With a number of new hotel openings (eyes on you, Berlin!), the upscale Waldorf Astoria brand is on a roll. There are quite a few exciting properties in the pipeline around the globe. Scheduled to open in May 2013, the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah is next up on our radar screen. The Arabian-style palace reigns over a gorgeous swath of private beach in the UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah, just 40 minutes from Dubai International Airport.
The sprawling resort will have 346 oversized rooms and suites, and the amenity list is impressive: an 18-hole championship golf course, eight restaurants and bars, tennis courts, water sports, a full-service spa, and outdoor pools. For jetsetters arriving from Abu Dhabi or Dubai, there will be a helicopter landing pad on site. Private limousines will also be available. For more information, visit waldorfastoria.hilton.com.