The Most Luxurious New Hotels of 2025

Cheval Blanc Seychelles

This 115-island nation in the Indian Ocean just welcomed the LVMH hotel brand’s first African outpost. Cheval Blanc Seychelles does away with the expected thatched-roof aesthetic in favor of 52 modern-looking villas, with one to five bedrooms each, by celebrated designer Jean-Michel Gathy (Aman New York; Marina Bay Sands, in Singapore). I stayed in a sleek villa painted bone white, with views of aquamarine waves, a 41-foot-long pool, and an outdoor shower I shared with a giant snail one day and a pair of curious geckos the next. The minimalist main lodge has chic lounges, two infinity pools, and four of the hotel’s five elegant restaurants. The fifth, Mizumi, is on the waterfront, serving East Asian dishes including dim sum and excellent sushi in a historic cottage. The Guerlain Spa has a hammam and eight hillside cabanas, each with different design touches: a quartz massage table in one, mother-of-pearl walls covering another. Doubles from $2,500.​ —Travis Levius

The Emory, London

As I approached The Emory—a new hotel from the hospitality group behind London’s iconic Claridge’s and The Connaught—I anticipated some fanfare: a top-hat-donning doorman, a chandelier-lit lobby, slick signage. But I found nothing of the sort; discretion is one of the hotel’s many luxuries. The Emory is quietly tucked inside a glass-and-steel building from architect Richard Rogers, who designed Paris’s Centre Pompidou, a detour from the typical white-stucco façades that line the rest of London’s Belgravia neighborhood. The hotel lies right next to Hyde Park, and you won’t soon forget it: The 61 rooms—between 600 and 3,000 square feet—have floor-to-ceiling windows peering over the Royal Park. Every two floors are the vision of a different designer, including Pierre Yves Rochon (The Savoy) and Alexandra Champalimaud (Raffles Singapore). My husband, son, and I stayed in the André Fu-designed Hyde Park Balcony Suite, and we happily made ourselves at home: My 1-year-old son giggled as he shuffled from the massive closet to the sprawling, spa-like bathroom during a rousing round of hide-and-seek, my husband helped himself to the complimentary in-suite snacks, I flipped through a coffee table book while lounging on the curved, cream-colored sofa, and the three of us together enjoyed a gorgeous breakfast spread in the dining room every morning.

Other exclusive amenities include a rooftop bar with all of London on display; a private cigar bar with moody lighting; complimentary airport transfers via black car or helicopter (the latter for those arriving by private jet to nearby airfields); and Surrenne, a four-floor members’ club with a spa. Much of the property feels hush-hush, but Jean-George Vongerichten’s ground-floor ABC Kitchens restaurant—the chef’s first U.K. outpost—is delightfully humming with chatter from both locals and guests sharing colorful, plant-forward plates (rainbow beet carpaccio, roasted cauliflower dusted with red zhug) that nicely complement the bright Damien Hirst artwork splashed all over the walls. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $2,043. —Alisha Prakash

Eriro, Tyrol, Austria

Bärig, a dialectical German word rarely used beyond western Austria, means “wonderful.” It’s the perfect description for Eriro, a luxurious nine-room lodge perched on a meadow in Austria’s Tyrolean Alps. Its surroundings are glorious, with mountains all around; to the north is the Zugspitze, the highest peak in Germany, which straddles the border with Austria. Owned by three local families, Eriro aims to protect the fragile Alpine ecosystem; No new construction is permitted in these meadows, so the lodge is technically a re-building, on the site of a derelict old inn painstakingly dismantled so that the old wood could be reclaimed and used in Eriro’s ceiling paneling.

Though the lodge’s exterior is classic Alpine chalet, the interior is strikingly modern, with hand-hewn pine furniture and enormous picture windows. Nearly everything the kitchen serves, except the coffee and some wine, comes from within a 50-mile radius; Since there’s no citrus, for instance, foraged berries provide acidity, and the juice on the breakfast table is apple and quince. In the craft room, a local artisan offers wood-carving lessons. Even the spa’s massage oil is house-made, with herbs gathered from the nearby woods. The warm welcome and cozy vibes of Eriro are perhaps best embodied by the thick socks hand-knit from local wool that are given to every guest on arrival. Doubles from $1,696, including all meals. —Jeff Chu

Few & Far Luvhondo, South Africa

A carbon-neutral lodge carved into South Africa’s remote Soutpansberg mountain range, Few & Far Luvhondo is close to the country’s border with Zimbabwe. The hotel, by the founders of the U.S. glamping empire Under Canvas, has just six suites—all solar-powered and decorated with local art—plus a spa and a farm that grows produce used at Luvhondo’s restaurant (including its excellent arugula pesto). The resort’s showstopper is a solar-powered cable car—with an onboard bar. The game drives are also spectacular; my favorite moment was stalking leopards and identifying their elusive tracks in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve. Doubles from $1,800 per person, all-inclusive.​ —Carrie Honaker

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol, Mexico

When I arrived in Los Cabos, six months pregnant with my second child and away from my toddler for the first time, I desperately needed a break. The thoughtful, extra-attentive staff put me at ease immediately; Never was I in need of water, a fresh towel, or a sunscreen refill. This must be how my toddler feels every day, I thought, as I sat in my private cabana at the adults-only infinity pool, staring into the cerulean water just beyond. The 96-room Four Seasons Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol occupies a prime piece of real estate along the Baja California coast, known for its beautiful, rugged beaches and active marine life. I visited just weeks shy of the humpback whale migration season, much to my dismay. But thanks to the guides at the beachside 360° Baja Adventure Center, who fitted me with flippers and helped me waddle into the waves, I was able to spot schools of tropical fish while snorkeling right off the beach. The suite I shared with my husband had a wraparound balcony with a private plunge pool, where I spent each morning, drinking my coffee and watching the sun rise over the Sea of Cortez, and where, on the last night, I saw a gigantic humpback whale jump from the water. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $1,500. —Erin Agostinelli

Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing

Brochure phrases such as “authentic experiences” and “living like a local” have become clichés, with every urban hotel claiming to immerse its guests in the surrounding community. Few, however, deliver on that promise quite as literally as the new Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing, the brand’s second outpost in the Chinese capital. Scattered around a traditional hutong neighborhood on the fringe of central Beijing’s Forbidden City, the hotel’s 42 courtyard suites alternate with local homes along the hutong‘s stone-paved alleys. Here, your neighbors aren’t other hotel guests, but real Beijingers going about their daily lives.

The suites take over meticulously renovated courtyard houses and blend heritage with high design: under their century-old wooden ceiling beams, they feature marble-clad bathrooms, plush living rooms furnished with contemporary Chinese art, and beds framed in gorgeous headboards from brass and silk embroidery. The communal areas are similarly woven throughout the district. The lobby, set in a gingerbread-trimmed siheyuan courtyard building on the hutong‘s perimeter, doubles as an afternoon tea lounge, and connects to a village-like wellness center with a Chinese tea house, spa, and courtyard for qi yuan gong baths. One alley over, Yan Garden by chef Fei deals in fine Cantonese and Chaozhou specialities such as butter-smooth pork char siu and deep-fried fish maw. The hotel’s perch connects guests to Beijing’s courtyard culture, weaving amid local dumpling joints and ni hao-nodding centenarians. This isn’t just a fresh addition to the city’s already star-studded hotel lineup, but a bold experiment that radically redefines what a hotel can be. Doubles from $1,777. —Chris Schalkx 

Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

I spent my first evening at Nekajui—the Ritz-Carlton Reserve’s newest hotel, on Costa Rica’s Peninsula Papagayo—halfway down a cliff at a tented tree house bar. The sunset had turned the whole sky a dark pink, the same color as my cocktail, a Negroni sbagliato made with hibiscus and mango leaf concentrate. These views are par for the course at the 107-room cliffside resort. The next day, I loaded my eight-month-old son into the glass elevator, which takes guests down to Niri Beach Club, narrating the view to him as we descended; We could see azure water lapping against a half moon–shaped cove. At the beach club, we grabbed a wicker couch overlooking the water, where we slurped eagerly from baby coconuts and shared tapas (mashed Spanish tortilla for him, wood-fired prawns and pan con tomate for me). There’s a bevy of excursions on Peninsula Papagayo that guests can book at Nekajui’s Explorers Club—zip lining, hiking, snorkeling, and ATV off-roading included. But we caught most of our thrills at the resort, navigating the suspension bridge that connects fine-dining Peruvian restaurant Puna to more out-of-the-way suites, lazing in a poolside cabana, visiting the spa to try all the jets in Central America’s largest hydrotherapy pool, and walking down to the beach to feel the warm water on our toes. Doubles from $2,390. —Maya Kachroo-Levine

Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Saudi Arabia

On a remote archipelago off Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Middle East fulfils every desert island fantasy: Nujuma’s pearl-white sands could have been scooped from the Seychelles, and its calm, turquoise shallows stolen from Zanzibar, Mauritius, or the Andaman isles. But don’t be fooled: it’s all natural and all Saudi Arabian. From Neyrah Spa’s moringa oil used for massages to Tabrah restaurant’s fresh sea bream (served still sizzling from the coals), Nujuma champions Saudi-sourced ingredients. The resort opened in May 2024, just a few months after the region first opened to tourism. Before that, the islands—reached by a 30-minute speedboat ride from the mainland—had been frequented only by fishermen.

As a first-time visitor to Saudi, I was captivated by Nujuma’s insights into the nation’s culture. Its in-house experts offer cultural insight via informal Q&As, while tours include diving on the Red Sea’s pristine reef, planting mangroves, and stargazing with a local astrophysicist. Under a velvet-black sky, I was spellbound by Habib Bafeil’s tales of how ancient seafarers used the stars to navigate—and I returned to my villa to find a telescope set up beside my private pool. With only the sea breeze for company, I explored the full moon’s craters in breathtaking detail. The resort’s 63 villas, designed by Foster + Partners, are spacious, shell-inspired domes, one of which is adapted for wheelchairs (and the entire resort is step-free). They’re scattered across the beach and overwater promenade, laden with luxuries, like butler service, Diptyque toiletries, and sea views from bed. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $2,133. —Hazel Plush

Ovo Patagonia, Argentina

The journey to this collection of four egg-shaped capsules suspended 885 feet up a cliff is an adventure in itself. After arriving at El Chaltén, a town at the north entrance of Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park, I transferred to Estancia Bonanza, where a 4 x 4 took me to the reception house of Ovo Patagonia. From there, a guide accompanied me on a short hike to the base camp to relax awhile before setting out on a via ferrata climbing trail up to my sleeping pod. Each has three levels: an entryway with a living room and bathroom; an upper-level bedroom; and a lower portion with a glass bottom that reveals the earth below. It’s a thrilling place to spend a night. A staffer delivers everyone a dinner of beef tenderloin or trout; after that, all that’s left to do is soak up the panoramic views of landmarks like Mount Fitz Roy, a legendary 11,000-foot peak—and watch the stars come out. Doubles from $1,600. —Cristóbal Palma

Peter Island Resort, British Virgin Islands

Days are slow and sun-baked at Peter Island Resort, which was damaged in Hurricane Irma in 2017 and has now been restored. Most of the 52 rooms are on Deadman’s Beach, with sliding glass doors that open right onto the sand. Mine had its own kitchen, but I loved eating in the hotel’s two restaurants: the Drake, a classic steak house, and the more casual, open-air Drunken Pelican, which serves jerk chicken wings, roti stuffed with curried chicken, and a potent Painkiller, the BVI’s famed rum drink. The resort has five beaches; my favorite was White Bay, a powdery stretch I had all to myself for a blissful afternoon of snorkeling and sunbathing. The concierge can organize excursions to nearby islands like Virgin Gorda, but I stayed put, hiking the Sunset Loop trail around the island and soaking in my private hot tub. Doubles from $1,000. —Sophie Dodd

The Ranch Hudson Valley, New York

Malibu, California’s The Ranch—the renowned luxury health and wellness retreat from husband-and-wife duo Sue and Alex Glasscock—has grown a cult-following over the last decade. Who can say if it’s the daily massage, the scenic hikes, or the organic plant-based meals, but something about the restorative program offers a welcome respite from reality. In April 2024, the brand opened its very first East Coast location in Sloatsburg, New York, just a little over an hour’s drive from Manhattan. The Hudson Valley offering is set within a newly renovated, historic 40,000-square-foot estate originally built in 1902. When I arrived on a sunny day in early June, I noticed detailed trimmings along the high ceilings, a light-filled grand staircase, and marble-tiled floors. New York design firm SR Gambrel curated a palette of nature-inspired colors for the 25 rooms and common spaces, like the living and game rooms, the Nancy Meyers-esque dining room, and my favorite spot, the gym that was once a ballroom. There’s also an outdoor pool, sprawled in full view of Sheppard Pond, which is open in the warmer months. While the setting certainly made me feel like royalty, it’s the signature Ranch programming, available for three-night, four-day stays at minimum, that takes the experience to the next level. Each day at this opulent sleepaway camp for adults goes a little something like this: 5:30 a.m. wakeup, morning stretch, group breakfast; 7:30 a.m. hike in the Hudson Valley on a nearby trail prescouted by our hiking guides. Following either a two- or four-hour hike, guests return to a whiteboard schedule where they can choose which yoga or workout class they want to sign up for, and find their daily massage time. After my daily massage, I would often choose to unwind in the 5,000 square-foot solarium featuring an indoor heated pool, hot and cold plunges, and an infrared sauna. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $2,955 per person for a minimum three-night stay. —Jess Feldman

Soneva Secret, Maldives

When it opened in the remote Makunudhoo Atoll, the hotly anticipated Soneva Secret became the fourth Soneva resort across the Maldives and Thailand. With just 14 palatial beach and overwater villas (its first-of-its-kind floating villa is still under construction), each accommodation has a gym, spa room, one or two bedrooms, a kitchen, and endless places to bask in the Maldivian breeze. I’ve been to 40 resorts in the Maldives, but I’ve never seen a program like Soneva Secret’s private chef concept, where guests choose a cuisine, and a chef with deep ties to its food comes to your villa and cooks a multi-course meal. During my stay, I requested Chinese, Italian, and Japanese, digging into fresh Maldivian sashimi for lunch and al dente prawn pasta for dinner. Soneva Secret also has three restaurants, including an overwater spot called Out Of This World, where adventurous guests arrive for a multi-course European fusion feast via the country’s longest zipline, and The Living Room restaurant, with Soneva’s beloved ice cream and chocolate room opposite its decadent charcuterie and cheese room. Still, I took most of my meals in my villa, where sustainably sourced light timber interiors, reclaimed metal finishes, and petrified wood counters decorated my thatched-roof escape. I made good use of the main bedroom’s retractable roof and fell asleep under the stars. Doubles from $5,800. —Katie Lockhart

The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, Florida

Set on 18 acres overlooking the sun-kissed shores of Sarasota’s longest barrier island, St. Regis Longboat Key Resort is a 168-room destination in its own right. There’s a welcoming buzz all over the property—most notably in the lobby, where guests are greeted by daily live entertainment and a full-service bar. Another popular hangout spot is the main pool area with an adjacent Polynesian-themed bar and a lazy river connected to a grotto with a hot tub. Guests soaking in the grotto’s hot tub can press a button and get a glass of Champagne delivered. The resort’s 26 oceanfront suites, ranging in size from one to four bedrooms, are sleek and modern with fully furnished living rooms and balconies with beautiful views of the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico. There are seven restaurants, but I especially loved dining at CW Prime, a high-end steakhouse with an exclusive speakeasy lounge, and at rooftop Oshen, serving seafood with Japanese- and Peruvian-inspired flavors. Other on-site amenities include a 500,000-gallon saltwater lagoon where guests can snorkel among tropical fish and feed stingrays, as well as a 20,000-foot spa complete with hydrotherapy circuits and an infinity pool. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $3,000. —Annie Archer

Voaara Madagascar

On the 90-minute drive from the airstrip on Sainte-Marie, a low-key island off the northeast coast of Madagascar, to Voaara resort, the hum of village life gave way to an empty, palm-fringed coast and eventually a sign that read, “Last Stop Before Paradise.” Spread over 100 acres of jungle, with a pearly-white beachfront, Voaara’s secluded setting feels like a utopian private island. The opening marks owner Philippe Kjellgren’s (the founder of the Kiwi Collection) foray into a new brand of barefoot luxury, designed for guests who want to fall asleep to the sound of lapping waves, dine with their toes in the sand, and rinse off from the sea in a jungle-shrouded outdoor shower. “It’s not for everyone,” Kjellgren admitted. But it was certainly for me. Seven bungalows and a three-bedroom villa are steps from the sand, and all feature driftwood beams collected from nearby beaches, funky raffia lighting, and oversized landscape prints from Madagascan photographer Pierrot Men. Guests can snorkel the vibrant house reefs, whale watch with the resident marine biologist, and learn to wing foil with pro surfer Willow Hardy. Kjellgren drew on his favorite touches from some 2,000 hotels he’s visited to inform the property’s whimsical experiences, like a sushi dinner followed by stargazing in the Bird’s Nest, a wood-clad tower topped with an observatory. (Future Voaara locations are also planned for the Caribbean and Rwanda.) I’d say, paradise found. Doubles from $1,300. —Jen Murphy

Wilderness Bisate Reserve, Rwanda

The main lodge at Wilderness Bisate Reserve, located outside of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, is a near-perfect replica of a royal Rwandan residence, with a towering thatched roof, a crackling fireplace, and an emerald bar. All this is before you even get to your own palatially appointed quarters. The reserve has just four en-suite villas, accommodating a maximum of eight people; each includes a lounge area, fully stocked kitchen, and bar. In the bedroom, guests will find a roaring fireplace, a soaking tub, and a rainfall shower, along with a wood-burning hot tub with a view of the verdant hillside on the terrace. An unforgettable gorilla trek is almost certainly on the agenda, but guests can also tack on a hike to see the golden monkeys swing between the trees and take part in a number of on-site sustainability activities, including planting a tree to help in its effort to reforest the surrounding land. Doubles from $3,200 per person, all-inclusive. —Stacey Leasca