Calling all travel enthusiasts and boutique hotel lovers to grab your 2023 calendars and mark the dates of these chic boutique hotel openings.
Banyan Tree Valle de Guadalupe (Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico)
Valle de Guadalupe is one of Southern California and Mexico’s best-kept secrets. An hour and a half drive from San Diego’s border crossing, this valley is full of wineries with design-forward boutique hotels and tasting rooms (park on the USA side of the border, then walk over, and meet your tour guide on the other side — @bajatourguide is one of the area’s premier operators, whom we recommend any day of the week). And with the region’s increase in popularity, cool new hotels have been popping up left and right. Opening in October 2023 is 30-key Banyan Tree Valle de Guadalupe Resort, Spa, and Winery, which, among other features, will have 30 hyper-luxe poolside villas dressed in soothing tones, a healthful spa using medicinal plants indigenous to the area including hoja santa and white stage, as well as the brand’s first winery.
The Wayfinder Waikiki (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Stylish boutique brand The Wayfinder — you might’ve been to their other outposts on the East Coast — is opening in the enlivening Honolulu neighborhood of Waikiki come April 2023. Expect brutalist architecture with tropical touches, splashy colors, and busy-patterned furniture embedded interiorly and exteriorly. Also opening up with the hotel is a new tropic-themed speakeasy, Lost + Found.
Drift Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, California)
The latest from up-and-coming hospitality brand Drift Hotels, the in-town Drift Santa Barbara is opening its doors in January 2023. The minimalist yet bold interiors comprise concrete, oak, and brass materials, collectively contrasting the building’s original 1920s Mediterranean architecture.
The Georgian Santa Monica (Santa Monica, California)
This 1933-built Santa Monica mainstay will reopen its doors in January 2023, following an extensive renovation that aims to preserve the hotel’s glory and original blueprint, all the while adding modern touches that elicit further guest comfort. But what are we most thrilled about, you ask? The Gallery: an ever-changing assemblage of artwork from both domestic and international artists.
Mii Amo (Sedona, Arizona)
Sedona, Arizona, has a newly refreshed destination spa that could possibly — if you ask us — be considered one of the country’s best. Ensconced in Red Rock beauty, this wellness haven will reopen with 23 rooms and casitas, a new signature restaurant, reflexology path, two-story movement, fitness studio, and further expanded spa.
Hotel Dames des Arts (Paris, France)
Paris is getting a new boutique hotel in February 2023 — and we couldn’t be more excited. Located on the city’s Left Bank, Hotel des Dames Art is a 109-room stay that draws inspiration from Saint Germain’s artistic ethos. Among other perks, expect natural light spilling in large bedroom windows (one third of rooms have terraces, with several of them facing the Eiffel Tower), DJ-curated Spotify playlists for hotel guests, and a rooftop bar flaunting unobstructed views of the Paris cityscape.
The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Auberge Resorts Collection (Los Olivos, California)
Santa Barbara’s wine country, the Santa Ynez Valley, is replete with wineries as far as the eye can see. Situated in the town of Los Olivos, this farmhouse-style hotel will make its debut in February 2023. Its history is rich, once serving as a popular stagecoach stop. An open-air restaurant, soothing spa, and outdoor pool are also on the menu.
Faraway Martha’s Vineyard (Nantucket, Massachusetts)
Lauded boutique hotel Faraway Nantucket is getting a sibling, Faraway Martha’s Vineyard. Opening in summer 2023, the interior design here is a modern play on mid-century decor. The design imbues Edgartown’s aesthetic throughout corridors, infusing the laid-back island aura for which Martha’s Vineyard is known. The island’s musical provenance was rich during the 1970s — so, on that note, each room will have its own record player that celebrates the zeitgeisty arts and culture of that time.
Goldwyn Resorts and Residences (New Providence, Bahamas)
Part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the Goldwyn Resort & Residences will start welcoming guests in February 2023. Set along Nassau’s beautiful Cable Beach in the Bahamas, this 81-key stay employs a modern, low-rise look, with interiors replete in local art. Situated right on the sand, the infinity pool is a dream here — and the cabanas and private butlers that come with it are the cherries on top.
Life House, Palm Springs (Palm Springs, California)
Coming to life in April 2023, the design-centric hotel brand, Life House, will debut its new West Coast flagship in Palm Springs. Midcentury decor such as velvet furnishings, brass light fixtures, and patterned fabric combine with a neutral color palette interiorly, giving the stay an aura of old-age Hollywood glamour. The hotel’s tempting pool and al fresco dining area celebrate the Desert sun and warmth.
Maison Elle (Paris, France)
With a more than ideal location close to the Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe, iconic media brand ELLE presents its first luxury hotel, Maison ELLE. Styled by interior design firm, Laurent & Laurence, the 25-key stay evokes a trendy, urban design that pays homage to the eponymous media brand: 70 pieces of artwork from drawings, sketches, and extracts of ELLE magazine archives hang throughout the hotel. Of course, an elegant Parisian flare is apparent, from its plush furnishings to its carefully curated selection of designer products at the hotel’s boutique store.
Dornoch Station (Sutherland, Scotland)
Sitting on four picturesque acres in Scotland’s Sutherland area, Dornoch Station — expected to re-open after extensive renovations in the summer of 2023 — lies just a short walk from the first fairway at famed Scottish golf course, Royal Dornoch Golf Club. Exuding old-world charm, the hotel is the fifth property to join the Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts (the brand is known for its luxurious, golf-history-centric stays in Scotland).
Bulgari Hotel (Rome, Italy)
Located in the heart of the Campo Marzio neighborhood, the Bulgari Hotel in Rome will honor the eponymous luxe fashion house with its unfettered Italian elegance. Seamlessly blending the host building’s original 1930s construction and classic Roman architecture, the 114 suites are dressed in ocher Travertine marble and burnt red brick textures; many display an on-rotation collection of modern and antique artworks. Those looking to splurge will love the opulent Bulgari Suite, which overlooks the Mausoleum of Emperor Augustus (talk about rich Roman history).
ULUM (Moab, Utah)
Founded by the creators of lauded outdoor hospitality company, Under Canvas, ULUM will emerge in June 2023 as a refined outdoor stay amongst the vast red rock terrain of Moab, Utah (Canyonlands National Park & Arches National Parks are hiking havens). Tented suites offer breathtaking views of the natural landscape with luxurious amenities in and out: plush king-sized beds, private viewing decks, and upscale private bathrooms are just a few.
The Fifth Avenue Hotel (New York City, New York)
Gilded age glory embeds the Fifth Avenue Hotel, which will open in Mid 2023. Rooms sport antiqued mirrors, chinoiserie accents, and lustrous finishes. Chef Andrew Carmellini will helm the signature restaurant — and for drinks after dinner, the elegant Portrait Bar serves as the perfect place for a nightcap.
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