Room Swoon: 2021 Hot List

Six Senses Saharut

A fiend for interiors, Missy Weil is a firm believer that a great trip is only as good as where you lay your head at night. Room Swoon is her tribute to all things hotel design and decor.

2020 has had many of us couch bound in our own homes – but I for one have been plotting my 2021 travel near and far to destinations that are fantastic in their own right, but – have a special property that I can’t wait to visit.

Six Senses Shaharut

Negev Desert, Israel

This new Six Senses property in Israel has been on the travel industry radar for a while now. It was scheduled to open in the spring of 2020, but has since been delayed because of COVID. So I’m definitely not the only one eagerly awaiting its June 2021 opening. Located in the Negev Desert on the ridges of the Edom Mountains, the Six Senses offers travelers a different perspective of Israel. It’ll be an awesome addition to any Israel itinerary, but from this location, it’s also really easy to visit Jordan for the day. From here you can helicopter to the ancient city of Petra, then be back on property in time for sunset cocktails.

The Six Senses Shaharut blends into its sand dune/desert surroundings with limestone walls and wood thatched pergolas, and interiors have a calm aesthetic with pale walls and linen accents. The hotel’s design is meant to be a modern interpretation of the region’s ancient civilizations — interspersed with plunge pools and spa pergolas, of course!

The Maker

Hudson, New York

Despite its grand opening in the middle of a pandemic, The Maker’s debut on the Hudson Valley scene couldn’t have happened at a more perfect time. It seems like it opened its doors at the exact moment city dwellers were busting at the seems with quarantine fatigue. Hopefully little local trips won’t be the on way to travel in 2021, but making a point to escape to this 11-room charmer should be high on your to-do list next year.

This soulful Hudson property was restored by Fresh Beauty co-founders and boasts 11 rooms across three buildings. It’s bohemian and inviting just like the locals who live in the area — think leather clad walls, vintage photography, antiques and hand-woven rugs. Common areas are filled with leather sofas and chairs, the perfect ambient lighting, glass chandeliers and enough books (and nooks) for you to find yourself a spot to cozy up to-and make all your own – not to mention, their decadent Fresh Products (bath time, anyone?). My ideal weekend itinerary would include dining at The Restaurant and promptly retiring to my cozy Writer’s Room (pictured above) to enjoy a book by the crackling fire. Normally I would bring my own, but this room has oak bookcases filled with a selection of writings from the Strand.

Arctic Bath Hotel

Harads, Sweden

One of the properties (and destinations) I am most eager to visit at the tippy top of my bucket list is the Arctic Bath Hotel in Swedish Lapland. Bertil Hanström and Johan Kauppi (of the well-known and adored Treehotel) designed this wellness and spa focused property that seems to rise out of the Lule River. Take a polar plunge into their Ice Bath (at 39 degrees F), or use their saunas, or hot baths if that’s more your speed.

The property is comprised of 12 modern standalone cabins - six on the water, and the other six stilted accommodations which blend into their woody surroundings. For interiors, Hanström and Kauppi tapped local Swede Annkathrin Lundqvist to achieve the classic Scandi-minimalism vibe. Each cabin boasts outdoor space to enjoy in the summer or (if you’re lucky) catch the Northern Lights in the winter.

Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle

Versailles, France

The long awaited Le Grand Contrôle is almost here and it will be fit for royalty. This property will be the only one of its kind located IN Versailles, giving guests exclusive access to the palace. Located outside the palace gardens, the hotel has one-of-a-kind views of L’Orangerie. Rights to Hôtel du Grand Contrôle, the Petite Contrôle and the Pavillion were hard won by Airelles, and the brand has made painstaking efforts to uphold each building’s historic grandeur. An incredible team has been assembled to bring the brand’s bold vision to fruition. Interior architect Christophe Tollemer is leading the efforts to ensure the property is restored to perfection with art and hand-picked antiques inspired by Petit Trainon nearby. La Maison Pierre Frey, the iconic French fabric house, is in charge of room décor for the hotel’s 14 suites, and of course, Alain Ducasse will be spearheading fine dining on premise.

Annnddd, while you’re in the area, you’ll want to check out the soon-to-be-opened Cheval Blanc Paris, a Right Bank gem sitting at the foot of Pont Neuf.

Stanly Ranch

Napa, California

As if I needed another reason to visit Napa this year! Auberge’s newest Napa Valley property is set to open in late 2021, on a gorgeous stretch of land adjacent to the Napa River, 10 minutes outside of Napa proper. Stanly Ranch interiors will be strikingly modern, with an affinity for blurring the lines of indoor outdoor living. I mean, who doesn’t want to hole up in a wine country suite with retractable walls that open up to vineyards?