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Love is in the cool mountain air at Bolt Farm Treehouse. Overlooking Sequatchie Valley in Whitwell, Tennessee, every aspect of this whimsical adults-only resort has been designed with lovebirds and honeymooners in mind. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure kind of stay, starting with a choice of eco-friendly accommodations, which include eight honeymoon treehouses, eight luxury domes, four mirror cabins, and a brand new Arhaus Treehouse and Floating Mirror villa.

Romantic touches, such as a copper soaking tub, outdoor showers, in-room movie projectors, and a DIY pizza kit, only add to the romantic allure here. Earlier this year, Bolt Farm introduced a spacious cliffside couples spa and wellness complete with cascading hot spring pools, a mirrored sauna, an elevated steam room, and a cold plunge overlooking the Sequatchie Valley. There’s plenty of room to roam off campus—if you can manage to tear yourself away, that is. Hiking trails, canoe trips, train rides on the Tennessee Valley Railroad, and even tandem paragliding flights across the valley are a fun way to create everlasting memories. Best of all, Bolt Farm Treehouse has partnered with the local nonprofit One Tree Planted, and for every reservation, a tree will be planted, contributing to local reforestation efforts and sustainability in Appalachia.

Detouring from Spanish Mission-style architecture with its seven black-and-white modern-farmhouse-type buildings,  this two-year-old, 26-room hotel is L’Auberge Carmel’s stylish little sister. Guest rooms and common spaces designed by Carol Padham and Phyllis Martin-Vegue flaunt a boho-chic vibe with blue, silver, and cream hues, paired with furnishings born out of natural fibers and rustic woods. The baths are pure sanctuaries, featuring Victoria + Albert free-standing tubs.

At wine hour in the courtyard, plop into Adirondack chairs in front of a crackling fire, where the vibe is more Nantucket than Northern California, meaning you feel like you’re at a beach-house compound, not a hotel. Anchored by a vaulted ceiling and floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, the lobby’s healthy-but-decadent breakfast includes edible flowers atop chia pudding or a Victoria sponge cake with fresh strawberries, and evening cocktails, too. Another wow factor: this hotel is Carmel’s closest to the Pacific Ocean (or “100 steps,” as the hotel likes to say). Spa Adeline’s Body Bliss Experience riffs on that by exfoliating with sea salt culled from that same body of water. To venture beyond the property (downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea is a mile away), simply borrow a beach cruiser.

Tucked away in a remote canyon of the Sonoran Desert hides Castle Hot Springs, a 1,100-acre private oasis about an hour outside of Phoenix. It opened as Arizona’s first wellness resort in 1896 and remains one of the top all-inclusive luxury wellness resorts in the state today. With natural, mineral-rich hot springs at its centerpiece, the resort offers guests the opportunity to soak in the healing waters and experience the tranquility of the Southwest. Experience the healing benefits of a hot springs soak, through a connecting with water tour or relaxing Watsu therapy session, or indulge in a spa treatment. Mindfulness extends further with a vast menu of intentional wellness offerings from daily yoga, sound bath meditation, energy therapy, and more. For guests seeking adventure, canyoneering, an aerial Via Ferrata, and UTV tours are some of the thrilling activities available.

With only 31 individual accommodations, charmingly rustic cottages and lodges, guests are treated to a serene getaway. Each features a private deck or patio, along with an outdoor soaking tub that draws water from the nearby hot springs. Using ingredients sourced from the onsite 3-acre farm, an elevated farm-to-table dining experience awaits at Harvest and Bar 1896, where the culinary team creates seasonal magic.

For an escape that feels worlds away, check into Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge, set along the Bedwell River on Vancouver Island’s rugged west coast. Accessible only by a 45-minute seaplane flight from Vancouver or a 35-minute boat ride from Tofino, this remote retreat has been welcoming travelers since 2000 and operates seasonally from May through September. In 2024, it was awarded Three Michelin Keys—one of only two properties in Canada to receive the distinction.

The lodge is situated within the UNESCO-designated Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve, and its accommodations offer a high-end spin on glamping: 25 white canvas tents, either scattered along the riverbank or tucked into the temperate rainforest, are connected by a wooden boardwalk. Each tent features a private deck and a propane fireplace, and twenty have en-suite bathrooms with heated floors. Some even include outdoor cedar showers for a touch of rustic indulgence.

Days here are built around adventure—horseback riding, canyoning, rock climbing, heli-hiking, or setting out by zodiac in search of whales. For a taste of the region, the Cookhouse serves three daily meals, including a multi-course dinner each evening that highlights hyperlocal ingredients from Vancouver Island and across British Columbia.

New Orleans is a town famous for historic preservation and incredible architecture. The Columns is its shining beacon of bygone charm.

The gorgeous, white Italianate mansion is the work of famed architect Thomas Sully, who designed it at the behest of a wealthy tobacco merchant in 1883. It was first converted to a hotel in 1953, but experienced highs and lows over the decades. Hotelier Jayson Seidman purchased the property in 2019, embarking on a painstaking revival, which has led to one of the nation’s grandest, old-world, beautiful hotels.

Step right off the streetcar track, beneath dripping Spanish Moss and century-old live oak trees, through the tall, wrought iron gates, and gaze upon deep-set, double porches. Inside, rich textiles, vintage mirrors, crumbling plaster, sparkling chandeliers, and shiny wood floors extend across multiple parlors, a coffee shop, a saloon-styled barroom, and private dining spaces.

The 20 rooms, up a wide, carved-wood staircase surrounded by stained glass, feature trappings of yesteryear, like massive four-post beds, claw-foot tubs, rattan shutters, brass sconces, vintage art, and elaborate plasterwork. Last year, a quirky fashion boutique pop-up called The Closet was added to the parlor, selling and renting the couture collections of Margaret Sche––vintage headpieces to floor-scraping, feather-cuff caftans.

Few hotels command presence like Le Château Frontenac, a fairytale fortress rising high above the St. Lawrence River. Its copper turrets and granite towers are instantly recognizable–it’s allegedly the most photographed hotel in the world.

But when stepping inside this ornate 1893-constructed palace, you’ll feel less like a tourist wandering a museum, and more like grand nobility arriving home. 

Because for all its opulence, the Château is never stuck-up. It’s Canadian, after all, so innate kindness and courtesy shine throughout. There’s warmth in the staff’s easy grace–in the sense that this castle, despite its grandeur, belongs to everyone who walks through its doors. It remains, simply and unquestionably, the beating heart of Québec City.

New York City’s Gilded Age history lingers through mansions repurposed into museums, headquarters, or hotels. The latest reminder is The Fifth Avenue Hotel in Manhattan’s NoMad district.

Opened in October 2023, after a decade-long renovation, this property was once a home and carriage house built for socialite Charlotte Goodridge, and later converted into a bank by McKim, Mead & White. The 153-room luxe hotel bridges Old New York opulence with modern luxury. Butler service is available across all room categories. Feel like a Vanderbilt while in the original Mansion, containing suites adorned with Murano glass chandeliers and marble bathrooms. Or choose The Tower, a 24-story glass addition extending to rooms and suites. Select suites feature private terraces, including The Flaneur Suite penthouse, which overlooks the city skyline.

F&B selections reflect today’s high society. Café Carmellini’s Italian-French cuisine with a New York twist is served in a grand main dining room featuring neoclassical architecture, two grand sculptural trees, and Juliet balcony seating. Behind the Curtain is a reservation-only private bar for two; The Portrait Bar is a popular hotspot. The Cellar, an underground speakeasy, is complemented by The Vault, a private family-style dining room with complete access to the hotel’s extensive wine collection.

Call me a jaded New Yorker, but when yet another business—be it a hotel, boutique, or restaurant—claims to channel Parisian chic, it can be an eye-roll-inducing claim. Too many New York businesses attempt to bring those coveted French vibes to the city, only to get lost amidst a sea of Paris-inspired bistros, bakeries, and other similar establishments. So, when Fouquet’s opened in 2022 with claims of bringing Parisian chic elegance to New York, there was skepticism; that is, until they opened their doors.

If a hotel and Ladurée bakery had a love child, it would resemble something like Fouquet’s: a five-star luxury hotel that looks like an Art Deco jewel box. Found on a quiet, cobbled street down in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood, Fouquet’s was designed by Martin Brudnizki (who worked on such notable hotels as The Surrey and The Beekman in New York).

Unlike so many other New York City hotels, Fouquet’s is not afraid to use color and texture throughout its design. Think bright pastels, such as those found in a Ladurée macaron display case—baby pinks and mint greens—contrasted with lush velvet textures and pops of crimson, deep blue, gold, and more. The effect is one that does feel decidedly Parisian and chic, especially when you consider the hotel amenities that it offers, including a classic French brasserie, the luxury Spa Diane Barrière, an indoor pool in partnership with Biologique Recherche, a glamorous cinema where the movie seats are replaced with gold velvet loungers, and the cocktail-speakeasy Titsou Bar. 

As you pull up to The Georgian, a turquoise and gold 84-room art deco fixture of the Ocean Avenue blufftop since 1933 (lovingly restored in 2023), you’ll hand your bags to the uniformed bellhop (complete with pillbox hat), pass under a striped awning, and over the starburst centerpiece of the foyer floor. Here, take in a feathered lamp, a jewel box of a lobby bar, a cupboard of tasseled keys, and eclectic tchotchkes, including ceramic birds. It feels like you’re on the set of a Wes Anderson film, half expecting to see Bill Murray restocking the saltwater taffy dish or pouring Sunday tea.

Linger in the library, gallery, or over martinis and dry-aged tomahawks during a live jazz jam in The Georgian Room. Listen to messages on the vintage phone closely enough to catch clues to hidden prizes. Walk to the iconic pier. But leave plenty of time to relax in your boutique bedroom upstairs. Upgrade to an ocean view at the very least. But know that suites—with their record players, Alo yoga mats, streaming workouts, and a panel of buttons to call for Champagne or dessert—are where it’s at.

Some hotels add restaurants as an afterthought. The Global Ambassador, part of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Legend collection and developed in part by restaurant impresario Sam Fox, seems to instead have been a hotel built around utterly sublime eateries. There’s the bistro-style Le Âme for naturally-lit breakfasts (try the skin-enhancing collagen smoothie with blue spirulina), and intimate, clubby dinners; the Latin-inspired, poolside Pink Dolphin; and the make-an-evening-of-it Théa, an indoor-outdoor Mediterranean rooftop with wraparound valley views where guests might start the night with spritzes by the outdoor fireplace and end with a selection of mezzes as the city lights begin to sparkle up the hillsides. Even the Lobby Bar thrums with local sundowner energy, spilling outdoors onto the patio.

If it’s hard to imagine this is Phoenix, that’s because it’s designed that way. In a city that has built sprawling resort playgrounds in Southwest Chic style on autopilot, The Global Ambassador’s chic urban destination ethos seems to signify a city that is less provincial and more outward-looking. Homey guest rooms could easily fit a Mid-Atlantic seaside resort or a golf retreat, with international touches ranging from Byredo Bal d’Afrique bath amenities to luxury Matouk linens. All that luxe conspired to earn the hotel a Fodor’s Finest award last year–the very year of its opening.

Spanning two acres adjacent to Forsyth Park, the city’s oldest and largest public park, Hotel Bardo is deeply connected to Savannah’s natural beauty and history. It characterizes itself as a combination of an urban resort and a community clubhouse, intricately weaving these elements into a coastal sanctuary situated in the heart of Savannah’s Victorian District.

The charm continues into 149 inviting guest rooms and suites, with 20 of them offering beautiful views of the pool along with private patios or balconies. All feature soothing pastel colors, stylish modern wood furnishings, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a mini bar stocked with national and local spirits.

Hotel Bardo offers a diverse array of activities to ensure every guest’s stay is truly memorable. Whether it’s a relaxing bike ride through the neighborhood, a game of pickleball with professionals, a leisurely day by the pool, or a watercolor class in the courtyard that celebrates the beautiful architecture, you won’t be bored. Later on, the sultry Green Lobby Bar at Hotel Bardo beckons with seasonal and classic cocktails, and creative Italian fare awaits at the hotel’s restaurant Saint Bibiana.

The soft lighting, lush plants, and mid-19th-century building make stepping into Hotel Saint Vincent feel like entering a chill retreat somewhere far away, even though it’s not far from the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter. The hotel’s 75 rooms burst with colorful upholstery and wallpaper in shades of red, orange, and purple. Each room feels distinct, thanks to layouts shaped by the building’s historic architecture. The palm tree-lined courtyard features a small pool, bar, and outdoor dining area, where live music often fills the space, making it come alive after dark.

Two restaurants on site, Saint Lorenzo, which is a New Orleans spin on Italian cuisine with dishes like Gulf fish piccata, linguine vongole, and confit cherry tomato-topped burrata, and the more casual Elizabeth Street Cafe, an Austin import that’s Vietnamese with bánh mì, pho, and spring rolls, are worth checking out. By George, the gift shop isn’t to be missed, even just to browse. It features designers such as Dries van Noten and Loewe, as well as a variety of apothecary products and other home gifts.

There are a lot of places to stay in Chicago, but if you’re looking for a place that offers the best views of the city while standing in the heart of downtown Chicago, then you’d be hard-pressed to do better than The Langham, Chicago. Found on North Wabash Avenue, just minutes from the Loop, Millennium Park, Navy Pier, and the Magnificent Mile, The Langham rests in what was once the IBM Building, occupying the first 13 floors of the 52-story building.

With over 300 guestrooms, this luxury hotel offers guests unbeatable views of the Chicago River, skyline, and Lake Michigan, showcased through floor-to-ceiling windows. Guest rooms at all price points prove surprisingly spacious when compared to other stays in downtown Chicago, while the in-room amenities provide everything you could want, plus some extra touches, such as a dressing table with a light-up mirror and a walk-in wardrobe.

Outside the room, the hotel continues to impress with bespoke amenities, including Travelle (a luxury lounge and high-end eatery serving fantastic seasonal fare), the Chuan Spa & Health Club, an indoor pool, a fully equipped fitness center, and the Langham Club. The latter, located on the 12th floor, is as much a space for guests to relax as it is a space for them to enjoy a curated selection of all-day refreshments (including wine), snacks, a continental breakfast, afternoon tea, and cocktails and hors d’oeuvres come the evening. But, like so much of The Langham, Chicago, the main draw of the club is its views of the streets below, extending all the way toward the bright blue waters of Lake Michigan.

While The Langham, Chicago does feel like a hotel geared towards high-end business travelers, it would be a mistake to assume the hotel feels corporate as a result. What sets The Langham, Chicago apart from other business traveler-friendly hotels is that it manages to sustain an elegant and luxurious touch while also offering all the expected amenities needed for the business traveler set.

When Studio Shamshiri reimagined this 1908 former City Hall annex, and the hotel opened as the Maison de la Luz in 2019, it was a testament to the design studio’s aim of juxtaposing “grandeur and languor.” Recently, the property was sold; it reopened as Maison Metier in 2024. The exquisite, original design remains, and no decision has ever been more appreciated by a city absolutely in love with a vibe.

The hotel’s interiors evoke a grand, Southern residence. That is, if that residence was, perhaps, owned by filmmaker Wes Anderson. Original, ebony-iron staircases welcome you, as you cross black-and-white marble floors, over Persian rugs, beneath massive, Art Deco chandeliers. Check-in features a vaudeville theater ticket booth styling, with its backdrop of key hooks and dangling tassels. The 67 rooms and suites above are soundproofed, allowing one to focus on commissioned art, soaking tubs, Moroccan tile, silver snake accents, and rugs so plush that the fluffy slippers feel like overkill.

The main floor hosts ample gathering space, from the arty lounge’s velvet sofas and honor bar, to the Parisian-blue breakfast room, with its pinstripe ceiling reminiscent of a circus tent. The main bar, Salon Salon, is accessed through a guest-only cocktail parlor, via a hidden bookcase door.

While the design certainly impresses, it’s the staff’s seamless ballet of genuine hospitality that makes this one truly shine brightest.

The Maker is as boutique as it gets. With just 11 rooms, each with its own unique theme ranging from classic Hollywood to 1920s Paris to mid-century modern, the hotel is intimate yet stylish and full of personality. It opened in 2020, founded by Fresh Beauty brand founders Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg, who had the idea to create an immersive property to showcase and expand their Maker fragrance collection. It occupies three historic buildings right in the heart of Hudson on Warren Street. The rooms and common spaces are decorated with dark colors, lush fabrics, and art and books line the walls, giving it a steeped-in-history feel.

In warmer months, the outdoor pool is a secret sanctuary. Although Hudson has a fantastic dining scene, you won’t need to leave the hotel if you aren’t in the mood. The on-site restaurant is Italian, with an Upstate New York twist, featuring local ingredients. The lounge is an intimate jewel box with the most artful craft cocktails in town, inspired by the hotelier’s fragrances. Notes like rose or lemongrass from the drink match notes from the scent.

Encompassing two city blocks on a prominent corner of Coconut Grove, The Mayfair House Hotel & Gardens building debuted in 1985 as a hotel. The iconic building, designed by architect Kenneth Treister, fell on hard times but was revived in 2022. His original structure and style were retained, with the new owners preserving the famous, open-air atrium design. The hotel’s interior and exterior gardens feature thousands of plants, ranging from towering palm trees to spooling ferns and the iconic monstera, which seem to crawl across every stone surface.

Ninety-five percent of the 179 rooms at this pet-friendly hotel feature private outdoor spaces––even outdoor showers––and inside each, there’s a colorful, careful Mid-Century vibe. It extends in moments like antique typewriters beside curated bar carts of tinctures and tonics, and carved-wood headboards against deeply saturated jewel tones.

One doesn’t need to leave to be entertained. The rooftop pool features a tiki outpost called Sipsip Rum Bar, decorated in a mural by Bahamian artist Angelika Wallace-Whitfield, and Mayfair’s state-of-the-art fitness center spans 1,000 square feet. On the main level, at Mayfair Grill, Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli celebrates his home country of Argentina via creative, impactful plates.

Walking into The Parker feels a little like stepping through the looking glass—if Alice were a Palm Springs mod-bohemian with a penchant for spiked lemonade and poolside indulgences. Still, all the childlike wonderment is there: the oohs and ahhs, the madcap playfulness, the maximalist explosion. 

Jonathan Adler’s kaleidoscope of whimsy and unapologetic indulgence deserves all the love and praise it’s gotten for two decades (not to mention myriad Instagram moments snapped in front of the Parker’s iconic entryway). 

Push through the monumental orange doors, and enter a labyrinthine garden party. Around each corner, another vignette plays out: croquet lawns, hammocks strung beneath citrus trees, firepits glowing in breezy desert nights. 

There’s not a bad room in the house–and there are many, many rooms. All category types are curated to perfection with classic mid-century modern aesthetics, punched up by Adler’s psychedelia. 

Three restaurants on-site mean it’s quite possible to spend long weekends entirely on the property. Norma’s is ideal for brunch, and Counter Reformation is a perfect dinner locale. But the real star, always and forever, is Mister Parker’s, a 1970s den of extravagance with dark corner booths and grub that’s pants-tighteningly delicious. Service at all three eateries is always top-notch, as it is throughout the resort complex.

Alice had to wake up and hightail it from Wonderland, and you’ll unfortunately have to do the same at the Parker–and just like Alice, you’ll wonder if your time there was all some sort of curiously wonderful dream.

 This luxurious-feeling, hip boutique hotel in Denver’s trendy River North district hosts 50 rooms and a whole lot of character. Immediately upon walking through the sturdy, traditional wooden front doors of this historic building, guests are met with breathtaking upscale design details. Vaulted ceilings, tall windows adorned with rich, velvety, dark blue curtains, elegant furniture, twinkling chandeliers, and exposed brick facades give the space a sense of approachable affluence. The Ramble Hotel’s interior decor is said to have been inspired by the French Salons of Madame Rambouillet in the 17th century, which encouraged the sharing of ideas among community members (or, in modern times, visitors and locals mingling together to enjoy an evening out).

Other noteworthy details: charming metal keys, collaborations with Denver-based artists, an in-room mini-bar containing a selection of top liquors and authentic mixology tools (with the recipes for many popular cocktails), and access to the world-renowned, award-winning on-site cocktail outpost Death & Co. (hotel guests get priority reservations). When hunger strikes, place an order with popular Denver sushi restaurant Uchi via your room’s iPad—order The Ramble Roll, wagyu beef tartare, avocado, fried shallots, and aged tamari, available exclusively to overnight guests of the hotel.

The meticulously designed, 11-room Six Bells Countryside Inn exists both in reality and in Barrow’s Green, a fictional town created by entrepreneur and cultural icon Audrey Gelman. (Yes, she founded The Wing and reportedly inspired the character of Marnie from Girls.) Indeed, walking into the three-story Hudson Valley hotel feels like entering a whimsical world with perfectly mismatched wallpaper, hand-painted murals, playful textiles, and dreamy box beds. Each room fits into her intricately detailed story: The Ribbon is inspired by the “annual Barrow’s Green ritual where wells and other water sources are decorated with flowers,” while Scrubett’s Ledge, a two-bedroom suite, “is shrouded in mystery” and “inspired by sightings of smugglers.”

If you can tear yourself away from your writing desk or plush bed, the downstairs Feathers tavern offers deliciously curated, locally-sourced cuisine and cocktails. (The $19 Porch Swing with bourbon, spearmint, berries, and simple syrup is not to be missed.) And those who can’t bear to leave Six Bells behind can purchase the inn’s wares, from a Tyrolean Accent Chair ($595) to a Square Scalloped Cutting Board ($95), at the gift shop. Real luxury, after all, isn’t make-believe.

Surrounded by otherworldly red-rock landscapes in a serene desert setting, ULUM Moab takes glamping to a whole new level thanks to upscale accommodations and amenities. Safari-style suite tents boast electricity, wood-burning stoves, evaporative cooling units, king-size beds, lounge areas with queen-size sofa sleepers, and en suite bathrooms with rain showers and flushing toilets. Extra touches, such as Pendleton blankets, Turkish cotton robes, and Aesop toiletries, ensure a cozy and comfortable stay. Each tent has a private deck, too—an ideal perch to watch the sunrise with a cup of coffee or stargaze with a glass of wine.

At ULUM’s full-service restaurant, sip a latte or smoothie, load up on grab-and-go snacks or make your own trail mix, and dine on Southwest-inspired cuisine, including gluten-free and vegetarian options. After a day of exploring Arches or Canyonlands National Parks (both less than an hour’s drive away), unwind with a dip in one of the resort’s three outdoor pools, including a cold and a hot plunge, or enjoy cocktails, s’mores, and live music at sunset on the communal terraced patio. In addition to a host of local excursions, ULUM can help you arrange, on-site, myriad activities await: yoga, sound baths, tea blending, soap making, guided nature walks, paint nights, and more.

A two-and-a-half-hour drive outside Manhattan reveals another world entirely: a remote wilderness where you’ll find the 5-star Urban Cowboy hotel. Recognized on last year’s Fodor’s Finest Hotel Awards list, Urban Cowboy has made some exciting updates in the past year that merit taking another look at this beautiful property.

Sitting on a sprawling 68 acres of land, the vibe of Urban Cowboy feels perfectly encapsulated by its name: it’s a retreat for urbanites that feels like a ranch to cosplay your cowboy fantasies. The decor is what one imagines when a hip Brooklynite relocates upstate and begins collecting antiques. In other words, it’s a perfect blend of cool and country chic that isn’t afraid to use bright colors, bold patterns, and the occasional antler display. Spread across five separate buildings, each of the rooms is uniquely designed—from cozy cabin king rooms to six-bedroom suites to bathing suites with your choice of either an outdoor soaking tub or an indoor clawfoot tub.

After purchasing the Slide Mountain Inn next door, Urban Cowboy has since expanded both its accommodations and amenities. The newly refurbished hotel now offers 44 rooms, including two houses that come equipped with a full kitchen and four bedrooms (perfect for family getaways). Beyond the rooms, what makes Urban Cowboy such a fantastic retreat is that it feels less like a hotel and more like a cool adult summer camp, largely thanks to its programming. Be it Martini Monday, Saturday morning yoga, evening Bingo games, the outdoor sauna, or the many hiking trails to explore—you never have to leave the property. With the new renovations and expansion, this rings even truer, thanks to the hotel introducing a new pool, a bowling alley, tennis courts, an arcade, and shuffleboard.