The 16 Most Awe-inspiring New Nature Resorts of 2023

The 2023 It List.

When you need to get away from it all, there’s nothing like total immersion in nature. From a serene retreat in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, to a tropical oasis on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, these are the 16 most incredible new nature resorts in the world.

Olinto — Ouirgane, Morocco

Olinto is a dream realized by Italian owner Fabrizio Ruspoli di Poggio Suasa. Tired of city life, he sold the beloved hotel La Maison Arabe, in Marrakesh, after 25 years, and bought a farm in the Ouirgane Valley about an hour south. He has since slowly transformed it into an elegant getaway enveloped by the Atlas Mountains. Nine guest houses — three with heated infinity pools on their rooftop terraces — are surrounded by 10 acres of olive groves, gardens, and wisteria. There’s also a small hammam and a Moroccan-Mediterranean restaurant that uses herbs and vegetables grown on site. Several times during my stay, I was delighted to hear classical music alongside the call to prayer — Ruspoli hosts a residency for pianists in the house he owns next door. olinto.net; doubles from $745. —Gisela Williams

andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge — Tanzania

In April 2020, heavy rains caused the Grumeti River to spill its banks and flood this beloved Tanzanian lodge — causing enough damage to necessitate a total rebuild. AndBeyond tapped the original designers, Fox Browne Creative and Jack Alexander, to create a property that blends seamlessly into the landscape. Indeed, the entire place seems to revolve around the Grumeti: the low-slung buildings follow a bow of the river, and each of the 10 stand-alone, semi-tented suites has floor-to-ceiling windows and a veranda that overlooks the water, where hippos splash and crocodiles lurk. On game drives, guests may be lucky enough to spot black-and-white colobus monkeys, found nowhere else in the Serengeti (though large prides of lions are the real draw). One of the more memorable moments of my stay was dinner in the bush: roaring fires lit my path, and instead of music, the distant sound of whooping hyenas was my playlist. andbeyond.com; suites from $1,135. —Mary Holland

Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort — Punta Mita, Mexico

Moments after arriving at this jungle-shrouded resort, I was being promised pit-smoked cochinita for dinner and offered an ice-cold Modelo. It was far from the only magic Naviva would conjure during my visit to Punta Mita. Most spa treatments are included with a stay, whether that means a temescal sweat, hot-wax massage, breath work, or guided meditation. (Also rejuvenating is a lengthy soak in the resort’s three-tiered pool.) Naviva’s 15 tented villas — each with an open-air living room, an outdoor shower, a plunge pool, and a fire pit — are integrated into the surrounding forest, and include Mexican furnishings and textiles. While the resort’s room count is low, its facilities span 48 acres, which means you’ll rarely encounter other guests while hiking the trails, catching surf breaks, or relaxing in the bamboo-shaded pavilion overlooking the Pacific. fourseasons.com; doubles from $3,950, all-inclusive. —Maya Kachroo-Levine

Duke’s Camp — Okavango Delta, Botswana

A 220,000-acre swath of private concession land in the Okavango Delta is home to the newest property from safari company Natural Selection. Duke’s Camp is a collection of eight canvas tents raised on wooden decks on the delta’s Kgao Island — an ideal perch from which to spot the region’s herds of thundering wildebeest. On game drives, not only did I glimpse elephants and prides of lion, but also the elusive sable antelope and neon-hued birds like the lilac-breasted roller. But here, safaris aren’t limited to driving: one of my favorite experiences was a peaceful paddle in a traditional mokoro (a dugout canoe) just before the sun set over the vast expanse of the Okavango. naturalselection.com; doubles from $830. —Lauren Breedlove

Oasyhotel — Limestre, Italy

Usually when luxury hotels make a claim of “simplicity,” they don’t mean anything most of us would recognize. But the Oasyhotel is different. The property consists of a group of wooden lodges on a hill above an old stone building. The restaurant offers a brief menu of extraordinary food from within a few miles, served on wooden tables on a bare flagged floor. The lodges are plain, clean, comfortable. The luxury lies in the fairytale setting of a hilltop nature reserve in Tuscany; the passion and expertise of the hotel’s young staff (including a wildlife guide, gardeners, and a yoga teacher); and the opportunity to walk the woods at night and to lunch on local cheese made from the milk of cows grazing the meadow beside you — along with a farmer who shows you how it's made. In other words, Oasyhotel is showing us all how the future of sustainable travel should look. oasyhotel.com; doubles from $410. —Sarah Moss

Under Canvas Bryce Canyon — Utah

The newest outpost of the Under Canvas glamping brand is located 14 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, and feels like a family-friendly outdoor resort. Fifty elevated platform tents are spread across 700 acres filled with sweet-smelling ponderosa pines and gravel trails for the occasional electric golf cart. Like its other locations, Under Canvas Bryce Canyon prioritizes access to nature-driven activities and environmental responsibility (the property is completely solar-powered, and the tents include pull-chain showers to reduce water waste). But it’s also undeniably comfortable — the only enticement strong enough to lure me from my king-size bed was the excellent breakfast and oat-milk latte that awaited at the walk-up dining bar. In the evenings, the smell of campfire and roasting s’mores evoked a powerful childlike satisfaction, where the most important thing to do in that moment was to stargaze, and maybe spear another marshmallow. undercanvas.com; tents from $314. —Samantha Falewée

Osborn House — Southern Highlands, Australia

Though Australia’s Southern Highlands have long been a country escape for Sydney’s elite, this residential-style hotel offers a new entry point to the region. An 1892 mansion contains 15 rooms, while seven black-timber cabins are tucked into the surrounding woods. The interiors, by Linda Boronkay, former design director for Soho House Hotels, feature works by artists-in-residence, beginning with Byron Bay painter Jai Vasicek. Osborn House makes an ideal base for hiking in Morton National Park, home to the spectacular 265-foot Fitzroy Falls — with an indoor pool, spa, and two restaurants to look forward to after the trek. Most Sundays, the hotel holds Fire Feast, an asado-style party at which chef Seguno Farrell (who trained under Francis Mallmann in Uruguay) slow-roasts Wagyu tomahawk steaks and organic chickens. Guests can watch the show with a glass of Provençal rosé in hand. osbornhouse.com.au; doubles from $404. —Kendall Hill

Lolebezi — Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia

Tucked into a remote concession in Lower Zambezi National Park, this eight-suite lodge from African Bush Camps offers an uber-modern take on the safari experience: each of the standalone accommodations is clad in glass (all the better for those Zambezi River views) with plunge pools and marble bathrooms. The design firm Fox Browne Creative incorporated details that speak to Zambia’s land and culture, like bronze sculptures resembling native winter thorn seed pods and patterned rugs made by local South Luangwa artisans. The wildlife here is literally at your doorstep, with elephants and monkeys roaming freely and half-submerged hippos grunting along the river. End the day with a sundowner in the Circle of Light, a suspended wooden walkway built around an giant winter thorn tree and take in the natural splendor of this special slice of Zambia. africanbushcamps.com; doubles from $1,490 per person per night, all-inclusive. —Travis Levius

The Fox at Oddington — Moreton-in-Marsh, England

When it opened in 2013, Carole Bamford’s pub-hotel, the Wild Rabbit, sealed the reputation of the Cotswolds as a country escape for the well-heeled. With the opening of Bamford’s second property, the Fox at Oddington, there’s one more reason to make a trip. The Fox has just six rooms, along with the four-bedroom Coachman’s House, which has its own kitchen. Bamford’s approach to décor tends to be rustic-chic, with exposed stone walls, natural fibers, and equestrian details (leather saddles, vintage oil paintings of horses). As pleasing as the accommodations may be, the Fox is designed as a base for exploring the region: a place for a fireside gin and tonic in the Tack Room bar after a hike through the rolling hills or a drive around the storybook villages of Chipping Norton and Stow-on-the-Wold. A short stroll away you’ll find Bamford’s Daylesford Organic, a farm and accompanying store that supplies many of the ingredients for the Fox’s exceptional meals — like twice-baked cheese soufflé with chive cream or rabbit terrine with apricot compote. thefoxatoddington.com; doubles from $273. —Sabina Murray

Waterside at Royal Malewane — Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa

The newest Royal Portfolio property shuns the usual safari palette of muted, earthy tones and instead embraces a fresh and joyful design. The 12 suites each have a vibrant color theme representing shades found in the bush: the bright pink of impala lilies, the warm orange of aloe flowers, the brilliant blue of malachite kingfishers. And there are bold, contemporary South African artworks to match. It’s not for everyone, but as top Kruger-based safari properties struggle to outdo each other on guiding, service, and food (all of which are excellent at Waterside), the confident, modern aesthetic genuinely makes the lodge stand out. It’s also a very family-friendly option — the two-bedroom Baobab Suite and four-room Waterside House villa are great for those needing more space, and kids can occupy themselves during any down time in the game and movie rooms. theroyalportfolio.com; doubles from $2,877. —Heather Richardson

Hotel Terrestre — Puerto Escondido, Mexico

Arriving at Hotel Terrestre is a near hallucinogenic experience. One moment you’re bouncing along a dusty road in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, surrounded by nothing but rugged mountains and the emerald churn of the Pacific, and the next you’re entering an improbable dreamscape where high-design refinement merges with a raw, earthy sensibility. Though the rollicking surf town of Puerto Escondido is only 20 miles away, the hotel feels seductively unmoored from time and place, with its grounds of copal trees and 14 rooms built into jagged, Brutalist structures, each with a private rooftop pool. Much as all this is undeniable catnip for social media feeds, the actual experience is lushly analog, with days spent flitting between hammocks and the steam room, hot tub, and cold plunge tucked inside a dramatic temescal. Amble across the road at sunset and you find a beach bar built along a strip of epic coastline so barren that the sight of a dinosaur would hardly be a surprise between sips of mezcal. terrestrehotel.com; doubles from $545. —David Amsden

Zambezi Grande — Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia

Located on a tree-shaded bank overlooking the Zambezi River, this elegant Cape Dutch-style lodge recently transitioned from a private residence to a commercial safari property. The new design by South Africa-based Michele Throssell retains the intimate atmosphere of a family home and celebrates contemporary African style, which is inspired by the colors of Zambia (rich rusts and greens that reflect the hues of the river and its banks predominate). In addition to a total interior makeover, a solar farm was added, as was a new vegetable and herb garden. There are only five guestrooms, plus five larger freestanding suites — all supremely comfortable enough to recharge after a day of fishing and game drives. Afterwards, take a leisurely boat cruise to a lantern-lit, river island dinner, with wading elephants silhouetted by the sunset as your backdrop. zambezigrande.com; doubles from $1,400. —Julia Freemantle

SB Winemaker’s House & Spa Suites — Mendoza, Argentina

Susana Balbo made history as Argentina’s first female winemaker. Now, the trailblazing vintner and her daughter, Ana, have opened Mendoza’s newest boutique hotel, set within their family’s former home in the leafy suburb of Chacras de Coria. The intimate hideaway fans outward from the Spanish-style bungalow — all arched doorways and beamed ceilings, with artwork culled from Balbo’s private collection — and encompasses seven “spa suites'' with steam rooms, saunas, and sliding glass doors that open to private gardens. Wellness butlers are on hand to set up complimentary welcome massages and draw baths in the suite’s deep-soaking stone tubs, whose oval shapes are inspired by the concrete fermentation vats in Balbo’s winery, a half-hour from the hotel. There, guests enjoy complimentary tours of the cellars and multi-course lunches with views of the Andes. Guests can also opt for an aerial safari in Balbo’s private seaplane which can whisk visitors to remote destinations not accessible to commercial carriers, such as the red rocks and arid desert of Cafayate or the secluded Lago La Plata in Argentina’s Patagonia. But most will be tempted to stay back at the hotel, lounging by the pool and enjoying long, leisurely lunches and traditional parrilla dinners at La VidA restaurant. And don’t sleep on the cocktails: mixologist Flavia Arroyo of Buenos Aires hotspot Casa Cavia has crafted an expertly curated drinks list, with options that incorporate Balbo’s award-winning torrontés and Provencal-style rosé. susanabalbohotels.com; doubles from $735. —Siobhan Reid

Borgo San Vincenzo — Montepulciano, Italy

It’s the rare Italian countryside hotel that can keep both kids and parents happy during a day-long torrential downpour, but the new 21-suite Borgo San Vicenzo — the first luxury hotel to open in southern Tuscany in a decade — is just such a place. Autumn rains on our recent stay brought about an impromptu (and highly entertaining) cocktail-making class, with a foamy, dried-pineapple-garnished mocktail for our preschooler, and a more potent version for his dads. That’s just one of many immersive, carefully curated food-, drink-, and culture-focused experiences offered by this pastoral hotel, which sits amid vineyards just outside Montepulciano’s historic center. Owned by the American couple behind Anguilla’s beloved Frangipani Beach Resort, the Borgo occupies a series of stone-walled, terracotta-roofed agrarian buildings that date back to 1780, and now sport spare, subtly luxe, regionally appropriate interiors. The stone-tiled pool did us no good in the rain, yet I dream of it still. borgosanvincenzo.com; doubles from $320. —Andrew Sessa

InterContinental Khao Yai — Thailand

The work of Bangkok-based hotel designer Bill Bensley has always been idiosyncratic. But when he created InterContinental Khao Yai, he let his imagination run wild. Bordering Thailand’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Khao Yai National Park, the resort serves as the madcap homestead of a fictional 20th-century train conductor — dreamed up by Bensley — named “Somsak.” The reception area masquerades as his office, styled as an old-school station house, and the outdoor pool sits next to Somying’s Kitchen, an all-day diner named after Somsak’s imagined mother. Entry-level rooms are modeled on old-school Orient Express-style train cars, while other rooms are converted from vintage rail carriages. With one-of-a-kind objects painstakingly sourced from throughout Asia, these suites are playful, unforgettable, and surprisingly romantic. ihg.com; doubles from $154. —John O’Ceallaigh

Parkhotel Mondschein — Bolzano, Italy

In the Northern Italian city of Bolzano — known as the gateway to the Dolomites — nothing new comes without at least a dash of something old. That’s especially true at Parkhotel Mondschein, which sits on the edge of the center of town, a few steps along cobblestones from Gothic cathedrals and ancient piazzas. The Mondschein itself partly dates back to 1330, when it was a tavern that welcomed roving artists and nobles. While a mélange of architectural styles has been added through the centuries, its newest iteration, led by South Tyrol’s Alto Hotel Group, is unfussily contemporary. The 70 rooms and six suites are minimal with a whiff of midcentury, featuring chevron wood floors, velvet headboards and sofas, and tasseled drapes that frame views of the mountains from art nouveau balconies. Guests instantly feel part of the local scene thanks to the hotel’s city guide assembled in collaboration with resident creatives like artist Mirijam Heiler and songwriter Anna Carol. You’re just as likely to rub elbows with Bolzano’s cool kids at the sultry Luna Bar, which spills out onto a lush garden that’s shared with In Viaggio — chef Claudio Melis’s exceptional ode to Tyrolean-and-beyond cuisine, past and present. parkhotelmondschein.com; doubles from $139. —Jackie Caradonio

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