Now that we're knee deep in summer and have thawed out from a frigid winter, there's no better way to indulge than with a stay at a new hotel. From Manhattan to Maui, luxury hotels and resorts are popping up. Whether you're an art lover, design maven, outdoor adventurer or simply enjoy soaking up the sun with your toes in the sand, there's a room waiting for you. Our Forbes Travel Guide editors have been eyeing a few spots that welcome their first guests this summer.
Guest room at The Quin
(photo courtesy The Quin)
The Quin, New York
Opening date: September 15
After plenty of anticipation, the former Buckingham Hotel at the corner of 57th Street and Sixth Avenue will finally be reborn as The Quin. The new luxury hotel has taken great strides to blend the famous 1929 hotel's legacy as a haven for artists (painter Georgia O'Keeffe and pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski once called The Buckingham home) into a modern, yet comfortable place where today's creative minds can gather.
Located in Midtown Manhattan's museum district, The Quin will be an artistic masterpiece to behold, with leather-wrapped columns, 25-foot windows and hand-blown glass chandeliers in the lobby, Italian white marble flooring near the elevators and lacquered wood detailing in each of the hotel's 205 guest rooms. The hotel will also house 27 suites with larger bathrooms, soaking tubs and open showers. Make the most of your visit by booking either the O'Keeffe or Paderewski Specialty Suites, or the triplex penthouse suite with a 1,200-square-foot private terrace overlooking Central Park. To round out the guest experience, the hotel will feature a 200-seat restaurant, full-service fitness center with trainers, business center and "Quintessential Assistants" who will attend to guests' every need.
The Langham, Chicago
Opening date: July 10
Comfort, history and elegance will come together at the Chicago's IBM building, a Mies van der Rohe-designed tower, when it opens as The Langham, Chicago. The hotel will occupy floors two through 13 (out of 52), with 316 spacious guest rooms-the average size is 516 square feet-including 48 suites, with many rooms offering views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. The Infinity Suite and The Regent Suite will be much larger, at 2,670 square feet each.
Guest room at The Langham, Chicago
(photo courtesy Langham Hotels International Limited)
The hotel's design will showcase nods to Mid-Century sensibilities that reference the building's original use as an office building. The ground floor lobby was designed by Dirk Lohan, Mies van der Rohe's grandson; he chose to commission several pieces of custom furniture, based on his grandfather's designs. The clean lines and minimalist sophistication continue into the hotel's restaurant Travelle, a 1960s-inspired space designed by David Rockwell of the Rockwell Group (his credits include Nobu, the JetBlue terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Tony-nominated Broadway sets, including Kinky Boots and Hairspray). Chef Tim Graham (formerly of Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant, Tru) will oversee the execution of the restaurant's Mediterranean menu. When you visit, reserve the eight-seat Chef's Table for a bird's-eye view of the action inside the glass expo kitchen.
Be sure to sample the afternoon tea at the Pavilion-a Langham tradition that goes back to 1865 when The Langham, London became the first grand hotel to serve tea daily-and book a traditional Chinese medicine-inspired service, such as the Heavenly Jing Luo foot treatment at the 22,000-square-foot Chuan Spa.
Salamander Resort & Spa, Middleburg, Va.
Opening date: August 29
At the end of August, luxury goes back to its rural roots in Middleburg, Va. (about an hour from Washington, D.C.). In fact, the entire guest experience at Salamander Resort & Spa-from its sustainable energy practices, spacious spa treatment rooms, outdoor dining terrace, hiking and biking trails, fishing pond and 22-stall horse barn (yes, you can bring your horse)-will encourage guests to fall in love with the picturesque backdrop created by the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Guest room at Salamander Resort & Spa
(photo courtesy VFM Leonardo Inc)
All 168 guest rooms will combine rustic charm and luxury touches, with flat-screen televisions in all bedrooms and bathrooms, marble showers with body jets and private balconies. Half of the guest rooms include a gas fireplace, an amenity that comes standard in each of the resort's 17 suites. After a day of horseback riding, tennis or hiking, unwind at the 23,000-square-foot Salamander Spa before heading to the signature restaurant for dinner. Chef Todd Gray (owner and executive chef of Equinox restaurant) has created a menu of Virginia Piedmont classics in Harrimans, an equestrian-inspired steakhouse. Other dining options will include Gold Cup Wine Bar, serving small plates throughout the day; Market Salamander, a one-stop shop for gourmet picnic baskets; afternoon tea and evening cocktails in The Living Room with live piano music; and 24-hour in-room dining.
Andaz Maui at Wailea
Opening date: September 15
Say "Aloha!" to Andaz Maui at Wailea, the first resort venture by Hyatt's popular Andaz brand (which already has a handful of hotels in the United States in Napa, Savannah, San Diego and West Hollywood, plus two locations in New York City). Respect for Hawaii's abundant natural resources is evident around every corner at this 15-acre beachfront beauty, which was designed by The Rockwell Group to reduce energy and water consumption, minimize waste and limit harmful emissions.
Andaz Maui
(photo courtesy Hyatt Corporation)
You'll rest easy in any of the resort's 297 guest rooms, including seven villas inspired by the fashion, art and music of Hawaii. If the lapping waves just outside your window or an afternoon by the resort's cascading infinity pools aren't enough to keep you serene, the spa will offer soothing treatments and customizable products blended by an on-site herbalist in the Apothecary Lounge.
Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto has joined the Andaz Maui at Wailea team to create the resort's signature restaurant, Morimoto Maui, which will open in mid-fall, and will infuse Japanese culinary techniques with locally sourced ingredients. A second restaurant, Ka'ana Kitchen ("to share" in Hawaiian) will deliver farm-to-table small plates and family-style dishes inspired by the resort's surroundings. Other dining options include two poolside venues and a 24-hour retail market selling popular Hawaiian food (including housemade gelato) and beverages such as various handcrafted soft drinks and top-notch wines from the mainland.
Source: Forbes
