The Latest New Tropical Hotels

Clients planning a tropical getaway this winter will have several new resort hotels, as well as new accommodation options at existing properties, from which to choose. Here are some of the recent and upcoming openings in several popular warm-weather destinations.

Central and South America

Casa Chameleon Las Cantinas is set to open in Costa Rica in February. Twenty-one intimate villas with private pools are positioned into the hill overlooking Las Catalinas, a new beach town located on the Guanacaste Coast. Earlier this year, sister hotel Casa Chameleon Costa Rica opened in Mal Pais near Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula. Both properties are adults-only.

Inside Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano National Park, Nayara Springs will open 19 new villas in December. All will have private plunge pools, double-headed indoor and outdoor showers, and complimentary minibars (excluding wine). A new restaurant, Mis Amores, will serve fresh, modern Mediterranean fare such as a tapas, black tempura calamari, and stuffed tortilla with bacalao and green peppers. The espresso bar will roast fresh, locally sourced beans to create several blends and will offer guests the opportunity to concoct their own, personal brews. The new yoga pavilion is enveloped by rainforest.

In Nandaime, Nicaragua, 30 minutes from Granada, the brand new Nekupe sporting resort and retreat is set on a 1,300-acre nature reserve and offers a range of activities, including daily yoga classes, evening poetry readings, marimba dancing and private cooking lessons. Guests can also explore on land and water with tours of Granada and nearby islands, the Mombacho and Masaya Volcanos and Lake Nicaragua. There are monkey-watching excursions, hikes of Cerro Negro and bird-watching outings, as well as ATV riding, sport fishing, surfing lessons, helicopter tours and a shooting range.

Viceroy Hotel Group plans to open the Viceroy Bocas del Toro Panama in 2019. That hotel will be the first in the region with luxury overwater villas — 42 of them to be precise. The company is also set to open the Viceroy Buenos Aires in 2019. It will have 125 guest rooms and 30 residences and will anchor Madero Harbour, an upscale urban planned community.

Scheduled to open in Brazil in 2018, the Rosewood Sao Paulo will be the brand’s first property in South America. The city-center hotel will be housed in a historic, landmark building (a former maternity hospital) in the heart of Cidade Matarazzo, a complex of elegant buildings dating to the early 20th century, which will be transformed into private residences, high-end stores and entertainment venues.

Casa Chameleon Las Cantinas is an adults-only property set to open in Costa Rica in February.
Casa Chameleon Las Cantinas is an adults-only property set to open in Costa Rica in February.

More in Mexico

Auberge Resorts Collection will manage the luxury Chileno Bay Resorts & Residences when it opens in Los Cabos in December 2016. Formerly known as VieVage Los Cabos, it is set amidst the 1,200-acre resort community of Chileno Bay, a development comprising a private beach club, Tom Fazio-designed 18-hole golf course, residences and more. A three-tiered zero-edge pool that spans 450 feet will serve as the centerpiece of the new resort, which will have 60 guestrooms, and 32 two-, three- and four-bedroom villas. The villas have outdoor showers, terraces, and indoor soaking tubs, along with hand-crafted furniture and accessories created by local artisans. There will also be a restaurant and spa on site.

Slated to open by year’s end, Grand Velas Los Cabos will cater to even its youngest guests with kids’ and teens’ clubs, spa treatments for all ages and wellness-focused amenities and activities. Healthy cooking classes, stretching lessons and more are included in the activity program focused on keeping all kids active while healthy turndown amenities are also offered such as gluten-free cookies, low sugar cupcakes, and seasonal fruit presented in creative ways among others. Babies also get VIP treatment at Grand Velas Los Cabos with a designated baby concierge; nanny service is available on advance notice. Entertainment for families ranges from sand castle building, water balloon wars, origami classes and kickball tournaments to foam parties, drive-in movies, and cultural performances.

The new W Punta de Mita in Riviera Nayarit is part of the multi-use oceanfront development, Los Veneros. Seen here is the Huichol Sunway.
The new W Punta de Mita in Riviera Nayarit is part of the multi-use oceanfront development, Los Veneros. Seen here is the Huichol Sunway.

The Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico, will debut three new Villas Cielo (“heavenly villas”) this month. The Azul, Terra and Verde villas will emphasize wellness and the natural beauty of the surrounding environment and sport traditional Mexican style with contemporary touches from local artisans. Each casita has an individual character and theme. Boasting an indoor-outdoor aesthetic across 2,200 square feet, villas will have glass doors looking out onto lush gardens and private terraces with views of the surrounding mountains. Master suites will overlook flexible living rooms that can be converted into residential gyms or offices. Outdoor showers, warm saltwater dipping pools, daybeds and hammocks will also be available.

AC Hotel Guadalajara, developed and owned by FibraHotel and operated by Marriott International, targets Millennial travelers with its design-driven theme. The hotel combines the authenticity of Guadalajara, in the architecture and interior design, with the comforts of modern European design, such as its minimalist look intended to convey a feeling of spaciousness and elegance. Additionally, all furniture and lighting were designed and produced in Mexico, while free Wi-Fi and Kallpods — wireless service buttons that enable guests to request a staff member’s attention immediately — offer further modern comforts.

Chablé Spa & Resort’s Mayan forest setting covers 750 acres on the Yucatan Peninsula. The hotel, set to open in November, will have 38-stand-alone pool villas complete with outdoor showers, hammocks and living areas. The spa, built alongside a cenote, has nine treatment rooms, a steam room, a sauna, a salt cabin and floatarium. The two restaurants serve organic, seasonal cuisine from the on-site gardens.

The new W Punta de Mita in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit is part of the multi-use oceanfront development, Los Veneros. Each guest room is uniquely decorated and suites come with a private patio or balcony. Ocean Escape and Jungle Escape Villas are designed to highlight nature, offering views of the ocean and forest. The Extreme WOW Suite has two bedrooms and a pool. Dining options include Mesa1; the Southeast Asian-inspired Spice Market; the Chevicheria bar and casual dining at Venazu. The hotel also has an Away Spa, Fit Fitness Center and surf shop.

UNICO Hotels — the AIC Hotel Group’s new, adults-only, luxury, all-inclusive hotel brand — will open its first hotel in early 2017. The Unico Hotel Riviera Maya — 20ºN 87ºW offers a new twist on traditional butler service. All accommodations come with a personal host, “El Anfitrion,” for an added level of pampering and personalized service. The host will help tailor each guest’s experience.

In the Caribbean

Mangos Jamaica, a new adults-only, boutique beach resort from efm Hospitality Solutions, is less than 30 minutes by car from Montego Bay International Airport and just under an hour from Ocho Rios. The 96 guestrooms are designed in a traditional Jamaican style in low-rise, wooden buildings with either a pool, beach or garden view. Each has a king bed, balcony and minibar. Resort amenities include a tennis court, gym, freeform swimming pool with a swim-up bar, water slide, two hot tubs, beach cabanas, four restaurants and four bars. There are also on-site restaurants, wedding venues and a wedding coordinator, a games room, gift shop, spa, tour and activity desk and free Wi-Fi throughout the resort. Spa services are available at an additional charge.

A new boutique hotel, French Coco, opened this summer in the Martinique beach town of Tartane. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, it has 17 suites, 16 of which have private pools. For dining, the hotel has a restaurant led by Chef Nathanael Ducteil, who once worked under Alain Ducasse.

Royalton Luxury Resorts, which opened Royalton Blue Waters in Montego Bay earlier this month, two weeks ahead of schedule, has announced that four construction projects in Negril, Jamaica, and in St. Lucia are progressing ahead of schedule. Under this new timeline, those resorts will be complete by January 15.

The rapid expansion of Royalton Luxury Resorts through construction projects has led to more than a two-fold increase in presence in Jamaica by 801 rooms with 228 at Royalton Blue Waters, 407 at Royalton Negril and 166 in Hideaway at Royalton Negril. In Saint Lucia, there will be 352 rooms at Royalton Saint Lucia and 104 in Hideaway at Royalton Saint Lucia.