Here are some fresh ideas for inspired hotel stays to last you throughout the year!
Article below from 1/6/2025 by Lauren Gallow can found here.
These new and reimagined spots are turning heads.
As 2025 dawns, the world of hotel design is already promising to outdo itself – and travelers are in for an elegant ride. The year ahead will see an array of properties offering everything from a celebration of Florida’s space-age legacy to a Miami-inspired beach retreat in Dubai and a revival of a beloved Tokyo icon. We asked the designers and architects who concocted these visual feasts for their insider takes – here’s where to land for a stylish year in travel.
Desert Cool
An understated entry to Dubai’s lineup of hotels opened last fall: Delano Dubai, a 251-room, low-key oasis on the shores of flashy urban peninsula Bluewaters Dubai. Inside, nods to the brand’s Miami-party-scene roots include The Rose Bar, a dark, moody space whose design evokes a rose petal, with a sparkling “disco corridor” entry, rose-quartz-topped bar, and menu of classic cocktails such as apple martinis and crisp cosmos. Whimsical topiaries à la Alice in Wonderland add playful forms to outdoor spaces, including a fairy-tale-inspired swimming pool. Along with four dining options, the hotel offers a wide swath of private beach that looks out on the glittering Dubai skyline. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $100 hotel credit.
Time Traveler
In a city that thrives on reinvention, the 171-room Park Hyatt Tokyo is poised to pull off a deft old-and-new balancing act when it reopens this fall. Made Hollywood-famous as the setting for the 2003 film Lost in Translation, the hotel has been closed since last May for a restoration led by Parisian design studio Jouin Manku. “The experience will feel familiar yet subtly transformed,” says designer Patrick Jouin, “remaining true to the minimalist style that has always defined the hotel, but with new layers of joy and sensuality.” Originally designed in 1994 by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kenzo Tange, the building’s signature soaring, glass-pyramid-topped atria and iconic 41st-floor library will stay intact, while reimagined guest rooms and new suites show off views of Yoyogi Park and Shibuya. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $100 dining credit.
More Urban Openings
An extensive renovation of The Waldorf Astoria New York, slated to wrap this spring, polishes the NYC landmark’s 375 guest rooms and suites to their original art deco glory and adds a new 30,000-square-foot spa.
In Taipei, the 86-room Capella Taipei will offer weary travelers a serene city respite come spring, with a “modern mansion” design concept and traditional Taiwanese treatments at an expansive wellness center.
Amid tropical gardens in Nai Lert Park, Aman Nai Lert Bangkok opens early this year in a sleek 52-suite tower that houses omakase and teppanyaki restaurants and emphasizes its setting with open terraces and natural materials.
The 134-room Rosewood Amsterdam, Rosewood’s Netherlands debut, will radiate palatial prestige when it opens this spring in the former Palace of Justice, overlooking the Prinsengracht.
In Italy, glamour veteran Orient Express will launch two new hotels later in the year: Orient Express La Minerva, with 93 rooms just two blocks from the impressive art collection at Rome’s Galleria Doria Pamphilj, and 46-room Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, situated in a fifteenth-century Venetian palace formerly home to the Duke of Urbino.
Sun Catcher
Greece’s best-kept secret is getting out. Just 45 minutes by speedboat from Athens, Kéa Island has remained relatively untouched by tourism, making it a captivating hideaway for couples and seasoned travelers seeking a crowd-free Cycladic paradise. Inspired by the nearby town of Ioulida, the 63-villa One&Only Kéa Island opened last summer and is similarly built atop a hill with villas cascading down to the sea, anchored by a central “town square” showcasing the resort’s main building and signature Atria restaurant. The buildings merge minimalist design with classical Greek elements, such as white marble and arches in the villas.
“Light plays a pivotal role here,” says the resort’s lead designer, John Heah of London’s Heah & Co. “The ceiling that opens to an expanse of sky in the main building is designed to bring the beautiful life of Kéa inside.” Private infinity pools, outdoor fireplaces, and sunken daybeds in the villas offer alfresco living that makes the most of Kéa’s sun. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $100 hotel credit.
Private Algarve
Set among the olive groves and oak valleys of Portugal’s Algarve region, the 141-room Viceroy at Ombria Algarve opened last fall, offering travelers ample ways to experience sylvan beauty while enjoying the best of local cuisine and culture. The resort is organized around a praça, a traditional Portuguese plaza ringed with bars, restaurants, and outdoor spaces. International design studio WATG worked with Lisbon architecture firm Promontorio to craft a getaway that blends into its hillside landscape.
“Our vision was to create a village that not only enhances and protects the area’s natural beauty, but remains respectful of its surroundings,” says WATG associate principal Liana Hawes Young. “The buildings are terraced into the landscape, with pathways and courtyards that allow guests to explore and connect with nature.” Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily, a $100 hotel credit, and one winetasting for two.
Italian Base Camp
Since opening in 1939 in San Cassiano, Rosa Alpina has been a mainstay for exploring Italy’s UNESCO-protected Dolomites. Third-generation owner Hugo Pizzinini carries on the legacy of the storied property, which will rebrand this summer as Aman Rosa Alpina following an extensive refurbishment of its 50 chalet-style lodgings, overseen by longtime Aman collaborator Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston architecture studio. Upgrades include remodeled guest rooms and an expanded spa with a Finnish sauna and Jacuzzi. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $100 dining credit.
For two decades, Wilderness Desert Rhino Camp, in the rocky red sands of Namibia’s Damaraland region, was a field station dedicated to the conservation of one of the world’s last free-roaming populations of critically endangered black rhinos. It’s still an active station, but as of last July it’s also home to Wilderness’ newest safari camp, which operates in conjunction with the Save the Rhino Trust. The camp’s six stand-alone tented suites complement their surroundings: “Inspiration for the color palette came from the desert – terra-cotta, copper, and green accent colors echo the vegetation,” says Cate Simpson, owner of Reflecting Africa, the design company that helped bring the accommodations to life. For the tents’ roofs, Simpson’s team used sculptural stretched-canvas structures that protect guests from the sun without compromising desert (or wildlife) views. The walls were constructed with stones found on-site, further linking the camp to its location.
Cycladic Chic
Mykonos’ latest hotel brings a fresh dose of sophistication to the island. Deos Mykonos is the newest offering from the Daktylides family’s cadre of covetable luxury Grecian hotels, which includes the Myconian Korali Relais & Chateaux. Carefully integrated into its hilltop site, the property’s design knits the village of 40 suites and residences into the landscape for views that stretch to the horizon.
“It was about ensuring that each guest, wherever they are on the property, is in direct relationship with the best of what Mykonos has to offer,” says Deos’ lead architect, Galal Mahmoud. “The soul of the Old Town and its windmills, the amazing sunsets, and the Aegean Sea with its rosary of Cycladic islands.” Staff can arrange private yacht excursions to those islands for travelers looking to take to the sea. Virtuoso travelers receive round-trip airport transfers, breakfast daily, and a $100 dining credit.
Coastal Getaways to Come
Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique lands on an oceanfront Guanacaste cliff this spring, with biophilic design in its 148 guest rooms and 40 suites – some with private terraces and plunge pools, providing a seamless connection to the surrounding tropical rainforest.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s 1960s spire-topped tower at the 325-room Pier Sixty-Six was restored to its space-age glory for its reopening early this year as part of a $1 billion redevelopment. The resort also refreshed its midcentury interiors with contemporary flourishes and rejuvenated the waterfront promenade and marina with 12 new restaurants.
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