World's hottest and hautest new hotels for 2017

Alila Fort Bishangarh

If you always imagined that you were a royal warlord in a past life – and, frankly, who hasn't entertained the notion – this is the place for you. The 59-suite Alila Fort Bishangarh, opening in Jaipur, India, on Feb. 28, is centred around a historic hilltop fortress with two-metre-thick walls and views of the Rajasthani countryside. A new addition houses guest accommodations and lavish public spaces. In addition to indoor and outdoor dining, you can enjoy cigars and cognacs while nestled in a turret, or head to a bar, lounge, library, pool, fitness centre, children's club, expansive lawns, organic garden, or spa, where the pressing of the flesh is no doubt much more enjoyable than in the old days when this space served as the dungeon. Rates from $375.

Park Hyatt St. Kitts

Facebook status: "Chillaxing with a fruity cocktail on Banana Beach. (No, that's not a euphemism)." Yes, that could be you, when the Park Hyatt St. Kitts opens on this secluded white-sand beach on St. Kitts this summer. If the exotic Caribbean location with easy access to neighbouring Nevis isn't enough, the resort also offers two swimming pools – one for families and another just for the grown-ups, a spa, kids' camp, and several food and dining options, including a rum bar. The 126-room hotel features 48 suites, some of which have rooftop swimming pools, and a three-bedroom presidential villa with butler service and a private chef. Opening rates from $510 low season, $1,210 high season.

The Whitby New York

Firmdale Hotels' husband-and-wife team Tim and Kit Kemp, owners of New York's Crosby Street Hotel and a cadre of cozy lodgings around London, are expected to deliver once again. The couple, renowned for their colourful patterns and textures, will welcome the Whitby New York to the world on Feb. 27. Located in Midtown Manhattan, the property will feature 86 rooms (many with private terraces), an all-day dining bar and restaurant, terrace, library, orangery, gym, and 130-seat cinema. Rates from $1,060 CDN.

Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne

The Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, opening this summer, combines eco-friendly style and holistic, healthy living. Nestled on a wooded ridge above Switzerland's Lake Lucerne, the 148-acre Alpine property has a 9,940-square-metre spa with three pools, 18 treatment rooms, fitness area, yoga studio, hammam, sauna, whirlpools and a Kneipp hydrotherapy bath; nine-hole golf course; three championship tennis courts; curling rink; 69 km of hiking and biking trails; and a private lido on the lake for water sports. After an active day, you won't feel so guilty indulging at one of the 13 restaurants and bars … or catching a lift in Europe's highest outdoor elevator, as opposed to taking the stairs. Choose from four lodgings: three-star, 12-room 19th-century Taverne ($195); 108-room, four-star superior Palace (from $575); 102-room, five-star superior Bürgenstock (from $1,050CDN); and 160-room, five-star Waldhotel Healthy Living, offering healthy meals, spa services, and facilities for medical check-ups, physical therapy, weight loss, and post-operative convalescence (from $705).

Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square

If you think London has just one season – the rainy one – then perhaps it's time you experienced the Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square, opening in the British capital on Jan. 26. With a list of amenities nearly as long as its name (three restaurants, including the first U.K. outpost of a Michelin-starred French establishment, plus fully customizable beds, a spa, salon for hand and foot treatments, indoor pool, fitness centre and personal shoppers), you won't mind holing up in this 100-guest-room, Grade II-listed heritage building if it's bucketing down outside. On the off-chance that sunshine prevails, however, this former headquarters of the Port of London Authority is conveniently close to attractions like the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the Globe Theatre. Opening rates from $565.

The Duxton Club, a Luxury Collection Hotel Singapore

Sip a Singapore Sling in sophisticated surroundings at the Duxton Club, opening the second half of 2017 near Singapore's Chinatown and the Central Business District of Tanjong Pagar. Starwood Hotels & Resorts has partnered with boutique developers Harpreet and Satinder Garcha to introduce the development, housed in two prewar colonial heritage buildings 200 metres apart. The Duxton House will accommodate 50 rooms, a restaurant, bar and cigar room, with designer Anouska Hempel adding rich oriental accents to create a luxe oasis in the city. Architect and designer Jacques Garcia, whose restoration projects include the Louvre and Versailles, is overseeing the transformation of the 138-room the Duxton Terrace, which will encompass five food and beverage venues, a pool, fitness centre and cigar room. Rates TBA.

Adare Manor

Adare you to resist this 19th-century neo-Gothic mansion hotel in Ireland's County Limerick after it emerges from an 18-month, multimillion-dollar renovation on Sept. 1. The revamp includes a refurbished championship golf course by Tom Fazio, a new spa, pool, and cinema, and an extension housing 42 new rooms, bringing the total number of accommodations to 104. Wandering through the property's 800 acres of parkland, walled gardens, medieval ruins and walking trails alongside the River Maigue – all just half an hour from Shannon International Airport – you'll feel as though you were "to the manor born." From $455.

The Fontenay

Hamburg is "haute." With 15 Michelin stars scattered among 10 of the city's restauarants and the spankin' new Elbphilharmonie Hamburg state-of-the-art concert hall, Germany's second largest metropolis is establishing itself as the country's capital of culture. The Fontenay, the first five-star hotel unveiled here in nearly 20 years, will further enhance Hamburg's reputation when it opens this autumn. Located a 10-minute walk from the city centre on the shores of Alster Lake, the property will have 131 rooms and suites, four dining venues, a spa offering therapeutic and medical treatments, and a 7.5-kilometre jogging route along the lake. From $490.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills

You'll find your thrills at Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, debuting this June in one of California's chicest neighbourhoods. Star-worthy amenities range from VIP cabanas for guests beside the rooftop pool, a restaurant headed by acclaimed Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, a personal concierge service, La Prairie spa, and garden area. Each of the 119 rooms and 51 suites, including a presidential suite, and three villas with private dipping pools, offers unobstructed views across the City of Angels. From $1,085.

parq Vancouver

Park yourself a bit closer to home with a stay at parq Vancouver, a hip hub of restaurants and gaming set to open in the midst of Vancouver's entertainment district. On Sept. 30, two new hotels are expected to launch in this vast development: the 329-room JW Marriott parq Vancouver (from $399) and the 188-room DOUGLAS, an Autograph Collection Hotel (from $409). Both hotels are connected via an elevated, 2,787-square-metre park, a casino, meeting and event space, and a variety of restaurants and lounges led by James Beard Award-nominated restaurateur Elizabeth Blau and her husband, Chef Kim Canteenwalla. Additionally, the JW Marriott parq Vancouver features a spa and fitness centre, while the DOUGLAS offers fire pits and handcrafted cocktails in the park.