Every year we list the best and brightest openings, but for the 26th edition of Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List, we've raised the bar: this time, editors from all seven global editions were involved in the research and selection of properties. At its core, it's still a list of hotels-96 were selected this year, a testament to the resilience of the industry. But since (almost) no hotel is an island, we've expanded the focus to include restaurants, culture, transportation and cruises you need to know about, as well as destinations that are reinventing themselves. We're serious when we say this list may be the hottest of them all. Here are the seven destinations around the world you should visit soon.
Maine
It's been a while since there was momentum building around Maine, but 2021 was its year. That's due in part to a series of nature-based projects and comfortable places to spend the night that weren't limited to the coast. New trails, like the Great Circle Trail and the Bold Coast Scenic Bikeway, made the rugged wilderness areas of 100-Mile Wilderness and Downeast more accessible. Up north, the first East Coast outpost of glamping company Under Canvas and independent boutique The Claremont opened Acadia National Park's 26 peaks to more travelers, while the opening of the Captains Collection kept the classic town of Kennebunkport more current than ever. -Todd Plummer
Piedmont, Italy
This proud and refined northern Italian region is giving Tuscany and Puglia a run for their money, thanks to the rise of the southern regions of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato. Two game-changing openings make these wine regions more accessible to travelers. The sophisticated Nordelaia is an elegant 12-room conversion of a 19th-century villa, with a compelling local and fresh restaurant. Further west, surrounded by its own vineyards and truffle-rich woods, the 39-room Casa di Langa is a terracotta-red version of the traditional Piedmontese farm estate, with a contemporary art collection including works by Ai Weiwei, Sean Scully and Carla Accardi. -Lee Marshall
Qatar
With one eye on the traditions of the past and another firmly on the future, compact Qatar feels different from its Gulf neighbors. Hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the country has resulted in a host of new stadiums, infrastructure projects and hotels, including the Middle East's first Banyan Tree, a testament to Qatar's confidence that the world will keep coming after the games. For the Gulf nation is about more than just sports. Last year, Doha's museums and galleries hosted exhibitions by Jeff Koons and Virgil Abloh, and Msheireb Downtown is now home to M7, a Qatari design center. (The I. M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art will reopen in late 2022 after a year of improvements.) Those in need of rejuvenation head to the north coast, to the Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, where traditional Arabic and Islamic medicine meets wellness philosophies. And outside Doha, the stunningly verdant Heenat Salma Farm reconnects people with nature by offering farm-to-table meals, craft workshops and cozy tents for the night. It's life in the desert, but not as you know it. -Nicola Chilton
Budapest
Hungary's sophisticated capital has made good use of the COVID break. The city has restored institutions such as the UNESCO heritage Buda Castle district and the Guard House, and opened itself up to new horizons with new access to sites such as the Habsburg Palatine Crypt. It's fitting that the historic Matild Palace became a Luxury Collection hotel in June, with its Art Nouveau-inspired public spaces, such as the Duchess' rooftop bar. Never has the nickname "Paris of the East" resonated so much. -Jen Murphy
Mexico City
It seems like every creative on the planet has moved to Mexico City or is considering doing so in this bustling and still affordable megalopolis. We get it: The city, which always seems to be 75 degrees, has a lot going on right now. Its robust hotel landscape has been bolstered by the opening of the Ritz-Carlton along the jacaranda-lined Paseo de la Reforma. In the upscale Polanco neighborhood, the Alest has opened with 19 elegant rooms, and Casa Polanco is set to open soon in a former 1940s mansion. The city's main green space, the Bosque de Chapultepec, was home to LAGO ALGO, a restaurant, café and cultural center housed in a renovated 1960s building. The gastronomic scene has also blossomed, with the leafy neighborhood of La Condesa once again becoming a hot spot. At Anónimo, German-Mexican chef Klaus Mayr serves delicate pasta, while at Botánico, Sergio Meza prepares dishes like sustainably farmed fish wrapped in Malbec leaves. In Roma Norte, off the bustling Álvaro Obregón street, El Parián Passage has opened with dozens of new businesses, including concept shop PCH, which features the city's best women's brands, and Jarilla, an upscale grab-and-go for sandwiches, Mexican delicacies in jars and natural wine. -Michaela Trimble
Saudi Arabia
Madrid
Madrid has been nipping at Barcelona's heels in terms of urban appeal for some time now, but this year the Spanish capital has overtaken its Catalan counterpart. A series of high-profile openings, including the Four Seasons and Rosewood Villa Magna, have drawn a sophisticated crowd to leafy Salamanca. Then there's the food, which goes beyond the many flavors of local rock-star chef David Muñoz to bring global notes like the excellent Japanese restaurant Zuma, and flavors from the African continent at Aarde. And in a final nod to heritage, UNESCO has announced that Madrid's majestic Retiro Central Park has joined its list of protected places. -Erin Florio
Istanbul
