Trump International Hotel, Washington D.C.
Photo Courtesy of Trump International Hotel, Washington D.C.
To be honest, this list of new hotel openings that we’re most excited about could have easily been 50 or 75 entries long. With so many people traveling these days, high-end hotel brands are doing their absolute best to keep up with the demand. But even with our inbox overflowing with press releases regarding new projects, these 20 properties have somehow managed to stand out. From an imposing entry in Lower Manhattan to an eye-catching gem in Macau, these are the vacation properties of our dreams that will finally become a reality this year.
Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, Photo Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotels Limited
Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown
There are more than 100,000 hotel rooms in Manhattan. So, you’ll forgive locals if they aren’t overly excited about every property ribbon-cutting ceremony around the city. But even jaded New Yorkers can’t help but be giddy about this one. Taking up the first 24 floors of an 82-story building (157 residences will use the other space), this Tribeca entry commands respect. When it opens this summer, the hotel will captivate with Yabu Pushelberg-approved interiors, a spa and a sure-to-awe, 75-foot indoor pool. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck was so enamored that he decided to open a CUT steakhouse at the address.
Wynn Palace Cotai Macau
Steve Wynn already clinched a coveted Travel Guide Five-Star title with Wynn Macau, and he’s going for a second Macau winner when this 28-story Cotai hotel opens in June. In true Wynn fashion, expect over-the-top luxury at the floral-themed property, including a 1,700-room hotel, hot gaming spaces, a destination spa, gourmet restaurants and elaborate flower displays. A new attraction that will set it apart from its Macau sister property is air-conditioned “skycabs” that will send you along the eight-acre performance lake and into the center of the resort.
Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa
Kimpton Hotels has a reputation of filling hotel stays with playfulness and personality — not that either of those are tough to come by in the Cayman Islands. That said, to make the company’s first Caribbean foray stand out, Kimpton Seafire is focusing on personalization. Billed as Grand Cayman’s first boutique resort, the 266-room property will aim to ensure you feel like the only person who’s ever checked in. Clean-lined, neutral-toned rooms, three restaurants and two ocean-view pools will go a long way into putting smiles on faces once the resort opens in late 2016, but the personable staff will be tasked with keeping them there.
The Beekman, Photo Courtesy of Thompson Hotels
The Beekman – a Thompson Hotel
Lower Manhattan is getting a lot of buzz of late and this hip, historical spot ought to add to it. The Beekman is set to debut this spring (it’s accepting reservations for May 1) in an 1883 building that centers around a nine-story, wrought-iron-clad atrium. The rooms are arty and cool, akin to the Thompson brand, but we’re most excited about the two new restaurants — one by Tom Colicchio and the other by Keith McNally (Balthazar, Minetta Tavern).
MGM National Harbor
While some eagerly await the Prince George’s County, Maryland, resort’s more than 125,000 square feet of gaming, 3,000-seat theater and 308 light-wood-filled rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, we’re excited about the powerhouse chefs who will set up in the 24-story building along the Potomac. José Andrés will debut his first seafood eatery, Marcus Samuelsson will meld his Ethiopian and Swedish background with East Coast flavors at his inaugural D.C.-area spot, and brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, both Maryland native sons, will collaborate for the first time on a contemporary steakhouse. MGM will open in the fourth quarter.
Trump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver
When completed this summer, the newest Trump hotel will be the second-tallest building in Vancouver and have a distinct twisted shape that reaches 63 stories high. Located on Georgia Street in the Coal Harbour district, the sleek, modern hotel will have 147 guest rooms, a boutique spa, a restaurant by Hong Kong’s famed restaurant Mott 32 and the city’s first a pool bar/nightclub, which undoubtedly will be a hot spot.
Park Hyatt St. Kitts, Photo Courtesy of Hyatt Corporation
Park Hyatt St. Kitts
Travelers to the West Indies are getting another all-out luxurious option with the introduction of this contemporary-meets-colonial hotel. You’ll want to spring for one of the suites with rooftop pools that overlook the Caribbean and the nearby volcanic island of Nevis. Slated to open sometime in 2016, the St. Kitts hotel will have three different restaurants and a 12-treatment-room spa, not to mention a secluded white sand beach and that unmistakable luxe Caribbean vibe.
Four Seasons London Ten Trinity Square
The stately tower and Portland stone rotunda that make up the Ten Trinity Square landmark (which also served as the M16 office in Skyfall) are being restored so that this London hotel can move in. Later in the year, it will unveil 98 accommodations with neoclassical interiors, French and Asian restaurants and a Four Seasons spa with a hammam, sauna and café. Ten Trinity also will feature 41 residences and a private members’ club with meeting and screening rooms, a business center, a cigar lounge and the Château Latour wine room, the first outside of Bordeaux.
Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya
There’s a reason why the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, the PGA’s only annual stop in Mexico, takes place at Riviera Maya’s El Camaleón golf course. The fairways, much like the Mayakoba resort complex as a whole, are a breathtaking example of what nature and man can do when working in harmony. In late 2016, this 213-room resort will join a community that already boasts impressive members — Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Rosewood Mayakoba, Four-Star Banyan Tree Mayakoba and Fairmont Mayakoba. Taking a cue from its established neighbors, Andaz Mayakoba promises to mesh with the mangroves and Mexican culture even more with an open layout, a trio of dining options and an eight-room spa.
Amanemu, Photo Courtesy of Aman Resorts
Amanemu
Steeped in centuries-old Japanese tradition, Amanemu uses natural materials to create a serene aura in the Mie Prefecture on the country’s east coast. Nearby Shinto shrines and UNESCO World Heritage Sites add to the authentic feel of the large glass windows, woven textiles, timber sliding shutters and terraces in each of the 24 suites. Designed around mineral-rich hot springs, the 6,500-square-foot spa has two private onsen (a hot spring bath) pavilions, a watsu pool and four treatment suites.
Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila
One thing’s for sure — no one will ever say that Shangri-La tiptoed its way around the Manila market. Not only is this 820-foot-tall structure one of the most imposing buildings in the Philippines, it’s also situated in one of Manila’s most buzzed-about areas, Bonifacio Global City. And while BGC has more than enough entertainment and culinary distractions, when the 576-room hotel opens later this year, it will command its share of gawking, too, thanks in large part to seven restaurants, the 86,000-square-foot Kerry Sports Manila fitness center and Shangri-La’s brand of warm and accessible service around every corner.
Zemi Beach House Resort & Spa
Six beachfront acres on Anguilla’s secluded East End would be enough of a reason for this Caribbean hotel to catch our eye (it’s the first to open in the area). But the hotel locks in our gaze with a pool featuring an underwater window facing the ocean, two restaurants, three bars, a kids club, glass-bottom kayaks, 70 rooms with water views, penthouses with plunge pools and a spa tucked inside a 300-year-old Thai house with a meditation garden, a mud deck (for scrubs and mud treatments) and the island’s sole hammam. See for yourself when Zemi debuts in February.
Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach, Photo Courtesy of Hilton Worldwide
Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach
Poised to open early this year, the 290-room nautically themed hotel in Fort Lauderdale will be the brand’s first beachfront resort in the region. Each waterfront suite has state-of-the-art kitchen technology (like a touch-screen stove), a balcony overlooking the ocean and bathrooms with marble tubs and customizable toiletries (pick from four upscale brands). Three dining options span the elegant to casual spectrum, from fine Mediterranean seafood to a swim-up bar and grill. Or you could skip the restaurants and relax with a cocktail on the beach or in a private cabana.
Las Alcobas, A Luxury Collection Hotel
We’ll have to wait until November to finally check out this 68-room Napa Valley boutique upstart. Located in St. Helena near the quaint town’s restaurants and shops, the Starwood Luxury Collection hotel will have a luxe spa, an outdoor pool area with fire pits where you can lounge and imbibe, an eatery by celeb chef Chris Cosentino with a wraparound porch and even a barn made to host events.
Lotte World Tower & Mall
Seoul will boast its first colossal skyscraper when Lotte World Tower — the sixth-tallest building in the world — is completed in 2016. Occupying floors 76 through 101, the hotel is just one part of this enormous tower, which will hold a luxury shopping mall, a cinema, an aquarium, an observation deck and loads of restaurants. Inside the hotel, each luxurious room will be equipped with audio and video to accompany a regular fountain show. We’re betting the 85th-floor swimming pool and skyline views will be pretty show stopping, too.
Four Seasons Hotel Bogotá’s Kuru, Photo Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotels Limited
Four Seasons Hotel Bogotá
Four Seasons seems to be blanketing Bogota with hotels. October saw the debut of the Casa Medina outpost — the brand’s first hotel in the Colombian capital — and this property will follow in April. Just two miles from Casa Medina in the Zona T shopping and dining district, the Bogota hotel provides an intimate respite with only 64 modern rooms (half of which will be suites); a spa; Kuru, a Japanese robata-style grill with a two-story glass facade; and Biblioteca, which is vying to be the next big power breakfast spot in the city.
Trump International Hotel, Washington D.C.
A $200 million project will transform the historic Old Post Office building into a new Trump hotel in America’s capital. Crystal chandeliers and patriotic red, white and blue décor will adorn the 263 rooms, 32 of which are enormous suites. The latter include a 3,500-square-foot space that used to be the postmaster general’s office and a 6,300-square-foot suite that’s the largest in D.C. The lobby and hotel bar will be located in a sweeping nine-story atrium and, when the Washington, D.C. hotel opens in the fall, the bells of an iconic clock tower will toll on national holidays.
The Ritz-Carlton, Panama
Panama is in the midst of a renaissance, and this hotel is one reason why. The Ritz-Carlton, Panama will roll out later this year with 220 guest rooms, two swimming pools, a spa and four restaurants and lounges. Those in town for business will appreciate its convenient location in downtown Panama City, while shoppers will love that the hotel’s attached to the recently opened Soho Panama mall, which is filled with shops from the likes of Prada, Dior, Jimmy Choo and Bottega Veneta.
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, Photo Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotels Limited
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
The Four Seasons company’s second Japanese location is right in the center of Kyoto, only a short distance away from the city’s museums, the Toyokuni Shrine and Kiyomizu Temple. Local artists will be featured throughout the Higashiyama-ku district space that includes four dining options, a spa, a fitness center and a pool. The hotel’s 124 luxurious guest rooms will embrace the property’s understated and modern aesthetic.
Louis XIII
This Macau hotel wants you to feel like royalty. Paying homage to Louis XIII, the interior design will be a blend of 17th-century French Renaissance and Baroque décor. The crown jewel of the 200 suites is a 6,000-square-foot villa, which will be the most expensive hotel suite in the world. To top off the Versailles-esque concept, a 65-foot imitation diamond will sit at the peak of the scarlet building.
