The hottest openings and travel news you missed in North America

It’s been a while since we’ve been out there, but the world hasn’t stopped moving. From the latest hotels to new retreats in far-flung destinations to museum openings and what’s trending, here is all the inspiration you need to inform your travel plans to North America this year and beyond.

Los Angeles: find new places to stay, eat and explore

The City of Angels is also a city of reinvention and returning visitors will find it abuzz with new places to stay, eat and explore on repeat. In food news, L.A. has welcomed a new wave of all-day dining options including a landmark Sunset Boulevard venue for Superba Food + Bread and a couple of hotspots installed in new destination hotel Downtown L.A. Proper: rooftop Cara Cara and opulently designed Caldo Verde. Meanwhile, those keen to explore the eclectic and innovative food scene of Downtown L.A. by foot can tag along on a new guided tour led by Culinary Backstreets.

The much-anticipated opening in September last year of the Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures – the world’s premier institution dedicated to the art and science of movies – signals that arts and culture continues to thrive, but the biggest boom no doubt has come in the hotel stakes.

Valet, Fairmont Century Plaza, Los Angeles, USA — The Hotel Fairmont Century Plaza has been completely reimagined after a five-year renovation.

Head to Hollywood for several new openings including The Godfrey, just south of Sunset Boulevard with immersive interior design inspired by Old Hollywood and a curated art program; Thompson Hollywood, a luxury lifestyle hotel that brings California cool and a mélange of dining concepts to the heart of Hollywood; and the modern and spirited Tommie Hollywood. Pendry West Hollywood brings a fresh take on modern luxury to Sunset Strip while storied hotel Fairmont Century Plaza, at the centre of iconic moments throughout pop culture since 1966, has been completely reimagined after a five-year renovation. Or divert your attention to Culver City (one of L.A.’s coolest neighbourhoods) and nearby up-and-coming West Adams (one of its most historic), where The Shay and Alsace respectively give travellers the opportunity to experience a different side of the city.

Alsace Hotel, Los Angeles, USA, North America — Alsace gives travellers the opportunity to experience a different side of the city.

Visit the First Americans Museum, Oklahoma, USA

The largest single-building tribal cultural centre in the USA has opened in Oklahoma City to celebrate a shared American history through the stories of the state’s 39 Tribal Nations – the name Oklahoma itself comes from two Choctaw words, okla and homma, meaning ‘Land of the Red People’. At over 15,000 square metres and decades in the making, First Americans Museum is a platform for state-of-the-art exhibitions and plenty more besides.

First Americans Museum, USA — See state-of-the-art exhibitions and plenty more at the First Americans Museum.

Stay in the Arizona desert at Ambiente, Sedona

Americans travelling on home soil lately have been especially drawn to the healing power of Sedona; the imminent opening of Ambiente, a Landscape Hotel, designed to blend in with the Arizona desert city’s landscape of mystical red rocks and the first of its kind in North America, will provide deeper earthing still.

Ambiente Hotel, USA, North America — Landscape Hotel’s Ambiente is the first of its kind in North America.

Embark on one of the three new Pole-to-Pole Expedition Cruises

Hurtigruten Expeditions has announced three new Pole-to-Pole Expedition Cruises on two of the world’s most sustainable cruise ships (the small-sized battery-hybrids MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen). Exploring the planet from its extreme north to its deepest south, these seriously epic journeys set sail in August 2023. Clocking in at almost 100 days, the ‘Ultimate Bucket List’ route departs Vancouver before taking in Alaska, the Northwest Passage, Greenland, Central and South America and finally reaching the fabled depths of Antarctica.

Alaska Denail National Park, Alaska, USA, North America — Explore the planet from its extreme north to its deepest south with Hurtigruten Expeditions.

Experience Hawaii on a deeper level with the Malama Hawaii Program

After the pandemic provided a moment of pause, Hawai’i is inviting travellers back to discover its islands on a deeper level. Inspired by the word mālama, meaning to care for, preserve and protect, the Mālama Hawai‘i Program highlights the relationship between the state’s natural beauty and vibrant culture through volunteer opportunities such as tree planting, reforestation projects, beach clean-ups and quilting sessions; discounts and free extra-night stays are available for participants.

Community, Hawaii, USA, North America — “Malama", meaning to care for, preserve and protect.

Stay at Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge, Vancouver Island, Canada

Australia’s Baillie Lodges went global in late 2020 with the addition of Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge to its portfolio, meaning you can experience the wild luxury the brand is known for (with properties including Longitude 131° and Silky Oaks Lodge), Canadian-style. Here, among the coastal rainforest of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, and accessible only by seaplane, lies a blissfully remote lodge replete with 25 luxurious white canvas tents, each with a view of namesake Clayoquot Sound.

Ivanhoe Lounge, Clayoquot Wilderness Lounge, USA, North America — Experience the wild luxury the brand is known for, Canadian-style.

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Little Island: New York City’s newest performance venue

Rising from the site of a derelict pier on the Hudson River is New York City’s newest (and possibly most eccentric) public space and performance venue. With a 687-seat amphitheatre and designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick, the $357 million Little Island is a floating park propped up by 132 concrete pilings, or ‘tulips’, and backed by billionaire Barry Diller and his fashion designer wife Diane von Fürstenberg, who also helped fund the development of the nearby High Line.

Little Island by the Hudson River, New York City, USA, North America — See Little Island, New York’s newest (and possibly most eccentric) public space and performance venue.

‘Rockies to Red Rocks’ on the Rocky Mountaineer

With its luxury glass-dome trains winding through the wilds of North America, Rocky Mountaineer is synonymous with the Canadian Rockies, Western Canada and the American Southwest, and last year it upped the ante further with the launch of a brand-new route. The two-day ‘Rockies to the Red Rocks’ journeys between Moab, Utah and Denver, Colorado through awe-inspiring landscapes of mountains, canyons, red desert and geological marvels.

Don’t miss: Alpine Distilling in Park City

Gin aficionados travelling through Utah take note: Alpine Distilling in Park City has taken gold at the Gin of The Year 2021 ceremony in London; visit its new Alpine Bar for award-winning craft cocktails and pie.

RTR Train, 7 Mile Moeb, Colorado, USA, North America — Join the two-day ‘Rockies to the Red Rocks’ journeys.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.