If you’re anything like me, then you think that a vacation is a chance to spoil yourself with extravagant comforts and amenities. Why shouldn’t you feel like royalty in your home away from home? Our friends at The Luxury Travel Bible have curated a list of the most luxurious new hotels for 2015; the next time you decide to treat yourself, try staying at one of these to pamper yourself to your fullest potential. Those who say money cannot buy happiness clearly have not discovered The Luxury Travel Bible.
The Knickerbocker Hotel – New York City
Status: Re-opening February/ March
The Scoop: Located at the southeast corner of Broadway and 42nd Street in New York City, the 7,500-square-foot rooftop bar and terrace will have unrivaled views of Times Square and New York’s neon skyline. The fourth floor of the hotel will host a restaurant and bar by Charlie Palmer. It has already been accepted into the elite portfolio of The Leading Hotels of the World. Plus, the martini was said to have been invented by the hotel’s house bartender in 1912!
Maison Souquet – Paris, France
Status: Now open
The Scoop: From the wallpaper to the fabrics to the unique design of every room, Maison Souquet is a temple of hedonism; in fact, the 20-room hotel really was a ‘House of Pleasure’ back in the day. In addition, the spa and swimming pool shimmering beneath a celestial ceiling are available for private use upon request.
The Baccarat Hotel – New York City
Status: Opening in March
The Scoop: Situated just across the street from the Museum of Modern Art, there has been a lot of hoopla about this one. Purportedly 12,000 Baccarat glass pieces decorate the entrance of the hotel tower and it promises to be a showcase of palatial decoration – cases of priceless Harcourt crystal line the corridors, crystal goblets grace the restaurant’s tables, and Baccarat vases decorate the suites.
The Ritz – Paris, France
Status: Grand Re-opening in 2015
The Scoop: There are so many famous guests attached to this hotel: Charlie Chaplin, Sophia Loren, Cole Porter, Audrey Hepburn –Coco Chanel liked it so much she moved in. And of course there’s Bar Hemingway, named after Ernest, for whom the Ritz barman apparently invented the Bloody Mary; “When I dream of an afterlife in heaven the action always takes place at the Paris Ritz,” said Hemingway. Here there are more suites than there are rooms, including fifteen individually designed prestige suites. The Ritz Paris is simply one of the best with an indoor pool, modern fitness center with private training rooms and indulgent treatment rooms and a discreet tunnel available for completely private guest arrivals and departures.
www.ritzparis.com/en
Faena Hotel – Miami Beach, Florida
Status: Opening in September
The Scoop: Husband and wife creative team Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Marshall, the Australian duo behind movie extravaganzas like Moulin Rouge with Nicole Kidman, will makeover the 169 rooms and suite. Sir Norman Foster and Brandon Haw are the architects. Much-awarded Argentinean grill master Francis Mallmann is consulting for the restaurant and the graceful pools, created by L.A. based Fluidity, will flow through the Faena House lobby and grounds. There will also be a private screening room and a theatre for live cabaret shows.
www.faena.com
Six Senses – Douro Valley, Portugal
Status: Opening in July
The Scoop: Eco-friendly barefoot luxury will soon come to Portugal in the form of a 57 room-and-villa Douro Valley hideaway. The renowned Six Senses spa will offer locally inspired grape and olive-based treatments. There will also be a seasonal organic restaurant featuring produce grown on-site and served on tables by the Douro River.
Sant Francesc Hotel Singular – Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Status: Opening in April
The Scoop: Former interior designer Nuria Ferrer Klein has curated an impressive contemporary art collection for the interiors: unique rooms with terraces overlooking courtyards, olive trees and fountains. The 42 rooms and suites are an eclectic mix of antiques and contemporary design and there’s a rooftop terrace that offers a bird’s eye view of the city, the Church of Sant Francesc and the Cathedral.
www.hotelsantfrancesc.com