Sometimes hotels are merely a place to sleep while you explore a destination, but other times there are hotels so breathtaking, they’re worth a trip in themselves. You’ll never want to check out of these new hotels, recently opened in incredible destinations around the world.
The Sukhothai, Shanghai
This boutique hotel is just the respite you need in the heart of Shanghai in Jing’an District, conveniently attached to HKRI Taikoo Hui mall and connected to the subway station. The Sukhothai’s architecture and design is serene and simple, with wood, honed marble, and limestone throughout, plus digital art installations by teamLab. Guestrooms are some of the most spacious in Shanghai, featuring original artwork by Chinese artists, yoga mats, and soaking tubs. The hotel’s premier restaurant, La Scala, is one of the best Italian restaurants in the city, with a light, modern touch.
After a long flight, the detox massage at The Sukhothai’s spa, combining Chinese, Malay, and Indian massage techniques, will leave you feeling loose, limber, and relaxed.
Hôtel Lutetia, Paris
Hôtel Lutetia re-opened last year in the bohemian Saint Germain neighborhood, grander and more elegant than ever after a four-year closure for renovations. The palace hotel originally opened in 1910, and everyone from Picasso and Matisse to Josephine Baker stayed here. This is where James Joyce wrote “Ulysses,” and General Charles de Gaulle honeymooned here as a young officer before World War II. Today, it’s the nicest, most elegant hotel on the Left Bank, but still preserves its bohemian charm. A quarter of the 184 rooms are now suites, including seven specialty suites and two penthouses. Along with a spa, there’s a lovely salon by Christophe-Nicolas Biot to get perfectly coiffed for a fancy night on the town.
Mandarin Oriental, Canouan
Arrive at Mandarin Oriental’s first Caribbean property in style when the resort’s private jet picks you up in Barbados to whisk you away to a remote island paradise in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. These suites are arguably the best room product in the Caribbean. Transforming Pink Sands Club, Mandarin Oriental added seven new Italian-design patio villas to accompany the colonial-inspired suites, along with enhanced butler service and fully renovated spa and restaurants. Golfers and sailors will appreciate the championship Fazio-designed golf course and nearby super-yacht marina. Take the funicular up to one of eight treatment rooms at the spa for a homemade body scrub with mango, ginger, and brown rice, followed by a craniosacral massage that’s sure to induce sweet dreams.
InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland
The world’s first underground hotel, built in an abandoned quarry in the suburbs of Shanghai, took more than 12 years, $300 million, and 41 newly patented engineering solutions to bring to life.
At InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland, guestroom wings hug the rock face in a harmonious yin and yang design, connecting city and nature. Sixteen of the 18 floors are underground and two floors are actually underwater. Six underwater suites have their own saltwater aquariums, and every room has a balcony, a cozy theater box from where you can catch the nightly water show, a water and light extravaganza much more impressive than the Bellagio’s water show in Las Vegas. You can kayak around the quarry, now filled with water, or go rock climbing, scaling 88 meters of cliff face. You can even zipline across the quarry at the theme park next door.
The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore
Two heritage government buildings, the Capitol Building and Stamford House, have been connected to create Singapore’s newest luxury hotel. Many original Art Deco and Victorian elements, like the Chengal wood flooring, remain, and the 157 guestrooms and suites come in nearly 50 unique room configurations working within the landmark’s existing architecture. Even standard rooms are quite spacious, with free-standing tubs, high-gloss piano rosewood lacquered finishes, and Italian marble floors. The rooftop outdoor saltwater relaxation pool is Singapore’s first, adjacent to the spa, where Asian massage techniques are prevalent. Book the oriental massage if you prefer deep pressure and prepare for the best back cracking of your life.
The Hoxton, Chicago
Chicago has seen a slew of boutique hotel openings in the past year, but none quite as cool at The Hoxton in the Fulton Market District. It’s the British brand’s seventh property globally, with 182 rooms in just three room categories — snug, cosy, and roomy. The industrial design is inspired by the building’s former meatpacking past, and while the rooms are lovely (and come with daily breakfast bag delivery to your door), the hip communal spaces and restaurants helmed by two of Chicago’s most beloved chefs are where The Hoxton hangs its hat. Stephanie Izard‘s rooftop Peruvian restaurant, Cabra Cevicheria, and Chris Pandel‘s all-day Mediterranean cafe, Cira, are sure to be popular with locals and visitors alike. Boka Restaurant Group also runs the basement cocktail bar, Lazy Bird.
Viceroy Los Cabos
Soon after re-opening last year, the 194-room Viceroy Los Cabos (previously Mar Adentro) has become the sexy social hub of San Jose Del Cabo once more. Modern architecture by Miguel Angel Aragonés includes minimalist white buildings and a restaurant that resembles a bird’s nest surrounded by reflection pools. Rooftop bar and restaurant CieloMar, private residences great for multi-generational travel, and an 11,000-square-foot spa are the newest additions. Wake up with morning beach yoga before treating yourself to a dragonfruit scrub.
The Source Hotel, Denver
In the heart of Denver’s trendy RiNo neighborhood, The Source Hotel is the perfect home base for exploring Denver’s art galleries, breweries, distilleries, boutiques, and dining scene. New Belgium brews up experimental flavors adjacent to the ground floor lobby, and you’re offered a sample of beer on tap at check-in. Simple Scandinavian design with industrial touches — like garage door windows that open up all the way to let in fresh air — define the 100 guest rooms. A rooftop plunge pool is heated year-round with Front Range mountain views. There are three restaurants in the hotel, plus more dining options at the attached Source Market Hall. Don’t miss Reunion Bread‘s Venezuelan pastries and Safta‘s Israeli and Middle Eastern food.
Grand Hyatt Bogotá
All 373 rooms at the Grand Hyatt Bogotá have floor-to-ceiling windows, offering views of Colombia’s capital city or the Andres Mountains. The hotel’s location, just 10 minutes from the airport and 10 minutes from Bogotá’s historic city center, is unbeatable. Zaitania Spa is the largest urban spa in South America, with a semi-Olympic pool and hydrotherapy circuit composed of a thermal shock pool, flotarium, and hydro massage pool. Wake up with a fragrant cup of Colombian coffee and end the day with traditional Colombian food at Capitalino or at Ushin for sushi, ramen, and Japanese grilling.
Dream Nashville
The newest Dream Hotel combines two historic landmark buildings in Printer’s Alley for a playful 168-room hotel featuring exclusive collaborations with La Colombe Coffee, AllSaints, and Lincoln Motor Company. Rooms are art deco-inspired, with suede upholstery, deep crimson and blue jewel tones, and overdyed oushak rugs. The hotel has a great downtown location but it’s also become a dining and nightlife destination of its own, with locals and hotel guests alike clamoring for a cocktail at Snitch or a table at Dirty Little Secret, where live performances take center stage. By day, choose between vegetable-forward California cuisine from Natura or kobe beef hot dogs and cheesesteak sandwiches at Easy 8.
