Let’s be frank: the usual vacation destinations have become overrun. When your esthetician and your great-aunt are posting identical Aperol Spritz boomerangs from the same terrace in Positano, it’s time to recalibrate. The true vanguard of style isn’t just looking for a high thread count anymore; they are seeking pedigree, extreme architectural vision, and that rarest of modern commodities: exclusivity.
Fortunately, the forecast for 2026 is looking exceptionally well-heeled. We are teetering on the edge of a Golden Age of Restoration, where storied European piles are being dusted off by the world’s best designers, alongside a counter-movement toward far-flung, minimalist sanctums designed to make you forget Instagram even exists.
Below, find the 32 chicest addresses of the year.
Europe: Everything Old Is New Again
Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch
Finally. After years of breathless anticipation and construction on The Mall, the iconic archway guarding Buckingham Palace is ready for its close-up. Expect landmark suites with views that are practically treasonous in their proximity to royalty, and a clientele that understands the subtle flex of staying inside a national monument.
Six Senses London
Six Senses is pulling off quite the magic trick: turning the former Whiteleys department store in Bayswater—an Art Deco behemoth—into an urban sanctuary. It is vast, ambitious, and somehow promises serenity in the center of the city. It will likely become the de facto living room for the wellness-obsessed West London set who require vitamin drips with their afternoon tea.
The Zetter Bloomsbury
For those looking to stay outside Mayfair, Bloomsbury beckons. The Zetter group has a knack for creating spaces that feel like the townhouse of an eccentric, well-read uncle. The company’s latest venture promises to be a literary salon for the modern age, situated perfectly for stumbling home after too many martinis near The British Museum.
Cambridge House
Deep in Mayfair, the Reuben Brothers are resurrecting the former Naval and Military Club (the “In and Out”). This is shaping up to be one of London’s most significant heritage projects. Less about flashing cash and more about the kind of patrician, it’s a clubby atmosphere that Americans desperately try to replicate, but the British simply are.
An illustration of the forthcoming Cambridge House
Corinthia Rome
Taking over the former seat of the Central Bank of Italy on Parliament Square, this is Corinthia’s power move in the Eternal City. It’s a massive, imposing structure that will inevitably house the sort of high-stakes business deals that require frescoes on the wall and very strong espresso.
Six Senses Milan
Milan is finally getting the expansive, holistic luxury property it desperately needs. Located in the arty Brera district, this promises to be a temple of Italian design restraint wedded to the brand’s rigorous wellness programming. It’s the perfect place to detox before re-toxing during the city’s fashion week.
La Reserve Florence
Michel Reybier does not miss. By bringing the understated, impossibly chic ethos of La Reserve to Florence, the hospitality expert offers an alternative to the city’s heavier, more gilded options. Expect a masterclass in contemporary Italian craftsmanship where subtlety is the main currency.
Orient Express Venezia
The romance of the train, but stationary. Housed in the Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, this is an exercise in extreme nostalgia and cinematic splendor. It’s a siren call to a time when travel required hat boxes and dressing for dinner was mandatory. If you’ve ever dreamed of feeling like a character in a Wes Anderson film, here’s your set.
Airelles Venezia
If Orient Express is the moody intellectual, Airelles is the exuberantly chic cousin. Known for their flawless execution in Courchevel and Versailles, the group’s arrival in Venice will undoubtedly inject a dose of high-octane French glamour into the canals. It will be opulent, floral, and designed to delight.
Villa San Michele
We’re bending the rules a bit with this one: Villa San Michele has been open, but the legendary Belmond property in the hills above Florence is unveiling a significant revitalization in 2026 that’s too good to exclude. A delicate restoration of one of the world’s most romantic hotels, the update is about ensuring the monastery’s Renaissance soul remains perfectly intact for the next generation of honeymooners.
Med & Beyond: Endless Summer
The Lake Como EDITION
The EDITION’s latest act on Lake Como is bound to shake up the establishment. While the lake is famous for its stately, slightly stuffy grand dames, The EDITION will bring a younger, sexier energy to the water’s edge. Expect a scene-y pool deck and a crowd that’ll keep the party going from the DJ booth.
La Darbia
Lake Orta is a wonderful alternative to Lake Como. La Darbia is a reimagined Piedmontese estate focused on slow living, local gastronomy, and meditative views. It’s quiet luxury for people who actually want quiet.
Palazzo Castellucio, Noto
In the stunning baroque town of Noto, this restored palazzo is set to become the island’s most architecturally significant stay. It’s less about beach access and more about living inside a piece of art, surrounded by sun-bleached stone and intense history.
Vermelho Hotel
Christian Louboutin’s debut hotel in Melides was an instant hit. The sophomore effort in the same Portuguese village promises to deepen his love affair with Alentejo craftsmanship. Expect vibrant colors, whimsical details, and zero red soles required by the pool—though always encouraged.
The Standard, Lisbon
Lisbon’s cool factor shows no signs of waning, and The Standard is finally arriving to capitalize on the city’s vibrant nightlife and vertiginous hills. It will inevitably become the epicenter of the city’s creative scene, bringing its signature brand of playful hedonism to Portugal’s capital.
Oku Bodrum
Oku’s “laid-back luxury” concept—think Japanese minimalism meets Mediterranean ease—is a perfect match for the Turkish Riviera. This will be a sleek, design-forward alternative to the region’s larger resorts, attracting a crowd that meditates in the morning and dances until dawn.
Gran Hotel Margalida
Mallorca is pivoting away from mass tourism toward refined, authentic experiences. The Gran Hotel Margalida is at the forefront of this movement, offering a restored classic that emphasizes local culture and sophisticated, unfussy Spanish hospitality.
Ile de Bendor
This is the ultimate power move: a private island off the coast of Provence, originally bought by industrialist Paul Ricard, now totally reimagined for the luxe traveler. It’s the Riviera as it should be: private, artistic, and pretty hard to access.
For the Artists & Aesthetes
Casa Renoir
Located in Cagnes-sur-Mer, close to where Pierre-Auguste Renoir spent his final years, this property promises to be a painterly retreat steeped in the incredible light of the Côte d'Azur. It’s for the traveler who prefers an easel to an elliptical machine.
Relais d’Amboise
The fashion crowd might pass up France’s Loire Valley for Paris, but this chateau opening could change all that. It’s a deep dive into French history and regal living, offering a pastoral escape that feels miles away from the frantic energy of the capital.
Chesa Marchetta
In St. Moritz, “understatement” is the rarest currency. This property delivers it in spades, offering a return to alpine authenticity for the set that prefers a quiet heritage lodge to the high-octane glitter of the village center.
St. Clement
The first independent project from Soho House founder Nick Jones since he stepped away from the brand, St. Clement is one of 2026’s most anticipated openings. Located at 180 The Thames (near Temple), it sits above the hyper-chic Corner Shop 180. With 90 rooms, 15 river lofts, and bespoke Lyn Harris amenities, it’s the clubhouse for the creative class who have “graduated” from the members-only circuit.
Stateside Glam & The New West
Delano Miami Beach
The prodigal son returns. The original Delano, which was first constructed in 1947, defined South Beach cool in the ’90s. Its reopening is a massive nostalgia play, promising to bring back the crisp white linen, the ethereal lobby, and the formidable door policy that made it legend. Can you ever really go home again? Delano thinks so.
The Huntington Hotel
San Francisco’s Nob Hill needed newness, and the restoration of The Huntington is exactly that. This is old-school S.F. money and power, polished up for a new era (with interiors by designer Ken Fulk). It’s where you stay when you need to remind people that tech bros didn’t invent the city.
Fairmont New Orleans
Taking over the former Bank of New Orleans building, this opening is a love letter to the Central Business District. It brings a certain polished energy back to a city that is always best when it’s slightly overdressed.
Faraway Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole is saturated with rustic-luxe, but Faraway brings a different vibe: bohemian, eclectic, and slightly mystical. It’s for the cowboy-curious traveler who wants to be near the Tetons but prefers a well-curated record collection over taxidermy.
White Elephant Aspen
The Nantucket icon arrives in the Rockies. White Elephant Aspen is a fascinating cultural mashup—preppy New England meets Aspen glitz. Expect it to be the go-to spot for the après-ski crowd who appreciate a slightly softer, more residential approach to mountain luxury.
The Far Frontiers
Amanvari
Aman in Baja. Need we say more? Located on the calm East Cape, away from the Cabo chaos, this will be an architectural marvel dissolving into the desert landscape. Think private plunge pools shaded by teak pergolas, sunrise yoga on the dunes, and tableside tequila tastings that celebrate Mexico’s rich terroir.
Vestige Namibia
Namibia is the current apex of adventure travel. Vestige promises a deeply immersive, sustainable, and incredibly luxurious way to experience the country’s stark beauty. This is about silence, space, and the kind of starry skies that change your entire perspective.
Hope, by WildLand
In the far north of Scotland, owned by conservation billionaires Anders and Anne Holch Povlsen, “Hope” isn’t your average lodge; it’s a rewilding project with rooms. This experience is hyper-exclusive, deeply rugged, and perhaps the most restorative and visually arresting opening anywhere in the world.
Four Seasons Cartagena
Cartagena is pure magic, and the arrival of Four Seasons is the final stamp of approval for the most discerning traveler. Housed in a series of restored historic buildings in the walled city, it will offer a level of service previously unavailable in Colombia’s most vibrant destination.
An illustration of Four Seasons Cartagena
Casa Bonavita
An old palazzo in Malta, under renovation over the last few years by Christopher and Suzanne Sharp of The Rug Company, Casa Bonavita has little disclosed about it yet—which is exactly what makes it so intriguing. The sentiment is secretive (seemingly by design), sun-drenched, and likely an island escape intended for those who already know the password. We’ll see you there, if you can find it.
