Issue #21: 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?.

An arty new hotel in Eastbourne signals the rise of the seaside town, a luxury resort opens on the east coast of Sardinia and CNN announces the launch of the “world’s highest hotel”. This week’s top five also puts the spotlight on a new hotel from the world’s wealthiest footballer and a five-star hotel with views of Mont Blanc.

J Hotel Shanghai Tower | Opened 19 June 2021

CHINA:?Announcing the launch of the?“world’s highest hotel”?CNN?said the J Hotel Shanghai Tower,?“isn’t just another high-end property”. Occupying the top floors of the Shanghai Tower,?“the tallest building in all of China”?(CNN), the 165-room hotel stands at 2,000 feet. It has?“an indoor swimming pool”,?“a holistic reiki spa on the 85th floor”?and?“seven restaurants and bars”?(Tatler Hong Kong) including one on the 120th floor. “All luxury touches are included," says Ellie Abraham in?The Independent, pointing to?“round-the-clock personal butler service”?and lifts which?“whisk guests at speeds of up to 18 metres per second”. Developed by Jin Jiang International, China’s largest state-owned hotel group,?“the buzz of the hotel’s opening may be just enough to bring in curious travellers”?(Tatler Hong Kong).

Our favourite feature:?Bragging rights for staying in the world’s highest hotel.

Baglioni Resort Sardinia?| Opened 1 June 2021

ITALY:?Putting Baglioni Resort Sardinia on their bucket list, the editors at?Travel + Leisure?emphasise the stunning setting of the hotel -?“a beautiful marine reserve”?on?“perhaps the most coveted beach destination in Italy”. The luxury resort offers?“a private beach and 78 rooms and suites”?(Forbes) just north of San Teodoro on the east coast of Sardinia. Guests can marvel at the?“mesmerizing white sand beaches” (Travel + Leisure) with glistening turquoise waters. The restaurant is a collaboration with Michelin-starred Chef Claudio Sadler, the spa includes an all-wooden Finnish sauna and activities range from snorkelling and kayaking to kitesurfing and boat trips. All of the above earns the resort a place on?Travel + Leisure’s list of?“9 Once-in-a-lifetime Trips to Book for 2022”.

Our favourite feature:?Michelin quality food & pink sunsets from the terrace.

Port, Eastbourne | Opened May 2021

UK:?Writing in?The Guardian, Coco Khan reviews?“Eastbourne’s arty new hotel”.?Port, she says, is clearly?“doing something right”, signalling that the Sussex seaside town is?“on the up”. Writing on her blog,?TIDE, photographer Emma Croman admires the?“huge bay windows”?and interiors?“sourced lovingly”?by Imran Ismail. Minimal design that’s?“easy on the eye”?(TIDE) combines?“blush pink walls”, “cork floors”?(The Guardian) and bespoke?“poured concrete basins in the bathrooms”?(TIDE) with?“clever places to keep your stuff”?(TIDE). The 19-room hotel with a restaurant is the brainchild of property developer Peter Cadwallader and?“aims to attract arty city dwellers to the seaside”?(The Guardian). Book the apartment for?“a luxury suite with sea views from the bath”?(The Guardian).

Our favourite feature:?Interiors for art lovers and seaside views of Eastbourne Pier.

The Woodward, Geneva | Opening 1 September 2021

SWITZERLAND:?“On the shores of Lake Geneva with views of Mont Blanc”?(Vogue), the Woodward is an exciting new hotel from?“the owners of the French Riviera legend, Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc”?(Tatler). One of?‘The 23 Most Anticipated Hotel Openings of 2021’?voted for by?Vogue,?“Geneva’s first all-suite hotel”?(Forbes)?“is set for stardom”?(The Telegraph). Originally built in 1901 by French architect Fran?ois Durel,?it’s been completely reimagined by?“luxe master”?(Architectural Digest) and world-renowned architect Pierre-Yves Rochon,?“the design guru behind the George V in Paris”?(The Times). The Oetker Collection, which owns hotels?“in the most appealing places?around the world”?(Forbes), presents upmarket dining options including L’Atelier de Jo?l Robuchon?and?Le Jardinier, a spa by Guerlain and, at 21 meters,?“the longest indoor pool in Geneva”?(Forbes).

Our favourite feature:?Luxury hotel with a long pool & views over Mount Blanc.