When thoughts turn to summer, hotels and resorts aren’t far behind. With so many new openings and renovations around the world, it might leave you wondering where to find the true gems. No worries… we’re staying on top of where you’ll be staying.
Maxx Royal Bodrum, Turkiye
Located on a secluded bay on the Bodrum peninsula’s northern shores, Maxx Royal Bodrum is opening its doors this spring. The design-forward hotel is set to be a welcome addition to Bodrum’s stylish beach scene, offering a destination resort experience with incredible gastronomy, pioneering wellness, inspiring art and culture programming and action-packed adventures for the whole family, including a kids’s club.
An exciting partnership with Scorpios, the renowned creative beach concept first conceived on the island of Mykonos, will see the launch of the brand’s first outpost outside of Greece; and indeed the new property is set on the glamorous Turkish Riviera, dubbed the “Mykonos of Turkiye.
The opening of Maxx Royal Bodrum, a sustainably designed all-suite and private villa resort, will mark the brand’s third property in Türkiye, alongside Maxx Royal Belek Golf Resort and Maxx Royal Kemer Resort in Antalya. The new property will boast seven restaurants, offering guests a exceptional culinary experience that will shine a light on the Aegean region’s abundance of delicious local produce.
An array of luxe amenities include the Maxx WellBeing Spa with 20 treatment rooms and signature spa therapies including the Turkish Bath Treatment, using locally sourced products. In addition, Maxx Royal Seven Elements of Wellbeing programs combine traditional anti-aging protocols with holistic healing rituals. maxxroyal.com/en/Bodrum-Resort
Castello di Vicarello, Tuscany
Located in Tuscany’s under-the-radar coastal area of Maremma, Castello di Vicarello has reopened its doors for the season, this time accompanied by an exciting array of property developments and a new range of thoughtful and immersive experiences. Perched on a hilltop, surrounded by gently rolling hills, the magical 12th-century castle owned by the Baccheschi-Berti family is the perfect springtime retreat away from the crowds, enabling guests to truly disconnect from everyday life.
Complete with 10 beautifully designed suites and a brand-new villa expected to launch in 2025, two outdoor swimming pools, 100 acres of private land consisting of vineyards, olive groves, farmland and forests, and an open kitchen for authentic Italian dining, Castello di Vicarello offers a relaxing holiday in exceptional surroundings.
New this year, Castello di Vicarello has launched an all-inclusive, 3-day program designed to engage guests authentically into the ‘Vicarello’ way of life via cooking classes with the chef and wine tasting sessions from the estate’s own organic grape vineyards. Also new is an alfresco gym, allowing guests to work out against the backdrop of the castle and centuries-old olive trees. castellodivicarello.com
Rosewood Schloss Fuschl, Austria
A grand property once used only by Austrian nobility, the Rosewood Schloss Fuschl began life in 1461 as a hunting lodge and summer residence for the Archbishop of Salzburg Centuries later, in 1954, it became a hotel for the first time—Hotel Schloss Fuschl, popular with ski-bound celebrities.
A new era is waiting in the wings as this summer, the property comes under the Rosewood flag and will be reimagined into new 98 elegantly furnished guestrooms including 42 suites and six chalets with world class dining venues, and Asaya, Rosewood’s integrative spa, with indoor and outdoor swimming pool, eight treatment rooms, and a state-of-the-art fitness center.
Situated on the picturesque banks of Lake Fuschl, this luxurious resort promises an exquisite blend of the old and the new, inviting guests to relax lakeside in summer and curl up by a cozy fireplace in winter. rosewoodhotels.com/en/schloss-fuschl-salzburg
JW Marriott Hotel Nairobi
Marking the brand’s debut in Kenya’s capital city, the JW Marriott Nairobi just opened in the city’s Westlands commercial district and at 35 stories, has already earned distinction as the tallest building in the country.
Starting with 315 guestrooms, features here tick every box—five international dining venues, a luxury Spa by JW, a pool and fitness center, and, later this year, 51 serviced apartments and a sky bar and lounge.
With a design to reflect the beauty, heritage and palette of Kenya’s great outdoors, the hotel offers a soothing color scheme of savannah browns, Maasi reds, cultural terracotta and safari green, with sculptures, handmade ceramics, wall murals and regional textiles placed throughout the hotel. Also designed as a place to gather, the new property boasts 18,300 sf of meeting and event space, including a grand ballroom hosting up to 800. jwmarriott.com
The Dolli at Acropolis, Athens
The magic of Athens is seeing ancient wonders in a new light. Nowhere is that more evident than at The Dolli, just steps from the Acropolis and set in a 1925 building designed by Andreas Kriezis, the architect behind the Parliament building in Athens’ Syntagma Square.
For optimal viewing, The Dolli’s rooftop restaurant is a gastronomic heaven with a new Greek menu, where guests savor secret local flavors and generation old recipes, matching with the mesmerizing unobstructed views of the Parthenon, the Ancient and Roman Agoras, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Tower of the Winds, the Temple of Hephaestus, and Philopappos Hill, among other ancient wonders. Or simply view the Acropolis from the hotel’s infinity pool, set on a refreshed pool deck.
Modern art shares the space with 18th century antiques and ancient Greek ceramics here, with original pieces from Jean Cocteau, whimsical works by Francois-Xavier and Claude Lalanne and Alexander Calder, 18th century antiques, custom-made furniture and objects from the finest contemporary designers such as Pierre Augustin Rose and Seung Jin Yang, as well as a collection of ancient Greek ceramics on display.
Even the recently opened gymnasium is adorned with rare design pieces along with the cutting-edge equipment. And the intimate, speakeasy style Le Bar Secret—a hidden library-bar just made for stolen moments—is a work of art unto itself.
Visitors are encouraged to stroll the colorful cobblestone streets of the surrounding Plaka neighborhood, and, as of this year, can take advantage of special offers with other properties run by Grecotel, The Dolli’s parent brand. One option is a combined “City and Seaside” stay at The Dolli and the just-brilliantly-renovated Cape Sounio, the Grecotel Resort-Retreat on the Athenian Riviera, in stunning view of the Temple of Poseidon.
The other, in advance of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, is a combined stay at The Dolli and Mandola Rosa in the Peloponnese, a short drive from Ancient Olympia. Both packages offer unforgettable experiences in rarefied Greek destinations from the coveted Grecotel collection. thedolli.com
