Hotels To Book This Year

By AHL Editorial Team on 01.13.26

New spots are opening, hotel families we already love are expanding, and beloved properties are returning with fresh identity and new passion. From the Gaslamp Quarter to the peaks of the Dolomites, the canals of Venice to the windswept shores of Norway’s Træna Island, we’re plotting escapes around stays that promise something worth the journey. A velvet-draped comeback in Miami Beach, a reimagined palace in Vienna, sleek new arrivals in Tokyo — these are the properties that have us clearing our calendars. Some are newly open, others are worth the anticipation, and all are hotels we’re eyeing for the year ahead.

THE PENDRY San Diego, California

The Pendry San Diego
Rates $330 and up
J Street, San Diego, California
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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: Pendry San Diego anchors the Gaslamp Quarter with lush rooms and Studio Munge–designed dining and nightlife, from the greenhouse-like Provisional Kitchen to a rooftop pool soaked in San Diego sun. Swanky service, an impeccable spa, and a Moët & Chandon champagne vending machine seal the deal.

MONTAGE LOS CABOS Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 

The Montage Los Cabos
Rates from $1650
Carretera Transpeninsular KM. 12.5, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: Montage Los Cabos stakes out 39 beachfront acres on Santa Maria Bay with rooms built for indoor-outdoor living and one of Cabo’s rare swimmable beaches. There’s a sprawling Spa Montage with ocean-view treatments, Mezcal for contemporary Mexican fare, and Paletas slinging tropical popsicles by the pool. The beach cabanas and terrace suites make a strong case for never venturing beyond the property.

PALAIS RUDOLF VIENNA Vienna, Austria 

Palais Rudolf Vienna
Rates from $260
Rudolfsplatz 11 Vienna, Austria

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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT:  Overlooking Rudolfspark in Vienna’s Old Town, Palais Rudolf has 64 rooms layered in warmth, vintage finds, and locally sourced Viennese antiques that feel right at home. Interiors by James Thurstan Waterworth, art by Austrian icons, and a café-meets-wine-bar rhythm at the Baroness make lingering the whole point.

CASTEL BADIA Dolomites, Italy

Castel Badia 
Rates from $680
Castel Badia, San Lorenzo di Sebato, Italy

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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: A real-life fairy-tale castle in the Dolomites, where stone walls and mountain views make you feel like you’ve wandered into a story. The spa lives in former monastic chambers, the food is pure South Tyrolean comfort, and the whole experience feels equal parts romance and retreat.

CHESA MARCHETTA Sils Maria, Switzerland

Chesa Marchetta
Rates from $570
Via Da Marias, Sils Maria, Switzerland
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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: Chesa Marchetta is a lovingly restored 13-room alpine hideaway in Sils Maria’s cultural heart, blending regional antiques, local art, and seasonal Swiss-Italian cuisine at the acclaimed restaurant. In the Engadin valley, it feels like staying in a friend’s family home. It’s also located in the village center, so you can walk to the lake, hike the trails, or catch a concert at the local cultural scene without needing a car.

POCKETBOOK HUDSON Hudson, New York

Pocketbook Hudson
Rates from $200
Washington Street, Hudson , New York
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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: Pocketbook Hudson revitalizes a landmark 1885 factory into an art- and design-rich destination, with spacious, light-filled rooms, a lively restaurant and cultural spaces, and a forthcoming bathhouse spa. Just blocks from historic Warren Street’s shops, galleries, and dining, it’s an ideal—and stylish—base for exploring Hudson’s heart.

KIMPTON ATLÂNTICO Albufeira, Portugal 

Kimpton Atlântico Algarve
Rates from $160
Rua dos Corais, Albufeira, Portugal
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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: Kimpton Atlântico Algarve is a sun-washed escape on São Rafael Beach, with Nini Andrade Silva–designed rooms and days shaped by beachside dining, rooftop sunsets, and barefoot ease. Add an expansive Wellness Hub with hydrotherapy and Turkish baths, and leaving feels entirely optional.

COMING SOON

The hottest 2026 openings that have us counting down the days

DELANO Miami Beach, Florida

Delano Miami Beach
Opening March 2026
Rates from $300
Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida

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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: After a full Elastic Architects renovation, Delano revives the Philippe Starck–designed icon with billowing white curtains, terrazzo floors, and its legendary pool. With reimagined rooms, a revived Rose Bar, and new pools overlooking the beach, it’s poised to reclaim its place as Miami’s see-and-be-seen address.

AMANVARI Baja California, Mexico

Amanvari
Opening Spring 2026
Rates from $2000
Costa Palmas, East Cape, Baja California, Mexico

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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: This desert-meets-sea sanctuary on the Baja coast highlights a low-slung, whitewashed design that blends into the dunes and ocean. Days here are built around private beach access, ocean swimming, and the sense of being somewhere completely remote—yet you’re still just a short drive from Cabo’s dining and nightlife.

ORIENT EXPRESS Venezia, Italy

Orient Express Venezia
Opening April 2026
Rates from $7000
Strada Nova, Venice, Italy

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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: One of the year’s most anticipated openings, Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli brings golden-age rail glamour to a 15th-century palazzo in Cannaregio this April. Original frescoes, grand salons, the playful Wagon Bar, and private boat arrivals make it pure Venetian fantasy.

SIX SENSES London, England

Six Senses London
Opening Early 2026
Rates from $800
Redan Place, London, England

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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: Six Senses London sits in the Marylebone/Hyde Park pocket, where you can hit the Serpentine, the Design Museum, and Marylebone’s bookshops in the morning, then return to a restored Victorian building with a thermal suite, infrared sauna, and dedicated wellness clinic.

YTRI Træna Island, Norway

Ytri 
Opening April 2026
Rates from $750
Husøy, Træna, Norway

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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: Ytri sits on Træna Island in Norway’s Arctic waters, with fjord-facing cabins, fishing excursions, and prime views for the midnight sun or northern lights. With only a handful of rooms and a focus on local culture, it’s a true off-grid coastal stay.

THE DEAN Berlin and Munich, Germany

The Dean Berlin
Opening February 2026
Rates from $200
Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany

WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: Opening in Charlottenburg, The Dean Berlin taps into the city’s mix of historic boulevards and creative energy with 81 rooms and a rebellious-yet-refined design; its all-day bakery/restaurant/bar Benedict anchors the hotel as a social hub in a lively neighbourhood

The Dean Munich
Opening March 2026
Rates from $200
Westend, Munich, Germany

The Dean Munich, opening in Westend with 281 rooms, channels a blend of design heritage and bold local flair through interiors that fuse Art Nouveau and 1980s style, plus a Japanese restaurant, four bars, and wellness facilities that include an indoor pool, sauna, and steam room.

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1 HOTEL Tokyo, Japan

1 Hotel Tokyo 
Opening Early 2026
Rates from $715
Oshiage, Sumida City, Tokyo

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1 Hotel Tokyo will occupy the upper floors of the Akasaka World Gate complex, with 211 rooms and suites that blend traditional Japanese materials with the 1’s signature style: moss walls, lattice wood, live-edge headboards. The 38th-floor lobby and restaurant wrap gardens, Oya stone, and skyline views into a wabi-sabi arrival, while a spa, hammams, and an indoor pool offer wellness high above the city.

THE LAKE COMO EDITION Italy  

The Lake Como EDITION  
Opening March 2026
Rates from $675
Via Regina, Cadenabbia, Italy

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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: The Lake Como EDITION reimagines a 19th-century palazzo on the western shore with 148 rooms, many featuring restored French balconies, Calacatta marble, and lake-inspired interiors. Swim in a floating pool on the lake, dine under pergola terraces and at Mauro Colagreco’s restaurant, and arrive by boat at the hotel’s private dock.

CAPELLA KYOTO Japan

Capella Kyoto 
Opening March 2026
Rates from $1500
Komatsucho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto

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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: Capella Kyoto debuts this spring in Gion with 89 serene rooms centered on a bamboo courtyard, plus onsen suites and three-Michelin-star omakase. Temple-side calm, immersive rituals, and a quietly transportive spa promise a true Kyoto reset.

THE MALKAI, Oman

The Malkai  
Opening Autumn/Winter 2026
Rates from $2200
Three destination stay: Barkaa, Hajar, and Sharqiya

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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: Think of it as an epic Omani adventure rather than just one hotel. You journey across three dramatically different landscapes (coastal farmlands, the Al Hajar mountains, and the sweeping Sharqiyah desert sands), staying in luxe tented pavilions at each stop with your own Murshid guide. Chauffeured in a Land Rover Defender between sites, you’ll trek mountains, explore dunes, snorkel off a private island, and unwind in spa sanctuaries.

AIRELLES PALLADIO Venice, Italy

Airelles Palladio
Opening April 2026
Rates from $1800
Fondamenta Zitelle, Venice, Italy

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WHY WE WANT TO BOOK IT: Opening on Giudecca, Palladio occupies four historic buildings and nearly a hectare of gardens, with 45 rooms and suites offering lagoon and San Marco views. The property includes multiple restaurants and bars, three pools, and a large spa, all designed to be a self-contained Venice destination.

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