The Most Anticipated Hotel Openings of 2026

From luxury island villas in the Maldives to an off-grid Australian resort, these are the six new property openings we're most excited about. As travel demand continues to rise around the world, so does the number of high-profile new hotel openings, giving travellers not only more choice but better options, too. According to Rena Shah, head of lodging and experiences at Chase Travel, the best new hotels opening in 2026 aim to become an extension of their guests' lives, rather than simply aspirational escapes. "Things like sleep quality, wellness that's built in rather than optional, good food that makes you feel better not worse and spaces that work whether you're travelling for fun or fitting travel into a busy schedule feel more important than ever," Shah explains. "I think we'll see hotels really nail this by designing experiences around how people want to feel when they leave: refreshed, grounded [and] energised instead of just impressed." Simultaneously, because many hotels are getting more expensive, some properties are increasingly justifying their rates by offering the unusual, according to Fora travel agency co-founder Henley Vazquez. "The cost of travel continues to rise, so when people take a trip, they're looking for one-of-a-kind experiences rather than the typical hotel," she says. "The hotels that stand out will be the ones that offer a strong point of view – whether that's redefining how guests engage with wellness or creating experiences that feel impossible to replicate elsewhere."