Openings
Opening 2026

Rosewood

Rosewood Blue Palace

Rosewood's Greece debut

Elounda, Crete, Greece
Rosewood Blue Palace

First look

Rosewood is planting its first Greek flag here. The Blue Palace has sat above the Gulf of Mirabello in Elounda for years; Rosewood has taken it over and reworked it from the ground up, with Athens architects K-Studio leading the redesign and London-based Afroditi Krassa shaping three of the six restaurants and bars. On paper it's a properly Cretan project rather than a brand parachuted in.

The numbers are substantial: 154 rooms and suites, 85 of them with private pools, plus an Asaya spa and pools looking across the water to Spinalonga, the old Venetian-fortress island. An all-day restaurant is meant to pull produce from an on-site organic garden and local growers.

We haven't stayed, and the opening has already slipped once, from 2025 to a 2026 window with no firm month yet. What we'll be watching for: whether the K-Studio bones feel rooted in Crete or generic-Mediterranean, and whether the dining lives up to the names attached. We'll find out when we visit.

Not yet scored. We publish a Fat Score only once a hotel is open and real guests have stayed and written about it — this is a first look, not a verdict.

Before it opens

When does Rosewood Blue Palace open?

It's expected to open in 2026, with no firm month confirmed yet. The debut slipped from an earlier 2025 target, so treat the date as reported rather than final.

How many rooms will Rosewood Blue Palace have?

154 rooms and suites, of which 85 will have private pools. The resort also includes six restaurants and bars and an Asaya spa, all set above the Gulf of Mirabello in Elounda, Crete.

Open now

What you can book today

Rosewood Blue Palaceis still under wraps. Here's what's already open and scored in our collection — more from Rosewood, and nearby in Greece.

Rosewood Beijing — Beijing, China
Fat Approved

Rosewood

Rosewood Beijing

Beijing, China

Rosewood Beijing delivers the brand's signature residential luxury in China's capital, with thoughtfully curated rooms that feel more like a sophisticated private library than a hotel. The property excels in the details that matter—spacious suites with genuine art and books, exceptional concierge service that handles complex requests, and what many consider Beijing's finest hotel pool. While the CBD location lacks the cultural immersion of newer hutong properties, it compensates with easy access to business districts and reliable Western-standard service that particularly appeals to first-time China visitors.

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Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco — Tuscany, Italy
Fat Legend

Rosewood

Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco

Tuscany, Italy

Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco is the undisputed benchmark for Tuscan estate hotels — a meticulously restored medieval borgo perched above the Val d'Orcia near Montalcino, where the Ferragamo family's original vision has been amplified by Rosewood's operational muscle into something genuinely extraordinary. The property reads like a living village: ancient stone buildings housing Florentine-and-Tuscan-inflected suites sit alongside a working estate winery, a golf course, and a private church, and the whole operation runs with a precision that earns repeated comparisons to being a 'well-oiled machine.' Service is the singular standout — warm, anticipatory, and personal without the stiffness that occasionally surfaces in high-end Italian properties, with staff remembered by name across multiple return visits. The one honest caveat: the spa and gym are genuinely small for a property at this scale and price, requiring advance booking, and the isolated location demands a car if you plan to explore beyond the estate. A strict €200-per-person no-show fee policy has also raised eyebrows. At these rates — among the highest in Tuscany — a handful of returning guests feel the value proposition has shifted since the Rosewood takeover, but the consensus among serious luxury travelers is that no other Tuscan property combines this level of service, setting, and family-friendliness quite so effortlessly.

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Rosewood Hong Kong — Hong Kong, China
Fat Favorite

Rosewood

Rosewood Hong Kong

Hong Kong, China

Rosewood Hong Kong is a rare hotel that actually lives up to its World's Best title — at least when it comes to pure spectacle. The harbor views from Tony Chi's soaring interiors are genuinely stunning, and the Manor Club lounge sets a new standard for what club-level perks can be. But scratch beneath the marble surfaces and you'll find service that's frustratingly inconsistent for a property charging these rates. Some guests get the full white-glove treatment, while others report basic housekeeping failures and indifferent staff. The location on TST waterfront is perfect, connected to K11 MUSEA yet removed from the chaos. When Rosewood Hong Kong fires on all cylinders, it's magnificent. The question is whether you'll catch them on a good day.

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Rosewood London — London, United Kingdom
Fat Approved

Rosewood

Rosewood London

London, United Kingdom

The original Rosewood London occupies an Edwardian Belle Époque masterpiece in Holborn, offering genuine old-world grandeur with Belle Époque architecture, soaring ceilings, and the celebrated Mirror Room. While the location sits outside Mayfair's golden triangle, it delivers authentic British luxury with exceptional afternoon tea and the world-renowned Scarfes Bar. Service hits the mark with genuine warmth and professional competence, though it occasionally lacks the intuitive anticipation of London's very finest. The suites are genuinely spacious by London standards, but some room categories feel underwhelming given the price point. This is classic luxury done right, though it's now overshadowed by the brand's spectacular new Chancery property in Mayfair.

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From the desk

Get the first-look verdict

We publish our verdict the week Rosewood Blue Palace opens. Get it in the monthly note, before the rest of the internet catches up.

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