Best Luxury Hotels in USA
The USA, with 50 states, has something for every luxury traveller. From the metropolis of New York to the national parks of Yellowstone or Yosemite, the States can provide an urban adventure or indeed one in nature. Go surfing off the coast of California or enjoy the skate scene in Los Angeles. Head north to the Rocky Mountains and trek between stunning summits or swim beneath spectacular waterfalls.
Travel east to New York and enjoy the street food scene or retreat to the Napa Valley and enjoy world-class wine tasting. Discover the elegance of historic mansions in the south or fly over the pacific to Hawaii and stay in exclusive resorts. Whether it’s white water rafting in Colorado or sunbathing in a sandy bay in Florida, USA has something for the luxury traveller who seeks both relaxation and thrill. The accommodation options are just as varied from large hotels in the cities to smaller retreats in beautiful coastal towns. Read on to find out about our favourite places to stay.
Florida, Tampa
Le Méridien Tampa, The Courthouse
As its name reveals, this was once a Federal Courthouse (guests can stay in the ex-judges office or an ex-holding cell), but the century-old building now serves as a most unique hotel; the Four-Diamond rated property is on the National Register of Historic Places. Found Downtown, just across from the theatre, its imposing Grecian style frontage gives way to sophisticated contemporary interiors combined with original features. It has a palm tree flanked pool area, a courtroom-turned brasserie, an espresso bar, 130 bedrooms and offers a free shuttle service. Look out for Le Méridien’s 14 points of discovery while you’re here – each provides a flavour of its past life.
Florida, Tampa
The CURRENT Hotel, Autograph Collection
A coastal resort on the peninsula of the city’s bay area, The Current Hotel has a stunning contemporary rooftop bar (the tallest one in Tampa Bay), with an infinity-like outdoor pool and its own private beach. 171 bedrooms and nine suites have floor to ceiling windows to maximise the panoramic views of the ocean. Plus there are two restaurants, a curated gift shop, an in-house art gallery displaying work by local-award winning artists and a fitness centre on the ninth floor. Part of the Marriott portfolio, The Current is a four-star establishment.
Florida, Tampa
The Westshore Grand, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Tampa
If you’d like to stay somewhere surrounded by a modern Florida style, pick The Westshore Grand for your trip. Take the complimentary airport shuttle to this Tribute Portfolio Hotel — it’s found in the business district and has 325 rooms, as well as a gorgeous ninth-floor rooftop pool with sea views. Guests can fine-dine at the alfresco lounge, or grab a coffee and a light meal in the IIly Cafe. Hotel amenities include a business centre, meeting rooms, a gym, salon services, shoeshine, dry cleaning and express checkout. It’s ideal for those travelling for work but is equally well set up to delight the leisure traveller.
California, San Diego, La Jolla
The Lodge at Torrey Pines
Inspired by the Pasedenan Gamble and Blacker houses, The Lodge at Torrey Pines is family-owned and run by locals. Leather, dark woods, crisp white linens and vintage touches play heavily in the decor aesthetic. 170 rooms include mini-bars, complimentary shoeshine service and toiletries featuring the hotel’s signature scent. The lodge is found on the 18th green of the Torrey Pines South Course (once played by previous President Barack Obama). So it presents a prime location for those seeking to practice their swing in the finest of company – this year the same course hosted the US Open providing guests with grandstand views. The onsite restaurant is suitably high-end and the hotel offers delightful extras such as twice-daily guided hikes.
California, San Diego, Carmel Valley
Fairmont Grand Del Mar
An award-winning championship golf course, a Forbes Five-Star spa (with its own custom organic product line), four heated pools, tennis courts, indoor and outdoor gyms and a Michelin starred restaurant are just some of the facilities you can take advantage of when checking in here. It has 249 rooms and suites, with opulent marble bathrooms and balconies. The Spanish Mission-style property is surrounded by 400 acres of landscaped gardens and a wild coastal canyon. It’s easy to see why the Fairmont Grand del Mar was voted the #1 Luxury Hotel in California by Trip Advisor travellers.
New York State, Brooklyn
The Hoxton Williamsburg
This British boutique brand (taking its name from the trendy London district) has expanded across the pond to an equally trendy area. Once the site of a water tower factory, this nine-storey new build takes design inspiration from its industrial heritage, with interiors by Ennismore. The restaurant is built around an old carriage house, with a square brass bar and huge glass wall opening out onto an alfresco courtyard dining area. Packed with quirky features, the hotel has 175 urban chic rooms divided into categories of ‘cosy’ or ‘roomy’. The rooftop restaurant and bar has a New England feel, while a lower terrace provides lighter meals (don’t miss their lobster rolls) to a backdrop of fairy lights, comfy loungers and ping pong tables. There’s no gym, but there is access to one nearby and The Hoxton has a fleet of vintage style bikes for guests’ use.
New York State, Brooklyn
Williamsburg Hotel Brooklyn
Popular with honeymooners and those seeking a romantic getaway, this sexy hotel was designed by Michaelis Boyd, the London-based architects known for Babington House, the Groucho Club and Soho House Berlin. Art installations and additional furnishings come from the Bill Amberg Studio, providing a gritty industrial edge with accents of colour to its 147 rooms. There’s a pretty terrace area decorated by local artists, with outdoor pool, cafe-bar and black and white striped daybeds. Formal dining takes place at Seven Seeds, the dramatically decorated restaurant with an open theatre kitchen. Here you’ll find exotic dishes from the Eastern Mediterranean, Greece, Israel, Lebanon and Egypt. And be sure to take a sightseeing trip or two in one of Williamsburg Hotel’s best features, its tuk-tuk, available at no extra charge. It’s one of the best ways to sample the delights of Brooklyn.
New York State, Brooklyn
1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
This sustainable design hotel was created from upcycled materials – its furniture is made from recycled factory wood from the Coney Island boardwalk, wood from Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and Bronx-grown trees felled by Hurricane Sandy. Its 194 rooms are bright and airy, with Nespresso machines, minibars, yoga mats and artwork depicting the borough’s history. Head up to the tenth floor where you’ll find a plunge pool with views of the Manhattan skyline, or down to the basement where you can catch a movie in the hotel’s cinema. The onsite Bamford Haybarn Spa has holistic, all-natural treatments and there are two eateries: The Osprey offering hearty American dishes and Neighbors Cafe for lighter bites.
California, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
Previously named the best hotel in Los Angeles by readers of Travel + Leisure, this is the only hotel in the region to have received an AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star accolade every year since 1993. Offering an enhanced level of flexibility, check-in (and out) can be arranged at any time of the day or night as part of the brand’s Peninsula Time experience. Accommodating 195 rooms, suites and villas, it’s nestled in lush tropical gardens, with an additional rooftop garden home to a pool and dining area. The Peninsula is on Santa Monica Boulevard (an address made famous by Sheryl Crow’s song All I Wanna Do), which is a short walk to Rodeo Drive.
California, Palm Springs
Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel
Rising six floors (very high by Palm Springs standards), this artful Kimpton hotel has a rooftop pool area – which feels a little like a cruise liner – with a view of the downtown area. On arrival, guests are greeted by a double-height light-filled lobby, with huge windows and a huge macrame owl. Beyond this, there’s the orange celinged Juniper Tree restaurant, the top floor 4Saints dining room, a fireside Window Bar and a poolside High Bar. Valet parking, a house car for short journeys, free bicycle hire and use of yoga mats are all included in your stay.
California, Rancho Mirage
The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage
Stay among the gated communities of Rancho Mirage, in this Ritz-Carlton property overlooking Coachella Valley — the hotel’s Edge Steakhouse offers some of the best vistas. The hotel opened in 1988 but has been modernised many times since. It has two restaurants serving seasonal dishes, two pools surrounded by plush exclusive cabanas and a high tech fitness centre. Its spa treatments take their inspiration from the surrounding land, using indigenous botanicals within the treatments. And guests can join yoga classes or request personal training sessions. Bedrooms exude a typical Palm Springs feel, with polished dark wood, offset by light-coloured soft furnishings.
California, Los Angeles, Marina del Rey
The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey
An in-house Sisley Spa and prime waterfront setting will ensure you won’t want to leave the confines of this lavish Marina del Ray Ritz hotel. The pool – open 24 hours a day – looks out onto the wharf. For those wishing to stay active, there’s a gym and two tennis courts, with energetic kids occupied by dedicated children’s activities. The AAA Four Diamond resort contains 304 bedrooms (with the top two floors of Club Level rooms proffering the best views) and a restaurant with a trendy terrace area. The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey is just 5 miles from LAX, so ideal for a pre or post-flight stopover.