Encircled by clear blue waters of one of the largest lagoons of the Maldives, the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa is an eclusive and private retreat.

The resort seamlessly extends the magic of the island’s blessed natural beauty in its design even as it offers the finest in contemporary luxuries and services.

Each of the resort’s luxuriously designed 64 villas boast crisp linens, warm wooden patios, and private infinity pools.

Marriott has announced plans to build the largest hotel in Haiti, the first international property to open on the island.

The 173-room property will open in mid-2014 and will be the largest on the island and will be the first hotel in Haiti since the earthquake.

Boasting several bars and restaurants, the Port-au-Prince Marriott Hotel will be located in the Haute Turgeau area of the city and use staff trained by some of the 1,100 Haitian employees at Marriott’s South Florida hotels.

Even though Christmas is not a traditional Japanese celebration, few places in the world mark December 25 with such gusto as Tokyo.

The Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo has announced a WISH.forJapan Christmas package that is available December 10-25.

10 percent of the price, which starts at Y52,000 per night will go to support people affected by the earthquake and tsunami that struck northeast Japan in March.

A 40-story hotel development could be about to crown the emergence of one of New York’s formerly rough districts as one of the coolest places to be in the city.

Hotel developer Jon Lam is looking to construct a new hotel and retail emporium in the district known as NoMad, a district of Manhattan north of Madison Square Park.

The development could see a 30- to 40-story, 600-room property rise out of existing properties on 846 Avenue of the Americas and 1227 Broadway.

Giorgio Armani has opened his flagship Armani hotel in Milan, a joint venture with the Dubai developer Emaar Properties.

Located in the 1937 building that also houses Armani’s Manzoni 31 flagship, the hotel covers 162,000 square feet over floors two to eight.

The “palazzo” hotel, which is in the centre of the Italian city, boasts 95 rooms with a focus on “luxury, calm and beauty”.

Ritz-Carlton is planning to open its third hotel in Japan in the ancient capital of Kyoto in spring 2014 by rebuilding the Hotel Fujita Kyoto, which closed in January.

The hotel will be built alongside the Kamogawa river, which is one of the most popular walking spots, particularly during the cherry blossom season in the spring.

Strict regulations on the construction of buildings within the metropolis — which remains one of the few low-rise cities in Japan — mean that the hotel will have a maximum of four floors above ground but a further three levels underground.