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.

When you take a journey to one of the most spectacular corners of New Zealand – Fiordland National Park – you want to get as close to nature as possible. The Milford Sound Lodge takes you there, with stylish and secluded chalets enveloped in breathtaking, natural beauty. Set right on the doorstep of the iconic Milford Sound, and with a front-row seat to Fiordland’s waterfalls, rivers and peaks, the Milford Sound Lodge is truly incomparable.

Discover for yourself on The Long White Cloud, our New Zealand Luxury Tour 

There’s something so indulgent about dialling down for room service – staying comfy in your suite, perhaps even in a fluffy bathrobe, reclining in style and waiting for that knock from your server. But what are the rules, and are there things to watch out for? We asked one anonymous industry mole from a five-star hotel for their ultimate room service etiquette tips: any dos and don’ts that will help you get the best out of that luxury tray service. Here’s our ultimate guide for approaching room service etiquette like an insider.

Don’t order when you’re already ravenous

“Twenty to thirty minutes is a typical wait for room service. But at peak times, in big hotels, catering teams reserve the right to take up to an hour to get your food to you. Call down with your order well before you want it to arrive, or you’ll just end up frustrated and hungry.”

Do wear whatever you like

“Is there room service etiquette when it comes to clothing? It’s not uncommon for guests to greet their tray delivery in a bathrobe, pyjamas or sweaty post-gym outfit – trust me, our servers have seen it all. Their job is just to get the tray to you and get that bill signed. The only real ‘don’t’ here would be answering the door undressed or in underwear; a bathrobe won’t make your server uncomfortable, but your underwear might!”

Read next: These Hotels Have the Best Room Service in the World

Breakfast is overrated

“The biggest error I see guests make is ordering eggs for breakfast up to their room. While it’s wonderful to have a lie-in while you wait for your food, eggs simply don’t travel – the scrambled eggs get hard and cold, poached yolks solidify and every style of egg is just so much better fresh from the breakfast buffet station. Coffee can get weaker and colder on the tray, too. As breakfast is far and away the most popular mealtime for room service orders, this is also the order most likely to take a long time. When I’m staying at a hotel, I go down to the restaurant for breakfast.”

The club sandwich is a room service classic for a reason

There are some failsafe room service winners

“You can rarely go wrong with a club sandwich and fries on room service. Not only is it a classic that’s usually been on room service menus for years (and so been perfected), it’s something that travels well and can be jazzed up with condiments. Other failsafe stars of the room service menu include burgers and pasta dishes. Look out for what’s on the 24-hour, usually shorter room service menu – those are the perennial classics we’re confident we can get right any time of day – and what kind of cuisine is served in the main restaurants. If there’s a well-regarded Japanese restaurant onsite, the sushi platters should be just as good delivered to your room.”

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Know your tips

“As with any kind of food and beverage tipping, room service etiquette for a tip will vary from place to place. In the US, 18%-20% of the room service bill is standard; in most hotels in major cities, a 12-15% service or ‘tray’ charge will be included on your bill. In the rare cases or farther-flung countries where this isn’t the case, rounding up to the nearest 10 or adding on $5 or so’s worth as a tip will be acceptable.”

Want something not on the menu? Just ask

“Most hotels will only bring you what’s on the menu, but if you have a hankering for something simple – a grilled cheese sandwich, say, or a simple tomato salad – that’s not on there, it’s worth asking. It’s not necessarily breaking room service etiquette to ask for a green juice on an uninspiring drinks menu, or for a side of potatoes you don’t see listed in print. Especially in more high end hotels, food and beverage managers will go out of their way to accommodate you.”

Don’t fret about answering the door in your bathrobe (Unsplash/Getty)

Your tray shouldn’t feel stale

“In a poor room service setting, the pitfalls will be obvious: your eggs will be cold, your coffee may have a layer of film across the top, or the contents of the plate may have slid sideways in transit. Hotels with a strong grasp of their room service offering will be able to deliver your food hot, fresh and unspoiled – so don’t be afraid to call down and ask for a replacement item or dish. Consider that you’re paying extra for the tray service: you want the food to be worth the wait.”

Bookmark for later: How to Spend 48 Hours in One of Norway’s Most Scenic Hotels

Be specific

“If you’re a foodie who knows what you like, it pays to be specific. Want that morning coffee to be a machine espresso with a little hot water, not a weaker pot of filter coffee? Say as much when you call in your order. Want ketchup and mayo with that side of fries? Ask specifically, just in case. Whether it’s dressing on the side of a salad or freshly-squeezed OJ, not carton, we’d rather know in advance and get it right first time than risk the dreaded complaint call afterwards.”

What to do when you’re finished

“The universal sign for ‘I’m done with my tray’ is to put it just outside of your hotel door, on the floor – that’s why you’re frequently tripping over people’s trays and champagne buckets in hotel corridors. However, if you don’t want to lug the tray outside, it’s just as acceptable in the world of room service etiquette to call down and say your tray is ready to collect. A member of the F&B team will be up reasonably promptly.”