Last year we saw a number of exciting hotel openings. I don’t typically follow many, but there were a couple that really caught my eye. Two were fairly close to home, these being the Hyatt Place San Francisco Downtown (right by the ballpark) and the Grand Hyatt at SFO. The latter was my most anticipated hotel opening on 2020, and it did not disappoint. You can read my full review of the Grand Hyatt at SFO. It’s my favorite domestic Hyatt property.

This year promises to be at least as interesting a year when it comes to hotel openings. There are a number on my radar. I’m all about award travel, so although there is an Aman hotel making its way into NYC, that is a whole lot less interesting to me than properties within the major loyalty programs. I like places I can stay for free using points. Here are the five most exciting 2020 hotel openings for me:

2020 hotel openings

Park Hyatt Niseko Hokkaido, Japan

As Hyatt’s luxury flagship brand, the opening of new Park Hyatt’s are always of interest. There are already a couple in Japan: the Park Hyatt Tokyo and Park Hyatt Kyoto, both of which are premier properties within the brand.

I expect that a stay at the Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono would be just as excellent. This ski-in, ski-out hotel in the mountains a short ways from Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido looks like an amazing place to enjoy a winter getaway. It’s already open in time for the winter season. Just be prepared to shell out 30,000 points per night. But that is preferable to paying rates that climb to $900 USD at times.

If the Park Hyatt is too much for your budget, there is also a Hyatt House in Niseko. But that costs just as much, so you might as well enjoy the luxury available.

Waldorf Astoria Bali

There are plenty of points hotels on this lovely Indonesian island, but the opening of the Waldorf Astoria Bali later this year will make it the first of the chain within that country. As the pinnacle luxury brand within the Hilton portfolio, I would expect excellence from the new property.

The real question is how much the Waldorf Astoria Bali will cost. There are some points steals on the island if you don’t mind a 3-star stay. We’ll see where Hilton prices the new property.

2020 hotel openings

Grand Hyatt Jeju

The Grand Hyatt Jeju caught my eye for two reasons: first, it is an absolutely massive property, offering 1,600 rooms! Second, it will dominate the skyline along the coast of the island. Jeju hasn’t been on my short list to visit, but I was very intrigued by the new Hyatt hotel slated to open later this year.

This may surprise you, but the Seoul-Jeju route is one of the busiest in the world. The island is a vacation destination for tourist from other parts of South Korea and also from China. It’s essentially the “Hawaii of Korea”.

EDITION Hotels in Tokyo

It shouldn’t be all that surprising that Tokyo is in the middle of a hotel boom in advance of the 2020 Olympics. Marriott is opening not one, but two different EDITION properties in the Japanese capital. I’ve not stayed at an EDITION hotel, but the brand is a luxury lifestyle brand within Marriott’s portfolio.

There aren’t all that many EDITION hotels worldwide, and the opening of these two represents quite the increase. These are also the first EDITION hotels in Japan. The first of the hotels is located in the Ginza district and will be a boutique property with just 80 rooms. This is a major shopping and retail area. The other EDITION is in Toranomon and will offer approximately 200 rooms.

I’d expect rates to be sky-high when they open if the Olympics are upon us. Good luck snagging an award stay!

a bed with a bench and a table

Hyatt Regency and Hyatt Centric Portland

Miles to Memories covered the Hyatt Regency Portland opening, which marks the first upscale or luxury brand within the World of Hyatt program to come to Stumptown. There is a Hyatt House near the river that my wife and I really enjoyed in 2016 when it was quite new.

Technically, the Hyatt Regency Portland opened in December 2019. But I still wanted to throw it on the list. The real 2020 opening is the Hyatt Centric Portland Downtown. This 220-room property is located in an enviable spot in the heart of downtown. The design looks lovely, and after a very enjoyable first Hyatt Centric stay in Uruguay, I’m sold on the boutique lifestyle brand.

The Hyatt Centric Portland just opened this week. Typically, I’m keen on new hotels, although visiting after the first couple months can be prudent to ensure any service issues have been ironed out.

Conclusion

I’m not sure if or when I’ll stay at any of the above properties, but these five exciting 2020 hotel openings certainly interest me. What new hotel openings are you following?