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Bangkok, Krabi, Kyoto, Hollywood, New York and more – 10 best luxury hotel launches of 2020 to bookmark for the ultimate city break, wellness retreat or culture trip

The lush surrounds of the Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort in Thailand. Photo: Avani Hotels

2020 will go down as the year we went from being jet-setters able to fly around the globe whenever we wanted, to enforced expert city break staycationers. Still, being grounded has not dampened our wanderlust.

Here’s 10 new hotels that deserve to be explored the moment you’re free to go roaming again – bookmark them on your list for future travels.

1. Hotel the Mitsui (Kyoto, Japan)

Hotel the Mitsui Kyoto thermal spring spa. Photo: Hotel the Mitsui Kyoto

Craving privacy and serenity? Brand new Hotel the Mitsui Kyoto is opening its doors in November 2020 as the only luxury hotel in the heart of Kyoto with its own onsen (hot spring). Offering a spa journey based around the traditional Japanese onsen experience, guests can even opt for their own private suite. The multiple thermal spring pools, spa therapies and facilities will make this a rejuvenating wellness escape, perfect for unwinding after a few days on the tourist trail around the temples.

Hotel the Mitsui Kyoto; hotel suites with Japanese garden features. Photo: Hotel the Mitsui Handout

Tranquillity can be found in the spa’s surroundings too, thanks to the hotel’s traditional Japanese architecture while your taste buds can be invigorated with Michelin-star Japanese or Italian cuisine.

2. Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort (Krabi, Thailand)

The lush surrounds of the Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort. Photo: Avani Hotels

Built to make the most of the area’s stunning Andaman Sea ocean panoramas which include sunset views, the Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort boasts picture-perfect spots galore. The resort offers a variety of rooms, suites and villas and is the perfect base from which to experience Krabi Island.

Spend your days lounging by the infinity pool overlooking Thailand’s famous limestone cliffs if you prefer, or get out and explore. Go island-hopping or scuba diving – there are plenty of options for days out, active or otherwise, before you return to relax in your private sanctuary.

Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort Villa room. Photo: Avani Hotels Handout

3. Sangha Retreat by Octave Institute (Suzhou, China)

The Sangha Retreat’s calming pool. Photo: Sangha Retreat

The Sangha Retreat pushes the limits of luxury and wellness, curating East-meets-West ideas for health and wellness, sat beside the serene Suzhou Yangcheng Lake. For those wanting a holistic experience to re-energise through personalised wellness treatments and programmes, from a hydrothermal circuit healing spa to customised dining plans, this is the perfect place. The award-winning retreat’s core goal is to provide an integrated experience of traditional Chinese treatments mixed with Western technology, also housed in an architecturally sophisticated estate of private suites and villas that offer the ultimate level of luxury and privacy.

Sangha Retreat’s contemporary architecture. Photo: Sangha Retreat

4. Aman New York (New York, US)

The Aman Resorts group are renowned for providing world-class luxury and exclusivity. Its retreats offer the personalised touch, thanks to the 24-hour butler service, while the architecture and decor are designed to fit the natural setting.

Aman New York Resort. Photo: Aman New York Handout

In this case, that entails an “urban sanctuary” in Manhattan, bringing Aman tranquillity to the bustling city that never sleeps. Housed in the famous Crown Building, originally home to MoMA, it celebrates the heritage architecture of New York, while boasting a three-storey Aman spa, indoor swimming pools and wraparound views overlooking iconic Central Park. The top floors consist of 22 private Aman residences, with full access to hotel services and facilities.

Aman New York residential pools. Photo: Aman New York

5. Andaz Xiamen (Fujian, China)

The Andaz Xiamen. Photo: The Andaz

Shrugging off the hospitality industry’s ongoing travails, Hyatt’s boutique hotel brand Andaz has announced the opening of its Xiamen property, within The MixC development close to the heart of Fujian’s most affluent city. The Andaz Xiamen has been designed by Indonesian firm JID, which established a global reputation for hospitality design under its late founder Jaya Ibrahim. It takes inspiration from the local Nanyang Style but with numerous contemporary touches, offering high ceilings, arched detailing and living spaces linked by walkways. Similarly, the 304 guest rooms, including 20 suites, come with high ceilings, rattan armchairs, woven bamboo wall panels and timber louvres. The hotel has four drinking and dining venues, including the signature No. 101 Chinese Restaurant, which serves Minnan and Chaoshan cuisine.

The Andaz entrance hall. Photo: The Andaz

6. Capella Bangkok (Bangkok, Thailand)

Capella Bangkok Hotel, an urban oasis. Photo: Capella Bangkok

An urban oasis in the heart of an ever-bustling city, Capella Bangkok sits beside the Chao Phraya River, with classic views of the cityscape. There are endless options from here to delve as deep into Thai heritage and culture as you like, before you return to Capella each evening for a sundowner and a little serenity. With sophisticated interiors, those riverfront views, and a dining experience at Côte with renowned three-Michelin-star chef Mauro Colagreco, this is the ultimate holistic marriage of culture and luxury living.

Capella Bangkok riverfront pool. Photo: Capella Bangkok

7. Pendry West Hollywood (Los Angeles, US)

Pendry West Hollywood, California. Photo: Pendry West Hollywood

Fancy an A-list-level break from the city near the A-list stars? The new Pendry West Hollywood is sat smack on LA’s most iconic street, Sunset Boulevard. It gets its modern luxury vibe from its Martin Brudnizki-designed interior along with Wolfgang Puck’s culinary artistry. Explore the neighbourhood’s trademark grit and glamour with the city’s best bars and restaurants just minutes away. Then go all-out Hollywood with a personalised wellness treatment followed by cocktails at their rooftop poolside cabanas.

Pendry West Hollywood room. Photo: Pendry West Hollywood

8. Santa Catalina, a Royal Hideaway Hotel (Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain)

Santa Catalina, a Royal Hideaway Hotel, in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. Photo: Santa Catalina, A Royal Hideaway Hotel

The ultimate Gran Canaria escape in the capital of Las Palmas has been newly renovated to offers a wellness and relaxation focused experience, from relaxing walks through their lush palm gardens to dining on Michelin-awarded traditional Canarian cuisine. With the year-round sun and a long list of wellness activities and spa treatments, the Santa Catalina makes for the ideal peaceful hideaway.

Santa Catalina Wellness Centre. Photo: Santa Catalina, A Royal Hideaway Hotel

9. Park Centraal Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Park Centraal Amsterdam. Photo: Park Centraal Amsterdam

Looking for another city escape? Experience the contrast of Amsterdam’s Dutch heritage and its contemporary architecture through the newly rebranded Park Centraal Amsterdam. Sophisticated modern interiors and exquisite fine dining at the Momo restaurant offer comfort when you want to you stay “home”, while the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House and the Van Gough Museum only a bike ride away, enticing you to get lost among Amsterdam’s cobblestone alleyways and rustic canalside neighbourhoods.

Park Centraal Amsterdam room. Photo: Park Centraal Amsterdam

10. Azul Talavera Hotel (Puebla, Mexico)

Azul Talavera Hotel, Puebla Mexico. Photo: Azul Talavera Hotel

Nothing beats a historical escape and the luxurious Azul Talavera Hotel is surrounded by cultural and architectural sights. The exposed exterior stone walls contrast with the luxury of modern comforts in the rooms. Puebla, a Unesco World Heritage Site, offers a remarkable mixture of breathtaking snowy mountain views and immersive Mexican culture.

Azul Talavera Hotel room. Photo: Azul Talavera Hotel

Want more? Join the community of luxury travel lovers in the Travel With STYLE Facebook group and discover what it means to actually live your best life – and not just to travel, but to travel with style. Also, follow STYLE on  Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter .

Start planning for post-pandemic travel with these stylish new and revamped hotels including Kyoto’s Hotel the Mitsui, Aman New York and Capella Bangkok, plus remote getaways like Thailand’s Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort