Hottest New Beach Hotels

This modern hotel atop a marina on the Sea of Cortés is a breath of fresh air in over-the-top Los Cabos. Its low-key cool comes through in the live musical performances by the likes of Damien Rice and curated art exhibits. Downstairs restaurant serves tlacoyo de pollo, a Mexican specialty, while the spa plays up regional botanicals such as agave-mezcal scrubs. Expect your room to feature an iPad, a Mexican tiled hot tub, and distressed-wood headboards and wall paneling. elganzo.com

—Adam H. Graham

Designer Anthony Baratta drew out the property’s mid-century roots by ditching the Mediterranean palette in exchange for SoCal hues, Mad Men–era furniture, and Calder-inspired chandeliers. The refreshed hotel reopened in March 2013, complete with restaurant Tower 8, where Santa Monica native and Michelin-starred chef Josiah Citrin emphasizes southern California cuisine like ahi tuna tartare and avocado mousseline as well as farmers’ market salads. To really channel your SoCal chi, sign up for the free yoga classes. oceanabeachclubhotel.com

—Adam H. Graham

This Eisenhower-era Montauk motel gone mod is near the shores of Fort Pond, but just a five-minute beach-cruiser ride from the surfer-stoked bonfires of Ditch Plains Beach (bikes for hire are on the premises). The cedar-plank walls, hammocks, and wicker furniture are part of the 1950s beach-holiday lure, as are bingo nights, fresh clam pizzas, and dance-offs. But the young and energetic crowd—including plenty of creative New Yorkers—keeps the place feeling especially contemporary. kingandgrove.com

—Adam H. Graham

Introducing the latest high-rise beach hotel on Oahu, just two blocks from Waikiki Beach. When Vive opens in July 2013, it will offer guests hibiscus tea upon arrival, plus an in-house surf school, a yoga program, modern Polynesian in-room textiles, and spectacular views of Ko’olau Mountain and the mighty Pacific. vivehotelwaikiki.com

—Adam H. Graham

This Collins Avenue newcomer opened in November 2012 with a sexy lobby designed by Rottet Studio, a restaurant serving locavore cuisine like BBQ shrimp and hearts of palm bathed in orange vinegar, and a rooftop spa sanctuary that overlooks South Beach’s cerulean South Atlantic ocean. Competing with the beach for your attention is one of the world’s coolest hotel pools. jameshotels.com

—Adam H. Graham

Sip a chilly coconut mojito poolside at this mellow beachfront property, which quietly opened in October 2012 and delivers a relaxing punch of “barefoot luxury.” Thirteen thatched villas use a combo of Central American tropical woods and concrete to disguise luxurious extras like iPad-controlled air conditioning, personalized plunge pools, hammocks, and outdoor showers. elsecretobelize.com

—Adam H. Graham

Not all South Beach hotels have undergone billion-dollar reboots and aim to attract the one percent. This affordable, low-key property opened on Ocean Avenue in SoFi (South of Fifth) in late 2012 and has won raves for its chic rooftop pool, free Wi-Fi, and 18 relaxing rooms bathed in beiges and blues. sensebeachhouse.com

—Adam H. Graham

Sometimes a hybrid business-beach hotel can pay off for beachgoers. Case in point: Hotel La Jolla, which opened in August 2012 after a $4 million redesign that added fire pits, a pool lounge, a spa, and arty wicker furniture, plus free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour gym to keep business clients happy. Rooms feature patios or balconies, each overlooking the Pacific, though the 11th-floor restaurant Cusp delivers the best views, along with light California beach cuisine like toasted quinoa and tuna and pickled veggie platters. hotellajolla.com

—Adam H. Graham

St. Pete’s new 18-room Spanish Mission boutique hotel—originally built in 1924 but reopened in May 2013 on Northeast Beach Drive—features rare Old Florida touches like large claw-foot tubs, original cedar awnings, and decorative mosaic tiles on the façade, but also offers spectacular views of The Pier and Tampa Bay, a rooftop restaurant where you can munch on tangerine sea scallops and day boat fish tacos. thebirchwood.com

—Adam H. Graham

A 35-minute ferry ride from Auckland drops you at Waiheke Island, now home to this rustic-lux Victorian saltbox near Oneroa Beach. Treat yourself on arrival to a cold plate of namesake Te Matuku oysters and a glass of Chenin Blanc from Gisborne—or perhaps a cold lemongrass tea on a bench in the shade of a beachfront pohutukawa tree. Rooms are spartan and bathed in whites. A vintage taxicab yellow VW bus is on hand for excursions, and golden hunks of line-caught fish and triple-fried chips at the inn’s Fish & Chippery takeout window help add some color, too.

—Adam H. Graham

Nicaragua goes up-market and hyper-local at the Pacific cliff–perched bohíos at this new beachfront resort opened by Flor de Caña rum founder Carlos Pellas. Here, furniture comes in the form of reclaimed rum barrels, while grass-fed Nicaraguan beef steers the menu toward locavorism. Fill your days with excursions to the fishing village of Gigante, shell-collecting, joining a leatherback turtle release, and down time back at the posh resort.

—Adam H. Graham

Overlooking the lush Pitons on a stretch of sugary sand, this 110-room property was renovated and rebranded a Viceroy in November 2012. The treehouse spa was made by Rastafarian craftsmen using Carib Indian construction methods and offers argan-oil hair treatments, administered poolside, while dining options play up specialties like roasted chicken wings and spicy adobo, fresh fish wraps, and watermelon and yogurt smoothies.

—Adam H. Graham

Jumeirah’s entrée to Europe starts in Majorca’s quiet fishing town Port de Sóller, a 30-minute corkscrew drive from Palma through the arid Tramuntana Mountains. The resort’s cliffside property features 120 rooms, each with a glimmering Balearic Sea vista. Olive body wraps and citrus facials highlight Mediterranean ingredients, while the restaurants provide an edible version of the same.

—Adam H. Graham

Treehouse hammock massages amid 1,400 acres of Caribbean coastal wilderness? Tender local shrimp and coconut ceviche washed down with mint-stuffed mojitos on a Bill Bensley pool chaise? Or a post-beach walk through the restored 1920s hacienda, once haunted by the likes of JFK and Joan Crawford? Such are the options at this rarefied resort, which opened in 2012 after a $342 million transformation.

—Adam H. Graham

The definition of bliss: Maalifushi by Como, where Indonesian thatched-roof bungalows sit on stilts over a placid lagoon, and you can practice your pranayama in guided meditation and breathing classes. Be sure to set an alarm; the Indian Ocean’s fuchsia sunrises are particularly vibrant from your private plunge pool. —Colleen Clark

Cacao arrives this month, a sophisticated respite from thumping Fifth Avenue. Expect a mural by Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra, a hyacinth lily pond, and a scene at Nibs restaurant, which highlights fresh Yucatecan ingredients (coconut ceviche; lobster with green mango). —Colleen Clark

Sprawling across 1,800 acres on the country’s primeval northwestern coast, Indura Beach & Golf Resort celebrates its natural surroundings with 60 tree-house-inspired suites and a golf course that winds through banana palms inhabited by capuchin monkeys. And the beach? The Caribbean is just steps from your front door. —Colleen Clark

The Black Card crowd has a new Mediterranean hideout in the Mandarin Oriental Bodrum, set on two olive-grove-backed beaches overlooking the Aegean. After soaking up some sunshine, head to the spa for a hammam treatment using botanicals from the resort’s gardens. —Colleen Clark

Live DJ’s, a beach club, beautiful people, and a rooftop bar with an infinity pool set a South Beach vibe at À La Carte, which is capitalizing on Da Nang’s rising buzz factor. The loft-style digs have spalike bathrooms and chef’s kitchens. —Colleen Clark