10 hotel openings in May 2025 that...

From a private island resort in Dubai to the first five-star property in Malé, here are the latest launches

Among the handful of hotels that opened in the Middle East in May, Barceló made its debut in Bahrain, Rosewood landed in Doha with a property whose design draws inspiration from its Qatari roots, and private island destination Sweden Beach Palace (pictured) opened on The World Islands, just off the coast of Dubai.

Elsewhere, Barceló opened the first five-star resort in Maldivian capital Malé, SLS made its debut in Spain, opening in Barcelona’s Port Forum harbour and Anantara is breathing new life into an historic building in Vienna.

Here are the 10 most exciting hotel openings in May 2025.

1 Sweden Beach Palace, Dubai, UAE
Situated 6km from Dubai’s mainland, Sweden Beach Palace in The Heart of Europe, a luxury destination on The World Islands, has just nine palatial beachfront homes, each with seven bedrooms, a private infinity pool, rooftop terrace and sweeping views of the Arabian Gulf. There’s a ‘snow room’ and a private beach here too, plus tailored experiences. sweden-beach-palace-opens-on-world-islands

Villa at Sweden Beach Palace on The World Islands

2 Barceló Hotel & Residences, Bahrain
Located in the vibrant Seef district, this four-star, 20-storey property brings Spanish hospitality to the capital Manama, and offers 195 rooms and suites, some with balconies and sea views, plus a kids’ club and a sprawling rooftop terrace with two pools and a sports bar. barcelo-debuts-in-bahrain

Pool at Barceló Hotel & Residences, Bahrain

3 Holiday Inn Riyadh Al Malaz, Saudi Arabia
Located in the Al Malaz district, just a short walk from Riyadh Metro station and close to landmarks including King Abdullah Park, this mid-range hotel offers 115 rooms and suites, three dining outlets, yoga studio and an outdoor pool with sweeping city views. Holiday-inn-riyadh-al-malaz-opens

Room at Holiday Inn Riyadh Al Malaz

4 Rosewood Doha, Qatar
Now open for bookings, this luxury property on the seafront in Lusail has 155 accommodations, including the spacious Reef Suite with dining for eight and around-the-clock butler service, as well as 132 serviced apartments, eight dining concepts, three pools and a members-only social wellness club. rosewood-doha-in-qatar

Room view at Rosewood Qatar

5 Barceló Nasandhura Malé, the Maldives
Just a 10-minute drive from Male’s Velana International Airport, the city's first five-star hotel features 136 rooms and suites and 116 serviced apartments, plus three dining options, a rooftop bar with ocean views, a private beach, wellness area, a kids’ club and the first and only oceanfront pool in Malé. barcelo-opens-males-first-five-star-hotel

Pool at Barceló Nasandhura Malé

6 Zleep in Frankfurt, Germany
Economy lifestyle brand Zleep has opened in Germany’s financial hub, close to Frankfurt’s International Airport, with 175 design-focused accommodations, a snack bar and lounge, as well as a fitness room. zleep-debuts-in-germany

Zleep Frankfurt

7 Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel, Austria
Fresh from a renovation, the reopening of this historic palace as an Anantara resort brings Michelin-starred dining and 152 accommodations, including the city’s largest Presidential Suite, to the city, just steps from Vienna’s Little Paris. anantara-palais-hansen-vienna-hotel-austria

Balcony suite at Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel

8 SLS Barcelona, Spain
Occupying an enviable waterfront setting at Port Fòrum, just minutes from the beach, the 471-key property has six restaurants and bars, a sprawling rooftop, a spin studio, three pools and a subterranean spa due to open year-end.
sls-barcelona-spain

Rooftop pool at SLS Barcelona

9 Fairmont Golden Prague, Czech Republic
Reopened as a Fairmont property following a revamp, the brutalist building on the banks of Prague’s Vltava River blends modernist aesthetics with traditional Czech glass artistry, and features six dining venues, including a rooftop restaurant, a garden and an indoor-outdoor pool. fairmont-golden-prague

Restaurant at Fairmont Golden Prague

10 Alai, Crete, a Tribute Portfolio Resort, Greece
This seaside resort comes with 114 rooms and suites, many with private balconies overlooking the coast and delivers menus across six restaurants featuring local Cretan produce, as well as two outdoor pools, a garden and beach yoga sessions.

To discover all the latest hotel openings, bookmark Connecting Travel's First Look galleries at www.connectingtravel.com/photos, and follow us on Linkedin and Instagram

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE 76-PAGE CONNECTING TRAVEL INSIGHT REPORT TODAY