The long-awaited May 2013 opening of El Encanto by Orient-Express Hotels will undoubtedly , under its boss Ali Kasikci , remind anyone who needs reminding to put Santa Barbara , California , into their future plans . Although Bacara — now owned by lawyer and entrepreneur Tim Busch — is not going to see a name change ,

MARY GOSTELOW

2014 Winter Olympics .

Pristina , Kosovo , is one capital city that seems to be ripe for a brand . With only 21 hotels listed on TripAdvisor and none of those exactly world-famous , who is going to put a recognizable flag there — or , indeed , anywhere else in the country ? It is rumored that the Kosovo Republic ’ s Ministry of Trade & Industry Minister Mimoza Kusariit

will be used to kick-start Busch ’ s Meritage Collection of luxury properties .

Meinhard Huck , president of Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts , Zurich , is targeting destinations such as Batumi , Georgia ; Budva , Montenegro ; Jeddah , Saudi Arabia ; and , despite its continuing Arab Spring unrest , Bahrain . Looking further east , he would like Dhaka , Bangladesh and Kuala Lumpur . To add to his China portfolio , he wants Hainan , Jiading , Suzhou and Xian . In China , he already has two openings coming up in 2014 , namely a 400-room Changsha hotel and a 375-room Chengdu property . This year ’ s openings , both slated for November 2013 , include a pair in Sochi , Russia , ready for the

Lila wants to establish a year-round resort in the Sharr National Park , in the western part of the country , bordering Macedonia .

Dubai has , to general amazement , announced more hotels developments , with a supposed 100 properties coming up in what will be Mohammed Bin Rashid City . Dubai ’ s more senior sibling , Abu Dhabi , is somewhat more cautious . There , one of the latest signings is a 300- room hotel , with 120 serviced apartments , planned for Sowwah Island , site of the future stock exchange . The development is being led by New York City-based Stephen Ross and his Related Cos ., working with Gulf Capital , Abu Dhabi .