Heading to Europe? These Asian hospitality brands are amping up the glamour on the other side of the globe. Here's our pick of the hottest new European hotels to open this year.
Athens
Rooftop dining as the sun sets over the Aegean.
Dusit, one of Thailand’s leading hotel groups, opened its first Dusit-branded property in Europe earlier this summer.
Dusit Suites Athens is located in Glyfada, a picturesque suburb on the Athens Riviera; think sandy shores, trendy bars, cool cafes and plenty of shopping and dining. And all just 20 minutes from Athens airport.
The suites have been designed for both short and long stays with high-end fixtures and fittings, private balconies, king-size bedrooms and living rooms or kitchenettes with seating areas. Comfy sofa beds have also been included for children.
Chi-chi facilities include a rooftop Mediterranean restaurant with sweeping ocean views, a pan-Asian restaurant, a heated pool with sauna and steam room and a spa with eight treatment rooms. All guests receive a complimentary massage with their stay.
Trips to nearby attractions such as Piraeus Port, Glyfada Golf Course, Lake Vouliagmeni and the Acropolis Museum can be arranged through Dusit’s concierges.
Pelopennese
Serene views over Navarino Bay.
Still in Greece, Hong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental Group is set to make its debut in the country this summer with Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino.
This family-friendly luxury retreat is located in the southwest Peloponnese region. Ninety-nine suites and earth-sheltered villas with private pools cascade down a landscaped hillside to a beach in Navarino Bay below.
There’s lots to keep guests busy. Amenities include a kids' club, a pool by the beach, water sports at the beach club including sailing, diving, snorkeling surfing, kite surfing and paddle boarding, a spa with a 25m indoor/outdoor pool, and the surrounding area boasts The Bay Course, an award-winning 18-hole golf course.
Chefs at the property’s five dining spaces source local ingredients from Messenia while the spa embraces an ‘east-meets-west’ vibe blending Asian rituals with Greek flora.
Reservations for Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino open on August 15.
Amalfi Coast
Monastery with a view.
Anantara Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi opened this spring on Italy’s famed Amalfi coast. It’s situated in a lavishly restored 13th century clifftop monastery.
The 52 rooms and suites have been renovated to preserve original elements and take their design cue from the simple lives of the original monastery inhabitants. Materials have been sourced from nature and blended with signature Anantara luxury. Suites come with terraces and plunge pools.
Children are welcomed at the property, with family-size accommodation and baby-sitting services available.
The property features a convento kitchen concept with menus featuring plenty of fresh seasonal ingredients grown in the convent garden. There’s also an al fresco pizzeria helmed by pizza master, Gino Sorbillo.
The property offers a range of experiences based around local culture, nature and gastronomy led by local gurus including one of the only remaining Franciscan Friars in the region. The clifftop hotel is strolling distance from the centre of town, but if you're hankering for a beach, the property also offers boat transfers to nearby Lido degli Artisti beach club.
Rome
Spa-time at Six Senses Rome.
Enrich your stay in one of Europe's finest capital cities at Six Senses Rome. Bangkok-headquartered Six Senses opened their first urban hotel in Italy in Rome's historic Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini earlier this spring.
The property is located in the centre of the city but offers secluded rooms away from the action, as well as suites facing the bustling Via del Corso. Parts of the hotel building date back to the fourth century and the interior design of the hotel stays faithful to the property's origins, such as the inclusion of Triclinium-style marble seating on guest room terraces and the preservation of historic stonework. This nod to the past is melded with state-of-the-art in-room fixtures and fittings, as well as the brand's Sleep With SixSenses bespoke organic mattresses, cotton bedding and pillows.
Dining options include a Roman Empire-inspired five-course tasting menu, as well as plant-based dishes and sweet plates with Sicilian touches.
Stay highlights at Six Senses Rome include interactive talks and workshops for guests to find out more about the hotel’s sustainability efforts. After a day site-seeing, take the weight off your feet with a 60-minute body balancing Roman bathing circuit at Six Senses Spa.
London
Making a splash in London.
The hotly-anticipated new Raffles property in London is now slated for an autumn opening. It’s located in London’s historic Old War Office in Whitehall and has been thus named Raffles London at the OWO.
The historic building has undergone seven years of renovation. Hundreds of specialists were brought on board for the meticulous restoration of period features including hand-laid mosaic floors, oak panelling, chandeliers and a grand marble staircase.
Key suites across the property will be situated in the building’s most storied rooms, including the former offices of Sir Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George and John Profumo. For families, cots and rollaway beds are available, as well as baby-sitting and child care services.
The property boasts an impressive nine dining spaces and the first Guerlain-branded spa in London covering four floors and comprising nine treatment rooms, a barber and salon, a members’ health club and a separate VIP area.
Reservations for Raffles London at the OWO open on October 9.
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