These ultra-luxe stays and unique experiences span the globe, from the US and Latin America, to Africa and the Middle East
The definition of “luxury travel” is changing. As hotels by big-name interior designers with outposts of renowned restaurants get copy-pasted all around the world, they’re coming off as overly predictable and even cookie-cutter. With demand at the top end of the luxury travel market higher than ever, hotels have to work harder to stand out. That means the most anticipated hotels for 2026 have one of two things in common: a true independent spirit or an ability to raise the bar in unquestionable ways.
The Vineta Hotel
When: January
Where: Palm Beach, Florida, US
The Vineta Hotel marks the American debut of European hotel group Oetker. Photo: Handout
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Palm Beach has its fair share of luxury hotels. But the Vineta is the American debut from Oetker Hotels, the European group behind Parisian palace Le Bristol. It’s a brand known for continental elegance, old-world glamour and impeccable service – qualities that aren’t typically native to South Florida. Now it’s setting up shop blocks away from the posh boutiques of Worth Avenue, in a Mediterranean revival-style building that’s been standing for 100 years.
The Vineta Hotel is imbued with a Mediterranean style. Photo: Handout
Its extensive renovation has made for 41 spacious suites, with bedrooms decorated in soft pastels to fit the building’s heritage and pale-pink exterior. In a touch of whimsy, staffers will wheel bar carts around the hotel’s public spaces. One is dedicated to champagne and another to poolside scoops of gelato. A third will be stocked with Barbara Sturm beauty products, delivering creams and serums to guests’ rooms so they can leave the hotel with not just a tan but also a radiant glow. Rooms from U$1,497.
The Imperial Hotel
When: March
Where: Kyoto, Japan
The Imperial, in Kyoto’s Gion district, was previously a theatre. Photo: @imperialhoteljapan/Instagram
It’s been three decades since home-grown Japanese luxury company Imperial opened a new property. That changes in spring 2026, with its update of a 90-year-old former theatre in Kyoto’s famed Gion district. The main building has been respectfully preserved, with elements from the former performance space, including its distinct pillars and window frames, retained as visual focal points. A guests-only rooftop bar offers sweeping views of the city and the lanterns’ glow on the streets below.
The Imperial’s rooms feature Japanese cedar columns and tatami flooring. Photo: @imperialhoteljapan/Instagram
The Imperial’s 55 rooms use traditional materials such as Japanese cedar columns and tatami flooring, with design by local firms rather than imported big names, as has become the norm in town. The result is something more subtle, and more faithfully and authentically Japanese than the area’s shiny competition. From around US$1,100.
