The Most Luxurious New Motels of 2025

Cheval Blanc Seychelles

This 115-island nation within the Indian Ocean simply welcomed the LVMH lodge model’s first African outpost. Cheval Blanc Seychelles does away with the anticipated thatched-roof aesthetic in favor of 52 modern-looking villas, with one to 5 bedrooms every, by celebrated designer Jean-Michel Gathy (Aman New York; Marina Bay Sands, in Singapore). I stayed in a glossy villa painted bone white, with views of aquamarine waves, a 41-foot-long pool, and an outside bathe I shared with a large snail sooner or later and a pair of curious geckos the subsequent. The minimalist predominant lodge has stylish lounges, two infinity swimming pools, and 4 of the lodge’s 5 elegant eating places. The fifth, Mizumi, is on the waterfront, serving East Asian dishes together with dim sum and glorious sushi in a historic cottage. The Guerlain Spa has a hammam and eight hillside cabanas, every with completely different design touches: a quartz therapeutic massage desk in a single, mother-of-pearl partitions protecting one other. Doubles from $2,500.​ —Travis Levius

The Emory, London

As I approached The Emory—a brand new lodge from the hospitality group behind London’s iconic Claridge’s and The Connaught—I anticipated some fanfare: a top-hat-donning doorman, a chandelier-lit foyer, slick signage. However I discovered nothing of the type; discretion is without doubt one of the lodge’s many luxuries. The Emory is quietly tucked inside a glass-and-steel constructing from architect Richard Rogers, who designed Paris’s Centre Pompidou, a detour from the standard white-stucco façades that line the remainder of London’s Belgravia neighborhood. The lodge lies proper subsequent to Hyde Park, and also you received’t quickly overlook it: The 61 rooms—between 600 and three,000 sq. toes—have floor-to-ceiling home windows peering over the Royal Park. Each two flooring are the imaginative and prescient of a special designer, together with Pierre Yves Rochon (The Savoy) and Alexandra Champalimaud (Raffles Singapore). My husband, son, and I stayed within the André Fu-designed Hyde Park Balcony Suite, and we fortunately made ourselves at house: My 1-year-old son giggled as he shuffled from the large closet to the sprawling, spa-like lavatory throughout a rousing spherical of hide-and-seek, my husband helped himself to the complimentary in-suite snacks, I flipped by way of a espresso desk ebook whereas lounging on the curved, cream-colored couch, and the three of us collectively loved a beautiful breakfast unfold within the eating room each morning.

Different unique facilities embrace a rooftop bar with all of London on show; a non-public cigar bar with moody lighting; complimentary airport transfers by way of black automotive or helicopter (the latter for these arriving by personal jet to close by airfields); and Surrenne, a four-floor members’ membership with a spa. A lot of the property feels hush-hush, however Jean-George Vongerichten’s ground-floor ABC Kitchens restaurant—the chef’s first U.Okay. outpost—is delightfully buzzing with chatter from each locals and visitors sharing colourful, plant-forward plates (rainbow beet carpaccio, roasted cauliflower dusted with crimson zhug) that properly complement the brilliant Damien Hirst paintings splashed all around the partitions. Accessible lodge. Doubles from $2,043. —Alisha Prakash

Eriro, Tyrol, Austria

Bärig, a dialectical German phrase hardly ever used past western Austria, means “great.” It’s the right description for Eriro, an expensive nine-room lodge perched on a meadow in Austria’s Tyrolean Alps. Its environment are wonderful, with mountains throughout; to the north is the Zugspitze, the best peak in Germany, which straddles the border with Austria. Owned by three native households, Eriro goals to guard the delicate Alpine ecosystem; No new development is permitted in these meadows, so the lodge is technically a re-building, on the positioning of a derelict outdated inn painstakingly dismantled in order that the outdated wooden could possibly be reclaimed and utilized in Eriro’s ceiling paneling.

Although the lodge’s exterior is basic Alpine chalet, the inside is strikingly fashionable, with hand-hewn wooden fixtures and large image home windows. Practically all the pieces the kitchen serves, besides the espresso and a few wine, comes from inside a 50-mile radius; Since there’s no citrus, as an example, foraged berries present acidity, and the juice on the breakfast desk is apple and quince. Within the craft room, a neighborhood artisan affords wood-carving classes. Even the spa’s therapeutic massage oil is house-made, with herbs gathered from the close by woods. The nice and cozy welcome and comfortable vibes of Eriro are maybe greatest embodied by the thick socks hand-knit from native wool which might be given to each visitor on arrival. Doubles from $1,696, together with all meals. —Jeff Chu

Few & Far Luvhondo, South Africa

A carbon-neutral lodge carved into South Africa’s distant Soutpansberg mountain vary, Few & Far Luvhondo is near the nation’s border with Zimbabwe. The lodge, by the founders of the U.S. glamping empire Underneath Canvas, has simply six suites—all solar-powered and embellished with native artwork—plus a spa and a farm that grows produce used at Luvhondo’s restaurant (together with its glorious arugula pesto). The resort’s showstopper is a solar-powered cable automotive—with an onboard bar. The sport drives are additionally spectacular; my favourite second was stalking leopards and figuring out their elusive tracks within the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve. Doubles from $1,800 per particular person, all-inclusive.​ —Carrie Honaker

4 Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol, Mexico

After I arrived in Los Cabos, six months pregnant with my second baby and away from my toddler for the primary time, I desperately wanted a break. The considerate, extra-attentive employees put me comfortable instantly; By no means was I in want of water, a contemporary towel, or a sunscreen refill. This have to be how my toddler feels day-after-day, I believed, as I sat in my personal cabana on the adults-only infinity pool, staring into the cerulean water simply past. The 96-room Four Seasons Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol occupies a first-rate piece of actual property alongside the Baja California coast, recognized for its stunning, rugged seashores and energetic marine life. I visited simply weeks shy of the humpback whale migration season, a lot to my dismay. However due to the guides on the beachside 360° Baja Journey Middle, who fitted me with flippers and helped me waddle into the waves, I used to be in a position to spot colleges of tropical fish whereas snorkeling proper off the seashore. The suite I shared with my husband had a wraparound balcony with a non-public plunge pool, the place I spent every morning, ingesting my espresso and watching the solar rise over the Sea of Cortez, and the place, on the final night time, I noticed a huge humpback whale leap from the water. Accessible lodge. Doubles from $1,500. —Erin Agostinelli

Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing

Brochure phrases comparable to “genuine experiences” and “residing like a neighborhood” have change into clichés, with each city lodge claiming to immerse its visitors within the surrounding neighborhood. Few, nonetheless, ship on that promise fairly as actually as the brand new Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing, the model’s second outpost within the Chinese language capital. Scattered round a conventional hutong neighborhood on the perimeter of central Beijing’s Forbidden Metropolis, the lodge’s 42 courtyard suites alternate with native properties alongside the hutong‘s stone-paved alleys. Right here, your neighbors aren’t different lodge visitors, however actual Beijingers going about their every day lives.

The suites take over meticulously renovated courtyard homes and mix heritage with excessive design: below their century-old wood ceiling beams, they characteristic marble-clad loos, plush residing rooms furnished with up to date Chinese language artwork, and beds framed in attractive headboards from brass and silk embroidery. The communal areas are equally woven all through the district. The foyer, set in a gingerbread-trimmed siheyuan courtyard constructing on the hutong‘s perimeter, doubles as a day tea lounge, and connects to a village-like wellness heart with a Chinese language tea home, spa, and courtyard for qi yuan gong baths. One alley over, Yan Backyard by chef Fei offers in high-quality Cantonese and Chaozhou specialities comparable to butter-smooth pork char siu and deep-fried fish maw. The lodge’s perch connects visitors to Beijing’s courtyard tradition, weaving amid native dumpling joints and ni hao-nodding centenarians. This is not only a contemporary addition to the town’s already star-studded lodge lineup, however a daring experiment that radically redefines what a lodge might be. Doubles from $1,777. —Chris Schalkx 

Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

I spent my first night at Nekajui—the Ritz-Carlton Reserve’s latest lodge, on Costa Rica’s Peninsula Papagayo—midway down a cliff at a tented tree home bar. The sundown had turned the entire sky a darkish pink, the identical coloration as my cocktail, a Negroni sbagliato made with hibiscus and mango leaf focus. These views are par for the course on the 107-room cliffside resort. The following day, I loaded my eight-month-old son into the glass elevator, which takes visitors all the way down to Niri Seashore Membership, narrating the view to him as we descended; We might see azure water lapping towards a half moon–formed cove. On the seashore membership, we grabbed a wicker sofa overlooking the water, the place we slurped eagerly from child coconuts and shared tapas (mashed Spanish tortilla for him, wood-fired prawns and pan con tomate for me). There’s a bevy of excursions on Peninsula Papagayo that visitors can ebook at Nekajui’s Explorers Membership—zip lining, mountain climbing, snorkeling, and ATV off-roading included. However we caught most of our thrills on the resort, navigating the suspension bridge that connects fine-dining Peruvian restaurant Puna to extra out-of-the-way suites, lazing in a poolside cabana, visiting the spa to strive all of the jets in Central America’s largest hydrotherapy pool, and strolling all the way down to the seashore to really feel the nice and cozy water on our toes. Doubles from $2,390. —Maya Kachroo-Levine

Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Saudi Arabia

On a distant archipelago off Saudi Arabia’s Crimson Beach, the primary Ritz-Carlton Reserve within the Center East fulfils each desert island fantasy: Nujuma’s pearl-white sands might have been scooped from the Seychelles, and its calm, turquoise shallows stolen from Zanzibar, Mauritius, or the Andaman isles. However don’t be fooled: it’s all pure and all Saudi Arabian. From Neyrah Spa’s moringa oil used for massages to Tabrah restaurant’s contemporary sea bream (served nonetheless scorching from the coals), Nujuma champions Saudi-sourced substances. The resort opened in Could 2024, simply a few months after the region first opened to tourism. Earlier than that, the islands—reached by a 30-minute speedboat experience from the mainland—had been frequented solely by fishermen.

As a first-time customer to Saudi, I used to be captivated by Nujuma’s insights into the nation’s tradition. Its in-house specialists provide cultural perception by way of casual Q&As, whereas tours embrace diving on the Crimson Sea’s pristine reef, planting mangroves, and stargazing with a neighborhood astrophysicist. Underneath a velvet-black sky, I used to be spellbound by Habib Bafeil’s tales of how historic seafarers used the celebs to navigate—and I returned to my villa to discover a telescope arrange beside my personal pool. With solely the ocean breeze for firm, I explored the complete moon’s craters in breathtaking element. The resort’s 63 villas, designed by Foster + Partners, are spacious, shell-inspired domes, one among which is tailored for wheelchairs (and the complete resort is step-free). They’re scattered throughout the seashore and overwater promenade, laden with luxuries, like butler service, Diptyque toiletries, and sea views from mattress. Accessible lodge. Doubles from $2,133. —Hazel Plush

Ovo Patagonia, Argentina

The journey to this assortment of 4 egg-shaped capsules suspended 885 toes up a cliff is an journey in itself. After arriving at El Chaltén, a city on the north entrance of Argentina’s Los Glaciares Nationwide Park, I transferred to Estancia Bonanza, the place a 4 x 4 took me to the reception home of Ovo Patagonia. From there, a information accompanied me on a brief hike to the bottom camp to calm down awhile earlier than setting out on a by way of ferrata climbing path as much as my sleeping pod. Every has three ranges: an entryway with a lounge and toilet; an upper-level bed room; and a decrease portion with a glass backside that reveals the earth beneath. It’s an exciting place to spend an evening. A staffer delivers everybody a dinner of beef tenderloin or trout; after that, all that’s left to do is take in the panoramic views of landmarks like Mount Fitz Roy, a legendary 11,000-foot peak—and watch the celebs come out. Doubles from $1,600. —Cristóbal Palma

Peter Island Resort, British Virgin Islands

Days are sluggish and sun-baked at Peter Island Resort, which was broken in Hurricane Irma in 2017 and has now been restored. A lot of the 52 rooms are on Deadman’s Seashore, with sliding glass doorways that open proper onto the sand. Mine had its personal kitchen, however I beloved consuming within the lodge’s two eating places: the Drake, a basic steak home, and the extra informal, open-air Drunken Pelican, which serves jerk rooster wings, roti filled with curried rooster, and a potent Painkiller, the BVI’s famed rum drink. The resort has 5 seashores; my favourite was White Bay, a powdery stretch I had all to myself for a blissful afternoon of snorkeling and sunbathing. The concierge can manage excursions to close by islands like Virgin Gorda, however I stayed put, mountain climbing the Sundown Loop path across the island and soaking in my personal scorching tub. Doubles from $1,000. —Sophie Dodd

The Ranch Hudson Valley, New York

Malibu, California’s The Ranch—the famend luxurious well being and wellness retreat from husband-and-wife duo Sue and Alex Glasscock—has grown a cult-following over the past decade. Who can say if it’s the every day therapeutic massage, the scenic hikes, or the natural plant-based meals, however one thing in regards to the restorative program affords a welcome respite from actuality. In April 2024, the model opened its very first East Coast location in Sloatsburg, New York, just a bit over an hour’s drive from Manhattan. The Hudson Valley providing is about inside a newly renovated, historic 40,000-square-foot property initially in-built 1902. After I arrived on a sunny day in early June, I seen detailed trimmings alongside the excessive ceilings, a light-filled grand staircase, and marble-tiled flooring. New York design agency SR Gambrel curated a palette of nature-inspired colours for the 25 rooms and customary areas, just like the residing and recreation rooms, the Nancy Meyers-esque eating room, and my favourite spot, the health club that was as soon as a ballroom. There’s additionally an outside pool, sprawled in full view of Sheppard Pond, which is open within the hotter months. Whereas the setting definitely made me really feel like royalty, it’s the signature Ranch programming, obtainable for three-night, four-day stays at minimal, that takes the expertise to the subsequent stage. Every day at this opulent sleepaway camp for adults goes slightly one thing like this: 5:30 a.m. wakeup, morning stretch, group breakfast; 7:30 a.m. hike within the Hudson Valley on a close-by path prescouted by our mountain climbing guides. Following both a two- or four-hour hike, visitors return to a whiteboard schedule the place they will select which yoga or exercise class they need to join, and discover their every day therapeutic massage time. After my every day therapeutic massage, I might usually select to unwind within the 5,000 square-foot solarium that includes an indoor heated pool, cold and warm plunges, and an infrared sauna. Accessible lodge. Doubles from $2,955 per particular person for a minimal three-night keep. —Jess Feldman

Soneva Secret, Maldives

When it opened within the distant Makunudhoo Atoll, the hotly anticipated Soneva Secret grew to become the fourth Soneva resort throughout the Maldives and Thailand. With simply 14 palatial seashore and overwater villas (its first-of-its-kind floating villa continues to be below development), every lodging has a health club, spa room, one or two bedrooms, a kitchen, and limitless locations to bask within the Maldivian breeze. I’ve been to 40 resorts within the Maldives, however I’ve by no means seen a program like Soneva Secret’s personal chef idea, the place visitors select a delicacies, and a chef with deep ties to its meals involves your villa and cooks a multi-course meal. Throughout my keep, I requested Chinese language, Italian, and Japanese, digging into contemporary Maldivian sashimi for lunch and al dente prawn pasta for dinner. Soneva Secret additionally has three eating places, together with an overwater spot referred to as Out Of This World, the place adventurous visitors arrive for a multi-course European fusion feast by way of the nation’s longest zipline, and The Dwelling Room restaurant, with Soneva’s beloved ice cream and chocolate room reverse its decadent charcuterie and cheese room. Nonetheless, I took most of my meals in my villa, the place sustainably sourced gentle timber interiors, reclaimed metallic finishes, and petrified wooden counters embellished my thatched-roof escape. I made good use of the principle bed room’s retractable roof and fell asleep below the celebs. Doubles from $5,800. —Katie Lockhart

The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, Florida

Set on 18 acres overlooking the sun-kissed shores of Sarasota’s longest barrier island, St. Regis Longboat Key Resort is a 168-room vacation spot in its personal proper. There’s a welcoming buzz all around the property—most notably within the foyer, the place visitors are greeted by every day dwell leisure and a full-service bar. One other fashionable hangout spot is the principle pool space with an adjoining Polynesian-themed bar and a lazy river related to a grotto with a scorching tub. Friends soaking within the grotto’s scorching tub can press a button and get a glass of Champagne delivered. The resort’s 26 oceanfront suites, ranging in measurement from one to 4 bedrooms, are glossy and fashionable with totally furnished residing rooms and balconies with stunning views of the solar setting over the Gulf of Mexico. There are seven eating places, however I particularly beloved eating at CW Prime, a high-end steakhouse with an unique speakeasy lounge, and at rooftop Oshen, serving seafood with Japanese- and Peruvian-inspired flavors. Different on-site facilities embrace a 500,000-gallon saltwater lagoon the place visitors can snorkel amongst tropical fish and feed stingrays, in addition to a 20,000-foot spa full with hydrotherapy circuits and an infinity pool. Accessible lodge. Doubles from $3,000. —Annie Archer

Voaara Madagascar

On the 90-minute drive from the airstrip on Sainte-Marie, a low-key island off the northeast coast of Madagascar, to Voaara resort, the hum of village life gave option to an empty, palm-fringed coast and ultimately an indication that learn, “Final Cease Earlier than Paradise.” Unfold over 100 acres of jungle, with a pearly-white beachfront, Voaara’s secluded setting appears like a utopian personal island. The opening marks proprietor Philippe Kjellgren’s (the founding father of the Kiwi Assortment) foray into a brand new model of barefoot luxurious, designed for visitors who wish to go to sleep to the sound of lapping waves, dine with their toes within the sand, and rinse off from the ocean in a jungle-shrouded out of doors bathe. “It’s not for everybody,” Kjellgren admitted. However it was definitely for me. Seven bungalows and a three-bedroom villa are steps from the sand, and all characteristic driftwood beams collected from close by seashores, funky raffia lighting, and outsized panorama prints from Madagascan photographer Pierrot Males. Friends can snorkel the colourful home reefs, whale watch with the resident marine biologist, and study to wing foil with professional surfer Willow Hardy. Kjellgren drew on his favourite touches from some 2,000 motels he’s visited to tell the property’s whimsical experiences, like a sushi dinner adopted by stargazing within the Hen’s Nest, a wood-clad tower topped with an observatory. (Future Voaara areas are additionally deliberate for the Caribbean and Rwanda.) I’d say, paradise discovered. Doubles from $1,300. —Jen Murphy

Wilderness Bisate Reserve, Rwanda

The principle lodge at Wilderness Bisate Reserve, positioned exterior of Rwanda’s Volcanoes Nationwide Park, is a near-perfect reproduction of a royal Rwandan residence, with a towering thatched roof, a crackling fire, and an emerald bar. All that is earlier than you even get to your personal palatially appointed quarters. The reserve has simply 4 en-suite villas, accommodating a most of eight individuals; every features a lounge space, totally stocked kitchen, and bar. Within the bed room, visitors will discover a roaring fire, a soaking tub, and a rainfall bathe, together with a wood-burning scorching tub with a view of the verdant hillside on the terrace. An unforgettable gorilla trek is sort of definitely on the agenda, however visitors may tack on a hike to see the golden monkeys swing between the bushes and participate in various on-site sustainability actions, together with planting a tree to assist in its effort to reforest the encompassing land. Doubles from $3,200 per particular person, all-inclusive. —Stacey Leasca