Luxury Hotels Opening in 2026

Belmond Villa San Michele, Florence ~ Opening April 2026 

Belmond will reopen Villa San Michele in April 2026 following an extensive renovation led by Luigi Fragola Architects. Set on the hillside of Fiesole, the property occupies a former 15th-century monastery with a façade attributed to Michelangelo, overlooking Florence and its surrounding valleys. The refreshed design retains the Renaissance architecture and terraced gardens while updating the interior. The reopening will also introduce renewed programming connected to Florence’s cultural calendar. As Villa San Michele enters its next chapter, the reopening offers a refined take on the villa’s monastic charm and spectacular hillside setting.

Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, Venice ~ Opening April 2026 

Orient Express will open Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice’s Cannaregio district in April 2026, marking the brand’s second hotel after Orient Express La Minerva in Rome. The property occupies a 15th-century Venetian palazzo, reworked through an eight-year restoration led by architect and interior designer Aline Asmar d’Amman, retaining historic features such as frescoed ceilings and mosaic floors. The hotel will offer 47 rooms, suites and apartments overlooking the palace gardens and nearby canals. Public spaces include fine-dining and all-day venues, a courtyard and the Wagon Bar, a nod to the brand’s railway heritage. Its opening extends Orient Express’s expansion into Italian hospitality and introduces a contemporary interpretation of the palazzo’s classical heritage. 

Waldorf Astoria Admiralty Arch, London ~ Opening Spring 2026 

The conversion of Admiralty Arch into a Waldorf Astoria marks a notable shift for London’s hotel landscape, bringing contemporary refinement into one of the city’s most historically symbolic buildings. Set at the gateway between Trafalgar Square and The Mall, the hotel introduces around 100 rooms and suites within the arch’s Grade I-listed structure, balancing preserved neoclassical detail with a quieter, residential interior language. The hotel boasts two signature restaurants by Michelin-starred chefs Clare Smyth and Daniel Boulud, rooftop and ground-floor dining, and a ballroom designed for larger events. A distinctive new option in central London, pairing historic architecture with contemporary design. 

Six Senses London ~ Opening Early 2026 

Set to open in early 2026, Six Senses London will mark the brand’s UK debut within the restored Whiteley building in Bayswater. The redevelopment combines the heritage façade with new interiors designed by AvroKO and EPR Architects, creating 109 rooms and suites shaped around light, texture and calm. A large Six Senses Spa, a magnesium pool and Six Senses Place, the brand’s social and wellness club, anchor the property’s focus on restorative urban living. As the Whiteley reopens after its long redevelopment, Six Senses introduces a quieter, wellbeing-led interpretation of hospitality to this part of West London. 

Zannier Hotels Île de Bendor, France ~ Opening May 1st 2026 

Zannier Hotels will reopen Île de Bendor, a private island off the coast of Bandol, on May 1st 2026 following a full redevelopment in partnership with the Ricard family, who created the island in the 1950s. The project will introduce 93 rooms and suites arranged as a village-style ensemble, along with a beach club, several dining spaces, a holistic wellness centre, and an artisan quarter showcasing local craft. The redesign aims to preserve the island’s mid-century spirit while updating its layout and infrastructure. Its reopening offers a renewed way for guests to experience this historically private Provençal island. 

COMO Le Beauvallon, St Tropez ~ Opening April 24th 2026 

Following a restoration of the Belle Époque estate set on the northern shore of the Gulf of St Tropez, COMO Hotels and Resorts will reopen Le Beauvallon on April 24th 2026. Originally built in 1911, the property has hosted figures including Audrey Hepburn and Winston Churchill. The redevelopment preserves the historic architecture while introducing updated interiors, wellness facilities and landscaped outdoor areas across its 10-acre grounds. The estate will offer views across the bay toward St Tropez, with direct access to the waterfront. Its reopening reintroduces one of the region’s few grand historic estates offering privacy at scale. 

Uga Ghiri, Ella, Sri Lanka ~ Opening June 2026

Set on 10 lush acres in Sri Lanka’s central highlands, Uga Ghiri is a new all-villa retreat overlooking the iconic Nine Arch Bridge and the tea-carpeted hills of Ella. The property will feature 15 spacious villas, each with a private heated jacuzzi and views across the surrounding forested landscape. At the heart of the estate is a restored colonial manor that now houses the restaurant and bar, blending period architecture with refined contemporary design. Guests can unwind at the spa or enjoy curated experiences – from tea tastings and cycling to nature walks supporting biodiversity initiatives. With its peaceful hillside setting and emphasis on local connection, Uga Ghiri offers a tranquil new base in one of Sri Lanka’s most scenic regions.

Park Hyatt Phu Quoc, Vietnam ~ Opening Spring 2026 

Park Hyatt Phu Quoc is set on a 160-acre coastal site on the island’s southwest, offering 205 guestrooms and 23 villas, along with Park Hyatt–branded residences. The design follows a low-rise plan intended to integrate with the surrounding landscape, with guest accommodations set among natural slopes and shoreline. Facilities will include multiple restaurants, pools, event spaces, and a Park Hyatt spa. As one of the island’s major upcoming openings, the resort introduces the brand’s residential, understated style to Phu Quoc’s expanding luxury market. 

Four Seasons Hanoi at Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Vietnam ~ Opening 2026 

Four Seasons Hotel Hanoi at Hoàn Kiếm Lake will take shape along the edge of one of the city’s most recognisable cultural landmarks. Designed by WATG Architects, the project draws on the French Colonial influences, with 95 rooms and suites overlooking the lake and blending history with contemporary design. The hotel will include a spa, fitness centre, pools, and dedicated event and meeting spaces, including an all-day restaurant, a lounge, and a rooftop bar. Set within walking distance of the Old Quarter’s temples, theatres and narrow streets, the property offers a quieter vantage point from which to move through Hanoi’s layered heritage and its increasingly dynamic culinary scene. 

Bulgari Resort Ranfushi, Maldives ~ Opening 2026 

Bulgari Resort Ranfushi will bring the brand’s architectural style to the Raa Atoll, positioned across 20 hectares of lagoon, beaches and dense tropical garden. Designed by ACPV Architects, the resort will follow Bulgari’s emphasis on contemporary Italian detailing and sustainability, with 54 villas arranged across the island and its surrounding waters, including 33 beach villas with private pools, 20 overwater villas and an exclusive Bulgari Villa set on its own island. Four signature dining venues will define the culinary offering: Il Ristorante – Niko Romito, Bao Li Xuan, Hōseki and the beachfront La Spiaggia. Communal spaces will include The Bulgari Bar, The Bulgari Spa, a boutique and La Galleria, connected by landscaped paths and low-slung structures that keep the island’s natural contours in view. Within one of the Maldives’ more secluded atolls, Ranfushi introduces a distinctly Italian reading of island life while giving guests space to settle into the atoll’s quieter rhythm. 

Capella Kyoto, Japan ~ Opening Spring 2026 

Set within the historic Miyagawa-cho district, Capella Kyoto marks the brand’s debut in Japan. The hotel, developed on the site of a former elementary school, sits steps from Kenninji, Kyoto’s oldest Zen temple, and close to the theatres, alleys and small cultural spaces that define this corner of the city. It offers 89 rooms that plan to adopt a low-rise profile shaped around courtyards and quiet thresholds, including six suites with private outdoor onsen. Its scale and layout place guests in close contact with the neighbourhood, where machiya streets, seasonal performances and the flow of the Kamo River sit within easy reach. As Capella enters the city, the property introduces a calm, locally attuned base from which to experience Kyoto's enriching culture and history. 

Rosewood Shenzhen, China ~ Opening 2026 

Sitting in the intersection of three bustling districts, Rosewood Shenzhen is set to landmark one of the city’s most energetic commercial areas. With 300 rooms and 50 branded residences, the property places guests within easy reach of Shenzhen’s growing artistic, architectural and culinary scenes. Asaya, Rosewood’s wellness programme, will take its place alongside multiple dining venues and event spaces, catering to the needs of not only their guests but the city beyond. They have embraced a quieter, residential style of hospitality into Shenzhen’s accelerating skyline, giving travellers a way to settle into the city’s momentum while overlooking it.