From the Scottish Highlands to African safari camps, a wave of new high-end properties is set to open in 2026. Here are 12 you need on your radar.
Nammos Resort Amaala, Saudi Arabia
Q1 2026
Amaala, Saudi Arabia’s new ultra-luxury wellness destination welcomes Nammos Resort Amaala in early 2026. From its cosmopolitan beach club origins in Mykonos, this is Nammos’s first Middle East resort, overlooking the Red Sea coast and coral-rich Hijaz Cove.
The 110 rooms, suites, and bungalows blend Greek and Hijazi aesthetics with marble and gold accents throughout.
Stays will focus on family-friendly activities, vitality-enriching therapies, and creative cuisine, all powered by 100 per cent renewable energy.
The Newman, London
Q1 2026
In London’s creative village of Fitzrovia, Bloomsbury’s literary heritage meets Soho’s style at The Newman, opening in February 2026.
Under the Preferred Hotels & Resorts brand, the 81-room hotel leans into the neighbourhood’s Victorian-meets-art deco architecture, with nods to the artists, writers, and poets of Fitzrovia’s past.
Downstairs, a brasserie and cocktail bar entertain guests, and there’s also a ‘wellness floor’ with a hydrotherapy pool, salt room, hot and cold cabins, meditation studio, and gym – a rarity for boutique stays in central London.
Château La Commaraine, Burgundy
Q1 2026
In the heart of Burgundy’s wine region, Château La Commaraine opens its doors in March as the region’s first official five-star hotel.
The historic estate – complete with moat, parkland, premier cru vineyard, and 12th-century cellars – is being reimagined as a small wine-led retreat.
Reflecting Burgundy’s wine-country charm, the 37 rooms and suites’ neutral colour palette allows the expansive vine views to take centre stage.
Guests can expect on-site tastings and easy touring of Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, putting grand cru vineyards a short drive away. A spa, pool, and two restaurants overseen by renowned chef Christophe Raoux round out the experience.
Sediba Sa Rona, Botswana
Q1 2026
Next March, Sediba Sa Rona welcomes guests to one of Botswana’s most abundant safari regions.
At the meeting point of the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve, the new Desert & Delta Safaris camp will have 15 luxury tents, each with an en-suite and private deck overlooking the Khwai River and its wildlife corridor.
The luxury camp’s pool, elevated platforms, and open-air fire deck offer additional wildlife viewing points, with the latter ideal for stargazing.
Boat trips and twice-daily game drives allow for exploration of Botswana’s floodplains, woodlands, winding rivers, and wildlife.
Kimpton Era Midtown, New York City
Q1 2026
Luxury lifestyle brand Kimpton is bringing boutique cool to the Big Apple in March, unveiling the 33-storey Kimpton Era Midtown hotel. Located at the famed Rockefeller Center, guests have easy access to Manhattan’s most famous landmarks.
Compact rooms are in keeping with central New York, though skyline views and stylish interiors offset the smaller footprint. The King Empire State rooms will be worth the upgrade for first-timers to the city.
Amenities at this 529-room hotel include three restaurants, a rooftop bar with city views, a fitness centre, and a lobby lounge.
Moanalei Villas, Apia
Q2 2026
Moanalei Villas will open as Samoa’s first five-star villa retreat, nestled in Apia’s forest-clad hills.
Bookings are open from April 2026 for the resort’s three self-contained villa categories – Signature, The View, and Villa Moana. Each has a private pool, designated driver, and personal concierge.
A strong draw for food-focused travellers, renowned chef Monica Galetti – known for her MasterChef appearances and work in London Michelin-starred restaurants – returns to her Samoan roots to mastermind the menu at Tasi, Moanalei Villas’ signature restaurant.
Anantara Kafue River Tented Camp, Zambia
Q2 2026
In the heart of Zambia’s largest and oldest national park, Anantara’s first tented safari camp will sit above the Kafue River.
Elevated platforms between two islands afford sweeping views of the region’s diverse wildlife – free to roam below – while preserving seasonal water flow.
The ten open-plan villas have private decks and pools, while three contemporary suites – situated 14 metres above the ground – have open-air day beds on private terraces.
Guest activities include game drives, river safaris, stargazing, and birding. Spa treatments draw on local traditions, while native ingredients from nearby riverbanks and plains will feature on the Zambian-focused menu at the property’s signature restaurant.
Hope by Wildland, Scottish Highlands
Q2 2026
Scotland’s largest private landowners, Danish billionaires Anne and Anders Holch Povlsen, are on a mission to revive the Highlands with their 200-year Wildlands project.
Hope, their most ambitious development to date, launches in May 2026, offering high-end wilderness stays in a former hotel and its surrounding estate.
Set near Ben Hope and Loch Hope in a dark-sky region, this nature-first retreat will connect guests to Anders Holch Povlsen’s rewilding work. Low-impact architecture, ecological restoration, and sustainable tourism practices are central to Hope’s development.
Kitirua Plains Lodge, Kenya
Q2 2026
Abercrombie & Kent is set to open a new Kenyan safari lodge next June in a private conservancy bordering Amboseli National Park.
Kitirua Plains Lodge offers uninterrupted views of Mount Kilimanjaro and front-row seats to some of East Africa’s last big tusker elephants.
The lodge’s curved walls, natural-texture finishes, and earthy tones blend with the savannah and marshland, while the neutral décor of the 13 suites allows views from both bed and bath to take centre stage.
Besides encounters with Amboseli’s elephants, guests will enjoy conservancy walks, community-led experiences to support local Maasai, and wellness activities such as yoga and massage.
Eha, Estonia
Q2 2026
A Nordic-style wellness retreat is set to elevate Estonia’s luxury accommodation offerings on Hiiumaa Island, situated in the Baltic Sea.
Designed around the UNESCO biosphere reserve’s five seasons, Eha will offer immersive stays across eight suites and three forest cabins. Clean Scandinavian designs complement the surrounding forest and sea views.
Led by Green Michelin star chef Peeter Pihel, local produce and artisanal producers will feature on Eha’s organic farm-to-table menu.
Seasonal activities include foraging, sea-air walks, and ancestral Estonian healing traditions merged with modern practices, such as thermal rituals, guided workshops, and breath-led movement.
Hoshinoya Nara Prison, Nara
Q2
While perhaps not the most obvious site for a luxury hotel, the former Nara Prison will become Japan’s first prison hotel next summer.
Hoshinoya Nara Prison adds to award-winning Hoshino Resorts’ portfolio of more than 60 properties.
Behind the high walls of the red-brick cultural landmark, 48 ryokan-inspired rooms will sit within carefully restored cell blocks and courtyards.
Built in 1908 to reflect Western architectural influence and Japanese precision, today Nara Prison will transform from its original stark layout to a deluxe stay blending history with contemporary Japanese hospitality.
Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch, London
Q2 2026
With a prestigious position close to Buckingham Palace, Waldorf Astoria launches its debut London property in the historic Admiralty Arch.
Once the ceremonial entrance to The Mall from the royal palace, the Grade I-listed monument is undergoing its conversion to a 100-room hotel and branded residences, with event spaces tucked behind the famous arches.
Two high-profile chefs with seven Michelin stars between them – Clare Smyth and Daniel Boulud – will position the hotel as much of a culinary stop as a grand London address.
To find out more, visit: Nammos Resort Amaala, The Newman, Château La Commaraine, Sediba Sa Rona, Kimpton Era Midtown, Moanalei Villas, Hoshinoya Nara Prison, Hope by Wildland, Anantara Kafue River Tented Camp, Kitirua Plains Lodge, Eha Retreat, Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch.
