6 exciting new luxury hotels opening in 2021

Travel in 2020 has been a bust, but that’s all the more reason to look ahead to 2021 to the opening of luxurious new hotels and resorts when travel is safe again. We’ve got you covered with the latest and greatest hotel openings from all over the world – from a royal sleepover to an alpine getaway.

For a beachside escape: Susurros del Corazón, Punta de Mita, Mexico

Photo: Susurros del Corazón

Susurros del Corazón means “whispers of the heart”, which is a very fitting name for this romantic luxury retreat. Featuring boho-chic-styled accommodations, this new addition to the acclaimed Auberge Resorts touts a “bungalow by the beach” experience.

The resort sits on more than 133,000 square metres of the Pacific coast of Mexico overlooking the Bay of Banderas, surrounded by sun-kissed bluffs and lush equatorial flora. Its accommodations feature direct access to a pristine white sand beach, where you’re swept away by unparalleled views of the volcanic Marietas Islands, a protected wildlife refuge. Should you feel overwhelmed by the natural beauty of the Mexican coastline, relax in the spa, inspired by the region’s rich heritage of healing properties.

Susurros del Corazón is anticipated to open in March 2021 with 59 hotel guest suites and 30 contemporary beachfront residences.

Learn more at aubergeresorts.com

For a royal experience: Le Grand Contrôle, Château de Versailles, France

Photo: Airelles

French luxury hotel operator Airelles spent five years meticulously restoring three buildings on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles. The result is Le Grand Contrôle – a first-class immersion in 18th-century splendour.

From original wood panelling and bespoke fabrics, period-accurate furnishings, and even the staff’s outfits, no expense was spared to replicate ultra-luxe 18th-century hospitality. Staff in the haute-French restaurant, helmed by Alain Ducasse, are even trained in the ceremony of 18th-century dining to give guests a glimpse into the pomp and ceremony of the Napoleonic era.

So faithful is Airelles to the experience that all technology is concealed and there are no televisions in any of its 14 suites. Instead, you can browse a collection of priceless antiques and artefacts from the 1700s, indulge in the Valmont spa, or enjoy exclusive access to the palace grounds once the gates are locked.

Le Grand Contrôle is slated for a spring 2021 opening.

Learn more at airelles.com

For a luxe farmyard stay: Stanly Ranch, Napa Valley, United States

Photo: Auberge Resorts Collection

Stanly Ranch is the place for gourmands looking for a low-key, yet exclusive experience. Just a 10-minute drive from downtown Napa, this 376,000-square-metre luxury resort and residential community by Auberge is a destination for food and wine, featuring its own vineyards and public winery, with plenty of room for privacy and relaxation.

The early farmstead buildings of the area have been reimagined as airy and contemporary cottages that seamlessly blend the indoors with the outdoors, with large windows that open onto sunny patios offering views of rolling vineyards, towering eucalyptus trees and the majestic Mayacamas Mountains.

Stanly Ranch is a celebration of Napa Valley, with environmentally minded infrastructure that embraces beautiful simplicity and understated luxury. The resort is connected by winding pathways, gardens and orchards. The on-site spa offers wellness services, sport performance therapies and healing treatments.

Stanly Ranch is set to open in the second quarter of 2021 with 135 cottages, 40 furnished villas and 70 residences.

Learn more at aubergeresorts.com

For a zen retreat: Roku Kyoto, Japan

Photo: Hilton LXR

Kyoto was the former capital of Japan and famous for its classical Buddhist temples, gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses. It’s perhaps this historical significance that drove Hilton’s luxury collection brand LXR, which launched just two years ago, to select Kyoto as the spot to launch its fifth property – and its first in the Asia-Pacific region.

Roku Kyoto will be situated along the foothills of the Takagamine Sanzan mountain in northern Kyoto, as part of the 110,000-square-metre Shozan Resort Kyoto, a luxury enclave that is home to some of Kyoto’s most notable and idyllic Japanese gardens, historic architecture and authentic tea houses. It was developed from the concept that “beautiful things are born from a beautiful environment”, a concept which LXR hopes to bring with Roku with a promise of bespoke, authentic experiences, local cuisine, and spa treatments paired with natural hot springs.

Roku Kyoto is slated to open in autumn 2021 with 114 rooms.

Learn more at lxrhotels3.hilton.com

For a winter ski trip: Six Senses Kitzbuehel Alps, Austria

Photo: Six Senses Kitzbuehel Alps

Located just 120 minutes from Munich and 90 minutes from Innsbruck, Six Senses Kitzbuehel Alps is the ultimate year-round alpine destination. Set in the breathtaking Austrian Alps overlooking the Hohe Tauern – the largest nature reserve in the Alps – there’s full ski-in, ski-out access into the Kitzbuehel Ski Resort in the wintertime for skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and sledding. In the summertime, there’s plenty of hiking, cycling and swimming.

When you tire of all that outdoor activity, ease your muscles in the sprawling three-level spa which also features a non-invasive anti-ageing centre, a biohack lab and even a kid’s spa. Fill your belly and prepare for more excursions with Kitzbuehel Alps’ culinary offerings, featuring locally sourced, seasonal fare from nearby farms and ingredients from the on-site herb garden.

Six Senses Kitzbuehel Alps is anticipated to open in 2021 with 80 guest rooms and suites, 15 private chalets and 60 residences for private purchase.

Learn more at sixsenses.com

For a cosmopolitan trip down under: The Langham, Gold Coast, Australia

Photo: Pixabay

The Langham Hospitality Group’s third luxury hotel in Australia is billed as the quintessential luxury urban resort. Housed in the central and tallest of the three landmark towers of the gemstone-inspired Jewel development, and with a prime location on the beachfront in Surfers Paradise, its properties boast stunning city and ocean views, as well as direct beach access.

Culinary offerings range from the Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant T’ang Court (with two private dining rooms) to a sky terrace and bar, as well as a more casual restaurant and outdoor pool bar. Afternoon tea at the Palm Court lobby lounge – modelled after the original in The Langham, London – will also be served here.

The 500-square-metre spa facility features treatments built around traditional Chinese medicine philosophies, along with a gym, and an indoor pool and outdoor pool.

The Langham Gold Coast is set to open at the end of 2021 with 169 rooms, 18 suites and 170 serviced apartments.

Learn more at langhamhotels.com

See also: #legendeats: The best dishes we ate in October

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