HOTEL NEWS: Some of the Most Compelling Hotels Unfolding This Season
The broader conversation around hotel openings 2026 may be focused on what’s coming next, but some of the most interesting shifts are happening right now. Across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, a series of openings, reopenings and timely launches are shaping the immediate travel landscape — rooted in heritage, landscape and cultural identity.
From Bordeaux vineyards to the Red Sea coastline and Mallorca’s clifftops, here’s a look at some of the hotel stories defining the months ahead.
COMO Cordeillan-Bages — A Landmark Returns to the Left Bank
Reopening on 1 May, COMO Cordeillan-Bages marks a significant moment for Bordeaux’s Médoc. The 19th-century estate, long associated with wine tourism in the region, enters a new era under the stewardship of COMO Hotels and Resorts, in collaboration with the Cazes family of Château Lynch-Bages.
Italian designer Paola Navone has led a sensitive transformation of the 28 rooms and suites, introducing a restrained palette and contemporary clarity that honours the building’s 17th-century turrets and vineyard setting. A 25-metre outdoor pool, reimagined gastronomic restaurant and seamless access to some of Bordeaux’s most revered estates position the property as both retreat and cultural gateway.
As France continues to see a wave of considered luxury hotel launches in 2026, this reopening feels emblematic: heritage, family legacy and terroir brought into sharper, quieter focus.
From €350 per night.
www.comohotels.com/cordeillanbages
Nammos Resort AMAALA — Mediterranean Energy Meets the Red Sea
Opening this spring at AMAALA’s Triple Bay, Nammos Resort AMAALA signals a bold new chapter for the globally recognised lifestyle brand. Known for its celebratory spirit, Nammos now translates that rhythm into its first full-scale resort — one that blends high glamour with regenerative ambition.
The 110-room property unfolds towards the shoreline, anchored by the iconic Nammos Restaurant on its own private island. Villas, pool bungalows and 20 private residences offer layered privacy, while a new spa concept — developed in partnership with Augustinus Bader — reframes wellness as energising and social.
Set within AMAALA’s zero-carbon vision for the Red Sea coast, this is one of the Middle East’s most anticipated resort debuts — not simply for its aesthetic, but for the cultural shift it represents.
https://www.nammoshotels.com/amaala
The Webster Covent Garden — A Literary-Led London Launch
Arriving in July on Lincoln’s Inn Fields, The Webster Covent Garden introduces a new design-forward lifestyle brand shaped by narrative and place. The site, once associated with Charles Dickens, sets the tone for a hotel that leans into literary heritage and layered storytelling.
Conceived by award-winning architecture and interiors studio Red Deer, the property blends magic realism with dynamic social spaces intended for both travellers and locals. A forthcoming sister address, The Webster Times Square, nods to the historic Webster Hotel where Gabriel García Márquez once stayed — reinforcing the brand’s creative through-line.
In a city saturated with heritage icons and global chains, this launch feels personal, culturally attuned and refreshingly distinct.
Now accepting reservations.
Jumeirah Mallorca
Jumeirah has announced the seasonal reopening of its Mediterranean hotels, Jumeirah Mallorca and Jumeirah Capri Palace, which are set to open their doors to guests on March 15 and April 17, 2025, respectively. This season will see the introduction of new collaborations and guest experiences, which have been curated to inspire connection and conversation under the Mediterranean sun.
From €600 per night.
www.jumeirah.com/en/stay/mallorca
Off Grid Girona — A New Chapter in Slow Travel
In Catalonia’s Alta Garrotxa, Off Grid Girona is evolving beyond boutique hideaway into a platform for curated gatherings. Its new “Off Grid In Motion” retreat, created with Eat Sleep Cycle, unfolds across volcanic landscapes near La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park.
The four-night programme blends guided road cycling with parallel cultural experiences — from hikes to communal dinners and DJ-led evenings — reflecting a broader appetite for travel that feels participatory rather than passive.
As experiential retreats continue to influence travel trends in 2026, this intimate Catalonian address captures the mood precisely: grounded, design-conscious and community-driven.
From €1,399 per person.
www.offgridcycle.com
Uga Jungle Beach — Contemporary Clarity on the Wild East Coast
On Sri Lanka’s eastern shoreline, Uga Resorts has unveiled a comprehensive refurbishment of Uga Jungle Beach, refreshing all 49 cabins and its restaurant, with spa and pool enhancements completing in March.
The redesign draws directly from the surrounding mangrove, jungle and coastline — botanical prints, jewel tones and white-washed architecture introducing a cleaner, more contemporary rhythm while retaining the property’s wild character. The restaurant now opens more fluidly to the landscape, dissolving boundaries between interior and ocean air.
In a year when many properties are launching anew, this considered evolution stands out — proof that refinement, when rooted in place, can be just as compelling as debut.
From $334 per night.
ugaresorts.com/junglebeach/
Regent Bali Canggu — The World’s First Regent Spa & Wellness
Debuting this year, Regent Bali Canggu introduces the world’s first Regent Spa & Wellness, a landmark moment for the brand and a bold expression of modern luxury wellbeing.
Set between the Indian Ocean and Bali’s terraced rice fields, the spa follows a philosophy of Reset and Elevation, designed to quiet the mind before awakening the senses. Signature treatments include The Massage Revolution on a warm quartz sand bed, The Crystal Cure exfoliation and gemstone ritual, Healing Zen, and The Facial Revolutionblending botanical actives with LED therapy. For multi-generational travellers, the Together Massage allows side-by-side parent-and-child experiences.
Inspired by the octagon — a symbol of rebirth and eternal flow — the space balances grounding energy with transportive design, marking a milestone in Regent’s global wellness story.
https://www.regenthotels.com/bali-canggu
OUTRIGGER Phi Phi Island Resort — Barefoot Luxury, Reimagined
Opening in early 2026 on the northern tip of Phi Phi Island, this five-star beachfront retreat marks a new chapter for OUTRIGGER Hospitality Group in Thailand. Accessible only by boat and set on a secluded white-sand stretch overlooking the Andaman Sea, the 63-suite and villa resort blends Southern Thai culture with OUTRIGGER’s signature warmth and sustainability ethos.
Design draws on the Thai concept of “Nit Thra,” with interiors that feel grounded, textural and calm. Guests can expect immersive cultural welcomes, locally rooted dining and holistic wellness at Zeavola Spa, alongside curated island experiences celebrating marine life and nature.
Nightly rates from £150.
https://www.outrigger.com/hotels-resorts/thailand/phi-phi-island
Hôtel Crillon le Brave — Provençal Heritage, Expanded
Perched opposite Mont Ventoux, Hôtel Crillon le Brave will reopen in April 2026 following an extensive refurbishment. Three restored historic houses introduce ten additional rooms designed for larger groups, subtly shifting the property towards multi-generational stays and celebratory escapes.
A reimagined spa — complete with hammam, sauna, jacuzzi and cold baths — sits alongside a new adults-only pool and dedicated spaces for cookery workshops, wellness retreats and children’s activities. Alongside Tata Harper treatments, the spa will welcome SeeMyCosmetics, bringing cutting-edge techniques into this centuries-old village setting.
Nightly rates from €370 B&B.
https://www.crillonlebrave.com
Taken together, these openings and evolutions point to a broader shift in contemporary hospitality — where hotels are no longer defined solely by location or design, but by the lifestyle, rituals and cultural experiences they create around them. This evolving definition of luxury travel is also reflected throughout The LUX LIST 2026, which explores the objects, destinations and ideas shaping modern living across beauty, travel and culture.
