Experience the ultimate in barefoot luxury this year by seeking out 2024’s most highly anticipated new island resorts.
Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island
Located on its own private island, 130 kilometers south of Mahé in the Indian Ocean, Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island will pair a secluded nature-rich setting with the hotel brand’s take on barefoot luxury. On opening mid-February, this ultra-luxe retreat will host guests in 50 villas, all with their own pool, on shores backed by lush tropical vegetation and lapped by the turquoise waters, home to Hawksbill turtles, eagle rays, manta rays and whale sharks, of this pristine atoll. A highlight of the resort is The Waldorf Spa featuring a hammam among other wellness facilities.
Of the six restaurants and bars celebrating fruit and vegetables grown on the island, Maison des Epices will offer Creole Latino cooking and the island’s signature restaurant Moulin will showcase a new ‘soil-to-soul’ dining experience. Try the elevated Mediterranean cuisine at La Perle and pick up artisanal pastries and Seychelles-roasted coffee at Peacock Terrace. Take time out at Torti pool and beach bar, and take in the setting sun from Lalin sunset bar.
Soneva Secret, Maldives
The latest island hideaway from the leading sustainable resorts operator, the 14-villa Soneva Secret resort is opening this March in the Maldives’ remote Haa Dhaalu atoll. Said to be 30 years in the making, this island idyll will encapsulate Soneva’s ethos in an intuitive hospitality concept aimed at complete personalization. The resort’s 14 beach and overwater villas include lagoon Crusoe villas, which are only accessible by boat, and the Castaway ‘floating’ villa spanning an impressive 4,000 sq ft. Distinct features of these villas include roofs that slide open to reveal the night sky.
This exclusive accommodation will be joined by a wealth of Soneva resort amenities including the Soneva Soul spa, Cinema Paradiso, a library, boutique, and dedicated chocolate, cheese and charcuterie rooms. Guests will be able to dine with their toes in the sand in the fireside So Primitive dining experience, and take a zipline to the resort’s Out of this World castaway dining tower complete with observatory and wine cellar. Experiences during a stay on the island might include a dolphin sunset cruise, snorkeling with the resident marine biologist, and stargazing with the resident astronomer.
Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Saudi Arabia
A part of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project, the forthcoming Ritz-Carlton Reserve is on track to opening early this year within the private islands of the Red Sea’s Blue Hole cluster. The first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Middle East, Nujuma promises a blend of luxury amenities and highly personalized leisure experiences, with elements of inspiration taken from the locale. Here, guests will stay in 63 beach and overwater villas with all the luxurious touches you can expect of this resort collection, local art and references to nature. Each villa has a telescope for discovering the night sky.
Amenities within the island retreat will span four locally inspired culinary venues, swimming pools, the indoor-outdoor Neyrah Spa, a retail area, and the Conservation House facilitating connections with the Saudi Arabian culture and environment. The resort fits in with the Red Sea Project’s overall focus on sustainability and preservation of the surrounding land and sea. During a stay, guests will be afforded insight into the surrounding area through experiences celebrating the local culture, heritage and environment.
Peter Island Resort, British Virgin Islands
Peter Island Resort is emerging from a six-year transformation project in October of this year as it reopens following a complete rebuild after the 2017 hurricane season. This island encompassing five pristine beaches fringing hundreds of lush, tropical acres is now home to 52 brand-new guest rooms, suites and villas including the mountaintop Falcons Nest Villa, with 360-degree views of the surrounding islands, and the hillside Hawks Nest Villa overlooking Sprat Bay.
Also heightening the level of luxury here is the upgraded Peter Island Spa looking out over Big Reef Bay and the beach’s palm tree grove. Standout amenities here will include a saltwater pool, al fresco relaxation areas and an outdoor hot tub. Two new restaurants are also on the menu: The Drake Steakhouse on Deadman’s Beach and the Yacht Club’s Drunken Pelican. Located in Sprat Bay, the newly designed Yacht Club will act as a destination in its own right, with amenities including the Drunken Pelican restaurant and bar, a swimming pool and a sports recreation area. Moorings will be located around the island.