Best Luxury Hotels in USA

Dating back to the Gilded Age, this was once the private home of wealthy cotton merchant Francis Silas Rodgers and his 14-strong family (plus 24 servants). Built in the Second Empire style by architect Daniel G. Waynes, it has a rooftop cupola and spans 24,000-square-feet over four floors. Now a boutique hotel, it has 50 bedrooms, some of which have hot tubs for two and library nooks. Original features — including pocket doors with 19th century brass hardware, 14-foot ceilings, Tiffany windows, hand-carved moulding and marble fireplaces — are everywhere making it a veritable sweetie shop for fans of period residences. The stables have been repurposed as a luxe spa and the carriage house as a restaurant.

The Charleston-based Bennett family are behind this grande dame, a hotel reflecting Charleston’s elegant and graceful nature. Hotel Bennett opened in 2019, but was in the planning for over a decade prior. Refined and plush, it has 179 bedrooms, the Fiat Lux rooftop bar and the Art Deco-inspired Camellias bar, the two-tiered Gabrielle restaurant focussing on the coast’s seafood and La Pâtisserie, paying homage to the city’s European connections. A chic rooftop pool has sea views, plus there’s a spa and a concierge to help with anything you need during your stay.

This mid-century modernist construction overlooking Marion Square was once the L. Mendel Rivers Federal Building, first commissioned by President Kennedy back in the 1960s. It became The Dewberry in 2016, forming 154 ADA compliant bedrooms and suites. Each boasts custom-designed Stickley armoires with the hotel brand’s own botanical pattern, works by Charleston-based artists, a curated selection of books, lighting from the local Urban Electric Co. and bathrooms wrapped in Danby, Vermont marble. A lobby, spa, Living Room, Citrus rooftop bar and Henrietta’s brasserie restaurant, make up the public spaces.

Stay in the Uptown’s Third Ward, at the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel. This is a brand known for its commitment to pet-friendliness and wellness (rooms have yoga mats and treats for four-legged guests). Guests can take advantage of loaner bikes, custom-designed Micro Kickboard scooters and complimentary evening wine receptions; dine at Angeline’s modern American restaurant; drink and order small plates in Merchant & Trade (the rooftop terrace on the 19th floor); and meditate at sunrise on the deck. In winter you can book your own igloo for a romantic tete a tete under the Carolina stars.

This was The Ritz-Carlton group’s first LEED Gold-certified property worldwide, and the first hotel to receive the accolade in the Charlotte area, making it a good option for the eco-conscious traveller. The property is located in the salubrious Uptown, accommodating guests in 146 bedrooms over 18 storeys. A penthouse spa and wellness centre occupies two floors and there’s a newly launched in-house gift boutique, Hidden Treasures. For drinking and dining guests can frequent the Urban Sip wine and scotch bar, the Bar Cocoa dessert dining and retail experience and the Cocoa Lab dessert cooking school (the chocoholic’s dream), as well as a street-side BLT Steak restaurant.

Home to one of Carolinas’ largest whiskey collections, The Ballantyne is a resort-style hotel with a breathtaking Gone with the Wind wide staircase and its own art gallery. Try a signature treatment, such as the Carolina Lavender massage, at the in-house spa which is considered to be one of the best in Charlotte. You can swim indoors here, or outdoors, surrounded by glamorous loungers and beside the pool bar (which also serves food). Further dining options are the Gallery Restaurant (with golf course views and an alfresco terrace) and The Ryal. 244 bedrooms have deep-soaking baths, 55-inch TVs and designer toiletries.

This Argentinian-inspired hotel features bold and eclectic custom furnishings and original artwork. Each bedroom offers Starbucks Coffee, a JBL Bluetooth Speaker, a soaking tub and a portable steamer to tackle travel-creased clothing. Búho Bar is the indoor/outdoor lounge on the 16th floor with weekly live music; Mico is the lavish restaurant serving Argentine cuisine in Art-Deco-influenced surroundings; and Poseidon is the hotel’s spa, harnessing the healing power of water. Additionally, there’s a Starbucks coffee shop, the exclusive use Monito dining room and a Bohemian Garden for some alfresco relaxation with stunning views over Charlotte.

While still in its infancy, Posada del Angel was visited by the likes of Bill Clinton during his Presidency. But on first sight you may be surprised to learn it’s fewer than three decades old; with much patina, terracotta tiles, stone walls and a pretty pillared central courtyard bursting with blooms, it resembles a heritage building, blending well into Antigua’s cobbled streets and colonial-era properties. This was the UNESCO-listed city’s first-ever boutique hotel, with a long narrow outdoor pool, a plushly decorated outdoor terrace with far-reaching volcano views, a breakfast dining room with an open fire and just seven individualised suites.

Taking inspiration from nearby Mexico, this hotel features plazas with fountains, colonial–style terracotta-coloured architecture, casita suites and restaurants including La Hacienda and Toro, by chef Richard Sandoval. Its 65 landscaped acres accommodates two 18-hole championship golf courses (one of which hosts an annual PGA tournament), six pools with waterslides, a man-made beach and an innovative spa. 750 bedrooms boast benefits such as private terraces and wet bars, and, as the resort is so large, you can get a lift to and from the public areas on one of the Fairmont’s golf buggies.

Formerly the Cottonwood Suites, this property has been operating as the Andaz Resort (part of the Hyatt Group) since 2014. Its 185 bungalows and suites sit within 23 acres of land in the shadow of Camelback Mountain. The design here blends a midcentury vibe, with a modern arty feel. Onsite are three pools, one of which is within the Palo Verde Spa & Apothecary, where guests can also indulge in treatments — indoors or out. Areas of the grounds are strung with twinkling lights, planted with giant cacti and punctuated with glowing uber-modern outdoor fires. Guests at the Andaz dine beside the open kitchen in a funky restaurant.

Spa lovers will find they’re never far from a quality wellness resort in Phoenix. And one such, is the JW Marriott Desert Ridge, Arizona’s largest hotel. It has 950 guestrooms, including 81 suites, and occupies 316 acres of the Sonoran Desert, on the perimeter with Scottsdale. The AAA Four-Diamond and Forbes Recommended award-winning property has superb views of the McDowell Mountains. Its many amenities include five restaurants and a lounge, large meeting spaces, a spa, tennis courts, a lake with inbuilt fountains and bridges over, a golf course and five freeform, lap and river-style outdoor pools.

The lakefront setting of the AC by Marriott make this a good one for those wanting a room with a serene view. Many of the bedrooms are pet-friendly (up to two furry friends are permitted per bedroom) and have balconies to enjoy some alfresco time away from the throng. A daily US-style breakfast is served at AC Kitchen, with AC Lounge catering for evening meals in the form of tapas, and cocktails. The rooftop pool has the best views of all and you can look out onto the downtown skyline during your workout in the fitness centre.