W Hotel Prague, Shanghai Snow World: A Round-Up of December Hotel News

It’s the end of the year, and it seems like many hotel brands want to open or announce new properties before the clock strikes 2025.

Read our round-up of hotels that opened in December, plus new hotel news around the country and globally.

New Hotels

Khao Lak Marriott Beach Resort & Spa, Thailand

Want to stay at a resort right on a picture-perfect beach in Thailand? Khao Lak Marriott Beach Resort & Spa has just opened on the country’s dazzling southwest coast. Even better, it’s an absolute steal with Marriott Bonvoy points and represents one of the best deals for points stays in Thailand.

The resort has 283 guest rooms, suites, and villas, all of which include private balconies. Guests can choose from 7 on-resort restaurants and enjoy 6 spa treatment rooms, several pools, and a private beach.

• Opening Date: Now open
• Typical Cash Price: $120 per night
• Typical Points Cost: 20,000 to 24,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night

Hot Tip:

You can use a 35,000-point free night certificate at this resort, thanks to the low cost of award redemptions!

Me and All Hotel Flims, Switzerland

Located in the Grisons Alps in Switzerland, Me and All Hotel Flims is the brand’s first property outside Germany. The hotel has just 73 rooms — 47 guest rooms and 26 apartments.

This resort will certainly be popular among those who love winter sports thanks to its ski-in, ski-out ability. Me and All Hotel Flims has several dining options, a spa, a fitness center, and is pet-friendly.

• Opening Date: Now open
• Typical Cash Price: From $340 per night
• Typical Points Cost: Category 5, award nights cost between 17,000 and 23,000 World of Hyatt points per night (depending on dates)

Palmaroga Hotel Asuncion, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Paraguay

Hilton made waves earlier this month by opening its first-ever hotel in the South American country of Paraguay. Palmaroga Hotel Asuncion, Tapestry Collection by Hilton is located in a building that was once home to the Superior Court of Justice.

True to the Tapestry Collection brand, the hotel is simple but comfortable. It has 107 guest rooms, including a massive presidential suite with 2 bedrooms and a balcony. Amenities include a rooftop pool, dining, and a fitness center.

• Opening Date: Now open
• Typical Cash Price: From $70 per night
• Typical Points Cost: From 20,000 points Hilton Honors points per night

W Prague, Czech Republic

The W Prague has opened in the heart of the city. The hotel is located in what was once the Grand Hotel Europa and has a strong historical legacy in the city. With 161 guest rooms and suites, the W Prague is the perfect option for those who want to be close to shopping, dining, transit, and culture because of its prime location on Wenceslas Square.

Amenities include the signature W Lounge, a rooftop bar, a spa, a pool, and several dining options, including a speakeasy.

• Opening Date: Now open
• Typical Cash Price: Between $300 and $450 per night
• Typical Points Cost: From 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night

Shanghai Snow World Hotel, Vignette Collection, China

Shanghai Snow World Hotel has joined IHG’s Vignette Collection brand in China. With 272 rooms and 17 suites, the resort is a year-round ski destination. It boasts ski slopes, indoor and outdoor water parks, and an ice rink, and for those who want other options, it is near Shanghai Disney Resort.

Shanghai Snow World Hotel has 4 restaurants and bars, an indoor pool, a gym, and a spa. 

• Opening Date: Now open
• Typical Cash Price: From $160 per night
• Typical Points Cost: Between 26,000 and 40,000 IHG One Rewards points per night

Tempo by Hilton Raleigh Downtown, North Carolina

Tempo by Hilton is a relatively small but fast-growing brand. It has planted its flag in the state of North Carolina with the recent opening of the Tempo by Hilton Raleigh Downtown. It opened alongside a sister property, Homewood Suites by Hilton Raleigh Downtown, and together, the 2 hotels have a total of 261 guest rooms with 2 restaurants. 

Tempo by Hilton Raleigh Downtown is designed for wellness and leisure travelers alike. Some rooms offer Peloton bikes and Theraguns. The hotel also has a fitness center and ground-floor Hydration Bar, offering still, sparkling, and alkaline-filtered water. Each floor also has accessible hydration stations for refilling your water bottle. 

• Opening Date: Now open
• Typical Cash Price: Between $240 and $500 per night
• Typical Points Cost: 55,000 Hilton Honors points per night

Radisson Blu Hotel, Conakry, Guinea

Radisson is expanding its footprint in West Africa with the opening of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Conakry in Guinea. The hotel has a whopping 282 guest rooms, suites, and apartments, all of which include balconies with sea views.

Amenities include an all-day restaurant, a pool bar, event spaces, a spa, and a gym. 

• Opening Date: Now open
• Typical Cash Price: From $250 per night
• Typical Points Cost: Varies

Upcoming Hotels

The St. Regis Aruba Resort, Aruba (January 2025)

The St. Regis Aruba Resort is open for stays officially as of January 22, 2025. The 252-room resort — which includes 52 suites — will likely be the crown jewel of Marriott resorts in Aruba. The resort will have an infinity pool, several restaurants, a fitness center, and, of course, The St. Regis Spa.

If you’re planning a stay here, you’ll need a lot of cash or Marriott Bonvoy points. Paid rates start at $1,600 per night, while the cheapest redemption in winter or spring is 91,000 points per night.

Rosewood Miyakojima, Japan (2025)

The highly anticipated Rosewood Miyakojima in Okinawa, Japan, finally has an official opening date: March 1, 2025.

The hotel is the first Rosewood in Japan and will have 55 pool villas, 4 restaurants and bars, a kid’s club, and a prime beachfront location. 

Hot Tip:

The Rosewood Miyakojima is running an opening promotion. For a limited time, you can get between $130 and $320 in hotel credit, complimentary breakfast, early check in, and late checkout.

JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa (2025)

The JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa in Greece is accepting reservations for stays beginning August 1, 2025 — and you’ll certainly want to stay here. Spanning 100 acres along the sea, all 160 rooms, suites, and villas offer views of the water.

True to any JW Marriott resort, it delivers on luxury: the hotel offers a spa with 5 treatment rooms, a large gym, and several swimming pools.

5 Marriott Hotels Opening in China (2025 and 2026)

Marriott closed out 2024 with some big news from China, with 5 hotel signings for the Tribute Portfolio brand. The hotel giant will open the following hotels between 2025 and 2026: Grand House Hotel in Shaoxing; Grand New Century Hotel, Wenzhou, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel; Wonderland Resort, Shangrao Sanqingshan, a Tribute Portfolio Resort; Grand House, Jiangyin, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel; and Grand New Century Resort, Changxing, a Tribute Portfolio Resort.

Conrad Los Cabos (2027)

Another high-end resort is coming to the shores of Los Cabos, Mexico. Hilton announced earlier this month that it would open the Conrad Los Cabos in 2027, the brand’s debut in Baja California.

The resort will have 175 total rooms: 111 guest rooms, 21 suites, and 43 residences. Amenities will include a 3,000-square-foot spa with 10 treatment rooms, a fitness center, numerous resort-style pools, and programming for kids.

How To Book

While several hotels on this list aren’t open yet, many are — and they can be booked with hotel points. If you plan to book your stay with points, which we recommend in most cases, here’s a look at how to easily earn points through the appropriate program.

Hilton Honors

• Hilton Honors offers several co-branded credit cards with massive welcome bonuses and elite status.
• Transfer partners: American Express Membership Rewards (1:2 ratio) and Bilt Rewards (1:1 ratio) are transfer partners with Hilton. Amex runs transfer bonuses to Hilton pretty often.
• Other ways to earn: Eating out with Hilton Honors Dining, riding in a Lyft, or booking a car rental with Alamo, Enterprise, or National.

IHG One Rewards

• IHG One Rewards offers several credit cards. 
• Transfer partners: Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards (1:1 ratio).
• Other ways to earn: Dining out with IHG Dining or hosting an event with IHG Business Rewards.

Marriott Bonvoy

• Open one of Marriott Bonvoy’s many co-branded personal and business credit cards. 
• Transfer partners: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, and Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1)
• Other ways to earn: Booking Marriott Bonvoy Tours & Activities (earn at least 5x points), hosting an event with the Marriott Bonvoy Events program, booking a package with Vacations by Marriott, or renting a car with Hertz.

Radisson Rewards

• Having Radisson Rewards elite status earns you points. Regular members earn 8x points per $1 spent, Premium members earn 27x points, and VIPs earn 36x points per $1 spent.
• Other ways to earn: Radisson Rewards promotions, booking car rentals, and hosting meetings or events. 

World of Hyatt

• World of Hyatt has 2 transfer partners: Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards (1:1 ratio). 
• Credit cards: Hyatt has 2 co-branded cards, 1 personal and 1 business.
• Other ways to earn: American Airlines partnership with Hyatt, booking rental cars, hosting a meeting or event, or booking with FIND Experiences.

Final Thoughts

There was plenty of exciting hotel news to close out 2024, including openings in the hearts of some of the globe’s greatest cities, remote beach resorts, and several ski destinations.

Many of the properties we included in this list are really reasonable to book with points, and some can even be booked with free night certificates.

We’ll be back next month to recap the biggest news for the first month of 2025!