10 Hot Hotels Opening in August 2017
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Here’s a look at the coolest new hotels opening around the world in August, from a restored motor lodge with mud baths in Napa Valley to a knockout Starwood debut in Astana, Kazakhstan.
1. The St. Regis Astana
Location: Astana, Kazakhstan
Number of Rooms: 120
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Astana not on your tourist radar? Don’t feel bad. The city has only been the capital of Kazakhstan for a decade, rising from the empty grasslands like a landlocked emirate, but suddenly gaining traction with travelers and hotel brands. “Is [Astana] about to become the world’s hottest travel destination?” The Telegraph wondered in June, as Astana debuted its energy-themed Expo 2017. Go find out. 2. The St. Regis is one of several new Astana hotels, occupying a palatial white-and-gold building in the city’s verdant Central Park. The yurt-inspired entrance looks like a nouveau riche Dothraki shrine. 3. The rooms alone might be worth a flight to Kazakhstan. All have private balconies overlooking the Ishim River, separate living room and bedroom areas, an entrance vestibule and a marble bathroom with a separate tub and shower, double vanity and heated towel rack. The presidential suite, if that’s how you roll, has a wine vault and grand piano.
Loyalty Program: Starwood
Price: From $460 or 12,000 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 Kimpton Everly Hollywood
Location: Los Angeles
Number of Rooms: 216
Three Interesting Facts: 1. The Everly is a Kimpton brand property on the edge of LA’s Beachwood Canyon neighborhood between Hollywood and the Hills. It’s the fourth LA hotel for Kimpton, with a fifth coming this fall. 2. It's got great amenities for those that want to live the LA-basic life, like a sceney pool deck (with rosé!) and outdoor yoga, but also a dignified library off the lobby-level Ever Bar in case you want to unwind with a novel and a snifter of whiskey. 3. All soothing white-and-gray rooms come with views of the LA skyline or the Hollywood sign.
Loyalty Program: Kimpton Karma Rewards
Price: From $280 per night. Book with the Citi Prestige card to earn 3x points on your stay and take advantage of its nifty fourth night free perk, or the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card to earn 3x points on travel purchases. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lets you earn 2x points on travel as well.
3. The Westin Jackson
Location: Jackson, Mississippi
Number of Rooms: 203
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Maybe Jackson, Mississippi, doesn’t scream vacation, but music and history buffs know what an important city this is, especially in the context of the Civil Rights Movement. With its first property in the state, Westin is betting Jackson is a city more visitors want to get to know. 2. Jackson is known as “the birthplace of American music,” a fact the hotel plays up with packages like the Music Legends on Mississippi. Book that deal and your room will be furnished with an exact replica of a guitar played by Muddy Waters, Elvis, Jimmy Buffet, Prince, BB King or Marty Stuart. When not in use, they’re displayed in the lobby for guests to view. 3. One very cool feature at Westin properties that isn’t talked about is the Gear Lending program, a partnership with New Balance that provides workout shoes, socks and a moisture-wicking outfit for $5. The clothes are cleaned and the insoles are replaced after every use; socks are yours to keep. It seems like a small thing, but when you need every square-inch in a carry-on, leaving workout gear at home can be a big space-saver.
Loyalty Program: Starwood
Price: From $123 or 10,000 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.
4. The Waldorf Astoria Chengdu
Location: Chengdu, China
Number of Rooms: 289
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Located in the capital of China’s Sichuan province, the Waldorf Astoria Chengdu is part of a 190,000 square-meter mixed-use development near the Jingjiang River and Tianfu International Finance Center. 2. The hotel occupies a skyscraper soaring 52 stories and has six meeting rooms, a spa, an indoor pool, a 24-hour fitness center and six restaurants, including the aptly named Wall Street on the roof. 3. Accented with burgundy, brass and teal, the spacious rooms are on sale this summer and you can save 40% when you book by August 18.
Loyalty Program: Hilton Honors
Price: From $180 or 70,000 Hilton 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.
5. Proper Hotel
Location: San Francisco
Number of Rooms: 131
Three Interesting Facts: 1. San Francisco’s Mid-Market neighborhood is the first location in a planned four-property roll-out for Proper, a new hospitality company that by 2019 will have hotels in Austin, downtown LA and Santa Monica. 2. Proper is billed as the first luxury boutique hotel to open in San Francisco in a decade. The claim is debatable depending on your definition of luxury and boutique, but they’ve certainly done their due diligence with Kelly Wearstler interiors — think monochromatic floral-print wallpaper, Art Deco lamps and gold accents — and food-and-bev directed by Eleven Madison Park and Canlis vet, Jason Franey. 3. Architecture nerds, prepare to geek out over the circa-1904 flatiron brick building the Proper inhabits on the triangle of McAllister, Market and Jones.
Loyalty Program: N/A
Price: From $400 per night. Book with the Citi Prestige card to earn 3x points on your stay and take advantage of its nifty fourth night free perk, or the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card to earn 3x points on travel purchases. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lets you earn 2x points on travel as well.
6. Courtyard by Marriott San Diego El Cajon
Location: San Diego
Number of Rooms: 120
Three Interesting Facts: 1. It’s not often Courtyard by Marriott properties get featured in this column but this newcomer in El Cajon, just east of San Diego, is the first in the country with the brand’s new modern lobby design, the centerpiece of which is the Bistro, a full-service breakfast-and-dinner restaurant. Marriott will be rolling this look out at other new properties throughout the year. 2. The rooms aren’t bad either, with cool gray upholstery, wallpaper murals and funky angled furniture you don’t expect to see in lower-priced cookie-cutter brands. 3. El Cajon is about 15 miles east of San Diego, so you’ll have to drive/taxi/Uber into town. On the upside, there’s a palm-lined outdoor pool on property and an In-N-Out Burger only two miles away.
Loyalty Program: Marriott
Price: From $139 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.
7. Le Méridien Houston Downtown
Location: Houston
Number of Rooms: 255
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Located in downtown Houston, the new Méridien occupies the long abandoned Melrose Building on Walker Street. Starwood redid the entire structure, restoring the historically protected façade to its former polish and gutting the interior to create a Mad Men midcentury vibe. 2. The Oxbow 7 restaurant anchors the building, with popular Houston chef Bryan Caswell running the show. 3. Accounting for the downtown location, weekend rates are significantly lower than weekday ones here, which is great if you’re looking to plan a quick getaway.
Loyalty Program: Starwood
Price: From $150 or 12,000 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.
8. Dossier Hotel
Location: Portland, Oregon
Number of Rooms: 205
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Dossier comes from Provenance Hotels, an up-and-comer whose portfolio includes properties like the Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery in New Orleans, Hotel Max in Seattle, Hotel Preston in Nashville and three other properties in Portland, Oregon. 2. Rooms have a muted, little boy look with textured beige wallpaper, headboards that appear to be made from basketballs and tufted navy loveseats. The more exceptional details are less obvious: a knockout bed with a Beautyrest mattress, Mascioni linens and choice of pillows; handsome bar carts, room service pints of amazing Salt & Straw ice cream; and a “spiritual menu,” from which you can order up your preferred book of faith. 3. The spiritual menu extends to four-legged friends as well. Dossier is not only pet-friendly but pet-encouraged, with guests able to order up books on dog massage and psychology — plus in-room dining for pets and other cute welcome amenities.
Loyalty Program: N/A
Price: From $300 per night. Book with the Citi Prestige card to earn 3x points on your stay and take advantage of its nifty fourth night free perk, or the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card to earn 3x points on travel purchases. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lets you earn 2x points on travel as well.
9. Tribe Hotel Perth
Location: Perth, Australia
Number of Rooms: 126
Three Interesting Facts: 1. This is the first of three Australian properties planned for the Tribe Hotel Group — none of which are in the country’s first and second cities of Sydney and Melbourne. The company is making its mark elsewhere: Perth, the capital of Western Australia, followed by Adelaide and Hobart, Tasmania, in 2018. 2. What’s noteworthy about Tribe is its construction process: The hotels are modular, with cube-like rooms built off-site and constructed on location like a puzzle. 3. Said rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows with integrated electric shades, smart TVs and Nespresso machines.
Loyalty Program: N/A
Price: From $139 per night. Book with the Citi Prestige card to earn 3x points on your stay and take advantage of its nifty fourth night free perk, or the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card to earn 3x points on travel purchases. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lets you earn 2x points on travel as well.
10. Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa
Location: Calistoga, California
Number of Rooms: 50
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Located in the Napa Valley town of Calistoga, the Motor Lodge & Spa has a road trip theme inspired by the RV culture of the ‘60s and ’70s. Design firm AvroKo is the architect of the aesthetic, which includes bean bags, velvet sofas and campy graphics. 2. The rooms are to be like staying in stylish campers, furnished with low-slung beds, banquettes framing hydraulic tables, cork boards and hula hoops. Rainfall showers with custom grapefruit-sage potions, pour-over Equator coffee and a complimentary mini-bar with local, organic snacks add modern touches. 3. The MoonAcre Spa will be a big draw. Travelers have long come to Calistoga for mud baths, a tradition MoonAcre recognizes with DIY mud bakes in the garden.
Loyalty Program: N/A
Price: From $150 per night. Book with the Citi Prestige card to earn 3x points on your stay and take advantage of its nifty fourth night free perk, or the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card to earn 3x points on travel purchases. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lets you earn 2x points on travel as well.
Which of these new hotels are you most excited about? Let us know, below.
