The European Hotels Everyone’s Talking About This Summer

July 28, 2026.

Be among the early guests at hot spots from Budva to Forte dei Marmi.

There’s nothing quite like summer in Europe, with sun-faded villas, grande dame waterfront hotels, and storied beach clubs. As whispers circulate about the season’s coolest openings, we’re tracking newcomers along the French and Tuscan rivieras, familiar names in Montenegro and Portugal’s Alentejo, and one super-exclusive stay that’s drawing vacationers back to Spain’s capital. 

The teams behind these five standout properties have captured all the best bits of Euro summer, from lido swims to leisurely meals and rooms with sunny city or sea views. Even better, they’ve opened in corners of the continent that aren’t yet teeming with tourists. Here’s where to check in this summer.

King’s Beach stretches in front of Villa Milocer on the Adriatic coast.

Aman Sveti Stefan, Montenegro

Reopened in July after a five-year closure, Sveti Stefan bears all the Aman trademarks: abundant space (guest rooms start at 645 square feet), design that’s tethered to history, and near-complete privacy – which is easy to come by on a three-acre island.

The islet of Sveti Stefan sits off Montenegro’s rugged Adriatic coast, near the ancient town of Budva. Its fifteenth-century fortified village is a warren of cobbled lanes, bell towers, and stone-walled dwellings, now 33 guest cottages, many of them with private pools and terraces.

A narrow isthmus – crossable only on foot – connects Sveti Stefan with the mainland and the nineteenth-century Villa Milocer, Queen Marija Karadordevic’s 1930s summer residence. The stone manor extends the hotel with eight suites, an expansive spa specializing in Aman Skincare and wild Montenegrin botanicals, a library, and a wisteria-draped colonnade for alfresco dining.

Adding to the romance, three pink-sand beaches stretch around Milocer and its grounds. King’s Beach and Sveti Stefan Beach are both open to the public, while Aman guests get exclusive access during the summer to secluded Queen’s Beach, with its scalloped shore and emerald waters.