Every year, Condé Nast Traveler reveals its annual Hot List spotlighting the best new hotels, restaurants, and more around the world. In this edition, we highlight The Georgian in Santa Monica, California, Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Raffles London at The OWO in London, UK. Presented by Capital One.
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00:00Every year, Condé Nast Traveler releases its annual Hot List, which celebrates the
00:06best hotel openings and more from around the world.
00:09Here, a classic Santa Monica grand dame is reborn for the modern era, a flashy resort
00:16ups the ante on the Strip, and a London heritage building joins one of the world's most luxurious
00:22hotel families, all three of which are winners on this year's Hot List.
00:27The art deco The Georgian reopened last year, every bit as beautiful as she was in her 1930s
00:33heyday, where she earned the nickname First Lady of Santa Monica when opening as one of
00:38the first skyscrapers on Ocean Boulevard.
00:42You get a sense of the hotel's storied past as soon as you walk into the lobby.
00:46Fun fact, the art and portraiture that hangs on the walls is by actor Sharon Stone.
00:52This hotel has no shortage of old Hollywood glamour, and nowhere is that more on display
00:57than in the bar and restaurant The Georgian Room, which has had some work done, but has
01:01retained the booze laid out in the original L-shape from the hotel's Hollywood heyday.
01:07The dishes at the restaurant come from Nancy Silverton alum David Almany, and feature heavy
01:12and hearty Italian pastas, as well as lighter fare like blackened salmon.
01:17The terrace, too, is a whimsical splash of California fun, and the best place to settle
01:23in for a cocktail and something sweet.
01:26There are 56 rooms and 28 suites here, and all of them honor the hotel's theatrical bones.
01:33There are Art Deco peepholes, luxury beds dressed in Bellino linens, and all are designed
01:39to be light and breezy, and let plenty of that California sunshine stream in.
01:45The vibe is decidedly louder on the Las Vegas Strip, where the Fountain Blue opened as probably
01:51the most anticipated new resort in over a decade.
01:55Honoring the Miami original, the Vegas Outpost is a fever dream of mid-century modern design,
02:01reimagined for the maximalism of Vegas now.
02:04At 67 floors, this is the tallest hotel in Vegas, with 3,644 rooms and 32, yes, 32 restaurants,
02:15including the Central Blue Bar itself.
02:17A steady and OTT design with its thousands of glass bow ties, it's hard to say what
02:23the biggest draw is for a hotel that's almost like its own self-contained universe.
02:28Could it be the Oasis Pool Deck, with six pools, and its own French Riviera-inspired
02:33day club?
02:35Or perhaps it's the extensive Wellness Center that has an immense hydrotherapy section,
02:41including a sauna and a stargazing lounge.
02:44For those who may have had a little too much to drink at one of the bars the night before,
02:48the Nutri-Drip Lounge has a ton of different IV drips to help you restore and recover.
02:54Then there are the rooms, but depending on which you book, you will have views of the
02:58Strip, the mountains, or the pool scene.
03:02And if you want to bring the party back to the room, opt to book one of their more spacious
03:06suites like the Fleur de Lis, which can clock in at 10,000 square feet.
03:13A very different scene has opened across the pond in London, where the Luxury Raffles
03:18brand has had one of the most anticipated openings in years.
03:23Located inside London's old war offices, now the O.O., this hotel has great old bones,
03:29is packed with history, and has been completely reimagined as one of the most sophisticated
03:35hotels not just in London, but anywhere, thanks to a $2 billion renovation that honored the
03:41building's grandest spaces, including a centerpiece grand staircase, where Churchill would boom
03:47out his morning briefings while Secretary of War.
03:50Trust us, every area has both a story to tell and makes an incredible photo op.
03:56Even the elevators have a history.
03:58The rooms themselves feel every bit worthy of the building's heritage.
04:03The enormous Granville Suite has floral touches, the most incredible copper bath, look at that,
04:09and handsome dark wood paneling.
04:12Though perhaps your taste is better suited to the Churchill Suite that had been a central
04:16point for military strategizing.
04:19Today it's more a study in English oak and rich green damask wall upholstery.
04:25And of course, this being the beating heart of London, you're likely to have views of
04:29so many of the city's famous landmarks.
04:32But despite its history, there are softer sides to the hotel too, including a signature
04:37Guerlain spa that measures 27,000 square feet, and some of the most high-tech facials in town.
04:45There are nine restaurants here, but the one you cannot miss is Mauro Colagreco, the Argentine
04:51chef who earned his chops at places like France's three-starred Mirazur.
04:56And if you want to grab a whiskey alongside bespectacled British politicians, and for
05:01a moment imagine what life was like in these halls a century ago, settle into the downstairs
05:07Guards Bar.
05:09A top hotel draws in the best of food, design, and comfort to become a destination all their own.
05:16Any hotel that you choose will guarantee a great vacation.
05:19And for more information on all these hotels, including what to pack, head to CNTraveler.com.
05:27These Hotlist tours are brought to you by Capital One.
05:30What's in your wallet?