The best new hotels and resorts 2018: The bucket-list stays of 2018

HAWKSTONE HALL, UK

Shropshire's 18th-century Hawkstone Hall, originally built as a stately family home, promises to become one of the most opulent hotels and wedding venues in Britain. The Georgian beauty stands in vast manicured grounds that encompass a rose garden, croquet lawn, apple orchard, ancient cemetery and "secret garden". See hawkstonehall.co.uk

HOTEL FAUCHON, PARIS

Following a recent trend of retail brands forging hotels reflecting their own identity, Paris' 2018 newcomer will bear all the hallmarks of the luxury gourmet foods company that dates to 1886. In partnership with boutique hotel company Espirit de France, the 54-room property, overlooking Place de la Madeleine and Boulevard Malesherbes, will have a new flagship Cafe Fauchon at ground level. See fauchonhotels.com

WALDORF ASTORIA, BANGKOK

Bangkok is proving a hot spot for glam new hotels and when the first Waldorf Astoria in Asia opens around August, the quotient will go up a level or two. On Ratchadamri Road, there will be 171 rooms and suites inside the 60-storey Magnolias Ratchadamri building overlooking the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. See hilton.com

FREEHAND NEW YORK, NEW YORK CITY

It's had a chequered history – a brothel, a sly grog outlet and the home to some very cool cats: poet WH Auden, the artist Keith Haring and a Ramone among them. Having been an art school for many years, the former George Washington Hotel in Gramercy Park will open as Freehand, an on-point boutique property with Gabriel Stulman restaurant and a roof top bar, in the northern spring.See freehandhotels.com

RESORTS

BULGARI RESORT JUMEIRAH BAY ISLAND, UAE

Opened just before Christmas, Dubai's most expensive resort has its own bridge to the mainland and features 101 guest rooms and suites, plus 20 Bulgari villas with their own pool, garden and sea outlook. The complex, which also houses luxury private residences, has the first ever Bulgari Yacht Club – so bring your boat. See bulgarihotels.com

COMO UMA CANGGU, BALI

With design credentials to burn, Como's 14th property and third in Bali promises to be exquisite. With a prime location and 119 rooms, the pinnacle of which is the three-bedroom duplex penthouses with their own rooftop pools, when it opens in February, there's no doubt it will attract an equally beautiful clientele. See comohotels.com

BORNEO EAGLE RESORT, SABAH, MALAYSIA

With "getting away from it all" becoming an increasingly difficult proposition, Borneo Eagle Resort offers one option. It will feature 15 huge one-bedroom oceanfront villas with their own grounds and views of the South China Sea. It's on the island of Pulau Tiga off the west coast of Sabah, and offers jungle trekking, snorkelling and local, organic cuisine. See echoresorts.com/borneo-eagle

CLUB MED CEFALU, SICILY

Mid-2018, Club Med's Sicily property re-opens as the first "Five Trident" in Europe. The resort, on Sicily's northern coast, will feature the Palazzo Gourmet Lounge with a menu designed by Michelin four-star chef Andrea Berton, as well as an in-resort delicatessen in partnership with EATALY. See clubmed.com.au

SIX SENSES FIJI, FIJI

On Fiji's Malolo Island, Six Senses' new resort comprises a boutique hotel and stunning residential holiday homes. There are only 26 pool villas, ranging in size from 74 square metres to 180 square metres. And the spaciousness doesn't stop there: four dining venues, an outdoor cinema and tennis court are just some of the features of the nearly 50-hectare hotel. It also has its own 650 metres of white sand beach. See sixsenses.com

See also: The 18 hottest destinations to visit in 2018 named

See also: 10 incredible new attractions to see this year

Poll: Where are you headed in 2018?