The hottest new hotels opening in 2024

Hilton Yala Resort is set to open in January – situated just outside Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park, guests will be able to go out with locally trained rangers on game drives to look for elephants, leopards and sloths.

In the autumn, Bangkok is gaining an Aman hotel, the brand’s second high-rise Asian city hotel. The brand originated in Thailand, back in 1988, on Phuket, and this new urban outpost will have an expansive Wellness centre and a rooftop jazz bar. 

In Namibia, Ultimate Safaris has just opened Onduli Enclave, an exclusive use villa with star beds, wood-fired hot tubs and magnificent views of Doros Crater and Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain. A partnership between Atzaro group and African Bush Camps delivers Atzaro Okavango Camp in Botswana in March, where mokoro canoe expeditions will bring guests even closer to the wildlife. 

Circling back to Dubai, Jumeirah is adding another nautical-themed landmark to the emirate’s skyline, with the super-yacht-shaped Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, opening imminently.

Early in 2024, we’ll see the oceanfront Regent Santa Monica, which will be the American debut for the luxury brand and new identity for the former Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. Located just steps from the legendary pier, there’ll be a beachfront pool deck with multiple pools.

Fontainebleu Las Vegas is the first big new property on the Strip in more than a decade. Opening on 15 December, the hotel is located at the north end, one block from the Convention Center. There’ll be seven pools, a cutting-edge spa, the LIV nightclub and a theatre for hosting global stars.

In New York, the eclectic Fifth Avenue Hotel just opened in Manhattan’s NoMad neighbourhood, and will be followed by Firmdale’s Warren Street Hotel in Tribeca in February 2024, and the former Surrey Hotel on the Upper East Side becoming a Corinthia by next summer.

The latest unveiling in the Maldives is Oblu Nature Helengeli by Sentido, fresh from an eight-month refurbishment. There are 38 brand-new overwater villas and a water suite with a 20-metre private pool, described as a one-of-a-kind offering. Meanwhile Soneva Secret, opening on February 10, will present a more exclusive option in the archipelago, with 14 palatial overwater and island villas, all with retractable roofs for star gazing. 

The ribbon will be cut for Secrets Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres on 1 February. This will be an all-suite beachside resort in a location that’s renowned for its snorkelling, kitesurfing, swimming with whale sharks, scuba diving and sport fishing. Of the four large pools, two will be oceanfront infinity pools with views of the turquoise Caribbean Sea.

Also in Mexico, Grand Palladium Kantenah Resort & Spa reopens its doors this month with a new Family Selection offering, comprising 169 dedicated premium family suites, special amenities, exclusive areas and family activities.

Seven years in the making, Wyndham Grand Barbados, Sam Lord’s Castle All Inclusive Resort will be the largest hotel on the island once it officially opens in early 2024, with more than 422 rooms, 10 dining venues and six swimming pools.

Sandals enters a new destination with its next opening, Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which welcomes its first guests from 27 March. Two-bedroom butler villas will span the waterfront, and Vincy overwater two-storey villas will have rooftop outdoor lounges.

Opening late 2024 in the Dominican Republic, the W All-Inclusive Punta Cana will mark the debut of the W brand in the all-inclusive space. The adults-only new-build resort will have 349 rooms with balconies and plunge pools.

CLOSER TO HOME

Tivoli Hotels & Resorts makes its first move into Spain, with the January opening of Tivoli La Caleta Tenerife Resort. Dining concepts at the five-star, 284-room property will include Yakuza by Olivier, specialising in sushi, and Guilty, for comfort foods from around the world.

Louis Hotels will have two new properties representing the group’s shift towards premium lifestyle properties. Cali Resort & Spa in Paphos, Cyprus will be a five-star, adults-only sanctuary with 201 rooms, and King Jason Zante, also adults-only, will feel like a resort floating on water, thanks to more than 10,000 square metres of cleverly designed pool areas in a property that spans 25,000 square metres overall.

Also in Greece, on an island in close proximity to Athens and opening in April, One&Only Kea Island will offer chic all-villa accommodation, and a Beach Club taking guests from all-day lounging to livelier nights.

Fast-growing Turkish hotel group Barut Hotels will open Anda Barut Collection in Didim on the Aegean Coast. The hotel will officially launch in May with a wellness weekend that will see a host of British Olympians and former Strictly Come Dancing stars lead a programme of complimentary activities.

Spring 2024 will bring a luxurious new option in the rolling green hills of Portugal’s Algarve region. Viceroy at Ombria Algarve will have an 18-hole golf course, a holistic-focused spa, special emphasis on Portuguese wines and gastronomy, and access to hiking and biking trails through citrus groves and cobblestone streets.

The end of January will see the fanfare of a grand opening at Disneyland Paris, when the landmark Disneyland Hotel reopens with a new royalty-inspired decor and theming. 

And finally back to London, which will gain the Park Hyatt London River Thames in late 2024, located in Nine Elms, south of the river and The Newman in Fitzrovia for a boutique option.