Whether your clients are always looking for the newest hotels and resorts around or like to know when a favorite brand opens in a new destination, it seems there are always openings that fit the bill. Here is a sampling of some buzzworthy properties set to debut during the next six months.
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Paris and London
Housed in a late 19th-century classic Haussmannian building, The Peninsula Paris will make its grand entrance on August 1. The property, which has 200 luxurious rooms, including 34 suites—some with views of the Eiffel Tower—has been meticulously restored. Just steps from the Arc de Triomphe, The Peninsula sits in the heart of Paris within walking distance of some of the world’s most famous monuments, museums and luxury shopping districts.
All rooms and suites are embellished with curated works of art, elegant furniture, ambient lighting and proprietary technology—everything is controlled and accessed with the touch of a button. In addition to the bedroom, living area and bathroom, each unit offers a separate dressing area with expansive luggage and wardrobe space, and a valet box. The large marble bathrooms have separate rain showers, deep soaking bathtubs and double washbasins, together with inset TVs and bath amenities by Oscar de la Renta.
Another Haussmannian mansion will be reborn as guest accommodation in November when French hotelier and vintner Michel Reybier opens the intimate La Réserve Paris Hotel, Spa and Apartments. Close to the Palais de l’Élysée and Place de la Concorde—with views of the Eiffel Tower, Grand Palais, Panthéon and Luxor Obelisk—the hotel’s 25 suites (including four Presidential Suites) and 15 rooms pay homage to the Belle Époque with muted lighting, antique furniture and lush-colored fabrics.
Amenities will include a lounge, private bar, smoking parlor, library and restaurant. Suites come with personal butler service. The spa will have three treatment rooms, a gym, sauna and a 52-foot indoor pool.
For art lovers, The Beaumont, a hotel set to open this September in London’s Mayfair district, has unveiled a new piece of artwork that one can actually live in. Commissioned as a piece of public art from sculptor Antony Gormley, ROOM is both a figural sculpture and an architectural extension to the hotel. The interior is a fumed oak-clad bedroom in a suite of rooms; the exterior is a giant crouching cuboid figure based on the artist’s body. A low-level wing to the south side of the building’s facade serves as a readymade plinth and also connects to a suite of rooms on the second floor. The structure consists of welded plates of stainless steel—pale and matte, just as they come from the mill—without internal supporting armature.
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The Lux Tower’s Deluxe King — high floor room at the SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. |
ROOM is one of 23 suites in the 73-room hotel. The Beaumont will also have a restaurant (the Colony Grill Room), an American Bar and a residents-only lounge—The Cub Room; a gymnasium; and a spa with hammam. The hotel is a short walk to the luxury stores on Mount Street, South Audley Street and Bond Street; the green spaces of Grosvenor Square, Berkeley Square and Hyde Park; and Mayfair’s art galleries.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach—the luxury hotel company’s first venture in the United Arab Emirates—is set to open in late 2014. The 188 rooms and 49 suites will be complemented by three restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, a spa, private beach club, and 13,000 square feet of meeting and function space. The 11-acre resort will afford guests access to 886 feet of beachfront, and is in close proximity to some of Dubai’s most iconic attractions, such as the Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest building) and The Dubai Mall.
New York City
The highly anticipated Park Hyatt New York is now accepting reservations for arrivals from August 12 onward. Towering over the heart of midtown Manhattan on 57th Street, between Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue, the luxury hotel occupies the first 25 floors of a 90-story mixed-use tower that affords panoramic views of Central Park and the New York skyline.
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Christian de Portzamparc, the Park Hyatt New York’s 92 suites and 118 generously sized standard and deluxe rooms—among the largest in the city at 475 and 530 square feet respectively—all have floor-to-ceiling windows and free Wi-Fi. Spa Nalai on the 25th floor has six treatment rooms equipped with private outdoor balconies, while a 24/7 gym overlooks the “three-story aerie” and has a steam room, hot tub, changing rooms, and a pool with underwater music. Executive Chef Sam Hazen is overseeing all food and beverage operations, including The Back Room at One57 restaurant and the Living Room bar with views of Carnegie Hall. Also worth noting: The hotel is pet-friendly.
Las Vegas
SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino is set to debut on August 23, nine days ahead of the original Labor Day target date. The property will be the first new resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip in nearly five years. Its more than 1,600 guest rooms and suites are housed in three distinct hotel towers—Story, Lux and World—each with a unique personality. Accommodations range from 360-square-foot Superior rooms to the Lux Penthouse and Story Penthouse at 2,382 and 3,300 square feet, respectively.
Guests can take advantage of a mix of nightlife, dining and entertainment experiences, as well as 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. SLS is now accepting room bookings as well as dining reservations for Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, Cleo, Katsuya, Ku Noodle and The Griddle Cafe.
Caribbean
Sonesta St. Maarten All-Inclusive Resorts is adding a third all-inclusive hotel on the island, next door to Sonesta Maho Beach Resort. The adults-only hotel, tentatively named Ocean Point at Maho, is expected to have a soft opening in October. It will have approximately 130 rooms and suites—including 25 swim-out Junior Suites, Sunset Suites that have terraces with plunge pools, and Luxury Rooftop Suites. There will be two à la carte dining options and VIPs staying at Ocean Point may enjoy the amenities of the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, which offers a breakfast buffet.
Having established a beachhead in Mexico, Hyatt is exporting its new all-inclusive resort brands—family-friendly Hyatt Ziva and adults-only (ages 16 and up) Hyatt Zilara—to Montego Bay, Jamaica. The company is now accepting reservations for both the Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall and Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall hotels, slated to open on November 1. Both have a number of swim-up rooms and suites among their combined 621 units.
The two properties share seven restaurants, including ones specializing in Italian, Brazilian, Caribbean and Pan-Asian cuisines. Zilara guests also have exclusive access to a French restaurant and a seaside international eatery. Other shared or similar amenities include multiple pools, a spa, fitness center, tennis, beach volleyball, water aerobics, complimentary Wi-Fi access, and entertainment featuring live music.
Mexico
The Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa will open this winter in Riviera Cancun, just 15 minutes from Cancun International Airport. The resort will have more than 1,100 suites with amenities including rain showers, 24-hour room services, free Wi-Fi, unlimited calling to North America, and more. Guests can also download a Royalton mobile app and receive the unlimited free-calling plan on their mobile device, as well as unlimited app-to-app texting.
There will also be a Royal Spa with a hydrotherapy circuit, beauty salon and fitness center; Score Sports Bar and 15 other bars/lounges; a Kids Club; and 10 reservation-free restaurants. Guests can upgrade to Diamond Club status and gain access to a private lounge with a premium drinks menu, butler service, an exclusive beach area, pillow menu and more.
By the end of this year, AMResorts’ portfolio will include 39 resorts in 15 destinations, primarily in Mexico. Secrets Playa Mujeres is set to debut in November, while December will see the opening of Zoetry Villa Rolandi Isla Mujeres, Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya and Breathless Petempich (Puerto Morelos).
Meanwhile, the Hyatt Ziva brand will continue to expand with openings in Puerto Vallarta in December and Cancun in early 2015. Both are former Dreams resorts being re-branded by owners Playa Hotels & Resorts.