The Dandelion Chandelier Luxury Travel Calendar highlights select luxury hotel and resort openings and new luxury travel experiences around the world. These are our picks for the news to know in the world of luxury travel this December 2018. For the rest of the Luxury Calendar, click here. For our list of the top 10 luxury travel destinations in December, click here.
december headlines from the world of luxury travel
‘Tis the season to travel, and lucky for us there are wonderful new places to explore. Whether it’s a new hotel like Myanmar’s Awei Pila or a new way to fly, such as on the newly minted longest flight in the world, December is ready to take you new places.
Here’s the news to know in the world of luxury travel this December 2018.
new luxury hotel and resort openings
InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland, the world’s first underground hotel, is set to open its doors after a decade of construction. The property is located inside a formerly abandoned quarry about 20 miles from Shanghai – Dec 1
The Artezan in NYC’s Financial District will have its soft opening this month. The property’s name celebrates “arte” (the Italian word connoting excellence in any field or endeavor). And “zen” (which means the constant pursuit of balance and harmony in one’s life).
The newly-opened Perry Lane Hotel in Savannah is located right in the midst of the city, just steps away from the iconic Forsyth Park.
Debuting on iconic Ocean Drive, The Celino will bring a new lifestyle of indulgence to South Beach.
In the UAE The W Dubai – The Palm is opening this month with 350 guest rooms and suites with uninterrupted views and dreamy amenities
The Abu Dhabi department of culture and tourism had announced that the much-anticipated grand opening of Al Hosn, a new cultural destination located in the heart of downtown. The fort is regarded as Abu Dhabi’s symbolic birthplace and plans for conservation and renovation work have been under way for years – Dec 7
Belmond La Samanna in St. Martin opens to guests this winter. Overlooking a private beach, the 83 guestrooms and public spaces at the hotel have been updated with new pastel colors. The Beach Bar is getting new lounge seating and swings. Amateur sommeliers will also be pleased to find that the hotel lays claim to the Caribbean’s largest private wine and champagne cellar – Dec 10
Awei Pila, an exclusive resort set on a remote tropical island in Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago, will open its doors to guests – Dec 15
The Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center is opening this month in Colorado. This is the largest hotel project under construction in America, and the first Gaylord property in 10 years.
luxury hotel and resort re-openings
BVI’s Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina is now fully reopened
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, will reopen its public spaces this month including Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Bar Boulud, The Rosebery, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental as well as their event spaces following a fire at the property. The guest rooms and suites will be reopening this coming Spring – Dec 4
Le Sereno St. Barth is welcoming back guests following damage from the passing of Hurricane Irma in September 2017. The owners decided to take the opportunity to completely rebuild the property, including more than half the rooms and all of the public spaces, while maintaining the iconic style of Le Sereno which has a devoted following amongst guests
cruise news
Disclosure: the author is a board member of Norwegian Cruise Lines. All views expressed are the author’s alone.
Celebrity Cruises debuts The Edge this month. The 2,918-passenger vessel features outward-facing cabins. These berths are fronted with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling glass. That’s made possible due to a redesign of the internal architecture of the ship – Dec 1
Holland America is launching Nieuw Statendam this month. She is a sister ship to Koningsdam, and the second of their Pinnacle-class ships. Guests can savor her specialty restaurants, and explore America’s Test Kitchen cooking classes. BBC Earth Experiences presentations are held on the vessel’s two-story World Stage.
airlines and airports
JFK is getting in on the holiday pop-up action with a seasonal bar located in Terminal 4 from Grey Goose. It features cocktails and guest appearances from New York bartenders like Dante’s Liana Oster; Broken Shaker’s Evan Hawkins; Otis’ Channing Centero; and The Dead Rabbit’s Jillian Vose – Dec 3
Istanbul has officially opened the first phase of the Istanbul New Airport. Once fully complete, it will have the largest capacity of any airport in the world.
Ready to spend nearly 19 hours straight on an airplane? That’s what passengers aboard Singapore Airlines’ new flight between Singapore and Newark have in store. You can now fly 9,521 miles direct. It’s the new longest flight in the world, both by distance and time in the air
luxury trains
KiwiRails Coastal Pacific Train is officially reopening this month after having been closed since 2016. This epic 216 mile route links Christchurch and the beach town of Picton – Dec 1
new travel books and guides
Photographers Beverly and Peter Pickford have released Wild Land: A Journey into the Earth’s Last Wilds ($65). In more than two hundred images, the renowned wildlife photographers portray the visual story of some of the most remote and pristine places on the planet. The topography ranges from Africa’s savannahs to Tibet’s highest peaks, and from Alaska’s expansive system of rivers and lakes to the Antarctic Ocean.
see other december 2018 events
— The Arts
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