Just in: This month’s hot hotel news

Where to stay on New Year’s Eve? Our top 3 ideas 

Whether you want a chilled beachy New Year, the full Vegas razzle dazzle, or to see nature’s own fireworks, we’ve got the perfect hotels to welcome 2025. First up: For a unique, away-from-it-all vibe, head to the Pacific nation of Kiribati—the country that greets each new year before anyone else in the world. The island’s Terau Beach Bungalow resort is so sleepy that you may even bed down before midnight. Or for a very different New Year’s Eve experience, make for Las Vegas, where hotels along the Strip launch jaw-dropping fireworks displays as the clock strikes 12. Watch from the Plaza Hotel & Casino where the rooftop pool hosts one of the best viewing parties. Meanwhile, in Tromsø, Norway, the view from Clarion Hotel The Edge’s Skybar might be even better: Locals are hoping for a dazzling late-December display of the northern lights.  

Mama Shelter makes its Dubai debut 

Emerging Dubai neighborhood Business Bay may sound serious—but it’s quickly gaining ground as one of the city’s most interesting new districts. It’s chockablock with head-turning architecture and fancy new restaurants, and just minutes from the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Colorful and clubby, the new Mama Shelter Dubai fits right in. Digital nomads are all set with ample coworking spaces—although they’ll want to clock off early: This sun-trap property features four pools (cool down in the one with its own semi-submerged bar if it’s sweltering), a buzzy robata grill terrace restaurant, and an outdoor cinema that screens a program of feel-good modern classics.  

Hilton raises the bar for hotel accessibility

Kudos to Hilton for making their hotels more accessible: In an industry first, the hospitality group is partnering with Be My Eyes—an app that connects people who are blind or have low vision with sighted volunteers, who provide assistance to solve everyday tasks via video call. Be My Eyes users in the U.S. and Canada will be able to use their smartphones to navigate to the app’s “Hotels” category, and be directly connected to Hilton’s dedicated teams. They can then provide guests with support on everything from identifying bathroom products and adjusting thermostats to using gym facilities. The service is offered across Hilton brands in the U.S. and Canada, including Hampton by Hilton and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts.

A first look at Barcelona’s most exciting new hotel

If its room names are anything to go by, great things await within the waterfront SLS Barcelona: Any hotel that checks guests into a “Euphoria Suite” or “Captivate King” must be confident they’re going to enjoy themselves. The luxury lies in the details, as every room is stocked with fancy Malin+Goetz toiletries and offers cinematic marina or Mediterranean views. Expect the chic poolside cabanas and morning-to-night rooftop bar to be buzzing all year round—but especially lively in June when the Primavera Sound music festival takes place nearby.