10 Hot Hotels Opening By April 2017
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available – View the current offers here.
Here’s a look at the coolest new (and newly affiliated) hotels opening around the world in April, including a pair of Luxury Collection properties in London and overwater bungalows you can book with points in Bora Bora and Fiji.
1. The Wellesley
Location: London
Number of Rooms: 36
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Adjacent to London's Hyde Park in the Knightsbridge neighborhood, the Wellesley lives in a space that was formerly a tube station, cabaret and townhouse and eventually became a hotel in 2012. April 24 marks the upscale property's reopening as a Starwood Luxury Collection property. 2. The posh rooms are done in shades of ivory and gold, with striking black-and-white Carrara marble bathrooms and Art Deco geometry. 3. Tech note: All rooms are equipped with a "Handy," a smartphone-like device that lets you check out the neighborhood sites and call home (to select international countries) free of charge.
Loyalty Program: Starwood
Price: Not yet bookable through the SPG site, but will be once it opens in late-April. From $442 or 30,000 Starpoints per night. Book with the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express so you can earn up to 5x Starpoints on eligible Starwood stays.
2. The Westbury
Location: London
Number of Rooms: 268
Three Interesting Facts: 1. The Westbury marks a Daily Double this month for London and for Starwood; like the Wellesley, the Westbury is another existing hotel moving under the discerning Luxury Collection umbrella as of April 4. 2. The bulk of the rooms at this Mayfair property reflect the "New Bedroom Collection" design by Alex Kravetz, featuring accents of copper, raspberry and plum that pop against warm, muted interiors, mixed with matte and shiny surfaces. 3. You can expect great food and beverage at this property, from the see-and-be-seen Polo Bar to the Michelin-starred Alyn Williams restaurant.
Loyalty Program: Starwood
Price: From $260 or 25,000 Starpoints per night. Book with the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express so you can earn up to 5x Starpoints on eligible Starwood stays.
3. Conrad Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa
Location: An island 20 minutes by boat from Bora Bora, northwest of Tahiti in French Polynesia
Number of Rooms: 114
Three Interesting Facts: 1. As a Conrad property, this resort offers curated experiences in Polynesian culture lasting one, three or five hours, depending on how much time you can sacrifice from swimming and sunning. 2. Sure, it's all about the overwater bungalow in this part of the world, but if you're paying cash, note that starting rates ($880 per night) are nearly double those of the lagoon-view suites, which are almost as large and still very gorgeous. 3. To get the complete overwater experience, hang by the hotel's Upa Upa Lounge, which has a glass-bottom deck with coral reef and sea-life views.
Loyalty Program: Hilton
Price: From $480 or 80,000 Honors points per night. Book with the Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express, which lets you earn 12x points on stays at eligible properties within the brand’s portfolio of hotels and resorts.
4. Lokal Hotel
Location: Philadelphia
Number of Rooms: 6
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Housed above a chic hair salon in a former printing shop and liquor store in the historic part of the city, Lokal will occupy a sweet spot in the Philly hotel market, where most hotels tend to be either big, corporate affairs or colonial-ish bed and breakfasts. 2. Lokal is the first hospitality effort for owners Courtney and Chad Ludeman; they're real estate developers who wanted to create the kind of design-focused hotel they like to stay in while traveling. 3. Rooms have loft windows, distressed wood floors, Scandinavian-looking furniture, full kitchens, washers, dryers and handy guidebooks stocked with the Ludemans' favorite Philly restaurants, bars, shops and sights.
Loyalty Program: N/A
Price: From $215 per night. Book with the Citi Prestige card to earn 3x points on your stay and take advantage of its nifty 4th night free perk, or the Chase Sapphire Reserve to earn 3x points on travel purchases — the Chase Sapphire Preferred card lets you earn 2x points on travel as well.
5. Freepoint Hotel
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Number of Rooms: 121
Three Interesting Facts: 1. The Freeport Hotel is part of the Independent Collection, an arm of HHM (formerly Hersha Hospitality Management) whose portfolio includes luxury properties like the Rittenhouse in Philadelphia and NU Hotel in Brooklyn, in addition to being the management company behind many Hyatt House, Holiday Inn Express and Courtyard Marriott properties. 2. Rooms are spare and bright, with leather-padded headboards, diamond-patterned carpets and bathrooms done in white subway tiles, with black hardware and wood accents; Cambridge-based Living Proof provides the hair care as part of an exclusive partnership. 3. The lobby is home to Freepoint Kitchen & Cocktails by Matthew Guadet, which marks the return of the acclaimed chef after the 2015 closure of his award-winning restaurant, West Bridge — he's promising eight global variations on the Manhattan.
Loyalty Program: N/A
Price: From $191 per night. Book with the Citi Prestige card to earn 3x points on your stay and take advantage of its nifty 4th night free perk, or the Chase Sapphire Reserve to earn 3x points on travel purchases — the Chase Sapphire Preferred card lets you earn 2x points on travel as well.
6. Hotel Eden
Location: Rome
Number of Rooms: 98
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Originally opened in 1889, this historic luxury property is reopening after a sweeping restoration. It's part of the Dorchester Collection, whose portfolio includes the Beverly Hills Hotel in LA and the Plaza Athénée in Paris. 2. Among the new features of Hotel Eden are a spa designed by Jouin Manku — other projects include several Alain Ducasse restaurants, the Mayfair Park Spa in London, and Van Cleef's Ginza flagship — with private spa suites and a blow-dry bar. 3. Eden enjoys a fantastic central location in Rome at the edge of the Villa Borghese gardens, within walking distance to other popular sites like the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps, and close to chic neighborhoods like Prati, just across the Tiber, and Monti to the south.
Loyalty Program: N/A
Price: From $663 per night. Book with the Citi Prestige card to earn 3x points on your stay and take advantage of its nifty 4th night free perk, or the Chase Sapphire Reserve to earn 3x points on travel purchases — the Chase Sapphire Preferred card lets you earn 2x points on travel as well.
7. JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa
Location: Phu Quoc, a small island off the southern coast of Vietnam
Number of Rooms: 244
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Several years in the making, Emerald Bay premiers as only the second JW property in Vietnam. 2. It's a biggie, with 244 stunning rooms — think cool mints and Tiffany blues, black-and-white tiling, colonial-ish furniture — three pools, a private beach, five restaurants and tons of activities from cooking classes to island hikes. 3. Special opening rates include breakfast for two and a daily resort credit.
Loyalty Program: Marriott
Price: From $400 or 25,000 Marriott Rewards points per night. Book with the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card to earn up to 5x points on your stay.
8. Il Castelfalfi
Location: Tuscany
Number of Rooms: 120
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Il Castelfalfi is part of the Toscana Resort Castelfalfi, a 27,000-acre development 40 minutes outside Pisa that includes an 800-year-old village, another hotel (La Tabaccaia), villas, a castle with a cooking school and a 27-hole golf course. 2. Rooms are soft gray with pops of burgundy, truffle and navy and have wide-plank floors, drum lights and views of the verdant countryside. 3. The property produces its own wine and olive oil from its 57 ares of vineyards and more than 10,000 olive trees.
Loyalty Program: N/A
Price: From $339 per night. Book with the Citi Prestige card to earn 3x points on your stay and take advantage of its nifty 4th night free perk, or the Chase Sapphire Reserve to earn 3x points on travel purchases — the Chase Sapphire Preferred card lets you earn 2x points on travel as well.
9. Miavana, Nosy Ankao
Location: A remote island off the coast of Madagascar
Number of Rooms: 14
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Miavana is located on Nosy Ankao, a remote island off Madagascar's northern tip. Getting there is a little tricky — you'll need to fly to Johannesburg, connect to Diego Suarez International/Antsiranana Airport (DIE) in northern Madagascar, then catch a 20-minute helicopter ride the resort will arrange for you. 2. The resort is part of the Time + Tide collection and is a sister company to Norman Carr Safaris and Chongwe Safaris in Zambia. Ergo, exploration of the surrounding environment is a core feature of Miavana. The resort features "Blue Safaris," coordinated water activities focused on exploring the surrounding 15,000 hectares of protected marine area. 3. Don't think Miavana's one-with-earth ethos means it eschews the fancy stuff. All 14 "rooms" are actually luxurious villas with one, two and three bedrooms.
Loyalty Program: N/A
Price: From $2,500 per person per night (based on double occupancy). Book with the Citi Prestige card to earn 3x points on your stay and take advantage of its nifty 4th night free perk, or the Chase Sapphire Reserve to earn 3x points on travel purchases — the Chase Sapphire Preferred card lets you earn 2x points on travel as well.
10. Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay
Location: Fiji
Number of Rooms: 250
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Located along a natural aquamarine bay on Viti Levu, the main island of Fiji, this luxe Marriott is about 45 minutes from Nadi International Airport (NAN). 2. Accommodations are divided between deluxe rooms and villas, 22 of which are overwater-style with direct lagoon access. Regardless of category, all rooms have views of either the lagoon, pool or ocean. 3. Opening rate offers include buffet breakfast for two and a $100 FJD (~$48) resort credit per stay.
Loyalty Program: Marriott
Price: From $168 or 40,000 Marriott Rewards points per night. Book with the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card to earn up to 5x points on your stay.
Which of these new hotels are you most excited about? Let us know, below.
Featured image courtesy of the Conrad Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa's Facebook page.