Amanresorts has been gearing up to open its first Brazilian resort, Amanoca, which will sit just an hour from Rio de Janeiro. For a long time the rumor mill suggested a 2012 opening date for this oceanfront resort, but hold onto your hats, Amanoca won’t be showing her pretty face until early 2014. It will have 23 suites, 19 residential villas, a destination Beach Club, restaurants, a private library and a multi-media theater.
Ritz-Carlton has unveiled plans to debut a brand-new hotel in Tunisia in 2014. The Ritz-Carlton Tunis, Carthage, will offer 129 suites designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates, along with seven restaurants and bars; a ballroom; and a large spa.
The talk of the town in Amsterdam? The Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht hotel opens this month in the former Public Library on the Prinsengracht (Prince’s Canal) in the lively Jordaan district, which was once a working class neighborhood. Expect seriously cool interior design, with nods to Dutch history and culture throughout. There’s also the Bluespoon restaurant and an Urban Spa with a sauna and hammam.