Back on track: These 7 exciting hotels and attractions have new opening dates
It's beginning to sound like a broken record at this point, but 2020 threw just about everything out of whack.
This rings especially true in the travel industry, as the number of people traveling around the world fell to rates we haven't seen in decades. City- and country-wide lockdowns and travel restrictions hampered people's ability to travel.
And, in the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least, lockdowns led to a temporary stoppage of just about every activity -- including construction.
As such, a wide variety of projects, from new-build hotels to theme parks to new attractions, faced delays. While plenty were completed in 2020, others saw their opening dates slide -- many indefinitely.
Now that we're past the initial phases of the pandemic and in a new year, the travel industry is eyeing a recovery. And along with that comes firmer opening dates for some hotly anticipated attractions, hotels and more.
Let's take a look at some of the major openings that are now back on the books for this year:
W Melbourne in Australia
Originally slated to open in June 2020, the W Melbourne officially opened earlier this month. This makes it the second W hotel in Australia, joining the W Brisbane. The brand-new property features 294 guest rooms and 29 suites, each with floor-to-ceiling windows providing stunning vistas of the city. It's located on Flinders Lane, one of the most electric streets in the entire city known for its captivating street art. It features W's signature Wet pool deck, three restaurants and a space for live DJ sets.
Award nights for this Marriott Bonvoy Category 6 hotel will require between 40,000 and 60,000 points per night.
Alaia Belize
Alaia Belize will fall under Marriott's Autograph Collection when it opens in May of this year, per the hotel's website. It will be Marriott's first property in the Central American country. In Ambergris Caye, the property will impress with its glass-bottomed infinity pool suspended five stories over the ground, a wine club, spa and more.
This hotel will be a Category 6 Bonvoy property, meaning award nights will cost between 40,000 and 60,000 points per night.
Six Senses Shaharut in Israel
Part of the IHG family, Six Senses' long-awaited Israel debut was planned for 2020 but has slid to Aug. 5, 2021, according to the hotel's site. When it opens, you can expect to find a resort that's meant to blend in almost imperceptibly with the surrounding desert landscape. The resort is located about three-and-a-half hours from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem and features rooms and suites measuring at least 645 square feet, many with private plunge pools. It will offer a full slate of desert activities, including camel trekking (and much more) and indulgent spa treatments.
Rooms are bookable for August 2021, starting at $900 per night. Reward nights rates are not yet available.
Super Nintendo World in Japan
One of Asia's most anticipated attractions, Super Nintendo World, was supposed to open in 2020 at Universal Studios Japan, but the country's strict coronavirus-related restrictions caused the opening date to spill into 2021. As recently as the middle of January of this year, the park had announced yet another delay in its opening. But now it appears to be welcoming visitors, at least for a soft-opening period. This means it’s not open to the general public yet (Universal Studios Japan said in a press release that it would announce an official opening date after the state of emergency in Osaka prefecture is lifted), but a small number of people have been allowed inside to experience the biggest rides and attractions for themselves.
While no concrete dates have been announced, the Super Nintendo World experience is supposed to be recreated at other Universal Studios properties in Orlando, Hollywood and Singapore in the coming years.
The 2020 Olympics in Japan
The Summer Olympic games that were supposed to be held in Japan last summer were one of the first major global events to be postponed due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic around the world. Back in March of 2020, we learned that the games would be postponed for one year and are currently scheduled from July 23 to Aug. 8, 2021, in Tokyo.
But, with more contagious variants of COVID-19 spreading around the world and a choppy vaccine rollout, it's anyone's guess as to whether they'll happen as planned later this year.
Ratatouille at Walt Disney World
One of the most exciting attractions at Walt Disney World -- Ratatouille at the France pavilion at Epcot -- that was scheduled to open last year is very likely back on track to open this year. According to reporting from TPG's Summer Hull, the ride was already operational at Disneyland Paris, but Disney World's coronavirus-related closure in March of last year caused the opening timeline to shift.
The Grand Egyptian Museum
The new Grand Egyptian Museum outside Cairo, Egpyt, has been delayed for years. It was widely reported 2020 would finally be the year it would open, but that never came to pass. In fact, according to the Egypt Independent, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi delayed the opening in April of last year to 2021 due to restrictions related to the country's pandemic response. Now, it looks like the long-awaited museum that will house some of the world's most precious antiquities will finally open this year.
According to reporting from Egypt Independent, "98 percent of construction work at the engineering facilities of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) has been completed," and Egypt Today said that the new museum has received a collection of items from the museum's existing home in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
Bottom line
The global travel industry is itching to get back on its feet after its worst year in modern history.
While opening dates across the travel spectrum are always subject to change, it's encouraging to see some hotly anticipated and long-awaited projects have opening dates on the horizon once again.
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Rewards
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.