7 – Viceroy Chicago, USA
Opening: 2017
Located in the affluent Gold Coast neighborhood, among historic mansions and luxury boutiques and just steps to the Magnificent Mile and Lake Michigan, Viceroy Chicago will offer a locally-inspired luxury experience with 138 rooms and 42 suites. Midwest flavors will be revisited for guests to enjoy at the hotel’s restaurant and the rooftop bar, pool and lounge, perched 18 stories high will offer a sweeping panorama of the lake and Chicago’s iconic, soaring skyline. To honor the city’s celebrated architecture, the original brick and terra cotta façade of the former Cedar Hotel’s will remain.
6 – The Silo, South Africa
Opening: March
This luxury boutique hotel in Cape Town will occupy the top floors of the 1924 Grain Silo on the trendy Victoria & Albert Waterfront, sharing the space with the new Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCCAA). The Silo’s 28 rooms and suites will feature spectacular geometric windows looking out to the ocean, city and Table Mountain and will all be individually decorated from the owner’s private collection. Plans call for a rooftop Champagne Bar, a spa and a rooftop swimming pool. Private access to the museum will be offered to guests.
5 – Whitby Hotel, USA
Opening: March
Sister property of the Crosby Street Hotel in Soho, this 16-floor hotel will have 86 rooms, a 130-seat cinema, courtyard and the all-day Whitby Bar and Restaurant. The top floor is entirely dedicated to the 2-bedroom Whitby Suite boasting 2 terraces with views North and South. As with other Firmdale properties, each room will have its own color scheme and dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows. Located on W56th and 5th Avenue (upper Midtown) the Whitby Hotel will for sure become a favorite of discerning shoppers and culture enthusiasts.
4 – The Patina, Capitol Singapore, Singapore
Opening: Mid 2017
The 157 rooms and suites of the Patina, Capitol Singapore are shared between 2 of Singapore’s most adored historic buildings, reawakened for a new era of service. Guests can choose between the neoclassical beauty of the Capitol Wing, the Victoria elegance of the Stamford Wing and the ultimate exclusivity at the Pinnacle Suites. The new ultra-luxury hotel is part of Capitol Singapore (comprised of a high-end mall, the historic Capitol Theater and luxury residences), a visionary project happening downtown Singapore. The Patina, Capitol Singapore is close to all major museums and attractions.
3 – Four Seasons London at Ten Trinity Square, UK
Opening: January
The 100-room (89 rooms and 11 suites) Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square, housed in the former beaux-arts headquarters of Port of London Authority (built in 1922) is located near St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower Bridge and overlooking the Tower of London and the River Thames. Chef Anne-Sophie Pic, the only current French female chef to be awarded 3 Michelin stars will oversee restaurant La Dame de Pic. Also, a sleekly designed Asian restaurant specializing in authentic Chinese and Japanese dishes will be available to patrons. The hotel will offer a lavish Spa, complete with swimming pool and luxury hammam.
2 – Hôtel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel, France
Opening: 2017
One of Paris’s most beloved cultural icons will be reborn with the reopening of the Hôtel de Crillon as a Rosewood Hotel. Originally built in 1758, Hôtel de Crillon enjoys an unrivaled position overlooking Place de la Concorde and making it the most enviable address in Paris for shopping and cultural activities. The building has stood through the reign of 2 French Kings, the French Revolution, the rise and fall of the Napoleonic Empire and the birth of the League of Nations and will soon be ready to receive modern-time elites.
1 – Aman Shanghai, China
Opening: Late 2017
Aman’s fourth property in China is a tranquil village of historic dwellings, surrounded by sacred camphor woodland. Set within easy reach of vibrant downtown Shanghai, guests will experience a contemplative retreat that embodies traditional Chinese culture. The resort comprises an Aman Spa with 2 pools; 6 dining venues; and Nan Shu Fang, a serene garden centered around one of the Antique Villas, transformed as a space for contemplation, learning and discussion. The resort’s new suites and villas complement the 24 restored Antique Villas, complete with contemporary interiors and private pools.
The hotel is one of the most ambitious restoration projects to date, set to protect traditional Chinese architecture, art and biodiversity from the damages induced by the rapid industrialization of the country. Houses have been displaced stone by stone to create the hotel buildings and trees have been carefully transported over more than 800km before being replanted here, in the Minhang district of Shanghai.
Geoffrey Ravoire
Founder of UNITIATE, Geoffrey is a Marketing Expert, Luxury Specialist and Hospitality Enthusiast. Wherever he goes, his early career and personal interests have always helped him nurture and cultivate a passion for the Travel and Leisure industries. French born, Geoffrey has accumulated an extensive experience abroad, thanks to regular visits to foreign countries but also thanks to years of expatriation. Currently based in Chicago, Geoffrey has already lived and worked in New York, Shanghai, Singapore and Monaco. You can meet Geoffrey on Twitter and Linkedin.
