ITC Grand Bharat, Gurgaon
USP: The sun is all set to rise over the spires and domes of the medieval Indian fort complex that will call itself India’s first all-suite one-of-a-kind destination luxury resort. The resort is designed in the form of a mandala, or a circle, representing completeness. The villas and suites are surrounded by the 27-hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course and Kaya Kalp -The Royal Spa, offering ancient Indian treatments.
Sunrise Kempinski, Beijing
USP: All set to open in mid-November, the hotel designed to look like the rising sun has is 97-metre high and has 21 floors filled with 306 rooms and suites. The top portion of the building mirrors the colour of the sky, the middle reflects the Yanshan Mountain nearby and the bottom looks like the lake. At night, the sections fuse together in LED glow.
Keemala, Phuket
USP: A collection of 38 distinctly designed pool villas in Phuket will open its doors to the guests in August. It is close enough to the calmness of the village and also to the liveliness of Patong. The cluster of cloves around backlit water bodies in the silence of a rainforest is what you get here.
Raffles Hotel, Istanbul
USP: A specially commissioned eight-metre-high mural by Jean-François Rauzier is placed in the lounge that is named Lavinia after Martin Dawe’s dramatic monumental bronze sculpture placed in the centre. There’s an onyx vestibule with a gold mosaic floor and a crystal chandelier overhead.
AMILLA FUSHI, Baa Atoll
USP: The largest tropical vegetation of this resort island ensures complete privacy and silence. There’s a Lagoon House, a Tree House, a Beach House, a Family Beach House, an Ocean Lagoon House, and an Ocean Reef House. The Beach Residence can accommodate up to 14 adults.
Baha Mar, Nassau
USP: The Baha Mar will feature 2,200 rooms across four hotels: Baha Mar Casino & Hotel, Rosewood at Baha Mar, Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar and SLS LUX at Baha Mar. It will feature the Caribbean’s largest (100,000 sq ft) casino.
Baccarat, New York
USP: Can’t get enough of crystal? The Baccarat will take care of that. Besides using classic and reinvented pieces from its crystal collection throughout the interior spaces, the entire outside of the hotel is encased in a prism glass façade.
El blok, Vieques
USP: Chef José Enrique, whose epynomously named restaurant in San Juan has become the city’s hub of food and nightlife, is in charge of El Blok’s open kitchen. Situated on the eastern tip of Puerto Rico, the hotel will have 22 rooms.
Suiran, Kyoto
USP: Scheduled to open in March 2015, Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kyoto is being developed as a ryokan-style accommodation, which means a small Japanese inn.
Jw Marriott, Venice
USP: Set on its own private island in the Venetian lagoon, just 15 minutes by boat from St. Mark’s Square, the world-class urban resort sprawls over 16 acres. It is home to Venice’s largest spa, as well as indoor, outdoor and rooftop swimming pools with fabulous views of the city.
Maison Souquet, Paris
USP: The bawdy, wanton legend of the City of Light was forged in the area around the Place Pigalle, a legend of which the Maison Souquet now forms part. Jacques Garcia has applied his talent to recreate the ostentatious luxury of these establishments with their own architectural mores. A temple to hedonism, the Maison Souquet is home to just 20 rooms, including six suites with uniquely charming interiors.