The swanky new hotels spreading glee around the world in 2023, from New York to Majorca via Paris

Across the globe, dozens of exciting new hotels are ready to welcome guests in 2023. Luxury is a buzzword no matter the budget, and cities – particularly Paris and Milan – are having a moment. Here Sarah Turner picks her best from the Alps, Athens and Australia to Majorca, Mexico and Tangier.

When the first dump of snow arrives in the Alps, a pair of Swiss charmers will be ready and waiting for both skiers and apres-skiers alike.

Faern Arosa Altein, in Graubunden, and Faern Crans-Montana, in Valais, both have indoor and outdoor pools if you would rather swim than ski, and speakeasy-inspired bars if you’d prefer to while away the hours over a cocktail.

The interiors may be 1970s-inspired, but don’t expect cheesy. Instead, the decor is elegant and unstuffy, with wood and rich leathers, the perfect setting to enjoy the all-day dining and take in the views.

Across the globe, dozens of exciting new hotels are ready to welcome guests in 2023 – including the 1970s-inspired Faern Arosa Altein, pictured, in Switzerland’s Graubunden region 

Both hotels allow you to ski directly from the door. In summer they offer a great hiking base for those who would rather not swelter by the Med. B&B doubles cost from £365 per night (faernresorts.com).

If you would rather swap the slopes for a stroll along the Seine, springtime in Paris sees the opening of the Hotel Dame des Arts, a homage to the French new wave of film-makers in the 1950s.

Situated on the bohemian Left Bank – naturellement – inside you’ll find a 1950s-inspired restaurant and bar plus 109 rooms. Spread over eight floors, the hotel offers spectacular views over the City of Light.

Springtime in Paris sees the opening of the Hotel Dame des Arts (above), a homage to the French new wave of film-makers in the 1950s

Head to the rooftop bar, where a DJ will provide the soundtrack while you sip bespoke cocktails and enjoy views that could be the backdrop to your very own film noir. B&B doubles cost from £330 per night (damedesarts.com/en).

Across the river, in an authentic Le Marais mansion, Le Grand Mazarin will immerse guests in classic Gallic glam. Interior designer Martin Brudnizki shows off plenty of wit in his reimagining of a Parisian literary salon, complete with bold prints, eclectic art and sumptuous fabrics. B&B doubles cost from £560 per night (legrandmazarin.com).

For those who enjoy French wine but seek more of an escapist retreat, head to the Como Hotel Montrachet in Burgundy. On the edge of the beautiful village of Puligny Montrachet, this chateau allows budding wine experts to dive into vineyards while also enjoying the hotel’s luxury wellness treatments and sculptural pools (comohotels.com).

New Parisian hotel Le Grand Mazarin (pictured) will immerse guests in classic Gallic glam

For those who enjoy French wine but seek more of an escapist retreat, head to the Como Hotel Montrachet (pictured) in Burgundy

In Italy, Bulgari – that most Italian of jewellery brands – is soon to showcase its glamour in a new Rome hotel.

A 1930s building in the decidedly chic Campo Marzio neighbourhood, the hotel will offer 100 rooms and suites, a restaurant helmed by Michelin-starred chef Niko Romito and a library devoted to the history of jewellery. If you get inspired, there is a Bulgari store just around the corner (bulgarihotels.com).

Just opened in Milan is Portrait Milano, a 16th Century former seminary. Go through a baroque archway and upstairs to discover 73 rooms and suites while the ground floor, the new Piazza del Quadrilatero, will host restaurants, boutiques and a spa with pool, in the heart of the fashion district. B&B doubles from £680 per night (lungarnocollection.com/portrait-milano-hotel).

In Italy, Bulgari – that most Italian of jewellery brands – is soon to showcase its glamour in a new Rome hotel (above) 

Just opened in Milan is Portrait Milano, a 16th Century former seminary in the heart of the fashion district. Pictured is the hotel’s indoor pool

Portrait Milano features 73 rooms and suites, with B&B doubles from £680 per night

With art fairs and new, very on-trend beach clubs, the Italian island of Capri is now as fashionable as it was in the 1950s when Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn strolled through the Piazzetta. This spring the Oetker Collection will be able to show off its renovation of the historic La Palma hotel. 

There will be 50 rooms and suites that look out on to the beautiful Tyrrhenian Sea. The views should be amazing, the food and atmosphere resolutely Italian Majorca will also see a cluster of hotels open their doors. 

Come August, guests can check in to Richard Branson’s restored finca, Son Bunyola hotel, to the west of Palma. Honeymooners should head to the 13th Century towers, which have been transformed into chic rooms with views over the 810-acre estate, its olive, almond and citrus groves and the sea beyond.

This spring the Oetker Collection will be able to show off its renovation of the historic La Palma hotel on the Italian island of Capri (pictured) 

B&B doubles from £516 per night (virginlimitededition.com).

In June, the Ikos Porto Petro will open on the south-east coast. Caught between two coves – Calo des Homes Morts and Calo de Sa Torre – the luxury hotel offers 319 bedrooms, suites and villas alongside five restaurants. All-inclusive doubles cost from £516 per night (ikosresorts.com).

For the glamorous experience of Ikos resorts at a lower price, the Ikos Odisia in Corfu opens in May. It will have ten heated outdoor and indoor pools, menus created by Michelin-star chefs and spa treatments by luxurious French cosmetic company Anne Semonin Paris.

All-inclusive doubles cost from £297 per night (ikosresorts.com).

In June, the Ikos Porto Petro (pictured above) will open on the south-east coast of Majorca 

Caught between two coves – Calo des Homes Morts and Calo de Sa Torre – luxury hotel Ikos Porto Petro offers 319 bedrooms, suites and villas alongside five restaurants

All-inclusive doubles cost from £516 per night at Ikos Porto Petro

Ikos Odisia – which offers the glamorous experience of Ikos resorts at a lower price – opens in Corfu next May

Melides, a tiny coastal village in Portugal’s Alentejo region will soon hit the fashion headlines as cult shoe designer Christian Louboutin opens a hotel, Vermelho, named after the colour that adorns the soles of his creations. Don’t pack your stilettos, though, as this 15-room charmer is set to be low-key and beach-focused (vermelhohotel.com).

For those looking to immerse themselves in bustling culture and centuries of history, Tangier in Morocco has souks, bazaars, the medina – a 15th Century fortress housing a labyrinth of alleyways – and beaches.

The Fairmont Tazi Palace Tangier, occupying a majestic 1920s mansion, opened its 133 rooms in November.

Its hillside position gives spectacular views of the city, and the central pool means you can take advantage of the temperature – which is mild even in winter. It’s family-friendly too, with a kids’ club and babysitting services. Room-only doubles cost from £253 per night (fairmont.com).

In the Caribbean, Sandals will open luxury hotel Dunn’s River in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, in May. It will boast seven pools, including two winding river pools that allow you to swim directly to your suite’s terrace. There, you can be met by your personal butler. You can also splash around with the free watersports on offer, including scuba-diving. Seven nights cost from £2,615pp, including flights and transfers (sandals.co.uk).

Sandals will open the luxury hotel Dunn’s River (shown in the rendering above) in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, in May

Sandals’ Dunn’s River (rendering above) will boast seven pools, including two winding river pools that allow you to swim directly to your suite’s terrace

On Jost van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands, the recently opened, swanky but low-key Hideout White Bay updates the beach-shack experience to a luxurious retreat.

It has just seven villas, each with a private plunge pool, and sits adjacent to Hendo’s Hideout restaurant, whose menu of local dishes includes straight-from-the-sea lobster. B&B doubles cost from £548 per night (thehideoutbvi.com).

Dominica might not do classic Caribbean beaches but its lush interior attracts tropical birds and tourists in search of unspoiled nature.

On Jost van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands, the recently opened Hideout White Bay (pictured) updates the beach-shack experience to a luxurious retreat

The swanky but low-key Hideout White Bay has just seven villas, each with a private plunge pool

Coulibri Ridge is off-grid but doesn’t stint on the comforts with solar panels powering the spa and providing high-speed wi-fi, and purified rainwater filling the swimming pools and supplying the drinking water. B&B doubles cost from £660 per night (coulibriridge.com).

Valle de Guadalupe is Mexico’s wine country, as well as famed for its Baja Med cuisine. In time for the autumn harvest, Banyan Tree Valle de Guadalupe is set to open. The local culinary scene will be on show in five food and drink venues, and spa treatments include local ingredients such as white sage, all grown in its on-site garden (banyantree.com).

If you like to travel further afield, Ballarat is one of Australia’s most beautiful small cities. The Hotel Vera mines its 19th Century charm, with just seven immaculately designed suites in a historic medical building. It also has a 14-seat fine-dining restaurant, headed by a Michelin-standard chef. B&B doubles cost from £405 per night (hotelballarat.com.au).

Valle de Guadalupe is Mexico’s wine country, as well as famed for its Baja Med cuisine. Explore this culinary scene with the new Banyan Tree Valle de Guadalupe hotel (above) as your base

In Kenya, luxury safari lodges combine an exciting experience with opulent interiors. J. W. Marriott’s first camp, the Masai Mara Lodge, is located on the banks of the River Talek and contains just 20 luxury tents, all elegantly designed to ensure you get a good night’s sleep before exploring the reserve. All-inclusive costs from £1,500pp per night (marriott.com).

Otherwise, the ten-lodge Angama Amboseli opens in November and boasts views of Mount Kilimanjaro and a chance to view some of Africa’s few remaining super-tusker elephants. Special offers from £700pp per night (angama.com).

There’s plenty of verve in the Far East, too. Designer Bill Bensley references Hanoi’s 1920s glam in the just-opened Capella Hanoi.

Expect gilded, pink-marble bathrooms, an indoor pool and ‘curatists’ who will help you explore the fascinating city. B&B doubles cost from £388 per night (capellahotels.com/en/capella-hanoi).

The sleek new hotel Bellustar, pictured, will be opening in the trendy Shinjuku district of Tokyo next May 

May will see a fabulous double hotel opening in the trendy Shinjuku district of Tokyo. With 635 rooms in total, 97 will be in the sleek Bellustar while the rest will belong to the budget-minded Hotel Groove. The hotels join at a 47th-floor spa and a restaurant area.

Room-only doubles at Hotel Groove from £200, and Bellustar room-only doubles from £686 (tokyuhotels.co.jp).

Unless otherwise specified, hotels have yet to confirm their rates.

NEW YORK GOES GLAM WHILE DOLLY KEEPS IT HOMELY – AMERICA’S HOTEL HOT LIST FOR 2023

Across the Atlantic, New York, which was hit hard by Covid, is now showing real signs of recovery. The Fifth Avenue Hotel opens in March, with glamorous interiors set to transport you straight to the Gilded Age. Room-only doubles from £787 per night (thefifthavenuehotel.com). 

A few blocks away, Virgin New York will open early next year at 1227 Broadway with both affordable chambers and glammed-up suites. 

There is also a sky loft on the 38th floor, with 30ft windows and an observation deck. Room only doubles cost from £247 per night (virginhotels.com). 

Virgin New York (shown in the rendering above) will open early next year at 1227 Broadway with both affordable chambers and glammed-up suites

Dolly Parton is opening HeartSong Lodge (rendering above) in her Tennessee amusement park, Dollywood

The Corinthia hospitality group is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a takeover of the classic Surrey Hotel overlooking Central Park (corinthia.com). 

If you’re seeking some Southern hospitality, the country-and-western legend Dolly Parton is opening HeartSong Lodge in her own amusement park, Dollywood, in Tennessee. 

Though you’ll have to wait until autumn to book in, its Smoky Mountains location will be superb at that time of year (dollywood.com). 

In California, the iconic Georgian hotel in Santa Monica is set to reopen after renovation. Room-only doubles cost from £768 per night (georgianhotel.com).

Enjoy some Southern hospitality at HeartSong Lodge when it opens for bookings next autumn (rendering above)