New international hotels, from the Maldives to Madrid
International hotel and resort operators were not idle in 2020.
International hotel and resort operators were not idle in 2020. Here’s a selection of properties to add to wishlists for when journeys farther afield become possible.
Patina Maldives
“Conscious travelling” is setting the agenda in 2021. Design Hotels’ newest member will have resident “creatives”, visiting experts, a light pavilion by celebrated US artist James Turrell and low-key but luxurious villas by Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan. Opening before mid-year in the Fari Islands with 20 studios and 90 beach and overwater villas, this first property in a new brand from the Capella Hotel Group has sustainability at its core. The resort is dotted with solar panels and will have a cold dome to allow fruit and vegetables to be grown onsite. Expect plenty of millennial action: food trucks, visiting DJs and celebrity chefs; designhotels.com.
Paradero Todos Santos, Mexico
A raft of local experiences — surfing, guided treks, beach picnics, taco tours and farming tutorials — are to be included in the room tariff of a laidback garden resort opening January 15. Situated on farmland in the historic town of Todos Santos in Baja California Sur, the 35-suite property is the first for Paradero, which plans similar “experience-inclusive” retreats in other unspoiled Mexican locales. Acclaimed landscape architecture firm Polen has created the extensive gardens featuring about 80 endemic species. Local designers have fitted out the suites (with key pieces available to purchase). All have outdoor living areas; garden suites come with a hammock (some with soaking tubs) offering views of cactus-studded farmland; rooftop suites look across to the mountains and sea; paraderohotels.com.
The Londoner, London
Opening April, this 350-room, self-described “super-boutique hotel” tucked into the southwest corner of Leicester Square, is set to play a key role in the revitalisation of London’s legendary West End. Australian architectural firm Woods Bagot has guided the construction of the 16-storey project, which includes underground cinemas, restaurants, bars and a day spa (the property is almost as deep as it is tall). Guestrooms feature king beds, moody blue bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows. And there are more great views from the rooftop bar. Bookings open March 22; thelondoner.com.
Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Debuting this month in the heart of the Doun Penh district, the newest Hyatt might just be another high-rise five-star hotel if it were not for the lovingly restored French colonial villa that serves as the lobby, with a fun, speakeasy-style bar tucked into the attic. Thought to have been built as a royal residence, the striking building leads to the hotel proper and 247 contemporary guestrooms and suites featuring commissioned artworks by graffiti and mural artist FONKI. There’s a day spa, infinity pool and a rooftop restaurant and bar offering views of the Mekong River and Royal Palace. Bookings from January 15; hyatt.com.
Singita Sabora Tented Camp, Tanzania
Recently reopened and reinvented, this romantic camp harks back to the golden age of safari, and has an elegant Out of Africa aesthetic. With just nine tented suites located on the Serengeti’s Great Migration route in a 142,000ha concession, the camp has been repositioned to capture wonderful views across the plains and nearby waterholes. We’re talking canvas, campaign furniture and a proper safari set-up close to the action; you won’t miss a sighting or a sound, nor indeed a whiff of the wildlife action. At the same time these canvas suites have oodles of space and plenty of 21st-century luxuries: private decks, shaded daybeds, deep tubs, exercise areas, and even a pantry. The main lodge has a deli, allowing guests to help themselves to snacks to enjoy in their suite; singita.com.
Six Senses Botanique, Brazil
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas plants flags in the Americas for the first time in 2021, with a hotel slated to open in New York late in the year. It’s pipped at the post in Brazil, where the group has taken on an existing and highly celebrated country retreat. Tucked away in the stunning Mantiqueira Mountains, 2½ hours from Sao Paulo and 3½ hours from Rio de Janeiro, Botanique is a labour of love for Brazilian businesswoman Fernanda Ralston Semler. Set on a 283ha estate, the hotel currently features seven suites and 13 private villas tucked into the hills; Six Senses will add another 14 villas, to be built off-site in modular form, minimising disturbance. They will continue Semler’s singular celebration of local design and materials; sixsenses.com.
Banyan Tree Krabi, Thailand
Newly opened on Tubkaek Beach, lapped by forest and overlooking the limestone caste-studded Andaman Sea, Banyan Tree’s fourth Thai resort retains the brand’s wellness focus with a large spa (think coconut unguents and pearl-powder massages) at its heart. Just 45 minutes from the airport, the new resort has 72 sea-facing pool suites and pool villas. Water is a feature across the property, with streams and waterfalls at every turn and a dramatic curtain of water cascading in the lobby; banyantree.com.
Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
Following a three-year renovation guided by Spanish architectural firm Rafael de La-Hoz and French design duo Gilles & Boissier, Madrid’s landmark 110-year-old Ritz will open reservations on March 15. The grand old dame may be sporting a new international brand and smart new interiors, but she hasn’t forgotten her Belle Epoque roots. The Palm Court has had its glass dome reinstated after more than 80 years. The opulent ballroom overlooking the Prado Museum has been restored; mandarinoriental.com/madrid.
Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh
Gleneagles comes to town in the northern autumn, the first city outpost for the world’s most famous golfing estate. A former Bank of Scotland building in Edinburgh’s St Andrew Square is being transformed to house 33 urbane guestrooms, members club, restaurant and, most enticingly, a glamorous rooftop terrace offering gorgeous city views. The Red Carnation Hotel Collection is also set to debut in Edinburgh this year at 100 Princes Street, offering 30 guestrooms and views up to Edinburgh Castle; gleneaglestownhouse.com.
More to the story
Following COVID-induced delays, the new Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River officially opened last month (December), while the highly anticipated Aman New York debuts this northern spring in the iconic Crown Building on the corners of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street overlooking Central Park. Also delayed and occupying an even more illustrious building, Airelles Chateau de Versailles — Le Grand Controle is expected to open soon in the grounds of the palace. Just 14 opulent suites overlook the famous Orangerie. Food is courtesy Alain Ducasse and guests are free to roam the gardens or take a boat ride along the grand canal, bubbles in hand, once those pesky crowds have departed. In England, the hugely popular Pig group of gourmet hostelries will open an eighth property, THE PIG-in the South Downs, occupying a listed Georgian pile near Arundel in Sussex and complete with a vineyard in the grounds. The Newt in Somerset, a lavishly restored garden estate opened in 2019, is adding additional digs in time for summer. The Farmyard will offer 17 guestrooms and suites arrayed across a historic farmhouse, cider mill, apple loft and cheese barn. In the pretty town of Santanyi on Spain’s Mallorca, a new townhouse hotel opening in March is creating plenty of buzz. Can Ferrereta occupies a stunningly restored 17th-century villa, with 32 designer guestrooms, many with private garden terraces.
