Try a spot of luxury Antarctica glamping with Echo Sky Pods. Photo / Supplied; White Desert
Try a spot of luxury Antarctica glamping with Echo Sky Pods. Photo / Supplied; White Desert
We could all do with a little luxury to look forward to, and with these five-star hotels all making their debut this year, now's the time to think ahead.
StarDome Peru
Straddling the hillside and enveloped by valleys, this luxury retreat gets to call the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu a neighbour; the city of Cusco too. Access is by a private road, leading to a transparent geodesic dome at the end of the track. Housing five luxurious suites, all with heated marble floors, it's also where guests can find StarDeck™: THE place to lie back and marvel at the Milky Way from a 360-degree panoramic glass ceiling. An additional Royal Apu Suite sits away from the main dome, bringing the grand total of residences to an intimate six. Independently owned and managed by the local indigenous Quechuan community, the staff - from concierge to excursion guides - are all local, with as much restaurant produce sourced from nearby markets as possible. Open now.
StarDome's StarDeck™ is the place for 360-degree panoramic views. Photo / Supplied; StarDome Peru
A hotel that is as adventurous as it is environmentally sensitive as it is absurdly luxurious, a stay at Echo eco-camp will set you back US$65,000 (NZ$98,300) per person. Granted, that does include a five-day Antarctica tour, return flights from Cape Town, food, drink, all activities – and a high chance of spotting Emperor penguins. You'll be one of only 12 guests staying in a cutting-edge sky pod, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows, space-age mod cons and snug heating. Outside, the frigid terrain allows for endless fat biking, skiing, skidooing, 4x4 Arctic Truck driving and ice-climbing. All set to welcome guests November 2022, once the season is over, each composite fibreglass pod is dismantled, leaving no lasting damage on the ice.
Stay in a cutting-edge sky pod, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows and space-age mod cons at Echo Sky Pods. Photo / Supplied; White Desert
Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea
Scheduled for a late 2022 debut, this Saudi Arabia-based sanctuary by Six Senses takes inspiration from a once-busy trading route between Nabatean cities. Surrounded by desert, guests will travel inland from the Red Sea International Airport through arid mountains and dry ravines before arriving at what could be a heat-induced mirage but is in fact a real oasis. It is designed in collaboration with eco-friendly pioneers and British architectural firm, Foster + Partners, as well as The Red Sea Project (regenerative tourism development). Discover 76 guest rooms and villas all mirroring the desert's aesthetics, as well as The Artisan Village with its restaurant, cooking school, juice bar, brew bar and water bar. Six Senses spa will, as always, impress with its pool bar, cabanas and standout features such as a Holistic Anti-Ageing Centre.
Scheduled for a late 2022 debut, Six Senses Southern Dunes takes inspiration from an ancient trading route between Nabatean cities. Photo / Six Senses
Raffles London at The OWO, England
Pull out the fat cigars, old boy, and turn up the wireless, breaking news: London's Old War Office has been bought by Raffles and is being revamped into a stylish, 120-suite hotel. As the former base for Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War II, in London's prestigious Whitehall, The OWO is arguably the city's second snazziest abode after Buckingham Palace. A 19th century, grade II-listed property, you can trust the Raffles group to restore every balustrade and brass knob to their original glory – complete with 11 restaurants, a super-slick spa and a grand ballroom, naturally. Opening late 2022.
London's Old War Office has been bought by Raffles, to be revamped into a stylish, 120-suite hotel. Photo / Getty
COMO Le Montrachet, France
Those who dream of the Burgundy way of life – flinging open French shutters and basking in sun with a coffee - can do so at COMO Le Montrachet, the hotel group's first foray into luxury French accommodation. Encompassing four 18th-century heritage buildings, the ambience is not-so-much "hotel" but hamlet - with just 31 rooms and suites nestled around a sedate village square. The project will open in phases over three years, with stage one set for completion in 2022. Coffee finished, guests will also be privy to some of the finest Grand Cru vineyards in the region and enjoy unparalleled access to world-leading pinot noir and chardonnay.
COMO Le Montrachet in France will encompass four 18th-century heritage buildings. Photo / COMO Hotels and Resorts
Six Senses Rome
Open in time for a balmy Roman autumn, the first Six Senses property to launch in Italy will let you live like an indulged emperor. Occupying a Unesco-listed palazzo in the centre of ancient Rome and protected by the Roman municipality, the building is being sympathetically restored, and, where possible preserved to its original brilliance. Just minutes from the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon, days spent exploring the city (or shopping at luxury boutiques bordering the streets of Via Condotti, Frattina and Borgognona) are followed by evenings at the open-kitchen trattoria and bar, feasting on produce sourced from the courtyard garden and drinking up the panoramic views from a large rooftop terrace. As is customary when you're living the life of a pampered Roman, the spa is your go-to for a lavish Roman bath.
Drink up the panoramic views from a large rooftop terrace at Six Senses Rome. Photo / Six Senses
The Jackson Ranch, NSW
No need to travel to Montana for a secluded cabin retreat - make tracks to Sydney and The Jackson Ranch is just 3.5 hours south of the city. The latest incentive to escape to nature comes from Boutique hotel brand Bannisters, with this 15ha estate in Bawley Point. On New South Wales' lesser-known lower South Coast, the ranch is blanketed in natural forest and home to Lake Willinga. With just five cabins and a saloon bar, you can enjoy an intimately wild stay, boosted with serene lakes views from your room. Active types can stretch the hamstrings on neighbouring mountain trails, or make like the locals and hit the ocean for a swim. Having said that, private decks and pontoon views equally call for a generous drop of wine and a good book: your one-way ticket to contented slumber.
