Checking out the latest hotel and resort news
ANN RUPPENSTEIN
A round up of the latest hotel and resort news to inspire travel.
Rancho Pescadero has undergone an expansion and is now part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Set on 30 acres in Todos Santos, Mexico — an hour north of the San José del Cabo International Airport — the boutique property first opened in 2009 with 12 rooms. After a four year transformation, the property now features 91 rooms and suites, in addition to the 12 oceanfront villas built into the dunes.
Rancho Pescadero is set on 1,100 feet of ocean frontage with nine interconnected gardens, two farms and a citrus orchard that drive its culinary and wellness programs. There’s also a sea turtle hatchery, a tropical bird sanctuary, and hiking/biking paths throughout.
The adults-only resort is owned by Lisa Harper of Rancho Resorts LLC and is a member of Virtuoso.
This September, Kempinski Hotels took over the former Ritz-Carlton Cancun Hotel and renamed it Grand Hotel Cancún managed by Kempinski. The property marks the first Kempsinki property on the North American continent.
The property offers 363 rooms and suites — all featuring private balconies or terraces with a panoramic view of the Caribbean Sea. The hotel’s amenities include a fitness centre with sauna and steam rooms, a tennis centre, private cabanas and lounges on a 400-meter stretch of beach, a beauty salon and a kids’ club. Located in Cancun’s hotel zone, the property is just 25 minutes from the Cancun International Airport or downtown Cancun.
Hilton is set to debut a Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts property in Costa Rica for the first time.
The new build Waldorf Astoria Guanacaste is expected to open in 2025 and will feature 190 guest rooms and suites and 25 private residences with ocean views.
Amenities will include a soothing holistic wellness centre with a state-of-the-art gym, movement studio, outdoor yoga, and lap and thermal pools. The cenote-inspired spa will have eight treatment rooms, plus three outdoor treatment rooms emulating a tree house, along with a variety of signature Waldorf Astoria Spa treatments.
Dreams Madeira Resort Spa & Marina
Dreams Madeira Resort Spa & Marina, part of Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection, is set to debut in 2024. Designed for guests of all ages, the property will feature access to more than 10 a la carte restaurants, seven bars, unlimited international and domestic top-shelf spirits, 24-hour room service, daily activities, nightly entertainment and more.
Situated at a premium location to the serene island of Porto Santo, one of the key touristic attractions in Madeira, Dreams Madeira Resort Spa & Marina will feature 366 luxury appointed guestrooms, ranging from standard rooms to luxury villas, as well as an onsite private beach and marina.
Programming for all-ages also includes an onsite water park, an Explorer’s Club for kids, a Core Zone for teens, and a 9,800-square-foot (3,000-square-meter) spa for adults to unwind. The resort will also include exclusive adults-only areas and reserved spaces for preferred guests looking for an even more elevated guest experience.
Six Senses Grand Bahama
Six Senses is coming to Grand Bahama as part of a project that is designed to boost local tourism, development, and investment. The resort village will include 45 waterfront and canal villas set on 2,400 feet of beach frontage with water on three sides. In addition to the guest accommodations, plans are in place for a signature restaurant, beach venue, boathouse, and pool bar. Future development of the 36-acre site will see direct access to a new marina.
The resort village will host an Experience Centre along with artist studios, relaxed meeting spaces, a fitness centre, and Six Senses Spa. In addition to the Earth Lab, there will also be a Marine Research and Dive Centre focused on coastal resiliency, native plantings, and land restoration. Six Senses Grand Bahama is slated to open in 2026.
