New & Notable
For the travel planners among you, here’s the latest on hotels and resorts around the world that have just opened or are coming soon.
MALDIVES
Another prominent luxury hotel chain has made its debut in the Maldives, with the opening of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands. And, frankly, we wouldn’t mind being perched on the sun deck of one of its 100 luxury villas this very second! (Or sitting in the private infinity pool.) Accessed via a scenic 10-minute seaplane ride or 45-minute boat ride from the airport at Male, the resort has a Beach Club, a Ritz Kids programme with 30 activities, seven culinary venues (including two that are an eight-minute boat ride away in a traditional dhoni), a dedicated dive centre, and the iconic Ritz-Carlton Spa. ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/maldives-fari-islands
LONDON
The UK will see a slice of Singapore hit town when Pan Pacific opens its first ever property in Europe on 1 September. A two-minute walk from Liverpool Street Station, and close to Spitalfields, the Barbican and Shoreditch, Pan Pacific London will have 237 rooms and suites, a dedicated wellness floor (with pool, gym, treatment rooms, relaxation pods, mindfulness studio, in-house nutritionist and more), and plenty of hawker-style flavours across five culinary venues. Straits Kitchen, for example, will feature a signature dish of Singapore chilli crab, and also two private dining rooms named Newton and Katong. panpacificlondon.com | @panpacificlondon
BALI
Missing Seminyak? Aren’t we all! If you’re eyeing up Bali as the first place you head to when circumstances allow, then check out newly opened Avani Seminyak Resort, just back from the area’s famed beach hub. With 37 residences and pool villas, and starting rates as low as US$100, including breakfast, this looks like a stylish stay that won’t break the bank. Avani now has over 30 hotels and resorts in Asia and beyond; this is its first property in Indonesia. avanihotels.com/seminyak-bali
CHIANG MAI
The jewel in the crown of the new Meliá Chiang Mai hotel, set to open in the fourth quarter of the year, is its 360-degree rooftop bar – the highest in the mountainous northern Thailand city – on the 22nd floor. It’ll feature two bars connected by a glass bridge, and spectacular views of the famed Doi Suthep Temple to the west. There’ll also be a pair of restaurants, both paying homage to the Spanish origins of the Meliá brand, along with a fitness centre, swimming pool, signature spa and more. melia.com/en | @meliahtlresorts