00:00Every year, Condé Nast Traveler releases its annual Hot List, which celebrates the
00:06best hotel openings and more from around the world.
00:09Here, a classic Santa Monica grand dame is reborn for the modern era, a flashy resort
00:16ups the ante on the Strip, and a London heritage building joins one of the world's most luxurious
00:22hotel families, all three of which are winners on this year's Hot List.
00:27The art deco The Georgian reopened last year, every bit as beautiful as she was in her 1930s
00:33heyday, where she earned the nickname First Lady of Santa Monica when opening as one of
00:38the first skyscrapers on Ocean Boulevard.
00:42You get a sense of the hotel's storied past as soon as you walk into the lobby.
00:46Fun fact, the art and portraiture that hangs on the walls is by actor Sharon Stone.
00:52This hotel has no shortage of old Hollywood glamour, and nowhere is that more on display
00:57than in the bar and restaurant The Georgian Room, which has had some work done, but has
01:01retained the booze laid out in the original L-shape from the hotel's Hollywood heyday.
01:07The dishes at the restaurant come from Nancy Silverton alum David Almany, and feature heavy
01:12and hearty Italian pastas, as well as lighter fare like blackened salmon.
01:17The terrace, too, is a whimsical splash of California fun, and the best place to settle
01:23in for a cocktail and something sweet.
01:26There are 56 rooms and 28 suites here, and all of them honor the hotel's theatrical bones.
01:33There are Art Deco peepholes, luxury beds dressed in Bellino linens, and all are designed
01:39to be light and breezy, and let plenty of that California sunshine stream in.
01:45The vibe is decidedly louder on the Las Vegas Strip, where the Fountain Blue opened as probably
01:51the most anticipated new resort in over a decade.
01:55Honoring the Miami original, the Vegas Outpost is a fever dream of mid-century modern design,
02:01reimagined for the maximalism of Vegas now.
02:04At 67 floors, this is the tallest hotel in Vegas, with 3,644 rooms and 32, yes, 32 restaurants,
02:15including the Central Blue Bar itself.
02:17A steady and OTT design with its thousands of glass bow ties, it's hard to say what
02:23the biggest draw is for a hotel that's almost like its own self-contained universe.
02:28Could it be the Oasis Pool Deck, with six pools, and its own French Riviera-inspired
02:33day club?
02:35Or perhaps it's the extensive Wellness Center that has an immense hydrotherapy section,
02:41including a sauna and a stargazing lounge.
02:44For those who may have had a little too much to drink at one of the bars the night before,
02:48the Nutri-Drip Lounge has a ton of different IV drips to help you restore and recover.
02:54Then there are the rooms, but depending on which you book, you will have views of the
02:58Strip, the mountains, or the pool scene.
03:02And if you want to bring the party back to the room, opt to book one of their more spacious
03:06suites like the Fleur de Lis, which can clock in at 10,000 square feet.
03:13A very different scene has opened across the pond in London, where the Luxury Raffles
03:18brand has had one of the most anticipated openings in years.
03:23Located inside London's old war offices, now the O.O., this hotel has great old bones,
03:29is packed with history, and has been completely reimagined as one of the most sophisticated
03:35hotels not just in London, but anywhere, thanks to a $2 billion renovation that honored the
03:41building's grandest spaces, including a centerpiece grand staircase, where Churchill would boom
03:47out his morning briefings while Secretary of War.
03:50Trust us, every area has both a story to tell and makes an incredible photo op.
03:56Even the elevators have a history.
03:58The rooms themselves feel every bit worthy of the building's heritage.
04:03The enormous Granville Suite has floral touches, the most incredible copper bath, look at that,
04:09and handsome dark wood paneling.
04:12Though perhaps your taste is better suited to the Churchill Suite that had been a central
04:16point for military strategizing.
04:19Today it's more a study in English oak and rich green damask wall upholstery.
04:25And of course, this being the beating heart of London, you're likely to have views of
04:29so many of the city's famous landmarks.
04:32But despite its history, there are softer sides to the hotel too, including a signature
04:37Guerlain spa that measures 27,000 square feet, and some of the most high-tech facials in town.
04:45There are nine restaurants here, but the one you cannot miss is Mauro Colagreco, the Argentine
04:51chef who earned his chops at places like France's three-starred Mirazur.
04:56And if you want to grab a whiskey alongside bespectacled British politicians, and for
05:01a moment imagine what life was like in these halls a century ago, settle into the downstairs
05:07Guards Bar.
05:09A top hotel draws in the best of food, design, and comfort to become a destination all their own.
05:16Any hotel that you choose will guarantee a great vacation.
05:19And for more information on all these hotels, including what to pack, head to CNTraveler.com.
05:27These Hotlist tours are brought to you by Capital One.
05:30What's in your wallet?
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