Building a high-end hotel is painstaking work. From the moment a new project is announced, teams face an unrelenting battle with the clock, rising material costs, temperamental weather, and countless other challenges. But none of that has stopped the following 30 properties from circling 2024 as the year they’d open their doors.
As soon as the hotel doors open, you will want to visit these sure-to-be-hot spots that span everywhere from the Dominican Republic to Dubai.
The St. Regis Cap Cana, Dominican Republic
The first major luxury hotel brand that isn’t an all-inclusive will arrive in the DR.
The 200-room hotel will include a private beach, direct access to the Jack Nicklaus-designed Punta Espada Golf Course, seven pools, seven dining options overseen by executive chef Diego Muñoz, a 10-room Iridium Spa, a cigar and rum lounge, a beach club and a kids club.
Montage Cay, the Bahamas
While it sits about a mile off the coast of the Abaco Islands’ Marsh Harbour, this private island resort will feel far away. You’ll wrap yourself in more seclusion in the 50 suites amid the white-sand beaches and the spa.
But a marina and fully equipped water sports center will draw you out to explore the waters beyond the 53-acre paradise.
One&Only One Za’abeel, Dubai
Dubai keeps adding unusual silhouettes to its skyline, and the latest hails from One&Only.
The H-shaped structure will comprise two skyscrapers connected by The Link — the world’s longest cantilever — housing top restaurants from prominent chefs like Anne-Sophie Pic and the UAE’s longest infinity pool.
Accommodations include Sanctuary Suites with massage tables and meditation/stretching zones and Creative Suites with acoustic paneling and AV technology.
Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island
Escape to this tropical private island hideaway in the Seychelles coated with palms and surrounded by a coral reef and lagoon.
Stay in one of the 50 waterfront villas, which come with their own pools; eat and drink in six restaurants and bars; and while away your vacation at the outdoor observatory, tennis court, hammam-equipped spa or marine conservation center.
Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr, Morocco
A former 18th-century sultan’s summer home along the Atlantic will transform into a 200-room hotel in Morocco’s capital city.
Stroll the landmark’s expansive gardens teeming with palm, citrus and olive trees; admire the colorful Moroccan architecture and design in the 11 buildings; and don’t miss a chance to swim in the striking indoor saltwater pool oasis at the fit-for-a-royal spa.
The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas
The Ritz-Carlton swooped in to take over this former Four Seasons to add a second Dallas hotel to its roster. But unlike the original urban uptown property, this 427-room resort resides on 400 acres that are a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.
The $55 million renovation will include new rooms and villas, restaurants and more, giving Las Colinas a fresh look and feel.
Rosewood Amsterdam
The brand’s first Netherlands hotel will have a coveted location along the Prinsengracht, giving many of the 134 accommodations canal views.
It will lean into its history as the 1665 Palace of Justice with a lobby lounge library featuring legal tomes that serve as art, but it also will offer three restaurants and bars, a spa and an indoor pool.
Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London
Mandarin Oriental’s second London outpost will differ from its Hyde Park sibling with a boutique feel with just 50 rooms.
It also will host celebrity chef Akira Back’s first U.K. restaurants, including a Korean-Japanese eatery; 14-seat, counter-style contemporary Korean spot; rooftop lounge; and cocktail bar. Also, expect a spa sanctuary with an indoor pool and unique treatments like binaural biohacks.
Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Resorts Collection, Florence
Follow the path of cypress trees to a cluster of 16th-century UNESCO buildings that include a cultural institution, school, chapel and theater.
When it opens as a hotel, it will feature 82 rooms, an alfresco pool, a wine-tasting room, an art gallery, a glass-enclosed garden room among olive trees, a cigar lounge and five levels of terraced Baroque gardens.
Fairmont Breakers Long Beach
Built in 1926, California’s Breakers Hotel was a celebrity escape for the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Cary Grant.
Fairmont will transform it into the city’s only luxury boutique hotel with 185 accommodations, a rooftop pool, an open-air rooftop lounge with 360-degree Pacific Ocean views, a two-story spa, a jazz club and a renovated Sky Room restaurant, which dates to 1938.
Regent Santa Monica Beach
If Regent Hotels & Resorts’ striking Phu Quoc, Vietnam, getaway or storied Hong Kong flagship are any indication, the revamped brand will make quite the splash when it makes its Americas premiere with this beachside hotel near the Santa Monica Pier.
It promises to have a beachfront pool, a destination wellness center, a celebrity-chef-helmed restaurant and a high-end artisanal marketplace.
Wākea Waikiki Beach, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Honolulu, Hawaii
LXR will take over the 462-room Trump International Hotel Waikiki in February. Named after Wākea (the Sky Father in local mythology who helped create the Hawaiian Islands), the 38-story tower will offer water vistas, a spa and a destination restaurant.
In 2025, Bryan O’Sullivan Studio will spearhead a renovation of its public areas, including lobbies, pools, the spa and the gym.
Capella Taipei
In the Songshan district neighboring the Taipei Arena, Capella will launch its first Taiwan hotel. Built by Taiwanese architect Kris Yao, the LEED Platinum property has a façade that responds to weather and conserves energy.
The André Fu Studio-devised interiors include 88 rooms, Cantonese and Japanese omakase restaurants, a two-story annex with a members-only whisky bar, a Taiwan-inspired lounge, and a recording studio.
Waldorf Astoria New York
One of the world’s most iconic hotels will reopen after being closed since 2017. The Waldorf Astoria, which debuted in 1893 as the brand’s original property, will retain its distinctive art deco architecture, and designer Pierre-Yves Rochon will keep treasures like Cole Porter’s piano.
But the renovated 375-room hotel also will have some of Manhattan’s largest accommodations, a 30,000-plus-square-foot spa and a signature restaurant.
Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Tucked away in the Red Sea’s Blue Hole cluster, Nujuma will offer a secluded private island getaway with 63 shell-inspired modern villas on the water and the beach that come with found objects, local art, a sea-facing pool and a telescope.
The inaugural Ritz-Carlton Reserve property in the Middle East also will feature an indoor-outdoor spa and a conservation center.
Fairmont Golden Prague Hotel
Taking over for InterContinental Prague, which has called the Czech Republic capital home since 1974, this 297-room Fairmont promises even more splendor. It’ll reach those lofty goals with a new-look spa, three restaurants and bars and unforgettable vistas of the Vltava River.
Corinthia Rome
It’s only fitting that Corinthia Rome would take over a seven-story building that once housed the Central Bank of Italy — the property is aiming to be the city’s gold standard for elegance.
Beyond keeping the gorgeous original facade, the hotel promises priceless views from the central garden and a world-class spa experience that’ll prove worth every penny.
The Dunlin, Auberge Resorts Collection, Johns Island, South Carolina
A Southern retreat in every sense of the phrase, this Johns Island escape (only 20 minutes from Charleston) has something for everyone in your flock — no matter how outdoorsy they are. For die-hard nature lovers, the June-opening property provides fly fishing in the Kiawah River.
If you want to appreciate the great outdoors from a greater distance, find a spot at a riverside pool cabana. Everyone else can grab a sweet tea and count herons from the wraparound porch.
Nobu Hotel Toronto
Toronto’s lively Entertainment District gets another shot of excitement once Nobu makes its Canada debut with this hotel/residence/restaurant.
Hometown hero Drake, who’s been known to shout out the brand in his songs, will have plenty to rap about here: 660 residential units, a 36-suite hotel, a wellness facility and, of course, a two-level eatery with a terrace.
Rosewood Miyakojima
Designers’ intention of expressing the harmony between man and Mother Earth speaks loudly at Rosewood Miyakojima, the company’s first splash in Japan’s luxury hotel waters.
Using the postcard-perfect Okinawa archipelago as its backdrop, the resort will wow with 55 pool-adorned villas, four restaurants and the pioneering Asaya wellness concept.
Conrad Chongqing
May 2024 can’t come soon enough for Asian travelers who’ve had their eyes on this new Conrad’s progress in the southwestern China city along the upper Yangtze River.
With 275 rooms, three restaurants and stunning looks at Chongqing’s central business district, it won’t be long before the rest of the well-traveled world recognizes its wonders, too.
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol
Sitting on more than 50 acres of dreamy sand between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, Four Seasons couldn’t be better positioned if it tried.
The property will pair hypnotizing Pacific tides and year-round warm temperatures with a 96-room resort, 61 residences and a menu full of dining options the whole family can dive into.
The St. Regis Red Sea Resort
Yes, getting to an ultra-luxury escape on a private island in the middle of the Red Sea takes some maneuvering — you will need to charter a boast from the Saudi Arabia coast — but this January-opening St. Regis rewards your efforts with 90 overwater and beachfront villas, five restaurants and snorkeling expeditions to the world’s fourth-largest barrier reef system.
The Vineta Hotel, Palm Beach
The Oetker Collection may have taken its time coming to U.S. soil, but from the first glances of this Palm Beach stunner, the wait has proved worth it.
While keeping the pale pink façade of its predecessor, the hotel will have a new vibe that’s distinctively European (from Paris-based interior designer Tino Zervudachi), exclusive (the number of units reduced from 53 to 41) and eclectic (Leopard Lounge has some wild nights ahead).
The Emory, London
If you’re a new hotel trying to get U.K. travelers’ attention in the competitive Hyde Park area, how do you do it?
Well, you erect The Emory, a gorgeous, all-suite property opening in April that will feature 80 magazine-worthy suites (each floor will showcase the design sensibilities of a different well-respected interior designer, including André Fu, Pierre-Yves Rochon and Patricia Urquiola), a Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant and two rooftops for tipples, that’s how.
The Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley, The Palmeraie
Sure, you can find beachfront casitas and desert-inspired spa treatments in other Scottsdale-area properties.
But The Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley, The Palmeraie, the first newly built property from the brand in North America in more than a decade, will stand alone with regards to how it plans to meld wellness and hospitality in the shadows of Camelback Mountain.
One&Only Moonlight Basin, Big Sky, Montana
There’s always been one thing missing from One&Only resorts around the globe: snow. That will change once the company’s U.S. debut, One&Only Moonlight Basin, welcomes guests to more than 8,000 acres of Montana’s Big Sky country.
With powder-filled landscapes, a Chenot spa and a state-of-the-art ski lodge tempting travelers, we’re guessing this won’t be the last time the brand tries on winter boots.
Pendry Natirar, Somerset County, New Jersey
A verdant side of New Jersey most know very little about, Somerset County is filled with rolling hills and impeccably maintained lawns.
This all makes Pendry Natirar the perfect setting for New Yorkers (the hotel is under an hour-and-a-half drive from Grand Central Station) who want to be near nature (hiking trails, on-site farm) while also enjoying creature comforts (spa, tennis courts).
The Surrey, a Corinthia Hotel, New York City
The former home to celebrities such as Bette Davis and Claudette Colbert, The Surrey would have quite the story to tell.
The one-time residence/iconic hotel will have even more to gossip about once it’s reimagined as Corinthia’s first U.S. address, complete with four signature suites and a members-only club, in spring 2024.
The George, Georgetown, South Carolina
Just because Georgetown sits 60 miles from Charleston it doesn’t mean the city has any less of the Lowcountry loveliness.
On the contrary, with its 56 rooms (10 of which will have balconies), raw bar/chophouse dining concept and outdoor bar, the town’s new waterfront hotel will fit right into Hammock Coast culture.
Bonus picks
Several new hotels debuted just before 2024, but they are worth a mention. Stateside, NYC’s The Fifth Avenue Hotel showcases eclectic Martin Brudnizki design and a restaurant from popular chef Andrew Carmellini inside a historic building and new 24-story glass tower.
Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor brings a luxury hotel option to Punta Gorda with 785 rooms, 20 restaurants and bars, an 18-hole golf course and a 117,000-square-foot pool that’s the largest in Southwest Florida.
And design-driven The Ritz-Carlton, Portland — the company’s Pacific Northwest debut — incorporates biophilic features, a spa inspired by Portland rose petals and an infinity pool overlooking the Cascade Mountains.
Abroad, chic design and Yucatan influences combine at The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai, which resides in a 620-acre nature reserve.
Check out its Sky Rooftop Villa — North America’s largest hotel penthouse — and restaurants from renowned Mexican chefs Francisco “Paco” Ruano and Tomás Bermúdez.
Set in a 44-story tower, Waldorf Astoria Doha West Bay adds art deco glamour and New York flair, and stay tuned for the 2024 unveiling of MURU restaurant from heralded chef Mauro Colagreco.
Rosewood Munich marks the city’s first luxury hotel opening in more than a decade. It boasts a great Old Town location minutes from Marienplatz.
This article was first published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
