Rounding up the hottest new hotel openings of 2021 and 2022, from island retreats to re-imagined city chic. Now tried and tested by the EliteVoyage team.
Rosewood Vienna
Finally a sense of contemporary luxury and residential style living in Vienna. Here’s the full Rosewood Vienna inspection by our project director Stepan Borovec.
It’s not hyper-modern – it can’t be in this city – but it combines Viennese character with something new for today’s traveller.
Airelles Chateau de Versailles, Le Grand Controle
Why only visit Versailles when you can now sleep inside the famous royal residence? Thanks to this remarkable 14-room hotel faithful to the reign of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Airelles Chateau de Versailles is a chance to sleep inside history, a hotel fit for royalty. With Alain Ducasse dining and exclusive access to areas of Versailles closed to the public.
The Rooster, Greece
A boutique retreat, hidden as a gem on a tiny and undeveloped island in the Cyclades.
The Rooster is a real hideaway, with 17 individual houses all with their own pool and garden. It’s about slowing down, on an island so different from nearby Mykonos or Santorini.
Habitas Namibia
Like the Rooster, Habitas opened a new and trendy hideaway in a remote location. Our private consultant Tomas Safarik went to Namibia to check it out.
Calm yet full of energy, beautiful without showing off, Habitas Namibia feels like the future of luxury hospitality. You feel at home while having many exciting adventures in the unknown.
Six Senses Ibiza, Spain
A place to rest, refuel and reset, on a Balearic island famous for doing the opposite. All the rooms and suites have sea views. The exceptional spa is what we’ve come to expect from Six Senses. As is the groundbreaking sustainability.
We love how Six Senses do things differently and with Six Senses Ibiza they are helping redefine the image of a destination.
Maybourne Riviera, France
Maybourne spared no expense when creating this exclusive oasis on the French Riviera. It’s strikingly modern with sleek and spacious abodes, all with sea views.
Maybourne Riviera has quickly emerged as our top choice of stay in this glam corner of the world.
Zannier Bai San Ho, Vietnam
The concept of hotelier Arnaud Zannier is contemporary five-star hotels based on local architectural principles and styles. Like Phum Baitang in Cambodia, Le Chalet in the French Alps and Omaanda in Namibia.
Zannier made 73 freestanding villas on a remote Vietnamese peninsula, creating the most stylish new hotel in Asia.
Zannier Bai San Ho officially in late 2020 but only now receiving its first guests, after travel restrictions to Vietnam have been lifted.
Rosewood Villa Magna, Madrid
A capital city hotel that feels like a home, with exceptionally livable spaces and Rosewood’s signature sense of place.
Rosewood Villa Magna is already a top contender for best hotel in Spain, even best hotel in Europe.
Stephen Bailey went inside Rosewood Villa Magna to inspect a Madrid hotel that came #10 in Travel+Leisure’s list of the world’s best 100 hotels.
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Time+Tide Luwi, Zambia
Zambia is Africa’s upcoming safari destination, where you can explore wilderness areas where very few people have gone before.
Time+Tide Luwi symbolises the Zambia experience. Just four tents providing rustic luxury amid lion roars and rare animals. It’s perfect for getting back to earth.
Bulgari Hotel Paris
In December 2021 Bulgari created a new status symbol in the City of Lights, with the most extravagant penthouse we’ve ever seen. Here’s our report on the Bulgari Paris opening.
19 rooms and 57 suites, attention grabbing from the outside but very cosy and comfortable on the inside.
Cheval Blanc Paris
We think you’ll be blown away by the quality and luxury of Cheval Blanc Paris.
It’s 1930s art deco meeting vintage Parisian elegance, a real destination hotel and the first urban hotel from LVMH. They’ve spent big money here and the levels of both service and luxury are impeccably high.
Kalesma Mykonos
Back in March, Kalesma Mykonos was in the Hot List of Explorer magazine edition I. The number of enquiries we received were unprecedented and it proved to be the hottest European hotel of summer 2022.
Beautiful and authentic, with the high degree of exclusivity often missing on Mykonos. It’s not got everything and it’s not for everyone, but for a very quiet island retreat it’s almost unrivalled.
Hotel Castello di Reschio, Italy
Castle estates in Tuscany and Umbria are not unique. Still, this thousand-year-old castle has turned many heads since its 2021 opening.
A mix of Italian history, fiercely independent style, intricate details and sought-after luxury.
If you don’t know about it yet, it won’t be long before one of your friends comes home talking about Hotel Castello di Reschio.
Reykjavik Edition, Iceland
Unpolished concrete with sheepskins, black painted ceilings and rainbow rugs. Icelandic heritage with crisp, clean lines.
We waited a long time for this new hotel and it didn’t disappoint. A very contemporary place to stay before exploring the wild nature of Iceland.
Aman New York
We end with 2022’s most ambitious project. Aman delivered their signature quality and wellness to an urban environment, re-imagining the city hotel experience in New York. The entire lobby was built, then ripped out and rebuilt (to the tune of USD 10 million and many months of delay.)
There are 2300 square metres of wellness over three floors, including two private Spa Houses with outdoor terraces and hot and cold plunge pools.
It’s not somewhere we’ve personally experienced just yet. Will you be the first to try Aman New York?
Trusted Hotel Recommendations
We love new hotels and we’re always travelling to experience them, so we can tell you whether they live up to their hype.
Every year we do hundreds of hotel and destination inspections. So we can help you compare hotels, compare different suites in each hotel, and book the best accommodation for your needs.
Want trusted hotel recommendations? Just call us.
