Looking Forward: 2016’s Rising Stars

Some soon-to-open brand-new or refurbished hotels around the world are inspiring our travel plans for the coming year. Here are the ones we’re most excited about. Book through Indagare to receive special amenities and treatment.

Ritz Paris The grand doors at 15 place Vendôme will reopen in March 2016 after three years of renovations and nearly 120 years after it first opened, in 1898. Glitz and grandeur will still define the iconic property, which will have 71 rooms and 71 suites, a Chanel spa, the École Ritz Escoffier cooking school and all the sophistication and status of the original. The property has begun taking reservations and is quickly booking up. Book with Indagare to receive special amenities including an upgrade upon booking, round-trip limousine transfers to and from the airport, flexible check-in and check-out times, complimentary WiFi and a signature Ritz Paris breakfast.

Amanemu, Japan The stunning Amanemu — Aman’s latest luxury property and its second in Japan (first was Aman Tokyo) —is set to open in March 2016. Located on a dramatic coastline in Ise Shima National Park, it will have 28 guest rooms, each with its own onsen (mineral hot spring) and decorated in traditional ryokan style.

Six Senses Zil Pasyon Seychelles The romantic Six Senses Zil Payson is primed to be a hot honeymoon destination upon opening in June 2016. Located outside the cyclone belt on one of the Seychelles’ 115 islands, it offers soft white-sand beaches and perfect weather year-round, making it the ideal spot to unwind after safari. sixsenses.com

The Silo, Cape Town When it opens in late 2016, the Silo will undoubtedly be Cape Town’s most luxurious hotel, with first-rate service and über-stylish interiors, courtesy of owner and design maven Liz Biden. Occupying the top six floors of the soon-to-be-completed Zeits Museum of Contemporary Art, on the V&A Waterfront, the 28-room property will have a rooftop swimming pool and a spectacular penthouse.

Tri Lanka, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka’s first sustainable property, Tri Lanka opened in December 2015 on a peninsula jutting out onto Lake Kogalla, ten minutes from historic Galle. The 10-room hideaway (whose spiral design was inspired by the Fibonacci sequence) offers guests a 60-foot-long cantilevered pool, a yoga shala with views of the lush surroundings and a beach club just a short ride away.

Il Sereno Lago di Como, Lake Como When the St. Barth’s luxury brand opens its second property on Lake Como in June 2016, the area's gilded grand palace hotels will have a new sleek and sexy competitor. Located just a five-minute drive from Como town, the cutting-edge newcomer will offer 34 modern suites and an infinity pool that capitalizes on the dramatic landscape.

Belmond Grand Hibernian, Ireland Harry Potter fans of all ages can emulate the Hogwarts Express experience when Belmond’s luxury sleeper train, the Grand Hibernian, begins operating in Ireland in August 2016. Running through the countryside, along the coastlines and into major cities, the liner will have 40 stylish cabins, each named for an Irish county and furnished in keeping with the classic Georgian architecture of Dublin. belmond.com

Eleven Experience Deplar Farm, Iceland Already a destination for extreme adventure, Iceland will soon boast a true luxury lodge where guests can spend days on exhilarating excursions and nights in the comfort of high-end resort. Located in a valley in the northwest part of the country, Deplar Farm is surrounded by dramatic mountains—the playground for heli-skiing fanatics—and set near Skagafjörður, a deep inlet bay where anglers can fish for trout salmon and cod.