Whether you’re a fan of refined boutiques or flashy, in-your-face luxury resorts, there’s a hotel out there to suit everyone – and handily, Travel + Leisure have produced their meticulously curated list of the 100 most exciting which are opening their doors this year.
According to the official website, 250 hotels across 40 different countries were considered for inclusion in 2026’s list (all of which were new or newly reopened between February 2025 and 2026), but only the most impressive made the cut.
They’ve been organised into six categories – ‘city hotels’, ‘US resorts’, ‘splurge-worthy stays’, ‘affordable luxury’, ‘international flair’ and ‘on the water’ – so let’s take a closer look at some of them.
In the ‘international flair’ category is Gora Kadan Fuji, a stunning hotel in the shadow of Mount Fuji’s east side which pokes out from along the Subshiri trail. It makes the most of its location and leaves the mountain to steal the show, with floor to ceiling windows in the lobby as well as an observation deck offering glorious views.
After a cool city hotel? Look no further than The Florentin by Althoff Collection, a ‘wildly stylish’ boutique characterised by spacious bedrooms and joyful decor in Frankfurt. You’ll find a wellness area here with an indoor pool, but its central location (only a 25-minute walk from Museumsufer), is another selling point.
As for luxury – but on a budget – The Kenrick Hotel in Banff is a stunning place to stay that won’t necessarily break the bank. It’s on the town’s main avenue and is mere minutes away from a bus stop at which you can hop on services around the national park.
There’s a showstopper spa, as well as a well-executed balance of modern amenities and quintessential mountain charm. Oh, and now’s an especially good time to visit, as Parks Canada is granting visitors free access to plenty of the country’s most scenic nature reserves throughout the summer.
However, Kenya is the place to head if you’ve got cash to splash. The andBeyond Suyian Lodge features in the ‘splurge-worthy stays’ list, and it does look rather spectacular. There are 14 suites with grass-covered roofs (so the building blends in with nature as much as possible) and the wildlife at this Conservancy includes African wild dogs, reticulated giraffes, and even the rare melanistic leopard. Sounds like a pretty cool way to spend the night, right?
To check out the full, 100-strong list, head to Travel + Leisure’s official website.
Let’s talk hotels
Travel + Leisure are far from the only travel mag to publish a list of glorious stays recently – CN Traveller gave us a list of the most exciting new openings back in April, and Prix Versailles announced its list of the planet’s most beautiful new hotels. Oh, that’s alongside Wanderlust Magazine, who just published a roundup of the coolest historical stays, too.
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