10 Hot Hotels Opening in March 2018
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 March, from a redo of a historic Virginia resort to a Houston tower with a Rolls-Royce showroom.
1. Sheraton Los Angeles San Gabriel
Location: Los Angeles, California
Number of Rooms: 288
Three Interesting Facts: 1. An opening we’ve been tracking for over a year, this new Sheraton in LA’s San Gabriel Valley comes online this month with a swanky marble lobby, gorgeous spa, Club Lounge you’ll want to move into and fleet of eight robots. 2. Yes, that’s right. Robots. The hotel is the first to debut autonomous bots from AI company Aethon. Using GPS, they deliver room service, housekeeping items and luggage. 3. Another tech feature of this Sheraton is its partnership with the Chinese social media service WeChat, designed for the area’s growing Chinese-speaking population. The service allows staff to interact with customers in real time without a language barrier.
Loyalty Program: Starwood
Price: From $189 or 12,000 points 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. Hotel Zachary
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Number of Rooms: 173
Three Interesting Facts: 1. This independent boutique located across from Wrigley Field is a member of Starwood’s Tribute Portfolio, which means you can use SPG or Marriott points to book a free room. 2. Like its location might suggest, the hotel is all about baseball, with subtle design references throughout; think leather upholstery and royal blue — not Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports resort. Residential-style rooms overlook Wrigley Field and Wrigley Suites have ballpark-view balconies. During the season, room rates are also inspired by the baseball, fluctuating about $100 between game days and off days. 3. The hotels has several dining concepts, but one that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser is the 383-seat two-story outpost of Big Star, One Off Hospitality Group’s vivacious whiskey-and-taco spot.
Loyalty Program: Starwood
Price: From $209 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.
3. AC Hotel by Marriott Montréal Downtown
Location: Montreal, Canada
Number of Rooms: 169
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Marriott’s AC brand comes to Canada for the first time with this angular 169-room tower in the heart of Montreal’s business-y downtown. The location is not the most charming or dynamic for tourists, but Old Montreal is a short walk away and there’s a metro stop right down the street. 2. This property has all the hallmarks of the AC brand: tapas and Spanish wines on tap in the AC Lounge, free Wi-Fi and functional, stylish rooms with mini fridges, Nespresso machines, USB ports and glass showers. 3. Somewhat uncommon in Montreal, the AC has a full indoor swimming pool.
Loyalty Program: Marriott
Price: From $270 or 30,000-35,000 Rewards Points per night. Book with the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card to earn up to 5x points on your stay.
4. Marriott Irvine Spectrum
Location: Irvine, California
Number of Rooms: 271
Three Interesting Facts: 1. This Marriott is a new-build in SoCal's Orange County from R.D. Olson Development; this firm is already in the Marriott family, so to speak. They opened a Courtyard next door in 2014. 2. The indoor/outdoor M Club functions as a concierge-level lounge stocked with complimentary snacks, desserts, afternoon tea, non-alcoholic drinks that’s open 24/7. For access, book the M Club guest rooms or presidential suite; regular suites to not have access. 3. If you can’t in at the M Club, don’t worry. Upstairs on the roof, Hive & Honey is the hotel’s true hub, with cozy sofas and wood-wrapped armchairs spread along an open-air terrace lit by a constellation of lanterns.
Price: From $340 or 25,000-30,000 Rewards Points per night. Book with the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card to earn up to 5x points on your stay.
5. The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston
Location: Houston, Texas
Number of Rooms: 250
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Located in a 38-story Uptown tower, the Post Oak is part of a mixed-use development backed by Tilman Fertitta, hospitality juggernaut and host of CNBC Billion Dollar Buyer. 2. Rooms and suites are Texas-plush, with hexagonal carpets, tray ceilings, studded leather bed frames and mahogany furniture. Some rooms come with access to a concierge level lounge. 3. Over-the-top amenities include a helipad and two-story Rolls-Royce showroom.
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 to earn 3x points on travel purchases; the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lets you earn 2x points on travel as well.
6. Hotel X Toronto
Location: Toronto, Canada
Number of Rooms: 406
Three Interesting Facts: 1. This massive Toronto complex — part business hotel, part resort — is part of the Library Hotel Collection, which has properties in New York, Budapest and Prague. 2. Hotel X fronts the Lake Ontario with over 400 rooms, many of which take advantage of the view through floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s a dedicated sports and entertainment complex equipped with a 243-seat movie theater, art gallery, pool and tennis courts. 3. Hotel X is offering an opening special: Book now and stay on or before April 30 and save up to 30% on your room.
Loyalty Program: N/A
Price: From $425 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 to earn 3x points on travel purchases — the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lets you earn 2x points on travel as well.
7. The Bellevue Hotel
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Number of Rooms: 172
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Formerly the Hyatt at the Bellevue, this iconic Philadelphia hotel gets a new name this month—simply, The Bellevue Hotel — and new membership in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Hyatt’s version of the Autograph Collection or Tribute Portfolio. From Hyatt: “The Unbound Collection [are] boutique hotels and experiences that give guests the freedom to be extraordinary at unique properties around the world.” In addition to Philadelphia, guests can currently be extraordinary Miami, Austin, Phoenix and Nashville; others are expected in New Orleans and LA. 2. The Bellevue was fully renovated in 2016 and is still looking good on Broad Street, Philly’s main north-south avenue. Book a suite for 14-foot ceilings, tufted headboards and wet bars. 3. On the 19th floor of the hotel, XIX (Nineteen) is the hotel’s piece de resistance, a circular dining room with a chandelier of giant strung pearls and balcony seating overlooking Broad.
Loyalty Program: Hyatt
Price: From $179 or 15,000 Hyatt points per night or mix Points + Cash and pay 7,500 Hyatt points + $100 per night. Book with the Hyatt Credit Card to earn 3 points per dollar at Hyatt properties.
8. W Hotel Panama
Location: Panama City, Panama
Number of Rooms: 203
Three Interesting Facts: 1. The W Panama marks the W brand’s entrée to the Central American market. Find the Studio Gaia-designed hotel within the 50-floor Evolution Tower in the Zone Rosa district of downtown Panama City. 2. The hotel looks to the history of the city, notably its eponymous canal, for design inspiration. Graffitied shipping containers repurposed as activity zones anchor the lobby. Cargo, the bar on the 6,800-square-foot pool deck, is housed in another container. Many of the views have canal views. 3. W is well-known for its WOW Suites, which are different in each property. Panama’s WOW includes a DJ booth, foosball table, sunken bathtub and its own lounge.
Loyalty Program: Starwood
Price: From $199 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.
9. Moxy Denver
Location: Denver, Colorado
Number of Rooms: 170
Three Interesting Facts: 1. Marriott’s aspirational millennial brand, Moxy, comes to Denver’s Cherry Creek neighborhood. It joins New Orleans, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, Nashville and Chattanooga as home to Moxy properties. 2. The hotel’s modular L-shaped tower (it looks like a bunch of Jenga stacks) opens up the property to the street and makes space for a courtyard strung in lights, where (Marriott hopes) millennial travelers will gather to take selfies and play cornhole. There’s more outdoor hangout space for guests on the second floor terrace. 3. Brand-wide amenities include tech-enabled guest rooms, 24/7 self-serve food and bev in the lobby, free Wi-Fi and access to the Moxy Digital Guestbook powered by the #atthemoxy hashtag.
Loyalty Program: Marriott
Price: From $135 or 20,000-25,000 Marriott Rewards points per night. Book with the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card to earn up to 5x points on your stay.
10. The Cavalier Hotel
Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Number of Rooms: 85
Three Interesting Facts: 1. This member of Historic Hotels of America (also part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection) opened back in 1927 and has hosted the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and JFK. The dignified brick property reopens this month after a head-to-toe renovation. 2. The Cavalier is located in Virginia Beach — it’s credited with putting the town on the map — less than a block from the Atlantic. Part of the renovation includes a stylish new beach club, which has an oceanfront infinity pool, lounge, bar and beach service exclusive for guests. 3. The Cavalier has three restaurants, plus an on-site distillery, Tarnished Truth. The five-year-old distillery founded by two native Virginians makes its own Bourbon-style whiskey, rye whiskey and vodka, all of which will be available for tastings.
Loyalty Program: Marriott
Price: From $332 or 40,000-45,000 Marriott Rewards Points per night. Book with the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card to earn up to 5x points on your stay.
Featured image by The Cavalier Hotel