As a travel writer, I’ve explored the cliff sides of Santorini via ATV, shopped the street markets of Koh Samui, ziplined with strangers in Acapulco, and shared pão de queijo with Brazilians in Rio. But, admittedly, half of the fun of these places visiting their dreamy hotels. Fresh daily linens, in-room dining, poolside cocktails, deep-soaking tubs, and turndown service have me in a chokehold.
For our annual travel issue, I put together a wishlist of 10 recently opened or incoming properties that may be just as exciting as their locations. Since they’re all an easy drive or flight from SD, you might as well book your 2024 vacay now. See you by the pool.
Mexico | Oregon | Nevada | Arizona | Utah | Colorado | Hawaii | California
Mexico
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol
Opening 2024
The Cabo area is continuing to grow, with even more top-name resorts and high-end developments planting roots in the region. Last year alone, it saw more travelers to its beaches than ever (3.85 million), and it is now one of the world’s most popular luxury destinations.
So it’s not surprising that a new Four Seasons property is set to open this year. Originally planned for the fall of 2023, the brand’s sixth resort in Mexico is expected to launch in “early 2024,” according to reps.
The new hotel will be a “hacienda-style” village with guestrooms and suites, as well as residences, villas, and estates—all with views of the Gulf of California. Around the resort are typical five-star amenities, including a world-class golf course, a full-service spa, adult and kids’ pools, a swimmable beach, an open-air mercado, and contemporary Latin cuisine from executive chef Miguel Baltazar, with Mexican-born chef and restaurateur Richard Sandoval at the helm.
If you’re in the market for a second home, real estate options will start at around $4.8 million for two-to five-bedroom residences featuring private pools and 1,800-square-foot outdoor terraces
Rates: TBD
Andaz Mexico City Condesa
Opened January 2023
It seems like just about everyone has been heading to Mexico City in the last couple of years—and for good reason. The destination has evolved over the last decade, becoming a food mecca with a new wave of top chefs and notable restaurants popping up across the region.
It’s also an easily walkable city brimming with museums and historic architecture, especially in neighborhoods like Condesa, where the new Andaz opened last January. Set inside a 1960s-era Mexico City Heritage Site designed by Spanish architect José Luis Benlliure Galán, the property is the brand’s second in the country after Mayakoba Riviera Maya.
Guestrooms include brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures, mosaic-tile headboards, paper maché piñatas, and record players with modern and classic vinyl collections—a nod to La Roma Records, the neighborhood’s oldest record store. And, for pet lovers, your four-legged family members have their own in-room amenities and a pop-up shop selling locally made pet accessories.
Above the hotel sits a Tulum beach club–inspired rooftop restaurant and pool with 360-degree views of Mexico City’s skyline. The seafood-forward eatery serves seasonal Baja and Yucatan fare while weekend DJ sets and agave-centered cocktails keep the party going late into the night.
Rates: From $222/night
Oregon
The Ritz-Carlton, Portland
Opened October 2023
When you check into a Ritz, you know what you’re going to get, which is kind of the whole point. Classic luxury, clean lines, fine dining, high-end amenities, staff calling you by your last name—it’s a formula and it works. In fall of 2023, The Ritz-Carlton, Portland—a nearly $700 million development in the center of downtown—became the PNW’s newest five-star retreat.
There’s a 20th-floor signature restaurant serving seafood from local fishermen. The enchanted forest–inspired lobby bar Meadowrue (named for the species of flowering plants known as buttercups) features a massive cedar tree trunk and hanging vines to really drive home its theme.
You’ll also find an infinity pool, a 7,000-square-foot fitness center, and residential apartments—ranging between $1.14 million and $8.9 million—if you’d rather just never check out.
Rates: From $515/night
Nevada
Fontainebleau Las Vegas
Opened December 2023
Like a freshly licensed teen behind the wheel, the Fontainebleau Las Vegas came in hot last year, making its debut on the Strip 16 years after it broke ground. After an ownership change, name update, recession, pandemic, and general life things, the $3.7 billion resort-casino is finally here.
With 67 floors (it’s now LV’s tallest building), the iconic Miami hotel set down in the West with its second iteration, featuring 36 bars and restaurants (chefs David Grutman, Evan Funke, and Josh Capon all have concepts here), LIV nightclub, seven pools, a spa, a 55,000-square-foot convention center, and a casino with all the bells and whistles.
Ten-time Grammy winner Justin Timberlake performed at its private opening celebration, which included celebs like Jessica Biel, Lenny Kravitz, Cher, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, and Tommy Hilfiger. It was a big deal, since the city’s last grand resort unveiling was in June of 2021.
Rates: From $316/night
Arizona
Global Ambassador Phoenix
Opened December 2023
Restaurateur, 12-time James Beard Award nominee, and now hotelier Sam Fox opened his first property in December. Fox’s Global Ambassador Phoenix brings Paris to the West with a stacked lineup of investors, including Phoenix Suns basketball phenom Devin Booker, former Arizona Cardinals football player Larry Fitzgerald, and country star Dierks Bentley.
Dark and moody, this isn’t particularly the kind of place you’d expect to find in Phoenix (there’s no Southwest decor in sight). Design details include Phillip Jeffries wallcoverings, artwork commissioned by curator Michael Carson, custom walnut millwork, Matouk linens and Kassatex towels, and bathroom amenities by Byredo. All these goodies are said to have cost $1 million per room.
The real stars here, however, are the hotel’s four food and drink concepts, helmed by Food Network regular Eric Kim Haugen as the culinary creative, Dushyant Singh as director of food and beverage, and Sean Currid as executive chef. A Parisian steakhouse, the poolside Pink Dolphin, the lobby bar, and Thea, a Mediterranean eatery now claiming the title of Arizona’s largest rooftop restaurant, are all part of the wine-and-dine experience.
Rates: From $670/night
Utah
Le Méridien & Element Salt Lake City Downtown
Opened February 2023
One of Salt Lake’s newest hotels is actually a two-fer. Debuting as both the Le Méridien and Element Salt Lake City, the dual-branded property is the former’s first location in Utah and the latter’s 100th global opening. (Plus, this inaugural combo of the two brands is managed by San Diego–based Azul Hospitality Group.)
Although the sister properties share the same roof, they each offer their own unique experiences. Le Méridien provides a more refined, design-driven ambiance with custom-designed beds by Nick Dine and emerald green pops of color against neutral tones. Element has a sustainable approach and a more residential feel, with fully equipped kitchens and oversized bathrooms for long-term travelers.
The dual-pad property’s Adelaide restaurant serves French-and New Orleans–inspired dishes, while its rooftop bar, Van Ryder, has small bites and cocktails. But, since SLC’s food scene has been heating up for some time, it’s worth checking out some of the area’s restaurants, such as chef Nick Zocco’s Urban Hill or James Beard Award nominee Briar Handly’s HSL. And, who knows, you may just have a run-in with a Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast member while out.
Rates: From $274/night
Colorado
Mollie Aspen
Opened December 2023
It doesn’t take much to convince anyone that Aspen is a good choice. But if you’re going to sway visitors to choose your hotel over the area’s other extremely luxe properties, you’ll need to jump out of the gate swinging—and Mollie came to play.
The 68-room hotel’s sleek Scandinavian and Japanese design influences meld with vintage 1960s furniture (Mario Bellini leather sofas, Roger Capron coffee tables) while Aspen accents peek through in the form of ski-themed books, white oak millwork, local stone and concrete floors, and hand-dyed textiles.
Guestrooms embrace the art of hygge, featuring warm color palettes and minimalistic décor—more quiet l xury than shimmering opulence. Led by Gin & Luck (Death & Co.), the hotel’s food and beverage options include an all-day café with après-ski bites, a restaurant and bar serving dinner, and a rooftop pool and terrace offering cocktails and light snacks. As a bonus, several snowboard and ski lifts are all under 20 minutes away.
Rates: From $349/night
Hawaii
Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort
Opened July 2023
In 2011, Kona Village Resort closed its doors after nearly 50 years on the Big Island as an off-the-grid haunt for Hollywood A-listers. Now, the historic property has reopened as the first Rosewood-branded hotel in Hawaii, spanning 81 acres. Taking care to honor the island’s long legacy of stewardship, the new Kona Village has a strong sustainability focus and draws its inspiration from Kaʻūpūlehu’s culture and heritage.
The property features 150 standalone hales and kauhales—traditional Hawaiian bungalows—with oversized lanais and outdoor showers, as well the property’s crown jewels: two $40,000-a-night presidential suites. Around the hotel, guests can view commissioned works of art from more than three dozen native Hawaiian and Hawaii-residing artists.
The village’s four dining concepts include the original Shipwreck Bar (it’s been said that The Doors’ Jim Morrison once drank 21 mai tais there in one sitting). The Kona Village Lū`au, spa, a fitness center, four pools, an outdoor activities center, and a daily 3 p.m. coconut cart serving complimentary drinking coconuts round out its amenities.
Rates: From $2,180/night
California
Pendry Newport Beach
Opened September 2023
When the very first Pendry opened in the Gaslamp in 2017, I remember thinking it felt very un-San Diego. It had east coast vibes: tartan fabrics, velvet couches, gold trimmings, voyeuristic glass showers visible from your bed, and a high price tag. It was the talk of the town.
Seven years later, the once-unknown brand has taken over eight cities, including Newport Beach, where it launched its latest property this past fall. With an aesthetic that is decidedly less New York and much more SoCal chill, the hotel’s nearly 300 rooms feature neutral color schemes, floor-to-ceiling windows, balconies, and waterfront views.
Onsite, SET Steak and Sushi by Clique Hospitality is one of three dining concepts, and Spa Pendry offers wellness treatments. The nearby Fashion Island makes it easy for those who hate packing to run across the street for their vacation digs.
Rates: From $485/night
The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern
Opened February 2023
Knowing that The Andy Griffith Show was filmed in Los Olivos, a quaint Central Coast town in the Santa Ynez Valley, makes this destination that much more charming. Around 30 minutes inland of Santa Barbara, the town harkens back to a simpler time when Mayberry was on our screens (or our parents’) in black and white.
It’s here that the newly opened Inn at Mattei’s Tavern has planted roots inside what was once an 1800s-era stagecoach stop between LA and SF and four cottages built in 1910. Though the property maintains its original Craftsman-style structures, it has gone through many iterations over the years (restaurants, bars, prohibition-era speakeasies) and is now a 67-room inn. There’s time travel in every corner of the hotel.
Go if you’re looking to reset and recharge. Adirondack chairs sit near fire pits, a greenhouse bumps up next to a flower and herb garden, and some of central California’s most popular wineries and tasting rooms reside within walking distance, adding up to a vacay as wholesome as Andy himself.
Rates: From $701/night
*All rates reflect the start of high season; prices subject to change
