Coming soon: The 20 hottest hotel openings
Next big things in travel: Hotels and resorts
From brand-new builds to heritage revamps, major hotel openings continue apace well into 2025. Iconic stays will get a long-awaited refresh, and globally revered brands will make their Aussie debut. Where will Traveller be checking into? Read on for our definitive list of the next big things in hotels and resorts.
The Chancery Rosewood, London, UK
A design render of soon-to-open The Chancery Rosewood.
Before it became known as “Little America” for the various US government buildings on it, Mayfair’s Grosvenor Square was an address of the highest social status. After various embassies began to move into the Georgian garden enclave in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the US embassy created a 1917 purpose-built edifice by famed Finnish-American designer Eero Saarinen that, to this day, takes up one full side of the square. Grosvenor Square is changing again back to a residential zone, the American Embassy has moved out and its old building will, in 2025, open its doors as The Chancery Rosewood. A bevy of famous contemporary designers are ensuring the hotel lives up to its Grade II Listed building and august address. See rosewoodhotels.com
Hotel Gabrielli, Venice, Italy
Hotel Gabrielli is set to reopen under StarHotels in 2025.
A private Italian hotel company is breathing the spirit of the Venice of old into a fabled Venetian inn. A 13th century palazzo dating to 1856 as the family run and owned Hotel Gabrielli, it is touted as a place that, “has always been an open house for luminaries from the worlds of art, literature, fashion and politics and as a milestone during the Grand Tour, it was the preferred location for Orient-Express travellers who used to stay here before departing on their trains.” Reopening in 2025 under the auspices of StarHotels, the number of rooms has been reduced from 120 to 73 to allow more space and 21st century amenity. But the original Murano chandeliers and mirrors, painted wooden beams and luxury marble wall coverings remain to remind guests of La Serenissima. So too the views. The hotel is on Riva degli Schiavoni looking directly at Isola di San Giorgio. See collezione.starhotels.com
Park Hyatt Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
The Hollywood-famous hotel is set to reopen in late 2025 after a 17-month restoration.
There’s no two ways about it: as a destination, Japan is hotter than a mouthful of wasabi. But movie and hotel buffs alike visiting Shinjuku may have been disappointed to find the Park Hyatt Tokyo, made famous as the setting for the 2003 Sofia Coppola-directed movie Lost in Translation, closed. Good news: the hotel, first opened in 1994, will reopen in late 2025 after a 17-month “restoration” with a focus on revitalising the public and event areas, restaurants and bars, including the New York Bar with its glittering nightscape views, while evolving the hotel’s technical infrastructure, and enhancing guest room comfort. And though the character of Charlotte, as played by Scarlett Johansson in the movie said, “Let’s never come here again because it would never be as much fun,” Park Hyatt begs to differ. “The unique personality, style and spirit of Park Hyatt Tokyo will remain unchanged and timeless,” they say. See parkhyatt.com
Waldorf Astoria Sydney, Sydney, NSW
An artist’s impression of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel at Circular Quay, Sydney.
Hotel projects don’t come much bigger and addresses don’t come much more iconic. One Circular Quay, the three-plus-billion-dollar development on prime Sydney harbourfront (the old Goldfields House site, which is actually 1 Alfred Street) is home to a Kengo Kuma and Crone Architects-designed, 28-storey, 220-room Waldorf Astoria Sydney, a high-end hotel offering straight-down-the-barrel views across Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Australia’s first Waldorf Astoria, Hilton’s flagship brand, will have all the hallmarks of the high-end heritage name including personal concierges and Peacock Alley, the place for afternoon tea. See hilton.com
Huka Lodge, Taupo, NZ
Huka Lodge will reopen in December following a major revamp by Baillie Lodges.
The grand dame of New Zealand lodges, Huka Lodge in the central Lake Taupo region of the country’s North Island, will reopen in December, with owners Baillie Lodges having carried out extensive renovations and reconfigurations. That’s just in time to catch the tail end of the centenary year for the property that’s famously hosted royalty, including Queen Elizabeth II. The main lodge will now have new floor-to-ceiling windows and wide doors to make the most of the lodge’s setting beside the Waikato River, while the Dining Room will be extended to bring in space, light and views. Upgrades to the outdoor areas include expansion of the north-facing terrace, an outdoor fireplace and contemporary glass roofed pergolas will create more outdoor lounging and dining space for guests and a seamless connection with the chequered green lawns which run to the banks of the Waikato River. See hukalodge.com
Capella Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
Calm and distinctly Japanese … Capella Kyoto.
It’s the perfect encapsulation of the Japanese concept, “kodawari”, translating as the pursuit of perfection. A man named the world’s most influential architect by Time magazine has designed a hotel for the company voted best hoteliers in the world (for 2024 by Travel + Leisure magazine readers). Japanese starchitect Kengo Kuma, whose most well-known work is perhaps the Japan National Stadium, which served as the main venue for the disrupted 2022 Tokyo Olympics, has created Capella Kyoto to be a calm, distinctly Japanese hotel that fits in with its notable neighbours: Kennin-ji Temple, Nishiki Market and the Yasaka Shrine. Expect 92 rooms, a soothing courtyard, a multi-storey internal rock garden, a lobby bar and exquisite patisserie when the four-storey Capella Hotels & Resorts inn opens mid-2025. See capellahotels.com
The Sundays, Hamilton Island, Qld
Family focused boutique The Sundays landing in mid-2025.
You asked, they listened. Hamilton Island Enterprises, the Oatley-family-owned business behind luxury Great Barrier Reef resort Qualia, opens The Sundays mid-2025, a family oriented resort at the northern end of Hamilton Island’s Catseye Beach. “We are responding to our guests’ request for more family focused boutique accommodation, in our ideal location,” says Sandy Oatley, chairman of Hamilton Island Enterprises. The Sundays will have 59 rooms, each with either a balcony or terrace overlooking the Coral Sea and the hotel’s gardens. Some of these rooms will be interconnecting for larger families. The hotel features private cabanas around the pool, and a water’s-edge restaurant with a bar. Obviously taking its name from “Whitsundays”, the property is nonetheless inspired by the laid-back idyll of the perfectly spent Sunday. Look out for bookings opening towards the end of 2024. See thesundays.com.au
Regent Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica, California, US
Californian beachside glamour … Regent Santa Monica Beach.
Opened in 1989, Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel was part of the film industry landscape, the home of the American Film Market Convention for many years and innumerable press events for Hollywood. In the hotel’s heyday, it wasn’t unusual to see movie stars at the bar enjoying the sunset views – the property is right on the sands of Santa Monica Beach and next door to the buzzy Santa Monica Pier precinct. Now, it is set to have another day in the sun, reopening in 2025 after an extensive reimagining as the Regent Santa Monica Beach. Marking Regent’s return to the US as parent IHG rolls out the once defunct heritage luxury brand again, expect glamour, and just a little bit of glitz – this is Tinseltown, after all. See santamonica.regenthotels.com
Namia River Retreat, Hoi An, Vietnam
One of 60 new ultra-luxe pool villas at the new Namia River Retreat.
UNESCO World Heritage-Listed Hoi An on Vietnam’s central coast is getting a new addition to the upmarket end of the accommodation offering, in Namia River Retreat. A combination of wellness, cultural interaction and all-villa luxury will set the property apart. Taking influence from local fisherman and the natural environment of the site on the Thu Bon River, T3 Architects instilled ultra-luxury into the 60-pool-villa resort while preserving and reinforcing the natural river banks using bamboo sticks and mangroves – no concrete or heavy infrastructure. The resort offers holistic wellness, authentic cultural excursions, locally inspired dining and special touches, such as cruises on the property’s own riverboat. See namiariverretreat.com
Vai Resort, Phoenix, Arizona, US
An artist impression of Vai Resort’s 1.6 kilometres of white sand “beach”.
A giant resort, several years in the making, is set to open finally on a former agricultural site outside Glendale Arizona. Subtle and sympathetic to its desert location it is not – this is an oasis dedicated to partying, with two hectares of temperature-controlled water and 1.6 kilometres of white sand “beach”. (It still claims it will use 30 per cent of the water allotted to the previous purpose of the site.) It also has its own island fashioned on Europe’s more lively ones, a shopping mall and a hot air balloon “experience”. With 1200 rooms on offer, it’s also the closest accommodation to the new Mattel Adventure Park – walking distance, in fact – where there’ll be a life-sized Barbie Beach House, the Hot Wheels Bone Shaker rollercoaster, and other attractions themed around the toy giant’s lexicon. See vairesort.com; matteladventurepark.com
Waldorf Astoria Admiralty Arch, London, UK
After many delays, The Waldorf Astoria is set to open in Admiralty Arch in 2025.Credit: Getty Images
If ever a hotel has earned the “eagerly awaited” tag, it’s the Waldorf Astoria Admiralty Arch. COVID-19 and developer delayed, it took a change of hands to get the project back on track and now it’s said with some certainty that 2025 is the year the potentially spectacular property will finally welcome guests. Inhabiting the long-vacant Admiralty Arch building, the landmark access point between Trafalgar Square and The Mall and housing government offices including – you guessed it – the Admiralty, the hotel will offer fabulous rooms and a rather astonishing point of difference. The fourth-floor bridge at the centre of the building will be bookable for overnight stays and private events, “boasting the most sensational view of Buckingham Palace”. And if you can’t get in there, there’ll be a sixth-floor rooftop terrace, overlooking St James’ Park. See hilton.com
Mandarin Oriental Vienna, Vienna, Austria
The century-old building, soon to be the Mandarin Oriental Vienna, is undergoing a restoration.
The Austrian capital’s First District is its most exclusive and landmark-packed, with St Stephen’s Cathedral sitting amidst many grand buildings. There’s also a critical mass of art nouveau in the area, and it’s in a fine example of this that the Mandarin Oriental Vienna will open. The 2025 five-star debut will have 151 rooms and suites and a winter garden in an internal courtyard. The century-old building, which acted as the commercial courthouse until 2003, is being meticulously restored to its former glory but modernisation, which acclaimed London-based interior designers Goddard Littlefair say will capture contemporary Vienna, will include a pool and spa. See mandarinoriental.com
1 Hotel Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic
Sustainably-minded 1 Hotel Melbourne will feature 277 guest rooms.
Launched in 2015, 1 Hotels has sustainability and a love of nature at its core. With most of its growth to date in the US, the group chose Melbourne as only its second location in Asia-Pacific. 1 Hotels & Homes Melbourne is a component of the riverfront Seafarers development on a quiet part of the Yarra banks across the road from the 1917 arts and crafts landmark, the Mission to Seafarers. The property will include recycled and reclaimed timbers from local wharfs, bridges and sheds. The hotel will feature 277 guest rooms and there will be 114 hotel-branded residences, the latter being the first in Melbourne. The luxury property will also feature several dining options and a lobby bar with waterfront views. Other amenities include Bamford Wellness Spa, an indoor pool, and access to a 3500-square-metre public park. See 1hotels.com
Jo&Joe Auckland Fort Street, Auckland, NZ
A rendering of Jo&Joe Auckland Fort Street’s rooftop restaurant.
Ennismore, a joint venture with Accor as a majority shareholder, is a purveyor of contemporary, often edgy lifestyle hotels. It’s been busy in New Zealand, with 2025 witnessing the opening of Jo&Joe Fort Street Auckland. Jo&Joe is described as a cross between a hotel and a hostel, a growing segment of the hospitality scene, catering for the young and young at heart who value connectivity of both the digital and social kind while balancing a love of style and design with budget consciousness. You’ll find them in cool corners of the globe – the Auckland property inhabits a historic building with 63 rooms, a lobby cafe, and rooftop terrace. See all.com
One&Only Moonlight Basin, Montana, US
Wilderness retreat One&Only Moonlight Basin borders Yellowstone National Park.
One&Only Resorts makes its ski and snow field debut with the much-awaited One&Only Moonlight Basin, a wilderness retreat, on 3278 hectares bordering Yellowstone National Park. Designed by esteemed US architectural firm Olson Kundig, it offers 73 guestrooms and suites in the main lodge, 19 secluded villas throughout the resort and a separate ski lodge. The ski lodge will be connected by gondola to Big Sky’s skiing facilities, though the warmer months encourage hiking, biking, kayaking and fly fishing. Featuring local art, roaring fires and floor-to-ceiling windows to capture stunning views, plus six restaurants and bars, One&Only Moonlight Basin aims to suspend its guests within nature as well as sublime luxury. See oneandonlyresorts.com
Mondrian Gold Coast, Burleigh Heads, Qld
An artist impression of Mondrian Gold Coast.
The much delayed designer hotel, Mondrian Gold Coast has been set to finally swing the doors open in 2025. The glamorous beachfront property includes branded residences as well as a hotel that will feature 208 rooms, a spa, restaurants and a picturesque pool with a swingin’ vibe that owes much to the original Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles. Developed as a brand by Ennismore to include chic, unique hotels for fashionable folk, the Mondrian hotels aim to be cultural hotspots. The $400 million-plus Gold Coast project was designed by the multi-award-winning architect, Elenberg Fraser, with interiors by Studio Carter, the team appointed by owner and developer, Vitale Property Group, and Ennismore to ensure the hotel lives up to the Mondrian reputation. See all.com
Raffles Sentosa, Singapore
Ultra-luxury Raffles Sentosa is set to be the first all-villa resort on Sentosa.
With Singapore being the home of the legendary original Raffles, this one has a lot to live up to. Sentosa Island, once a British military base, then a Japanese prison of war camp, turned sleepy green space, the leafy man-made island that’s an easy train ride from the Singapore CBD has been undergoing a huge metamorphosis again, under a masterplan to turn it into a world renowned leisure precinct. Raffles Sentosa, due to open before the end of 2024 is the first all-villa resort on Sentosa and brings the room count on the island to 4000. It is designed by the great Yabu Pushelberg and managed by Accor in partnership with Royal Group, features 62 villas, some as big as 260 square metres and each with their own private swimming pool, 100,000 square metres of tropical gardens with views over the South China Sea. Facilities include bars, restaurants, a fitness centre, and spectacular function spaces. It’s next to Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, one of the original hotels on the island. See all.com
Moxy Sydney Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW
Moxy Sydney Pitt Street is slated to launch in the heart of the city’s Koreatown in 2026.
August 2023 saw the opening of Australia’s first Moxy hotel at Sydney Airport and in 2026 the lighthearted, youthful style hits the city’s CBD with Moxy Sydney Pitt Street. A slender, 34-level new build, when Moxy Sydney Pitt Street opens, it will have 314 rooms and what parent company Marriott International claims will be the highest open-air rooftop bar in the NSW capital. Expect social spaces and a high-energy hotel with shops, a restaurant and bar, a gym, and meeting rooms. It’s at 371 Pitt Street, in the heart of the city’s Koreatown. See marriott.com
Doubletree by Hilton Hobart, Hobart, Tas
Hobart’s new Doubletree by Hilton inhabits the former Myer store.
Hilton comes to Tasmania in time for Hobart’s end-of-year celebrations, with the hotel inhabiting the former Myer store at 179 Macquarie Street opening as a DoubleTree by Hilton. Set to be a Novotel, a last-minute deal has seen the hotel development change brands. It will have more than 200 rooms, a restaurant, bar, and indoor swimming pool. With occupancy high in Hobart, expect the joint to be extra jumping come time for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race to conclude at nearby Constitution Dock. See hilton.com
Rihga Royal Hotel Osaka, A Vignette Collection, Osaka, Japan
Japan’s first Vignette Collection hotel coming in the first half of 2025.
The famed RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka is undergoing a significant transformation to open as Japan’s first Vignette Collection hotel on April 1, 2025. The hotel is an icon in Osaka, one of the city’s oldest international style accommodations. It has hosted royalty, foreign dignitaries and celebrities. The huge 1000-plus-room hotel currently features an impressive 18 restaurants and bars, a total of 56 ballrooms, banquet halls, meeting spaces and wedding facilities, plus multiple pools, fitness centres and retail outlets. After 87 years of august history the landmark on Nakanoshima (an island in the river in central Osaka) will be a highlight of IHG’s luxury and lifestyle portfolio. See ihg.com
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