Must-visit new hotels for 2008

Aman, Montenegro

Montenegro will be the first European country to have a hotel by Adrian Zecha, the man who reinvented luxury hotels in the 1990s with his Eastern-inspired Aman brand. By late August the first of three Aman hotels will open on the 15th-century island of Sveti Stefan, which used to be a favourite of film stars and royalty until war in the Balkans ended the party. The hotel's name hasn't been finalised, but for celebrities and style victims this will be 2008's most exciting opening (

Amirandes Hotel, Crete

This 214-room resort boasts an Olympic-sized saltwater swimming pool, plus free-form lagoons, while many of the suites have private pools. Near Heraklion, it has a vast Ayurvedic-based spa, plus a kids' club and a long sandy beach with copious watersports on offer - this is a serious resort hotel. The five restaurants and two bars are partly supplied by the hotel's own organic farm. Decor-wise, Amirandes mixes global chic with more than a touch of Miami Beach glitz (the palette of creams and white is daring for a hotel that aims to attract a significant family trade). Doubles including breakfast cost from €300 a night (00 30 2897 041103,

Hotel Tel More, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Croatian hotels have failed to excite the style set with their retro-style attempts at glamour, but the Hotel More may change that. An uncompromising cube set into the hills above the Lapad peninsula, this 35-room hotel looks as sleek as an ocean liner. Glass balconies make the most of the views, and there's a spot to swim in the sea within a short stroll. There are regular buses into Dubrovnik. Croatian Affair (020 7385 7111, offers doubles at £165 a night.

Demeure Loredana, Corsica

On the edge of the beguiling Corsican harbour town of Saint Florent, this new 18-room hotel promises to be strong on sea views and style. Bringing a sense of culture lacking in many beach hotels, the owners have blended grand pianos and a library of books (mostly French) with antique screens from India. Each room has a large balcony or patio, and there's a shared pool. It may be boutique-sized but the hotel houses a Turkish hammam, there's a lunchtime menu of local organic produce, and it's an easy walk to Saint Florent's cafes and restaurants. Simpson Travel (0845 811 6502, has three nights at the Demeure Loredana for two starting at £745pp, including flights and car hire.

Falconara Charming Resort, Sicily

This 65-room hotel, set alongside a private beach, offers a near-certain guarantee of tranquillity. In the southern part of Sicily, on the road from Agrigento to Ragusa, it has accommodation split between a low-slung main building and a Norman castle, which allows modernity and ancient walls to coexist in considerable harmony with marble floors and four-poster beds in a delightfully rugged environment. Active types will appreciate the tennis court and pool. Design Hotels (00 800 3746 8357, offers rooms at the resort (which reopens on 1 May) from €100 a night.