Travel offers the perfect opportunity to pamper yourself with a stay at a hotel that offers something welcoming yet different from what you find at home. Some people prefer to soak up the local vibes. Others always seek out certain style elements, no matter where they travel. Often, travelers want rooms with massive windows that let them gaze out on a unique landscape, whether it’s the African savannah, a breathtaking ocean vista or a vibrant cityscape. Today’s boutique hotels also house impressive artwork. These are some of our picks for the most stylish hotels near and far.
Grand Velas Los Cabos
Los Cabos, Mexico
The AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Los Cabos in Mexico offers the next generation of all-inclusive amenities and facilities with dramatic ocean views infusing every area of the resort. Honored as the #1 luxury resort in Mexico and #8 worldwide in the 2020 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, the beachfront property features 307 ocean view suites, including six Wellness Suites. Each suite offers more than 1,180 sq. ft. with private terraces, and some include personal plunge pools.
Grand Velas Los Cabos features seven gourmet restaurants led by top chefs, including two-star Michelin chef Sidney Schutte who oversees Cocina de Autor. There, you can enjoy a creative 8- to 10-course tasting menu. Dine oceanside at Frida, where you’ll experience authentic Mexican cuisine with a twist. The perfect lunch awaits at Cabrilla, where you won’t taste any fresher ceviche anywhere.
Relax in the Spa with Water Ceremony facilities. Explore the gallery of contemporary art. Get everything you might need or want courtesy of the pool and beach concierges or the 24-hour in-suite service. Rounding out the list of amenities and services are three swimming pools, a Technogym Fitness Center with personal trainers, a recreational activities program and a 24-hour personal concierge service. If you bring the family, kids will enjoy separate Teens’ and Kids’ Club facilities. You can take some time to yourself with the hotel's Baby Concierge.
In the 2018 II World Biennial of Interior Design and Landscaping 2018-2019 Latin America Chapter, Grand Velas Los Cabos was awarded Gold Medal in the Hospitality Hotels, Resorts & Spa category for excellence in the collective work of its architecture and interior design studios.
Pavillon Faubourg Saint-Germain
Paris, France
en.Pavillon-Faubourg-Saint-Germain.com
Situated on Paris' Left Bank, the design-led Pavillon is influenced by its surroundings' rich culture and history, which served as the inspiration for local and international writers, artists and musicians for much of the 20th century. The hotel, from boutique group Chevalier Paris, features 47 rooms and suites, a tranquil spa, a bar and a new restaurant, Les Parisiens.
The Waterman
Santa Barbara, CA
Marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sbaox-the-waterman/overview/
Located in Santa Barbara’s trendy Funk Zone, The Waterman puts you within walking distance of the beach, tasting rooms, popular restaurants and trendy art. Rooms are styled with shiny mermaid wallpaper, cheeky tiger pillows and retro-inspired telephones. Amenities include a communal kitchen, pool, library lounge and community games such as ping pong and Connect 4.
Regent Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc, Vietnam
Located alongside a UNESCO-designated World Biosphere Reserve, the ultra-luxury resort on Vietnam’s tranquil Phu Quoc island reflects the country’s strong local culture and traditional architectural heritage. Among the key elements in the resort’s design are courtyards within the villas, each with a plunge pool for privacy. Each villa provides individual spaces with different experiences within the same house, inspired by the Vietnamese term Gian Nha. The resort offers a serene escape with access to six world-class restaurants and bars along with the resort’s pools and beaches.
Wildflower Farms
Hudson Valley, NY
AubergeResorts.com/wildflower-farms/
The resort, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, sits on 140 acres between the Hudson Valley and the Catskill Mountain Range. The environmentally conscious luxury resort aims to help you escape by emphasizing nature and wellness. The beauty of nature surrounds you at every corner in the heirloom gardens, farms and fields of wildflowers. Wellness offerings include Auberge Spa and outdoor activities such as hiking, tennis and an open-air gym. The resort’s culinary program and experiences include foraging, organic vegetable farming and picnics.
Cheetah Plains
Sabi Sand, South Africa
Cheetah Plains is an exclusive-use luxury villa and sustainable safari experience in South Africa’s Sabi Sand Game Reserve. The eco-luxe experience includes three private villas with four guest bush suites accommodating up to eight guests. Each villa has a formal lounge, living and dining area, an expansive swimming pool and an outdoor deck. You have a private hospitality team—an accomplished host, culinary team, spa therapist, expert field guide and tracker dedicated to your stay. Enjoy game-viewing from one of the solar-charged Land Cruiser Electric Safari vehicles.
Kimpton The Rowan Palm Springs
Palm Springs, CA
An anchor of downtown Palm Springs’ The Block, this desert retreat effortlessly blends laidback cool and rugged beauty with high style and culture. Kimpton The Rowan Palm Springs offers the city’s only rooftop pool, idyllic views of the San Jacinto Mountains and a prime downtown location. The design hotel salutes the city’s mid-century heritage and modernism roots, reinterpreted from a contemporary viewpoint. Rooms and suites boast intricately layered textures and geometric patterns in a serene color palette of blues and greens tempered with natural wood, creamy neutrals and cool white.
Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Located in the idyllic Mayakoba complex on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, the resort welcomes you to a hidden paradise, a place where style meets nature in an innovative hospitality experience. The resort’s breathtaking design reflects the native Mayan culture. Stimulating upscale experiences to entertain you, whether immersing in a lushly preserved mangrove environment, sunbathing poolside, relaxing in the Naum Wellness and Spa or unwinding on the pristine white-sand beach. The resort’s six dining options include two of Mexico’s top restaurants—beachside dining at Sotavento and a masterfully curated menu at Casa Amate.
NoMo SoHo
New York City, NY
Located in the heart of SoHo in New York City, NoMo SoHo blends nostalgic style with modern flair and captures the neighborhood’s creativity. Each room contains 10-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows that give you a stunning view of the city skyline. Dine at NoMo Kitchen, where you’ll sit in a dramatic greenhouse setting. The hotel is home to established brands, well-known artists and cultural icons, making every corner Instagram-worthy. Local artwork includes the Tunnel of Love archway at the hotel’s entrance, the Lovewall inside NoMo Kitchen and the eight-foot Seven sculpture outside.
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
New York City, NY
RitzCarlton.com/en/hotels/new-york/central-park
Live out your Carrie Bradshaw dreams at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, with rooms that offer unobstructed straight-on views of Central Park. A favorite of high-profile guests and celebrities, the hotel was redesigned in 2019, inspired by NYC's chic penthouses, filled with elements inspired by NYC history. Rooms are expansive living spaces complete with bespoke furnishings and artwork. The hotel is also home to the only La Prairie spa on the East Coast and an expansive gym with a private movement studio, complete with virtual on-demand classes.
Piaule Catskills
Catskills, NY
Piaule Catskills is set on 50 acres with 24 private hardwood cabins. Located 2.5 hours north of New York City, you’ll find yourself immersed in nature with luxuries that include floor-to-ceiling windows, bathrooms with heated stone floors and organic linens. Each private cabin floats above the ground with views of the outdoors. The resort uses seasonal organic ingredients from nearby farms in the onsite restaurant. Book a spa wellness ritual that begins with the hot pool and mineral plunge, then head to the sauna and steam room.
The Boca Raton
Boca Raton, FL
With a non-stop flight from Phoenix to Fort Lauderdale, The Boca Raton is an easy beachfront escape in Florida. Originally opened in 1926 as The Ritz-Carlton Cloister Inn, the stylish resort provides year-round escape exclusively for members of The Boca Raton Club and resort guests. Five hotels amid 200-waterfront-acres include Cloister, Yacht Club, Beach Club, Tower and Bungalows. Resort amenities include a half-mile private beach, an award-winning spa, 18-hole golf course, 32-slip full-service marina, seven swimming pools, water activities at Harborside Pool Club and wellness collaborations.
Velaa Private Island
Noonu Atoll, Maldives
Nestled within the Noonu Atoll islands in the Maldives, Velaa Private Island takes exclusivity to the next level. The beyond-luxury, exclusive boutique resort hideaway has 47 private villas, houses and residences with18 built over water. For even more privacy and exclusivity, book the Romantic Pool Residence that you can only reach by boat. The resort is complete with a fleet of yachts, a renowned spa, incredible island activities and world-class dining. Velaa Private Island is home to the largest coral restoration project in the Indian Ocean.
Hotel Californian
Santa Barbara, CA
Hotel Californian represents the ultimate in Santa Barbara luxury with a nostalgic glamour. The rooms blend Spanish Colonial Revival architecture with Moroccan influences and feature furnishings from celebrity designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard. At the Majorelle Spa, the Moroccan influence is undeniable, with touches of the blue like that of doorways, tiles and arches found in the far-off city of Marrakesh. The hotel is dramatic and bold, making it feel like a true escape for those who have come to this idyllic beach town for an escape.
The Shoals
Southold, North Fork, Long Island, NY
Escape to the quaint, tree-lined town of Southold, on the North Fork of Long Island. A new hotel, The Shoals, is situated dockside on a marina overlooking Peconic Bay and Shelter Island. The “boatel” features 20 hotel suites and 20 boat slips, making it accessible by both land and sea. Apartment-style accommodations make this a perfect option for holiday weekends and family getaways. The Shoals is partnering with a local female-owned family business, Little Ram Oyster Company, on an oyster program featuring off-site farm tours and private shucking workshops.