The Swiss watch world has mined the 1970s and ’80s for inspiration in recent years. Now, just like Backstreet, the ’90s are back… all right!
They contrast, too, with the rather less appetizing ’80s models that — with the exception of Chopard’s recent reworking of its glamorous mid-1980s ski bunny, St Moritz, as the Alpine Eagle — didn’t produce many highlights.
Back in the ’90s, having survived the quartz crisis, which saw affordable electronic watches from Japan decimate the market for mechanical watchmaking, the Swiss watch industry was back on its feet. And no brand more so than Omega, which became a leading figure in the watchmaking revival. On the wrist of megawatt signing Cindy Crawford, Omega reinvented the women’s watch as a quotidian luxury instead of a cocktail trinket.
Enter the dainty yet high-glam two-tone Omega Constellation, which, as the adverts featuring Crawford trumpeted, was her choice. It’s now also the choice of her daughter, fellow Omega ambassador Kaia Gerber, who is following in her mother’s footsteps with eerie symmetry.
With its diamond and mother-of-pearl combination, the Constellation, like the other pieces here, blends femininity with craft and versatility; all can slip seamlessly from day to night.
Another classic back with a glow-up is Cartier’s Baignoire. While this collection takes its lead from a piece originally introduced in 1912, it was in the ’90s that it really resonated, seemingly embodying haute couture in horological form.
Speaking of Paris, the City of Light’s other grande dame also has her finger very much on the pulse. Back in 1986, the Première was Chanel’s first foray into watchmaking, inspired — like the No 5 perfume bottle stopper — by the aerial view of Place Vendôme.
But, as hinted by the elegant braided bracelet of the new Chanel Première Galon, the ’90s was when this Concorde-worthy status symbol really took flight, worn with matching 11.12 quilted purse and rose-red lipstick. That braided band, or galon in French, is totemic chez Chanel, as it’s the twisted hem that lends structure to every suit jacket.
And what of that ’70s disruptor, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak? The exposed screws and steely industrial facets of Gérald Genta’s original Jumbo design of 1972 has translated fabulously to cocktail proportions. What lends extra power-suited clout is its hammered texture, wrought via a historic handcraft that’s been ceded to AP through its work with Florentine fine jeweler Carolina Bucci.
As a decade, the ’90s always had something of the magpie about it, from pop music to street style. But as its revival continues, what that means in watch terms is pure elevation.
Five-star lodges successfully deliver culinary pedigree despite calling some of the world’s least-populated places home. Five-star lodges successfully deliver culinary pedigree despite calling some of the world’s least-populated places home.
Your guide to the standout hotels coming in 2026 – and why they’re already getting everyone talking.
Looking back, 2025 delivered some heavy hitters: Waldorf Astoria New York finally reopened after an eight-year closure (only a couple of months shy of its suggested spring date), and One&Only Moonlight Basin swung open its doors in November.
But now, we’re looking forward and it’s all eyes on what’s going to make headlines in 2026. London is stealing the spotlight with not one but four major openings – including Six Senses’ first UK property. Meanwhile, momentum in the Middle East shows no sign of slowing, with Regent set to open its first regional hotel in Jeddah, and new openings in Amalaa amping up as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program edges closer.
There’s also big news from the tail end of 2025 that will define the year ahead: the launch of Emblems Collection, Accor’s newest luxury portfolio (joining the likes of Raffles, Banyan Tree, and Fairmont). Announced in November 2025, with the takeover of Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa in the UK’s Wiltshire, in 2026 the brand is rolling out five properties across Europe and the US. We’ll be watching closely to see how it distinguishes itself within Accor’s already stacked lineup.
Opening late 2026, Martin Brudnizki will bring his signature maximalist style to Dallas’s lively Knox Street neighborhood. The hotel will sit close to one of the city’s most-loved attractions – the 3.5-mile Katy Trail, an urban green belt built along a former railway line, ideal if you want to explore Dallas on foot. Alongside 140 rooms, guests can expect a fitness studio, spa, and an outdoor pool.
Above the Rockies’ Bow Valley, on the slopes of Sulphur Mountain, Rimrock Banff will be the debut North American property for Accor’s Emblems Collection. The hotel will connect directly to Banff National Park, to offer year-round access to outdoor activities, whether skiing, hiking, or mountain biking. It will also be within walking distance of downtown Banff, the Gondola, and the Upper Hot Springs. For those who like sticking close to home base, Rimrock Banff will also house a spa with a mountainside infinity pool, saunas, and meditation rooms for a more relaxing getaway.
One of the most intimate openings of the year, Amanvari is arriving this spring on the East Cape of Baja California with just 18 casitas. Expect Aman’s pared-back aesthetic, an Aman Spa and signature dining spaces, all built from earthy materials like local stone and tropical hardwood, accented with Mexican ceramics and art. With views across beachfront, desert, and estuary, minimalist interiors will emphasize views of the Sea of Cortez and the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. Activities include snorkelling, sailing, and diving from the marina and yacht club, plus hiking and visits to nearby organic farms and orchards.
A convenient 90-minute drive from Costa Rica’s San José, Santa Lucia Jungle Hacienda, an Autograph Collection Hotel, will sit between rainforest and river at the base of Carara National Park. The 97-room resort, due in winter 2026, will offer riverside pools, Costa Rican cuisine, and excursions such as wildlife walks, guided hikes, boat safaris, and horseback riding, offering guests prime access to the country’s famous wildlife and untamed jungle landscape.
Over in sunny Belize, next year, Four Seasons will launch its first private-island property: a 104-key resort on the edge of the Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve, part of the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. If you’re looking for prime access, 18 overwater bungalows – reportedly the first in the region – will sit close to the island’s marine life and reef systems.
One GT will be a 144-ft glass tower with 95 condo-style suites designed for a home-from-home feel, overlooking George Town’s waterfront. Coming to Grand Cayman in winter 2026, the hotel will host the island’s first rooftop infinity pool, plus an additional third-floor pool deck and three dining concepts: French-Mediterranean, Asian fusion and an Italian bakery and café. And we love a resort with private butler service and the option for in-room or rooftop spa treatments.
After reopening its New York flagship this year, Waldorf Astoria is turning its attention to London. The brand is restoring the Grade I–listed Admiralty Arch, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, originally commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of Queen Victoria. The Admiralty Arch also happens to be positioned at the end of The Mall and just opposite Buckingham Palace, making it a prime spot for visitors. And if that wasn’t exciting enough, culinary direction will come from Clare Smyth and Daniel Boulud, who between them share seven Michelin stars across their restaurant portfolios.
Coming this summer, Auberge Resorts Collection is transforming one of London’s Grade I–listed Palladian townhouses — formerly the In and Out Military Club — into Cambridge House Auberge. Overlooking Green Park towards Buckingham Palace, the 102-room hotel will welcome Major Food Group’s Major Grill, the group’s second in the capital, following the success of Carbone at Chancery Rosewood. The hotel’s double-level spa will draw inspiration from Roman bathhouses, featuring hydrotherapy facilities, two heated pools, and a circular relaxation lounge with a fire pit.
The Six Senses London, the brand’s first UK outpost, will allegedly arrive early 2026 (we’ve been waiting for this one for a while). The hotel will sit inside the reimagined Whitely Department Store, in the less-visited Queensway. With 109 rooms and suites, the hotel’s centrepiece will be the Six Senses Spa, home to a large swimming pool, biohacking recovery lounge, cryotherapy, saunas, steam rooms, plunge pools, and an aerial-yoga studio. The property will also introduce Six Senses Place, a private members’ concept, with specific details remaining under wraps.
The Shepherd Mayfair will revive one of Mayfair’s earliest residential mansions in boutique luxury. The 82 guest rooms will be spread across six floors, with a British brasserie on the first floor and a lounge for coffee, pastries, and light lunches. A highlight will be Teddy’s, which promises to revive the Mayfair bar vibe from the 1960s and will be hidden on the lower ground, accessible via a secret Market Mews entrance and staircase.
One of Emblems Collection’s European debuts, Masseria Furnirussi will channel the relaxed energy of coastal Puglia. Set within Europe’s largest fig orchard, the hotel reimagines a traditional masseria in local white stone, surrounded by fruit trees and herb gardens. Sixty suites, many with private pools or terraces, look onto an oak-lined lagoon pool. Guests can unwind at the Purist Retreat & Spa, while dining will draw heavily on Puglia’s culinary traditions.
Anantara’s first safari property, opening in April 2026, will sit in Kafue National Park, Zambia’s oldest and largest reserve. Built on rosewood platforms at canopy height to protect the land below, the camp will feature 10 villas and three Horizon Terrace Suites. Beyond game drives, guests can join night safaris, try glamping experiences and enjoy riverbank picnics.
Marking Regent’s first hotel in the Middle East, Regent Jeddah Corniche will occupy a waterfront location, with impressive views over some of the region’s highlights: the F1 racetrack, the Red Sea, and, of course, its namesake the Corniche. At 29 stories high, the hotel will be home to 182 rooms and five penthouses, with the world’s first Regent Spa.
There’s nowhere quite like the British capital to celebrate the festive season.
Fortunately, London’s hotels have noted the new expectations – and delivered ten-fold. Across the city, the most prestigious hotels have been working away in the background to secure the biggest names in fashion, jewelry, and spirits, ready to reveal their December extravaganzas.
We bring you the best hotel Christmas displays across London, be it just for a glass of champagne post shopping trip or for a festive getaway.
The Goring
Characterful boutique hotel The Goring has teamed up with British accessories designer Lulu Guinness to create its kitsch London Calling tree, surrounded by London telephone boxes and adorned with crimson red lips (a Lulu Guinness signature motif). Pop in to the bar for a drink by the fire, or go all out and stay for the big day itself: Christmas dinner is served in the hotel’s Michelin-starred dining room. As has become tradition, the hotel kicked off the festive season with an eccentric party – this year Love Actually themed – and featured managing director Jeremy Goring dressed up as a priest.
London’s Grand Dame has once again recruited a top name in fashion to inject some Christmas charm. This year is the turn of Burberry’s chief creative officer Daniel Lee. Unlike other years where a more conceptual approach was taken, Lee’s festive offering leans more traditional: a 16-ft tree, bedecked with Burberry-check bows, hand-blown glass baubles, and wild foliage and thistle sits in the middle of Claridge’s famous Art Deco lobby. The Burberry touch extends through the hotel: signature tartan clads the lifts; doormen are in designer scarves, and a pop-up boutique will be open until Jan.
Claridge’s sister hotel The Berkeley is also appropriately dressed up for Christmas. Up on its rooftop, Feast Off-Piste has taken over, featuring an instalment of custom-made gondolas overlooking the lights of Winter Wonderland below. On the menu is an Alpine-inspired line-up: Swiss raclette, tartiflette, gingerbread s’more, and chocolate fondue, all to be washed down with mulled wine or a glass of champagne.
Over in the City of London, The Ned – best known for its lavish bottomless roast dinners – has pulled no punches with its first-ever Christmas collaboration, enlisting the help of The Macallan to launch its 2025 tree. Sat pride of the place in the hotel’s grand banking hall, the mammoth 22-ft tree is covered top to bottom in velvet bows in Macallan red, copper baubles intended to reference whisky stills, and acorns and berries nodding to the brand’s Scottish roots. Whisky lovers should head to The Library Bar, which will showcase some of The Macallan’s most prestigious portfolio, including the M Decanter, Art is the Flower, and Harmony Collection.
MO’s original London outpost, which straddles the bustle of Knightsbridge and the greenery of Hyde Park behind, has invited De Beers to create The Jewel of the Season – an immersive festive takeover. As part of this, the hotel’s lobby has transformed into The Enchanted Lotus Bar (drawing inspo from De Beers’ signature floral motif) and will serve champagne and caviar. Elsewhere at The Rosebery, guests can sit down to a De Beers themed afternoon tea.
Rosewood London (the original London outpost from the US brand, not to be confused with the newer opening over in Mayfair) has teamed up with not one but two international brands –Amsterdam-based skiwear brand and The Singleton Scotch whisky – who have together transformed the hotel’s courtyard into a sleek mountain-inspired scene. The Chalet offers a slice of the slopes in the middle of the city (and is a convenient nod to Rosewood’s upcoming Courchevel opening), with themed cocktails and Alpine-esque dishes.
Harking back to Victorian-era London, The Savoy is holding Frosted Fair throughout the festive season, inspired by a time when cold spells would see the entire Thames River frozen – and solid enough to host a fair on. Climate change has ensured such frivolities are a thing of the past, but the historic hotel is retaining tradition with a pop-up in its forecourt, complete with mulled wine, hot chocolate, and plenty of Laurent-Perrier Champagne.
If you’re craving a breather from the West End crowds, add a festive countryside stay to your London city break. Few places do Christmas as beautifully as Cliveden House, and luckily it’s only an hour’s drive from the capital. The hotel’s long drive opens onto a grand, fir-draped mansion glowing with twinkling lights. Inside, the atmosphere leans full-tilt Christmas: fires burning in every corner, a towering tree dressed with oversized baubles, and seasonal decorations threaded through each living room. After a wander through the grounds, make your way to the terrace, which has been reimagined as the Astor Après Ski experience. Guests can settle into a private gondola for Alpine comfort classics – think Gruyère fondue, tartiflette, and a mug of mulled wine to round it all off.
As drinking habits change, top restaurants are getting creative.
Sometimes known as a ‘half-and-half,’ the hybrid is a bespoke drinks flight alternating between wine and a non-alcoholic (NA) alternative — from 0.0 percent ABV wines and juices to sparkling teas and homemade ferments. And it’s gaining popularity at select tastemaking restaurants around the world.
“Younger generations aren’t drinking in the same way [as older generations],” claims Micah Melton, culinary director at Alinea in Chicago. “Not drinking is a little less stigmatized.” While Alinea offers a full NA pairing to go with its experimental tasting menu, the hybrid option is more of an off-menu alternative. “A lot of people will get halfway through a wine pairing, and think, ‘That’s enough,’” says Melton. “So, we offer a mix and match as we see fit.”
For the most part, this alcohol-free pairing was designed to mimic the alcoholic offering — drinks were chosen for their resemblance, in taste or look, to the wines. But, as more guests dabbled with ‘sober curiosity,’ the drinks team got creative. “Sometimes we home in on a flavor in a dish and make a whole drink out of that, or for others we would single out an ingredient we thought a dish was missing,” Melton says. “We have a whole bar team for NA drinks.”
Another pioneer of the half-and-half, among other things, is Iris, the boundary-breaking restaurant in the middle of a Norwegian lake. Managing director Sebastian Torjusen says they see a homemade NA option as an opportunity for heightened flavor-matching. “It’s not just about reducing alcohol consumption, but adding an experiential dimension. Our non-alcoholic pairing can be designed and brewed to offer more than wine can. There are a few more tangents to play with.”
The hybrid menu showcases established producers — including Villbrygg, a Norwegian company making ‘soda for grown ups’ — as well as house-made fermentations using local ingredients.
In London, Cycene’s hybrid pairing, created by sommelier Douwe Steyn, is similarly experimental, and combines low-intervention wines with house-made ‘softs,’ from fermented kombucha to juices. Most interesting of all, though, is the glass of honeyed yet almost sour-tasting malted milk to accompany dessert. Given the heavy, syrupy characteristics of the more-common dessert wine, a glass of dairy doesn’t feel too wild. A restaurant’s creative potential is no longer just about what’s on the plate — it’s in the glass, too.
Oregon’s Rogue Ales & Spirits just declared bankruptcy after nearly 40 years in business. Oregon’s Rogue Ales & Spirits just declared bankruptcy after nearly 40 years in business.
The 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR was seized as part of a drug trafficking investigation. The 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR was seized as part of a drug trafficking investigation.
Designed by modernist architect Pierre Koenig, and owned by the same family since it was built in 1960, Case Study House No. 22 is now on the market for the first time in over six decades. Designed by modernist architect Pierre Koenig, and owned by the same family since it was built in 1960, Case Study House No. 22 is now on the market for the first time in over six decades.
The Reservation: The biggest restaurant in Kingly Court is cooking with Spanish heart.
How could a Basque-inspired fine dining restaurant by an El Bulli alumni be inside of Kingly Court, a bustling market-style food hub in the middle of London’s heaving Soho?
Fear not, you are in the right place. Alta is here – right at the end of Kingly Court, in a huge two-storey unit with space for up to 100 guests. Once you’re through the doors, that Soho bustle dies down and Alta beckons.
Opened in late September by chef Rob Roy Cameron, Alta takes its inspiration from northern Spain, both in its culture and its cuisine. Everything is cooked over open-fire, imbuing a smoky line throughout the menu. It feels warming and full of soul. Although the continent guides the menu, Cameron looks closer to home for ingredients: pork is from Dorset, beef is from the Lake District, and seafood is from the southwest coast. Wines are mostly European, and the vermouth on tap is Spanish, but ciders are from across the UK.
Alta forms the second restaurant in the growing Mad Restaurants group, which launched with Japanese spot Moi earlier this year. United by a fondness for theatrical live-fire cooking – albeit from different continents – Mad restaurants are billed as being not just great looking restaurants, but also ones that care about ingredients and culinary culture. In a London where the big restaurants typically lean into vibes over food, Alta feels like evidence that you can have the best of both worlds: enough seats to go around and a menu you want to keep coming back to.
Best seat in the house: A table on the ground floor, with views of the kitchen.
Chef
Cameron was born in Botswana and trained in South Africa before spending a decade working and learning in Spain. Here, he worked at El Bulli – the now-shut but still legendary home of molecular gastronomy – and was a key player in the opening of 41 Degrees in Barcelona. In London, he most recently ran the kitchens at popular but short-lived Mayfair spot Gazelle. After a few years of pop ups and residencies in the UK and beyond, Alta marks Cameron’s permanent return to the London restaurant world.
You don’t need to concern yourself with what is and isn’t on the menu, as I am confident that I (admittedly very heavily guided by the team who were not afraid to give a firm “No,” when I apparently requested the wrong dish) have perfected the perfect Alta order.
Naturally, you’re getting the getting the bread and butter, but with it you’re having the sweet, tangy, crunchy house pickles; the mini marquez sausages in tangy Pedro Ximenz saucy; and a plate of the chicharron – great hunks of puffed up pork skin all but built to scoop up the garlicky, brilliant orange mojo rojo sauce they sit on.
You still haven’t even hit the starters (come to Alta belly achingly hungry): for this you’re having the pasta-like tendrils of squid wrapped up in smoky vizcaina sauce and the ingenious sardinine empanada, complete with a fish head and tail poking up boldly through the pastry.
You have permission to slow down at mains, if only to save room for the Basque cheesecake for dessert: share the 35-day aged rib eye – which, although described as medium rare, is cooked more medium and comes with your own vat of salt to dispense as you please. Have a glass of the novel iced cider with that cheesecake, and congratulations: you have completed Alta.
Alta is an enormous restaurant – the biggest in Kingly Court, in fact. Included in that 100-cover stat is a private dining room for 12 and a year-round al fresco terrace. On the first floor, a huge stainless steel bar and an open kitchen – complete with a massive grill – form the focal points of the space. The kitchen and bar admittedly take up a lot of room, and the tables can feel quite close to their neighbors (but that is Soho for you).
The design is intentionally undone: tables are neat but linen-less and deliberate cracks of plaster on the wall create an industrial feel. It creates a relaxed atmosphere – the food is grown up and confident, but the team are open for a joke and a chat, too.
