We don’t have to tell you that hotels were hit especially hard when COVID started spreading across the globe and travel was largely tabled. Many hotels started acting as temporary housing for health care workers. One Forbes article from April 2020 noted that over 3.4 million hotel rooms and over 15,000 hotels had joined the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Hospitality for Hope Initiative, giving health care workers a place to stay while they were on the front lines of the pandemic.
Despite the adversity COVID presented for hotels, many were incredibly resilient during this time. A number of hotels and resorts used this time to renovate their properties or to open a brand-new space. Properties across the globe are now opening up and are ready to welcome travelers once again. Here, you can find luxury accommodations ranging from Switzerland to the Maldives to Florida to consider for your upcoming trips.
Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
Location: Maldives
Rates: Available upon request
In January 2021, the award-winning Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi unveiled its exclusive Ithaafushi – The Private Island, the largest Maldivian private island spanning 32,000 square meters in the heart of the Indian Ocean. This is the ultimate escape, offering unparalleled levels of privacy and personalized service that create unforgettable experiences for guests seeking only the most prestigious and coveted accommodations. The sprawling private island estate accommodates 24 guests across two elegantly designed villas and one sweeping four-bedroom residence—all of which include basically anything your vacationing heart desires: indoor and outdoor rain showers, pools, jacuzzies, lush gardens and direct access to the beach. “Our dedicated team is devoted entirely to ensuring every moment is absolutely personalized, with exceptional service and unsurpassed attention to detail,” explained Etienne Dalancon, general manager of the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi. “We will pull out all the stops to ensure the most memorable stay for our guests, every single time.”
Notable Amenities:
- Personal concierge team
- Direct access to mainland via speedboat
- Dedicated culinary team
- Private sandbank in the middle of the ocean
- Wellness concierge
- Overwater spa, meditation and yoga pavilion and fully equipped gym with ocean views
Pendry West Hollywood
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Rates: Start at $635/night
Encompassing a full city block along the famed Sunset Strip, Pendry West Hollywood offers 149 luxury guestrooms, as well as a collection of 40 luxury residences, embracing the best of California’s modernism and glamor. Perched on a hilltop with sweeping views, the hotel’s interiors were inspired by ocean waves and dusky California skies, yet maintain the sophisticated tradition of grand hotels. The April 2021 opening of Pendry West Hollywood also heralds the return of celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck to West Hollywood with the debut of Merois and Ospero.
Notable Amenities:
- The Britely Social Club, a private membership-based social club, offering access to the full spectrum of hotel amenities
- Spa Pendry and fitness center
- Private bowling alley
- Rooftop pool
- Screening room
- Curated art collection featuring works from LA’s most exciting emerging artists and acclaimed international names
- Chef Wolfgang Puck’s Merois and Ospero
Paradero Todos Santos
Location: Baja, Mexico
Rates: Start at $550/night
One of the most unique aspects of Paradero Hotels is the attention to landscape design. The Todos Santos hotel is actually 80 percent landscape, and the company describes its design ethos as “a high-design landscaping project with luxurious suites.” The design of the 35 suites seems to be inspired by the landscape itself, evoking a rustic, bohemian feel. Opened in February 2021, the Paradero Todos Santos offers not only a peaceful aesthetic, but also an assortment of exciting and revitalizing amenities.
Notable Amenities:
- Spa and wellness center
- Infinity pool
- Indoor-outdoor rain showers
- Hammocks or heated soaking tubs
- Experiences like a surf session, guided hiking and biking, learning to garden and farm and a Baja taco tour
White Elephant Palm Beach
Location: Palm Beach, Fla.
Rates: Start at $650/night
Opened in November 2020, the White Elephant Palm Beach now inhabits what was originally the Bradley Park Hotel. The hotel dates back to the ‘20s but has now been reimagined to embrace a modern Mediterranean-revival style with a soft neutral palette. It houses 13 deluxe rooms and 19 suites with an array of luxe amenities.
Notable Amenities:
- Pre-arrival concierge, a White Elephant signature service, where hotel concierge will reach out to guests prior to arrival to help book anything from dinner reservations to airport pickup
- Daily White Elephant ice cream cart on the beach
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Hourly complimentary treats at the pool
La Mamounia
Location: Marrakech, Morocco
Rates: Start at $775/night
Renovated in 2020 and reopened in October, the almost-100-year-old La Mamounia is as vibrant and magical as ever. The palace houses 136 rooms, 71 suites and three luxe riads, along with four newly renovated restaurants, four bars and two tearooms. La Mamounia provides guests an oasis from the city, offering quite a few relaxing and enchanting experiences.
Notable amenities:
- An in-house cinema
- L’Œnothèque, an intimate wine bar
- Outdoor and indoor pools
- Les Jardins, eight hectares of stunning gardens
- Macarons Experience at Le Salon de Thé par Pierre Hermé
Hotel Eden Roc Ascona
Location: Ascona, Switzerland
Rates: Start at $1,335/night
Already one of the most awarded holiday hotels in Switzerland, Hotel Eden Roc, nestled on the shores of Lake Maggiore in Ascona, has unveiled a series of 20 new suites and rooms right in time for the 2021 summer season. Capturing the Mediterranean spirit and boasting magnificent lake views, the new accommodations have been designed by Ascona native Carlo Rampazzi, and each features large south-facing terraces and wide windows providing stunning views of nature. Not only does the hotel offer a wide variety of activities, but it also prioritizes sustainability; since 2019, Hotel Eden Roc has been completely carbon-neutral, reducing CO2 emissions thanks to sustainable construction activity, the optimized use of resources and local connections.
Notable Amenities:
- Eden Rock Spa
- Kayak tours, paragliding and guided hikes
- Private beach
- Cause We Care Initiative, which gives guests the opportunity to offset the emissions generated by their journeys to and from the hotel. The money paid to offset emissions will be donated in full to the myclimate mountain gorilla project in Rwanda.
- Two indoor and outdoor pools
- Complimentary e-bike rentals
- Water sports school
Also Notable
With so many hotels and resorts pulling out all of the stops to bring back guests, we had a hard time narrowing down our list. Specifically, when it came to places to stay in California and Florida—two of the most popular states in the U.S. for travel. In case Palm Beach and Los Angeles aren’t your scene, here are two additional options.
Stanly Ranch
Location: Napa Valley, Calif.
Rates: Start at $1,194/night
Set to open this summer, Stanly Ranch is expected to change the way visitors explore wine country. When complete, the 500,000-square-foot development will include a luxury 135-room resort and spa, 70 vineyard homes and 40 villas with integrated vineyards, gardens and a public winery, creating an unmatched community and resort destination for food and wine country.
Timbers Jupiter
Location: Jupiter, Fla.
Rates: Start at $1,095/night
While not renovated or opened in 2020, Timbers Jupiter, a private residence club in Florida, did do something unprecedented during the pandemic—it opened its doors to guests for the first time, allowing those who are not owners to stay on the property and play on its Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses. Of course, you can still own a luxury residence, but you can also simply drop in for a minimum of four nights to enjoy the luxury residences and world-class golf.
For more stories from our recent travel issue, check out the digital magazine here.
