World’s hottest new hotels in
From the Himalayas to the Home Counties (via Bolivia) and from unbelievable bling to brilliant bargains, welcome to...
FANCY a stay in a floating bedroom in Edinburgh next year or relaxing on a private island off Panama? Take your pick from the stunning hotels opening in 2019…
SHORT-HAUL IKOS ARIA, GREECE
Part of the new, natty wave of Greek island luxury, Ikos Aria’s svelte white-walled design abuts an 850-yard private sandy beach. Other perks? Try a la carte menus curated by Michelin-starred chefs, a spa, a heated pool and complimentary kids’ clubs. Every room faces the sea.
Where: The Dodecanese isle of Kos, where wildflower valleys, Corinthian columns and coves abound. British Airways flies direct from Gatwick this summer.
Check in: Mid-May. USP: The unusual ‘Dine Out’ concept, which allows guests to eat at local restaurants as part of their all-inclusive package.
Best for: Sociable families. Price: From £230 per room a night all-inclusive – half-term deals available. ikos-aria.com
GRAND PARK HOTEL, CROATIA
A take-it-easy vibe will pervade at this seaside hideaway’s cascading, shrub-lined sun terraces and art-filled corridors. The chic rooms are bright and spacious, while the two-floor spa has pools with marina views. Twelve courts await in an adjacent tennis centre. Where: Rovinj, on the quiet peninsula of Istria, famous for its truffles, olive oil and wine. Flight schedules enable long weekends. Check in: April. USP: Along with a casual bistro, the hotel includes a bakery, seafood bar and Croatia’s largest selection of champagne. Best for: Foodies. Price: From £155 per room a night including breakfast. maistra.com
LE REFUGE DE SOLAISE, FRENCH ALPS
While ‘France’s highest hotel’ won’t fully open until next December, the former cable-car station’s Savoyard restaurant, 24-person penthouse apartment and 14-person dormitory will debut this season (but only on an exclusive-use basis). Salvaged wood and slate are accompanied by plush furnishings and windows maximising the majestic mountain vistas. Where: Val d’Isere. Check in: February. Two more apartments and 18 bedrooms will follow next December, plus a spa and a pool. USP: Access is via the slopes and the new Solaise gondola, providing real seclusion. Best for: Skiers with a big budget. Price: Exclusive dormitory use costs from £1,140 per night including breakfast. From December 2019, double beds in dormitories will cost from £145 a night, including breakfast. lerefuge-valdisere.com
LONG-HAUL ISLAS SECAS RESERVE & LODGE, PANAMA
Panama is seeing a surge in new luxury lodges thanks to its booming economy – and none is more exciting than Islas Secas. Where: Secluded on the largest member of a totally private Pacific archipelago 20 miles offshore. Check in: January. USP: Discreet luxury in nine thatched-roof villas, each boasting a sea-facing plunge pool. The sophisticated Panamanian cuisine is fresh and feisty. The main draws, however, are watery ones: scubadiving or snorkelling beside brightblue starfish, guided marlin fishing, summer-time whale-watching and lazy hours spent paddling in the surf on empty beaches. Best for: Foodies and nature-lovers. Price: From £1,570 per room a night all-inclusive, including transfers. islassecas.com
KACHI LODGE, BOLIVIA
Meet the first permanent luxury digs at the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flats. You will stay in bubble domes, each adorned with wood-finish bathrooms and vivid Bolivian textiles. Where: Just off the flats’ northern edge. Check in: February. USP: Food is overseen by La Paz restaurant Gustu, a philanthropic project from Noma co-owner Claus Meyer. Guests may hike to the Tunupa volcano’s crater, inspect eerie cave mummies, help locals collect salt or sleep under the stars. Best for: Affluent adventurers. Price: £1,540 per room a night, including transfers, full board and activities. kachilodge.com
NANNAI FERNANDO DE NORONHA, BRAZIL
Nannai’s second high-end resort – following the original at Muro Alto – sees it venture to Brazil’s teeny paradise island. Nine wood-andthatch bungalows are designed in earthy, romantic style. You will also find a seafood restaurant and spa on site. Where: Unesco-protected, Fernando de Noronha lies 220 miles east of the mainland. Castaway beaches and crystalline waters are attractions, but you’ll also find Dutch forts, dolphins, diving and fishing villages. Check in: Summer. USP: Simply being on Fernando de Noronha: it will rival Pousada Maravilha as the plushest residence on the island. Best for: Castaways. Price: From £500 a night including breakfast. nannai.com.br
SIX SENSES LODGES, BHUTAN
Five individually designed Six Senses luxury lodges across Bhutan. Each has a spa and healthy food, with the farmhouse-style outpost in Punakha also boasting a pool perched above rice terraces. Where: Five different valleys of the enigmatic ‘Dragon Kingdom’. Check in: May. USP: Multi-centre, activity-packed circuits will allow guests to dive into Bhutan’s archery competitions, high-altitude trekking, aspirational policy of Gross National Happiness and handsome Buddhist monasteries teetering on Himalayan ridges. Best for: Wellness seekers. Price: Suites from £1,180 per night, including full board, a driver and a guide. sixsenses.com
HOSHINOYA GUGUAN, TAIWAN
Taiwan is opening its first luxury hot-spring resort next summer, courtesy of Japanese firm Hoshino Resorts, which is known for a sharp, contemporary take on traditional ryokan inns. A haven of peace, the plateau-set Hoshinoya Guguan will feature Japanese-Taiwanese fusion food and Zen-style duplex rooms. Where: Guguan, a mountainous valley south of Taipei City. Check in: June. USP: Low-alkaline waters, reckoned to boost blood flow, circulation and metabolism. Best for: Work-weary adults. Price: From £342 per room a night, including breakfast and dinner. hoshinoya.com/guguan
MUJI HOTEL GINZA, JAPAN
Household goods brand Muji opened hotels in China this year and is now debuting one in Japan. Where: Ginza, Tokyo’s main shopping district. Check in: April. USP: The hotel will have 79 typically pared-back, pale-wood rooms at fair prices, occupying the top floors of a new, ten-storey Muji concept store. Best for: Muji fans. Price: From £80 per room a night. hotel.muji.com
SISTER CITY, USA
Essentialism – that’s the core term behind Ace Hotels’ new spin-off, due soon in New York. Inspired by sources ranging from Finnish saunas to Japanese bento boxes, it promises 200 small, space-efficient rooms featuring cherrywood fittings, terrazzo bathrooms and pot plants. Joining them will be an ‘inventive’ neighbourhood restaurant and – this being New York – a rooftop bar. Where: Manhattan’s Lower East Side, close to Chinatown. Check in: March. USP: Pleasingly secret, access is via a garden. Best for: Hipsters and budgeteers.