The 16 best new hotels in Europe that every traveler should visit

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AHEAD Europe Hotel of the Year and Best Guestrooms: Palazzo Daniele

AHEAD Europe Hotel of the Year and Best Guestrooms: Palazzo Daniele

Located in southern Italy's Gagliano del Capo, the 158-year-old Palazzo Daniele earned two distinctions: Best Guesthouses and Hotel of the Year. Milanese design team Ludovica and Roberto Palomba transformed the 19th-century property's interior into a minimalist 9-suite hotel.

The palazzo is closed for winter break starting January 5 and reopens on March 15, with nightly rates starting at $308.

Source: AHEAD Awards

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Best Bar, Club, or Lounge: Soho House Amsterdam

Best Bar, Club, or Lounge: Soho House Amsterdam

The members-only Soho House in downtown Amsterdam consists of 79 hotel rooms located inside a Functionalist office building dating back to the 1930s. The AHEAD Awards judges describe the space as having a "a real sense of place throughout which perfectly matches the building's architecture."

Member rates start at $160 per night.

Source: AHEAD Awards

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Best Event Space: Cinema Paradiso at PURO Lódź

Best Event Space: Cinema Paradiso at PURO Lódź

Home to one of the world's oldest film schools, Lódź, Poland, lives and breathes cinema. The Puro Hotel in Lódź's city center took note, creating an event space that hosts regular movie nights and bears the name of the iconic 1988 film "Cinema Paradiso" directed by Giuseppe Tornatore.

Rates start at $74 per night.

Source: AHEAD Awards

Best Hotel Conversion: The Langley

Best Hotel Conversion: The Langley

An hour's drive outside of London, the Marriott Langley is located inside a historic manor home surrounded by 150 acres of parks and gardens. Marriott's conversion of the estate into a hotel resulted in what AHEAD describes as "an opulent country retreat with a high-end residential feel."

Rates start at $476 for non-Marriott members.

Source: AHEAD Awards

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Best Hotel Newbuild: Mollie's Motel & Diner

Best Hotel Newbuild: Mollie's Motel & Diner

Mollie's Motel & Diner, a Soho House project located in Buckland, England, is modeled after a 1950s American diner and even features a drive-thru. AHEAD judges praised Mollie's for its "quality and simplicity," noting that it has become a favorite local haunt.

Rates start at $122 per night.

Source: AHEAD Awards

Best Hotel Renovation & Restoration: Heckfield Place

Best Hotel Renovation & Restoration: Heckfield Place

Located in Hampshire, England, Heckfield Place consists of a working farm and a 46-room Georgian estate dating back to the 18th century. Architectural firm Spratley & Partners restored the property, collaborating with the interior design team bwt London.

Rates start at $450 per night.

Source: AHEAD Awards

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Best Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces: Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden Palma

Best Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces: Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden Palma

Can Bordoy Grand House in Mallorca features a "secret garden" with more than 70 plant species and a heated swimming pool. AHEAD's judging panel noted how Can Bordoy's "mindful" landscaping ensures even more privacy for its guests.

Rates start at $436 per night.

Source: AHEAD Awards

Best Lobby & Public Spaces: Belmond Cadogan Hotel

Best Lobby & Public Spaces: Belmond Cadogan Hotel

The judges praised the Belmond Cadogan Hotel's recent updates to its lobby, describing it as "light, airy and inviting." The hotel was originally built in 1887.

Rates start at $562 per night.

Source: AHEAD Awards

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Best Lodge, Cabin & Tented Camps: Manshausen 2.0

Best Lodge, Cabin & Tented Camps: Manshausen 2.0

Located on a 55-acre private island in Norway, Manshausen 2.0 is the latest extension of the Manshausen Island Resort and consists of three "sea cabins" boasting breathtaking views of the ocean. They are built primarily of cross-laminated timber and coated in aluminum to protect against the elements. The AHEAD judges praised Manshausen 2.o for the sustainability of its design.

The sea cabins are available to book February through November, and rates start at $393 per night.

Source: AHEAD Awards

Best Resort Hotel: The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland

Best Resort Hotel: The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland

Iceland's Blue Lagoon is undeniably picturesque, and the Retreat at Blue Lagoon is equally so. Its 62 suites feature panoramic views of the lagoon's alluring, steamy waters and surrounding landscape. The resort also features a subterranean spa and traditional Icelandic restaurant.

Rates start at $1293 per night.

Source: AHEAD Awards

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Best Restaurant: NENI at 25hours Hotel Terminus Nord

Best Restaurant: NENI at 25hours Hotel Terminus Nord

Conveniently located across from the Gare du Nord train station in Paris' 10th arrondissement, 25hours Hotel Terminus Nord features a restaurant that AHEAD describes as having a distinctly feminine feel. Marrying Persian, Arabic, French, and Russian influences, it features pastel velvet chairs, pink marble tables and several women-themed artworks.

25hours Hotel Company founder Christoph Hoffmann, who has overseen the development of 13 25hours hotels since 2005, separately won the Outstanding Contribution category of this year's AHEAD Europe Awards for his contributions to the hospitality industry.

Rates start at $112 per night.

Source: AHEAD Awards

Best Spa & Wellness: Euphoria Retreat

Best Spa & Wellness: Euphoria Retreat

Carved into a mountainside in Mystras, Greece, Euphoria Spa spans four stories and merges elements of Byzantine architecture with minimalist Zen design. One of the spa's defining features is its dome-like "Sphere Pool," inspired by the architecture of the Hagia Sofia Church.

Rates start at $525 per night.

Source: AHEAD Awards

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Best Suite: Dexamenes Seaside Hotel

Best Suite: Dexamenes Seaside Hotel

Once a derelict, abandoned wine factory, Dexamenes Seaside Hotel in Kourouta, Greece is now beachside haven thanks to K-Studio architects. AHEAD judges described Dexamenes as "the height of unpretentious luxury."

Rooms are available April through October, with rates starting at $176 per night.

Source:
AHEAD Awards

Best Transport: Ponant Le Champlain

Best Transport: Ponant Le Champlain

Le Champlain is one of six new luxury vessels released by cruise operator Ponant, which sends cruises all over the world. The ship, named after famous French explorer Samuel de Champlain, embarked on its maiden voyage in October 2018.

Double occupancy fares for available trips in 2020 start at $980 for four nights.

Source: AHEAD Awards

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Best Visual Identity: Amerikalinjen

Best Visual Identity: Amerikalinjen

AHEAD awarded Amerikalinjen, once the former offices of cruise ship Norwegian American Line, for how well the boutique hotel incorporates travel and navigation themes into its design. The hotel's suites feature objects related to the history of Amerikalinjen, and its cocktail bar is named after one of the cruise ship's iconic final destinations: New York's Pier 42.

Rates start at $242 per night.

Source: AHEAD Awards

New Concept of the Year: The Audo

New Concept of the Year: The Audo

AUDO hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark, won one of AHEAD's special category awards, touted as "a hotel that truly offers everything," from typical hotel features like restaurants and cafes to a "concept store" and "material library." In the concept store, guests can purchase AUDO linens, robes and furniture to commemorate their stay, and in the material library, they can draw design inspiration from a rotating selection of natural materials, fabrics, and leathers.

Rates start at $708 per night.

Source: AHEAD Awards

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