From Lecce to the Red Sea, July belongs to hotels that let their setting lead…
This month’s new hotel openings moves at two speeds, with both restoration and reinvention. In Lecce, Tivoli Hotels and Resorts settles into the city’s Baroque heart, on Mallorca, Gran Hotel Marladia has been reimagined by Virginia Nieto’s interiors, while Fairmont has landed in the English countryside with The Mere, a £125 million transformation of a Cheshire estate.
Beyond Europe, Morocco’s Atlantic coast welcomes Taghazout Bay Marriott Resort, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea marks a new chapter with Four Seasons AMAALA, and in the Western Ghats, The Leela Coorg Forest Sanctuary makes the case that the forest, not the building, is the destination.
Tivoli Palazzo 1880 Lecce Hotel,
Image credit: Tivoli Palazzo 1880 Lecce Hotel
Located in the historic centre of Lecce on Via Imperatore Augusto, is the new Tivoli Hotel, set between Piazza Sant’Oronzo and Piazzetta Santa Chiara, placing guests within immediate reach of the city’s celebrated Baroque architecture, vibrant cafés and wine bars, and major landmarks including the Roman Amphitheatre, the Basilica di Santa Croce and Lecce Cathedral.
Tivoli Palazzo 1880 Lecce Hotel, marks the brand’s arrival in Puglia and reinforcing Tivoli’s growing presence in Italy with its fourth property: a meticulously renovated historic palazzo in Lecce’s city centre featuring 48 rooms and suites, signature dining, panoramic rooftop experience, and a dedicated wellness area.
Taghazout Bay Marriott Resort
Image credit: Taghazout Bay Marriott Resort
Where land meets light, inspired by the raw beauty of Morocco’s Atlantic coast, is the Taghazout Bay Marriott Resort. The resort reflects the natural essence of Taghazout Bay – its windswept landscapes, argan trees, cacti, mineral textures, and the constant rhythm of the ocean. Designed as a peaceful retreat in a preserved setting, it gently blurs the line between indoors and outdoors. Natural stone, soft textures, handwoven fabrics, and a palette of sand and sea tones create a space that feels warm, elegant, and rooted in its surroundings.
Moroccan craftsmanship is central to the design. Clean, contemporary lines are paired with local materials and handmade pieces by artisans. Natural fibres, textured fabrics, raw wood, and crafted details bring a refined yet understated coastal feel. Light plays a key role throughout the day, with soft morning tones shifting to warm golden hues at sunset. This natural flow connects the architecture to its environment, creating a calm, immersive space to relax, breathe, and reconnect.
Four Seasons AMAALA
Image credit: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Saudi Arabia continues to emerge as one of the world’s most ambitious luxury tourism destinations, Four Seasons has officially opened the highly anticipated Four Seasons Resort and Residences AMAALA, bringing a new standard of ultra-luxury wellness hospitality to the Kingdom’s Red Sea coastline. Blending palatial architecture, lush natural gardens, and the warm hospitality of Hijazi culture, Four Seasons AMAALA offers a deeply restorative escape in one of the region’s most extraordinary coastal settings.
The opening marks a significant milestone for Saudi Arabia’s tourism transformation and Red Sea Global’s vision for regenerative luxury travel. AMAALA enters operations as a purpose-built wellness and lifestyle destination powered by renewable energy and anchored by world-class hospitality brands, positioning the Red Sea coast among the world’s leading luxury tourism destinations.
Gran Hotel Marladia
Image credit: ANNUA Signature Hotels
Gran Hotel Marladia, by ANNUA Hotels has been reimagined by interior designer Virginia Nieto, alongside Spanish architects Alvaro Onieva and Alvaro Mesonero Romanos – the historic property has been carefully restored to honour its heritage while introducing a softer, contemporary Mediterranean identity. Natural textures, local materials and clean architectural lines define the interiors, while a bespoke sun-washed yellow, created exclusively for the hotel, brings warmth and cohesion throughout.
With just 29 beautifully appointed ocean-facing rooms and suites, interiors are designed to capture the island’s shifting light and unhurried rhythm, with soft tonal hues of beige and cream complemented by Margalida’s signature yellow and elevated by Loewe Candles and Aesop amenities. A restrained material palette of natural stone, handwoven fibres and artisanal finishes rooted in Mallorcan tradition runs throughout, alongside native planting, preserved ironwork and bespoke detailing that anchor the hotel in its setting, creating a quiet coherence between building, landscape and craft, where every element feels singular, grounded and closely connected to place.
Image credit: The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts
The Leela Coorg Forest Sanctuary
The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, has unveiled The Leela Coorg Forest Sanctuary, the new identity for its recently acquired retreat in Coorg. This reimagined identity reflects the property’s extraordinary setting amidst 76 acres of ancient forests, coffee plantations and the rich biodiversity of the Western Ghats, while reinforcing The Leela’s vision of creating distinctive luxury destinations that are deeply rooted in their surroundings.
As The Leela marks four decades of true Indian luxury, The Leela Coorg Forest Sanctuary joins the brand’s portfolio of palaces, hotels and resorts as one of its most immersive nature-led destinations. The Forest Sanctuary identity reflects the spirit of the destination, a place where the forest is not simply the backdrop, but the defining element of the guest experience.
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere
Image credit: The Fairmont
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a global luxury brand part of the Accor group, has announced the opening of Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere. A breathtaking countryside estate rooted in heritage, Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere offers 116 beautifully appointed bedrooms, including 23 spacious suites, exceptional elevated dining experiences including Gordon Ramsay at The Mere, an 18-hole championship-level golf course, with a sanctuary of elevated wellness experiences at Fairmont Spa. The opening marks the brand’s fourth hotel in the UK alongside: The Savoy, A Fairmont Hotel; Fairmont Windsor Park; and Fairmont St Andrews
With interiors by award-winning Bergman Design House, The Mere’s £125 million developer-led transformation seamlessly combines Fairmont’s signature hospitality with authentic Cheshire character and a warmth that is entirely its own. Sculptural forms, layered lighting and richly textured finishes evoke the timeless glamour of mid-century hospitality, inviting guests to step into a contemporary rural address that embodies Fairmont’s emphasis on shared celebration and cherished moments.
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