If 2019 was an exciting year for new luxury openings, 2020 is shaping up to be even better. For the second consecutive year, we asked luxury event planners which new hotel openings they were most excited about for the year ahead, to create our annual inVOYAGE Luxury Hotel Hotlist.

From a sleek boutique hideaway in Barcelona to two central London properties and luxurious beach resorts in Dubai and Morocco by big-name brands, here are the ten hottest openings across 2020 (listed in no particular order), as named-checked by the luxury event planners we surveyed…

Nobu Hotel London Portman Square 

2020 is expected to see the addition of 7,995 hotel rooms across 65 new hotels, marking the largest number of openings London has ever seen in one year (STR). With so much new product in the pipeline, luxury incentive and event planners will be spoilt for choice.

Top Banana founder & CEO Richard Bridge is looking forward to the influx: “I’m excited about the number of hotel openings in London over the next year, especially properties like the new Nobu at Portman Square.”

Located in the heart of London’s Marylebone, Nobu Hotel London Portman Square is expected to open in spring/summer 2020, featuring 249 guest rooms and suites, together with a Nobu restaurant, ballroom and meeting spaces.

Nobu Hotel London Portman Square is the second London hotel for Nobu Hospitality, the globally established lifestyle brand founded by Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro and Meir Teper, following the opening of Nobu Hotel Shoreditch in 2017.

Aman New York

Located at the prestigious address of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, overlooking Central Park, Aman New York will occupy the Crown building, one of the city’s most architecturally significant buildings. Designed by Jean-Michel Gathy, who is behind some of the most esteemed Aman resorts including Aman Venice and Aman Sveti Stefan, this urban sanctuary will feature a dramatic double-height Sky Lobby with subtle Asian influences in tribute to Aman’s Asian roots.

The 83-room property will boast a 10th-floor wraparound Garden Terrace, which will feature a bar with sweeping views of Central Park, a Cigar Bar, and year-round dining, a spa, and an exclusive collection of 20 private homes representing the first urban Aman Residences. A stylish Piano Bar in the Sky Lobby, two restaurants, a Wine Library and a subterranean Jazz Club round-out the property’s signature elements.

Bvlgari Hotel Paris

Paris is always a popular choice for events, but in 2020, it will be an even better one when The Bvlgari Hotel Paris opens its doors in the prestigious address of 30 Avenue George V. “I’m looking forward to seeing the Bvlgari in Paris. It’s going to be an exciting new addition for the city,” says Angélique Eriksen, founder & CEO at Egg Events, which has offices in Paris, Geneva, Brussels, Dubai and New York.

Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts latest jewel will feature 76 rooms, a 25-metre pool, bar and restaurant, and a Parisian courtyard. Set on the corner of the Triangle d’Or, the hotel is being designed by Italian architectural firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and will combine a classic Parisian Haussmann-style with a contemporary rationalistic façade.

Fairmont Taghazout Bay Morocco

After being off the pitch list for some time over safety concerns, Morocco is definitely back in vogue for events and incentives, with Marrakech sneaking into our top ten most popular destinations list. “Morocco had a quiet phase but was by far the best for conversions last year,” says Black Tomato Agency co-head and head of sales David Heron. So, it’s no surprise to see a Moroccan opening on our hotel hotlist for 2020.

A 615-hectare seaside resort located 18km north of Agadir on the Atlantic coast, Fairmont Taghazout Bay will feature 155 spacious guestrooms with sea facing views. The resort will boast over 2,500m2 of meeting space and a Fairmont spa with fitness facilities. A range of culinary offerings will include an all-day dining restaurant, lobby lounge, specialty restaurant and beach pool bar and grill.

Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi
Set to open this July, just in time for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi will be the brand’s second property in the city. The hotel will occupy the upper six floors of a 39-story office tower and offer around 190 rooms and multiple indoor and outdoor restaurants and bars, as well as sweeping views of the city from the 39th floor rooftop terrace.

It will also feature a state-of-the-art spa, fitness centre and indoor pool as well as extensive meeting and events spaces and an Executive Club lounge for business travellers.

Kimpton Barcelona

Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter is about to get that bit shinier with the opening of Kimpton Vividora Hotel (an inVOYAGE 2020 partner). This sleek boutique hideaway will bring 156 new contemporary rooms to the historic and artistic hub of the city, featuring locally designed furniture with cosy yet stylish fabrics.

The three on-site restaurants have been created to deliver all the warmth and ambience of a favoured neighbourhood haunt. For a chic alfresco experience, head to the Terraza de Vivi rooftop bar and terrace for small plates but big views. All of the restaurants can be adapted for functions – with Fauna featuring a private dining room, the café being perfect for cocktail receptions while the rooftop terrace with its views across the skyline is set to become a popular option.

The Londoner

The second London entry in our top ten hotel hot list is Edwardian’s much-anticipated new property on Leicester Square, The Londoner. BI Worldwide design director, events, Katrina Rannard says: “I’m definitely keeping my eye on all the new properties opening in London in 2020, particularly The Londoner.”

Dubbed the capital’s first “iceberg hotel” – with more space underground than above – the 350-room five-star hotel is expected to open in June 2020. The subterranean levels of the property will feature a ballroom accommodating up to 864 people, seven private meeting rooms, a spa, 15-metre swimming pool and gym and two private screening rooms. Facilities above ground will include a whisky room, drawing room, public tavern and rooftop terrace restaurant.

Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid

The uber-luxury Mandarin Oriental brand has several key properties opening in 2020, but its Madrid debut is gaining the most attention among luxury event planners as demand for the Spanish capital continues to grow.

Formerly the iconic Hotel Ritz, Madrid, which was designed and built under the supervision of legendary hotelier César Ritz, the 153-room property will reopen as Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid this summer following the most extensive restoration in its 110-year history.

Chef Quique Dacosta, one of the most celebrated chefs in Spain, has been appointed to design, develop and oversee the hotel’s five restaurants and bars including a signature restaurant overlooking the famous hotel garden. The ballroom and function spaces, with their large windows facing the Prado Museum are being restored and will accommodate a range of events from meetings to private dinners and parties.

Raffles Udaipur

“I think that India will start to see a resurrection in interest from the events and incentives market this year,” says Black Tomato’s Heron. Accor certainly has the destination in its sights with plans for not one but two new Raffles properties in India – the first of which is due to open in 2020 and has caught the attention of the luxury planners surveyed for this report.

Situated on a 21-acre private island in Udai Sagar lake, Raffles Udaipur the 101-room resort is expected to open by mid-2020. Easily accessed from Udaipur’s main attractions, the resort will include Raffles’ Signatures such as a 1,100m2 Raffles Spa, Long Bar, and Writers Bar along with a rooftop restaurant and an all-day dining restaurant, a swimming pool, and deck. 

The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dubai

Fans of Atlantis The Palm will be excited to check out its new sister property due to open in late 2020. This neighbouring resort will offer its own distinctly opulent vibe with two properties stretching out across a whopping 63 hectares of land and more than 2km of beachfront. 

The newest behemoth on the emirate will be 43 storeys high and approximately 185 metres above sea level, with the infinity Sky Pool on level 22 offering incredible views across the city, while the lobby bar area will be home to the world’s largest jellyfish tank, housing approximately 2,000 jellyfish.

Meetings spaces abound and include a 1000sqm ballroom for 660 guests and six meeting rooms. But this will be a place to celebrate, with 13 bars and restaurants including Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Hakkasan and Milos by Costas Spiliadis.

This feature is part of our inVOYAGE 2020 Annual Report, featuring global trends and inspiration for the luxury events and incentives industry.