20 Hotels and Resorts That Opened During the Pandemic

While many were stuck in their homes without the opportunity to travel or stay at a hotel this past year, several hotels and resorts actually opened their doors during the pandemic! Here are some great new hotels that opened last year and earlier this year, both near and far.

Officially open this month, the adults-only Hotel Xcaret Arte joins Hotel Xcaret Mexico in Riviera Maya. The property is equipped with 900 suites, 10 bars and lounges, a spa, several pools and events and convention facilities. Guests of Hotel Xcaret Arte can enjoy unlimited access to Grupo Xcaret's seven eco-adventure parks, which include Xcaret, Xel-Ha, Xplor, Xplor Fuego, Xavage, Xoximilco and Xenses as well as Xenotes and Xichen tours.

Located on the coastline of San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve offers panoramic views of the sea, luxurious accommodations, delicious local cuisine and Spa Alkemia, which uses local ingredients and cultural practices to its treatments. Guests can choose from a variety of modern accommodation styles, including rooms with wide terraces overlooking the beach and the sea, as well as private villas.

Cara Hotel is a newly opened 60-room boutique hotel located in a completely renovated motel from the 1950s in Los Feliz, California. The new hotel offers beautiful accommodations in light, breezy neutral colors and features works of art from local artists. With a beautiful central courtyard, a reflecting pool and an on-site restaurant and cafe, the Cara Hotel is a relaxing escape from daily life, for both California natives and out-of-towners.

The Joseph, a Luxury Collection Hotel, is a newly built Nashville hotel that features unique touches and brilliant pieces of artwork throughout the property. From custom-sketched coffee cups to a Misha Kahn chandelier above the bar, each touch rings with an eye towards modern culture. The hotel offers a rooftop pool, several dining options, a spa and salon, as well as several different styles of suites with floor-to-ceiling views of the city.

Enter a luxurious new world with the St. Regis Cairo. With over 200 suites and 80 apartments in a modern, elegant Egyptian style that features hand-carved wooden details, hand-painted walls and other special accents, guests have plenty of options to fit their needs. The hotel offers eight restaurants, bars and lounges, as well as a spa with sensory experiences like an ice room, adventure shower and more.

Located on the site of what was once the 300-year-old ancestral home of the Mitsui family, Hotel The Mitsui in Kyoto, Japan offers a beautiful and serene accommodation directly opposite the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Nijo Castle. The hotel also features the historic gate from the Mitsui home, as well as several different room and suite styles to choose from, all styled in calming neutrals with warm wood tones. The hotel is the only one in Kyoto's city center to have its own hot spring, or onsen, on-property, and also offers a spa for the ultimate relaxation experience. A modern Japanese garden lies in the heart of the hotel, offering guests garden views in some rooms and suites.

The JW Marriott Tampa Water Street in Tampa, Florida opened in December of 2020 and is located near the city's convention center. It offers the largest hotel ballroom in the city, two restaurants, a terrace overlooking the city and a pool with a sun terrace. The hotel features contemporary design with touches of gold accents and bright pops of color, while its rooms offer a more neutral palette.

The St. Regis Bermuda Resort is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Town of St. George, Bermuda. Its Residences opened this May, with the resort still to come. The Residences offer multi-bedroom options with a modern, coastal design complete with full kitchens for longer or more private stays. The resort is located on its own private peninsula, complete with a beautiful private beach, golf course and more.

The Yucatan Resort Playa del Carmen officially opened May 12 as the first Tapestry Collection by Hilton all-inclusive resort. The adults-only resort is a four-story property with sixty modern guest rooms and suites, a rooftop pool and bar area, a spa and an ideal location in Playa del Carmen's Fifth Avenue.

Wild Rice Retreat is the Midwest's first all-inclusive wellness retreat. It officially opened in May and is located outside of Bayfield, Wisconsin near the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It offers personal or group retreats, with wellness activities like yoga, jewelry-making, metalsmithing, photography and more, in order to help foster long-term wellness. Wild Rice Retreat offers 19 different lodges, ranging from a modern Scandinavian-style tiny home to the larger and no less modern Treehaus, which can sleep up to 8 individuals. Each lodging option provides beautiful views of the surrounding forest, while some provide lake views, too.

The Mangrove Beach Corendon Curaçao Resort opened in June of 2020 and is set to join the Curio Collection by Hilton this September. The property offers a family-friendly atmosphere, with a waterpark and large beach to enjoy. This resort offers eight restaurants and bars, including a cigar lounge, as well as two silent pools and a lazy river for when you'd like to relax and take it slow. The hotel's style takes cues from the 1960s, with jewel-toned accents and mid-century modern decor.

The Grand Universe Lucca, Autograph Collection opened last November in Lucca, Italy's city center. Set inside a restored palazzo, the hotel offers a calming modern design with luxurious velvet accents. The rooms are named after Italian composers and musicians, a nod to the city's musical past. In fact, the hotel also employs its own composer, who will compose a personal song on the piano for the hotel's guests. Guests can also engage in a variety of local experiences, like making pasta from scratch or learning about the region's honey production. This year, the city of Lucca will welcome big stars like John Legend and Celine Dion for the 2021 Lucca Summer Festival.

The Hilton Aventura Miami opened March 2021, featuring a modern design with a neutral black and white palette punctuated by metallic decor and furniture, including a dazzling chandelier in the lobby. The hotel offers a yoga studio, a restaurant, a bar and a terrace pool with beautiful city views. The hotel features four different styles of rooms to choose from.

Located in Antigua, Guatemala, Villa Bokeh is a luxury hotel offering just seven rooms on its hacienda-style property. Featuring a 6-acre garden, private balconies, views into the rainforest and to the volcano beyond, as well as a private lagoon, it's a perfect retreat from a traditional hotel or resort experience. It opened earlier this June, and offers plenty to explore.

Opened in April, 2021, the Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis is the only hotel to grace the famous Beale Street, known for its music scene and other entertainment. The hotel offers 227 rooms, a resort-style pool, a riverfront restaurant and a rooftop bar that also features live music and beautiful city views. The hotel features a modern exterior and a modern industrial interior, with brass accents, leather and metal finishes, as well as a palette featuring yellows and grays.

The Hôtel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf St. Barth opened in fall of last year, offering a luxurious accommodation on the gorgeous Caribbean island. It's already received accolades as Travel + Leisure's "Best New Hotels in the World" list. Featuring a tropical design, the resort offers rooms, suites and private villas. Guests can indulge in the resort's great food and wellness options, as well as explore the island with electric bikes, provided free by the resort.

The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko is located within the historic UNESCO World Heritage Site of Nikko, Japan, located just a few hours north of Tokyo. Guest rooms can feature views of Mount Nantai and Lake Chuzenji, and are designed in a modern Japanese style, offering serenity and a place to calm the mind. The hotel is within close proximity to shrines, temples and Nikko National Park and offers plenty of outdoor experiences to enjoy, as well as an on-site onsen.

The first Conrad property in Mexico, the Conrad Punta de Mita opened in September 2020, designed with natural features and with the area's local culture and ecosystem in mind. With a range of suite styles, some with oceanfront views and private hot tubs or plunge pools, guests will be able to relax and soak in the area's beauty. The resort offers eight restaurants and bars to enjoy, as well as the Agave Studio, which hosts private and group workshops, as well as regional cooking classes.

Xigera Safari Lodge, a member of the Beyond Green brand, is located in the lush Okavango Delta region in Botswana. A stay at this incredible lodge offers guests the comforts of a luxury resort and all of the experiences of a safari vacation.

Vill Dagmar, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, opened earlier this summer and is connected to Stockholm's Östermalmshallen market hall. With 70 rooms in a historic Art Nouveau building, Villa Dagmar offers its guests a historic stay in the heart of the city, complete with an on-site flower shop, spa and shopping experiences. The hotel also offers a restaurant headed by Michelin-star chefs.