Every summer, a new class of hotels arrives and reshapes the way we think about travel. This year, the lineup is strong, and our top picks span five countries, two continents, and every vibe — from a conservation-first safari camp on the banks of Kenya's Mara River to a an articist clifftop sanctuary on the wild north shore of Ibiza, a Burgundy wine house with the best beds in France, and a reimagined Scottish coaching inn with a ceiling tiled entirely in Tunnock's wrappers. What unites them isn't price point or a shared aesthetic — it's the way they’re catering to a new way of travelers. Consider this your summer wishlist, already curated.
Wilderness Mara — Masai Mara, Kenya (Opening June)
If you know Wilderness, you already know this is going to be good. The brand behind some of Africa's most beloved camps is finally making its Kenya debut with Wilderness Mara. Think 12 tented suites set along the Mara River. Here, guests have exclusive access to both sides of the river, which means unrivaled Great Migration viewing from July through October (without the vehicle overcrowding that's become a real issue across the wider Mara). Conservation programming runs deep, with lion tracking, predator monitoring, habitat protection, and community work, and the private conservancy setting keeps the whole experience intimate in a way that the busier corners of the Mara simply can't.
Gran Hotel Margalida — Banyalbufar, Mallorca (Opening June)
If you've been sleeping on ANNUA Signature Hotels, this is the one that will wake you up. Their fifth property (and their best yet) lands in Banyalbufar, a cliffside village on Mallorca's quiet, beautiful west coast. Architect Álvaro Onieva and designer Virginia Nieto have worked the 29-room property into the landscape, debuting ANNUA's first full spa alongside ocean-facing dining. The pace here is slow by design, with vineyard picnics, private sunset sailings, and long lunches on terraces overlooking a coastline that looks largely unchanged from a century ago. This is not the Mallorca you've heard about.
Chapter Chianti — Tuscany, Italy (Opening July)
Chapter Chianti is Tuscany for people who find regular Tuscany a little predictable. The second property from Chapter Italia takes a restored 16th-century medieval village 45 minutes from Florence and hands it to South African designer Tristan Du Plessis of Studio A, who delivers something that reads more urban lifestyle hotel than rustic retreat. Three restaurants, three bars, a 500-square-meter spa, and a five-bedroom private villa with its own pool mean you could easily never leave. But with truffle hunting, mountain biking, and stargazing on the doorstep, you probably will.
Luura Cliff — Paros, Greece (Opening August)
Ennismore's long-awaited Greece debut has arrived, and it was worth the wait. Luura Cliff brings 39 adults-only suites to the Paros seafront (every one with a private pool), rooted in Cycladic architecture without leaning on the clichés travelers usually see. The culinary program is what really sets it apart, thanks to award-winning Mimi Kakushi, who joins Lenea, a new concept weaving Mediterranean and Lebanese flavors in a way that feels completely at home on a Greek island. More Luura properties are already planned across Paros and Athens, so we suggest getting familiar with the brand now.
Grand Hotel Ampezzo — Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy (Opening June)
After the Winter Olympics, Cortina has boldly reclaimed its status as the Alps' most glamorous address, and Grand Hotel Ampezzo is arriving right on cue. It has Art Deco bones, Liberty detailing, 70 rooms and suites with Dolomite views from every angle, and one of the largest spas in the region at 1,000 square meters, anchored by a Longevity Suite focused on biohacking and anti-aging that feels very right for the moment. It’s steps from the Faloria cable car in summer, and one of the best ski addresses in Europe come winter. Trust us, it earns a permanent spot on both seasonal lists.
The Revery — Elafonisi, Crete (Opening July)
Near Crete's famous pink-sand Elafonisi Beach, The Revery is doing something different on one of the island's most dramatic and least-developed coastlines. Twenty-four safari-inspired tented pavilions hug the shore with hydrotherapy pools and spacious decks, while clifftop suites are carved into the rock with heated private pools and stunning sea views. Local architect Eirini Apostolaki built the property from canvas, timber, stone, and rocks sourced directly from the site, while the cliffside Fílema restaurant leans on generational Cretan recipes and hyper-local produce. Add in the ROÉE Spa, which works with wild botanicals and sea salt, and an 80-year-old chapel on site is licensed for intimate weddings, and it’s a dream come true.
Maison Le Chevreuil — Meursault, Burgundy (Opening July)
Meursault already had everything going for it — one of Burgundy's most celebrated wine villages, close to Beaune, surrounded by some of the world's great vineyards. Now it has a proper hotel. Maison Le Chevreuil opens this July with ten rooms designed around the art of winemaking (think curved showers echoing the shape of vats, deep wine-red tones, bespoke dark wood) and Hästens beds throughout — making it the only hotel in France with that distinction. At TERRE, chef Alfredo Martin, formerly of GrandCoeur Paris under Mauro Colagreco of three-Michelin-starred Mirazur, cooks over open flame with whatever the region is doing best that week. Winemakers, villagers, and guests all end up at the same tables.
Méros — Naousa, Paros, Greece (Opening June)
Paros has been having a moment for a couple of years now, and Méros is the opening that cements it. The family-run Santikos Collection brings 27 rooms to Naousa (the prettiest corner of an island that's become the Cyclades' most compelling destination), with whitewashed contours, hand-cut stone, chalky neutrals, and indoor-outdoor living vibes. It’s smaller and more intimate than anything on Santorini, and better for it.
Sublime Sand — Comporta, Portugal (Opening May)
Sublime Comporta was already one of Portugal's best hotels, but Sand, the ambitious new village-style wing, takes the whole thing to another level. It has 43 private villas with pools tucked into pine forests and rice fields, a buzzy social hub called Aqua that carries the energy from lazy pool afternoons well into the evening, and a culinary lineup that includes Beefbar, acclaimed Italian concept Davvero from Sublime's Lisbon outpost, and Ruína, Comporta's first nightclub. It’s three times the size of the original, with a more social and multigenerational spirit, but the design integrity and that particular Comporta feeling are entirely intact.
ENVI Paje — Zanzibar, Tanzania (Opening June)
Zanzibar has always been the obvious add-on to an East Africa safari, but ENVI Paje gives it a reason to stand on its own. It has 25 villas on the sapphire lagoon of Paje Beach, with a wellness program rooted in African philosophies, ocean-inspired dining, and activities that go well beyond the standard resort script (think guided eco-kayaking through hidden mangrove waterways most visitors never encounter, cookery classes, horseback riding along the shore). For anyone threading together a Kenya itinerary around the other openings on this list, it's the perfect final chapter.
