Every year a plethora of fabulous hotels and boutique resorts crop up on the hospitality landscape, but we’re pleased because it simply means a wider bouquet of hotels to choose from. 2019 is no exception to the rule and we’ve scoured every inch of the planet and compiled this amazing list of 22 hotels for you. This list is an eclectic mix of hotels; from luxury properties to resorts that have put a hidden destination on the map. Of course, a majority of these hotels are inspiring us and our travel plans this year!
To soothe those fretting holiday scheduling worries; we’ve listed the hotels as per continent, just the way you like it!
Americas
Kachi Lodge in Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia
Opening: February 2019
Until very recently, the legendary Palacio de Sal was in the limelight. Now, this soon-to-open Kachi Lodge is ranking high on everyone’s bucket lists and here’s why; a collection of only six domed guest tents. Each dome entails double beds, en suite bathrooms and clear walls for uninterrupted views of the high-altitude landscape and starry night sky. We hear a meal at the lodge’s award-winning La Paz restaurant is almost mandatory.
Rosewood Miramar Beach, Montecito, California
Opening: February 2019
Caressing one of Montecito’s sparkling beaches, the luxurious Rosewood Miramar Beach boasts 161 rooms with a refined yet swanky vibe. Enjoy an afternoon at the Sense Spa, or devour a meal at the hotel’s six restaurants and bars. In sync with the chilled vibe, a poolside ice cream parlor is at your service. The new hotel is rather generous about its rooms with areas spanning 500 square feet and interiors entailing furnished terraces or patios, locally produced mini bar goodies and marble bathrooms with freestanding tubs.
Four Seasons Resort & Residences, Napa Valley
Opening: Early 2019
Nestled within its own world-class vineyard in Calistoga, the Four Seasons Resort & Residences embodies that luxurious farmhouse-style experience. I’d consider it heaven for our wine connoisseurs who can blend their own proprietary wines on the property. Inspired by an authentic farmhouse, rooms and residences are sleek and cosy with fire burners.
TWA Hotel, Queens
Opening: Early 2019
The concept of monotonous five-storied hotels greeting transit passengers at every airport is so mind-numbing; fortunately for us New York City’s JFK Airport will now house the TWA Hotel. Most of the 512 rooms will offer runway views and custom-made cocktail mini-bars. I would consider a visit to the huge rooftop observation deck mandatory as well as a quick tour of the museum devoted to aviation history and TWA. A 200-seat Paris Café helmed by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and a cocktail bar inside a refurbished TWA Lockheed Constellation are also on the menu.
EDITION West Hollywood, California
Opening: Early or Mid-2019
A mere stone’s throw away from the eminent Sunset Strip, this new boutique hotel will come to life in early or mid 2019. While the detailed footprint is yet not disclosed, the brand’s swanky lobby bar is definitely something we expect. The 190 room hotel will also cater to an expansive lawn with a pool, a garden restaurant and an ultra-luxe spa.
Europe
Belmond Cadogan Hotel, London
Opening: Early 2019
Located on the legendary Sloane Street in London, the Belmond Cadogan Hotel boasts 54 rooms and suites overflowing with style and heritage. The US$48 million project has drawn inspiration from the neighbourhood’s rich character, offering an elegant meeting place for both international visitors and the local community.
Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens
Opening: March 2019
Athens is the latest destination for everything lavish and luxury. Perched on a pine-clad peninsula stemming into the Aegean Sea is Four Seasons’ debut on Greek shores. The waterside location has a colossal inventory of rooms and houses over eight restaurants. And that’s not all; the impressive roster of amenities and activities on site is definitely impressive with three private beaches, three swimming pools, tennis, basketball and a spectacular spa.
Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere, Vienna
Opening: April 2019
The muse was the impeccably designed Belvedere Palace and its colossal art collection; that’s how the Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere was inspired. Avid architectural admirers would be fascinated by the exhibits by local artists and designers, as well as tributes to Vienna’s historical arts and culture. Decorated in white-on-white linens, parquet blond-wood floors and gray-scale cityscapes stenciled on the walls, the 303 room and suite hotel will also play house to Eugen 21, an eatery celebrated for its meat menu.
JK Place Paris
Opening: end of May 2019
Following its hotels in Florence, Capri and Rome, the JK Italian hospitality chain has set up shop in Paris. Given that it’s the group’s first venture beyond Italian shores, location and hospitality are key and that’s possibly why the hotel has been carved out of an elegant former embassy building on rue de Lille in the French capital – a mere hop from the Musée d’Orsay on the Left Bank. Decorated in contemporary Italian style by Florentine Michele Bonan, the hotel is brimming with antiques from Parisian flea markets and commissioned pieces from French designers. Watch out for the Sisley spa and the ground floor Italian restaurant Ori.
Mandarin Oriental CastaDiva Resort & Spa, Lake Como
Opening: Mid-2019
The signature hospitality of the Mandarin Oriental has paved its way to the beautiful town of Lake Como, as the hospitality group takes over management of the spectacular CastaDiva Resort & Spa. Most of the 73 rooms, 58 suites and two private villas will offer lake views, though some overlook the carefully manicured gardens. Offering the most stunning views, the L’Orangerie restaurant is all about modern Mediterranean dishes, while Giardino Dei Sapori & Grill will serve pan-Italian cuisine and Bar Bellini will mix up classic cocktails. Also noteworthy is the spa, which will be the largest on Lake Como, with nine treatment rooms including a hammam-style suite.
Africas
Anantara Tozeur Resort, Tunisia
Opening: Early 2019
Anantara’s most recent property has unquestionably put Tunisia on the map for our Globetrotters. Brimming with lush palm trees and meandering swimming pools, the lavish 93-room property is nothing short of a paradise amidst the Sahara region. Inspired by the neighboring city of Tozeur, brick architecture and Arabian hospitality can be appreciated in abundance.
Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Rwanda, East Africa
Opening: August 2019
Scheduled to open its majestic doors to safari-seekers amidst the trendy migration season, Rwanda’s Singita Kwitonda Lodge is one of our much-anticipated holiday spots this summer. Spanning an impressive 178 acres of land on the edge of the national park, the chief resident is the mountain gorillas that live in the high-altitude cloud forests. In sync with the lodge’s eco-friendly values and principles, the minimalistic carbon footprint is of prime importance.
