At this year’s International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) Asia Pacific edition, a staggering 650 brands in the luxury travel and destinations spaces were present at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore. Key learnings from the fair highlighted Asia Pacific as the world’s fastest-growing region of travellers, with Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia ranking among the top 10 fastest-growing Ultra-High-Net-Worth (UHNW) markets. A useful sidenote: China’s female travellers account for between 70 per cent and 80 per cent of all travel decisions in their market, and represent six out of every 10 Chinese tourists in 2023.
Throughout the four days, many impressive arrivals into the luxury hospitality and travel scene were announced. Here, we bring you a compendium of the top 50 to catch Robb Report Malaysia’s eye and evoke undeniable sensations of wanderlust.
We start with Season 3 of the award-winning American black comedy The White Lotus, which was shot at Samujana in Koh Samui. Last year, they also offered an ‘Ultimate Celebration’ package last year where one could party like the cast of The White Lotus across seven nights. This idyllic collection of 23 luxury villas, perched over a coral cove, offers private beach access and villas with up to eight-bedroom configurations, which made it the default setting of some of the most fantastical weddings on Koh Samui. Its desirability as a place to get away from it all is poised to go up with its burnished reputation, as well as the amount of existing leisure amenities with its private gyms, cinemas, boxing ring, all-weather tennis court, own catamaran as well as the phalanx of chefs, massage therapists, personal trainers, Muay Thai instructors, guides and yoga, reiki and meditation experts upon request.
“Why do we exist?” was the rhetorical question from Belmond’s vice president for strategy and communications Nicolas Streff over a morning breakfast before the doors of ILTM were thrown open. “Our purpose is to perpetuate the legendary era of travel,” he says, “and how we do it, is with the concept of slow luxury.” That answer is why Belmond associates its notion of slow luxury to its multitude of hotels, trains, boats and safaris. Onboard the returning Eastern & Oriental Express, one now finds South-East Asia’s first-ever Dior Spa, which exists as one of the train’s 16 carriages, with two treatment cabins, hand-crafted tropical wood touches, and Asian-inspired beauty rituals.
To truly appreciate the ‘value of time and mindful living’ Belmond Trains offer an easy disconnect from the fast-paced life. In March 2025, the famous Venice Simplon-Orient-Express launches L’Observatoire—a new sleeper carriage designed by the world-acclaimed artist JR (the initials are of his first name Jean-René). The French photographer and street artist’s childhood passion for railways and trains will be reflected through carriage interiors that unfold through different environments. “With L’Observatoire, people can enter my imaginary world. I envisioned the carriage primarily through shapes, with curved corners and round windows, so guests have a few places to daydream,” the artist said in a statement. “Guests can now stay in an artist’s private space while being in the most iconic train in the world—experiencing this creative crossroads for the duration of a journey is very special and hasn’t been seen in this way before.”
Asia Pacific continues to be a growth engine for Marriott International, with the release of a comprehensive report from the Luxury Group in which high-net-worth (HNW) travellers plan to spend more on travel in the next 12 months, with one in four planned holidays related to celebrations. Oriol Montal, managing director for luxury, Asia Pacific (excluding China), Marriott International, points out that research has identified new traveller archetypes. This has provided the group with new understandings to cater for these emerging segments, “whether it’s discovering new culinary experiences, traveling with their family or friends, or looking to forge connections with the local community”, Montal says.
The trio of new traveller personas include the ‘Venture Travelist’, a next-gen ‘Bleisure’ tourist who prioritises holiday destinations that generate business opportunities; the ‘Experience Connoisseur’, who are a predominantly millennial group who plan leisure travel for personal enrichment; and ‘The Timeless Adventurer’, who debunk the stereotype of over-65 silver-set travellers, drawn to a destination for its sense of place rather than tourist attractions.
The report shows that Australia is the destination of choice (46 per cent), above Japan (42 per cent) and Hong Kong (27 per cent). A total of 69 per cent of India’s HNW tourists are planning a trip to Australia and it is the top destination of choice for Indonesian, Japanese and Singaporean travelers.
By the end of the year, travellers seeking an escape into paradise may book themselves into The Sira, a luxury Collection Resort & Spa, which opens in Lombok. Its suites and villas provide direct access to the capacious beaches overlooking the Gili Islands and legendary sunsets of Lombok, while the awe-inspiring Mount Agung rises in the horizon. The Sira also promises Marriott International’s Service of Excellence, with world-class hospitality experiences such as personalised butler services and transformative journeys.
Perhaps the biggest news of all is The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, and the newbuild luxury superyacht Ilma that embarked on a seven-night journey from Monte Carlo to Rome in early September. At 790 feet, with 224 suites (all of which are kitted out with sea-facing private terraces), five dining venues, seven bars and a signature wine vault, Ilma allows guests to enjoy both the sea and various destinations, with an inaugural season in the Mediterranean, before moving on to the North and Baltic Seas in the summer of 2025.
This year, IHG Hotels & Resorts welcomes Six Senses Kyoto, an urban sanctuary spread over six floors and 81 guest rooms, including a three-bedroom Penthouse Suite. In early next year, the 200-room Hotel Indigo Palau will welcome guests onto Malakal Island, one of the 300 remote islands of Micronesia with direct access to diving spots.
Meanwhile, Regent Bali Canggu is a late-2024 opening that showcases contemporary Indonesian design concepts with WATG architects, HBA interiors, and landscaping by the award-winning John Pettigrew. Five restaurants and bars serve up authentic Balinese cuisine and fresh local-source produce. The property, in partnership with Raison d’Etre, will also include the world’s first Regent Spa.
Among the growing portfolio of properties within Hilton Luxury, one finds a host of diverse offerings with early 2024 openings such as Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island. Here, 50 seafront villas ranging from one- to five-bedroom configurations come with personal concierges and eco-programmes, and are deliberately set behind the shoreline to leave the beach for nesting turtles. Earlier this year, the Waldorf Astoria Doha West Bay opened in Qatar’s capital, with 283 rooms and suites furnished in the hotel chain’s quintessential art deco style. This is most obvious at its opulent lobby where one finds a stunning showpiece: a striking clock created by Tiffany & Co. for the property, with a bezel evoking the tips of the falcon’s feathers—the country’s national bird.
Closer to home, Malaysians may look forward to the upcoming Conrad Kuala Lumpur and Waldorf Astoria Kuala Lumpur, while the granddaddy of them all, the Waldorf Astoria New York reopens in 2025 following its restoration spearheaded by architectural firm SOM and interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, where 375 hotel rooms and 365 private residences bring back the original Art Deco glamour of this iconic New York City belle.
The single-brand hospitality chain that is Four Seasons expands its signature luxury style and personalised service across the region with its first foray into China’s northeast with Four Seasons Hotel Dalian, a collection of 254 guest rooms and 50 suites that opens into the city skyline and the panoramic Yellow Sea. In Japan, Four Seasons Hotel Osaka offers a single floor dedicated to 21 ryokan-inspired guest rooms and private ofuro (traditional baths) for moments of zen-like calm in a kinetic city.
The exciting 2024 calendar of openings continues with Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou with five restaurants and lounges; Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at the edge of the Atlantic, a ‘Palace by the Sea’ located within lush royal gardens and with seven dining and drink options; private residences in Mumbai; and the Four Seasons Resort Mallorca, which presents a Mediterranean escape. The latter first opened in 1929, hosting a worldly elite, authors and stars, and that legacy continues this year with its rebirth introducing Four Seasons’ glamorous chic on an island that has long embodied European laid-back luxury.
Bar au Lac is a seventh-generation family-run hotel in Zurich that recently ushered in a new restaurant on the property this summer. Marguita, a new Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, supplants its previous 35-seater, two-Michelin-starred premises. This new concept expands the capacity to 120 seats, with indoor and al fresco dining, as well as interiors by the acclaimed Martin Brudnizki. Still helmed by head chef Maximillian Muller, the restaurant’s menu is now inflected with fresh seafood, grilled meats, pasta and risotto, with award-winning sommelier Marc Almert—the 2019 ASI’s Best Sommelier of the World—offering an infallible wine list.
Winter this year will see the new Serlas Wing open at Badrutt’s Palace in St. Moritz, Switzerland. This wing, designed by ACPV Architects and helmed by the design duo Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel, will feature 25 new, luxurious accommodations across six stories. It offers three new restaurants and retail options, additional points of fascination for those who frequent the location, and will be connected via underground tunnel to the main building.
“The world of Hyatt is fuelled by luxury, lifestyle, well-being and experiences,” says Carina Chorengel, senior vice president – commercial, Asia-Pacific for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. At the Park Hyatt Kyoto, a luxury hillside guesthouse in the heart of Higashiyama, a host of new immersive wellbeing experiences have been introduced including a private zazen meditation experience, as well as a sermon by the head priest in a garden within the Kiyomizu-dera temple (which is typically off limits). This focus on wellness, encapsulated in Hyatt Hotels’ ‘Be More Here’ campaign, is part of its push towards the wellness tourism market, which is projected to hit US$1.3 trillion by 2027 (it’s currently US$651 billion).
A nature-inspired wing at the refurbished Grand Hyatt Singapore, a mainstay of the Lion City’s Orchard shopping precinct, is the first intimation of the much-anticipated gradual reopening. Here, the focus on wellness also includes a Kintsugi programme, the Japanese art of repairing broken objects that promotes healing and psychological strength. As much as self-care and interpersonal relationships remain the focus, culinary is also at the forefront of the Grand Hyatt Singapore’s new offerings, with the familiar Straits Kitchen and its all-time favourites of chilli crab and popiah joined by the Italian Pete’s Place, Martini Bar, and the casual fine-dining Le Pristine Singapore, which marks the Southeast Asian debut of Chef Sergio Herman, whose restaurants have achieved three-Michelin-starred status.
Other Hyatt properties that will make its mark this year and next include the Park Hyatt in London on the Thames, and the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, located on the top 17 floors of the Merdeka 118 skyscraper—a platinum-certified eco building. Unique experiences include the one at Park Hyatt Sydney, where a curated journey into Dreamtime—an immersion into the aboriginal concept of ‘Everywhen’, a manifestation of worldly knowledge accumulated through one’s ancestors. In the Land of Smiles and City of Angels, 2025 will see the first Andaz in Bangkok open its doors, while in Shanghai, the very first Asia-Pacific Thompson lands along the banks of the Huangpu river.
Under Accor, the luxury brand portfolio comprising Orient Express, Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel and Emblems is evenly distributed across 532 hotels, 118,200 rooms, and with an almost equal distribution across Americas (26 per cent), Europe and North Africa (25 per cent), Middle East and Africa (24 per cent), and Asia-Pacific and Greater China (25 per cent). Among its new openings are Cape Grace, A Fairmont managed hotel in South Africa’s Cape Town, with fantastic views of Table Mountain on the Victoria & Albert Waterfront. Adventures include Jeep tours into the landscape and diverse wildlife of South Africa, from the Cape Winelands to the Atlantis Sand Dunes. Alternatively, take the culinary tour that brings you to food markets, local eateries and the city’s renowned restaurants.
By the end of this year, the first Orient Express in Rome opens with La Minerva Hotel, which boasts rooftop views across the eternal city. But the biggest news from Accor comes in the form of the three-masted Orient Express Silenseas, scheduled to hit the water in 2026. This 220-metre-long sailboat—the world’s largest—comes with 52 suites, which start at 52 square metres and go up to a Presidential Suite measuring 1,000 square metres.
Minor Hotels’ continual growth in the field now sees it adding trains to its offerings, with luxury railway carriage The Vietage connecting Da Nang, Hoi An, Quy Nhon and Nha Trang. On the water, November sees the 42-metre flagship ‘Bohème’ bringing back the romance of river cruising across 13 luxury cabins as it makes voyages from Chiang Rai to the ancient Lao royal capital of Luang Prabang. Along the way, guests will find silk-weaving artisans and paper-making villages. In the same month on the spiritual island of Bali, the Anantara Ubud opens into fantastic views of Mount Agung, with 66 suites and villas. The new-build, 150-room Anantara Jaipur also opens this year, announcing Anantara’s entry into India.
“From breaking records with our flagship brand to unveiling our largest property to date, we’re not merely growing—we’re thriving,” says Eddy See, CEO of Banyan Group. Founded in 1994, the hotel group offers to show ‘The Banyan Way’ via its sense of place, well-being and sustainability. Now with 84 resorts and hotels in 18 countries, the Banyan Group continues in its quest to reacquaint its guests with the romance of travel. Case in point is Banyan Tree Ringha, located in the actual Shangri-La of Tibet. In the Ashar Valley of Saudi Arabia, Banyan Tree AlUla is a tranquil desert sanctuary of 47 tented villas, surrounded by ancient rock formations and best accessed via camel.
This year, five new openings were in play. In August, the Kengo Kuma-designed Banyan Tree Kyoto Higashiyama, located in the district that bears its name, embraces guests in a bamboo forest. This 52-room property is the group’s first foray into Japan, and is located at a sacred area formed amid the boundary between the city and its mountain range to the east.
In China, the same theme of nature is seen in the 150-key residential styled Banyan Tree Dongguuan Songshan Lake. Set amidst lush forests and lakes, the property features rooms that are all equipped with their own hot spring water. At Banyan Tree Yangcheng Lake, an arrival experience via boat also includes plenty of outdoor discoveries that take guests deep into the centuries-old heritage of this area of Suzhou. Not too far away, Banyan Tee Suzhou Shishan is nestled at the base of the Shishan mountains. Meanwhile, over the Pacific Ocean and on the foothills of Baja California, Mexico, one finds the Banyan Tree Veya in Valle de Guadalupe with seven F&B outlets and 30 exclusive villas across 60 acres of land.
A homecoming of sorts is also in the works for the first half of 2025, with the eco-friendly Mandai Rainforest Resort, a 338-room property in Singapore operated by Banyan Tree, with 24 of it being elevated pods that sit above the lower canopy.
In 2024, Langham reaffirms its Michelin heritage with seven Michelin stars through five restaurants across its Shanghai and Hong Kong properties. The pick of the bunch, of course, is T’ang Court at The Langham, Hong Kong, which has retained its three-star rating for a ninth consecutive year—the longest three-star winning streak for a Cantonese restaurant on Hong Kong’s guide. New Langham locations coming up in the region include The Langham, Customs House in Bangkok, The Langham, Tokyo, and in four Chinese cities; Nanjing, Foshan, Chengdu and Xiamen.
Back in Singapore, The Standard, Singapore—long anticipated and awaited—finally announces its opening in the last quarter of 2024. This property, situated between the Orchard Road shopping precinct and the bucolic UNESCO Botanic Gardens, serves up the delicious juxtaposition that the brand brings to its locale. Across eight floors and 143 rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, the hotel is kitted out with views across the pool and greenery, pensive and provocative art installations, and a splendid range of F&B options that reimagine cuisine through Kaya izakaya, with its swath of robatayaki and maki rolls, as well as Café Standard with its buzzy vibe, American fare, natural wines and craft beers, all within a bistro set.
Located at the city’s ultra-modern waterfront neighbourhood along the historic Dubai Creek, the new 122-key Palace Dubai Creek Harbour provides access to more than 700,000 square metres of parks and open spaces, as well as more than 66,000 square metres of cultural space, pedestrian-friendly streets and a stunning promenade. Inside, be wowed by its palatial grandeur, with an unmistakably Arabesque décor, heritage art pieces and contemporary architecture. Dining comes with Fai Lounge, a vibrant pool lounge by day and trendy venue by evening, while Ewaan and Al Bayt serves up Levantine and Arabian delicacies.
Promoting the idea of ‘Graceful Luxury’ in 18 gateway cities (and growing), the Pan Pacific Hotels Group continues its streak in the wake of its spectacular Pan Pacific London property that opened last year. Also celebrating its first anniversary this year is the Bellustar Tokyo, a Pan Pacific Hotel, which takes up residence on the top nine floors of the Yuko Nagayama-designed Kabukicho Tower, a 47-storey building in the heart of Tokyo’s Shinjuku.
Small Luxury Hotels (SLH), currently with 579 hotels live, returns to Laos with The Namkhan, a relaxing riverine retreat, while also announcing its first hotels in Pakistan (Townhouse in Islamabad), Nepal (Varnabas in Kathmandu), and Ecuador. The London-based owners of SLH, the brother-and-sister duo of Daniel Shamoon and Jennica Arazi, continue the family legacy by selecting properties that average around 50 rooms, most of them independently owned. The duo’s own ownership also includes Nobu in Marbella, Marrakech and Ibiza Bay. In Japan, the 15th SLH property is a hotel-in-hotel concept called Nagoya Kanko Hotel Espacio, which functions as a second home and provides ‘time hospitality’ for urbanites looking for the conveniences of apartment living. Out in Rajasthan, India, the Brij Pola, Jawai proposes glamping with leopard safaris amid the granite boulders and hills of Jawai.
“Our opening line of ideology is that we believe if everyone travelled a bit more, the world becomes a better place,” says Michelle Woodley, president of Preferred Travel Group, the world’s largest independent hotel brand. Collectively, the group represents more than 1,000 hotels in 90 countries. Of these, 19 hotels have been honoured by the Michelin Key while 38 include Michelin-starred restaurants. Its ‘I Prefer’ guest benefit programme has just surpassed five million active members. In the summer of 2024, it welcomed the 66-room Tudor-styled Pendry Natirar in New Jersey, a property formerly owned by the King of Morocco. In Nice, you find Maison Albar le Victoria with its deck shaped like a ship, while December 2024 will see the US$117 million Visions Resort & Spa residential-styled property open in Davenport, Florida, just minutes from Disney World.
Abercrombie & Kent, which specialises in immersing guests in memorable encounters on all seven continents, sticks close to founder Geoffrey Kent’s ethos: “combining adventure by day and luxury by night”. The travel company, which promises travellers a way to live 100 lifetimes at once, announces a new lodge in Mexico, new ones in Kenya, an elephant lodge in Namibia, a private jet experience in Tunisia, a fifth river ship in Egypt, and a new one in Peru. Next year, Kent himself leads a trip to the Raja Ampat archipelago in Indonesia—an itinerary that he’s worked on for more than a decade.
The gradually growing Rocco Forte family, comprising 14 properties, from St. Petersburg, Russia, to Verdura, Sicily, now sees new openings at the latter with 20 private villas and a further 47 bespoke villas with bedroom configurations ranging from three to seven (prices start at €3.2 million). Amenities and attractions include golf, spa and dining. By the second quarter of 2025, the design district of Milan will welcome The Carlton, a 70 room-and-suite property with its own restaurant and lounge bar, as well as a panoramic rooftop bar that grants 360-degree views of the city. The Carlton is an endeavour that required the existing building to be completely emptied and rebuilt by the collective talents of famed decorators Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen, as well as British hotelier and interior designer Olga Polizi.
“Milan is one of the world’s most dynamic and design-centric destinations, a creative and vigorous city. It has always been an extremely productive centre with even greater development generated by the success of the Expo in 2015,” says Sir Rocco Forte, founder and president of Rocco Forte Hotels. “We have great confidence in Milan’s future and the many international events and visitors it welcomes every year. And we are thrilled to confront this extraordinary city and bring our philosophy of luxury and quality here.”
Across the Rocco Forte properties, an exceptional curation of experiences abounds: a gladiator school in Rome, the world of puppetry in Palermo, following in the footsteps of the Nightwatchmen in Munich, a Mini Cooper tour of London, being choppered out to The Macallan distillery from Balmoral, and an Indiana Jones-inspired itinerary in Sicily. For families, the first Fairytale Suite by Hamleys is available for booking at Rome’s Hotel de Russie until 7 January 2025.
Come 2025, the 93-key Capella at Galaxy Macau will usher in a new sense of serenity at this destination. “Through our partnership with Galaxy Entertainment Group, we are excited to introduce travellers to Macau’s rich cultural heritage, delivering thoughtful and enriching experiences while fostering meaningful connections with the local community,” says Evan Kwee, Vice-Chairman of Capella Hotel Group. Among its party tricks are the 36 Sky Villas with full-length transparent infinity-edged swimming pools on the balcony, sunroom, outdoor lounge and a hidden winter garden to allow guests to bask in togetherness among the interiors of Paris-based interior design firm Moinard Bētaille.
In Beijing, The Puxuan Hotel and Spa, nestled amid the Forbdden City and WangFujing shopping district, celebrates its past through a series of Beijing Immersion programmes. Among the quintet of offerings are a discovery of Confucius’ Secrets, which retraces the doctrines and impact of this sixth-century BC philosopher. Meanwhile, Stories & Supper in Beijing takes you on a nocturnal traipse to see The Forbidden City and the National Stadium—also fondly known as the Bird’s Nest—before wrapping up at bustling Gujie (or Ghost Street) where all manner of street food can be found. Other offerings including a helicopter tour to the Great Wall, visiting the city’s famed hutongs with expert guides, and bespoke traditional Chinese medicine sessions where more than a thousand years of expertise are applied to restore you to optimal health.
Across the Urban Resorts Concept properties, The PuLi in Shanghai celebrates the eighth consecutive year that its Phénix restaurant has merited its one Michelin star, while The RuMa in Kuala Lumpur strives to eliminate all single-use plastics by the end of this year.
This year, Shoreditch becomes the neighbourhood that will host the first London property by Virgin Hotels, in the wake of the Edinburgh and New York openings last year. Here in this vibrant neighbourhood, a crossroads of tech, fashion, culture and creative arts, Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch makes its fall debut with its Spanish restaurant BiBo with chef Dani Garcia, a rooftop bar, pool and private members’ club as well as gym and treatment rooms managed by Ibiza’s Blue Marlin.
Still in London, and a mere 10 minutes’ walk from Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace, one finds The Mayfair Townhouse, a lifestyle offering for the modern traveller. Its whimsical roots offer a fun mystery called ‘The Dandy Fox Trail’ that will have you criss-crossing London streets in a discovery of unique locations in which to hang out and places to lounge.
A host of national tourism boards that participated in ILTM this year also showcased new and unique experiences. Among them is Tourism Switzerland, which strives to show tourists the hidden gems between landmarks to complete their travel experience via its interactive and engaging My Switzerland portal. With its trains, such as the Bernina Express and Glacier Express, the transfer between points becomes an excursion in itself. And in warmer climes, you could also embark on a tuk-tuk experience from Geneva city into the vineyards.
Tourism Australia continues its deep dive into what makes Australian luxury unique—its extraordinary landscapes and local characters that bring these experiences to life. That breadth of barefoot and soft adventure is encapsulated by its ‘Signature Experiences’ that align with travellers’ passion points. Nature and wildlife journeys with Sydney Bespoke Tours bring travellers on wildlife safaris and to charming towns of the highlands, while the Perth Wildlife Encounters provide coastal safaris and swimming with dolphins.
Osborn House in New South Wales, a boutique hotel set amidst the state’s southern highlands, offers forest bathing leading to ice baths, saunas, jacuzzi, fire pits and unparalleled views of the isolated forests of Morton National Park.
On the food and beverage front, new experiences include Dinner with David, described as “a ridiculously lavish, private degustation” at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart, Tasmania, as well as dining in the inviting warmth of Restaurant Botanic in Adelaide with its 26 plates of the finest Aussie produce.
On the Tourism Australia portal, one can locate a slew of experiences with ever-popular vineyard tours—the latest being sparkling wine Chandon in the Yarra Valley among the new joiners. And for the golfers, you can find nine of the world’s top 100 courses, with 31 members who facilitate entry into private golf clubs.
Last but certainly far from the least is the Japan National Tourism Organisation, whose highlighted offerings on Discover Japan include learning from descendants of actual samurai or sampling of washoku—a rite of gastronomy that has been part of the country’s identity—through having kaiseki in Kyoto restaurants that have been serving patrons for more than 400 years. Here, dishes are presented as art, with a Zen-like cadence in the order and rhythm.
Photography: Various hotel groups, Tourism boards and Unsplash
