Condé Nast Traveler - The Best New Hotels in the World: 2021 Hot List
For the 25th edition of the Hot List—Condé Nast Traveler’s picks of the year's top hotel and industry openings—these 69 winners represent the best of the best.
For the 25th edition of the Hot List—Condé Nast Traveler’s picks of the year's top hotel and industry openings—these 69 winners represent the best of the best. - This year’s annual Hot List of the best new hotels from around the world is a story of resilience. Despite enormous hardship in the travel industry, exceptional properties have continued to open across the globe (nearly a thousand last year in the U.S. alone). As always with this endeavor, each of the 69 picks on this year’s list was safely vetted by our international network of correspondents. But as we’ve learned in the past year, everything is connected, which is why we’ve also expanded the scope of hot to include restaurants, transportation, and destinations, as well as more news we’re excited about set for later this year. In spite of it all, these new hotels represent a success story all on their own. We think they’re a pretty great way to mark the 25th anniversary of this list.
THE ROCKAWAY HOTEL: The Rockaway, when it was announced, seemed to be a tall order: a hip, boutique hotel in the heart of a community beach enclave (the Irish pub across the street is family-run and full of regulars). The community was skeptical; do we need to be bringing in weekenders from the city and farther afield? For them, The Rockaways has everything they need. But the owners—local boys done good in Manhattan—knew they could bring a cool hotel to the area that would both serve visitors and the community. The result? Sunny, blonde wood rooms and a chic poolside bistro all a few blocks from the beach. Indeed, judging from the number of locals who come in for breakfast, a bite, to say hi, or grab a coffee throughout the day, they've pulled it off. And the beleaguered guests coming in for short- or long-term stays, ready to plotz by the pool with a book, hit the rooftop bar for a drink, and join those locals with regular fitness classes, not to mention walk the boardwalk one block over, too. The Rockaway Hotel is bringing something new to the community—without replacing anything it already has.