Each year we turn to Jack Ezon, the CEO and Founder of EmbarkBeyond, a luxury travel agency that specializes in celebration travel. And each year Jack spotlights for us and you his picks for the top luxury hotel openings for the year. This week we go to the Middle East and Africa.
Egypt
Al Moudira
Set amongst an oasis of palm trees at the edge of the Nubian Desert, Al Moudira is next to the famous Valley of the Kings. With just 56 rooms and a five-bedroom villa, this is a great boutique experience along the Nile Delta, just outside Luxor.
Kenya
&Beyond Suyian Lodge, Laikipia
Within an exclusive concession of more than 44,000 acres in northwestern Laikipia, Suyian will have a luxury lodge and tented camp options with sky beds and mobile camping experiences on tap. What makes the concession special is its remarkable wildlife (55 mammals and more than 260 bird species) and varying landscapes—grassland, savanna, rocky outcrops, dense woodland, and the Ewaso Narok River. Activities will include camel (yes, camel) and horse-riding safaris, botany walks, and discovering the area’s Stone Age-era cave paintings and artifacts through walking.
Madagascar
Voaara, Sainte-Marie
Created by Philippe Kjellgren (founder of Kiwi Collection) to attract a creative and inspiring community of interesting people, Voaara is a luxury barefoot beach resort on the pristine beach of Sainte-Marie, Madagascar. Each room fuses rustic and modern styles to blend seamlessly into the landscape. It’s the ultimate in indoor-outdoor living, with almost every part of the room able to open up to the surroundings.
Morocco
Four Seasons Rabat at Kasar Al Bahr
—Rabat gets its second luxury hotel this year, the 204-room Four Seasons, set over 12 acres in 11 buildings in what was once the summer seaside residence of Morocco’s Sultan Moulay Slimane. Expect a strong sense of place with Moorish architecture that includes domed rooftops and arched doorways, all just steps from the sea.
Saudi Arabia
Four Seasons Resort AMAALA at Triple Bay, Red Sea
Four Seasons is the latest resort to open in the much-anticipated Red Sea development with 220 rooms and suites center with a focus on wellness amenities such as the organic spa garden, outdoor workouts by fitness expert Harley Pasternak and a sleep concierge.
South Africa
Park Hyatt Johannesburg
Yabu Pushelberg helps create this intimate 31-room hotel in Rosebank with crisp whites and neutral colors, further cementing Johannesburg as a rising tourist destination.
Tanzania
Lemala Osonjoi Lodge, Ngorongoro Crater
Perched on the iconic Ngorongoro Crater rim in Tanzania’s Great Rift Valley, Lemala Osonjoi Lodge’s 20 suites have sensational panoramic views of the crater floor. But best of all, there is access to the floor of the Crater via the less-used Lemala Gate and access road down to the eastern quadrant. Osonjoi is also one of very few Ngorongoro properties that offer full-service lunches at a unique private site on the crater floor.
The Ritz-Carlton, Rabat Dar Es Salam
Set against 440 acres of oak forest and the course at the Royal Golf Dar es Salam, the Ritz-Carlton will be a much-needed luxury hotel and resort in this capital city of Tanzania. It will have a large spa, traditional hammam, pool, restaurants, and lounges.
UAE
Anantara Mina al Arab, Ras al Khaimah Resort
These are romantic overwater villas in Maldivian resort style, but on what is arguably the most pristine eco-sanctuary of the Emirates, just 45 minutes from Dubai.
Jumeirah Marsa al Arab
Modeled after an avant-garde superyacht, Marsa al Arab is Jumeirah’s latest resort set to open in Q2 2025. While Jumeirah and Dubai have many incredible beach resorts, Marsa al Arab is set on the city’s largest private beach with 386 rooms and suites, with a specially integrated wellness spa.
