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Lakefront glamour, seaside charm, mountaintop comfort—my latest list of the world’s best new hotel openings has a little something for everyone. Variety is the spice of life, after all. Some travelers might relish the opportunity to stay in a restored 11th-century castle in the Dolomites, while others prefer something a bit more contemporary. Certain vacationers stay steadfastly loyal to renowned hotel groups like Four Seasons and Rosewood, and others are excited to try small, independent hotels. Adventurous people want places they can surf or ski, and those craving serenity would rather zero in on the spa menu. This variety in taste is exactly why I included options for all of the above and then some.
Among several dozen hotel openings from the last six months, I narrowed my list to only include the crème de la crème, focusing on properties with chic interior design, unique architecture, and impressive views. Scroll down to learn about the world’s most stylish new hotels. (While you’re at it, revisit my 2025 list too)
(Image credit: Courtesy of Villa Colette)
WHAT: Villa Colette
WHERE: Lège-Cap-Ferret, France
WHEN: Opened April 2026
WHY: A quieter alternative to the French Riviera, this spot swaps buzzy beach clubs for oyster shacks, serene sand dunes, and bike rides through the pines.
Not to be confused with the flashier, nearly-identically-named Cap Ferrat near Monaco, this hotel is located on the Cap Ferret peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arcachon Bay. Bathed in pastels, the interiors at Villa Colette were dreamed up by Philippe Starck, a famous architect and interior designer and the inventor of the iconic Louis Ghost Chair (among many other designs). If French coastal charm is your vibe, this is the hotel for you. Rates start at approximately $465 per night.
WHAT: Casa Cedo
WHERE: Porto, Portugal
WHEN: Opened November 2025
WHY: With only eight rooms, this boutique hotel is small in scale but big on design.
This 19th-century home-turned-hotel was painstakingly renovated to preserve the building’s historic façade, stonework, stucco, and antique tiles. Filled with art, furniture, and ceramics from local artists and situated near the trendy Miguel Bombarda arts district, Casa Cedo is sure to attract creatives of all stripes. With a reception that doubles as a flower shop, rooms named after botanicals, and a garden of strawberry trees and wild ferns, nature-inspired touches abound. Rates start at $348 per night.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Casa Bonavita)
WHAT: Casa Bonavita
WHERE: Attard, Malta
WHEN: Opened May 2026
WHY: A Baroque palazzo from 1715 gets a new life as a fabulous fresco-filled hotel.
More than 300 years after it was built, a former home has been transformed into a stylish hotel by Suzanne and Christopher Sharp, founders of The Rug Company, a name familiar to fashion fans for its collaborations with Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Guo Pei, and others. From classical sculptures in the garden to antique Italian furniture in the entryway, every corner of Casa Bonavita is brimming with eye candy. The stately rooms, chic pool, flavorful Mediterranean restaurant, and de Gournay–paneled bar make it hard to leave the property, but should you be enticed to venture out, you can take a 10-minute stroll to the lush, free-to-visit San Anton Gardens, which date back to the early 1600s. Rates start at approximately $453 per night.
(Image credit: Courtesy of The Lake Como Edition)
WHAT: The Lake Como Edition
WHERE: Lake Como, Italy
WHEN: Opened March 2026
WHY: This lively new hotel is giving Lake Como’s centuries-old establishments a run for their money.
Situated less than a mile from the historic 116-year-old Grand Hotel Tremezzo, The Lake Como Edition caters to travelers wanting all the perks of the prestigious lakefront location but none of the formality and stuffiness. Several fashion insiders were at the hotel’s opening party, including Ferragamo Creative Director Maximilian Davis, photographer Juergen Teller, and Wardrobe.NYC founder Christine Centenera. All in all, this opening is a boon to well-heeled Marriott Bonvoy members looking for something incredibly special to spend their points on.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Rosewood Courchevel)
WHAT: Rosewood Courchevel Le Jardin Alpin
WHERE: Courchevel, France
WHEN: Opened December 2025
WHY: Come winter, this will be the place to see and be seen for both skiers and après-ski aficionados.
The Carlyle in NYC is arguably Rosewood’s most famous fashion haunt thanks to its proximity to the Met Gala, but now, the hotel group has a new place you can find industry insiders: Rosewood Courchevel Le Jardin Alpin. The biggest draw? Direct ski-in, ski-out access to Les Trois Vallées, the world’s largest interconnected ski area. The impeccably designed interiors by Tristan Auer were meant to resemble “a private mansion chalet rather than a traditional hotel.” Judging by the photos, he certainly achieved this goal. Rates start at approximately $3368 per night, including breakfast. The hotel is only open during the winter, reopening for the season in December 2026.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Castel Badia)
WHAT: Castel Badia
WHERE: San Lorenzo di Sebato, Italy
WHEN: Opened December 2025
WHY: How many opportunities do you get to stay in an 11th-century castle?
The Dolomites got great PR during the 2026 Winter Olympics, and now, an extraordinary new hotel opening will continue that momentum. Formerly a Benedictine convent dating back to the Middle Ages, Castel Badia recently reopened following a painstaking renovation. (For context, this hilltop castle is so old it predates both the Mongol and Ottoman empires!) South Tyrolean wood ceilings and walls make the ancient building feel cozy, not cold.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Zannier Ile de Bendor)
WHAT: Zannier Île de Bendor
WHERE: Bandol, France
WHEN: Opened May 2026
WHY: Staying on a private island makes every guest feel like a VIP.
Coastal Provence has a new hot spot: Zannier Île de Bendor. Getting there isn’t as straightforward as a big-city destination, but the effort will be more than worth it. For example, from the Marseille Airport, you’ll need to drive about an hour to the port town of Bandol, where you’ll hop on a quick seven-minute ferry ride to the hotel’s private island. With three restaurants, four bars, a café, a crêperie, a large wellness center, and tennis and pickleball courts, there’s plenty to do once you arrive.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Orient Express Venice)
WHAT: Orient Express Venezia
WHERE: Venice, Italy
WHEN: Opened March 2026
WHY: Known for its luxury trains, Orient Express is now steaming ahead with its second hotel opening.
Originally built for a noble Venetian family, this 15th-century palace is now operating as a hotel for the first time in its nearly 600-year history. Architect and interior designer Aline Asmar d’Amman transformed Orient Express Venezia with bespoke Murano chandeliers, moiré silk wall coverings, Venetian lanterns, gilded ceilings, contemporary art, embossed leather furniture, and more. (By the way, if you’ve been to the Hôtel de Crillon in the last decade, you’re familiar with d’Amman’s work. She redesigned the Parisian hotel from 2013 to 2017, collaborating with Karl Lagerfeld on the design of the penthouse suites.) The property offers 47 rooms, suites, and residences at a starting rate of approximately $1395 per night.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Capella Kyoto)
WHAT: Capella Kyoto
WHERE: Kyoto, Japan
WHEN: Opened March 2026
WHY: For the ultimate quiet luxury trip, splurge on one of the hotel’s six suites with private onsens.
Capella Hotels and Resorts—which was named Travel+Leisure‘s best hotel brand in the world in 2023, ’24, and ’25—has landed in Japan for the first time. Joining properties in Singapore, Sydney, Bangkok, and more, Capella’s Kyoto outpost is ideally located in the Miyagawa-cho district near Kennin-ji, the city’s oldest Zen Buddhist temple, and Miyagawa-chō Kaburenjo, a historic theater for geiko and maiko dances.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Chesa Marchetta)
WHAT: Chesa Marchetta
WHERE: Sils Maria, Switzerland
WHEN: Opened March 2026
WHY: Even though it’s only a 20-minute drive from glitzy Saint Moritz, low-key Sils Maria feels like a world away.
At Chesa Marchetta, you can have the best of both worlds: During the day, indulge yourself with high-end shopping and world-class skiing in nearby Saint Moritz, and then rest in your head in Sils Maria, a quieter pocket of the beautiful Engadin valley. “Designed by Luis Laplace, each of our 13 rooms combines traditional Engadin furniture with carefully selected artworks by local artists and artisans—reflecting the village’s long tradition as a refuge for writers, thinkers, and creatives,” the hotel explains on its website.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Four Seasons Cartagena)
WHAT: Four Seasons Cartagena
WHERE: Cartagena, Colombia
WHEN: Opened April 2026
WHY: With elegant interiors by the legendary François Catroux, it’s poised to become the city’s new luxury hotel heavyweight.
Four Seasons has officially put down roots in Cartagena’s trendy Getsemaní neighborhood just a stone’s throw (pun intended) from the fortified limestone walls of the city’s Centro Histórico. The 131-room property features eight restaurants and bars, two rooftop pools overlooking the Caribbean, a spa set inside a former cloister, and artwork and furnishings created by Colombian artists and designers. Catroux, a prominent French interior designer who was famously close friends with Yves Saint Laurent, contributed to the hotel’s interior design before his death in 2020. Rates start at $780 per night, including breakfast.
