Banyan Tree's first Indian Resort
WITH glamorous debuts galore, this will be a great year for chic accommodation junkies, from Russian and Venetian palaces to design-driven boltholes in booming Asia and the tallest building in western Europe.Shangri-La Hotel, The Shard, London:The first Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts property in Britain is a cracker, occupying levels 34 to 52 of the Renzo Piano-designed The Shard, the tallest tower in western Europe, soaring above London like a great mirrored church spire. Needless to say, the view from every guestroom will be breathtaking. Opening before the middle of the year, the hotel features 185 guestrooms (among the largest in London, averaging more than 42sq m) and 17 suites, a groovy bar on level 52, an indoor infinity pool and a 24-hour fitness center. More:shangri-la.com.The Gritti Palace, Venice:After a painstaking, 15-month renovation, Venice's Gritti Palace (part of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts Luxury Collection) has reopened in time for the city's famous carnival, in full swing this weekend. Featuring 61 guestrooms and 21 elegant suites, the hotel, on the Grand Canal, recaptures its glory days with the help of the Venetian fabric house Rubelli (using rare archival design fabrics) and interior design firm Donghia. The restored Bar Longhi will be joined soon by a cooking school, spa and the Explorer's Library. More:thegrittipalace.com.Nobu Hotel, Las Vegas:The world's first Nobu Hotel has opened in Nevada's Sin City, featuring wow-factor suites (think media rooms and billiard tables), the world's largest Nobu restaurant and room service menus designed by supremo chef Nobu Matsuhisa, who has also selected the in-room art. A 181-room hotel within a hotel, located at Caesars Palace, the Nobu promises exclusivity in a sprawling casino complex. Free access to PURE Nightclub puts you at the heart of the strip's action. The group also plans properties in Riyadh, London and Bahrain. More:nobucaesarspalace.com.Mira Moon, Hong Kong:If the interiors at big sister The Mira on Kowloon's Nathan Road are anything to go by, expect design glam by the truckload at this new boutique property opening in July in up-and-coming Wanchai on Hong Kong Island. Featuring 90 guestrooms and one penthouse suite, the Mira Moon look, drawing on the classic Chinese moon festival fairytale, is courtesy of Dutch design maestro Marcel Wanders and the Yoo Design Studio. More:miramoonhotel.com.Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace St Petersburg:The Four Seasons group's entry into Russia marks one of the most spectacular openings of the year, as well as the restoration of an imperial gem, Princess Lobanova-Rostovskaya's 19th-century palace. Just two blocks from the Hermitage and guarded by a pair of marble lions immortalised by Pushkin, the palace represents the most challenging restoration project for Four Seasons to date. The magnificent main staircase has been meticulously restored based on original architect Auguste de Montferrand's early 19th-century drawings, and the 177 classically designed rooms and suites promise high ceilings, marble bathrooms and romantic city views. Dining venues include a glass-roofed tea lounge fashioned from a palace courtyard. The four-storey spa has a Russian-style sauna. More:fourseasons.com/stpetersburg.Mahali Mzuri, Kenya:Richard Branson's newest Virgin Limited Edition retreat opens in Kenya's northern Masai Mara this August -- just in time for the annual great migration. Featuring 12 tented suites built on platforms with outdoor terraces, the camp offers a front-row seat for an astonishing phenomenon as up to two million wildebeest and other herd animals set off in quest of food and water. The camp caters to a maximum of 24 guests and rates include twice-daily game drives and escorted walks. Opening specials available for August. More:mahalimzuri.virgin.com.COMO Hotels and Resorts, Miami:Christina Ong's stylish Singapore-based hotel company will make its debut in the US later this year. The Miami, Florida, hotel is yet to be named, but it will feature 74 guestrooms housed in an original 1920s building offering direct access to trendy South Beach, and with interiors by Italian designer Paola Navone. Facilities will include a seafood restaurant and a COMO Shambhala wellness retreat. More:comohotels.com.Sofitel So Singapore:A 19th-century building located in the heart of Singapore's CBD is the latest design venture for Sofitel So (part of the giant French-based Accor group). Opening midyear, the 134-room hotel will be contemporary in flavor (referencing Singapore's "city in a garden" philosophy) and Karl Lagerfeld is putting the final touches to the Napoleonic Empire-influenced interiors (just as Christian Lacroix lent a hand at the Sofitel So Bangkok). More:sofitel.com.The Peninsula Paris:Hong Kong-headquartered Peninsula Hotels makes its European debut later this year in the French capital with the soft opening of a 200-room hotel in the smart 16th arrondissement, a Chanel handbag's toss from the Champs-Elysees. Housed in a handsome beaux-arts building (opened as the Majestic Hotel in 1908) on the posh Avenue Kleber, the Peninsula will feature a day spa, chic Chinese restaurant and rooftop bar and terrace. More:peninsula.com.Banyan Tree Kerala, India:The opening of Banyan Tree's first Indian resort has been pushed back to the third quarter of this year. Located on a private island in the backwaters of Kerala, the lush retreat will feature 54 roomy villas (minimum 248sq m), each with a private pool and gorgeous views of this southern Indian state's lush landscape. Expect spicy regional and Thai cuisine, classic Indian dance performances nightly, a swim-up bar and the Banyan Tree group's first dedicated ayurvedic center. More:banyantree.com/en/kerala/.El Encanto by Orient-Express, Santa Barbara, California:After its meticulous refurbishment of the Copacabana Palace in Rio (unveiled last month), Orient-Express has turned its attention to another legendary hotel, El Encanto in Santa Barbara, on the so-called American Riviera. Reopening late next month after a five-year renovation, this popular hideaway for Hollywood directors, divas and dilettantes is returning with 92 meticulously restored early-20th-century Californian bungalows, a glamorous swimming pool and spanking fresh Californian cuisine. (Ellie the hotel cow provides clotted cream for afternoon tea.) More:elencanto.com.Regent Bali, Sanur:Opening in June on the beachfront at Sanur, the 95-suite Regent promises low-key luxe and sand buckets of space. The resort sits amid 4ha of greenery and commands a 200m sweep of beach, equipped with cabanas, loungers and even high-speed WiFi access. Facilities include an oceanfront 50m infinity lap pool, kids club and complimentary airport transfers in a luxury car. Pick of the suites is a two-bedroom beachfront villa with private pool, jacuzzi and steam room. More:regenthotels.com.Co-contributing editor Christine McCabe writes T&I's online Hotel of the Week column.Let's celebrateLandmark year-long celebrations include: the 50th anniversary of The Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong; and in Paris the centenary of the Plaza-Athenee, a member of the Dorchester Collection.EDITOR'S PICKS
The Refinery, New York:Opening next month in a former hat factory in the Garment District on West 38th Street;refineryhotelnewyork.com.The Sanchaya, Indonesia:Opening mid-year as part of the Lagoi Bay development on the north side of Bintan Island (easily reached by boat from Singapore);thesanchaya.com.Salamanca Wharf Hotel, Hobart:This privately operated 22-room hotel is on Castray Esplanade, off Salamanca Place; competitive rates, especially for studios;salamancawharfhotel.com.au.Alila Jabal Akhdar, Oman:A remote 86-room "top of the rocks" lodge-style retreat of flat-roofed accommodation, two hours by road west of Muscat; due to open third quarter of 2013;alilahotels.com.Heckfield Place, Hampshire:Opening next month near Reading, less than an hour from London, this 18th-century grand manor has 60 spacious guestrooms;heckfieldplace.com.Hotel Indigo, Hong Kong:Opening mid-April in the newly fashionable Wanchai district, this bolthole is the shot for corporate travellers who want funky, design-driven style and comfort;hotelindigo.com.Baglioni Marrakech, Morocco:Set in groomed parkland and run by the (Italian) family-owned Baglioni Hotels, the palatial property will comprise an 80-room hotel and Six Senses spa; no set opening date, but expected to be at the end of the year;baglionihotels.com.
