The best luxury hotels opening in 2021
Planning your great post-lockdown escape? From Brazil to St Barths, these are the hotels everyone is going to be talking about this year…
For most of us it has now been nearly a year since we even contemplated checking into a luxury hotel and, frankly, we miss it. The warm greeting from a doorman, the crisp cotton sheets, the lavish room service and, to be quite honest, the time spent somewhere other than our own homes.
So if the wanderlust has finally become too much and you’ve started researching your much-anticipated post-lockdown holiday, we can’t blame you. But where to stay, given all that pent-up expectation? Ever the optimists, the world’s finest hotel brands have pressed on with their new 2021 openings, spoiling us for choice when it comes to booking the dream back-to-normality holiday. Here are the best new luxury hotels opening in 2021…
Europe
Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
Okay, so this isn’t technically a new hotel – the Mandarin Oriental Ritz has been a fixture of the Madrid hospitality scene for over 110 years – but having been closed for a major refurbishment since 2017, it’s definitely one to add to the 2021 bucket list. Spanish architect Rafael de La-Hoz and French design duo Gilles & Boissier have helmed the refurbishment, which the hotel promises will offer state-of-the-art new facilities while retaining the Belle Époque character created by hotel founder Cesar Ritz. Key upgrades include all-new spa and wellness options, as well as the return of the historic Palm Court after 80 years, which will house one of the hotel’s five new restaurants and bars featuring menus by celebrated Spanish chef Quique Dacosta.
Opening: April 2021Prices: From €650/night
Ikos Andalusia, Marbella
All-inclusive resorts can get a bad rap but, done right, the concept can save a nasty bill at the end of your luxury holiday. This is exactly what high-end Greek hotel chain Ikos has been proving and, so popular has its formula become, that 2021 will see its first Spanish property open in Andalusia. Located 20 minutes from Marbella, guests at the 411-key resort can expect a la carte menus created by Michelin-starred chefs, 24-hour room service and a 300-label wine cellar to choose from. Ikos has also created relationships with surrounding restaurants to allow guests to try the best local cuisine. Room fees also include use of the hotel’s Mini car, golf passes and complimentary museum tickets to some of Málaga’s most prestigious institutions.
Opening: April 2021Prices: From €392/night
Ca’di Dio, Venice
The brainchild by Patricia Urquiola and housed in a 13th Century building that formerly hosted pilgrims and crusaders, the latest addition to Venice’s crowded hospitality scene is certainly worth making a beeline for. Occupying a privileged position on the Riva Ca’di Dio in the artistic Arsenale district, just minutes from Piazza San Marco, the hotel will offer just 66 elegant suites and rooms and can be accessed directly by water taxi from the canal. Two pretty internal courtyards will offer respite from the hustle and bustle of the city and play host to the Alchemia Bar and Essentia restaurant, where traditional Venetian dishes will be created using the hotel’s own vegetable garden, while a roof terrace, spa and reading room ensure plenty of options to unwind after a long day of sightseeing.
Opening: Spring 2021Prices: From €460/night
NoMad, London
One of London’s most highly-anticipated new hotel openings, the first outpost of American luxury hotel brand NoMad, draws inspiration from its home in the Grade II-listed former Bow Street Magistrates Court. Centrally located in Covent Garden, opposite the Royal Opera House, the 91-room hotel provides the perfect base from which to explore the capital, with its light-filled central atrium restaurant promising to become a favourite of both guests and locals. Side Hustle, the hotel’s take on the classic British pub, will also serve Mexican-inspired small plates and one of the most extensive bar menus in the capital.
Opening: Spring 2021Prices: From £455/night
The Woodward, Geneva
Located on the banks of Lake Geneva and overlooking Mont Blanc, this new suite-only hotel from Oetker Collection was originally built in 1901 by François Durel and is undergoing a complete transformation by renowned architect Pierre-Yves Rochon. Beyond its historic façade, The Woodward will offer sophisticated, contemporary interiors across its 26 suites, bars, spa, tea room and cigar lounge (housed in a former vault from the building’s time as a bank). Dining will come in the form of Le Jardinier, helmed by Michelin-starred chef Olivier Jean, and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, a 36-cover open kitchen concept created by the legendary French chef.
Opening: Spring 2021Prices: From £1,200/night
One&Only Portonovi, Montenegro
Offering all of the glamour and luxury of St Tropez and Positano but with far fewer crowds, the coastal towns of Montenegro are fast becoming a favoured playground for the Mediterranean’s rich and famous. Accordingly, luxury hotels are starting to pop up in the country’s top locations, and, in 2021, One&Only will be joining them with its new hotel in Portonovi. As well as offering guests the usual state-of-the-art wellness, sport and fine-dining facilities, One&Only is also putting an emphasis on helping travellers explore Montenegro, with exclusive experiences including visiting the 18th century palace of a local aristocratic family, submarine diving through the caves of old Yugoslavia and scaling the Adriatic’s highest mountain, Mount Orjen, with ultra-trail athlete Saša Kulinović.
Opening: May 2021Prices: From €495/night
OKU Ibiza
Brand new luxury hotel chain OKU will launch its collection of high-end European retreats with OKU Ibiza in May 2021. Focused on barefoot living and a slower pace of life, the hotel has been designed around the Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi which champions the use of natural materials as a way of connecting with the earth. Wood, wicker, rattan and stone abound throughout this minimalist hotel, which is home to 184 rooms and suites, two restaurants with menus created by Sushisamba’s Mark Vaessen, a spa, yoga studio, gym and the island’s largest swimming pool (not pictured).
Opening: May 2021Prices: From £316/night
Americas
Rosewood Le Guanahani, St. Barths
Originally opened in 1986, the beautiful Le Guanahani hotel on the Caribbean island of St. Barths will reopen under the Rosewood banner after an extensive three-year refurbishment this year. Spread over 18 lush acres of peninsula, with access to two sandy beaches, the resort’s 66 rooms, suites and villas have been overhauled by interior designer Luis Pons Design Lab and many have been upgraded with new private pools. Elsewhere, the hotel’s status as the island’s only full-service resort is cemented with updated amenities, including tennis courts, a children’s club, gym, Sense spa and new swimming pool.
Opening: Spring 2021Prices: TBA
Six Senses Botanique, Brazil
Looking to really get away from it all post-lockdown? The first resort in the Americas from uber-luxury hotel chain Six Senses couldn’t be more perfect. Nestled in the breathtaking forests around the Mantiqueira Mountains in Brazil, this remote eco-friendly retreat currently offers just 18 suites and villas (a further 16 are planned) and everything from the food to the spa treatments and the architecture are inspired by the hotel’s surroundings. Seasonal Brazilian dishes at the Mina restaurant, for example, are created using herbs, fruit and vegetables grown on-site, while drinks at the Fire Side bar are mixed using homemade probiotics and tonics. To help guests really connect with this unique location, the hotel also offers a programme of cultural activities, including capoeira and Afro-Brazilian martial arts classes and hiking and horse-back trekking through the surrounding forest.
Opening: January 2021Prices: From £306/night
Asia
The Legian Sire, Lombok
The first step in Legian Hotel Management’s Asian expansion plans, the boutique Legian Sire in Lombok, Indonesia, takes relaxed island life to the next level. Each of its 60 spacious villas and suites boasts gorgeous views across the forested mountains, paddy fields and calm seas of Lombok, while the hotel’s complimentary boat service allows guests to take advantage of the world-class diving and snorkelling at the neighbouring Gili Islands. The Legian Sire also puts a strong focus on wellness, with treatments at its in-house spa using Lombok volcanic clay. Elsewhere, its wellness garden grows all the ingredients used at the adjacent vegetarian restaurant – a first for the island.
Opening: July 2021Price: From $347/night