As the holiday season approaches, looking ahead to next year’s travels can offer a small reprieve, and November’s hotel openings offer inspiration, from ski-in/ski-out luxury in Montana to revitalized historic estates in rural India.
In the forests above Big Sky, One&Only debuts its first property in the United States with Moonlight Basin, a mountainside resort with private cabins, lodge-style suites, and direct access to the slopes. In Dubai, Mandarin Oriental launches its new location inside a skyscraper with Gulf-facing rooms and a dining program strong enough to stand out in the city’s crowded restaurant scene. And in central India, The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace opens a 350-year-old estate fit for royalty near Panna National Park, where tigers have been reintroduced after disappearing from the reserve more than a decade ago.
Elsewhere among this month’s openings, a restored 1960s surf motel offers a trendy boutique stay on Newport Beach’s Balboa Peninsula. In Las Terrenas, in the Dominican Republic a new resort opens on one of the quieter stretches of the Samaná. Santa Fe’s Hotel Glorieta adds a live music venue and trail access as part of its redesign, while a new jungle hacienda opens along Costa Rica’s Tárcoles River beside a rare transition zone between rainforest and dry forest.
These are some of the properties worth keeping in mind as you plan next year’s travels.
Bay Shores Peninsula Hotel
Photo: Bay Shores Peninsula Hotel
- Location: Newport Beach, California
- Why it’s notable: Panoramic rooftop views and a design rooted in Newport’s mid-century era give this 25-room hotel neighborhood character
- Type of traveler who will love this hotel: Family vacationers, the culturally curious
- Price: From $288
Bay Shores Peninsula Hotel revives a 1960s surf motel on Newport Beach’s Balboa Peninsula with 25 rooms, two rooftop decks, a charming street-facing café, and a location just steps from Newport Beach’s harbor and jetty. Each of the 25 rooms features striped wallpaper, gingham upholstery, curved oak furniture, and marble vanities with brass fixtures — details that nod to the area’s mid-century history. The twin rooftop spaces — The Penny and The Pearl — include fire pits and outdoor seating, with lovely views of both the harbor and the ocean. Cruiser bikes and beach gear are available for use, so you won’t need to overpack.
Donoma Las Terrenas Beach Resort & Spa
Photo: Marriott
- Location: Las Terrenas, Samaná Peninsula, Dominican Republic
- Why it’s notable: Oceanfront boutique in one of the DR’s most naturally beautiful beach towns
- Type of traveler who will love this hotel: Family vacationers, wellness wanderers
- Price: From $283
Donoma Las Terrenas Beach Resort & Spa brings 94 rooms and villas to a quieter stretch of Las Terrenas, with open-plan interiors and design elements that reflect the region’s natural palette — from handcrafted artwork to custom wood finishes. The spa offers treatments using cacao, sea salt, and coconut, and a weekly schedule includes restorative yoga and forest walks. SolMarella, the resort’s main restaurant, serves an all-day menu that transitions upstairs in the evening, where the space becomes a steakhouse with open-fire cooking and a curated wine list. Sunset, the beachside restaurant, offers casual seafood dishes and cocktails just steps from the sand, while Splash caters to families with a kid-friendly menu.
Hotel Glorieta
Photo: Hotel Glorieta
- Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Why it’s notable: Hilltop resort with a music venue, cocktail lounge, and BLM trail access
- Type of traveler who will love this hotel: The culturally curious, wellness wanderers
- Price: From $150
Originally built in 1976, Hotel Glorieta has reopened following a full redesign led by French & French Interiors. The 128-room stay sits on six acres above downtown Santa Fe, with BLM trail access and mountain views from nearly every corner. Interiors use saturated color and rich textures to channel Northern New Mexico’s landscape without veering into kitsch. Live shows take place in the Marigold Room, a small music venue, while Lady Duff’s Lounge — named for a Hemingway muse — serves drinks and small plates in a space that’s half cocktail bar, half reading room. Outside, there’s a heated pool, hot tub, and a sauna opening soon.
Kadún Hotel
Photo: Mexico Grand Hotels
- Location: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Why it’s notable: A new boutique hotel near the marina with full access to sister resorts’ beachfront amenities
- Type of traveler who will love this hotel: Family vacationers, wellness wanderers
- Price: From $92
Kadún Hotel opens just steps from El Médano Beach and the Cabo marina, offering a more grounded stay in a part of town better known for big resorts and nightlife. The name comes from the Pericú word for the cardón cactus, and that desert plant is reflected in sculptural lighting, carved woodwork, and a natural palette drawn from the surrounding landscape. Some rooms have kitchenettes and outdoor jacuzzis, while a rooftop pool and lounge overlook the city and marina. The restaurant draws from the peninsula’s markets and seafood docks, and guests also have access to sister resorts nearby, with beach clubs, spas, and oceanfront dining.
Lightwell Hotel & Spa
Photo: Lightwell Hotel and Spa/Shelsi Lindquist
- Location: Hood River, Oregon
- Why it’s notable: A landmark 1904 building reborn with Hood River’s only rooftop bar and a spa built into its original basalt foundation
- Type of traveler who will love this hotel: Adventure enthusiasts, the culturally curious
- Price: From $174
Lightwell brings new life to the 1904 Waucoma Hotel in downtown Hood River, restoring its original entrance, stonework, and namesake lightwell — a four-story atrium first added in 1910. The hotel’s 69 rooms sit above a basalt-walled spa and a ground-floor lounge offering Mediterranean-style small plates and Oregon wine. There’s also a rooftop bar — the only one in town — where guests can take in Columbia River sunsets by the fire. First Nature Tours, a Hood River–based outfitter focused on conservation-minded travel, operates the hotel’s Adventure Lounge, helping guests book guided hikes, snow sports, or visits to nearby vineyards and farms. A café on the ground floor serves breakfast, trail snacks, and Portland-roasted coffee, with a full-service restaurant set to open in 2026.
Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai
- Location: Downtown Dubai, UAE
- Why it’s notable: Mandarin Oriental’s second Dubai hotel, set in a striking high-rise with Gulf views, ten restaurants, and a two-floor spa
- Type of traveler who will love this hotel: Money-is-no-object travelers
- Price: From $757
Mandarin Oriental’s new Downtown Dubai outpost sits in a sculptural tower that tilts above Sheikh Zayed Road, offering one of the most sweeping hotel views in the city. Rooms are pared-back but luxurious, with floor-to-ceiling skyline or Gulf views and curated artwork inspired by the desert. The hotel doubles down on wellness with a two-level spa, vitality pools, and a rooftop lap pool, but the spotlight belongs to the food — from a moody 1960s Hong Kong–inspired bar and supper club to bold Mediterranean plates served by the pool. More openings are on the way, including a rooftop Greek restaurant, a Dubai outpost of Michelin-starred Pavyllon by Yannick Alléno, and a new edition of the Mandarin Cake Shop at street level.
Mendocino Cove
Photo: Mendocino Cove
- Location: Mendocino, California
- Why it’s notable: A former roadside inn reimagined with beach access and eight professional pickleball courts
- Type of traveler who will love this hotel: Adventure enthusiasts, wellness wanderers
- Price: From $179
From the couple who turned a bluffside campground into one of Mendocino’s most sought-after stays, Mendocino Cove reworks a 1950s motor lodge into a coastal hotel with sea views, direct beach access, and eight pro-level pickleball courts. The 50 rooms range from elevated motel-style doubles to larger suites, with garden units coming in 2026. There’s a wellness deck with a sauna, cold plunge, and hot tub — plus massage rooms and a gym. A restaurant and bar will open this winter, drawing on the region’s seafood and small farms.
One&Only Moonlight Basin
Photo: One&Only
- Location: Big Sky, Montana
- Why it’s notable: One&Only’s first US resort and private gondola access to Big Sky slopes
- Type of traveler who will love this hotel: Adventure enthusiasts, money-is-no-object travelers
- Price: From $1,950
One&Only Moonlight Basin opens as the brand’s first US property — and its first alpine retreat — in the forested peaks of Big Sky. Set on more than 200 acres and backed by 17,000 acres of protected wilderness, the resort is positioned to be one of the brand’s most sought-after destinations for travelers seeking luxury and outdoor adventure. The mountain cabins and suites feature deep soaking tubs, fireplaces, and wraparound views of the Spanish Peaks. A private gondola connects the hotel to Big Sky Resort’s Madison Base, and back on property, winter and summer programming includes snowshoeing, horseback rides, and fly-fishing on two private lakes. There’s a speakeasy hidden in the trees, a cocktail bar inspired by a Prohibition-era bootlegger, and a 17,000-square-foot spa with a cold plunge and glass-wall
Santa Lucía Jungle Hacienda
Rendering: Marriott
- Location: Tárcoles, Costa Rica
- Why it’s notable: The resort sits along the Tárcoles River at the edge of Carara National Park, in one of Costa Rica’s rare transition zones between rainforest and dry forest
- Type of traveler who will love this hotel: Adventure enthusiasts, the culturally curious
- Price: From $250
Between the Tárcoles River and Carara National Park, Santa Lucía Jungle Hacienda brings 87 rooms to one of Costa Rica’s most biodiverse corners. Suites range from hillside rooms with forest views to riverbank options with fireplaces and terraces just above the water. On-site trails connect to park access for birdwatching and wildlife tours, and horseback rides follow forested paths to Bijagual Waterfall — one of the region’s tallest. At the heart of the property, a village-style plaza includes a café, cantina, and small chapel used for weddings and community events.
Saddlebrook Resort
Photo: Saddlebrook Resort
- Location: Wesley Chapel, Florida
- Why it’s notable: $92 million overhaul with redesigned guest rooms, upgraded golf by Rees Jones and Grand Slam tennis courts
- Type of traveler who will love this hotel: Adventure enthusiasts, wellness wanderers
- Price: From $150 per night
Just 30 minutes from Tampa International Airport, Saddlebrook Resort has completed a $92 million renovation, bringing new energy to its long-standing reputation for world-class sports and leisure. Opened in 1981, the 480-acre property is known for its tennis and golf pedigree — it’s hosted legends like Pete Sampras and Martina Hingis — and now includes 451 redesigned guest rooms, three updated nine-hole golf courses by Rees Jones, and 41 tennis courts featuring all four Grand Slam surfaces. Dining highlights include RARE 1981, which serves Gulf Coast dishes such as mojo shrimp with smoked gouda grits, and Palmhaus, a casual kitchen and bar beside the pool. Cypress-lined trails connect the walkable village layout, while additions like a high-tech golf training center and a Play-by-Play Sports Broadcasting Experience make it especially appealing for groups and celebratory getaways.
SO/ Ras Al Khaimah
Photo: Erdogancan Kabakci
- Location: Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
- Why it’s notable: First ultra all‑inclusive resort on Al Marjan Island with direct beach access and wide‑ranging amenities
- Type of traveler who will love this hotel: Money‑is‑no‑object travelers, the culturally curious
- Price: From $200
Located about 90 minutes north of Dubai, SO/ Ras Al Khaimah opens on Al Marjan Island with 257 rooms and suites, all facing the Arabian Gulf. Interiors use a palette of sunset orange, ocean blue, and natural green, with finishes in walnut wood, bronze, and sandstone carried through the rooms and shared spaces. The hotel includes four main dining spots — from all-day dining at The Market to Levantine flavors at Hadaba and Mediterranean dishes at Chiano. Savant, the rooftop lounge, hosts live sets above the shoreline. There’s also a separate beach club, two pool bars, and a full spa with treatment rooms, a sauna, and a gym. Guests can take out kayaks from the beach or book desert excursions farther inland.
The Compton
Rendering: The Compton
- Location: Bentonville, Arkansas
- Why it’s notable: A new hotel on Bentonville’s historic square with a bike valet, park-facing rooms, and food from some of the city’s best chefs
- Type of traveler who will love this hotel: Adventure enthusiasts, the culturally curious
- Price: From $315
The Compton is a new 142-room hotel on Bentonville’s town square, steps from the city’s art museums and bike trails. The interiors — by Brooklyn’s Crème Design — center around a skylit lobby that doubles as a public gathering space, with live music nights already in the works. There’s a bike valet and wash station for riders heading out to the surrounding trails, and a second-floor cocktail bar with an outdoor terrace overlooking the square. The dining — which includes a café, full-service restaurant, and cocktail bar — is run by local group Ropeswing, helping ground the hotel in the city’s food scene and making it a destination for locals as well as visitors.
The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace
Photo: The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace
- Location: Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India
- Why it’s notable: A restored 17th-century palace near one of India’s top tiger reserves
- Type of traveler who will love this hotel: Adventure enthusiasts, the culturally curious
- Price: From $1,070
About 20 minutes from the Khajuraho temples in central India, The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace brings new life to a 350-year-old hilltop estate originally built for royalty. The original architecture has been carefully restored, from carved stone corridors to open-air pavilions. An in-house historian leads storytelling walks through the courtyards and gardens, sharing lesser-known details about the palace’s past. Across the lake — reachable by boat — the Oberoi Spa offers Ayurvedic treatments in a separate pavilion. Back on the main grounds, there’s a palace-view infinity pool and a lakeside dining space. The hotel also organizes guided day trips into nearby Panna National Park, one of India’s official tiger reserves, where wildlife ranges from leopards and Bengal tigers to crocodiles, along with more than 200 bird species.
