A Warm Welcome

As 2020 draws to a close, we take a look at hotels that have opened this year, many of which have slipped under the radar. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel. As more countries loosen border controls and establish travel bubbles with Singapore, these charming Asia-Pacific properties will be waiting to welcome travellers.

- Renyi Lim

HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO, JAPAN

Ambitiously positioning itself as ‘the ultimate emblem of Japan’s beauty’, Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto boasts interiors and aesthetics that are second to none. Architectural and design luminaries such as Akira Kuryu, André Fu, Shunsaku Miyagi, and Yohei Akao have all made individual contributions to the property’s interiors and landscaping, collectively creating a thoughtful and immaculately refined space.

Each of the hotel’s 161 rooms (from US$914) is a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Japanese tea room.

For more privacy – and space – opt for either of the two Onsen Suites, which feature an outdoor hot spring bath as well as garden quarters surrounded by stonework walls. Guests can also avail themselves of the hotel’s natural spring water source – a rarity for a luxury property in Kyoto’s city centre – at the 1,000sqm spa.

On-site gastronomic offerings include FrenchJapanese restaurant Toki and the Italian eatery Forni, along with The Garden Bar, which looks out onto the meticulously landscaped grounds.

SEQUOIA LODGE, AUSTRALIA

Want to discover untouched pockets of South Australian nature and wildlife without having to camp in the outback? The 12-hectare Mount Lofty House estate in Adelaide has always provided that experience for its guests but recently crafted an even more private offering in the form of Sequoia Lodge. Each of its 14 contemporary open-plan suites (from A$1,000) offers an uninterrupted 180-degree panorama across Piccadilly Valley.