All told, last year was a relatively light one for Caribbean hotels; while there were some stunners, a number of the most anticipated properties set to open in 2025 ended up, well, not actually opening. What that does mean is that there’s a very healthy pipeline of exciting new hotels slated to welcome their first guests in 2026 in the Caribbean, from hip urban hotels in places like Grand Cayman to new luxury resorts in emerging destinations (Four Seasons’ Cartagena outpost) to large-scale all-inclusive resorts in trending hotspots like Punta Cana.
It should be a very eventful year for Caribbean hotels. Here are 17 different properties set to open their doors in the Caribbean this year — and ones we’re particularly stoked about.
Lopesan Splash Cove, Lopesan Caoba Lagoon, and Lopesan Serenity Bay One of our favorite all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean is launching a big expansion this year, with three new, distinct resorts as part of the Lopesan Costa Bavaro complex in Punta Cana. Each of the five-star resorts will have a different personality and identity: Lopesan Splash Cove will be 244-room resort with some spectacular swim-out room and waterpark-view options; Lopesan Caoba Lagoon will have 552 rooms in a cenote-style lagoon setting; and the Lopesan Serenity Bay will be a dedicated adults-only retreat with 239 rooms.
The best part is you get access to all of the Lopesan Costa Bavaro’s facilities, including its signature Boulevard, a walkable outdoor mall with everything from a rum bar to a bowling alley that’s one of the best all-inclusive amenities anywhere in the region. Opening dates? May 1, now bookable. Plainly, it’s the most exciting new resort destination in the Caribbean this year.
Sapphire Sands, Saint Lucia The newest addition to the excellent Bay Gardens Resorts portfolio is this villa-style beach resort that brings a new level of luxury to Reduit Beach. Set to open in February, the resort will have a total of 27 keys, with a customizable layout and a mix of one, two and three-bedroom configurations. The ground-floor villas have their own plunge pools, and, most importantly, the resort comes with high-level butler service. It’s the most exciting new hotel in Saint Lucia in years, all from the island’s leading family-owned portfolio.
Four Seasons Cartagena The increasingly hot Caribbean coast of Colombia is finally getting its first Four Seasons: a cool blend of history and modernity, set across a cluster of structures of varying degrees of age, ranging from a 16th century temple to a 1920s French design. The coolest part will almost certainly be the rooftop pool, boasting views o
It’s already taking bookings for stays beginning in May.
One GT Grand Cayman It’s always been a popular spot for shopping — but now Grand Cayman’s capital is getting the luxe hotel treatment. The new One GT is a sleek, contemporary 10-story residential resort in the heart of George Town, with a stunning rooftop infinity pool overlooking the harbor and vibrant suites. It’s a different kind of hotel for a destination we love, and part of a very cool lineup of hotels that have either already opened (the Indigo and Vida) or are opening soon on the island.
Even better? It’s part of Hilton’s Small Luxury Hotels portfolio. It’s already taking bookings beginning May 1.
St Regis Costa Mujeres, Cancun First the Riviera Maya, then Cap Cana, then Aruba, and now St. Regis is adding another Caribbean property, this time in the so-called “New Cancun” of Costa Mujeres. The 163-room retreat will be true to the St. Regis’ brand of pedigree-backed modern luxury, with things like butler service, a number of pools and a signature spa, among other amenities. Opening date? It looks like July, according to the hotel website.
Kimpton Tres Rios Kimpton? All-inclusive? The famous boutique hotel brand now going wallet-free? Yes, it’s happening. In the latest move by a noted brand to incorporate the most popular concept in travel, Kimpton is opening its first-ever all-inclusive anywhere with the 355-suite Kimpton Tres Rios in the Riviera Maya of Mexico. What can you expect? Well, for starters, seven eateries and five bars, a spa, pools and hip suites. No word on if there will be a Social Hour. Opening date? Sometime in 2026.
Grand Hyatt Grand Cayman The Hyatt brand is returning to Grand Cayman with a luxe, 382-room-and-suite edition right in the heart of Seven Mile Beach. So what’s in store? Five dining concepts, a rooftop bar, a beach eatery, a spa and what the company says is a wellness focus.
Opening date? It’s taking bookings for May 1, 2026.
Royalton Vessence Barbados If you haven’t been watching, Barbados has quietly developed one of the region’s most impressive collections of all-inclusive resorts; now it’s getting another one, with the first-ever debut of Royalton’s new “Vessence” brand. The resort gets its name from the Latin “veritas essentia,” and it’s actually a rebranding of the former Royalton CHIC Barbados that was already in development. The idea for Vessence is an adults-only brand that’s all about senses, experience and design.
Crystal Cove, Barbados Ok, so this isn’t a completely new resort, but the charming, boutique all-inclusive that was once part of the Elegant Hotels portfolio is now reopening as a Marriott-portfolio all-inclusive (part of the Tribute Collection). It’s a postcard-style resort that’s family friendly but intimate, crowned by my favorite amenity at the hotel: the grotto-style swim-up bar. Opening date? Feb. 1.
Turtle Beach, Barbados This venerable resort on the always-fun south coast of Barbados is making its long-awaited return, with its simple-but-effective formula of easy, family-friendly fun on a world-class beach. It’s now taking bookings beginning May 1.
Alila Mayakoba The former Andaz resort in the Mexican Caribbean’s fantastic Mayakoba development is getting new life as a new Hyatt brand: Alila, with 182 rooms, totally new rooms, a beach club and a renewed focus on sustainability. It’s planning to open Feb. 12.
Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks and Caicos It’s not a completely new resort, but this resort-within-a-resort “village” at the legendary Provo all-inclusive is impressive enough to deserve a spot on this list, with a huge beach style pool, large villas with their own pools and a very intriguing new “food hall” style concept — and about 101 new rooms in all. It’s opening March 1.
Westerly at Hilton Aruba Aruba’s original beach resort is making its biggest change in more than a half century, with the planned debut of the new resort-within-a-resort concept called The Westerly, with 161 rooms, an adults-only rooftop lounge and some very nice-looking swim-up rooms. It’s now bookable for stays beginning Feb. 2, according to Google Hotels.
Secrets Macao Beach Punta Cana If you’ve ever stayed in a Secrets, you pretty much know what to expect: adults-only, solid design, great Preferred Clubs, so-so food. Now, another new Secrets is coming to the region, with a 406-room retreat in greater Punta Cana that’s the latest addition to Hyatt’s ever-expanding Inclusive Collection, with three pools (including one of the rooftop variety) and apparently 111 swim-out suites. Opening date? Some time in 2026.
Moon Palace The Grand Punta Cana It’s almost hard to believe that, up until now, Palace Resorts has not actually had a resort in Punta Cana. But that’s changing this year, with the new Moon Palace The Grand, a truly massive 2,171 room resort with a destination spa, a Greg Norman golf course and all of the amenities you expect at one of Palace’s properties. It’s set to open this spring.
