It List 2022: Our Editors' Picks of the Best New Hotels in the World

Despite the tumultuous travel landscape of the last few years, the hotel industry has remained resilient, and the pace of openings and renovations hasn't slowed down. That's why we here at T+L have spent the last year obsessively tracking debuts and major overhauls, consulting our trusted network of travel pros and globe-hopping writers, and crossed the world in search of the most memorable, game-changing hotels of the year for our annual It List.

This year, our guide to the essential openings (and reopenings) of the past year took us to 35 countries in pursuit of the unforgettable. T+L writers and editors have visited ancient former palaces in Sicily, cutting-edge wellness centers in Qatar, a working farm in South Africa, and a Miami hot spot from Pharrell Williams. This isn't merely a list of the most high-end resorts, nor is it a who's-who of major hotel chains, though you'll find both indulgent stays and familiar brands in the mix. Instead, we've aimed to showcase the properties that are at the top of their game and adding something new to the conversation, whether they're century-old stalwarts fresh off a major reno or intimate family-run boutiques that hit the sweet spot between hotel hospitality and vacation-rental hominess.

Ahead, you'll find a stay for every style and mood. There's a classic Mid-Century Palm Springs getaway that's been updated for a new generation. A series of ryokan-style cabins in the Canadian wilderness, a sleek New York City newcomer, and an opulent Parisian stunner. We've got far-flung escapes in Argentina and the Maldives and sophisticated city hotels in Madrid and Hanoi. Read on for all 100 properties on the 2022 It List — your next vacation spot awaits.

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

DumaTau — Botswana

Perched in the northerly Linyanti Concession along its namesake river, DumaTau is Wilderness Safaris' latest addition to its portfolio. It's a complete reimagining of a once rustic retreat, made up of a new eight-tent property on a scenic overlook, where leathery elephants cool themselves in a lagoon below. DumaTau—which means "the lion's roar" in the local Setswana language—lies on the migratory path of dozens of species, from big cats to rare birds, and many of them pass within sight of the lounge spaces and pool deck (making early-morning outings unnecessary). It's an ideal finale to a trip through the greater Okavango region, since it's designed with rest and relaxation in mind. There's also a genuine effort at sustainability, thanks to the use of solar electricity and the found materials (including reclaimed-timber slatting) used as architectural elements. The culinary offerings lean toward veggie-forward recipes and locally inspired flavors instead of the staid red meat and G&Ts of many safaris—my favorite being a char-grilled broccoli with crispy coconut and a lime basil sauce. The trip ended with an evening cruise aboard a private pontoon; the camp's flickering torchlight is the only thing that distracts from the soundlessness of the riverine realm after the sun sets behind the ancient jackalberries. wilderness-safaris.com; doubles from $1,887, all-inclusive. —Brandon Presser

Eden Nairobi

Hidden behind a forest where rare Rothschild's giraffes congregate is a property set to transform the hospitality landscape of Kenya's capital city. Designer Anna Trzebinski built her home in the Langata suburb 30 years ago but only recently decided to share it with strangers. Her vision is to create a modern-day salon that connects local creatives with curious travelers to showcase the optimism and energy pulsing through Nairobi. From art tours of cutting-edge studios to investment workshops with entrepreneurs, the list of activities is refreshingly outside of the ordinary. Nine rooms are split between the main house, garden, and loft studios—all filled with artworks by Trzebinski's late husband, Tonio, and her two children. Decorations range from deeply personal to playful, including a clutch of ostrich eggs dangling above the bar. eden-nairobi.com; doubles from $630. —Sarah Marshall

Kisawa Sanctuary — Mozambique

Travelers seeking a deeply meaningful experience on the southeast coast of Africa will find their paradise at Kisawa Sanctuary, on the wildly beautiful Benguerra Island in Mozambique. The property is the brainchild of entrepreneur and philanthropist Nina Flohr (it was originally established to help local communities and protect the fauna and flora surrounding them) and is now also a tropical Eden of over 700 acres, bordered by the turquoise waters of a neighboring national marine park. There are 12 airy residences, dressed in a muted palette reflecting the natural colors and serenity found outside. The wellness center, meanwhile, specializes in Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic techniques. But it's the warmth and passion of the staff that made my stay unforgettable. Don't miss a visit to the nearby Bazaruto Center for Scientific Study, which was co-founded with Kisawa as an African ocean observatory. Here, researchers from all over the world come to explore one of the richest and least visited subtropical ecosystems in the Indian Ocean. kisawasanctuary.com; doubles from $5,700, all-inclusive. —Lorène Duquesne

Puku Ridge Camp — Zambia

When Puku Ridge reopened last year after a complete overhaul, the property set a new standard in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, where luxury lodges are few and far between. It's located on a rocky ridge overlooking a floodplain where puku antelope (the lodge's namesake animal) graze, and not only has one of the best views and locations in the park, but also the finest accommodations. The tented villas are dressed in earthy tones with bathtubs and wooden decks that have built-in sofas and deep plunge pools.The main dining area is set on a deck under hanging basket lights, where fresh mezze platters with falafel and smoked salmon are served alongside chilled African wines. Daily activities include the usual game drives, as well as long walks with expert guides, followed by drinks and snacks on the river bank as the sun sinks behind the bush. chiawa.com; doubles from $1,460. —Mary Holland

Six Senses Shaharut — Negev Desert, Israel

Visitors must veer way off the beaten path to get to this oasis in southern Israel—it lies in the near-empty desert expanse along the ancient Incense Route. But when guests arrive, they're rewarded with refreshing iced tea and date cookies, along with uninterrupted vistas of golden sand dunes and the dramatic red Edom Mountains. Instead of rising above its sandy surroundings, the property's low-slung, rough-hewn buildings (made with limestone excavated on site) are seamlessly integrated into the terrain. The 60 suites and pool villas are decorated with locally made ceramics and wall hangings that cover the TV (you can roll them up via remote control). Like all Six Senses properties, sustainability is at the forefront—most notable in the preservation of dark-sky conditions for optimal stargazing (join the weekly session with local astronomer Eitan Schwartz) and a garden whose produce you'll find at the property's four restaurants. Guests can partake in an herbal tea-making workshop, guided hiking and mountain biking, and even a caretaking session with the resident camels. In the evening, they can join in the nightly sunset ritual at the outdoor amphitheater with a local musician and a roving drinks cart. sixsenses.com; doubles from $850. — Devorah Lev-Tov

Sterrekopje — Franschhoek, South Africa

An hour east of Cape Town, this 125-acre regenerative agriculture farm centers on a 1694 main house that's framed by mountains and the fertile Franschhoek Valley. Wellness and renewal are central themes of the 11-room hotel, with offerings like hypnotherapy, sound bathing, equine therapy, and massage techniques that incorporate botanical-infused oils mixed in Sterrekopje's own apothecary. I also found a sense of healing whilewandering through the fragrant medicinal gardens, harvesting the organic vegetables that grow on site, hiking in the hills, and swimming in the crystal-clear streams that cut through the property. But the most restorative aspect of my stay was sleep, an easy thing to do, thanks to the organic linens that swathe the custom-made four-posters and the daybeds that beckon beneath centuries-old olive trees, with the soft chorus of birdsong the only sound. sterrekopje.com; doubles from $1,270. —Jane Broughton

Sussurro — Mozambique

The landscape of the largely uninhabited Nhamabwe peninsula in southern Mozambique is both the location and the design inspiration for Sussurro owners Sarah Birkett and Adam Humphreys. The result: pared-back, sustainably minded structures that demonstrate a respect for nature and the region's architectural vernacular. There are six bungalows, each with an open-air tub and shower, built using stone, simbiri (ironwood), and makuti (dried palm leaves plaited to make thatched roofs). The feeling is as much art gallery as hotel, thanks to decorative pieces—thrown earth pots, woven mats and baskets, and hand-carved wooden furniture—sourced from African nations, including Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Cameroon. I spent meditative hours swimming in the saltwater lap pool, sailing in a traditional dhow along the Mozambique Channel, and fishing on the lagoon. The highlight, though, was the hospitality of the Sussurro team, all of whom hail from nearby villages and have been working with the property since long before it officially opened. And despite the remote setting, the staff produces culinary wonders from the open kitchen, including a delicious curried mangrove crab and a wild-granadilla martini, thanks to an organic vegetable garden and the bounty of the sea. sussurro.co; doubles from $1,023, all-inclusive. —Jane Broughton

Zulal Wellness Resort — Qatar

On the northernmost tip of the Qatar peninsula, the Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som is offering travelers a respite from the world outside. Don't let the minimalist architecture fool you: there's plenty of abundance to be enjoyed there. The lush gardens are full of edible and medicinal herbs and plants. Mesmerizing art, like a sculpture by Anish Kapoor, captivates guests. The library is packed with some 4,000 books. All of this is available for anyone staying in either the 60 adult-only rooms and suites or the 120 family accommodations. Trained spa practitioners implement the signature holistic health and well-being philosophy, developed by Chiva-Som, according to individual needs. Yoga and nature walks, spa and physiotherapeutic treatments, and the on-site restaurants are all designed to foster a journey toward mental and physical well-being, away from everyday stresses. zulal.com; doubles from $1,100. —Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

ASIA

Capella Hanoi — Vietnam

If there's a Vietnamese phrase to describe Capella Hanoi, it's "tinh tế/ tinh lọc." A "tinh tế" person is someone who knows how and what to pay attention to. A "tinh tế" state of mind is a process of careful selection. Both nuances of "tinh tế" are present in Capella Hanoi. This is the sixth hotel from the brand, and the first in Southeast Asia. The Hanoi outpost is an ideal choice for first-time visitors to the city, thanks to one of the most convenient locations of any high end property in town. The building is originally a turn-of-the-century opera house, and architect Bill Bensley used his meticulous eye to incorporate some of that early 20th-century atmosphere via decorative details: paintings of theater scenes adorn guest room walls, and opera-inspired antiques (vintage gowns, wooden shoe molds that performers once wore) can be found around the property. Guests can experience that same sense of time travel by heading to Diva's Lounge, where a vintage Zinc bar plays off colorful custom rugs and furniture that's meant to evoke the spirit of the 1920s—and the opera divas who once roamed these halls. capellahotels.com; doubles from $236. —Phan Mai Trang

JOALI BEING — Maldives

Travelers seeking romance and relaxation regularly head to the Maldives, but those looking for a complete transformation should seek out the new JOALI BEING, a nature-immersive, wellness-focused retreat. The resort makes the most of an A-list staff of practitioners, therapists, and nutritionists dedicated to the four "pillars" of mind, skin, microbiome, and energy. To allow guests the time to unplug as much as possible during their stay, Wi-Fi is only available in the 68 beach and overwater villas, each of which include plunge pools and jade and pink interiors. The dining options are also meant to promote a balanced, clean lifestyle with vegetarian and vegan dining options and "earth-to-table" cuisine. The five-night minimum stay allows time to decompress through the spa's multiple treatments: Watsu therapy pools, sensory deprivation chambers, ayurvedic massages, and herbology lessons, among others. The scene creates a more mindful getaway on the other side of the world. joali.com; doubles from $1,499. —Travis Levius

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

Daring is a word seldom used to describe the beach resorts of the Maldives, which often share a similar design philosophy. But The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands—the swan song of the late Australian architect Kerry Hill—could not be called anything less. Taking cues from the swirls of wind and waves, he designed overwater villas that are sleek and circular yet somehow at home on the water. Each is powered by solar panels and comes with its own swimming pool. The spa is a low-rise ring set on stilts above a lagoon. This is the second resort to open in the Fari Islands, a groundbreaking man-made archipelago "village" of three private-island resorts that champion sustainability and community. The arrangement gives guests an expanded range of options when it comes to restaurants (including excellent Italian and Cantonese spots at the Ritz), shopping, and enrichment programs. During my stay, kids were flocking to Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment program, which offers hands-on education about oceanic life. ritzcarlton.com; doubles from $1,825. — Travis Levius

The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko — Japan

Blending into the natural environment was the core design principle for the Ritz-Carlton, Nikko. It looks out over Lake Chuzenji, an ancient religious retreat and Japan's highest lake, and is only a short distance from the UNESCO World Heritage shrine, Tosho-gu. The hotel draws on Tochigi Prefecture's deep woodworking tradition for its elegant, minimalist design, which uses local cedar, Kanuma-style wood latticework, and Nikko-style woodcarving. The floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies in every room draw the eye across spectacular lake and mountain views. The engawa—or sun porch—encourages lounging in the room over a Japanese breakfast while wearing a linen yukata. The indoor-outdoor hot-spring baths and spa also invite maximum relaxation, but if you're ready for something new, the superb staff offers dozens of activities for every age. The property also offers woodcarving lessons in the regional style, temple walks, monk-led zazen meditation, and cycling in the surrounding hills. ritzcarlton.com; doubles from $659. —Selena Hoy

Roku Kyoto, LXR Hotels & Resorts — Japan

For its first locale in the Asia-Pacific region, LXR opened the Roku Kyoto in the gentle foothills of the Japanese city's northern Kita Ward. The hotel reflects the natural surroundings of the area—Okitayama Park and the Tenjin River—with a landscape design infused with water, dotted with cedar trees, and anchored by century-old stone lanterns that have been repurposed from former temples.Influenced by the Rinpa school of art, the resort continues to foster budding artists. The interiors display works from local makers. Even the ceramic tea sets in guestrooms have been handcrafted. The helpful concierge can connect guests with a myriad of experiences—from a tutorial with a kintsugi master on repairing broken pottery with gold to hiking the surrounding hills with a Buddhist monk. The natural hot springs are also a major attraction. Open-air thermal pools provide great views of the hills. At night, chef Akira Taniguchi puts a Japanese spin on French cuisine. lxrhotels.com; doubles from $527. —Selena Hoy

Six Senses Fort Barwara — Rajasthan, India

Visitors to this hotel will feel like they've stumbled out of a time machine: it occupies a restored 14th-century hilltop garrison that was once owned by a Rajasthani royal family. Within the 700-year-old walls are lush gardens filled with native plants and palm trees; two swimming pools; and 48 suites, all of which have views of either the starkly beautiful Rajasthani countryside or Barwara village, which lies a three-hour drive south of Jaipur. The Six Senses brand is known for its emphasis on wellness, so the spa gets the royal treatment, with 30,000 square feet for ayurvedic therapies, meditation, yoga, and more. And in the property's three restaurants, the Cortile, Rani Bagh, and Roohani, you'll find food that feeds the soul—ingredients for masala, paneer, and curries are supplied by local farmers and the on-site organic garden. sixsenses.com; doubles from $595. — Prasad Ramamurthy

AUSTRALIA

Silky Oaks Lodge — Daintree Rainforest, Queensland

After cultivating some of Australia's wildest locales, like Kangaroo Island and the central deserts, Baillie Lodges has moved on to its latest opening: Silky Oaks Lodge. The 40-suite tree house resort sits beside the world's oldest rain forest. A $15 million gut renovation is built around a cantilevered building overlooking the ancient Mossman River, home to all kinds of wildlife, including platypuses. Nestled in the forest of Australia's tropical north, rooms and suites range from Treehouse Retreats with jungle baths to the two-bedroom Daintree Pavilion, a rain forest-based ode to Mies van der Rohe. Guests are welcomed with features typical for the brand, such as locally made art and furnishings, delicacies like cured kingfish pastrami, and relaxation on demand with balcony hammocks. While it's tempting to lounge around and luxuriate in the Australian rain forest, the Great Barrier Reef and the city of Cairns are just a day trip away. silkyoakslodge.com.au; doubles from $495 per person, all-inclusive. —Kendall Hill

The Tasman — Hobart, Tasmania

Hobart—the largest city on the island of Tasmania—finally has a destination-worthy hotel. The Tasman is Marriott's first Luxury Collection property in Australia and bridges three separate downtown buildings: a renovated Georgian-era hospital, an Art Deco office building, and an angular, ultramodern glass extension called the Pavilion. No two of its 152 rooms are the same. Some might incorporate original 19th-century doorways, while others have gas fireplaces and Tasmanian sassafras-wood ceilings. If you book the Aurora Suite, one of the hotel's largest, you'll get a 1,160-square-foot penthouse that juts out like a ship's prow toward the port. In-house amusements include the lively Italian osteria Peppina and the rakish Mary Mary cocktail bar, both of which are as popular with locals as they are with hotel guests. The Tasman's location near the Central Business District puts every city attraction in easy reach; it's also the ideal base for excursions to vineyards in the Coal River Valley, encounters with Tasmanian devils at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, and invigorating walks in Mount Field National Park, a 90-minute drive west of Hobart. marriott.com; doubles from $285. — Kendall Hill

CARIBBEAN

Golden Rock — St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean

The Dutch Caribbean island of St. Eustatius has long flown under the radar for most travelers—save for intrepid divers and Christopher Columbus buffs. With the opening of its first luxury hotel, Golden Rock Resort, that's about to change. The eco-conscious adventure retreat sits on 40 acres of landscaped gardens below the "Quill," a dormant volcano that's one of the Caribbean's top hiking spots. Guests can explore dozens of trails and 36 scuba-diving sites—some featuring coral-covered shipwrecks from the island's 18th-century heyday as the "golden rock" trading port. Luxuriate in one of 32 ocean-view guest rooms and refuel with a Caribbean take on lobster thermidor and flower-garnished cocktails at the on-site restaurant Breeze. Get a seat overlooking the water to see all the way out to nearby St. Kitts and St. Martin. With 28 villas, 17 lodges, a beach club with an infinity pool, and new eateries, outdoor enthusiasts will have even more reason to visit. goldenrockresort.com; doubles from $350. —Julia Eskins

Lovango Resort and Beach Club — St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

To keep their staff when the season ended in Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Little Gem Resorts opened Lovango Resort and Beach Club on a private cay in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The property is part high-end beach club, part secluded tropical getaway. It feels like it's a world away from everything, yet it's only a 15-minute ferry ride to St. Thomas or St. John. On the southern side of Lovango Cay, home to the hotel, restaurant, and "village" popular with day-boaters, guests can lounge in a cabana by the 70-foot infinity pool or grab a cocktail and some oysters at the bar. On the northern side of the island, accessible by jeep or a rugged hike, Crescent Beach is a wild area that looks out toward Congo Cay, a bird sanctuary. The vista is picture-perfect. Luxury treehouses and glamping tents have been constructed in that area to make the "camping" element a bit more luxe. The resort throws a pretty epic (and child-friendly) beach-club party three nights a week. lovangovi.com; doubles from $700. —Hannah Seligson

Soho Beach House Canouan — St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Jet-setting travelers breeze through the various Soho Houses around the world to see, be seen, and network—but the new Soho Beach House Canouan, the company's Caribbean debut, nurtures the desire to relax. The 40-room beachfront property on the Grenadines' Canouan Island is purposefully limited with their technology offerings (that means no TVs, although there is fast WiFi). Each room includes a balcony, beachy vintage cane and rattan furniture, and Cowshed toiletries. I made use of the two-story fitness studio, decorated with antique tennis racquets, before ordering the catch of the day at the outdoor dining palapa. Plans are in motion to add a spa, pool, and stand-alone bungalows, but for now, guests can swim in the quiet bay or plan an outing to the Tobago Cays to snorkel with sea turtles, and hike to the top of Mount Royal for a stunning view of this tiny island. (Non-club members can stay here by signing up for a Friends of Soho membership, a less restrictive tier introduced during the pandemic.) sohohouse.com; doubles from $245. —Samantha Falewée

Pine Cay — Turks and Caicos

In the age of social media, keeping a secret can be hard. But Pine Cay, a private island and hotel in the Turks and Caicos, remains, for now, a sublime in-the-know spot. A 20-minute boat ride from Providenciales—the country's most populous island, which has direct flights from the U.S.—delivered me to this hideaway, which was bought by an Austrian aristocrat in the 1950s. He died in 1966, and since the 1970s, it's been home to a low-key group of families, who built villas on 800 acres surrounded by white-sand beaches. It's possible to rent a few of these residences as vacation houses, but for something more traditional, the homeowners' original clubhouse has been turned into a small hotel. Its 10 beachfront rooms have a color scheme of bright sea blues and soothing neutrals (plus private patios and outdoor rainfall showers), while two newly built cottages are tucked away in dense greenery for an extra layer of privacy. At the center of things (and overlooking a sparkling freshwater pool), the restaurant serves local snapper and conch. All of these luxe details have earned it the distinction of being a Relais & Châteaux property. pinecay.com; doubles from $1,525, all-inclusive. — Tracey Minkin

Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth

St. Bart's has no shortage of glamorous hotels, but on a list where most properties have only a handful of rooms, Rosewood Le Guanahani stands out as the island's only full-scale luxury resort. Set on a secluded peninsula with two beaches, it spans 18 acres, 66 rooms, and multiple buildings (the original hotel opened in 1986 and closed in 2017 for a rebrand and renovation). It now features a bright French Caribbean-inspired design that's an instant mood booster. Elements include turquoise, yellow, and lavender hues, along with Indigenous crafts and custom-made furniture. There's also a lineup of amenities including a tennis court, multiple swimming pools, a beach club, and a kids club—plus a six treatment room spa with views of the surrounding hills. And off-property, the Rosewood can organize excursions to gorgeous beaches and a historical tour of the island. rosewoodhotels.com; doubles from $1,240. —Shivani Vora

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

Villa Bokéh

Guatemala's luxury hospitality scene isn't as high-profile as those of neighbors Mexico and Belize, but there's ample potential at places like Villa Bokéh. The team behind the Lake Atitlán–facing Casa Palopó just expanded its reach with this 15-room retreat on the outskirts of the historic city of Antigua. Bokéh's six-acre estate features bougainvillea fringed gardens, a man-made lagoon for afternoon rowing, a serene swimming pool, a glass-enclosed structure for yoga and meditation, and a small spa. These amenities orbit a two-floor hacienda that has been brought to life by some of the country's most talented young artists; yours might include a multimedia installation by Clara de Tezanos or a sculpture made from corn husks by Fernando Poyon. Instead of Nespresso machines, Bokéh stocks its in-room cupboards with a French press and ground beans from local producers. The best way to start a day is to bring a fresh pot out to the patio, from where, if the clouds cooperate, you can see Volcán de Agua in its perfect, conical glory. villabokeh.com; doubles from $226. — Chadner Navarro

Explora El Chaltén — Argentina

Between the massive, jagged mountains, the endless blue ice field, and the condors (with their 11-foot wingspan) swooping across the sky, primeval Patagonia can make a mere human feel insignificant. Explora El Chaltén gently transitions you back to civilization sans culture shock. Its 20 whitewashed wood-and-stone rooms boast panoramic mountain vistas, and semi-outdoor kitchens, while the spa was designed to maximize its forest views. With a delectable locavore menu designed by top Argentine chefs Pablo Jesús Rivero and Guido Tassi, Explora founder Pedro Ibáñez followed the same model as at his six other hotels—all of which are unostentatious luxury base camps for exploring remote natural wonders. The lodge is 10 miles from the village of El Chaltén in the middle of a private natural reserve, and its certified bilingual guides lead guests through the spectacular scenery via their choice of treks, overland trips, ice hikes, or rock climbing, with the hotel coordinating all the logistics. explora.com; doubles from $917 per person, all-inclusive. — John Bowe

Rosewood Sao Paulo

The Rosewood brand's South American debut in Brazil's largest city is fittingly splashy. The Jean Nouvel–designed tower, located a stone's throw from fashionable Avenida Paulista, has a façade enshrouded by a cascading vertical garden that's meant to echo the nearby rain forests. French interiors superstar Philippe Starck directed every aspect of the physical and sensory experience within, from the bathtubs (each carved from a single piece of marble) to the decorative guitars (signed by Brazilian music legends Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil) that hang on some guest-room walls. More than 450 pieces of art were commissioned for the hotel, including works by São Paulo–born Vik Muniz. The food and beverage offerings include a speakeasy-style jazz bar, Rabo di Galo, and Taraz—an indoor-outdoor restaurant that overlooks an interior courtyard shaded by century-old olive trees. At breakfast there, with a bowl of sheep's milk yogurt, nectarines, and bee pollen in front of me, I found it to be the most peaceful place in the entire city. rosewood.com; doubles from $250. — Juliana A. Saad

EUROPE

Airelles Le Grand Contrôle — France

It's one thing to visit the Château de Versailles and marvel at its mirrored ballroom or galavant around its manicured gardens. But it's another thing entirely to do so after hours before retreating to your private bedroom (with its four-poster bed draped in floral linens) to sleep like Louis XIV. Bienvenue to the opulent, 14-suite Le Grand Contrôle, which is located in a former hunting lodge on the palace grounds. The experience is part-kitsch, part-elegance (staff is dressed in period garb, and décor includes herringbone parquet floors and armoires that date back to the 18th century). Guests get VIP access to the castle twice a day—in the morning, before the crowds arrive for a romp around Marie Antoinette's hamlet, and in the evening, after they've left, for a private tour of the apartments. Wake-up calls may include the ceremonial playing of a symphony tune as curtains are theatrically drawn. At the Alain Ducasse restaurant, the "King's Feast" might include caviar and frog's legs served on a table set with sterling from Christofle. For the throwback averse, modern amenities abound, such as electric chandeliers, in-room tablets, and high-tech Japanese toilets. airelles.com; doubles from $1,759. — Sara Lieberman

Airelles Saint-Tropez, Château de la Messardière

In the hills of Saint-Tropez, the 19th-century Château de la Messardière—with its domed cupolas and turrets overlooking Pampelonne Bay—is like a dream spread across 25 acres. The property is now part of the Airelles collection of hotels, with 108 rooms and suites decorated by Christophe Tollemer in soft, pastel hues and vintage furnishings as part of a total renovation. Aside from the fairytale setting, the food is another reason to book a room, with 11 dining and beverage options. These include Auberge des Maures, a regional mainstay since 1931, for Provencal cuisine; the more casual La Table d'Estoublon, set within a vegetable garden and specializing in organic, biodynamic wine; and an outpost of Matsuhisa, where I had the excellent miso black cod. A free shuttle takes guests to the hotel's Jardin Tropézina beach club and restaurant, but some prefer to skip the sea in favor of a dip in the lap pool before diving into the plush Valmont spa for a dose of zen. airelles.com; doubles from $1,366. —Kasia Dietz

Beaverbrook Townhouse — London

Town-house hotels continue to pop up all over London, especially in central neighborhoods like Mayfair and Chelsea. Beaverbrook Town House, an urban sibling of the sumptuous Beaverbrook Estate in Surrey, is possibly the best example of the genre. I was offered a whiskey when I checked in; then I got to explore the thrillingly maximalist interiors by designer Nicola Harding. The overall feeling is akin to arriving at the house of a well-heeled yet eccentric uncle. Each of the 14 rooms is named after a London theater: mine—called the Royal Opera House—was dressed in a palette of sage, soft red, and pink. The free mini-bar was stocked with chilled kombucha as well as ingredients for fixing a pre-dinner espresso martini. Arrive hungry for the 20-course omakase feast at the tiny sushi bar at the in-house restaurant, Fuji Grill. Sushi master Jan Horak prepares the freshest fare from the British Isles for just six diners each evening. beaverbrooktownhouse.co.uk; doubles from $420. — Rebecca Rose

Bethlen Estates — Romania

Modern-day Transylvania could almost be mistaken for the Europe of our great-grandparents, a century or more ago: horse-drawn wagons, shepherds with flocks, ancient wooden churches, smoke rising from village chimneys. South of the city of Sighişoara, a country road leads through meadows thick with wild flowers to the ancient village of Criş, where old Saxon houses are clustered around a rambling castle. Once the fiefdom of the Bethlen family, the estates were confiscated by Romania's Communist government after World War II. But now the family has returned from exile to purchase the abandoned houses and transform them into some of Transylvania's most stylish accommodations. You can rent a room or an entire house. The four-bedroom Caretakers House, for example, has open fireplaces, comfy sofas, bookshelves, blond floorboards, and views of the old castle from the dinner table. There are even walking sticks by the entrance. A splendid restaurant, full of Middle European surprises, caters to guests. bethlenestates.com; doubles from $550. —Stanley Stewart

Borgo Santandrea — Amalfi Coast, Italy

It's not easy for a newcomer to make an impact on Italy's Amalfi Coast, an area known for iconic hotels that date back to the 1960s era of La Dolce Vita. But Borgo Santandrea—one of the few five-star properties to open on this stretch in the past decade—fits right in. Managed by hoteliers from nearby Ischia, it occupies a privileged position on the cliffs just outside the town of Amalfi. The resort's Midcentury Modern–meets-Mediterranean design pays homage to legendary Italian architect Gio Ponti, whose ceramics decorate the blue-and-white lobby: the floors of the hotel are tiled in more than 30 different geometric patterns. Throughout the property, custom-built furnishings sit alongside vintage pieces such as a concierge desk by Carlo Mollino. I started my day with breakfast on the terrace overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, then moved to the hotel's beach club, which happens to be on the only private strip along the coast. The club's restaurant was perfect for a leisurely lunch that included spaghetti alle vongole and a glass of crisp Pinot Grigio. borgosantandrea.it; doubles from $1,050. —Laura Itzkowitz

Bulgari Hotel Paris

A former office building on the Right Bank's Avenue George V is now home to Bulgari's newest hotel. Designed by the Italian architecture firm of Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, it channels an urbane sleekness: black lacquered walls frame the lobby; vintage steamer trunks are repurposed as in-room mini-bars; bathrooms are clad in travertine marble; and, as a reminder of the company's roots, vintage photographs of Bulgari jewels hang on the walls throughout. While the Paris hotel brings the 138-year-old Italian jewelry firm's portfolio to seven properties, located in places as far-flung as Bali and Dubai, its roots are always front and center. Il Ristorante, helmed by Niko Romito, is a prime example. The chef, who is originally from Abruzzo, has created a menu that includes a vegetarian lasagna and a risotto that are worth making the trip for. And to work off some of that decadent meal, I took a dip in the hotel's 82-foot subterranean swimming pool—the longest in Paris. bulgarihotels.com; doubles from $1,478. —Deanne Kaczerski

Ca' di Dio — Venice, Italy

Located in Venice's artsy Arsenale district, which plays host to the Biennale, this sleek hotel breaks with the opulent Renaissance-inspired design favored by many of the city's five-star properties. The team behind V-Retreats tapped renowned Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola—known for her clean-lined, modern aesthetic—to transform the 13th-century convent into a contemporary retreat. She certainly delivered, outfitting the 66 rooms and public spaces with wood paneling inspired by sailing ships, bespoke Murano lamps with sleek silhouettes, and whimsical touches like Gaetano Pesce chairs and a custom-made ceiling mural featuring flowers, vegetables, and fish in the restaurant, Vero (my favorite dish: linguine with shrimp and porcini mushrooms). Guests can also relax in the tranquil courtyard and savor creative cocktails and Venetian cicchetti in the intimate Alchemia bar. The concierge can arrange excursions, like boat tours to the colorful island of Burano, which depart from the hotel's private dock. vretreats.com; doubles from $356. — Laura Itzkowitz

Casa di Langa — Italy

Italy's Piedmont is home to some of the greatest wines in the world (Barolo, Barbaresco) and some of the greatest food (white truffles, anyone?), but in the past it's been a desert when it comes to luxury accommodations. That changed in 2021 with the opening of Casa di Langa, a gorgeous, 39-room property hidden away in the hills. Views from the rooms take in vineyards, forests, and the hilltop town of Serralunga d'Alba in the distance. At the excellent restaurant, Faula, chef Daniel Zeilinga uses herbs, vegetables and edible flowers from the property's biodynamic gardens for modernist takes on Piedmontese classics, like a carpaccio of local veal with anchovies and chicory sprouts. Take a cooking class with him, and learn to make tajarin, the classic pasta of Piedmonte; tour the gardens with Luigi Merlo, the property's charismatic head gardener; arrange for a truffle hunt in the woods; and, of course, indulge in a bottle from the property's remarkable cellar. casadilanga.com; doubles from $515. —Ray Isle

Cheval Blanc Paris

Paris has such an abundance of five-star hotels that another seems hardly necessary. Cheval Blanc, the city's newest, makes a good counterargument. It occupies the old Samaritaine department store near the Pont Neuf, an easy trot from Saint Germain des Pres, the Marais, and the Louvre. Henri Sauvage, the building's architect, gave it a distinctive honeycomb of windows almost a century ago to help usher in the age of Art Deco. From the outside, it's a masterpiece. From the inside, the design gives each room one of the best views you can get of the Left Bank with the Seine at its feet. For the most spectacular view in the hotel, you can opt for one of the two apartments on the top floor (no one would tell me the exact price). Or, on a fine Paris spring morning, you could get almost the same view one floor down at the hotel's bistro: just grab a table on the terrace, order a croque monsieur, and thank your lucky stars you're there. chevalblanc.com; doubles from $1,549. — Joshua Levine

Coco Hotel — Copenhagen

A wall of tasseled keys by the front desk is the only indication that Coco—in Copenhagen's edgy Vesterbro neighborhood—is a hotel and not a fun, funky apartment building. The structure dates back to 1889, and the combination of brightly painted accent walls, pinstriped furnishings, and narrow, winding hallways makes the place feel homey and lived in. While the property's 88 rooms are comfortable and well-appointed, it's the common spaces that beckon. Café Coco, the lobby lounge, is like a living room. That's where I sipped coffee in the morning and curled up with my laptop in the evenings. When the weather cooperates, guests can go into the open-air courtyard, which is shaded with trees, and snack on pickled olives and sardines with lemon and grilled bread before taking one of the hotel's complimentary bikes out for a spin. In an effort to offset CO2 emissions, fruit trees are planted around the world (one for each guest who checks in), and the entire property is run on a private solar-powered grid. coco-hotel.com; doubles from $101. —Heather Greenwood-Davis

Dimora Palanca — Florence, Italy

There's so much history packed into Florence that finding an airy respite from it all can be harder than it seems. Fortunately, travelers don't need to wander far from the Duomo to find tranquility at the new Dimora Palanca. Housed in a restored 19th-century family villa that once hosted traveling painters and academics, the hotel has retained its residential feel with 18 spacious rooms outfitted in a gentle palette of creams, taupes, and warm grays. Emerging Florentine artist Paolo Dovichi was commissioned to create 50 site-specific artworks—contemporary contrasts to the intricate plasterwork, noble columns, and herringbone wood floors. Sculptural lamps draw attention to the lofty ceilings, several of which are covered in original frescoes. Enjoy morning plum cake on a linen-dressed table in the private courtyard garden, but save your appetite for dinner in the fine-dining Mimesi, where executive chef Giovanni Cerroni turns Tuscan ingredients into edible masterpieces. dimorapalanca.com; doubles from $330. —Julia Eskins

The Reykjavik EDITION

One of the most enduring symbols of Iceland's Nordic culture is the varða—hive-shaped piles of volcanic stones first made by Vikings in the ninth century as markers to help navigate the barren landscape. It is with the traveler in mind that one of these structures stands dead center in the stylish lobby of the Edition. Behind it is a lobby bar, complete with a central fireplace and chairs draped with Icelandic sheepskins, which further warms the welcome. Located on the city's Old Harbor, it is surrounded by breathtaking, 360-degree reminders of Iceland's seafaring identity: lighthouses, fishing trawlers and Coast Guard ships. Next door is the city's new conference hall, Harpa; both it and the Edition are framed by Mount Esja and the steel-gray Atlantic. The rooftop bar, singular in Reykjavik, overlooks this majestic tableau. Inside, Icelandic design vernacular reaches luxurious new heights. Intimate, dusky-lit rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping linen curtains to block out the midnight sun, and copper light fixtures and pale ash furnishings complete the crisp Nordic feel. If there is a pièce de résistance, it is downstairs at Chef Gunnar Gislason's Tides Restaurant. Here, the elegantly-prepared Icelandic staples—lamb, skyr, reindeer, blueberries and salmon—are served in an equally stunning dining room. Local basalt floor tiles, blond-wood ceiling, and fluted cement columns remind you that the Edition has thoroughly transformed hospitality in Reykjavik. editionhotels.com; doubles from $370. —Marcia DeSanctis

Hôtel La Ponche — St.-Tropez

With a history of illustrious guests (Brigitte Bardot, Romy Schneider, and Françoise Sagan among them), Hôtel La Ponche is somewhat of a legend in St.-Tropez. That's why it wasn't an easy task to carry out a redesign that would match its reputation. First, new owner Nicolas Saltiel asked designer Fabrizio Cashiraghi to bring back the St.-Tropez of the 1960s and 70s, opting for the low-key elegance of a maison familiale (family home). Rooms—each named for a famous guest—were brightened with ivory hues and sheer curtains and furnished with a mix of vintage and custom-made pieces, including wrought-iron headboards and marble-top tables. Next, chef Thomas Danigo was brought in to reimagine the food: elevated versions of traditional Provençale dishes, such as bourride (fish stew with aioli) and artichauts à la barigoule (white-wine braised artichokes), can be savored on a sun-soaked patio. The Paris-based wellness brand Le Tigre Yoga Club set up its signature spa at the hotel and offers a selection of therapies and morning yoga classes facing the sea. laponche.com; doubles from $387 per night. — Lisa Cheng

Hotel Motto — Vienna

In a European capital like Vienna, where most of the high-end hotels lean on the traditional, it's especially refreshing to step into the colorful, whimsical world of Hotel Motto. Centrally located in the sixth district (a stone's throw from Vienna's world-class museums), this 91-room property is like an explosion of Belle Époque exuberance filtered through the lens of Wes Anderson. This is in part thanks to Rome-based artist Andrea Ferola, who created the illustrations of pink-uniformed bellhops found all over the property—from the lobby to the elevators—in a variety of playful moments: dancing, dramatically posing, picking up roses. Architect Arkan Zeytinoglu custom-designed almost everything else, like the floral upholstery that wraps entire walls (including doors to the guest bathrooms), abstract pastel-hued area rugs, and floor lamps crowned with embroidered shades festooned with swingy fringe. On the rooftop of this centuries-old building is owner Bernd Schlacher's latest restaurant project. Bright, lush Chez Bernd has become Vienna's hottest brunch spot thanks to superfood smoothies that complement savory crepes and indulgent Viennese pastries. hotelmotto.at; doubles from $245. — Chadner Navarro

Il Tornabuoni — Florence, Italy

Florence is home to fashion brands like Salvatore Ferragamo and Emilio Pucci, the menswear trade show, Pitti Uomo, and a vibrant craft workshop scene, all of which puts it on par with Milan as Italy's best shopping city. The difference is that Florence is—let's face it—a lot easier on the eyes. Need proof? Step off the city's upscale retail passeggiata, Via Tornabuoni, walk through the doors of this 62-room five-star hotel, then take the elevator to the fourth floor. From the hotel's Butterfly Bar terrace, the city is a dazzling Renaissance diorama in ochre, terra-cotta, and marble. But art and history also flourish inside this converted 12th-century palazzo: take the Lorenzo Il Magnifico suite, covered from wall to ceiling in astonishingly well-preserved 18th-century frescoes. Mostly, though, the first of Hyatt's Unbound Collection properties in Italy feels glamorously modern, as bold in its patterns and color schemes as an Alessandro Michele-era Gucci jacket. With streetside tables, the ground-floor Magnifico café and restaurant are drawing in locals, too, for chef Danilo Vitale's simple, delicious dishes, like the spaghetti with tuna, cherry tomatoes, olives, and capers (a slam dunk with Florentines, who don't generally go for fancy food). hyatt.com; doubles from $400. — Lee Marshall

Kalesma Mykonos — Greece

Mykonos has honed its reputation as a hedonistic nightlife capital since the 1960s, when Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren put the Cycladic island on the A-list party map. Fortunately, at Kalesma, travelers get all of the European glamour with none of the thumping house music reverberating through Mykonos town. Twenty-five one-bedroom suites overlook the yacht-dotted Ornos Bay, with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to reveal the spectacular views beyond. On the opposite side of the property are two grand villas (one with two bedrooms, the other with three) that borrow interior elements—exposed wood, beamed ceilings, rattan accents—from the suites. Designed by architecture firm K-Studio, the hotel modernizes the Grecian blue-and-white motif; every wall is painted white, but the pops of blue come only from the various swimming pools. The true heart of Kalesma, however, is not the central infinity pool, nor the adjacent bougainvillea-shaded bar serving chilled glasses of Assyrtiko. It's not even Aloni, the west-facing outdoor lounge where guests gather by the firepit to watch the setting sun put on a color show of gold and orange bouncing off the white exteriors. It's on-site restaurant Pere Ubu, nestled between the bar and Aloni, serving meze spreads and deconstructed "saganaki" cheese boards with brick-oven-fired flatbread by day and seafood bolstered with house-made sausage by night, all accompanied by hand-selected Greek wine, no matter the time of day. kalesmamykonos.com; suites from $1,640. — Maya Kachroo-Levine

Kempinski Palace Engelberg Titlis — Switzerland

Engelberg means "Angel Mountain" in German, and the spiritual calm that first convinced the valley's Benedictine monks to put down roots here in the 12th century is still in evidence at this rebooted Alpine grande dame. The Kempinski group has cleverly deduced that visitors might want more than the meditative landscape to soothe their soul and has invested wisely—but without imbuing the off-putting snobbery of so many Swiss palace hotels (muddy boots and rough-and-tumble adventures are encouraged here). The hotel has at its heart a heavenly new spa, with a rooftop infinity pool framed by the pyramid-like Mount Titlis. And the local après-ski scene has had a boost with the arrival of a farm-to-fork restaurant, Cattani, and a terrace champagne bar. The hotel also represents a more modern Switzerland that has pulled away from the chocolate-box chalet look—the design is a melding of Art Deco principles, with the Belle Époque-era Kursaal ballroom as the spectacular centerpiece. kempinski.com; doubles from $350. — Mike MacEacheran

Madame Rêve — Paris

There's a new golden triangle in Paris, and Madame Rêve is very much at its center. A five-minute walk from the Bourse de Commerce in the First Arrondissement, the property takes up residence in the 19th-century Poste du Louvre building, France's most historic post office. Everything about this gilded homage to Paris feels unique. Starting on the ground floor in what was once the post office's sorting room, the Madame Rêve café evokes Second Empire opulence, with 26-foot high ceilings, statement chandeliers, and reconstituted Louis Majorelle armchairs. The upper floors, including the massive rooftop terrace and bar, were given a retro-chic treatment: think golden-brown tones, walnut paneling, and bronze mosaics in the bathrooms that take on a rosy sparkle during steamy showers. Occupying the third floor and stretching four city blocks are La Plume (the hotel's excellent Franco-Japanese restaurant and bar) and all 82 rooms and suites. The rooms, which share an impressive 800-piece collection of art that playfully nods to post offices of the past and present, either look out onto rooftops and monuments or face a lush interior garden. madamereve.com; doubles from $555. — Lindsey Tramuta

Mandarin Oriental Ritz — Madrid

Built in 1910 at King Alfonso XIII's request, the hotel was designed by famed hotelier César Ritz. Its current iteration is infused with a glossy sheen thanks to the Mandarin Oriental—one of a flurry of new and rebranded hotels that are popping up all over the Spanish capital. This one is surely at the top of the pack, with unbeatable views of the Prado Museum (which is literally across the street) from its 153 guest rooms and suites; and a restaurant, Deesa—helmed by chef Quique Dacosta—that's already earned a reputation as one of the most in-demand reservations in Madrid thanks to its tasting menus. And the spa is worth a visit for the marble-clad, indoor swimming pool alone—a place where even the King himself would have surely felt at home. mandarinoriental.com; doubles from $890. —Richard Morgan

Masseria Calderisi — Puglia, Italy

Puglia—the heel of Italy's boot—isn't a flashy place. In fact, much of its charm lies in the natural beauty (rolling hills, the striking Adriatic coastline), deliciously unfussy food (derived from its strong agricultural heritage), and the joyful, easygoing spirit that makes everyone you meet feel like family. Melding those aspects with a touch of understated refinement is Masseria Calderisi, a restored and renovated 17th-century farmhouse estate set amid almost 20 acres of centuries-old olive trees. Between the property's main building and the original stable block, owners Max and Jutta von Braunmühl built 24 rooms and suites that reflect both local and their own international sensibilities. Traditional whitewashed walls and oak furniture made by Italian artisans are complemented by natural French linens with pops of blue, red, and yellow. A central piazza houses the restaurant, La Corte, which highlights regional producers and ingredients, as well as breads and pastries baked in the wood-fired oven. The hotel maintains its own beach club, but it's also worth lingering poolside—ideally with a cold beverage and the Gioia bar's excellent grilled zucchini salad, which is dressed with cubes of salty cacioricotta cheese. masseriacalderisi.com; doubles from $343. — Sarah Bruning

Matild Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel — Budapest

Many structures conjure Budapest's exhilarating bohemian past, but none are as glamorously executed as the UNESCO-preserved Matild Palace. First unveiled in 1902, it's one of two matching buildings envisioned by Princess Marie Clotilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as a gathering place for Belle Époque artists and intellectuals. Refurbished after decades of deterioration, Matild once again showcases grandeur, now as a hotel. In its 130 guest rooms and suites, there are motifs of delicate Hungarian embroidery and mosaic tiles that recall the Gellért thermal baths, one of the city's most famous examples of the Art Nouveau style. In another nod to history, there's a forthcoming cabaret troupe that will be housed in Matild's former coffee house, but the hotel's contemporary spirit is exemplified by an outpost of Wolfgang Puck's breezy Spago and the jewel-toned Duchess, a bar on the rooftop. From there, you can see how Budapest sprawls out as wondrously as it did in the early 20th century. marriott.com; doubles from $535. — Alia Akkam

Maybourne Riviera — Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France

From my corner suite at the Maybourne Riviera, I could see three countries: the Ligurian coast of Italy to the east; Monaco to the west; and all around me, the coves and cypresses of southern France. This fifth property for the U.K.-based Maybourne Hotel Group is the highest building for miles—a bright-white, Jean-Michel Wilmotte–designed structure roosting at the top of a cliff. Inside, its 69 suites and common spaces are filled with extraordinary pieces, including Eileen Gray–designed chairs and an intertwined pair of gleaming figures by Louise Bourgeois that dominate the lobby. But the defining visual element is the Mediterranean, which is blissfully inescapable thanks to abundant terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows. I spent mornings surrounded by it on my balcony, which seemed to extend into the sea like the prow of a yacht. Nowhere is the Mediterranean more palpable than at Ceto, the property's fine-dining restaurant from Italian-Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco (best known for his restaurant in nearby Menton, the Michelin three-starred Mirazur). On my way to the host stand, I peeked into a purpose-built chamber where the team ages fish for up to two months, for use in dishes like kombu-aged tuna carpaccio with house-made XO sauce. Next, warm oysters filled with oyster cream, aged hake with carrots and caviar, and a "marine" mille-feuille dusted with nori powder. Even dessert here is inseparable from the sea. maybourneriviera.com; doubles from $870. —Hannah Walhout

NoMad London

There are not many places in the world where one can get a state-of-the-art lymphatic massage in a renovated prison cell. But at NoMad London, one of the biggest, splashiest hotel openings in the capital since the pandemic, anything goes. Situated in the former Bow Street magistrate's court, where drunkards, troublemakers and rebels were held before trial, it was also the birthplace of the British police force. The original boys in blue would blanch at the hedonistic, swinging Friday night scene in the hotel's Side Hustle bar, or even in the stunning plant-strewn atrium restaurant. Here, trendy diners feast on whole roast chicken stuffed with foie gras, before heading down to subterranean late-night hotspot, Common Decency, for live drag acts and digestif cocktails. For all this revelry, rooms are rather sober by contrast. Ours had a gentlemanly air, with plenty of polished wood cabinetry and stunning views over the Royal Opera House opposite—a theatrical triumph indeed. thenomadhotel.com; doubles from $388. —Rebecca Rose

Nordelaia — Italy

If Italy's elegant, truffle-rich Piedmont region is still an upcoming destination, then the little-visited Dolcetto di Ovada wine country in its southeastern corner is a veritable dark horse. That just makes this 12-room country hotel, housed in an apricot-pink villa from the 19th century, feel like even more of a discovery. General manager Alfonso Spinelli conjures something of a house-party vibe in a property destined to attract guests as eclectic as its design scheme. Co-curated by studios in London and Genoa, it's a mix-up of heirloom details like iron-framed four-poster beds with warm modern details inspired by a back-to-nature aesthetic. A tall annex building, which looks somewhat like a vertical barn, houses Nordelaia's funky bar, bistro, and restaurant. Resident chef Charles Pearce, a strong advocate of local, seasonal, minimum-waste cuisine, took the menu meat-free at the start of the 2022 season. Drinking the excellent Dolcetto produced on the estate is one good activity; another (doable with or without a guide) is exploring the area's weekly or monthly antique markets—a local forte. nordelaia.com; doubles from $330. — Lee Marshall

One&Only Portonovi — Montenegro

Tucked into the fjordlike Bay of Kotor, the One&Only Portonovi resort is situated on a 60-acre peninsula on the northern coast of Montenegro. Its 123 spacious rooms, suites, and villas are set among manicured lawns and palm trees. It's easy to get lost in the beautiful views and impressive culinary and wellness offerings, and not even leave the property for days. There are three restaurants on site: Sabia, a beachside Italian dining room overseen by chef Marco Lucentini; Tapasake Club, a trendy, Japanese and Spanish-inspired indoor/outdoor restaurant; and La Veranda, a stylish all-day venue that serves an exceptional breakfast, from healthy bowls to artisanal doughnuts. The resort is one of the late wellness guru Henri Chenot's largest and most dazzling spa outposts in Europe, offering a mix of both cutting-edge medical regimens and more traditional massage and skin treatments. oneandonlyresorts.com/portonovi; doubles from $540. —Gisela Williams

The Place Firenze — Italy

A 2021 renovation spurred a Renaissance of sorts for this 20-room Florence town house, under the watchful eye of jaunty general manager Claudio Meli. The result is a visual feast humming with personality. Design elements—like the fleur-de-lis-inspired logo that's subtly woven into linens and curtains; serpentino marble tables; and overall emerald palette—take inspiration from the 15th-century Basilica di Santa Maria Novella façade, located across the lively piazza. If you know where to look, you'll see Tuscan craft behind every detail, from the mismatched Ginori porcelain and Fattoria di Maiano olive oil served in the Kitchen (the hotel's restaurant) to the plush Tosconova sofas and postcards (made by local stationer Pineider, founded in 1774) in the lobby. The Place's identity is also firmly rooted in community. A customized tour of Florentine artisans brings guests beyond the tourist traps to the studios of cordwainers, violin makers, and silversmiths, while a new hotel-supported fund (guests are welcome to contribute) supports local creators. Come aperitivo hour, don't miss a Negroni on the guest-only terrace with a view of the Duomo for company, followed by Tuscan classics for dinner downstairs—my asparagus risotto was phenomenal. theplacefirenze.com; doubles from $652. —Rachael McKeon

The Rooster — Antiparos, Greece

Small but perfectly formed. Authentic but unobtrusively chic. Antiparos—the smaller, low-key neighbor of lively Paros—has quietly attracted a zealous following among Greek island cognoscenti. For years they stayed in simple rooms in the pint-size port or sharply modern villas scattered along the coastline. But now everyone is clamoring to get into the Rooster, the island's first wellness retreat. Camouflaged in the burnished hills overlooking Livadia Bay, the 16 stone houses all have outdoor showers and private pools screened by luxuriant gardens. The interiors are soothing: pressed plaster walls, driftwood four-poster beds, leather ottomans, and brushed-velvet cushions in mustard and maroon. Days float by, with outdoor yoga followed by tahini granola and Greek yogurt garnished with lavender sprigs, a long swim off the empty beach, and a deeply meditative Shirodhara treatment in the House of Healing. At dusk, kaftan-clad guests drift up to the open-air bar for spicy margaritas and painterly tapas—myzithra cheese with blood orange, grilled cauliflower with turmeric mayo. Like everything at the Rooster, it's just the right balance of wholesome and hedonism. theroosterantiparos.com; doubles from $680. —Rachel Howard

Rosewood Villa Magna — Madrid

Rebrands of beloved hotels often trade too much of the property's original essence for cutting-edge glitz and corporate uniformity. Thankfully, that's not the case with the recent overhaul that brought Madrid's fabled Hotel Villa Magna into the Rosewood Hotel Group. Villa Magna's charms have been time-tested—superb service, cosseting rooms, and a coveted location on the Paseo de la Castellana (near world-class museums and the business, dining and shopping hub of Barrio Salamanca). Now the striking brass façade gleams anew, and the 154 rooms and suites, all graciously proportioned, have been enlivened with luxurious textiles and contemporary art. The once cavernous lobby has been cleverly divided into cozy nooks for all-day enjoyment. Four dining options range from a comfy café and bakery to fireside post-prandial cocktails, either indoors or on the terrace. Add the spa and hammam downstairs, and it's become the clubhouse for savvy travelers and madrileños alike. rosewood.com; doubles from $824. — Andrew Ferren

Rusacks St Andrews — Scotland

Blasts of North Sea air. The soft thwack of a golf ball outside your bedroom. The championship wonderland of the Old Course framing the horizon. Rusacks St Andrews is a townhouse hotel that's died and gone to golf heaven. The Georgian-era building has been in the club-and-ball business since 1887, but it has been beautifully reimagined by its new Nashville-based owners, with hat tips to the great game throughout. The golf touches are hardly subtle here: carpets woven with dimpled latex balls; a grandstanding portrait of Old Tom Morris, golf's original Tiger Woods. These are complemented by outstanding views of the first fairway and the 18th green. The past looms, but the real talking points are One Under Bar, a brick-and-tile pub for 19th-hole drama, and 18, the rooftop seafood and steak brasserie. What works best is the one-hole putting green on the terrace, which puts you in the middle of the sporting action whether you're a golfer or not. marineandlawn.com; doubles from $264. — Mike MacEacheran

San Domenico Palace Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel

The Four Seasons' first outpost in Sicily is a former 14th-century palace with vistas that capture the history and spirit of the island in one sweeping panorama that includes the Ionian Sea, Mount Etna, and the famous Greek Theater of Taormina, built in the third century, BC. The renovation of this venerable structure combines a sense of place with modern conveniences and comfort: My room had 15-foot ceilings, a giant marble bathroom, a Roman portrait depicting an ancient Roman, and a large terrace that became my favorite spot for an apertivo. There's also a rooftop infinity pool overlooking Taormina Bay, an organic garden, and cloistered outdoor seating areas to bask in the Sicilian sunshine. The location is a winner, too. It's a short walk to the lively center of Taormina—filled with shops, restaurants, historical sites—and a funicular that takes you down to the sparkling sea and beach clubs in less than five minutes. fourseasons.com; doubles from $1,126. —Hannah Seligson

Six Senses Ibiza

Six Senses brings its healthy-but-fabulous vibe to Ibiza, an island more generally known for 6am taxi rides home from the club, as opposed to 6am yoga classes. But here, wellbeing feels utterly self-indulgent as opposed to self-denying, with food so delicious you won't even notice you're detoxing. The enormous cliff-top space has been sensitively designed to fit in with the island, using local materials for the buildings and the gardens are filled with homegrown herbs of vegetables, so that it feels fully integrated, as opposed to a chain brand clumsily dropped on a rock. The Sea View Premium Suites are especially great, as you'll get your own little lawn and herb garden. On top of the facials, saunas and massages, the real jewel in the crown here is the Rose Bar, which offers state-of-the-art treatments, including cryotherapy and hypoxic training. And afterwards, you can walk straight into the sea and feel the wellbeing wash over you. sixsenses.com; doubles from $567. —Hadley Freeman

Splendido Mare, a Belmond Hotel — Portofino, Italy

From Hollywood stars to those docking their yachts in Portofino, everyone loves the Splendido, a Belmond Hotel. Now the brand has reopened the more intimate, spacious Splendido Mare nearby. The 14-bedroom guesthouse debuted last May following a total refurbishment, bringing a decidedly low-key option to the Italian harbor. Guests wander in and out from the beach, and the immaculate staff adopt a discreet and casual approach to hospitality. No expense was spared in the recent renovations: you'll find original Gio Ponti armchairs amid the pastel linens, with specially formulated Acqua di Parma toiletries inspired by the scents of the Mediterranean. Reserve a room with a balcony for maximum yacht-gazing potential. After breakfast, enlist the hotel's private gozzo (an iconic wooden motorboat) for the morning, or stroll around the headland to find the unusually green-blue waters of Paraggi Beach. belmond.com; doubles from $570 per person. —Phoebe Hunt

Villa Igiea — Sicily

Just over a hundred years ago, Palermo's showcase accommodation was the Villa Igiea, part hotel and part private palazzo of the glamorous Florio family, whose commercial interests ranged from banking to canned tuna. In those heady days, Palermo was as fashionable as the French Riviera, and out on the garden terraces of the Igiea, you would have been tripping over royalty and film stars, the influencers of their age. But the world turned, as it always does. The Florios fell from grace, and both Palermo and its excellent hotel fell into a slow decline. Then, in 2019, Rocco Forte, the proprietor of many of Europe's most fashionable hotels, from the Hotel de Russie in Rome to Browns in London, purchased the property at auction and embarked on a tip-to-toe refurbishment. The result is a triumph, with all the Belle Époque exuberance of the original interiors meticulously brought back to life. Once again, dinner out on the terrace, as dusk steals across the sea, is one of the Mediterranean's great delights. roccofortehotels.com; doubles from $668. — Stanley Stewart

The Woodward — Geneva

The 32 rooms in this all-suite hotel are sumptuously decorated by Parisian designer Pierre-Yves Rochon in soothing tones of oyster, oat, and champagne. The showstopper at the Oetker Collection's first hotel in Switzerland isn't its handsome interiors that include parquet floorsand white marble bathrooms, though. It's the panoramic views of the sapphire waters of Lake Geneva and the snowcapped Alps on the horizon, framed by the heavy damask curtains at every window. The building itself is an elegant limestone structure dating from 1901 with a wedding-cake façade by French architect François Durel. Completing the picture is a Guerlain spa with an indoor swimming pool and two superb restaurants: L'Atelier Robuchon and Le Jardinier, the Swiss branch of the Michelin-star winner in New York City. And should you feel like immersing yourself in the city like a true resident, the hotel is just across the street from Les Bains de Pâquis, a lakeside swimming pier, sports club, and restaurant that's a beloved local institution—and a great place to meet the Genevois. oetkercollection.com; doubles from $1,006. —Alexander Lobrano

NORTH AMERICA

1 Hotel — Toronto

Adjacent to Toronto's bustling King Street West entertainment strip, the 1 Hotel is a study in modern cool—a nature-themed oasis with (literally) thousands of plants and a sustainability-minded ethos. There's a commitment to a "second life" philosophy there, in which trees that were felled during an ice storm have been recast as floors, walls, tables and serving platters. There's also a zero-waste restaurant, 1 Kitchen, which sources 95 percent of its produce within a 60-mile range. Rooms, meanwhile, overlook the city—and Toronto's constant construction—but the 360-degree views and killer cocktails from Harriet's (the poolside lounge on the rooftop) make even construction sites seem somehow beautiful. The hotel's trendy status means that on any given night, you might rub shoulders with local and visiting celebs who are soaking in the cool downtown vibes along with everyone else. 1hotels.com; doubles from $364. —Heather Greenwood-Davis

Ace Hotel Brooklyn

The Ace Hotel has brought its of-the-moment aesthetic to a part of town—Downtown Brooklyn—not normally known for being on-trend. It's a place both for travelers who are looking for a design-forward stay without breaking the bank and for locals who want to co-work over cold brews. The lobby taps into the Atelier Ace wheelhouse: low lighting from angular, modernist fixtures shows just enough of the dark-wood tones and concrete floors. Indie pop playing softly makes you feel like you're in the know—while still being able to hear yourself think as you finish that slide deck for an upcoming pitch meeting. Upstairs, the postmodern rooms are more spacious than at some of the brand's other locations, with western-facing rooms getting a distant view of the Statue of Liberty. Record players and acoustic guitars are readily available, should you need that extra dose of "Brooklyn" during your stay. acehotel.com; doubles from $269. —Tim Latterner

Alila Marea Beach Resort — Encinitas, California

The Alila Marea Beach Resort, located just north of San Diego in Encinitas, takes surfing just as seriously as it takes sustainability. The hotel has brought the surrounding natural elements into its design, using stone façades and natural wood elements like a century-old southern yellow pine tree, now reclaimed as the reception desk. All of the 130 sprawling rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows with ocean views, as well as prints from photographer Aaron Chang. The locale is perfect for a laid-back getaway, with waves crashing on the beach, bicycles available to ride into town for tacos, and a solar-heated pool. The on-site restaurant Vaga, helmed by chef Claudette Zepeda, pairs the menu to the seaside views with dishes like yellowtail crudo and mushroom tostadas and cocktails like the gin- and grapefruit-based Sunday Namaste. alilahotels.com; doubles from $720. —Tanvi Chheda

Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Astoria Resort — Phoenix

What do Marilyn Monroe, Liza Minelli, Frank Sinatra, and virtually every U.S. President since the 1930s have in common? They've all been guests at the Arizona Biltmore, the storied 1929 hotel in Phoenix that just unveiled its 15-month-long renovation last spring. The resort was designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, Albert Chase McArthur, who received guidance from his mentor throughout the process. The property is a world of its own: a sprawling 39-acre complex of over 700 guest rooms spread across a main building and standalone cottages; seven swimming pools; six food and beverage outposts (including the outdoor Spire Bar, built from the ground up with a soaring conical tower that's meant to pay homage to Wright's legacy with its scallop-patterned mosaics); and a 12 treatment room spa, Tierra Luna. All of it is interspersed with desert blooms and the majestic, endemic Saguaro cacti. For all of its historical reverence, though, the Biltmore feels modern and fresh, thanks to Therese Virserius, the founder and principal of Virserius Studio, the lead interior designer of the project who collaborated with Phoenix- and Los Angeles-based PHX Architecture. Guest rooms and cottages are dressed in a neutral palette of varying shades of cream, blue, and white that feel like a reflection of the landscape outside, and little touches (coffee table books about desert architecture, potted cacti, geometric wall patterns inspired the property's architecture) offer endless visual appeal. arizonabiltmore.com; doubles from $342. —John Wogan

Baja Club — La Paz, Mexico

One moment you're standing on the bustling seaside promenade in La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur, which is known for its pristine beaches and waters of abundant biodiversity. Then you walk through the hulking wooden doors of the Baja Club, and you're enveloped in a wholly unexpected, eclectic world. The hotel, built into a mission-style hacienda from 1910, initially feels like the backdrop for a clandestine salon, with its red terrazzo floors, vaulted ceilings striped with timber beams, and dimly-lit bar. But then it opens to an expansive, sun-speckled courtyard, where Mediterranean-inflected fare is served under a pergola. A glittering pool is tucked away in a private nook of exposed-brick walls. The property's 32 rooms, set in a newly constructed four-story building, have sleek interiors that contrast with the colonial flair elsewhere. In a region with many opportunities for adventure, from swimming with whale sharks to snorkeling reefs that once dazzled Jacques Cousteau, the hotel provides a stylish home base and respite at the end of a day. The sunset is best savored from the rooftop bar. grupohabita.com; doubles from $245. — David Amsden

Bishop's Lodge, Auberge Resorts Collection — Santa Fe, New Mexico

In 1860, Jean-Baptiste Lamy, the archbishop of Santa Fe, bought some land for $80 and built a small chapel. Bishop's Lodge now uses it for weddings. This mountain hideaway has had multiple hotel lives; after a two-year renovation, it reopened last summer as part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, with 100 rooms, suites, and stand-alone casitas dotted across 317 acres in the Sangre de Cristo foothills. Although it's just three miles from downtown Santa Fe, outdoorsy pursuits are the real draw here. Horseback riding, hiking, and trout fishing combine natural immersion with Auberge's signature high-end aesthetic. There's also a taste of the local: at SkyFire, Southwestern tradition is central to a menu that includes a flawless huevos rancheros at breakfast. And New Mexico makers like Whiskey & Clay, which crafted the dishware, showcase the region's creative talent. Nights are chilly in the desert, so I bundled up in a Pendleton blanket beside an outdoor fireplace and sipped a warming Mezcalito cocktail as the fading light bathed the 19th-century adobe chapel in gold. I felt about as close to heaven as I ever have. aubergeresorts.com; doubles from $799. —Elizabeth Hightower Allen

The Boca Raton

This 1926 oceanfront, Addison Mizner-designed resort has a new life thanks to its recent $200 million investment and rebranding. Despite the shiny update, though, the historic atmosphere remains. This is especially true in the hotel's 1930s-inspired MB Supper Club, which blends whimsical touches (including wallpaper depicting imbibing simians) and nightly live music, ranging from Latin to Bossa Nova. The Flamingo Grill chophouse, meanwhile, serves perfectly bitter negronis and throwback entrees like prime rib. Guests can make use of all the resort's amenities while staying in one of four distinct sections on grounds: There's the Beach Club, sandwiched between the lake and ocean; the all-suite, adults-only Yacht Club; the Cloister (the very first building constructed here); and the Bungalows, where long-term stays are possible and come with full-sized kitchens. Recent additions include the new Harborside Pool Club (with two waterslides and a lazy river) which is especially popular with families, and renovations continue on yet another building—a 27-story Tower that will add even more options. thebocaraton.com; doubles from $799. —Heather Greenwood Davis

Casa Silencio — Oaxaca, Mexico

Vicente Cisneros and Fausto Zapata, the founders of Mezcal El Silencio, have brought spirit-forward tourism to Oaxaca: they set their six-room hotel in a working distillery. It's built around a solar-powered tahona, the huge wheel that grinds roasted agave to produce a liquid that is then fermented. They collaborated with architect Alejandro D'Acosta to create the spaces, which include an indoor/outdoor dining room with a "grand table" hand cut from a 17-ton slab of basalt. The rooms are layered in locally woven textiles and distressed leather. Guests can try rare Mezcal El Silencio vintages that are available only on the property,and sample chef Daniel Roble's dishes, which capitalize on his Tennessee barbeque obsession. And between the candlelit library—with floor-to-ceiling glass windows facing the agave-dotted plains—and the after-hours Rhino Room, there's no shortage of corners in which to enjoy a mezcal nightcap. casasilencio.com; doubles from $848. — Maya Kachroo-Levine

Clayton Members Club & Hotel — Denver

A restaurant rooted in Cali-Mediterranean flavors, a sexy cocktail bar, and a rooftop pool would be star attractions at most hotels. Clayton has all three, plus a member's club. But it's the opportunity to rub shoulders with Denver's most creative crowd that keeps guests returning. The club's membership model focuses on diversity and inclusion rather than exclusivity, which seems to guarantee a dynamic environment. Emerging artists, for example, can show and sell work on property, keep the profit, and join the club by contributing to events in lieu of a $3,000 annual fee. More than 200 pieces of mostly local art are on display, and guests can partake in club programming that includes sustainable fashion shows, artist-led painting classes, and bingo nights featuring drag-queen performances. Nods to Colorado's mountainous topography (block prints of 14,000-foot peaks) and Gold Rush heritage (gold-veined marble) are subtly woven throughout the 63 rooms. The ground-floor market—already an anchor of the Cherry Creek neighborhood—is devoted to serving products from local BIPOC artisans, such as Little Owl coffee, Smith & Cannon Ice Cream Co., and Black Box Bakery (wake early to score the decadent peanut butter and chocolate croissant). claytondenver.com; doubles from $279. —Jen Murphy

The Claremont — Southwest Harbor, Maine

With its bay full of bobbing sailboats, the seaside enclave of Southwest Harbor, Maine, is hardly lacking for beauty. But you'll find extra charm at the Claremont, a 139-year-old Mount Desert Island institution that's newly gleaming after a 2021 overhaul. In the green-shuttered main building, a lounge clad in Sister Parish wallpaper is the entry point for Little Fern, the tony resort restaurant, and Harry's Bar, a moody salon where paintings of sea captains glower down as you sip your gimlet. Spread across the six-acre grounds, the 51 guest rooms, suites, and cottages have William Morris–fabric headboards, fireplaces, and—sweet relief!—nary a workstation in sight. When you're not in one of the green-and-white striped cabanas, stroll down to Batson Fish Camp for a lobster roll, go for a spin on one of the beach cruisers, or take a whack at croquet on the poolside court. Just be sure to save plenty of time for gazing out at the water and Acadia National Park beyond. theclaremonthotel.com; doubles from $385. —Lila Harron Battis

The Cloudveil, Autograph Collection — Jackson, Wyoming

Conveniently perched in the historic main square, the 100-room Cloudveil captures the destination's ski-centric modern energy. Interiors are unapologetically western and inspired by nature, but hardly cliché: a 10-foot-long boulder draped with hand-stitched leather (reminiscent of a saddle) acts as the check-in desk; hallways are festooned with screens playing whimsical videos of bears frolicking in the snow; a massive stone slab running up the lobby staircase evokes the adrenaline rush of rock-climbing; and wood beams reclaimed from a 19th-century dairy barn are now mantles in the guest rooms. An outdoor pool and hot tub hum with après-ski buzz. But if that seems too busy, guests can retreat to their rooms, which have roaring fireplaces (a few have soaking tubs, too). The on-site French bistro has become one of Jackson's most sought-after reservations, and if you're hankering for a nightcap, the world-famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is directly across the street. thecloudveil.com; doubles from $749. —Chadner Navarro

The Colony Palms Hotel and Bungalows — Palm Springs, California

The Colony Palms reopened its bougainvillea-draped doors in April 2021 after undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation. It's a revival of the old Hollywood glamor that shot the hotel to stardom in the 1930s. All 41 rooms, 14 bungalows, and two grand suites got an A-list–style face-lift—and as California's interior designer to the stars, there was no better hotelier for the job than owner Steve Hermann. The lush flora that covers the grounds is mirrored in the emerald wallpaper of the rooms and the green-and-white-striped poolside cabanas and umbrellas. Sidle up to the Art Deco–inspired Colony Club bar or invite friends for a round of billiards in the ultra-luxe, 3,500-square-foot Hermann Residence, and you'll see why Frank Sinatra once called the place a favorite hangout. colonypalmshotel.com; doubles from $300. —Nina Ruggiero

Etéreo, Auberge Resorts Collection — Riviera Maya, Mexico

Etéreo is a love letter to Mayan history, sustainability and local artisans—all of which, remarkably, feels authentic rather than gimmicky. The architecture itself was conceived by Mexico City-based Migdal Arquitectos, an assemblage of bold planes made of local slab lava stone, softened with indigenous tzalam wood and copper finishes, and emerges like that of a Mayan ruin out of the sprawling mangrove forest. 75 ocean-facing, casita-style rooms are built on wooden platforms that connect to common spaces via elevated walkways and eventually lead onto nine acres of pristine white sand beaches. At once spare and warm, the indoor-outdoor aspect of the property is complemented by light stone, wood, copper, and leather, conceived by design firm Meyer Davis. Hammocks and fireside seating areas encourage hanging out and relaxing, while decorative elements incorporate the local vernacular: intricate wood lattice work by the late Mexican artist Manuel Felguérez, for instance, can be found throughout the property, in a motif that represents the Mayan belief in recurring life cycles. And in a moment when every hotel is attempting to capitalize on the wellness zeitgeist, Etereo's spa, Sana, feels like the real thing. Among its offerings are clay wraps using local herbs, sound mediation, a truly invigorating yoga practice, and ceremonies with a legit shaman. The property's five restaurants, meanwhile, all take advantage of the local bounty. You can't beat the fresh tortillas made in Itzam's wood-fired comal, and I'm still dreaming about the grouper with jalapeno and sweet corn ceviche and ribeye tacos at Che Che, the casual Japanese-Peruvian poolside restaurant. aubergeresorts.com; doubles from $1,039. —Pilar Guzman

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley

On a recent visit to Elusa Winery, operated by Napa legend Thomas Rivers Brown, I wandered five acres of vines as I sipped a 2018 Sauvignon Blanc; got a special taste of a young red in the tank room; and headed deeper into the cellars to try Elusa's excellent 2012 estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Then, I walked two minutes to my hotel room and took a nap. Even before the Four Seasons opened after years of planning, the brand knew it had to earn its keep. The resort is located on a working vineyard in Calistoga—a small community tucked into the northwestern corner of Napa County. The partnership with Elusa was a first step in courting the locals: the winery had never had an official tasting room until Four Seasons built one. Other "only-in-Napa" details include Truss Restaurant & Bar, where the California-focused menu includes silky, savory marinated gigante beans and a smoky grilled Caesar. Standout Calexican cuisine can be found poolside at Campo, helmed by Oaxaca-born chef Juan Agustin. And this being Calistoga, the sprawling Talisa Spa offers treatments with the region's famous mineral-rich mud. The 85 rooms and suites are spread across several wood-and-stone buildings that lie low between the olives and oaks. fourseasons.com; doubles from $1,395. —Hannah Walhout

Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans

New Orleans's French Quarter immediately conjures certain images for travelers: Beignets at Café du Monde, the bacchanal of Bourbon Street, bachelor and bachelorette parties roaming around in matching T-shirts. Just outside the raucous network of side streets, the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans offers an elegant respite to the action. Constructed from the former World Trade Center, the structure was unoccupied for a decade before undergoing a $500 million, three-year renovation. The results are spectacular. From the moment guests cross the threshold, a custom chandelier made of 15,000 Bohemian crystals is the first sight to catch the eye. The striking piece also looms over the Chandelier Bar, where smartly dressed locals are regularly dipping in to caviar service. In true New Orleans style, the food and beverage options are paramount. Miss River, led by chef Alon Shaya, and Chemin à la Mer, from chef Donald Link, are destination dining for the city. The hotel is also ready to fill seemingly any request—down to the Peloton bikes ready for in-room appointments. fourseasons.com; doubles from $475. —Anne Roderique-Jones

Goodtime Hotel — Miami

If anyone can take a city block in a rundown section of South Beach, transform it into a hotel, open it during a pandemic, and make it a success, it's the partners behind the Goodtime Hotel: musician and multi-hyphenate Pharrell Williams and nightclub impresario David Grutman. Last spring the duo, with designer Ken Fulk, debuted a multistory oasis that feels a world apart from gritty Washington Avenue below. Step into the lobby—it's wrapped in a mural of coconut palms and banana plants—and transition from Miami's urban jungle to a surreal one. Board the elevator (swathed in hot pink) and ascend to the third floor, where the Goodtime's sprawling pool deck has swiftly become a magnet for the in-crowd. The Mediterranean restaurant, Strawberry Moon, offers a feast for the eyes, too, with a retro palette of blue and pink, rattan and gold. Décor in the hotel's social hub, the Library, is equally playful, with teal velvet drapery and a standing lamp in the shape of a giraffe. In the 266 rooms, however, guests will note stylistic restraint, albeit peppered with some visual winks. The most striking: pink and green leopard-print robes. thegoodtimehotel.com; doubles from $135. —Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon

The Green-O — Greenough, Montana

Just as we were starting to get glamping fatigue, the folks at luxe camping pioneer the Resort at Paws Up have reinvented the trend. Its new, adults-only sister property, the Green-O (about a 40-minute drive east of Missoula, Montana), takes a refreshingly grown-up approach to the outdoors with 12 freestanding avant-garde structures designed to immerse guests in the surrounding pine trees and sagebrush. My favorite was perched 25 feet above the forest floor: a two-story, window-wrapped tree house with 180-degree wilderness views. Decks with sunken hot tubs give new meaning to the term forest bathing, while skylights and rooftop lounges encourage stargazing: an awe-inspiring experience in this region free of light pollution. Guests have little reason to leave their cabins, except for meals at the Social Haus, in the center of the resort. From the open-fire kitchen, chef Brandon Cunningham serves refined riffs on breakfast classics (Wagyu beef with fried quail egg) and nightly five-course tasting menus that feature ambitious dishes like dry-aged duck breast with sour huckleberries. Amid the silence and solitude, it's hard to believe all the action of Paws Up ranch—including wrangling cattle and riding ATVs—is just a short drive away. thegreeno.com; doubles from $2,400, all-inclusive. — Jen Murphy

Guild House Hotel — Philadelphia

Armoires and built-ins the size of bison, mullioned glass, breathtaking woodwork—it was all there, under cobwebs in the Italianate townhouse of the New Century Guild, an organization for the freethinking women of suffrage-era Philadelphia. Absorbed by this history, real-estate developer and first-time hotelier Brennan Tomasetti restored and reopened the property in September as the Guild House Hotel, where the former members and housekeeper lend their names to 12 rooms. The Eliza (Turner, the founder) unfurls throughout the former library. Her king bed tucks into an alcove wrapped by designer Kate Rohrer in sylvan wallpaper; it's like falling asleep in a soothingly gloomy forest. Spread across the second-floor auditorium, the Alice (Norton, dentist and theatrical director) features two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and her original piano. The service is invisible; don't expect a valet, a front desk, or restaurants. Do expect savvy details (French press–equipped mini-bars, sparkling water stations), sound infrastructure (feisty water pressure, ADA compliance)—which you can't take for granted in a National Historic Landmark—and the overall feeling of staying in a Gilded Age manse. That series takes place in New York, but once Philadelphia was the nexus of America. At this hotel, it still feels that way. guildhousehotel.com; doubles from $219. —Adam Erace

Heights House Hotel — Raleigh, North Carolina

In Raleigh's Boylan Heights neighborhood, Sarah and Jeff Shepherd have transformed an 1860 Italianate mansion. It is an architectural wonder: the veranda looks out on old-growth trees; the foyer rises to a stained-glass cupola; arched windows meet 15-foot ceilings and flood breakfast with sunlight; and the five guestrooms are finished in lime-washed walls and earth-toned furnishings. Four rooms in an addition have an Art Deco vibe. Guests can now reserve seats in the parlor for evening cocktails. During the in-between hours, they can peruse the curios tucked into the library's bookshelves. heightshousenc.com; doubles from $229. —Betsy Andrews

Habitas Bacalar — Quintana Roo, Mexico

Tucked away from the parties and resorts in Cancún, along the border with Belize, Habitas Bacalar is welcoming travelers to a nature-immersed getaway. The global brand's signature A-frame tents, open-air restaurant, and treatment palapas are woven through 18 acres of untamed jungle land. Mangrove trees and mineral clay banks also frame the resort along the Bacalar lagoon. Like the pristine, crystal-clear waters or the lagoon, guests flow rhythmically between nourishing food sourced from the region to wellness offerings like music sessions at sunset and yoga on the Tree Deck. The spa also offers cacao ceremonies in the shala and treatments using custom-made products from locally sourced honey, ginger, and coconut. Whether gazing at the stars in the vast night sky or learning bits of Mayan from one of the many passionate locals who work there, a visit to Habitas Bacalar provides a priceless reminder that we are all a part of something bigger than ourselves. ourhabitas.com; doubles from $340. —Alison Lancaster Beckner

Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection — Costa Rica

In the foothills of the Talamanca Mountains, amid bell-clear air, birdsong, and never-ending valley views, the latest renovated property from Auberge Resorts Collection offers an elevated take on the Costa Rican concept of pura vida, or "pure life." Hacienda AltaGracia is spread out over 180 lush acres, where guests are encouraged to build their days around interactions with nature—whether that means a session in the treetop canopy walk, mountain-biking through the jungle to a nearby waterfall, or a Pilates class in a thatched-roof palapa. There's a large, luxurious outpost of N.Y.C. spa the Well, where my husband and I tried locally inspired treatments like Maderoterapia, a massage technique that incorporates wooden tools, and slathered ourselves with Costa Rican white clay in the Casa de Agua hydrotherapy center. This is coffee country, so guests can visit local growers and take part in tastings; rooms are equipped with kettles and coffeemakers from trendy brand Fellow, along with beans picked within a five-mile radius of the hotel. Food is another big focus, with fantastically fresh ingredients from local farms and the resort's own garden being used to create a daily menu of flavorful yet healthy dishes. (We still reminisce about the Duroc-pig chuleta with smoked chile barbecue and a salad of mint, cucumber, pineapple, and lime.) Another unique selling point: the world-class riding stables, where 40 Costa Rican, Peruvian, and Iberian horses are available for guests to ride out through the rolling hills surrounding the resort. aubergeresorts.com; doubles from $1,585, all-inclusive. —Flora Stubbs

Hotel Grand Stark — Portland, Oregon

Much of Portland's architectural charm comes from its enthusiastic embrace of old buildings for new purposes. A good example is this 57-room hotel on the city's Central Eastside. Palisociety's retro-luxe style seamlessly absorbs the casual vibe of the Pacific Northwest through the original hardwood floors—century-old wonkiness intact—leading to spacious rooms outfitted in an artfully mismatched color scheme of rich, dark greens and minty blues. Inside the whitewashed, four-story 1908 brick building, window shutters, push-button phones, and Smeg fridge mini-bars add to the old-school feel, while the rain showers, soft robes, and ample USB connections at bedside serve the modern traveler. An art-filled lobby bisects the ground floor, where the Grand Stark Deli channels an atmosphere that seems to combine The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Portlandia and serves local coffee, house-made "everything" English muffins, and Pacific albacore tuna melts with aged Tillamook cheddar. palisociety.com; doubles from $126. —Naomi Tomky

Hotel Saint Vincent — New Orleans

In 1864, amid a yellow fever epidemic in New Orleans, philanthropist Margaret Haughery funded the construction of the Saint Vincent Infant Orphan Asylum. More than 150 years later, during another epidemic, another visionary woman transformed the red-brick Italianate building in the Lower Garden District into a different kind of sanctuary. At Hotel Saint Vincent, Texas hotelier Liz Lambert—who introduced the hipster-hotel concept to places like Austin's South Congress Street and Marfa—brings her signature sense of nostalgia to the Big Easy. The 75-room retreat has a Southern Gothic vibe, from the gargoyles that creep along the clock tower to Purgatory of Nuns, a series of prints by Julie Speed, which guide you up the main staircase. Most rooms have balconies and deep soaking tubs, and guests can surely find a treasure at By George, the tiny boutique, which carries things like face glitter, vintage Rolexes, and Dries Van Noten swimwear (for those late-night dips in the courtyard pool). saintvincentnola.com; doubles from $230. — Heidi Mitchell

Hutton Brickyards — Kingston, New York

An abandoned brickyard might not seem like an obvious place for a hotel, but the partners at Salt Hotels (who also run Salt House Inn in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and the Greystone in Miami Beach) saw its potential. The main draw? Seventy-three acres of prime riverfront on the Hudson, a few minutes from downtown Kingston. They also saw the value in preserving said brickyard—the last remaining one in the Hudson Valley, which once had hundreds lining the river's shores—leaving atmospheric details like a brick beach, half-sunken barges, and the remains of a brick-firing kiln. Guests stay in one of 31 chic and cozy cabins, many with sublime water views. Breakfast is delivered to your cabin, and dinner at the restaurant highlights the local bounty. Days are spent hiking the property's trails, joining yoga and meditation sessions, working out at the waterfront outdoor gym, and practicing archery. Later, relax in barrel saunas at the recently opened Salt Spa. Come cocktail hour, stick the giant "Thirsty" flag outside your door and staff will come by with a cocktail cart. This summer, the hotel will expand with additional guest rooms inside the historic mansion on a hill above the riverfront, where one of the brickyard's owners once lived. huttonbrickyards.com; doubles from $385. —Devorah Lev-Tov

The Hythe, a Luxury Collection Resort — Vail, Colorado

Vail is often synonymous with the ski conglomerate, Vail Resorts, but the Hythe reminds visitors of this area's soulful start in the 1960s. Located a short walk from the Eagle Bahn Gondola in the Bavarian-inspired Lionshead Village, the former Vail Marriott Mountain Resort was rebranded after a $40 million renovation. White marble walls have been inlaid with lighting and motifs that evoke fresh snow, and the lobby lounge—anchored by an oversize, glass-enclosed circular fireplace—serves libations curated by 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirits Co. Some skiers and hikers start après in the heated pool, then transition to Revel Lounge (many still in bathrobes) to nibble black pearl caviar and sip Hythe Highballs. Others head to the spa for a CBD massage or visit the recovery room, which is equipped with leg compression sleeves and infrared blankets. At night, Margie's Haas restaurant refuels adventurers with hearty dishes like bison poutine and venison sausage. During the day, exclusive partnerships with local pro athletes help guests discover the trails that regular visitors have fallen in love with. thehythevail.com; doubles from $699. —Jen Murphy

Inness — Accord, New York

Inness, a 220-acre resort just south of the Catskill Mountains, does many things right, but the one that impressed me most—the amenity I didn't know I needed until my husband and I arrived—was space. The complex occupies half of a former golf club, and its 28 spare cabin suites surround a dreamy expanse of wide-open fields. (Owner Taavo Somer has turned the property's remaining half into a nine-hole membership course open to hotel guests.) With its cathedral ceiling and a few simple furnishings, my room felt mind-cleansing, and over a snowy weekend I spent long hours reading on an ample linen-covered couch that faced the landscape. But other pleasures were there when we needed them. The restaurant's airy dining room finds the right balance between romantic and convivial, and every dish, from a hefty steelhead trout entrée to burrata flavored with chiles and citrus, was thoughtfully executed. In the evening, we joined fellow guests at the Farmhouse, a newly built take on a classic country manse, for board games and billiards. The ethos here may be slow and easy, but the high point of our visit came at 20 miles per hour. At the top of a steep hill, the Inness team had set out puffy snow tubes for sledding. We each grabbed one and spun down into the fields below. It might have been the most purely exhilarating thing I've done in, oh, two years. inness.co; doubles from $370. —Peter Terzian

Kaimana Beach Hotel — Honolulu

Waikiki is the island of Oahu's most popular—and crowded—tourist zone, where high-rise hotels and office buildings share space with luxury shopping centers and busy restaurants along Hawaii's most famous beach. But there's a stretch of peace and calm in the neighborhood as you enter its southern edge, near the foothills of Diamond Head (the famously recognizable extinct volcano and State Monument). Here, the visiting crowds give way to locals jogging and picnicking in the grassy expanse of Kapi'olani Park and going for morning swims at Kaimana Beach. The latter is where you'll find the 122-room Kaimana Beach Hotel: a newcomer to Waikiki's hotel scene that gave its Mid Century building a fresh, modern touch up. The common spaces have become hangouts for both guests and Honolulu residents, with a colorful, living room-like lobby—the design scheme mixes vintage prints depicting surfers, the ocean, and Diamond Head with punches of turquoise and fuchsia furnishings that mimic the tropical colors of the island. (You'll often find the hotel's general manager, Ha'aheo Zablan—one of the few hotel GM's of Native Hawaiian ancestry in the state—chatting with guests here). Hau Tree, meanwhile, is Kaimana's restaurant, where Asian-influenced dishes (ginger scallion steamed fish with mushroom congee and broccolini; miso roasted eggplant with tofu and crispy shallots) that are served against a backdrop of the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. kaimana.com; doubles from $206. —John Wogan

Kitoki Inn — Bowen Island, Canada

Tranquil, fluid, renewing. The adjectives that come to mind during a stay at Kitoki Inn might just as easily describe a Japanese ryokan, and the stylistic elements feel appropriate because this site has a similar topography. Its bathhouse and three cabins, set on three hillside acres, are linked by a stone walking path and designed in a way that seems to mimic the curve of neighboring Mount Gardner, Bowen Island's highest point. Each cabin comes with a kitchenette and a deck backed by tall Douglas firs. But the centerpiece of the inn is the bathhouse. Step through the curtain of hand-braided ropes, latch the fragrant cedar doors behind you, sink into the open-air onsen, and wash away the worries of modern life. kitoki-inn.com; doubles from $415. — Sheila Lam

The Langham — Boston

Boston's Langham hotel could be forgiven for having a certain stuffiness. Set in the straight-laced financial district of a fairly traditional city, it occupies a century-old Renaissance Revival landmark built as the local HQ of the Federal Reserve Bank. But this hotel—which debuted its two-year, reportedly $150 million redo last year—is anything but stuffy. Instead, it playfully re-spins the history of its storied setting. Subtle, cheeky references to banking abound: carpets and pillows inspired by the design of the dollar bill, nailhead details recalling coins or vault doors, and metallic accents resembling gold bars. At the Fed lobby lounge, New England classics get a kicky reboot (lobster mac & cheese, anyone?), while the drink menu features a gin, rye, and beer made exclusively for the hotel. And during the newly launched, see-and-be-seen brunch at the Italian-inflected, crystal-chandeliered, terrazzo-floored Grana, a diverse crowd sips cocktails topped by cotton candy. Among the 312 rooms and suites, Executive rooms offer extra space and access to the eighth-floor club lounge; the second floor has particularly high ceilings and large windows. Look out for the summer opening of the indoor swimming pool. langhamhotels.com; doubles from $536. —Andrew Sessa

The Loutrel — Charleston

Boutique hotels are a dime a dozen in the Holy City, but the Loutrel, a 50-room property located in the heart of Charleston's historic district, captures the intimacy and comfort of a Southern home in a modern setting. The Lowcountry influence is evident as you enter the airy lobby, which draws on the wraparound porches and manicured gardens found throughout the region. The contemporary Southern feel extends to the elegant guest rooms—which range from traditional queen rooms to the 700-square-foot Premier Suite—and serve as the perfect home base for exploring the French Quarter and beyond. The hotel is a short walk (or an even shorter ride with one of the Loutrel's complimentary bicycles) from the candy-colored houses of Rainbow Row, busy King Street, and the Battery. theloutrel.com; doubles from $299. — Elizabeth Rhodes

Marram Montauk

If you close your eyes and picture a perfect beach vacation, chances are you're thinking of somewhere like Marram Montauk. The 96-room oceanfront resort is clad in cedarwood, which seamlessly compliments the tan dunes and muted chartreuse beach grass surrounding the property. Some of my favorite summer memories flashed before me in the open-air courtyard as I approached my room: a family sitting in Adirondack chairs making smores over the beach fire pits, al fresco dining from a counter service café, a couple playing backgammon under an umbrella by the pool, and a guest running with his golden retriever on the shores of the Atlantic. The room itself felt like an elevated sea shack, and featured special touches—artwork by Sean Spellman, delicate Noguchi light sculptures, and Le Labo bath products among them. During my stay, I made a few new summer memories, the most special of which was a surfing lesson before a tranquil yoga class at sunset, and at night, falling asleep to the rhythmic sounds of waves crashing on the shore. marrammontauk.com; doubles from $239. — Scott Bay

Montage Big Sky — Montana

It's debatable who anticipated the opening of Montage Big Sky more: luxury-hotel-starved Montana skiers or members of the hotel's ultra-exclusive neighbor, the Yellowstone Club. The latter have turned Alpenglow, the main bar, into their unofficial clubhouse. The former finally has a five-star base that caters to families and fans of beginner and intermediate trails. Located within the 3,530-acre Spanish Peak enclave, the 139-room, ski-in, ski-out resort has a designated beginner's area outside its door, plus a tubing hill, ice-skating rink, and snowshoe trails. Adrenaline junkies can access Big Sky Resort's famed double-black-diamond runs via a complimentary 20-minute Cadillac shuttle to the base area. But even hard-core skiers will find themselves wishing for a down day to take advantage of the 10,000-square-foot spa or even just to soak in their room's oversize marble tubs. Live music, a serious bubbles-by-the-glass program, and made-to-order raclette have made Alpenglow the sceneiest après spot, while the house-made pasta at Cortina, the Montage's northern Italian restaurant, has locals booking weeks in advance. Winter gets the most hype, but summer is when the resort will shine thanks to an 18-hole golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf and the in-house adventure company that can arrange everything from fly-fishing float trips to wildlife safaris in Yellowstone National Park, less than an hour away. montagehotels.com; doubles from $1,395. —Jen Murphy

Palihouse Santa Barbara

The Palisociety is known for hotels that make guests feel (almost) as much a part of a city as locals. The buildings they choose are often situated on quiet residential streets, and the people you pass are more likely to be nearby home and apartment dwellers rather than tourists. This feeling is especially strong at Palihouse Santa Barbara, which occupies an attractive two-storey, Spanish-style complex in the coastal town's historic Presidio neighborhood. Surrounding either a palm-fringed courtyard—with a peacefully trickling fountain as its centerpiece—or the outdoor swimming pool are 24 guest rooms designed with the brand's characteristic flourishes: retro touches like SMEG refrigerators and rotary phones; exceedingly comfortable king beds dressed in Italian linens; vintage artwork depicting seaside scenes; bathrooms adorned with whimsical floral wallpaper; and some even come with fireplaces (a useful feature on chilly Santa Barbara evenings). A California-style breakfast (greek yogurt with orange blossom-infused honey and avocado toast, for instance) in the garden cafe is a good way to start the day—but in the evenings, if you want to venture out, the hotel is within walking distance to some of the best restaurants in town, as well as cultural sites like the newly-renovated Santa Barbara Museum of Art. palisociety.com; doubles from $379. —John Wogan

Pendry Chicago

It's become a cliché to say that a hotel's surfaces "glitter" and "gleam," but the landmark building that houses the Pendry Chicago has been dazzling the city for nearly a century. The property is lodged in the former headquarters of the Union Carbon & Carbide chemical company, built in 1929. The façade is made of silky black granite trimmed with gold leaf; the entry is a gorgeous Art Deco fantasia, with enormous framed mirrors and elaborately detailed elevator doors. I stayed in a handsome suite that occupied an enfilade of former offices embellished with vintage photographs and plush Deco-inspired furnishings, including what might be the most comfortable chair I've ever sat in. The view stretched down Michigan Avenue to Millennium Park. I arrived on the day of one of Chicago's largest parades, but the sounds barely reached my rooms, and the sense of being in an elegant cocoon extended beyond the physical trappings. From the quiet ambience of the lobby to the warm, cordial service, the Pendry offered everything I wanted from a hotel. pendry.com; doubles from $200. —Peter Terzian

Pendry Manhattan West

This hotel occupies a Skidmore, Owings & Merrill–designed tower on Manhattan's Far West Side, but once I stepped behind the façade, I felt like I had wandered into the home of a Laurel Canyon interior designer. At the first N.Y.C. location from California-based Pendry Hotels, the West Coast sensibilities are palpable: Gachot Studios, which did the interiors, cites the Light and Space movement of 1960s and 70s southern California as inspiration. The 164 rooms and suites lean heavy on both elements, with wide entryways, expanses of white oak, curvaceous furniture, and floor-to-ceiling windows. And while the killer views beckon you to hit the town, the property offers plenty of excuses to stay in: Bar Pendry, a jewel-box lobby lounge with a gilded ceiling and a massive nacre-and-gold-leaf piece by New York painter Nancy Lorenz over the bar; the Garden Room, where dishes are served among billowing tropical flora and translucent panels by Los Angeles–based light artist John Wigmore; and the hotel's restaurant, Zou Zou's, where chefs Madeline Sperling and Juliana Latif collaborate on a Middle Eastern–inflected menu in a space accented with blue and green tiles. pendry.com; doubles from $745. — Hannah Walhout

Pendry West Hollywood

Walking into the Pendry West Hollywood feels like entering a dazzling, high-end fun house, with a lobby clad in lacquered cerulean walls, black-and-white checkered floors, and a giant steel-and-glass sculpture in the shape of a prism by L.A.-based artist Anthony James as its centerpiece. The overall look is largely thanks to Martin Brudnizki, the interior architect and designer known for his wildly colorful aesthetic and theatricality (as seen in previous projects that include Annabel's, the legendary private member's club in London). The theme continues in the 149 guest rooms, where animal print chairs meet psychedelia-inspired rugs—and where the views (of either the Hollywood Hills above Sunset Boulevard on one side, or the vast expanse of L.A. on the other) offer just as much visual stimulation. While the rooftop swimming pool is definitely a scene, the real people-watching spot is the adjacent Wolfgang Puck restaurant, Merois, which serves a mash-up of Asian-inspired dishes (crab fried rice with Peking duck; Thai curry with scallops; mushroom tempura). Under a tented ceiling swagged in pink and a room dotted with potted palms, guests have seemingly the entire city before them through floor-to-ceiling windows as their evening entertainment. pendry.com; doubles from $514. —John Wogan

Piaule Catskill — New York

Over the last decade, New York's Catskill Mountains have become fertile ground for boutique hotels. Some play up the summer camp vibe with movie nights, bonfires, and tons of activities. Others, like the rigorously minimalist Piaule Catskill, invite you to do… nothing at all. On the wooded site of a former bluestone quarry, Piaule brings the outside in—its 24 one- and two-bedroom cabins are raised on stilts and have floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the impression of being perched amid the trees. A short walk away is the main house, which continues the Japanese-Scandinavian aesthetic with oak furnishings and a double-sided fireplace. Downstairs is the spa, with a steam room, cedar sauna, cold plunge pool, and small swimming pool (sound baths, yoga, and massages are also available by appointment). What is most memorable about a stay here is the sense of peace. Dining solo on the terrace one summer evening, watching the sun sink behind the mountains, you realize being here is enough. piaule.com; doubles from $449. —Elizabeth Cantrell

Post House — Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

If discovering the "real Charleston" feels ever-fleeting, start by crossing a few bridges. Across the harbor from the peninsula, Mount Pleasant's historic Old Village is a charming place for an evening stroll. The Post House has long served as the neighborhood inn, offering seven rooms for travelers seeking a quiet respite within walking distance of Shem Creek. In 2020, designer and restaurateur couple Ben and Kate Towill reopened the boutique hotel after a renovation that gave each room unique appeal, without kitschy themes or over-altering the 1896 building. On the third floor, Room 5's skylight lets you shower under the stars before relaxing with the latest issue of Surfer's Journal on a king-size Wright mattress. Below, Room 2 includes wall-to-wall windows that gaze out on the village below. Botanical wallpaper and elegant fixtures add to the refined, homey aura, but it's the first-floor restaurant that fully elevates the experience, where local fish-and-shrimp curry and buttermilk pie will tempt you to cancel the next evening's downtown reservation. theposthouseinn.com; doubles from $245. —Stratton Lawrence

Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel — Los Angeles

Leave it to illustrious designer Kelly Wearstler to make a nearly 100-year-old building—once an elite private club and later a YWCA—feel like a lush, far-flung getaway. The 147 richly textured, colorful rooms feel like sanctuaries above DTLA's busy Broadway thoroughfare. And that feeling of warmth extends to the hotel staff, who exude genuine friendliness, as well as Caldo Verde—chef Suzanne Goin's Mediterranean-inspired restaurant. But the hotel is also an expression of the neighborhood, as experienced by artwork from DTLA creatives like Abel Macias, who created a pink entry ceiling depicting Mexican flora and fauna. On the succulent-studded rooftop, the sprawl of L.A. unfurls before you, yet an unexpected serenity shrouds it, especially while floating in the sublimely warm spa pool. Some of my favorite moments were there, as I nibbled chickpea fritters and Portuguese chouriço-sausage-topped focaccia. It represented the juxtaposition of urban soul with resort-like chill that the hotel does so well. properhotel.com; doubles from $349. —Kathryn Romeyn

The Stavrand Russian River Valley — Guerneville, California

Soaking in a private cedar hot tub at the Stavrand, with the stars sparkling overhead, it's easy to feel transported. In 2021, Emily Glick restored the defunct Applewood Inn on the Russian River and opened Sonoma County's hottest boutique retreat, a 21-room property of groves, gardens, and historic buildings. Guest rooms are designed to relax visitors. Four are outfitted with cedar hot tubs. Others offer gas fireplaces and soaking tubs. Some even have a private deck or an indoor Jacuzzi. The century-old Belden House, a Mediterranean Revival mansion, makes for a perfect place to curl up by one of the two monumental stone fireplaces during a foggy NoCal morning. The building has been furnished with a tasteful blend of modern furnishings and antiques. On sunny days, take to the great outdoors—either by the pool and adjacent bar or to the river: bicycles, kayaks, paddleboards, and inner tubes are all on hand. It's also a short walk over the bridge to downtown Guerneville, a quirky enclave with plenty of dining options and bars. thestavrand.com; doubles from $327. —Betsy Andrews

Thompson Savannah

After years of stilted attempts to expand the city of Savannah eastward, a long-awaited new riverfront district, Eastern Wharf, is coming into its own. At its heart is the Thompson Savannah hotel. A few minutes' walk from the cobblestones and clamor of River Street, this elevated, spacious new addition to the Thompson portfolio (with interiors designed by Studio 11) feels a world apart from the city. In a light-filled lobby with towering ceilings, guests lounge at an inviting bar, surrounded by pop-up exhibitions curated by celebrated Savannah gallery Laney Contemporary. At the first-floor restaurant Fleeting, executive chef Rob Newton helms a menu of seasonally driven Southern cuisine. Up a grand staircase, a vast pool terrace beckons with daybeds, cabanas, and lounge chairs. And thoughtful details define the guest rooms, like the D.S. & Durga products in the massive walk-in showers and the mini-bars stocked with local IPAs. But the standout amenity is those views. Savannah is a river town, and nowhere embraces this like the Thompson, purposely set back from the water and fronted by green space. Snag a west-facing room with floor-to-ceiling windows, or head 13 stories up to Bar Julian and watch mammoth container ships from far-flung ports slide quietly past, day and night. hyatt.com; doubles from $200. —Alexandra Marvar

Turtle Bay Resort — Oahu

As the only major resort on Oahu's North Shore, it'd be easy for Turtle Bay to leave good enough alone. Instead, they opted to completely reimagine the 1,300-acre resort, from all 410 guest rooms to the food and beverage concepts, to the swimming pools and landscaping. Among the major changes include a sweeping new lobby area: the walls were replaced with windows that overlook the beach, and now include a bar and lounge, Off the Lip (with nightly live music acts) as well as Surf House—a lifestyle concept store and gallery space that showcases local Hawaii designers, plus surf gear, apparel, and accessories for sale. And to honor the island's artistic community, the resort exhibits large-scale works by Hawaii-based artists including Nick Kuchar, known for his vintage travel-inspired designs, and Abigail Romanchak, who specializes in Hawaiian printmaking. The ocean is a big draw, of course, but for those who prefer the pool, the swimming area has been redesigned in an infinity-terraced layout. The restaurant, Alaia, meanwhile, features the sustainable agriculture of the North Shore throughout its menu. turtlebayresort.com; doubles from $679. —John Wogan