The hotel aims to show a different side of Ibiza, away from the nightlife for which the island is best known. Portinatx is surrounded by pine forests, small coves and clear water, giving the retreat a quieter setting. Nômade says its concept refers back to a period when Ibiza was a meeting place for artists and alternative communities. Retreats, artist residencies and ritual events will therefore take place at the property throughout the year.

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“We are not interested in replicating the predictable luxury model that defines much of Ibiza today,” Miguel Isla, CEO of Nomade People, said. He described the island’s deeper history as one based on freedom, creativity and connection. The hotel includes communal spaces for movement sessions and small performances, as well as a professional recording studio for musicians and producers. These facilities are intended to encourage contact between guests rather than simply provide entertainment.

Nômade Temple was created by transforming an existing resort and preserving original features such as its arches and terraces. Ochre-coloured walls, geometric courtyards and North African influences are combined with Mediterranean plants and views of the coastline. Paths wind through gardens and connect the hotel’s restaurants, terraces and gathering spaces. The rooms use warm timber, natural stone, handmade textiles and large terraces to strengthen the connection between the interiors and the surrounding landscape.

The hotel offers wellness facilities without requiring guests to follow a fixed programme. Visitors can choose between yoga, breathwork, hikes, movement classes and treatments or simply spend their time beside the sea. A dedicated Journey Designer can prepare a personalised itinerary combining activities, restaurant reservations and cultural experiences. However, participation remains optional, allowing each guest to decide how active or relaxed their stay should be.

At the centre of the wellness experience is GÖN House of Healing Ibiza. The word gön means “soul” in Turkish, while the spa’s design was inspired by Ibiza’s natural caves. Its facilities include hammam steam rooms, dry saunas, cold plunges and a warm mineral-water flotation tank. Guests can also book massages, facial treatments and other therapies in private treatment rooms.

Several restaurants bring different culinary styles to the property. TAVLA offers sharing dishes centred on charcoal-grilled meat, marinated seafood and seasonal vegetables, while beachside restaurant 4FU3GOS focuses on seafood and open-fire cooking. KUU JŪ combines Mediterranean ingredients, including red prawns, citrus and island herbs, with Japanese omakase dining. Omakase is a Japanese concept in which the chef chooses and serves a sequence of dishes for the guest.

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Music continues into the evening at Dante’s HiFi, a space inspired by Japanese listening bars. These venues focus on high-quality sound and careful listening, often using vinyl records instead of a conventional nightclub DJ set. Guests can listen to selected music while having cocktails in a more intimate environment. Together with the recording studio and artist residencies, the bar makes music an active part of the hotel’s identity.

The hotel says it works with local fishermen, growers and producers to reduce the environmental impact of its restaurants. A dedicated environmental, social and governance team also oversees energy efficiency, waste reduction and the protection of nearby ecosystems. From Portinatx, guests can explore northern Ibiza’s beaches, coves and hiking routes. The whitewashed village of San Juan, known for its bohemian Sunday market, is around ten minutes away by car.

L’article Nômade Temple opens in northern Ibiza with focus on slow travel and wellness est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The Nobu development will “form the centrepiece of a broader investment programme led by Norfin,” a press release said, “spanning hospitality, residential living, leisure amenities and future additions, including a beach club” set across more than 400 hectares of countryside, centred on an existing Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.

Accommodation will comprise 100 rooms and suites, and 21,000m² of Nobu villas and branded residences, alongside an on-site Nobu restaurant and thoughtfully curated guest amenities. Tapping into the strength of the premium travel market, the resort promises “luxury hospitality, genre-defining cuisine, timeless design, and intuitive service,” press materials say.

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Two decades after its launch in 2007, Monte Rei Golf and Country Club will see ground break on its next phase of development, and is slated for completion in 2029. In line with the way many highly touristed areas are trying to spread tourist arrivals and stays across the calendar year, Nobu says the work will make Monte Rei a “more complete year-round destination for residents, members and guests.”

Hailing the project as “an important milestone for Monte Rei,” Miguel Mateus, CEO of investors Norfin said: “The resort has long been recognised for the quality of its golf, service and residential environment. We are now building on that legacy with a broader ambition for the destination – one that brings together world-class hospitality, exceptional residential living and carefully designed leisure experiences.”

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Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality, meanwhile, pointed to the relevance of the project to today’s travel consumer, who increasingly demands authenticity and individuality. “Together with Norfin, we have the opportunity to create a distinctive Nobu destination that feels deeply connected to the Eastern Algarve while delivering the hospitality, dining, design and service for which the brand is known around the world.”

The expansion of the golf course and country club comes at a time when, in southern Europe in particular, such facilities have come in for criticism as concerns multiply about sustainable water use. It’s an issue that is becoming existential amid predicted long-term droughts and surging wildfire risks.

L’article Robert De Niro’s Nobu to launch luxury hotel and residences in Portugal’s Algarve est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The proposed resort, developed by Eli Applebaum through Kulik River Capital, will transform a plot that has remained largely unchanged for more than a decade after the collapse of the SkyVue observation wheel project. Clark County’s Zoning Commission unanimously approved the plans on 22 July, clearing a key hurdle for the development. 

The proposed resort would feature a 29-storey hotel with approximately 752 guest rooms, a casino, more than 42,000 square feet of convention space, restaurants, retail outlets, a resort pool and a pedestrian entertainment plaza inspired by downtown Las Vegas’ Fremont Street Experience. Its most distinctive feature, however, is a giant heart-shaped opening in the middle of the tower, while the exterior would be wrapped in LED screens designed to display animated content. 

Developers plan to incorporate the unfinished SkyVue concrete columns into the resort’s design, transforming them into a restaurant suspended about 265 feet (81 metres) above the ground. The structure has become one of the Strip’s most recognisable eyesores since construction on the more than $100 million Ferris wheel project stalled because of financial difficulties in the early 2010s.

The proposal underwent significant revisions before receiving approval. According to project representatives, the building’s height was reduced by around 60 feet (18 metres) to satisfy Federal Aviation Administration requirements because of its proximity to Harry Reid International Airport. The reduction also lowered the planned number of hotel rooms. 

The unconventional heart-shaped design has sparked a wave of online ridicule after Clark County approved plans, with many social media users dubbing the design “ugly” and “tacky” and questioning whether it will ever be built. Commenters mocked the oversized heart and LED-covered façade, with some describing the renderings as “atrociously tacky” and comparing the design to an oversized Valentine’s Day decoration.

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by u/cajunsamurai from discussion
in vegas

Others questioned whether the project would ever leave the drawing board. On Reddit, one user wrote: “Things that won’t actually get built and/or look anything like the pic for $100,” while another commented, “Some consultancy got paid millions of dollars to design that concept.” 

Not everyone was critical, however. Several users welcomed the return of bold, themed architecture after years of increasingly conventional hotel towers. “I love the cheesy Vegas vibes. But guess I’m the minority,” one commenter wrote, while another argued that “theme hotels are making a comeback” after the city had become dominated by generic glass skyscrapers. 

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The redevelopment comes at a challenging time for Las Vegas tourism. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, visitor numbers fell 7.5% to around 38.5 million in 2025, with rising travel costs, international travel hurdles and growing competition from online gambling contributing to the decline. 

If completed, the project would add another highly recognisable landmark to the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip at a time when the city is looking to refresh ageing sites and attract visitors with new entertainment concepts.

L’article New heart-shaped hotel approved for Las Vegas Strip sparks debate over ‘tacky’ design est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Conceived by Yuko Shimizu in 1974, Hello Kitty is now the face of a growing trend in immersive attractions that blur the line between museums, exhibitions and themed entertainment. At Hotel Floria Tokyo, visitors collect a “room key”, explore elaborately designed hotel suites inspired by Sanrio characters and take photographs throughout the venue without spending the night, rather like a museum tour, but staged as a hotel and built around characters dear to Sanrio fans worldwide.

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The latest Sanrio-themed hotel opened in Tokyo’s Shinjuku-ku ward. It is currently hosting the Hotel Floria Tokyo-Sanrio Characters Exhibition at the Tokyu Kabukicho Tower. The show should run until May 2027.

“Set in a hotel filled with the characters’ dreams, each room and installation allows visitors to discover their distinctive personalities and charm,” a Hotel Floria Tokyo spokesperson told Euronews Travel.

The concept was born in Seoul, created by Korean digital design and art company D’strict. This iteration has 11 themed rooms, each designed around a different character created by Japanese entertainment company Sanrio, including Hello Kitty, My Melody, Kuromi, Pompopurin, and Cinnamoroll.

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After the obligatory check-in, visitors receive a character-themed Luc-Key entry pass. Rather than selecting their favourite character, each guest is assigned one at random, a neat marketing touch for anyone hoping to walk away with their favourite.

Each room allows visitors to enter the imagined “private” world of one of the Sanrio characters through carefully reimagined settings. Guests are invited to step into their everyday surroundings and explore them for themselves.

“Beyond taking photographs, guests can walk through, explore and experience these worlds for themselves”, Hotel Floria says. “This creates the feeling of becoming part of the story.”

The idea is to attract both adults and children, according to Hotel Floria Tokyo, allowing adults to “reconnect with fond childhood memories and a sense of nostalgia, while children can enjoy discovering them for the first time”.

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Beyond the rooms, the grounds include a garden, a pond, an art gallery, a dedicated Photo Zone and even an indoor beach.

The team is especially proud of the Beach Zone. “Rather than merely viewing the dreamlike scenery imagined by the Sanrio characters, visitors can walk through it and experience it with all their senses. This is what makes the Beach Zone so special,” organisers told Euronews, adding: “As they walk across real sand, the visuals, sound and sensation beneath their feet naturally come together as one seamless experience.”

Hotel Floria is the latest example of how Japan has transformed one of its best-known cultural exports into a travel experience. Beyond merchandise, Hello Kitty has inspired themed cafés, airport installations, exhibitions and, until recently, her own bullet train.

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Considering Japan’s long-standing love affair with cats, the concept may not be quite as surprising as it first appears. From the maneki-neko, the beckoning cat found at the entrance of shops and restaurants across the country, to Hello Kitty herself, Japanese people have a deep affection for their feline companions.

A recent example of that devotion is the appearance of quirky yellow road signs warning drivers to beware of cats darting into the road. Installed not by the authorities but by local communities and individuals, the signs have taken social media by storm.

L’article Hello Kitty gets a hotel in Tokyo where guests can check in but not stay est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Three quarters (73%) of the island’s hotels have closed and seven international chains, (who between them operate around half of Cuba’s hotels), have now left, Marrero said, pointing to the scale of the risk.

Although Cuban tourism had suffered setbacks from US travel restrictions and COVID-19 since its heyday in 2017 (when it welcomed 4.2 million international visitors), the sector employed 300,000 people and was the island’s second largest source of foreign currency earnings until 2025— a year when instability and infrastructure problems, such as rolling power cuts and electricity blackouts, began to eat away at core source markets. Cuba only welcomed 1.8 million international visitors across 2025, which was described as “the worst figure since 2002.”

With the avowed goal of regime change, the United States has been exerting pressure on the Cuban economy through sanctions and since January 2026, that includes the imposition of new tariffs on fuel suppliers to Cuba and penalties for those who do business with the military-run “GEASA” sectors of the island’s economy, such as tourism.

Cuban aviation fuel supplies began running out as early as February, and with global fuel supplies affected by the Middle East blockade, airlines began rationalising flights. Canadian, European, and Russian carriers all suspended routes to Cuba.

The effect on international arrivals was immediate, according to official data showing tourist numbers dropped 58% in the first six months of 2026, compared with the same period the year before.

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That drop in connectivity and demand, and the disincentive of renewed US sanctions in July, has prompted further international hotel group closures, and the crisis only seems to be deepening.

With occupation rates as low as 34.1%, Spanish hospitality chain Melia slashed the Portuguese-run Ilha Bela Gestao E Turismo operations at 15 of its 34 hotels in June, only to announce a complete withdrawal from the island a month later, blaming economic, legal, and operational struggles. Other chains such as Iberostar and Barceló join them, as well as Canada’s Blue Diamond Resorts, and key players in other industries, such as Canadian mining firm Sherritt.

Having welcomed just 360,000 international visitors between January and June 2026, Cuban tourism—described by Fidel Castro in 1994 as the only thing that could save the nation— now faces around 25,000 job losses, Marrero said.

L’article Nearly three quarters of hotels in Cuba now closed as tourism crisis deepens est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The latest additions are located in France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, Japan, Mexico and the United States, with seven of the 10 situated in Europe.

According to the association, despite their individual identities, the new members share its approach to hospitality, with an emphasis on art de vivre, fine dining and cultural diversity.

Laurent Gardinier, President of Relais & Châteaux, said: “Our Association is firmly committed to a sustainable path so as to contribute, through cuisine and hospitality, to building a more humane and united world, in harmony with living things.

“It is an honor for me to welcome these ten new members to Relais & Châteaux, properties that share not only our values, but our passion for goodness and beauty.”

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Wilderness Reserve, United Kingdom

Set across around 6,000 acres in Sibton, Suffolk, Wilderness Reserve comprises 29 lodgings inspired by traditional English architecture, ranging from thatched cottages to an 18th-century manor house with eight bedrooms.

The estate is set amid the landscapes that inspired English painter John Constable and can be explored on foot or by bike. Its facilities include a spa and heated outdoor pool, while selected cottages feature hot tubs and private pools.

Two restaurants operate on the estate. The Dining Room offers a contemporary interpretation of English cuisine with Mediterranean influences, while Fire Feast centres on open-air, wood-fired cooking.

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Verride Palácio de Santa Catarina, Portugal

Located in Lisbon’s historic centre, Verride Palácio de Santa Catarina occupies an 18^th-century palace overlooking the Tagus River.

The property combines historic Portuguese architecture with contemporary interiors and features a rooftop swimming pool with views across the capital.

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Megève Bois, France

Located in the French Alps, Megève Bois combines the character of an Alpine chalet with contemporary hospitality.

Its location in Megève provides access to one of France’s best-known mountain destinations, offering skiing during the winter season as well as hiking and other outdoor activities during the warmer months.

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La Maison des Cimes, France

France’s second new member is La Maison des Cimes in Malbuisson, close to the Swiss border.

Located in the Jura Mountains, the property offers access to a region characterised by lakes, forests and mountain landscapes, providing an alternative to France’s larger Alpine resorts.

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Masseria AuraTerrae, Italy

Masseria AuraTerrae is located near Polignano a Mare in Puglia, southern Italy.

The property draws on the region’s traditional masseria architecture and rural landscape, combining accommodation and gastronomy with a strong connection to its Mediterranean surroundings.

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Relais Villa Corallo, Italy

Italy’s second addition is Relais Villa Corallo in Sant’Omero, in the Abruzzo region.

The property combines historic architecture, countryside surroundings and Italian gastronomy, reflecting Relais & Châteaux’s emphasis on establishments with a strong connection to their local cultural and culinary heritage.

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Villa Florhof, Switzerland

Villa Florhof brings another Relais & Châteaux address to Zurich. The historic property offers an intimate alternative to the Swiss city’s larger luxury hotels.

Its central location provides access to Zurich’s cultural attractions while retaining the character of an independent boutique property.

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Hiiragiya, Japan

In Kyoto, Hiiragiya is a historic Japanese ryokan founded in 1818 and operated by the same family for generations.

The property has 23 rooms and combines traditional Japanese hospitality with modern comforts, making it one of the most historic establishments among the association’s latest additions.

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Quintonil, Mexico

Quintonil in Mexico City is the standalone restaurant among the 10 new members.

Led by chef Jorge Vallejo, the restaurant focuses on contemporary Mexican cuisine and local ingredients, adding another major gastronomic address to the association’s international restaurant portfolio.

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The Nell New York, United States

The Nell New York represents the United States among the latest additions. Located at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, the property is scheduled to open in autumn 2027.

The 134-room hotel will bring a new Relais & Châteaux address to the heart of Midtown Manhattan.

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Relais & Châteaux around the world

Founded in France in 1954, Relais & Châteaux brings together 580 independently operated hotels and restaurants in 65 countries. 

Led by hoteliers, chefs and restaurateurs, the association places particular emphasis on the cultural, gastronomic and environmental heritage of its destinations, as well as collaboration with local artisans. Many of its properties are family-run, with hospitality traditions and savoir-faire passed from one generation to the next. 

Relais & Châteaux describes its approach as one centred on art de vivre, gastronomy and hospitality, while seeking to preserve the distinctive character and heritage of the destinations in which its members operate. 

L’article Relais & Châteaux adds 10 new properties across eight countries est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The news comes as Morocco enjoys the halo from its successful recent World Cup run, having reached the quarter-finals in the 2026 tournament, building on a semi-final attempt in 2022 that was a world first for any African or Arab team.

BREAKING: The first six teams have officially secured their places at the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Spain
Portugal
Morocco
Uruguay
Argentina
Paraguay

As tournament hosts, all six nations qualify automatically. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the majority… pic.twitter.com/78jNIBZmji

— Speedline (@speedlne) July 20, 2026

The aim is to transform that spotlight into tangible growth for the Moroccan tourism sector, which, Reuters reports, currently represents approximately seven percent of GDP. Over190 billion dirhams (around €45 billion) have been earmarked by the government to expand rail, road, and air connectivity, as well as building essential venues such as stadia and supporting ground infrastructure in time for the 2030 competition.

One of those projects will be the construction of the world’s largest football stadium, in Casablanca, with a 115,000-capacity, described by the architects as “a cornerstone of King Mohammed VI’s vision to develop Morocco’s football infrastructure that will elevate Morocco to the highest global platform of sporting infrastructure development.”

Explaining the rationale behind all the investment, Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor told Reuters: “We see the 2030 FIFA World Cup as an accelerator, ​not an end in itself.” The North African country has already achieved impressive acceleration in the sector, having added 45,000 hotel beds in four years.

The investments are already paying off. In 2025, Morocco welcomed nearly 20 million tourists to take the title of Africa’s most visited destination, and the central bank is forecasting industry revenues of a record ​161 billion dirhams ⁠for 2027, from 138 billion dirhams in 2025, growth of over 16%.

The goal by 2030 is to attract 26 million visitors through a strategy to tap into Chinese, Middle Eastern, and US source markets, thanks to improved air connectivity, Ammor said. However, officials remain conscious of the need to achieve that growth sustainably, spreading footfall beyond the well-known attractions of Agadir and Marrakech by, for example, better promoting capital Rabat, especially as a MICE hub. “We need to make investments that create lasting value for Moroccan ​tourism,” the minister explained.

Rabat boasts historic monuments and museums, but is often viewed more as a quiet, political and diplomatic capital than a vibrant North African escape. It is, however, set to benefit from expanded sports infrastructure ahead of the 2030 tournament, turning it into a major host city for the tournament, which, in turn, is expected to generate buzz that will translate into longer-term tourism gains.

L’article Morocco to expand hotel capacity by 60,000 beds for 2030 World Cup est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Literary tourism is booming. People are continuously looking for new ways to explore the world and discovering new destinations through the lens of their favourite book matches perfectly with that goal. According to a report by Future Market Insights mentioned by Business Traveler, the literary tourism market can be expected to reach $3.3 billion by 2034.

Hilton is jumping on the bandwagon by opening a new hotel in Iceland. The Skáld Akureyri is part of the Curio Collection and is located in the city of Akureyri, also known as the gateway to Northern Iceland. Inspired by Iceland’s rich literary tradition, which is generally considered to have started with the 13^th-century works known as Eddas and runs all the way through to the Nordic Noir that debuted the nineties, the hotel is named after the skáld – a local poet and storyteller.

“Skáld Akureyri has been created as more than a place to stay – it is a house rooted in Akureyri, inspired by Icelandic poetry, and shaped by the surrounding landscape. We look forward to welcoming guests to a hotel where design, literature, food, and warm hospitality come together in the heart of North Iceland,” said Magnea Þórey Hjálmarsdóttir, general manager of the Skáld Akureyri.

The Skáld Akureyri hotel counts 71 guest rooms and 15 serviced apartments, which blend contemporary design with local materials and – of course – books. A fitness centre and two rooftop terraces are accessible to those who stay at the hotel, offering impressive views over the town, fjord, and surrounding landscape.

While the apartments feature fully-equipped kitchens, guests can also enjoy a meal at the hotel´s Nordic restaurant, Abba-labba-lá. The menu offers a mix of unexpected associations, local ingredients, and seasonal dishes.

“The opening of Skáld Akureyri marks a fantastic addition to our growing lifestyle portfolio across Europe. Set in the heart of North Iceland, this beautifully designed hotel perfectly captures the ethos of Curio Collection by Hilton through its distinctive design and elevated guest experience. As demand for unique, locally inspired stays continues to rise, we are delighted to expand our presence in Iceland with a property in a location that will allow guests to experience the wonder of this region,” stated David Kelly, senior vice president Continental Europe at Hilton.

Located on the historic Hafnarstræti in the heart of Akureyri, the new Hilton Curio Collection hotel is the ideal base from where to explore Northern Iceland. At approximately 400 kilometers from Icelands capital Reykjavik, Akureyri can be reached through a 40-minute domestic flight or by car by following the scenic Ring Road. Iceland’s Northern region is known for its Northern Lights as well as its so-called Diamond Circle, which takes visitors on a 250-kilometer tour past waterfalls, hot springs, and unforgettable coastlines.

L’article Hilton opens new literary-inspired Curio Collection hotel in Iceland est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Effective from the beginning of July 2026, the framework entails an initial inspection by hotel evaluators who compare the hotel’s amenities and operational standards to the information submitted by its owners. Later, a secret guest review takes place to confirm hotel’s final ranking.

During the checks, different criteria are applied depending on the hotel’s existing star rating, with hotels up to three stars grouped apart from four-and five-star establishments. Safety and hygiene, fire prevention, management, data protection, and sustainability are all elements taken into consideration, but the new system’s approach to pricing practices is, perhaps, its most significant aspect.

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There will be a harsher response to “establishments collecting unfair charges,” with the gouging penalty now tripled from 10 to 30 points. There will be only 100 points separating 4-star and a 5-star rating, meaning docked points could see properties losing a star. 

The new measures attempt to address recent public disquiet over spikes in the cost of accommodation during major events, such as K-pop gigs by BTS in Busan, which drove 200 to 300% increases in hotel room prices.

Commenting on the new framework, Kang Dong-jin, Director General of Tourism Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said its focus was “reducing the burden on the hotel industry while more strongly guaranteeing the safety and convenience of the public.” Encouraging stakeholders to respond positively to the overhaul, he added that the rating system should “serve as an opportunity to improve the quality of domestic hotel services.” 

Hoteliers who do not agree with their rating under the new system have the option to apply for their establishment to be re-evaluated and possibly to receive a higher rating, though it is not possible to be automatically promoted from the one to-three star category to the premium segment.

One part of the sector that commentators deem unlikely to be very affected by the new framework is South Korea’s casino resort offering. Due to the cards they hold in terms of export revenue (only foreign guests are allowed to gamble there), they are mostly classed as high-end establishments.

Medical tourism providers in South Korea— a global hub for dermatology, plastic surgery, longevity work, and complex interventions attracting over two million foreign patients annually—will need to prove “medical linkage services and the provision of conveniences.” It’s a move designed to promote more specialist facilities in an exploding health and wellness travel marketplace.

If successful, the changes should make South Korean hotel ratings a more reliable guide that gives visitors and guests are clearer picture of what to expect, before they book. Tougher penalties for unfair charges may discourage sharp price hikes during major events, while greater emphasis on safety, hygiene, data protection, and guest experience could give travellers more confidence that a hotel’s star rating reflects both its facilities and the quality of service delivered on the ground.

L’article South Korea overhauls hotel rating system with tougher penalties for price gouging est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The 13 was the brainchild of Hong Kong businessman Stephen Hung, but suffered a series of setbacks, including construction issues and financing, even before its original, delayed launch in 2018.

Located in Macao’s Seac Pai Van, Coloane, a wooded area reclaimed from the sea for housing and commerce, Hotel 13 was once billed as the world’s most luxurious hotel, having cost over US$7 million per room to create. Hung said at its inauguration that it would lay down “a new world standard for ultra-luxury hotels through its native brand, The 13.”

Even the establishment’s most basic accommodation, the “Villa du Comte”, featured Baroque detailing, sculptures, and deluxe fabrics. The villa-style suites had private elevators, Roman baths and colonnades, and offered private butler service and transport thanks to a fleet of bespoke, Rolls-Royce Phantoms—painted red to match the hotel itself.

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The hotel’s garishness was, however, considered part of its downfall. It also failed to become profitable due to its distance from Macao’s gambling district and its failure to secure its own satellite casino licence. It suspended operations in early 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, underwent bankruptcy in 2023, and, after earning a renewed five-star deluxe licence from the Macao Government Tourism Office, was acquired by Rio Hotel chairperson Loi Keong Kuong for HK$598 million (US$72 million) in 2025.

Now, with a new gold look and a suite of Guinness World Records under its belt (it holds the title for the most hotel elevator lobbies, and a green wall which is the tallest semi-indoor vertical garden in the world extending from the fifth to the 20th floor), the hotel team is looking to tap into the surging premium travel segment.

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That effort includes leaning into the hotel’s location, close to non-gambling attractions, including a nearby golf course and Macao’s Giant Panda Pavilion, to reel in affluent guests from across mainland China, as well as Japan, Korea, and other Southeast Asian source markets.

The fine dining offer at the 13 Palace embraces Cantonese, Chiu Chow, Italian and Japanese cuisine and hospitality venues include the Baroque blue glass Chairman’s Bar, while luxury spa facilities, limousines, and 24-hour butler service for its 199 suites remain de rigeur.

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It is hoped that the phased opening of between 50 and 100 rooms to start with will build momentum and a reputation on social media channels. Hotel sources said room bookings are currently at 50 to 60%, though online reservations do not yet appear to be accessible internationally.

L’article World’s former most expensive hotel finally reopens in Macao est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.