This week's hotel news has something for almost every kind of traveller: an ultra-luxury newcomer in the Caribbean, a points programme suddenly turning upscale, a flashy Manhattan opening you can book now, and a historic Florida grande dame with a fresh identity.
The headline grabber is Aman's next project. The famously hushed luxury brand has revealed Amantaru, planned for Cabo Rojo on Puerto Rico's southwestern coast. Set on a hillside near the ocean within the Escencia development, it will combine a hotel with private residences, a wellness centre, and a collection of bars and restaurants. There's no opening date yet, but Aman's expansion pace suggests it's worth watching if a Caribbean hideaway is on your list.
Points collectors, take note of a surprising shift: Wyndham has partnered with HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts to fold more than 40 independent luxury properties into its Registry Collection brand by early 2026. That means Wyndham Rewards points — long associated with roadside practicality rather than indulgence — could soon stretch to stays at The TownHouse Mykonos in Greece, TreeHouse Villas Koh Yao in Thailand, and Galgorm Resort in Northern Ireland. It's a genuine change in where that currency can take you.
In New York, Viceroy Park Avenue is now taking reservations ahead of its February 2027 opening in NoMad. Expect 252 rooms and suites, Tao Group bars and restaurants, a rooftop pool — a genuine rarity among Manhattan hotels — plus a spa and a private "Wellness Penthouse" for guests who'd rather unwind in their own space. Rates start at $850 a night from 1 February 2027, so this one's firmly in the splurge category.
Down in St. Augustine, Florida, the Casa Monica Resort & Spa has completed a renovation and emerged as Grand Bohemian Casa Monica, a member of Marriott's Autograph Collection. The nearly 140-year-old, 137-room property — which was also the first hotel to join the Autograph Collection back in 2010 — now sports Moroccan- and Spanish-influenced interiors with jewel tones, intricate tilework and original art. The refreshed Soltana Pool Lounge adds a Moroccan-style bar, Mediterranean plates and cocktails suited to Florida's sunshine. Marriott Bonvoy members can book it with points.
And if you can't get to a hotel, one is coming to you: Raffles has launched The Little Shop by Raffles, an online store selling luxury linens, pajama sets, luggage and fragrances from the brand — timed, conveniently, for holiday gift lists.
Why does any of this matter to you? If you're planning trips rather than just reading press releases, the Wyndham development is the most practical: it quietly multiplies the luxury redemptions available to a mid-tier points balance. The Viceroy and Amantaru openings are calendar items for future bookings, while the Casa Monica relaunch is bookable right now for anyone eyeing a Florida getaway with character.
