalls; it’s an unparallelled vantage point for witnessing the changing seasons. Lots of significance is placed on the onsen experience in the hot springs from Mount Hakkoda – the concept behind the resort is “Keiru slow living”. Stay here on our Majestic Japan journey. 

For sumptuous living in the city: The Leela Palace, Chennai

One of the best luxury resorts on our Essence of India journey, this is almost five acres of sheer opulence and romance where the Bay of Bengal meets the Adyar river. There are brunches fit for royalty, sea-view sundowners, marble corridors, chandeliers and silk ruching wherever you look, even a cake shop, whose counters are filled with handcrafted macarons, chocolates and cheesecakes. Rooms and suites are haven-like, golden and glorious but it’s worth tearing yourself out of them to lounge by the enormous pool. 

 

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For icon status in the great Canadian outdoors: Fairmont Banff Springs

Known as Canada’s “Castle in the Rockies” this world-famous resort with its steep copper roofs, dormers and gables, is located in the majestic Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Besides absurd levels of beauty and various walking trails, the park itself offers opportunities for horseback riding, rock climbing, biking, glacier walking and skiing. On the resort itself, there’s a 27-hole championship golf course and an award-winning spa, not to mention wildflower cocktails in the timeless Rundle Bar. 

Stay here on our Majesty of the Rockies journey.

 

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For serenity (and celebrity) by the beach: Copacabana Palace, Rio

As far as world class locations go, Copacabana Beach is hard to beat. This imposing white Carrara marble icon has been in situ since 1923, when French architect Joseph Gire took influence from the Negresco in Nice and the Carlton in Cannes. Since then, celebrities passing through have included Walt Disney, Brigitte Bardot, Princess Diana and Madonna. Away from the high energy of the beach and the city streets, the interiors offer soothing white linens, mahogany furnishings and arguably the best balconies in the world. 

This hotel is on our Classic South America journey.

 

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For Tuscan frescoes and flowers: Four Seasons Firenze

This is an urban retreat of Florentine proportions, housed across the 15th-century Palazzo della Gherardesca and the 16th-century convent, La Villa. The creamy interiors feature frescoes, paintings and sculptures, plus elaborate floral displays and golden light seemingly sent from the heavens. The Renaissance theme continues through the Michelin star restaurant, wine cellar and into the relaxation center, with its ancient Italian spa treatments and garden-based yoga. All a 15-minute walk from the Duomo.  

For English charm and Swiss hospitality: Hotel d’Angleterre, Geneva

On the shore of the glittering Lake Geneva, the Angleterre is a grand old dame to behold, but – as one of the best luxury resorts in the world – it’s also more intimate than you might expect. No two rooms are the same – there’s masterful quilting and upholstery, with playfulness coming through in the occasional leopard print cushion, striped drape, silk-covered wall or original Miró sketch. There’s afternoon tea, of course, plus decanters of port, cognac and whisky. It’s a masterclass in refined luxury, and it’s best enjoyed as part of Majestic Switzerland. 

For easy living in The Big Easy: The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans

At the edge of the French quarter, the swish Maison Blanche building which occupies a whole city block is a retreat from the hubbub, but a very assuredly New Orleanian one. After a dinner of farm-to-table Louisiana cuisine (blue crab beignets, seafood gumbo, shrimp and grits), guests can listen to jazz musician Jeremy Davenport playing the lounge named after him, while sipping Davenportinis. It’s always a joyful stop on our Southern Grace journey. The spaces are ritzy and glamorous – lots of black leather and velvet.

 

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For untouchable private island solitude: Song Saa, Cambodia

This is the kind of unfathomable paradise we couldn’t not put on a list of the best luxury resorts. On Cambodia’s Koh Rong Archipelago, 45 minutes by speedboat from Sihanoukville, Song Saa is arranged across two small islands. It’s got everything you’d expect – palm-thatched villas with four-poster beds and sea-view plunge pools and an open-air spa made up of various pavilions, and plenty you’d never dreamed of too (it’s surprisingly family-friendly!). The owners are committed to the environment – they’ve set up a marine reserve and employ conservation staff.

For stylish safaris with heart: Londolozi, South Africa

In the Sabi Sand Game Reserve within the Greater Kruger National Park, Londolozi is all for healing the land. The Varty family behind it believe it “should inspire a desire to live in deeper connection with each other and the natural world”. Each of the exquisite camps tells a story – the Founders camp honors the past, Tree Camp is lantern-lit, and sanctuary-like, and Varty Camp is the heart and soul – it’s been hosting family-friendly campfires for over 100 years. The rooms and suites are richly layered under thatched roofs, each with expansive decks on which to do yoga, bathe or sip champagne.

We also think you’ll like: Celebrity Haunts: Staying at the World’s Most Star Studded Hotels

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