These Are the Most Exciting Hotels Opening in 2026
These are the properties we have our eyes on for the coming year.
Photo courtesy of Outbound Yosemite
If you’re one of those people who likes making vision boards this time of year (raises hand), you’re going to want to put some of these properties on your list. 2026 is shaping up to be a standout year for hotel openings across the Western U.S. and Mexico, with a wave of long-awaited re-openings, design-driven nature lodges, and ultra-luxury coastal resorts finally coming online. These hotels, which embody a sense of place rooted in their landscapes, are the ones that travelers will be talking about—and planning trips around—in 2026.
White Elephant Aspen — Aspen
The beloved White Elephant brand brings its understated, polished aesthetic to the Rockies with an opening slated for early 2026. Designed to shine well beyond ski season, the hotel taps into Aspen’s growing appeal as a summer and shoulder-season destination, where hiking, mountain biking, and high elevation fun all are worth tapping into well beyond the time when the powder has melted.
Outbound Yosemite — Yosemite National Park
We’re huge fans of adventure-adjacent hotels, so this one located near one of the West’s most iconic national parks is definitely on the radar. Opening in June 2026 near Yosemite’s south entrance, Outbound Yosemite delivers a fresh take on the national-park gateway hotel. Modern cabins, communal gathering spaces, and a strong sense of design make it an easy basecamp for exploring the park without sacrificing comfort or style.
The Huntington Hotel — San Francisco
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San Francisco is definitely having its comeback moment, and this property is the feather in its cap. After years of anticipation, one of the city’s most iconic hotels is set to reopen in spring, with interiors by acclaimed local designer Ken Fulk. Complete with the revamp of its Big Four restaurant, the Nob Hill property’s revival feels like a cultural moment, a confident nod to the city’s grand past, reimagined for today.
Amanvari — Baja California Sur
Amangiri is undoubtedly one of the West’s greatest hotel properties, and now the brand is opening up its first Mexican resort scheduled to welcome guests to Baja in spring 2026. The property is located in the region’s stunning East Cape overlooking the Sea of Cortez, an area fantastic for diving, surfing, and generally luxuriating. With just 18 standalone casitas and a low-density, deeply serene layout, Amanvari is poised to become one of the most exclusive—and talked-about—openings of the year.
Siari, a Ritz‑Carlton Reserve — Riviera Nayarit
Slated to open in 2026, Siari marks the arrival of Ritz-Carlton Reserve—the brand’s most rarefied tier—on Mexico’s Pacific coast. It will be in good company with our other favorite properties in the area including Naviva, Four Seasons Punta Mita and further South, Four Seasons Tamarindo, making the area as a whole worth an extended road trip. Designed for deep immersion rather than spectacle, the resort emphasizes seclusion, nature, and a slower rhythm, with villas and experiences woven into the landscape.
Six Senses Xala — Costalegre
Planned for Mexico’s wild Costalegre coast, Six Senses Xala is a widely anticipated property within the development that might open in 2026, though some timelines suggest it could extend into 2027. Whenever it debuts, the resort will bring Six Senses’ signature mix of wellness, sustainability, and barefoot luxury to one of the country’s least-developed shorelines, marked by spectacular birding, world-class surf, and relatively untouched coastline that lends the true feeling of barefoot, off-the-beaten-path luxury.
The Cottages at Little Saint — Healdsburg
While not a brand-new opening, the Cottages at Little Saint are firmly in the spotlight heading into the new year. The private, design-forward cottages have been slowly coming online during the final quarter of 2025, and are ready for their official debut. With playful designs by Ken Fulk that include hidden armoire doorways à la Narnia and whimsical custom wallpaper that climbs up from the floor and across the ceiling, the cottages offer a quiet, residential alternative to traditional wine-country hotels and reflect the continued trend in the travel world toward smaller-scale, more intentional stays.
