The world’s best new hotels: Paris, New York, London, Mykonos, Japan, Kenya, Auckland
From Paris and New York to Umbria and Mykonos, hoteliers have not been resting on their laurels during the pandemic.
1 Hotel Madame Reve, Paris
The big reveal is imminent but the buzz has been building for months. Housed in the historically significant 19th-century Louvre post office building, this sumptuous independently run Right Bank property of 19 top-floor suites and 63 guestrooms is in the fashionable 1st arrondissement and features a roof terrace with wraparound views, and the option of sunrise yoga overlooking a vertical sky garden. The decor mix is vintage and contemporary, inspired by the travels of hotel “founder”, designer and restaurateur Laurent Taleb, whose on-site dining options are a brasserie at ground level and a third-floor Franco-Japanese restaurant and bar. Expect insider experiences for guests in conjunction with Le Musee du Louvre. From €900 ($1450) a night, twin-share.
madamereve.com
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2 Angama Safari Camp, Kenya
This offshoot of the luxuriously appointed Angama Mara tented lodge on the edge of the Rift Valley revives the golden age of safari with a fully mobile camp that doesn’t skimp on mod-cons. Designed for private groups of up to eight, the setup comprises four airy ensuite tents and a communal canvas lounge where attention to detail is everything. Double bucket showers with brass tapware, red Fermob rocking chairs, super kingsize beds, and leather lounges combine with a high level of service provided by a dedicated safari guide and camp team. Angama is ideally located for viewing the great migration. From $US1250 ($1700) a person a night.
angama.com
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3 Azumi Setoda, Japan
Hotelier Adrian Zecha (founder of Aman, now Aman Resorts) has teamed with local developers to restore a 140-year-old residential compound on the tiny island of Ikuchi-jima on the west side of the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima prefecture. The contemporary art island of Naoshima is nearby but there’s much craftsmanship to admire at Azumi Setoda thanks to architect Shiro Miura’s modern interpretation of a ryokan (inn) within a heritage framework. There are 18 suites and a handful of duplexes in a two-storey pavilion, all with classic elements such as ricepaper screens and cypress tubs. Ikuchi-jima’s population is about 12,000, so expect a meditative stay and perhaps a gentle cycle amid citrus groves or a long soak at a bathhouse. From about 88,300 yen ($1090) a night, twin-share, with breakfast.
azumi.co/setoda
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4 The Wall Street Hotel, New York City
Owned by Australia’s very own Paspaley pearl dynasty, this elegant establishment is housed in the storied Tontine Building, a beaux-arts edifice raised when the trade in mother of pearl was booming. Located in the heart of the financial district, just a stroll from the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the hotel has 180 guestrooms and suites, each with sophisticated touches such as pillow-top beds dressed in Frette linen, Bang & Olufsen bluetooth speakers, heated bathroom floors, parquetry, plush rugs and touches of marble. Food and beverage venues will include a rooftop lounge and terrace overlooking New York Harbour and Lower Manhattan. Opens November 30; from $US760 a night, twin-share.
thewallsthotel.com
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5 The Hotel Britomart, Auckland
This 99-room property near the city’s buzzing waterfront precinct is the first in New Zealand to be designed and built to 5 Green Star standards of eco-excellence and sustainable credentials. All the main chambers are created equal at 22sq m, featuring timber-lined walls, built-in sofas, organic linens and locally sourced items, from handcrafted ceramics to minibar provisions. Splurge on one of the five Landing Suites, their category name harking to the holding company’s vineyard and exclusive guest lodges up north by the Bay of Islands. Three suites are atop the 10-level hotel, which features an irregular brick facade, and two occupy a pavilion on a linked building. Current offers include $NZ499 ($480) a night for two with lunch or dinner at Kingi restaurant.
tfehotels.com
thehotelbritomart.com
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6 Kalesma, Mykonos, Greece
White-washed walls, stone floors and timber-beamed ceilings drive the traditional aesthetic of this resort on the popular Greek holiday island. The views out over the Aegean may be timeless, but make no mistake; this is a 21st-century luxury resort where each of the 25 suites has a private heated pool, coffee machine and Sonos sound system. Bringing the gang? Two grand villas can sleep from six to 14 guests. Enjoy Cycladic flavours under the bougainvillea at the casual Pere Ubu restaurant, watch the sunset from the al fresco Aloni lounge or have a chef prepare a private dining experience in your accommodation. From $US1730 a night.
kalesmamykonos.com
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7 Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa
It’s been a busy few years in this Indian Ocean nation with debuts by big brands and expansion of established resorts. Le Meridien’s offering is on the 9ha Thilamaafushi Island on Lhaviyani Atoll, north of Male, the capital, and accessed in about 35 minutes by sea plane. It’s a spread that shines as a terrific choice for families, with an educational children’s program that includes marine conservation and cooking classes. There’s a mid-century design aesthetic with a beach-chic overlay, six restaurants (including Japanese and an interactive marketplace) and bars, two with sand-fringed pools. Splurge on a villa with private plunge pool (overwater, garden, lagoon or beachside) for ultimate privacy and dipping at all hours. Beach bungalows from $US450 a night.
marriott.com
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8 Bai San Ho, Vietnam
Take your pick from a villa on the beach, among the coconut palms up the hill or perched in the paddyfields at this new offering from Zannier Hotels. Located on a sandy arc fringed by 98ha of tropical greenery in Phu Yen province, north of Nha Trang, Bai San Ho is already getting admiring looks from travellers on the lookout for an intimate Asian hideaway. Vietnamese culture is celebrated through the resort’s architecture and decor, with natural fibres and hues creating a deeply tactile vibe. The spa is an imposing stone shrine to wellness with a hammam, sauna, multiple treatment rooms and infinity pool. From $US435 a night.
zannierhotels.com/baisanho
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9 Castello di Reschio, Umbria
Restored farmhouses are available to rent across this 1500ha wooded estate but the dreamlike centrepiece is a 36-room hotel in a 1000-year-old fortified castle with accommodation of “personality and panache” on the lower floors and six in the former vestry adjacent to the restored chapel. There’s a garden pool by a converted watchtower where sustenance is available or dine at the terrace restaurant on the western ramparts or the conservatory-style Alle Scuderie. A “retro-cool” afternoon trolley does the rounds at the Palm Court; the spa is inspired by an ancient Roman bathhouse and architect owner Count Benedikt Bolza and his wife Donna Nencia have stocked a shop with gorgeous homewares and Reschio organic produce. Current offers include a seven-night stay in a suite with numerous activities and daily breakfast from €9340 ($15,000).
reschio.com
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10 The Londoner, London
In prime position amid the hubbub of Leicester Square, The Londoner takes a boutique approach to what is a sizeable hotel, with 350 guestrooms and suites spread across 16 storeys. Among its features are a plush 24-hour “living area” and whisky bar open exclusively to guests, an entire floor devoted to wellness, a hip rooftop izakaya lounge for cocktails and canapes, and a cinema and grand ballroom. Drawing on its proximity to the city’s theatre district, the lobby adjoins The Stage, an all-day dining venue with a champagne bar. Top of the range accommodation is the stunning 200sq m Tower Penthouse duplex suite, with its marble bar for entertaining and indulgent Apaiser stone bathtub. From £485 ($912) a night.
thelondoner.com
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