1. W Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland
The recently opened W Edinburgh sits at the heart of the St. James Quarter, a newly revitalised neighbourhood in the city centre. Interior designers Jestico + Whiles have reimagined the best of Scotland with locally-rooted influences and creative collaborations. The hotel comprises three buildings positioned around St. James Square: the Ribbon Building, James Craig Walk, and the Quarter House, with 199 rooms and 45 suites, many with outdoor terraces. Interiors draw influence from the elements of the coastal city built on volcanic rock, with fire and water providing inspiration throughout.
The Extreme Wow Suite offers a social living area with a spacious dining room and unique rock bar inspired by the city’s volcanic beginnings. The hotel brings a playful twist to Scottish culinary culture, including Scotland’s first SUSHISAMBA restaurant alongside a buzzing iteration of the W Lounge, and a Brazilian-inspired speakeasy named João’s Place. Highlights include a striking rooftop deck offering never-seen-before 360° views, as well as the W Hotels brand’s signature Sound Suite recording studio, a first for the UK and the second in Europe, empowering musicians, podcasters, DJs, and artists to create and record inspired by Edinburgh’s diverse influences.
2. Four Seasons Hotel Rabat
at Kasr Al Bahr
Rabat, Morocco
Ushering in a new chapter in the storied history of a landmark location in the heart of Morocco’s ‘City of Lights’, the new Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr is now open. Once a Sultan’s summer residence and later a military hospital, the historic Kasr Al Bahr is now a Four Seasons property. Spread across 12 acres of gardens, the restored property includes six heritage and five new buildings. 200 guestrooms and suites, most with balconies or terraces offer ocean or garden views.
The most lavish is Sultan’s Riad, spread over two floors and set within a restored 18th-century heritage building with a private infinity-style pool. Dining experiences include Brasserie Marie for classic French cuisine, Verdello for Mediterranean fare, and the more casual outdoor Flamme for pizzas. Noora Lobby Lounge offers an afternoon tea service, while The Cigar Bar, hidden within the palace’s oldest building, offers fine cigars, rare cognacs, and whiskeys. The hotel’s spa complex features an indoor saltwater pool, a traditional Moroccan hammam, private treatment rooms, a salon and a 24-hour fitness center with an outdoor terrace for yoga classes.
3. The Singapore EDITION
Singapore
Marking the brand’s first property in Southeast Asia, The Singapore EDITION has opened off the west end of Singapore’s upper Orchard Road. Masterminded and conceived by Ian Schrager, in collaboration with interior design firm Cap Atelier, at the core of the 204-room hotel is seamless access to nature with sweeping vistas and greenery integrated throughout, including a skypark and lushly planted, sunken garden that offers a tranquil escape from Singapore’s bustling Orchard Road shopping district. Unfolding over six floors all the guestrooms feature warm white rugs, cladding and customised white oak-planked floors while decorative pots of orchids and thick drapes frame the broad bay windows.
The rooms also feature deep-seated sofas, and hand-sewn damask throws that swathe the beds. The rooftop terrace features a pool with a transparent acrylic oculus that provides views into the garden courtyard below. The spa houses seven treatment rooms, changing suites with sunken vitality thermal pools, an ice fountain, relaxation lounge, sauna, steam room and a gym. A sustainable seafood-focused steakhouse menu can be enjoyed at Fysh at Edition by Australian restaurateur Josh Nilands. Guests can indulge in drinks at a variety of bars from the lobby bar to EDITION’s signature Punch Room and the semi al fresco The Roof.
4. Angama Amboseli
Kimana Sanctuary, Kenya
Paying homage to the Kimana Sanctuary’s Super Tusker elephants, the Angama Amboseli is now open in Kenya’s first community-owned conservancy. The luxury safari lodge which continues the ‘slow safari’ concept of its sister property, Angama Mara, is inspired by the area’s elephants even using their dung in the construction. 10 guest suites feature a personalised drinks armoire, butler’s lobby, writing desk, and a dressing area connecting the bedroom to the bathroom. The floor-to-ceiling screened doors lead to a private patio with a lounge area featuring a set of outdoor rocking chairs, and an outdoor shower. Guests can enjoy flexible indoor-outdoor dining in the central area complete with a baraza for evening gatherings around the fire.
The nearby Studios house a safari shop, games room, art gallery, weaving studio, and a photo studio for capturing Amboseli’s scenes. The infinity pool offers the best views from the ground, and the new Mnara offers 360-degree views of elephants and other wildlife in the nearby marsh. Guests can venture out on game drives, embark on excursions into the Amboseli National Park and enjoy picnic lunches at private locations. The lodge partners with the Big Life Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to conserving the Greater Amboseli ecosystem.