20 New One-Of-A-Kind Hotels That Will Reshape Hospitality In 2025

While the hotel world’s big luxury players are continuing to expand their collections—with some spectacular announcements for 2025—the coming year is also shaping up to be a rewarding one for travelers who prefer something genuine, low-key or homegrown. Along with the established brands, independent hoteliers are opening their passion projects, and smaller, soulful brands (and even some big ones) are making targeted moves. From South Africa to South Australia, Tuscany to Taos, here are 20 new hotels and a private villa that promise a willingness to break the mold, a distinctive character and a heartfelt style of hospitality,

The Americas

Villa Santa Cruz, Todos Santos, Mexico

Reopened a few weeks ago following an extensive renovation, Villa Santa Cruz is a 24-room beachfront hotel in the heart of Todos Santos. There are new tented suites beside the ocean, revamped conventional accommodations—some with private rooftops, hot tubs and fire pits—immersive dining and farm experiences and equestrian stables. The extensive programming includes beach yoga, stargazing, pickleball and off-property excursions for whale watching and surf lessons.

Hotel Willa, Taos, New Mexico

California’s historic small-batch boutique brand Casetta (known for retro-cool hotels like the Surfrider in Malibu) has three openings slated for early next year. Among them is Hotel Willa, at the edge of the downtown historic district of the bohemian New Mexican mountain town of Taos. Built in the 1960s, the former motel has been reimagined with a contemporary take on traditional Southwestern style and adobe design. The 51 rooms have rich terra-cotta walls adorned with local art, and the hotel has niceties like fire pits, an edible garden, an art gallery and a stargazing deck.

Peter Island Resort, British Virgin Islands

Seven years after being hit by Hurricane Irma in 2017, the storied Peter Island Resort is back and better than ever. The extensive transformation brings the classic Caribbean private island retreat into the 21st century with new and upgraded accommodations and updated facilities. What remains are hundreds of wild tropical acres, five beguiling beaches, two luxury villas and personalized service.

La Bahia Hotel & Spa, Santa Cruz, California

At the edge of the sparkling Monterey Bay, La Bahia is poised to be Santa Cruz’s first luxury hotel, as well as the focal point of its Main Beach. The hotel, parts of which occupy a historic bell tower that’s been part of the city’s beachfront landscape for nearly a century, is designed as a celebration of the local culture of surfing, art and exploration. The 155 rooms are expansive, kitted out with worldly artifacts and the Spanish Mediterranean design that’s become emblematic of coastal California. They all have ocean views, as does the sauna—part of the spa that’s an ode to the city’s famed old bathhouses.

Europe

Eriro, Ehrwald, Austria

Elemental simplicity and a profound return to nature are the hallmarks of the newly opened Eriro hotel in the Tyrolean Alps at the foot of the Zugspitze mountain range. There’s a whole sustainability story about how arriving by cable car—the only way to get there—minimizes traffic pollution, but it also helps guests feel far, far away from the world below. Nearly a mile high, the hotel has nine rooms with a minimalistic approach to Alpine architecture, zero-waste cuisine rooted in foraged and regionally grown ingredients, and a holistic spa that draws on the knowledge of local herbalists and naturalists. The back-to-nature philosophy extends to pursuits like barefoot forest hikes and wild swimming.

Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Resorts Collection, Florence

Following the success of Domaine des Etangs in rural France, Auberge Resorts Collection is continuing its expansion into Europe with Collegio alla Querce, a lavish hotel in a storied 16th-century property on a hillside above Florence’s UNESCO-listed Centro Storico. The structure was once an educational institution consisting of three adjacent Renaissance buildings, and its new incarnation aims to offer lessons in la dolce vita: the best of staying in a timeless urban retreat and in a Tuscan country estate.

Experimental Chalet Val d’Isere, France

Following a transformation by multi-awarded interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon, the old Aigle des Neiges hotel in the heart of the village has been reborn as Experimental Chalet Val d’Isere for this winter snow season. The 113 rooms are cozy in the extreme, each uniquely designed with elements inspired by the surrounding forest. The ski motifs are tasteful, letting the views of the Vanoise massif speak for themselves. The two restaurants include a lively grand brasserie serving lavish seafood platters, and an inviting little dining room specializing in Savoie classics like raclette and fondue.

Vestige Son Ermitá and Vestige Binidufá, Menorca

Since 2023, Spain’s family-owned Vestige Collection has established a reputation for its distinctive approach to the regeneration of characterful properties on the mainland and in the Balearics. This summer will see the arrival of Vestige Son Ermitá and Vestige Binidufá, meticulous restorations of two neglected 18th-century farmhouse buildings on an 800-acre coastal estate. Between them, the two hotels have 22 spacious, rustic-chic guest rooms and suites, along with shared spaces like fine-dining and plant-forward restaurants, a high-tech gym and spa, and an indoor plunge pool—not to mention five calas (inlets) and coves with a sparkling turquoise sea.

91 Athens Riviera, the Resort, Greece

The newest outpost from Greece’s Domes Resorts, 91 Athens Riviera opened last summer as something between a glamping retreat and a sleepover beach club. The 28 tented cabanas, or “luxents” in their parlance, have super-king beds with 1,000-thread-count sheets, plus sunny deck space and individual swimming pools. There’s programming galore: sunrise yoga, tennis, a spa, sunset pilates and a restaurant—an outpost of the glamorous Barbarossa brand that got its start in Paros—that lets people segue from dinner to dancing under the stars.

Romègas, Valletta, Malta

In the center of Valletta’s Baroque old town, Romègas is an impressive restoration of a 500-year-old palazzo. Its old-meets-new vibe works well: 23 individually designed rooms with terrazzo floors and original Maltese balconies, a stylish bar and a rooftop pool overlooking the city’s sepia-toned streets—one of many UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the island.

Nordelaia Beaulieu, France

When it opens in Beaulieu-sur-Mer this summer, Nordelaia Beaulieu will be the little sister to Nordelaia in Piedmont, which opened to great acclaim in 2021 and received a Michelin key this year. The French Riviera hotel will have 33 rooms and suites in a 1960s building overlooking the port, designed by the award-winning Yakusha Studio (based in Ukraine and Belgium) with a sense of calm and natural, local materials. It’s a welcome departure from the opulence often found in the Côte d’Azur. The rooftop terrace—the only one in town—has spectacular views over the sea and a small-plates menu overseen by Italian chefs from the Piedmont hotel.

The Newman, London

On its namesake street in Fitzrovia, the Newman is the first hotel from the new international hospitality management company Kinsfolk, whose principals have worked for the likes of Firmdale Hotels and the Goring. This 81-room hotel has a contemporary Art Deco aesthetic that nods to the neighborhood’s creative character. Its standout features include a signature suite on the entire top floor with a private terrace, another full floor for wellness and a modern European brasserie with an outdoor terrace and a glamorous cocktail bar.

Kilchoan Estate, Scottish Highlands

The creative minds behind the beloved Dunton Hot Springs in southern Colorado are expanding to Europe. This summer, they’ll open Kilchoan Estate in the Knoydart Peninsula on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands—an area that’s cut off from the UK road network and reachable only by boat or by foot. They bought the 13,000-acre estate in 2020 with the goal of enhancing its existing rustic accommodations, adding and upgrading its public spaces, and rewilding the landscape. It will have six stone cottages, ranging from one to five bedrooms, a yoga studio, a restaurant for Dunton’s signature communal dinners in the picturesque barn, and a full roster of outdoor activities, with fancy picnic lunches included of course.

Asia

Shakti Prana, India

While Shakti Himalaya is known for its sophisticated walking journeys through beautiful and remote regions of the Indian mountains, the company also has a strong accommodation game. Its Shakti 360 Leti was the forerunner for luxury experiential travel more than 16 years ago, and in the wake of that lodge’s closure (and stone-by-stone dismantling), the new Shakti Prana in Kumaon will continue that evolution. When it opens in October, it will have seven cabins, each with a sitting room with an open fire, a bedroom and a bathroom with exceptional views of the mountain landscape. Everything is being built with local stone that’s been carried by mule trains 2,700 feet up a steep goat path.

The Malkai, Oman

Rather than a traditional hotel, the Malkai is designed to be a first-of-its-kind immersion into the Sultanate of Oman. It’s the realization of a decades-long dream passed down through generations of one family committed to sharing the beauty of their homeland. Opening in the autumn, its three sites will give guests a base to explore the country’s heritage, culture and stunning natural landscapes: the coastal plains of Barka near Muscat, the high Al Hajar Mountains and the sweeping Sharqiya Sands. Each site will have 14 tented pavilions—the first of their kind to operate year-round in Oman—along with dining rooms, spas and infinity pools.

The Sira, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Lombok, Indonesia

Opened last month, the new Sira on the rising-star island of Lombok has 60 large rooms, suites and villas, all with handsome decor and ocean views, and some with private pools. The luxury hotel also has multiple restaurants spotlighting local and international cuisine, a knowledgeable wellness concierge, a 230-foot-long outdoor pool and a 24-hour fitness center. Along with the beauty of Lombok’s white sand beaches and crystal-clear sea, guests also have access to Mount Rinjani and the verdant Gili Islands.

Africa

Mbamba, Botswana

Natural Selection’s new camp, Mbamba, is slated to open in April on a 220,000-acre concession in the northern Okavango Delta, an area of lush grasslands, winding channels, and ancient woodlands. The camp is designed in Botswana luxury-safari rockstar Ralph Bousfield’s iconic style, with 12 canvas tents on raised wooden decks under the shade of leadwood trees. Each one is suffused with vintage charm: plush fabrics, mahogany sideboards and Persian rugs. The camp includes two lounges, a well-stocked drinks cabinet, a small library and a pool.

Lemala Osonjoi Lodge, Tanzania

Lemala Camps & Lodges is an eco-conscious collection of genuine places to stay in Tanzania and Uganda. The latest addition to that portfolio, the design-forward Lemala Osonjoi Lodge, sits at the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania’s Great Rift Valley with 20 suites designed to offer an immersive experience and panoramic views of the crater floor. Notably, it also has direct access to the crater via a less-used access road that allows guests to be the first to arrive for game viewing in the morning and the last to leave in the afternoon.

Franschhoek House, South Africa

Also not a hotel but a private residence, the newly opened Franschhoek House is notable for its design and art collection. The six-bedroom exclusive-use villa, on the grounds of La Residence in Franschhoek in South Africa’s Cape Winelands, is the work of Liz Biden and the Royal Portfolio group. She’s designed it with her signature maximalist style and curated an exceptional collection of contemporary African art from the likes of Kate Gottgens and Tega Tsfadzwa.

Oceania

Rumi on Louth, Louth Island, South Australia

On an island off the coast of the Eyre Peninsula, Rumi on Louth is designed to be a luxury eco-escape surrounded by raw wilderness. In the luxury column: a full spa overlooking the ocean and sophisticated dining that mixes native ingredients with Mediterranean cuisine. And for the wilderness: catamaran cruises, kayak adventures, fishing and beaches.

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