Best New Hotels of 2026: Our Top Picks from Around the World

There are many reasons why we plan trips, but experiencing the world’s best hotels is among the most delightful. We all have our preferred on-property pamperings—a cavernous claw-foot tub, with jars of scented salts; a sumptuous breakfast spread, and coffee just the way you like it; a bed that envelops you into its pillowy depths; a secret garden where the mind can wander; a bustling lobby gilded in centuries of legend and lore. Whatever your aesthetics and predilections, every traveler should have a carefully curated hotel wish list for their life.

The Indagare Adored Collection is our catalog of the icons, grand dames, classic charmers and indulgent resorts that have most impressed our staff and members. But every January, Indagare also releases its list of the most anticipated newcomers around the world that are on our radar—the properties that our team just can’t wait to check out in the new year.

From lavish palazzos on the Venetian lagoon and the Mediterranean coast to cutting-edge wellness resorts on the Red Sea—plus, luxe adventure camps in the wild and remote reaches of southern Africa, Patagonia and the Pacific—discover the 2026 openings to know below.

Which ones will be at the top of your wish list?

When Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle opened within the grounds of King Louis XIV’s palace in 2021, it changed the landscape of Paris travel, offering unprecedented access to the coveted historic site and keeping lips buzzing well before and well after it launched. Now, the brand is taking its first step outside of France to the only place that can rival Paris for its romance and mystique. Airelles Venezia will make its home on an unmissable waterfront stretch of Giudecca Island, within a historic estate that housed the former Bauer Palladio and neighbors Hotel Cipriani. It’s just a five-minute boat ride from San Marco, and yet it’s a world away. • Expected Opening: April 1, 2026

For those who prefer to be on the main island, the storied brand Orient Express has taken over Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, which dates back to 1436 and sits on two canals in the Cannaregio sestiere, a neighborhood known for its local charm and historic Jewish ghetto; across the canal, the palazzo faces the Ca’ Pesaro International Gallery of Modern Art. Architect Aline Asmar d’Amman (behind Rosewood’s restoration of Hôtel de Crillon) has led an eight-year renovation of the property, transforming the former home of Venetian nobility (including the powerful Duke of Urbino, whose Renaissance portrait by Piero della Francesca today draws crowds at the Uffizi). The new hotel’s design will celebrate Venetian heritage and craft, with marble walls, Murano glass fixtures and frescoed ceilings painted in rare colori persi. There will be 47 accommodations in total, some with terraces, and a courtyard and garden for communal enjoyment. • Expected Opening: April 1, 2026

Michel Reybier’s elegant French-Swiss collection will make its first foray into Italy with six long-term-stay apartments designed for private takeovers, within a historic palazzo on the Oltrarno’s Via Santo Spirito. Residential in feeling but with all the core services of a hotel, the apartments will have interiors by Gilles & Boissier, private kitchens and dining and living spaces; guests will also have access to a shared rooftop terrace and cocktail bar. Located just a five-minute walk across the Santa Trinita bridge from the city’s historic center, La Réserve Florence will be removed from the heaviest foot traffic, without sacrificing convenience. • Expected Opening: June 2026

Major luxury brands are continuing to take over established family-run properties (see the Aman revamp of Rosa Alpina in the Dolomites). In 2026, Rosewood will reopen Crete’s Blue Palace under its banner. This seaside resort, which sits between a traditional fishing village and Elounda port, will now offer 154 rooms and suites (more than with private pools). Greek designers K Studio and Afroditi Krassa were enlisted to create dreamy, immersive interiors. Time here will be best spent soaking in the beauty, history and culture of the area—a taste of Greece’s island life, slightly off the beaten path—and lounging at the beach club, six dining outlets, three outdoor pools and signature Asaya spa and hydrotherapy zone. • Expected Opening: To be announced

One of the Mediterranean’s loveliest jewels, Malta has wanted for high-end hotel options to cater to discerning travelers. The spring arrival of Casa Bonavita, a family home turned boutique hotel just 20 minutes from Valletta, is therefore a significant development. The 18th-century house—formerly occupied by Christopher and Suzanne Sharp, creators of The Rug Company and now first-time hoteliers—was renovated over five years to become guest-ready, with 17 rooms (many with their own outdoor spaces), as well as gardens, two swimming pools and a spa with a hammam, cold plunge, sauna and gym. For lovers of Stockholm’s Ett Hem or Marrakech’s Riad el Fenn, Casa Bonavita has the potential to become an equally soulful coastal counterpoint. • Expected Opening: May 1, 2026

In 1950, industrialist (and founder of French wine giant Pernod Ricard) Paul Ricard purchased the seven-hectare island of Bendor, just off the coast of the French Riviera. Under his family’s stewardship, it became a haven for hospitality and hedonism. Now, the development—including a resort, beach club, artisans’ village and diving center—will come under the management of Arnaud Zannier’s eponymous group, in partnership with Ricard’s descendants. After a five-year renovation, the complex is expected to open its doors just in time for the summer season, with 93 rooms spread across three unique zones (themed around retro allure, wellness in nature and Provençal romanticism, respectively)—plus, a nearly 4,000-square-foot wellness center (including a hammam, mud bath, cryotherapy, reformer pilates and Japanese infrared sauna), as well as a children’s club and a robust program of water sports and cultural activities. • Expected Opening: May 2026

Founded in 1914, Le Beauvallon is a Belle Epoque grand dame synonymous with the glamour of St. Tropez. This icon was once frequented by the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Winston Churchill, and after its latest chapter—20 years as an exclusive-use venue—the property will once again host vacationers seeking sun, sea and scene, after a restoration by COMO Hotels and Resorts. An eight-minute boat ride away from the bustle of town, the resort contains 42 elegant rooms and seaview suites, a revival of the buzzy restaurant and beach club, Beauvallon Sur Mer, lush gardens, an 82-foot mosaic pool and a private pontoon for yacht tenders; there is also a golf club next door. The property will display 300 on-site art installations; don’t miss a viewing of the 2002 Serpentine Summer Pavilion by Pritzker Prize winner Toyo Ito. • Expected Opening: April 2026

A preferred Alpine enclave for the artistic and intellectual elite, Sils Maria is nestled in the folds of the Engadin Valley, a 20-minute drive from St. Moritz. Here, a historic family-owned guesthouse and its renowned restaurant, Chesa Marchetta, has just reopened after being acquired by art and hospitality power couple Iwan and Manuela Wirth (of Hauser & Wirth renown, who also happened to spend their first date at Chesa Marchetta in the 1990s). A four-year restoration led by architect Luis Laplace has resulted in 13 one-of-a-kind guest rooms, as well as a three-bedroom rental home, which celebrate local artistic traditions in their design. The restaurant is similarly focused on the essence of Sils Maria, spotlighting seasonal bounty with a small daily Northern Italian and Swiss menu powered by nearby farmers. Chesa Marchetta will open on a seasonal basis, from December to March and June to October; travelers should line up their visits with Sils Maria’s (and nearby St. Moritz’s) rich cultural calendar. • Opened January 2, 2026

Across the Baltic Sea from Sweden and Finland, Estonia is a ripe destination for admirers of Nordic culture looking to go deeper. For an escape from daily stressors into the balms of nature, Eha Retreat presents one of the more intriguing developments in wellness hospitality for 2026. The property occupies the second-largest island of the West Estonian Archipelago, Hiiumaa, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that is mostly covered by forest and has only 23 inhabitants per square mile. Within this unique microclimate of wood and beach, guests can discover true quiet while on nature walks, bird-watching, stargazing and foraging. Traditional Nordic water wellness is also a focus—including indoor and outdoor saunas, steam rooms, cold plunges and other hydrotherapies—alongside guided yoga, sound bathing and body treatments employing local remedies (the forest energy body polish, heated mud therapy and herbal compress massage treatments sound particularly perfect). Guest rooms are designed to continue the journey, with a clean, minimalist aesthetic emphasizing sustainably sourced natural materials like oak, linen, limestone and wool; throughout, open views onto the landscape abound. • Expected Opening: Summer 2026

Among many additions to London’s luxury set coming this year—including properties from Six Senses and Waldorf Astoria—Cambridge House marks the arrival of the Auberge Collection in the United Kingdom. The hotel will revive and expand a Grade I-listed Palladian-style townhouse at 94 Piccadilly, a storied Mayfair address that was formerly home to the Duke of Cambridge and, later, the In and Out Military Club. 102 guest rooms have been crafted by AD100 designer Jean-Louis Deniot, alongside a spa and private members’ club (in proper London fashion) designed by Laura Gonzalez (behind such buzzy boutique hotels as Casa Monti in Rome, Saint James in Paris and Hôtel Byblos in St. Tropez). A collaboration with Major Food Group (of New York hot spots Carbone and Torrisi) on the flagship restaurant, Major’s Grill, is likely to tempt Londoners as well as visitors. • Expected Opening: Spring 2026

The Newman marks a new hospitality brand from management company Kinsfolk & Co. In Fitzrovia—a neighborhood steeped in creative and literary history, wedged between Bloomsbury and Soho—this contemporary boutique hotel will channel an on-theme bohemian vibe. The property will feature 81 rooms and suites with Art Deco accents, a brasserie and cocktail bar and a Nordic-inspired wellness floor, with hot and cold experience cabins, a salt therapy room and a hydrotherapy pool. The top floor of the building (including the penthouse) can be reserved as a private apartment with four bedrooms and a large terrace—a great prospect for special occasions and longer-term stays. • Expected Opening: February 1, 2026

On the northern coast of the Scottish Highlands, Hope is a new project at the intersection of hospitality and conservation. The property is centered on a restored 1870s hunting lodge, which contains seven bedrooms; there are also cottages for exclusive-use takeovers and a private two-bedroom cabin. Accommodations have been designed to bring the outdoors in, as the aim of Hope is stewardship and regeneration of the Highlands through tourism. With an all-inclusive program, naturalist field guides will lead guests on conservation-driven adventures and wellness experiences through the 100,000-acre Sutherland estate. Top activities include hiking, swimming, paddleboarding, boating, fishing, sound bathing, tree planting, stargazing and chef-led foraging walks and open-fire cooking. Those who prefer to explore independently will also have access to a curated range of outdoor equipment and spa and fitness facilities. • Expected Opening: May 2026

ITALY & GREECE

• Six Senses Milan will open in the Brera quarter, with 53 guest rooms and 15 suites (two with their own private plunge pools), and a signature, state-of-the-art spa.
• In Venice, just steps from Piazza di San Marco, Four Seasons has taken over the historic Hotel Danieli and will unveil a full renovation Spring/Summer 2026.
• Several big brands are coming to Rome in 2026, including Corinthia, Rosewood and Baccarat. The Experimental Hotel Group (behind stylish boutique properties in France, as well as wine bars in New York City) is also opening a property in the Eternal City.
• On Lake Como, Edition will land on the western shore with the renovation of a 19th-century palazzo, with views of Bellagio. Belmond has also acquired the nearby 16th-century Castello di Urio and is currently renovating.
• Rocco Forte will open its first resort on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda, just north of Porto Cervo. The brand’s design director, Olga Polizzi, is collaborating with Patricia Urquiola (behind Venice’s Ca’ di Dio and Lake Como’s Il Sereno) on the interiors for the 64 rooms and suites, amid a lush setting of palm trees, flower gardens and white sands fronting the Tyrrhenian.
• New arrivals to the Greek islands include the Four Seasons Resort Mykonos on a cliffside overlooking Kalo Livadi Bay (Spring/Summer 2026) and the launch of a new adults-only boutique brand, Luura, on Paros.
  

SPAIN & PORTUGAL

• Expected Summer 2026, Christian Louboutin will open Vermelho Lagoa, a small sister property to Vermelho Melides, fronting the Melides lagoon. Expect equally dazzling interiors. Other Portuguese arrivals of note include Na Praia, a beachy retreat just outside of Comporta, and a Standard hotel in Lisbon, within the Palácio Santa Clara in Alfama.
• The development wave across Spain’s ​​Balearic Islands continues. On Mallorca, a boutique property, Gran Hotel Margalida, and a sprawling Mandarin Oriental resort are the headliners; plus, Vestige Collection is coming to Formentera.
• Spanish luxury brand Mercer will open its first property in the capital Madrid within a landmark historic building in the Jerónimos district.
  

ENGLAND & IRELAND

• The Big Smoke’s hotel boom continues with the expected arrivals of Waldorf Astoria in the Grade I-listed Admiralty Arch abutting Trafalgar Square (Spring 2026), Six Senses within the historic complex The Whiteley and a cozy new outpost of the boutique brand Zetter in Bloomsbury (March 2026).
• Western Ireland is calling to luxury travelers looking to explore beyond Dublin and its surrounds with the arrival of The Grace, a new retreat tucked within 430 acres of Westport Estate in County Mayo, and a full redesign of The River Lee Hotel in Cork, an up-and-coming destination for foodies and culture hounds.

The boutique brand White Elephant is adding a third location to its well-heeled portfolio next month. Like its sisters in Nantucket and Palm Beach, White Elephant Aspen will exude modern sophistication while respecting the soul of the location. The West End hotel will have 54 rooms and suites showcasing an art collection sourced from local galleries, including works from the Anderson Ranch Arts Center; robust connecting options will cater to families and larger groups. During ski season, a partnership with BMW will offer guests complimentary transfers to and from the slopes and around town, and on-property there is a boot lounge with heated lockers and a selection of gear by Alps & Meters. Visitors in warmer months can enjoy the outdoor pool and hotel bicycles. Plus, White Elephant Aspen is pet-friendly, for those vacationing with fur babies. • Expected Opening: February 3, 2026

The Palm Beach scene will also receive a shake-up—in the form of The Vineta, a new boutique project (and the first in the U.S.) from Oetker Hotels (behind Indagare favorites like Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Le Bristol Paris, The Lanesborough, Hotel La Palma, Jumby Bay Island and Eden Rock, St Barths). Situated just two blocks off Worth Avenue, The Vineta will revive a landmark hotel, preserving its Mediterranean Revival architecture—and peachy-pink façade—in a full renovation led by Paris-based AD 100 interior designer Tino Zervudachi. Celebrating the property’s legacy of glitz and glamour, The Vineta will offer three splashy dining outlets, including a creative take on the American Bar, a Mediterranean-style poolside bar and a courtyard al fresco restaurant. • Expected Opening: To be announced

The team behind Sonoma’s lauded, three-Michelin-starred restaurant SingleThread (and its accompanying farm and inn) has undertaken its next hotel project: the renovation of an 1895 riverfront mansion that was formerly the home of Isabelle Simi Haigh, the first female commercial winemaker in America. The Selvedge will be an all-inclusive luxury bed and breakfast with nine rooms exuding a British aesthetic, honoring the original home’s Victorian architecture as well as husband-and-wife owners Kyle and Katina Connaughton’s love of England. There will also be a 2,000-square-foot, third-floor suite with a full kitchen appointed by Miele, while shared spaces include a library, parlor, breakfast room and coffee bar, fitness center, wraparound porch and herb and rose gardens. Guests of The Selvedge can immerse themselves in the area’s culinary, outdoor and oenological delights with programming curated by the SingleThread team (plus, Sunday roasts and afternoon tea on-site). • Expected Opening: Autumn/Winter 2026

Auberge Collection will open its third Texas hotel—joining Austin’s Commodore Perry Estate and Fort Worth’s Bowie House—in Dallas’s vibrant, walkable Knox Street District. The ever-popular AD100 designer Martin Brudnizki was brought on for the interiors, so guests can expect lush layers and curves, bold prints and fun colors throughout the 140 rooms and suites; plans also feature 48 private residences by Dallas-based designer Chad Dorsey. Al fresco dining outlets, an outdoor pool, a wellness sanctuary and a state-of-the-art movement studio will complete the property, which sits just steps from the area’s Katy Trail for further exploration. • Expected Opening: Autumn/Winter 2026

Established in the 1930s, Sun Valley was the first purpose-built winter resort in the United States. Once the preferred ski destination for the stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age (think: Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable), it continues to draw visitors with easy charm, old-school style, excellent slopes and natural beauty. But luxury accommodations in the area have been extremely limited, until now. This summer, Sun Valley will welcome a very exciting addition from Viceroy Hotel Group to the heart of downtown Ketchum. The resort will feature 73 guest rooms, 12 penthouse residences, a full-service spa and dipping pool, multiple dining outlets and a year-round mountain lounge. A rooftop observatory will also give astro-enthusiasts the chance to take in some of the country’s clearest views of the heavens, under the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve. Plus, 2026 represents a banner year for Sun Valley Resort, as it celebrates its 90th anniversary with a series of cultural events—and the addition of 350 acres of new glade skiing at Bald Mountain. • Expected Opening: June 2026

One of Banff National Park’s most enduring retreats, The Rimrock was established on a perch carved into Sulphur Mountain in 1884. In October 2025, it closed to embark on its next chapter: a full renovation by the Emblems Collection. This summer, the mountain resort will unveil 320 redesigned guest rooms and suites, a new onsite expeditions center, a mountain-to-table seasonal restaurant (and other playful outlets like a vinyl record and cocktail bar, a coffee bar and a biergarten) and an expansive sports and wellness facility. A 9,600-square-foot bathhouse will offer a series of hydrothermal circuits, saunas and glacial cold plunges for circulation, detoxification and recovery—plus, a mountain-view infinity pool, a treetop vitality pool and a top-notch gym with a climbing wall, Peloton equipment and meditation and movement studios. Beyond, more than 2,500 square miles of protected alpine wilderness at the edge of the Canadian Rockies await for year-round activity, from guided trail rides, canyon ice walks and heli-hiking to indigenous art showcases. • Expected Opening: Summer 2026

Within a mangrove forest on the eastern cape of the Baja Peninsula—near the Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos—Amanvari will mark the cult-favorite brand’s entry into Mexico. Named for the Sanskrit meaning “peace” and “water,” Amanvari will offer an oasis of pavilions, villas and courtyards fronting a white-sand swimmable beach on the Sea of Cortés, with only 18 casitas and a collection of residences, as well as a signature spa and several restaurants. Just a 45-minute drive from the Los Cabos airport, the resort will be ideal for long-weekend wellness escapes, with access to the 1,500-acre Costa Palmas private estate and its Robert Trent Jones II-designed golf course, top dive sites, deep-water marina and yacht club. • Expected Opening: Spring 2026

• Historic properties in top U.S. cities are getting new leases on life. The Delano will debut a fresh face in South Beach, Miami, with many of its favorite features—including the pool and the Rose Bar—restored. Designer Ken Fulk is resuscitating San Francisco’s Huntington Hotel (established 1924), set to open this spring on Nob Hill with 143 rooms and suites, bay views, Georgian architecture, a three-story spa and the second coming of original club-restaurant The Big 4. In Rhode Island, Newport’s Hotel Viking will kick off the summer with a full renovation in honor of its centenary, bringing renewed interest to One Bellevue Avenue. Plus, rumors continue to swirl that New York’s fabled Gramercy Park Hotel is reopening soon, with a renovation masterminded by MCR/MORSE Development.
• A spring long weekend in Charleston is ever-appealing, and a new waterfront hotel, The Cooper, will soon offer travelers a more spacious respite from the main drag.
• Ian Schrager’s Public Hotels brand is heading west to the Sunset Strip; Public West Hollywood is expected to open Spring 2026. The Standard and Park Hyatt will both land in Mexico City later this year, expanding the capital’s hotel offerings.

The chic coastal town of Cartagena (and former home of Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez) will welcome its first new luxury resort in years. Four Seasons is renovating a collection of landmark buildings, some dating back to the 16th century, in the buzzy, bohemian Getsemaní neighborhood. The property will offer 131 accommodations, including 16 suites, and private residences, with eight restaurants and lounges, a spa, fitness center and two rooftop pools. • Expected Opening: Winter/Spring 2026

At the end of this year, Indagare-favorite South American adventure brand Explora will open two new lodges in Patagonia, joining three existing sister properties in the region (and lodges in Chile’s Atacama Desert and Rapa Nui). These additions will make Explora’s one of the best-connected circuits for Patagonia exploration.

Explora El Calafate will bring guests to a remote corner of the 70,000-hectare Chorrillo Malo estancia, at the entry point to Argentina’s glacier zone. With striking views of Perito Moreno, the Andes, the steppe and the southern Patagonian ice field, the 20-room lodge will be designed by award-winning Chilean architect José Cruz Ovalle to emphasize local materials, quiet luxury and, of course, the panoramic surroundings. Days here should be spent outdoors, and there will be more than 30 guided experiences on offer, for all activity levels (and a spa with outdoor hot tubs will be there to embrace sore muscles at the end of the day).

The second lodge, at the edge of Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, will be even more intimate and serene, with just 10 rooms set within Explora’s own private conservation reserve. Shared amenities will include a small spa with a massage room, sauna and outdoor hot tub and a traditional Quincho barbecue pavilion—but the true highlight here will be the privileged access to Torres del Paine’s hiking and horseback riding trails. • Expected Opening: December 2026

Inkaterra has long welcomed Indagare members to its three lodges in Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, and now the brand is expanding to Peru’s northern Pacific coast, renewing interest in the legendary surf and fishing village that in the 1950s attracted such sportsmen as Ernest Hemingway. A 95-minute flight from Lima (followed by a coastal drive), Inkaterra Cabo Blanco will have just thirteen ocean-view suites, each with its own private terrace and plunge pool. Guests will be encouraged to embrace the peace of seaside rhythms amid one of South America’s richest marine ecosystems. A pioneer for ecotourism, the resort is also set to be recognized as the world’s first carbon-neutral beach destination through the Cabo Blanco Carbon Neutral Certification Project. • Expected Opening: To be announced

The luxury expedition cruise line Silversea is taking to land, and will open the southernmost hotel on earth in Puerto Williams, Chile—a popular departure point for Antarctica cruises. With 150 rooms looking out at the Beagle Channel and forested Patagonian mountains, the purpose-built property will make Silversea’s one of the most efficient Antarctica itineraries on the market, with a direct flight from Santiago to Puerto Williams connecting travelers with their embarkation point—and creating the option to add Silversea’s Antarctica Bridge fly-cruise connection, to skip the unpredictable Drake’s Passage crossing. Another benefit: guests of the hotel will be given their cruise gear (parkas, waterproof pants and boots) upon arrival at The Cormorant, providing the chance to adjust sizes prior to sailing. • Expected Opening: January 2026

• andBeyond is a conservation-focused brand beloved by Indagare members, with luxury lodges and camps across top safari destinations in Africa, as well as Chile and Bhutan. In June 2024, andBeyond launched its first vessel, the Galápagos Explorer, and it continues this expansion into expedition yachts with the Amazon Explorer, a spacious 15-suite river cruiser sailing the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, expected to launch September 2026.

With Indagare-adored locations in Ubud, Bangkok, Singapore and Hanoi, Capella has mastered Southeast Asian sophistication and contemporary style with soul. In 2026, the collection expands to Japan—a destination that remains as popular as ever—with a new hotel in Kyoto’s Miyagawa-chō district, known for its geisha history. Bridging the past and the present, the four-story machiya townhouse—a former primary school—will be transformed by Kengo Kuma and Associates to have 89 rooms, a spa with a private onsen, a courtyard garden and two restaurants focused on omakase and other Japanese specialties, as well as French cuisine. • Expected Opening: March 23, 2026

Prized for its ancient hot springs and Mount Fuji views, Hakone has long welcomed luxury travelers to one mainstay hotel—Gora Kadan—where it has become notoriously difficult to secure availability. That’s about to change. Later this year, Indagare-favorite Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto will open its first sister property on a nearly 445,000-square-foot site within Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Some of the resort comprises the former estate of the Mitsui family itself—which is why it has been able to secure such a large swath of land in this highly coveted area surrounded by forests and mountains. There will be 126 guest rooms, suites and villas with interiors by Yabu Pushelberg, all oriented around experiencing the natural thermal spring on-site (each room is fed by the thermal waters for a private experience, and there is also a shared main onsen). • Expected Opening: To be announced

The time to travel to Vietnam is now (read why here), and a boost in luxury hotel development across the country is an indication that the destination will only continue to trend with travelers. Later this year, Four Seaons will land in Hanoi, with a new property on the shores of the city’s famous Hoàn Kiếm Lake—within walking distance of many important historic sites, top shopping and dining and the atmospheric French Quarter. The property will maintain a French Colonial aesthetic across 95 rooms and suites, and amenities will include a spa, pools and fitness center and an all-day restaurant, lounge and rooftop bar. For devotées of the Four Seasons, the Hanoi opening will present a lovely pairing with the brand’s other Vietnamese property, the beachfront Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai outside Hoi An. • Expected Opening: To be announced

For travelers looking to explore beyond Vietnam’s most popular cities, a new Park Hyatt resort will expand access to the southwestern region of the country’s largest island, a tropical oasis in the Gulf of Thailand known for its white- and golden-sand beaches, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, charming seaside villages and traditional production of fish sauce, pepper and pearls. The Park Hyatt will also offer a mile-long stretch of private coastline for ocean exploration. • Expected Opening: To be announced

The Mumbai-founded hospitality group behind top resorts throughout India is coming to Rajasthan’s so-called “Golden City,” Jaisalmer, with a 30-acre desert retreat. Guest rooms and tented villas, an expansive spa and wellness center, multiple restaurants and romantic lawns will surround a man-made lake at the heart of The Leela Jaisalmer, providing history buffs with a serene home base as they explore the area’s ​​UNESCO World Heritage sites. • Expected Opening: To be announced

One of the most remote and least-densely populated countries on earth, Mongolia is a dream destination for travelers seeking authentic cultural experiences and unforgettable vistas. The opening of a new hotel in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, marks a significant expansion of their options upon arrival. The Ayan Zalaat sits on a 34-acre private estate on the outskirts of the city, allowing for more space and more beautiful views than one might find at the Shangri-La, Indagare’s go-to choice in Ulaanbaatar since 2015. Onsite, there is a traditional Mongolian theater, hosting ancient folk performances, a Tibetan Buddhist temple, where guests can meet with monks for guided discussion and mindfulness, and a plethora of plush amenities, including four global restaurants, six bars and lounges, a screening room, bowling alley, billiards, table tennis and a private karaoke lounge—and a large spa with hydrotherapy pools (including steam and sauna). Guest rooms even have their own “wellness mini-bars” and dedicated “Bath Butler.” • Expected Opening: January 2026

Bulgari is bringing its contemporary sophistication to nearly 50 acres in the Maldives’ Raa Atoll, a 45-minute sea plane flight from Malé airport. The resort will have 54 accommodations total: 20 overwater villas, 33 beach villas with private pools and an exclusive-use villa on its own island. Four high-end gastronomy experiences will specialize in Italian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine; a spa, fitness center, yoga pavilion, library and curated concept shop round out the communal amenities. In an effort to support conservation in the archipelago, Bulgari is building a new island to host the nesting bird population—and we expect more sustainability programs to launch when the resort opens. • Expected Opening: To be announced

NIHI Sumba (pictured above) is a bucket-list hotel in the truest sense of the term—so the news that it will expand for the first time since it opened over 20 years ago is major indeed. NIHI Rote Island will have 21 thatched pool villas, tucked away on a near-secret stretch of Bo’a Beach, just across the Savu Sea from Sumba (it’s a two-hour flight from Bali and Jakarta). Rote Island will continue the mission guests know and love at Sumba, with ​​world-class surfing, spa safaris, family-friendly “Edge of Wildness” camps and more—plus, the property will lead a hospitality academy to train, employ and uplift members of the local community. • Expected Opening: April 2026

In the hinterland of Australia’s Sunshine Coast—touted for its golden beaches, laid-back vibe and excellent surfing and diving—a new boutique hotel will soon tempt travelers seeking holistic wellness in far-flung locales. With Italianate villa accommodations (including larger options with multiple bedrooms, full kitchens and private courtyards), Casa Renoir invites guests to savor 40 acres of citrus and olive groves, just 20 minutes from the beach. The property will also host an artist residency program and an organic farm, while other slow-living touches include a natural swimming lagoon, a wood-fired pizza oven, a cellar of natural wines and a yoga deck. Sustainability will also be a focus here: Casa Renoir operates on natural energy and uses water conservation programs. • Expected Opening: To be announced; one villa is already available to book

• The Langham is coming to Bangkok (within a complex on the Chao Praya River, including the city’s old Custom House) and Soho House is opening in Tokyo.
• A new eco-luxury brand, Kaia, will launch in Thailand, on the island of Koh Pha Ngan (just north of Koh Samui).
• The world-class golf course Ocean Dunes on King Island, Tasmania, will add an on-site, 24-room hotel to welcome guests for longer visits.
• On the Great Barrier Reef, Australia’s Hamilton Island jewel Qualia will unveil upgrades to its spa and wellness experiences.

This tropical archipelago off the coast of east Africa has long been a bastion of sleepy luxury, but right now the area is seeing an influx of development. Michel Reybier’s La Réserve collection will celebrate its first opening outside of Europe with six private villas, each with its own seaview terrace, set on a secluded stretch of white-sand beach on the island of Praslin, which also faces a marine reserve, Curieuse Island. Expect a breezy yet sophisticated aesthetic, with an emphasis on light woods, soft natural textures, vaulted ceilings and an organic flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. Privacy is paramount here; each villa is serviced by a dedicated chef and maîtres de maison, while a beach bar and pavilion provide the opportunity for connection. • Expected Opening: Autumn 2026

When the private island Fregate opened in 1999, it became a trailblazer for the Seychelles with its simultaneous dedication to both conservation and exclusive luxury. Now, after a four-year closure, the resort is preparing to unveil the results of an extensive renovation, as well as a revitalization of its sustainability program, particularly with regards to protecting critically endangered resident species like the magpie robin, the fregate beetle and the giant Aldabra tortoise. The 12 private villas have been enlarged—and five more villas have been added; they have also been redesigned with glass, stone and light wood, with improved energy consumption technologies. • Expected Opening: To be announced

With 10 lodges and nine villas in east and southern Africa, Singita owns and operates some of the finest destinations for luxury safari on the continent. In 2026, the brand makes its debut in the Okavango Delta with Elela, which means “to flow” in Setswana. The lodge will be open year-round, adapting with the seasonal shifts of the delta itself, for a truly meditative and connected experience in this one-of-a-kind ecosystem. (The property will be raised on stilts to accommodate the rising and falling water levels.) Eight individual “camps” with one-to-four- bedroom layouts, private outdoor decks and heated plunge pools will welcome couples as well as families and groups of friends. In addition to classic game drives, guests can engage with the landscapes and resident flora and fauna on bush walks, mokoro canoe and boating safaris, fishing and stargazing; yoga, in-room wellness treatments and wine tastings will also be offered. • Expected Opening: December 1, 2026

On the heels of its autumn 2025 launch of Suyian in the Laikipia region of Kenya (get Indagare’s first look here), andBeyond is expanding its more rustic, semi-permanent camp collection, Under Canvas, to two new locations in Botswana’s Okavango Delta this spring. Each camp will have just three tents, for a maximum of six guests, with the essentials: super king beds, double showers, running water, solar power and Starlink WiFi. The Sandibe camp will sit in one of the area’s most wildlife-rich concessions, where visitors can experience year-round sightings of lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog, as well as walking safaris and community exchanges. The Nxabega camp is more focused on the delta’s unique floodplains, with the chance to travel the waterways by mokoro canoe and try catch-and-release fishing. Plus, andBeyond’s Under Canvas location in Botswana’s Chobe National Park is being refurbished—so travelers can make a seamless circuit of the three within one of southern Africa’s most astounding regions. • Expected Opening: March 2026

The brand behind some of Indagare’s favorite safari camps throughout Africa, Wilderness, is expanding its presence in Kenya’s legendary Mara Triangle with a takeover and full rebuild of the historic Little Governor’s Camp (founded in the 1970s, it was one of the first permanent tented camps built in the Maasai Mara). Set along the wild marshland of the Mara River, 12 tented suites will be equipped with freestanding bathtubs, indoor and outdoor showers and elevated private decks—with a camp gym, spa, pool and photo studio. Wilderness Mara will provide travelers with unique access to the many natural wonders of this area—including the Great Migration—as it is the only camp in the region that can drive guests on both sides of the river. • Expected Opening: June 2026

Visions of Namibia tend to evoke ochre sand dunes, echoing salt pans and empty coastlines, but in the northeasternmost corner of the country, on the borders with Botswana and Zambia, the lesser-known Nkasa Rupara National Park contains dense wetlands and forests—and a crucial wildlife corridor for migrating elephants, buffalo and other at-risk species. This spring, a new camp will become the first (and only) to root itself on the park’s Nkasa Island, within a private concession between the Kwando and Linyanti rivers, amid floodplains that ultimately feed into the Okavango. With just six stilted canvas tents—and a communal pool, firepit and lounge/dining area—Nkasa Linyanti promises a truly remote, raw safari experience for veterans and first-timers alike. • Expected Opening: May 2026

The luxury hotel scene in Oman has long been dominated by seaside and mountain resorts like Six Senses Zighy Bay and the Chedi Muscat, but this year, travelers eager to explore this under-the-radar Middle Eastern treasure will have the chance to more deeply engage with Omani culture, thanks to the launch of the family-owned brand The Malkai. More an experience than a hotel, The Malkai will offer a curated seven-night itinerary across three distinct sites—the coastal date farmlands of Barkaa, the dramatic northern Al Hajar mountains and the expansive Sharqiya desert—with just 15 contemporary Bedouin-style tented suites to stay in at each stop. Each guest will journey from place to place in the company of a dedicated Murshid guide—in the comfort of a private Land Rover—for an authentic and highly personalized introduction to Oman’s rich heritage and wild landscapes, with standout activities like hiking with mountain goats and their shepherds, snorkeling around a private island in the UNESCO-protected Ad-Dimaniyat archipelago and dune-driving and heli-touring. • Expected Opening: Autumn/Winter 2026

Saudi Arabia is eager to welcome travelers, and as part of the Vision 2030 campaign, the kingdom has made an overwhelming investment in hotels to support tourism infrastructure. The Red Sea coastal and island developments—which are now serviced by their own international airport—are becoming a hub for beachfront wellness, water sports, yachting and marine exploration along the world’s fourth-largest coral reef. Several luxury brands are expected to launch resorts in this region in 2026:

• Equinox Hotels is opening its second location (after the 2019 flagship in New York’s Hudson Yards) in the center of Amaala’s Triple Bay marina, just steps from the yacht club, shopping and entertainment. The resort will have 128 accommodations and 21 residences designed by Foster + Partners, with Equinox’s science-backed sleep technology, as well as a 20,000-square-foot Equinox Club and Spa, a rooftop magnesium pool and five global culinary concepts. • Expected Opening: Winter/Spring 2026
  
• Rosewood will open resorts on the Red Sea’s Shura Island and in the Amaala region. The Shura Island property will have 149 guest rooms and suites, three restaurants, two lounges, a club and an Asaya spa, with access to the Red Sea Development’s 18-hole championship golf course and marina. The Amaala resort was envisioned by APCV ARCHITECTS Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, with 110 guest rooms and suites, 25 residences, signature culinary and spa programs and two specially designed rock pools that will allow guests to enjoy the sea directly, while protecting the reef. • Expected Opening: To be announced
  
• On Amaala’s Triple Bay, Six Senses is opening a new beachfront resort with 64 rooms, six suites, 30 villas and 25 residences, designed to evoke the region’s traditional coastal villages and providing access to natural rock pools, secret coves, bright lagoons and lush mangroves. • Expected Opening: To be announced
  
• The Indagare Adored wellness retreat Miraval (with locations in Tucson, Austin and the Berkshires) will open its first property outside of the U.S. in the Red Sea. The serene 180-key resort designed by Foster + Partners will sit across three million square feet of beaches on the southern end of Shura Island. Of the 180 accommodations, 20 will be private villas. The signature Life in Balance spa is anticipated to be the largest in the Red Sea, at 40,000 square feet. • Expected Opening: To be announced

• The Spanish brand Vestige will launch a circuit of four lodges in northern Namibia in Autumn 2026: Sorris Sorris in Damaraland, Omatendeka near the Grootberg Mountains, Sheya Shuushona on the border of Etosha National Park and Xaudum, inside Khaudum National Park. Come here for otherworldly dune and mountain landscapes and thriving populations of elephant and wild dog—as well as the chance to learn about the ancient cultures of local nomadic tribes.
• Ubuyu, a Banyan Tree Escape, is coming to Ruaha National Park in Tanzania in May 2026.
• The Indagare Adored lodge Singita Lebombo in South Africa’s Kruger National Park is expected to unveil a refurbishment in March 2026, including a new conservation lounge and “gallery of treasures.”
• In Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest—home to more than half of the world’s mountain gorillas, hundreds of endemic species and the ancient Batwa community—a new lodge, Erebero Hills, will reforest 45 acres of land adjacent to the national park, creating a “buffer zone” for wildlife movement and cultural preservation. The contemporary-style lodge will be constructed primarily from native bamboo, and there will be eight suites; guests will also be able to embark on gorilla trekking from here.
• Later this year, Six Senses is opening urban resorts in Dubai and Tel Aviv.