What to Know About Luxury Hotels for 2023: The Best New Hotel Openings, Top Trends and More

When it comes to the wonderful world of luxury hotels, few people are more knowledgeable than Ignacio Maza, who serves as executive vice president at Signature Travel Network. Besides launching the consortium’s Hotel & Resort and Destination Specialist programs, he also oversees luxury sales for the group — and is widely considered to be Signature travel advisors’ go-to source for everything related to hotels and resorts. 

Here, Maza breaks down the consortia’s booking data to reveal trends related to destinations, room rates and booking windows — and also shares the top new properties that should be on every luxury hotel lover’s must-visit list for 2023.

What luxury hotel properties are opening in 2023 that Signature is most excited about?

We are very excited about these openings, among many others: 

- InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace, the former library of the U.S. Embassy and home to visiting diplomats, [which has been] completely reimagined. It’s scheduled to open in March of 2023. 

- Maroma, a Belmond Hotel, an intimate, authentic luxury resort on one of the best beaches of the Riviera Maya, coming May 2023.

- Peninsula Istanbul, facing the Bosphorus, in the historic district of Karakoy. It’s opening in February 2023.

- Southern Ocean Lodge in Kangaroo Island, Australia. The beautiful Baillie Lodge flagship that burned down during the terrible fires that hit the island will be fully rebuilt and reopen in September 2023. 

- Bab al Shams, United Arab Emirates. A new desert retreat in a nature conservation area, one hour from Dubai, opening March 2023.

- Casa Baglioni Milan, a modern, 1960s-style, intimate hotel with only 30 suites and guestrooms in Milan’s Brera district. Scheduled to open January 16, 2023.

- Six Senses Rome, a historic Italian palazzo transformed into a tranquil, elegant retreat, set to open in February 2023.

During the pandemic, some amazing luxury resorts opened, but to little fanfare. Are there any such hotels that you love and want advisors to know about?

Many great hotels opened during the pandemic and did not get the attention they deserved. Among them are: 

- Hacienda Altagracia, an Auberge Resort, in Costa Rica’s Perez Zeledon district, southeast of San Jose. This mountainside resort is devoted to wellness and active/adventure escapes, with freestanding villas and casitas.

- SO/Paris, Accor Hotels’ newest opening in the French Capital, is a modern hotel facing Ile Saint-Louis, with great views of the Seine River and the city.

- Alila Marea Beach Resort, north of San Diego, Calif., opened last year. [It has] spacious guestrooms, a family-friendly vibe and is on a bluff facing the Pacific.

- InterContinental Barcelona opened last year in the Montjuic district. This modern property was the only luxury hotel to open in Barcelona in 2021. 

When you look at booking data for 2023, what destinations are most popular? 

There are several trends for 2023 that we are seeing. There is continued demand for sought-after destinations such as Europe, Mexico (especially Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta/Riviera Nayarit and key island destinations in the Caribbean (Turks and Caicos, Anguilla and St. Maarten). 

We are also seeing strong demand for destinations that were closed during the pandemic and have now re-opened, such as Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand.

What trends is Signature seeing in the hotel space right now?

There are higher rates across the board, especially in sought-after destinations in the U.S. and overseas; more investment in technology, with contactless check-in/check-out and more automation in the guestrooms; and more focus on work-friendly spaces in the guestrooms and other areas of the hotel.

What are some wellness and sustainability trends you’re seeing?

There’s a focus on wellness with bigger fitness centers, more options off-property (such as jogging paths and yoga classes) and upgraded spa facilities. There is also a focus on sustainability through small considerations, such as getting rid of small bottles of toiletries and replacing them with large dispensers that are less wasteful.  

Are there more or less hotel brands now?

There are more brands. Hilton launched Tempo. Kerzner International Holdings launched Rare Finds. Aman Resorts launched Janu. Hyatt launched Caption by Hyatt. Timbers Company launched Soleil Hotels & Resorts.

There are way too many hotel brands. Consider this: Marriott, InterContinental, Hyatt and Hilton combined have 90 brands and counting.

There are way too many hotel brands. Consider this: Marriott, InterContinental, Hyatt and Hilton combined have 90 brands and counting.

Will room rates continue to rise at domestic hotels? 

Our forecast is that rates will continue to rise 8-10% in sought-after U.S. destinations, such as Las Vegas, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles and Miami. 

Rates will stabilize in markets where there is a great influx of new hotel inventory coming online, such as Austin, Texas, and Nashville, Tenn.

What about room rates abroad? Will we see them maintain, increase or decrease? 

We foresee continued high rates in popular European destinations such as Italy; Greece; Barcelona and Mallorca, Spain; Iceland; Paris; the Caribbean; Riviera Maya, Mexico; Costa Rica; and Canada. 

Are advisors seeing any impacts or complaints from clients regarding hotel average daily rates?

We have been getting complaints from guests who stay at hotels with high rates and poor or limited service. In general, the situation is getting better, but the past two years have been very challenging at certain city hotels and resorts that were not able to properly service their guests on property.   

Are hotels properly staffed now? 

Overall, the situation has improved, but many hotels are not fully staffed yet. In some cases, there is still a gap between the guests’ expectation and the reality on property.

Will we be seeing any COVID-19-era changes persist in the hotel experience?

We will see a continued push to automate the check-in/check-out process and more technology in the rooms (such as iPads to turn off the lights, order room service and book spa appointments). Staffing will continue to be a challenge in 2023, although we predict the situation will keep improving.

And what destinations should advisors be looking at for the best value and experiences (and fewer crowds)? 

For great value, book Europe’s overlooked regions: Italy’s Piedmont, Spain’s Extremadura, England’s Yorkshire, France’s southwest and Greece’s Peloponnese — they are much less expensive than popular regions and much less crowded.

For great value, book Europe’s overlooked regions: Italy’s Piedmont, Spain’s Extremadura, England’s Yorkshire, France’s southwest and Greece’s Peloponnese — they are much less expensive than popular regions and much less crowded.

Also, think about South America — Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil all offer great value due to the strong U.S. dollar.

And Japan is much more affordable due to the dollar/yen exchange rate. Tokyo and Kyoto will be crowded, but there are many regions and cities off the beaten path that offer great value and fewer crowds, such as Hokkaido, Nagasaki, Kyushu island and the Japanese Alps.

Have booking windows increased?

We are seeing a longer booking window. Our travelers are making plans for late 2023 and 2024.

What else is Signature seeing for 2023 when it comes to destinations and hotels?

We’re seeing more off-season travel. More clients are traveling in late fall, winter and early spring to Europe. Hotels are also staying open later, so now travelers can celebrate Thanksgiving in Tuscany, Christmas in Sicily, etc. 

There is also great interest in going further. Places such as Bhutan, the Maldives, Antarctica, Greenland, Western Australia, Patagonia, Mongolia and Central Asia are high on sophisticated travelers’ wish lists.

We are also seeing the truth in the saying, “If you build it, they will come.” The new Explora Lodge in Argentina’s Patagonia is nearly sold out this coming season. A number of luxury lodges in Botswana, South Africa and Kenya are heavily booked for 2023. If you build a resort that is unique and special, travelers will find a path to your door.