I step into the hotel elevator and look down to see a robot the size of R2-D2 blankly staring back at me, albeit with a slimmer physique and finer face. A digital screen on top says “Level 27”. Together we ride the elevator of Tokyo’s neon-chic Hotel Groove in silence. There’s nothing awkward about it. The doors open and the next occupant does a double take. Our robot friend is one of a few on hand at this Shinjuku hotel to help staff deliver items around the whopping 538-room property.

Technology is not the only way that hotels are evolving. From superior suites to in-room updates, here we navigate all the new happenings at some of the world’s newest and most recently revamped hotels.

Pictured: Hotel Groove, Tokyo

1. Trend-setting hotels now come in pairs

Luxury hotel groups are leading the latest trend in launching two separate concepts in a single property to appeal to a wider scope of travellers.

In the skyscraper forest that is Tokyo, Pan Pacific Hotels Group debuts its first double threat: two hotels within the 49-storey Tokyo Kabukicho Tower in Shinjuku. Inspired by the area’s nightlife, Gen Z-leaning Hotel Groove occupies the 17th to 38th levels. Its minimalist big sister, Bellustar Tokyo, soars between the 39th and 47th floors of the same tower and with luxe Japanese elements, it exudes calm.

In Dubai, the ever-opulent One&Only brand has touched the sky with two new vertical resorts housed inside One Za’abeel Tower. One&Only One Za’abeel is all glam and marble, while bright wellness spin-off Siro One Za’abeel offers business and health-conscious travellers hi-tech treatments and a 185sqm gym and recovery lab.

Pictured: One Za’abeel Tower

2. Ultra-luxe suites will boggle your mind

It’s full speed ahead for the Rolls-Royce of room categories. Suites are evolving into a superior species, from all-suite stays with extra perks to designer digs deeply evocative of their location.

Overlooking Hyde Park, newcomer The Emory is London’s first all-suite hotel, with interiors by high-profile designers, including Hong Kong-based André Fu. The largest room spans 300 sqm and bookings include a one-way helicopter transfer.

In Asia, the Shophouse Suite at the Mondrian Singapore Duxton is inspired by the city’s traditional shophouses, with vertical shuttered windows and access through the hotel’s gardens. Occupying a converted Hong Kong warehouse, the revamped Southside by Ovolo’s Rock Star Suites pay homage to Freddie Mercury and John Lennon.

And in Bali, the shiny new two-bedroom Presidential Villa at Maya Ubud has been revamped with museum-quality Indonesian art and furnishings alongside a 30 sqm infinity pool and jungle views.

If floating is more your jam, island retreat Soneva Secret’s new Castaway Villa is the first of its kind in the Maldives and accessible only by sea. Waterslide included.

Pictured: Castaway Villa at Soneva Secret

3. Big leaps in sustainability

The focus on nurturing our planet has deepened with hotels initiating regeneration programs, locavore experiences and commitment to self-sufficiency.

Safari stalwart Sabi Sabi Collection is regenerating a 6500ha neglected hunting reserve in South Africa, with plans to open an eco-lodge on what will be known as Sandringham Private Game Reserve by 2026. The mammoth task involves rehabilitating and rewilding the area into a potentially protected reserve, which will create an open corridor for wildlife to move freely across the Greater Kruger Area.

At Six Senses Kanuhura in the Maldives, an agriculture expert is overseeing a “sand-to-salad” initiative to grow 760 different plants on the remote sandy atoll to supply the kitchen.

Similarly in Bali, fine-dining restaurant Kubu at Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Ubud is redefining sustainable gastronomy with a zero-waste tasting menu using hyperlocal ingredients such as wild berries, mushrooms, lobster and pork belly. And in Seminyak, regenerative hotel brand Desa Potato Head Bali this year achieved B Corp status, landing it among the most eco-friendly hotels in the world.

Pictured: Desa Potato Head Bali

4. Next-level bars and spas

Properties are fine-tuning ways to interact with, entertain and educate their guests, incorporating the latest in wellness, adventure and niche interests.

Hotel bar takeovers are trending, with Colorado’s Four Seasons Resort Vail earlier this year bringing in celebrity mixologists from the World’s 50 Best Bars, and Indonesian resort Ta’aktana, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa in Labuan Bajo, announcing a local takeover series at its Maiga! bar in September and November. Wellness is high on the agenda, too.

An MLX i3Dome infrared detox treatment at Siro One Za’abeel in Dubai is based on the same technology NASA used for its astronauts in the ’90s. And a “dream machine” allows for self-hypnosis at the brand new Les Lumières Versailles in France.

Pictured: Siro One Za’abeel Recovery Lab

5. Wild interiors are the new black

Forget quiet luxury – hotels are entering their everything, everywhere all at once era. Maximalist interiors pairing art, colour and texture – and often designed by well-known creatives – are redefining the hotel experience.

No two rooms are the same at the riotous new 69- room Warren Street Hotel in New York City’s Tribeca, where British designer Kit Kemp has unleashed her eclectic style to hypnotic effect. At the intricate Le Grand Mazarin in Paris, the interiors are a play on French classicism with the perfect mélange of colours, textures and materials.

In New Zealand, boutique Naumi Studio Wellington is adorned with the works of local artists and designers. And it’s all about “gritty glamour” at London’s Studio 54-inspired Broadwick Soho, which boasts leopard-print seating and a display cabinet of artistic ceramic plates in the reception.

Pictured: Warren Street Hotel, New York

6. The perfect sleep is now in reach

Think everything from expertly designed rooms to help optimise your sleep to more thoughtful, elevated amenities that add an element of surprise.

The Reef House in Queensland’s Palm Cove offers a three-night sleep retreat designed by scientist and sleep coach Sabine Christelli that includes guided meditation and journalling.

At Como Metropolitan Singapore, a new three-night “Sleep Dreams” package includes an in-room device that plays low-frequency sound waves to help guide you in and out of quality sleep at the optimal points.

MACq 01 in Hobart loves shut-eye so much, they’ll pay you for it. Until September 30, travellers who book a two-night stay in the Slumber Suite can cut $100 off their bill for every hour of sleep they get over six hours.

New York’s The Benjamin has many sleep-focused offerings, including a kids sleep program. Keep your eyes open for the small details, too.

Pictured: The Benjamin New York

7. Hotels go hi-tech with robot room service

Developments in technology are streamlining the guest experience with updates to everything from in-room tech to service.

Six-room MM:NT Berlin Lab by TFE Hotels is testing the concept of a digitally run hotel, where everything from hotel access to in-room drawers are accessed by swiping a key on the app.

Hotel tablets are getting smarter, too. You can request housekeeping or order a taxi at the touch of a button using the in-room tablet at new Design Hotel El Vicenç de la Mar in Mallorca.

Likewise, the tablet at the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens allows direct chat with the concierge. The brand is known for its discreet tech, with mirrors doubling as a TVs at various properties, including the Athens resort and Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi.

Robots are also entering the fray. In-house robot barista Bruno slings pandan lattes 24/7 at the new COMO Metropolitan Singapore, while a small team of robots at Hotel Groove in Tokyo delivers items throughout the 538-room hotel.

Pictured: COMO Metropolitan Singapore

8. The rise of airport resorts

Airport hotels have typically been more of a chore than a memorable part of the journey. Not any more, with hip brands launching runway-side, and facilities such as pools tempting us to stay longer.

Darwin’s new 423-room Novotel & Mercure Darwin Airport Resort reopened late last year after a $30 million makeover, which includes a 60m pool with poolside cabanas and aquatic playground, and Tropical Pool Villas with their own plunge pools.

In the big smoke, playful lifestyle brand Moxy debuted Moxy Sydney Airport last year and offers stylish rooms just 10 minutes from the airport with a bright pink airport shuttle bus. Melbourne’s Novotel Melbourne Airport near Terminal 4 has 248 rooms inspired by regional Victoria plus a health and wellbeing club and free shuttle.

Mainstay Crowne Plaza Changi continues to be the world’s favourite airport hotel with shopping, dining and entertainment, as well as a resort pool, within footsteps.

Pictured: Darwin Airport Resort

9. Cars, bikes, buggies or boards are included

Complimentary use of bikes, surfboards or scooters is almost expected at luxury lodgings these days. Now hotels are going that extra mile to help you explore the local area, or simply get from A to B.

Guests staying at new 32-room hideaway Basq House Byron have use of the “house car” to explore the Byron hinterland for a fee.

If motorbikes aren’t your thing, design-forward Further Hotel in Bali provides transport on a golf-style buggy along the main street of the local Pererenan village on request.

Malibu’s The Surfrider luxe beach shack has pastel-hued surfboards custom-made by local shapers on hand for guests to borrow, and will curate a picnic basket for a fee to take to the beach with you.

Pictured: Basq House Byron

10. Luxury hotels reach intriguing new destinations

From the city to the sea, hotels are popping up in new and under-the-radar destinations.

A short hop from Bali, Indonesia’s Flores island has welcomed a handful of luxe stays, including Marriott’s Ta’aktana, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa.

Aussie hotel-preneur George Gorrow’s revamped motel surf stay Sea Sea debuts in the sleepy NSW coastal town of Crescent Head in November and is a nod to ’70s surf culture.

New boutique hotel with historic roots Hotel Casa Lucia has opened in Argentina, and is the first Buenos Aires hotel in the Small Luxury Hotels portfolio.

Club Med is expanding into new destinations such as Oman and Belize, and Frankfurt-based brand Lindenberg will open Lilloy Lindenberg, a boutique stay on a remote island in the North Sea in Norway’s Vestland.

Pictured: Ta’aktana a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Labuan Bajo

11. New ways to score discounts

From exchange rates to point hacks, there are a handful of new ways to help navigate the cost of a hotel stay.

Japan and Indonesia are two of the most affordable destinations for Aussies right now due to the exchange rate, while the US and European countries using the Euro can be the most expensive. Albania is an emerging Adriatic Coast destination offering great affordability.

Packages of varying inclusions are often available at large hotel chains and can help avoid hidden costs. Joining a hotel’s loyalty program, such as IHG’s One Reward and Marriott Bonvoy, will earn you discounts on F&B, wi-fi and even free nights. Booking.com has its own loyalty program and mobile-only offers, with “Genius” discounts offered on hotels, even during peak periods, depending on your status.

Picture: Hotel Indigo Bandung, Indonesia, an IHG Hotel

See also: 

Aussie hotels rate among world's 50 best 

6 best new hotels in Europe

20 spectacular new Australian hotels