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With new luxury pied-à-terres becoming increasingly prevalent, it has become harder to decide where to call your home away from home. Many boast a sense of place, and some hotel brands spend years trying to find the perfect balance of neighborhood and an elegant design sensibility. But local design and authenticity have, thankfully, become de rigeur, cropping up in spades in new builds. In our hotel hot list for 2019, we’ve selected new and refurbished properties that not only are stunning in terms of design, but actually help transform the location they’re in for the better.
“Today’s luxury explorers crave places with a personality that embraces their surroundings or tells a story,” says Jack Ezon, president of New York–based Ovation Vacations. “As travelers’ taste in design and art becomes more sophisticated, they actually seek out enclaves fashioned by celebrated designers or those with unique design elements that truly push the needle when it comes to fusing comfort, space, and sense of place with a big dose of character.”
Some brands, like the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, are committed to really picking the right destinations. Bart Carnahan, executive vice president of global business development says that new builds, strategic conversions, and adaptive reuses of historic buildings have helped fuel the brand’s growth. Four Seasons will open several hotels in 2019, including those in Philadelphia and Boston. “With each new property, our goal is to always operate in the destinations where our guests want to be, in the very best locations,” he adds. Herewith, 21 noteworthy places to consider as you look forward to packing your bags in 2019.
1. Shinta Mani Wild, Cambodia
Architect Bill Bensley, who designed Shinta Mani Wild, which opens at the end of December 2018, created luxury tented camps hidden on a pristine wildlife corridor in Cambodia’s South Cardamom National Park. After purchasing more than 1,000 acres of land at an auction a few years ago, complete with a wild river, rapids, and three mammoth waterfalls, he wanted “a way for this land to stay untamed.” The result is a truly sustainable solution, with a high-yield, low-impact camp of 15 tents inspired by the spirit of the Golden Age of Cambodia during the 1950s and '60s. “The 1962 Phnom Penh Jackie Onassis state visit hosted by King Sihanouk is well documented, but lesser known are the details of their royal glamping safari into the wilds of the Cardamons,” says Bensley, who re-created what he envisioned the Cambodian sovereign would have provided for Onassis’ life-changing experience. Guests can now enjoy what Bensley describes as his most ambitious project to date and can take heart in the resort’s own private army committed to protecting the private nature sanctuary. shintamani.com
2. Rosewood Hong Kong
Designed by New York–based Tony Chi, with the architecture done by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, Rosewood Hong Kong boasts 413 rooms spread over 43 stories with sweeping views of Victoria Harbor and a feeling of integral connectedness to the water. A key design component is the incorporation of green spaces and outdoor areas to reflect the vision of the vertical estate, which has a residential feel. The majority of the hotel’s eight restaurants and bars draw on today’s growing appetite for outdoor living with alfresco terraces. The hotel will offer eight dining options and Asaya, Rosewood’s holistic wellness concept; the Manor Club executive lounge will provide an array of exclusive privileges for its guests. rosewoodhotels.com
3. Anantara Tozeur, Tunisia
In the splendor of Tozeur in Tunisia, built around a palm tree grove and the endless desert, is the new 93-room Anantara, opening in 2019. From walkways flanked by carvings to the resort souk, there are touches of ornate rugs and bonfires throughout. Travelers can also step back in time with Bedouin-style camel and caravan voyages into the desert that include visits to abandoned villages of Chebika, Tamerza, and Mides and to the film set of the original Star Wars. The nearby Chott el Djerid is the largest salt lake in the Sahara Desert, renowned for its mysterious mirages. Designed by Kansas-based Agora Architecture, the property honors the preservation of ancestral traditional construction techniques by using clay bricks that are made manually and dried in the sun. Interiors feature pure lines and forms with artisanal details inspired by Tunisian heritage. anantara.com
4. Kudadoo Maldives
The Maldives gets its first fully sustainable resort when Kudadoo Maldives Private Island by Hurawahli opens on December 1, 2018. The all-inclusive exclusive resort boasts 15 Japanese-style villas designed by Yuji Yamasaki, emphasizing the characteristics of air and light. 300 kilowatts of solar panels stud the roof of the Retreat, a two-story main building on the island, which powers the entire island. With an emphasis on the environment, only indigenous plants and trees can be discovered here, and the resort has its own marine biologist. Guests can swim with manta rays, turtles, and dolphins, and can enjoy wellness treatments and a Himalayan Salt Room at the spa. A meditation guru, personal trainer, and yoga instructor is available at the full disposal of guests. kudadoo.com
5. The Fife Arms, Braemar, Scotland
Located in the village of Braemar, Scotland (home to the largest gathering of the Highland Games and located just a few miles from the royal Balmoral Estate), the Fife Arms, owned by the Hauser & Wirth founders Iwan and Manuela Wirth, is set to open in December 2018. Interior designer Russell Sage and architect Ben Addy restored the former 19th-century hunting lodge built by the Duke of Fife to resemble a private country house. Inspired by the traditions of Braemar and Scotland, the hotel will feature 46 rooms and an extensive art collection, including more than 12,000 pieces commissioned by leading international artists such as Subodh Gupta and Richard Jackson. It is surrounded by the majestic landscape of Royal Deeside. thefifearms.com
6. Belmond Cap Juluca, Anguilla, British West Indies
After being severely impacted by Hurricane Irma last year, it only took Anguilla 100 days to restore electricity; the mile-long beaches and the tropical landscape are now back to their original beauty thanks to massive efforts by the islanders, the hotel and tourism groups, and the international and local governments. Following a $121 million investment, Belmond brings a dose of beach-chic glamour to Cap Juluca, Anguilla, located in the British West Indies on Maundays Bay. Known for its spectacular white sandy beaches, the resort opens in December 2018. The design done by Rottet Studio pays homage to the surrounding nature and Anguillan heritage, blending the charms of old-world travel with new-world comforts, and boasts a new infinity-edge pool, a rustic beach bar called the Cap Shack, and elegant restaurants done in the resort’s signature Greco-Moorish architectural style. belmond.com
7. Conrad Washington, D.C.
Slated to open in the first quarter of the year is the first Conrad brand in Washington, D.C., with architecture by the Pritzker Prize–winning Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron and design by Houston-based Rottet Studio. Located in the heart of the District within CityCenterDC (a high-end, mixed-use development featuring ten acres of luxury retail stores), the 360-room hotel boasts a rooftop bar with beautiful city views, and easy access to attractions including the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and Ford’s Theatre. Lauren Rottet conceived the Conrad as a reinterpreted early American village where the guest strolls and discovers venues of entertainment handcrafted of wood and stone. She says, “Though the design is minimal and pure at first glance, the large interior spaces are dynamic and create visual movement through the light that emanates from above, under, and through the walls.” The hotel also features a contemporary art collection inspired by the Washington Color School movement, curated by consulting from Tatar Art Projects. conradhotels3.hilton.com
8. Raffles Singapore
The legendary hotel in Singapore received an extensive makeover by New York–based design firm Champalimaud and will be fully open and operational in the middle of summer 2019 with 115 suites, a history gallery filled with art, and a new spa emphasizing holistic wellness. The renovated hotel will preserve the legendary Tiffin Room that dates back to 1892 with its intricately patterned wood and mirror wall paneling, and the glamorous lobby that serves afternoon teas. The classic Writer’s Bar receives an expansion with bespoke craft cocktails; an airy, renovated Long Bar is currently open. raffles.com
9. J.K. Paris, France
The first venture of the J.K. brand (which owns hotels in Capri, Rome, and Florence) outside Italy, the 30-key J.K. Paris opens in the spring of 2019. It aims to reinvent the area on the back of the Seine and opposite Boulevard Saint Germain, the precise location that took the team over five years to find. The building, at 82 Rue de Lille, is reimagined from its former status as a European consulate. The Italian design with a French twist under the auspices of Michele Bonan boasts an indoor pool, a Sisley Spa, and a partnership with Casa Tua. jkplaces.com
10. Four Seasons Astir Palace, Athens, Greece
Opening in 2019 as the brand’s first property in Greece is Astir Palace, long favored by elite international and Greek clientele. Suites offer sweeping views of the Vouliagmeni peninsula in the Athens Riviera that stretches across 75 acres of pine-dotted and scenic landscaped gardens. The hotel, which has two main buildings, also offers retail and dining options, including Matsuhisa Athens by Nobu, and Astir Beach, a seaside concept. The hotel is moments away from the chic coastal town with shops, taverns, and a therapeutic thermal lake. fourseasons.com
11. Hôtel de Paris, Monte Carlo, Monaco
After a four-year restoration, the Hôtel de Paris Monte Carlo, which was frequented by the glitterati, reopens fully at the end of 2018. The Belle Epoque façade still retains the grandeur of the past, but the interior now boasts more suites with design by Monaco-based Callender Howorth. The hotel will have a modernist wing, a new courtyard that anchors the property, and a reimagined spa. Visitors can now enjoy its most exclusive Princess Grace Suite (a nod to Grace Kelly, of course), which is spread across two floors and filled with everything she loved the most, from poems to flowers. With terraces that feature a private pool, the suites have floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the harbor. The hotel also boasts Le Louis XV, a three-Michelin star restaurant helmed by Alain Ducasse. montecarlosbm.com
12. Belmond Cadogan Hotel, London
In 1887, the redbrick Cadogan Hotel was built in Chelsea as a collection of five adjoining townhouses on the corner of Sloane and Pont streets. Following a three-year $48 million restoration project under the auspices of Belmond, the Cadogan Hotel reopens in 2019 designed by G.A. group and Russell Sage Studio. Guests can enjoy the transformed drawing room of actress Lillie Langtry (now part of the restaurant), who was the first woman to endorse a commercial product (pear soap!) and was also an actress, a socialite, and the mistress of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). Her feathered ceiling was maintained during the restoration, and original ceiling details can also be found in the bar area, previously the Union Bank of London building. Guests will need to go through the kitchen to take a seat in the dining area. belmond.com
13. Mari Mari, Patagonia, Chile
Located on a rugged stretch of coastline in Chilean Patagonia, Mari Mari Natural Reserve allows visitors to get that natural expeditioner experience without sacrificing comfort. Six oceanfront villas, including a master residence make the use of noble woods and local stone, with touches of local textiles and art that blends into a pristine setting. A 20,000-square-foot Lodge & Spa houses an oceanfront dining room; guests can enjoy a night under the stars, and 13 miles of unspoiled Pacific coastline where they can spot penguins in the bay and spot the elusive puma and pudú deer in the woods. hotelmarimari.com
14. Nobu Hotel Barcelona, Spain
With 250 rooms and suites, the Nobu Barcelona that opens in the middle of 2019 was designed by Greg Keffer of Rockwell Group, and translates the best elements from Nobu restaurants into a fully realized experience. The former Gran Hotel Torre de Catalunya hotel was inspired by iconic Spanish design such as the mosaics in Park Guell by Gaudí. It also features traditional Japanese crafts such as kintsugi, the art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, to create a collage of materials, textures, and spaces. When guests enter the lobby, they get a sense of Shinto gates that are abstracted around the entry vestibule in bright orange woven screens; the spa was inspired by an urban Japanese bathhouse, and the elevators are clad in three-dimensional walnut and gold tiles. nobuhotels.com
15. Capella Bangkok, Thailand
Situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the 101-suite resort also boasts a series of waterfront villas, all offering gorgeous views of the river. Guest rooms and suites will showcase magnificent sky gardens and spacious outdoor salas. Amenities will include a bar, two gourmet restaurants including one by Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco, and a 9,000-square-foot Auriga Spa and outdoor pool, secluded in a lush tropical landscape. capellahotels.com
16. Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
Following an extension renovation done by Joyce Wang, the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park (which is where Queen Elizabeth II learned how to dance), reopens its doors in December 2018. Wang kept the building’s Edwardian period feel while taking cues from the neighboring floral display in Hyde Park, and put in open flower blossom chandeliers and artwork by Fredrikson Stallard in the reception, featuring abstraction of the textured and layered bark of the Plane Tree—the signature tree of Hyde Park. Adam Tihany oversaw the redesign of the spa, which has an Oriental Suite with two massage beds and a Rasul water temple. mandarinoriental.com
17. Al Bait Sharjah, UAE
Located 20 miles from Dubai along the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula is this new boutique resort converted from historic manor houses, opening its doors on January 1. The 53-room property owned by GHM revitalizes the heritage district of Sharjah and will feature a hammam and spa. Al Bait Sharjah, which translates to “the house,” is designed by Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ) and bears a distinctly Arabic design inspired by traditional majlis (places of sitting) and local crafts. ghmhotels.com
18. Fairmont Toronto, Canada
The Fairmont Royal York, called the Royal York, opened on June 11, 1929, and was designed by Ross and Macdonald, one of Canada’s most venerable architecture firms of the 20th century. It set the hospitality standard of the day and was known as a “city within a city.” Built by the Canadian Pacific Railway across the street from Toronto’s Union Station, the Château-style building had 28 floors and was the tallest building in Toronto at that time. The hotel gets an extension renovation in time for the end of 2019, done by Rockwell Group, who revitalized the hotel’s bustling main entrance and lobby lounge off Front Street. The material choices and palette are inspired by the train and train station with metal details, lacquer finishes, and leather and velvet channel tufting. Some historic elements were preserved, such as the mural above the Front Street entry, travertine-clad columns and walls, and basket-weave marble flooring. “The design concept for the Fairmont Royal York’s lobby and amenities is inspired by a journey from Toronto’s past through to its present that embraces the landmark building’s patina and creates a contemporary, modern escape that feels timeless,” says Greg Keffer, partner, Rockwell Group. “Given the hotel’s connection to the railway and Toronto’s Union Station, we took material, form, and detail cues from the elegant aesthetics of early train travel.” fairmont.com
19. The Biltmore Hotel, Miami
This 273-room National Historic Landmark in Coral Gables with exquisite Mediterranean architecture with Italian, Moorish, and Spanish influences reopens completely on December 15 following an extensive $25 million makeover. It has been a favorite of world leaders and celebrities since its opening in 1926 and boasts the largest pool on the East Coast of the U.S., as well as an onsite culinary academy. The design, overseen by Dee Malone of D’Shakil Designs, preserves the storybook design inspired by George Merrick and his love for South Florida’s natural landscape, including Jerusalem stone-tiled floors, colonnade-lined loggias, romantic gemstone chandeliers, and couture fabrics including cut velvets and embroidered damask. biltmorehotel.com
20. One&Only Desaru Coast, Malaysia
This 128-acre beachfront property is a lavish development by Kerzner and boasts 42 suites and 50 private villa residences. It is the brand’s first outpost in Malaysia, located in the southeast region in the state of Johor. Designed by Kerry Hill Architects, it features Malay artifacts and design sensibility throughout.
21. Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center
Opening in the middle of 2019, the 12-story hotel housed in the city’s tallest tower aims to redefine the luxury hotel scene in Philadelphia. The design makes use of birchwood to create the millwork for each guestroom, sourced from Fessendel Hall, a local family-owned business. A restaurant helmed by James Beard-award winning chef, Greg Vernick, will open with design done by Adam Tihany which will be the studio’s first project in Philadelphia. The restaurant will feature a custom terrazzo floor, speckled with what looks like crushed white shells that offers a subtle hint to the sea while echoing the natural color palette throughout the venue. fourseasons.com
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