Best New Luxury Hotels to Book in 2026 Across the Globe
Whether you’re planning your next international adventure or seeking the world’s most exciting hotel openings, these seven new luxury properties deliver unforgettable style, amenities, and location. From Greece and Portugal to Japan and California, these hotels are making waves.
One of the best new luxury resorts in Greece, 91 Athens Riviera combines beachfront views with modern glamping.
91 Athens Riviera: A New Luxury Glamping Hotel on the Athenian Coast
One of the more interesting hotels to open on the Athenian Riviera, a quickly revitalizing stretch of coastline south of the Greek capital, offers a stylish twist on glamping near the beach. 91 Athens Riviera is an offshoot of the popular Domes hotel line, and features a collection of luxurious canvas tents, designed with a similarly keen eye for design.
Each unit is outfitted with plush king-sized beds, spacious bathrooms with walk-in showers, and furnished decks. Some feature private plunge pools and multiple bedrooms, and all come with Marshall speakers, Nespresso machines, and a host of other self-care amenities, from foam rollers and bespoke sleep masks to white-noise machines.
Both the swimming pool and the hotel’s beach club invite lounging and sunbathing, while a tennis club includes eight courts and an instruction program. A spa is present as a matter of course, and the chic restaurant is an outpost of the Paros-based Barbarossa.
28 Rooms
Style: Modern Design
Atmosphere: Lively
The Jay, San Francisco, where minimalist luxury meets California modernism in this stylish Embarcadero high-rise inspired by sculptor Ruth Asawa.
The Jay San Francisco: A Modern Luxury Hotel Near the Embarcadero
This is what luxury looks like in San Francisco in the mid-2020s: a bit minimalist, a bit understated, with plenty of warm tones and organic textures. The Jay, Autograph Collection is just the latest evolution of the 25-story Brutalist tower that stands at Battery & Clay, in the Embarcadero district, and it’s emblematic of the times as well: not quite an independent, but nor is it strictly a chain.
The interiors, by AvroKO, owe much to the Japanese-American modernist sculptor Ruth Asawa, and more broadly pay tribute to a century of Californian aesthetics, from Arts & Crafts on through to the present day. The TransAmerica Pyramid is a block away, and Embarcadero Center is reachable via an elevated walkway.
360 Rooms
Style: Contemporary Classic
Atmosphere: Lively
Palácio de Seteais, Portugal , where you can sleep in an 18th-century palace with frescoed walls, sweeping gardens, and dreamy views of fairytale Sintra.
Valverde Sintra Palácio de Seteais: Historic 5-Star Palace Hotel in Portugal
The quaint hilltop town of Sintra looks like something straight out of a Portuguese fairy tale. While most of its castles and palaces now function as museums, one houses a luxury hotel, the Valverde Sintra Palácio de Seteais.
This grand 18th-century palace, neoclassical in style with a triumphal arch connecting the building’s two wings, is filled with hand-painted frescoes and antique furnishings. Rooms have period character, too, with decorative headboards and sumptuous floor-to-ceiling drapery, and the royal suite, located in the original owners’ quarters, is especially spacious and ornate.
A modern spa occupies the estate’s onetime dovecote, and an outdoor pool is set amid the gorgeous surrounding park. Adding to the storybook charm is an elegant afternoon tea served on fine china.
30 Rooms
Style: Traditional Elegance
Atmosphere: Quiet
Castle Leslie, Ireland, a romantic country estate steeped in Irish history with horse stables, antique-filled rooms, and crackling fireplaces.
Castle Leslie Estate: Luxury Irish Castle Hotel with Horseback Riding
There’s a rich history behind Castle Leslie Estate, set on a thousand countryside acres in County Monaghan: the Leslie family, descended from Attila the Hun, has lived on the property since 1665, and it’s home to the oldest plumbed bath in Ireland.
Old-world charm is built into its wood-paneled sitting rooms with gilded oil portraits, buttery soft Chesterfield sofas, and crackling fireplaces, and rooms are just as atmospheric with decoratively carved four-poster beds and heirloom antiques. Some have roll-top baths and private terraces or Juliet balconies, but none have screens or minibars.
The not-so-subtle implication being, of course, that refreshments and entertainment are best enjoyed in the restaurant and pub downstairs. Styled like a flamboyant hunting lodge with equestrian statuary, opulent chandeliers, and cozy brocade-lined banquettes, it’s a lively spot throughout the afternoon and evening, but there’s always solitude to be found in the castle’s lovely gardens and quiet library.
71 Rooms
Style: Traditional Elegance
Atmosphere: Quiet
Naturally Pacific, British Columbia is surrounded by forest and sea, this eco-chic retreat features a stunning spa, fire pits, and wildlife tours.
Naturally Pacific Resort: New Eco-Luxury Hotel on Vancouver Island
Not far from the docks where boats depart for whale-watching and grizzly tours on Campbell River’s Discovery Passage, the stylish Naturally Pacific Resort rises up on the edge of a golf course. Its modernist structure, built of sustainably sourced wood and stone, features floor-to-ceiling glass windows to make the most of Vancouver Island’s natural beauty; its interiors, in keeping with the theme, showcase life-sized nature scenes captured by a local photographer.
The hotel’s earth-toned rooms and suites are contemporary with Art Deco touches, like leather-upholstered barrel chairs and gold-speckled black marble countertops, and the elegant cocktail bar downstairs follows suit. In a location such as this, the main attractions are outside, but the hotel’s ethereal spa, heated indoor-outdoor pool, and open-air firepits are wonderful to return to after exploring the surrounding forests and waterways.
100 Rooms
Style: Modern Design
Atmosphere: Quiet
Inspired to experience award-winning hotels for yourself? As a luxury travel advisor, I can help design an itinerary around them, or create a bespoke trip that reflects your own style. Contact me at louis.monoyudis@fora.travel to start planning.