Welcome back to The Check-In, your touchpoint for all things travel.
This week, luxury travel stretches from cities to mountains and untamed wilderness. In Vienna, Mandarin Oriental gears up to open its first Austrian hotel, set within a restored Art Nouveau courthouse. Across the Atlantic, SIRO Brickell introduces a wellness-focused approach to Miami’s energetic urban scene. Snow enthusiasts can anticipate Southworth’s Alpine Club, an exclusive Telluride members club, while in Uganda, safari lovers will welcome WildPlaces’ seventh lodge.
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Mandarin Oriental Opens in Vienna
Mandarin Oriental is set to debut its first Austrian property next week. Mandarin Oriental, Vienna, is located in the city’s historic First District and occupies a carefuly restored heritage-listed former courthouse on Riemergasse, originally designed by Alfred Keller in 1908.
The 86-room, 52-suite hotel includes three Mandarin Signature Suites and a Grand Royal Suite. In terms of dining, guests will be spoiled for choice: executive chef Thomas Seifried is heading up four culinary destinations, including Le Sept, the hotel’s seafood-focused fine dining restaurant that blends French techniques with Asian influence. The hotel is also home to a full-service spa with seven treatment rooms, a couple’s suite, an indoor pool and a fitness centre.
“Our aim is to create a place that is both a retreat for international travellers and a meeting place for locals with an appreciation of the extraordinary,” says Mario Habicher, General Manager.
The opening adds to Mandarin Oriental’s portfolio of 43 hotels, 12 residences and 26 homes, located across 27 countries.
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Southworth Moves Into Telluride with Private Alpine Club
Southworth is expanding its footprint into the Rockies with The Alpine Club, Telluride’s first fully private, on-mountain members’ club, slated to open for the 2026/27 ski season. Set at 10,540 ft at San Sophia Station, reachable via gondola from both downtown and Mountain Village, the 26,000-sq-ft basecamp will cater to members year-round.
Plans include a spa with sauna, steam room and cold plunge; an après lounge and restaurant with chef’s table; and a golf, gaming and multi-sport simulator room with cinema. Guests will also be able to make use of a kids club, concierge and valet services, and private locker facilities.
“The Alpine Club is unlike anything that currently exists in Telluride,” said Tommy Southworth, president of Southworth. “This is not just about ski access; it’s about creating an elevated lifestyle in one of the most extraordinary alpine settings in the world.”
The move signals a broader play by Southworth to bring its private membership model to major destination markets, following a $350m reinvestment at The Abaco Club in The Bahamas.
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Kerzner to Bring SIRO to Miami
Kerzner International is expanding its wellness-led portfolio with SIRO Brickell, Miami, the first SIRO property and branded residences in the United States. Opening in 2030, the development will anchor the city’s Brickell district, marking the brand’s entry into the American market.
The Miami property will feature 180 rooms and suites, 350 SIRO Homes and purpose-built Fitness and Recovery Labs. Built around five pillars – fitness, nutrition, sleep, recovery and mindfulness – SIRO is designed for travellers who see wellbeing as integral to how they live, work and travel.
“SIRO is our disruptor brand, designed to meet the evolving demands of a new generation of travellers who prioritise wellbeing, performance and purpose,” said Philippe Zuber, CEO of Kerzner International. “SIRO is on a rapid global trajectory, strategically targeting the world’s most dynamic cities, and Miami is the perfect stage for that.”
Following the debut of SIRO One Za’abeel in Dubai and SIRO Boka Place in Montenegro, the Miami opening continues the brand’s global rollout, with future projects confirmed in Los Cabos, Riyadh and Tokyo.
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Ponant Partners with Woods Hole to Expand Scientific Expeditions
Ponant Explorations Group has announced a three-year partnership with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The partnership will give the institution's researchers the ability to conduct fieldwork aboard select voyages, including the icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot, while guests observe science in action.
“By empowering scientists with access to some of the world’s most remote regions, we’re helping to deepen understanding of the planet we all share,” said Samuel Chamberlain, CEO, Ponant Explorations Group, Americas.
The first expedition under the collaboration, The Emperor Penguins of the Weddell Sea (October 31, 2025), will see WHOI scientists deploy LiDAR technology to measure Antarctic ice sheet dynamics, data that satellites cannot capture. Guests will visit onboard laboratories and attend educational sessions on Antarctica’s ecosystems, geology and the global significance of ice sheet changes. The partnership illustrates a broader shift in luxury cruising; travelers are seeking experiences that are rare, informative and responsibly executed.
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WildPlaces to Launch Kulu Ora Lodge in Murchison Falls
WildPlaces Africa will open Kulu Ora, its seventh lodge, in early 2026. Tucked into a remote corner of Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s oldest and largest protected area, the camp offers guests both privacy and wildlife encounter, sharing the zone only with WildPlaces’ Papa’s Camp.
“We had to machete through kilometres of untamed wilderness, wade through marshes and rivers just to reach the site. On our journey we passed a pride of wild lions never seen by travelers. This was one of the most exciting things I have seen and felt on safari, knowing these cats had never been viewed before,” recalls Jonathan Wright, co-founder of WildPlaces Africa.
“But from the moment we saw the Nile divide around a jungle island, we knew it was worth it. The power and sound of the famous river as it cascaded forward on its long journey to Alexandria entered my soul, a place of pure untrammeled beauty. We couldn’t be more excited to finally open Kulu Ora and add it to our WildPlaces portfolio.”
The lodge will feature 11 canvas-walled suites with private plunge pools, arranged around a main swimming pool and bar, alongside a spa perched above the Nile. Guests can expect wildlife viewing of Uganda’s 'Big Seven,' night drives, birding and fishing along the river, bush meals in secluded locations, and wellness activities including forest bathing, yoga and meditation.
