Issue #15: New Hotel News

What’s happening in the world of super cool new hotels? Check out our latest five most noteworthy openings of 2021 as featured by the editors at HotelMap? & Roomcard?.

A romantic?new hotel near Bali’s famous Tanah Lot temple, a cool contemporary, tropical hotel in Sri Lanka and a new railway hotel in one of Finland’s most beloved buildings. One family revives historic buildings in Transylvania and it’s confirmed: the Catskills really is the new Hamptons. Read on to get the lowdown on the five best new hotels we have handpicked this week.

Nirjhara Bali?| Opened January 2021

INDONESIA:?Nirjhara?“redefines the notion of sustainable luxury”?(Elle Decor). In Canggu - once a sleepy backwater, now?“Bali’s version of Brooklyn-on-Sea”?(Conde Nast Traveller) - this?“cutting-edge 25-room minimalist hotel”?caught the eye of Susan d’Arcy who features it in?The Times?under?“The most romantic hotels in the world”.?Named after a?“cascading waterfall”?(Fodors)?facing the hotel, flowing water and a?“meandering river”?(Elle Decor) can be seen in its architecture by?“award-winning eco-architect Ibuku”?(Conde Nast Traveler Spain). In a?“unique location”?(Elle Decor) among the rice paddies and?“nearby the famous Tanah Lot temple”?(Fodors), suites and villas include seven treehouses with?“floor-to-ceiling windows”?(The Times).?Guests can unwind at the?“yoga pavilion by the river built entirely out of bamboo”?(Vogue Australia) and enjoy?“irresistible sunsets over the ocean”?(The Times).

Our favourite feature:?The unique location combining rice paddies, forest and a waterfall.

Harding Boutique Hotel?| Opened February 2021

SRI LANKA:?Exploring?‘The most extraordinary new hotels opening in 2021’?in?The Independent, hotel expert Ianthe Butt directs us to?“six soulful suites and knockout Indian Ocean views”?at the Harding Boutique Hotel in Ahangama. The first property from Paul Harding in Sri Lanka, the?“contemporary tropical”?(The Independent) hotel has been designed by modernist British architect Jonathan Ashmore, founder of the award-winning Anarchitect whose work includes?“the penthouses of The Palm hotel in Dubai”?(The Times).?“Set amongst dense coconut groves”?(Conde Nast Traveller) on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, the boutique hotel’s?“generously sized private balconies”?overlook the Indian Ocean while?“sea-facing private baths”?allow guests to?“connect with the tropical landscape”?(Conde Nast Traveller).

Our favourite feature:?Private sea-facing baths surrounded by coconut groves.

Bethlen Estates | Opening June 2021

ROMANIA:?If you’re looking for a?“dramatic and remote location”?(Fathom),?“a striking new property”?(Black Book) in the?“picturesque village”?of Cri? (Conde Nast Traveler)?“beckons us to the Easternmost reaches of Europa”?(Black Book). In Transylvania, on the outskirts of the?“pristine Saxon villages”?(Financial Times) the Bethlen family - Nikolaus and his mother Gladys - have been acquiring village buildings and renovating them into?“high-end guesthouses”?(The i Paper). The first, completed in 2019, is joined by three more this year. Historic 17th and 18th century buildings house plush beds and Tom Dixon lighting creating a?“stunningly modern sort of rustic chic”?(Black Book). Outdoor pursuits include cycling, birdwatching, riding and half-day-long picnics plus there’s a?“sanarium for post-exertion decompressing”?(Financial Times). Under?‘Dream destinations 2021’?Homes and Gardens?highlights this hidden refuge for those who want to?“discover the quiet side of central Romania”.

Our favourite feature:?Meticulously restored historic houses with a family connection.

Scandic Grand Central Helsinki?| Opened 15 April 2021

FINLAND:?In the eastern wing of Helsinki’s main railway station, the Scandic Grand Central hotel is?“breathing new life into one of Finland’s most beloved buildings”?(Monocle). Finland’s capital has transformed itself into?“a Nordic success story”?(National Geographic) and this centrally located hotel with its?“stunning design”?(Monocle) creates a new chapter. After two years of?“meticulous restoration”?(HospitalityNet) Eliel Saarinen’s Art Nouveau office building becomes a modern hotel with 491 rooms, refurbished with?“a keen sense of history”?(Monocle). Corridors are?“a whopping 159 meters long”?(Ilta-Sanomat) and?“tall arched windows”?(ArchDaily) reference Saarinen’s original station. With a covered courtyard garden restaurant, grand ballroom, gym, yoga room and saunas,?“there is no way that this one will hit the buffers”?says Petri Burtsoff in?Monocle.

Our favourite feature:?An Art Deco building, repurposed and sympathetically modernised.