For centuries world hotels competed for sophisticated travelers by offering the most luxurious, comfortable, and unique features. Some of them still stand out by the extraordinary architecture that made them historic landmarks and national heritage buildings.
The Willard
Only two blocks from the White House, The Willard InterContinental Washington is Washington’s gathering place, where from the 1850s the world’s elite, politicians, bankers, industrialists, and socialites would meet and exchange ideas in one of the hotel’s famous restaurants or the even more famous Round Robin Bar.
This beautiful luxurious and sophisticated beaux arts hotel was designed by renowned hotel architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh.
It has 12 floors of pure opulence, with elegantly decorated rooms with courtyard views and many classic details but with all the latest modern amenities such as flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, desks, and minibars.
Suites also have dining and living rooms. The hotel lounge serves a very popular high tea, and the gourmet restaurant serves seasonal international cuisine. The Round Robin Bar is still a popular gathering place for local power brokers and tourists alike.
The Willard, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave Nw, Washington, DC 20004, Tel. 202-628-9100
Arizona Biltmore
Built in 1929 on 39 acres about 8 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona Biltmore is a luxury resort known as the Jewel of the Desert.
This landmark legendary hotel has an illustrious past, with an architectural imprint by the famous Frank Lloyd Wright, a colorful history, and a guest list that includes royalties, presidents, and movie stars.
The luxurious and elegant hotel has spacious, modern rooms and suites with art deco lighting, mission-style furnishings, free Wi-Fi, HD TVs, balconies, wet bars, fireplaces, and kitchens.
There are eight pools, a swim-up bar, a waterslide, seven tennis courts, two golf courses, and five restaurants. It is surrounded by a lush garden and stunning mountains.
Arizona Biltmore, 2400 E Missouri Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85016, Tel. 602-955-6600,
MADE Hotel
MADE Hotel is a trendy new hotel in Manhattan's NoMad district, opened to the public in the fall of 2017 by The Devli Group.
The hotel is located within minutes from major New York City landmarks such as Herald Square and Madison Square Park, offering 108 charming guest rooms and suites with design elements by Los Angeles design firm Studio MAI.
Floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of the Empire State Building, with amenities included such as Sapira mattresses, smart radios, flat screen televisions, and free wireless internet.
Restaurants on site include the all-day Paper Coffee cafe and the Good Behavior rooftop lounge, which serves up tiki drinks and highlights live music performances and DJ sets.
MADE Hotel, 44 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001, Phone: 212-213-4429
The Stanley Hotel
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park was built in 1909 by Freelan Oscar Stanley to provide accommodation to the American upper class enjoying the beauty of the surrounding mountains. The hotel is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and 5 miles from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. In its long history, the beautiful 142-room colonial revival hotel has hosted a number of famous guests and has developed a reputation for drama and strange paranormal happenings, and it played a major role in the Stephen King novel The Shining.
The hotel is spread over a 60-acre campus and offers a variety of different accommodations that range from historic rooms to bed and breakfast style lodging called The Lodge as well as the new Aspire Residences. The hotel offers elegant, luxurious rooms, world-class entertainment, superb outdoor adventures in Rocky Mountain Park, one of the largest whiskey collections in the country, outside fireside dining, and weekly rotating visiting celebrity chefs.
The Stanley Hotel, 333 Wonderview Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517-9665, Tel. 970-577-4000,
Selina Chelsea New York City
Designed by renowned Mexican architect Enrique Norten, Selina Chelsea New York City is a ten-story 56-room boutique hotel located on the edge of New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, surrounded by some of the best art galleries in the world.
Celebrating the neighborhood’s historic industrial past, the hotel’s façade is covered with stainless steel mesh that turns into a glowing curtain at night.
The hotel’s interior, created by French designer Arnaud Montigny, is a mix of influences – Latin, French, Japanese, and mid-century American – reflecting New York’s global vibe. It is minimal and warm at the same time, with black glass, hardwood, marble, and concrete working together.
The view from the rooftop deck and pool is breathtaking. Guest rooms have beds on wooden platforms as well as natural materials and warm lighting.
Selina Chelsea New York City, 518 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001, Tel. 212-216-0000,
Hotel du Pont
When it opened its door in 1913, Wilmington’s Hotel du Pont instantly became one of America’s most opulent hotels of the Gilded Age.
Its gleaming woodwork, terrazzo and mosaic floors, gilded hallways, and handmade chandeliers were made by Italian and French craftsmen. The DuPont Theatre is located in the hotel lobby.
An extensive renovation brought the hotel to its former glory, with modernized rooms and contemporary amenities but with many original features carefully preserved.
The rooms are elegant in a traditional style. There is a gourmet French restaurant, a lobby bar, a café, a hair salon, a fitness club, and a gift shop. The historic theatre is still operating.
The hotel is located near Wilmington’s Rodney Square, a mile from the Amtrak station.
42 W 11th St, Wilmington, DE 19801, Tel. 800-441-9019, Map
Swan and Dolphin Resort
Spread over 87 acres of beautiful Lake Buena Vista property, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is located in the heart of the magical Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.
The walls of the resort’s main buildings perfectly reflect Florida’s wonderful tropical landscape, with hand-painted colorful murals of the lush Florida nature.
The façade was designed by Michael Graves and painted in coral and teal colors with multi-story statues of swans and dolphins in many public spaces.
In the lobbies there are huge, dramatic chandeliers from the Mediterranean while the service desks are made of golden onyx from Asia and there is a huge collection of art pieces scattered all over the resort.
The views from the modern, comfortable rooms are spectacular. There are 17 restaurants and lounges and special dining options for the kids in Garden Grove.
Swan and Dolphin Resort, 1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd., Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, Tel. 407-934-1609
The Cloister at Sea Island
The Cloister at Sea Island is one of the two resorts on the privately owned Sea Island off the coast of Georgia. Designed in 1928 by renowned architect Addison Mizner, famous for designing Palm Beach, the Cloister has long been a favorite destination for the rich and famous who want privacy, seclusion, comfort, and easy-going Southern hospitality.
A massive recent renovation brought the hotel to the 21st century with modern amenities, while preserving the elegant, ornate Spanish revival architecture.
The Turkish rugs, wood-beam ceilings and many other classic details are still there. Rooms and suites are lavishly decorated and have soaking tubs, rainfall showerheads, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi, while all suites have balconies and living rooms.
The resort has three championship golf courses, tennis courts, stables for horseback riding, tennis, a fitness center, an indoor pool and a spa as well as a range of gourmet restaurants.
100 Cloister Dr, Sea Island, GA 31522-1503, Tel. 844-490-8629, Map
The Langham
Designed by world-famous architect Mies van der Rohe, who died before the building started construction, The Langham Hotel is located in a striking 52-story skyscraper in downtown Chicago, with spectacular views of the city, Lake Michigan, and the Chicago River, near The Loop, Magnificent Mile, Grant Park, and Millennium Park.
The hotel has 268 guest rooms and 48 suites painted in warm caramel colors with rich textiles and gleaming dark woods that create inviting spaces.
Floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views of Chicago. The hotel occupies 13 floors of the former IMB building, now named AMA Plaza.
The minimalist lobby has retained much of the building’s corporate feel, now warmed up by large-scale modern paintings and colorful Czech glass light fixtures.
The Langham , 330 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, Tel. 312-923 9988
The Liberty Hotel
The Liberty Hotel is located in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood in the restored and transformed former Charles Street Jail, an 1851 architectural gem and a National Historic Landmark.
Once home to Boston’s notorious criminals, The Liberty is today a luxury hotel with 298 rooms and suites and magnificent views of the Charles River and the city skyline.
After the last prisoner left in 1990, the building’s fascinating Renaissance and Romanesque forms inspired a total transformation with careful thought to preserving its unique features.
The jail’s granite outside walls and spacious light-filled interior spaces are the same and the magnificent 90-foot-high atrium became the core of the hotel. The former exercise yard for prisoners is now a secluded, beautiful courtyard.
The elegant, contemporary suites and rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, luxury bathrooms, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs, and suites have dining and living areas and views of the river. The hotel has six restaurants and bars, a ball room, a gym, and meeting rooms.
215 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114, Tel. 617-224-4000
The Saguaro
Located in Coachella Valley at the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains, about 3 miles from downtown Palm Springs, The Saguaro is colorful and fun. It is painted in 14 different colors, the colors of California’s native wildflowers, and local architect William Kopelk, who designed the gardens, made sure that the flowers planted in the garden matched the colors of the hotel.
The Saguaro started its life in 1977 as The International, then became a Holiday Inn before it was transformed into The Saguaro after a major renovation.
The hotel has an outdoor pool, one of the largest in Palm Springs, as well as two restaurants and a spa.
The bright, light rooms are furnished with handmade Mexican furniture and art and have HD TVs and free Wi-Fi. Suites also have living rooms.
The Saguaro, 1800 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, Greater Palm Springs, CA 92264-1617, Tel. 760-323-1711,
h2Hotel
Located in downtown historic Healdsburg, a 15-minute walk from the beach, h2Hotel is an eco-friendly hotel in the heart of Northern Sonoma Wine Country not far from the banks of the Russian River.
The hotel is LEED certified and has a range of earth-friendly features, starting with its live roof covered in thriving succulents and a solar-heated pool. The hotel rooms have all modern amenities, such as flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, balconies or patios, and elegant, understated décor with bamboo floors and organic linens.
The hotel’s lobby has a large fireplace, a popular gathering spot for the guests and locals, the Spoonbar restaurant, a spa, the 24-hour Receptobar store, and the curious Hand Fan Museum.
h2Hotel, 219 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg, CA 95448, Tel. 707-431-2202
Amangiri, Canyon Point, Utah
Perfectly blending into its red-rock surroundings, Amangiri nestles within 900 acres of Colorado Plateau majesty. The hotel certainly boasts one of the most dramatic locations in the US, surrounded by an unforgettable desert landscape of canyons, ridges and gorges.
The hotel offers various types of accommodation from stunning suites and homes with white-stone floors and cement walls to fabulous tented pavilions with private terraces and plunge pools.
Designed to become one with its surroundings, Amangiri offers an exceptional getaway for those who crave solitude, while still enjoying all their home comforts.
Your dining experience will feature sustainable, seasonal dishes inspired by Navajo culinary traditions.
Amangiri, 1 Kayenta Rd, Canyon Point, UT 84741, +1 435 675 3999
West Baden Springs Hotel
West Baden Springs Hotel is an historic landmark hotel in West Baden Springs, Indiana, best known for the magnificent 200-foot dome over its atrium.
Part of the French Lick Resort Casino and built in 1902, the hotel’s spectacular beauty gave it the nickname “8th Wonder of the World.”
The hotel is surrounded by lush Indiana forests and landscaped gardens and has access to the famous healing mineral water baths. The hotel has 243 luxury suites and guest rooms that have elegant decor and all modern amenities.
Guests can enjoy a casino, nightly live shows, movies, bowling, horseback riding, billiards, golf, biking, and much more.
West Baden Springs Hotel, W Baden Ave, West Baden, IN 47469, Tel. 855-286-5859,
Dream Downtown Hotel
Designed to resemble an ocean liner with a stainless steel façade and porthole windows, what is today the grand Dream Downtown Hotel in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood was built in the 1960s by New Orleans-based architect Albert Ledner as an annex to the National Maritime Union headquarters.
In 2006, the building was converted by Handel Architects into the Dream Downtown Hotel, preserving and enhancing the original quirky design.
The sloped façade was covered in tiles made from stainless steel, and more porthole windows were opened, some the same size and some smaller, creating a sense of verve and controlled chaos. The metallic tiles reflect the blue sky, sun, and moon, and the round windows appear to be floating like bubbles.
The hotel has 316 rooms and suites on 12 stories as well as two restaurants, VIP and rooftop lounges, an outdoor pool with a glass bottom, a gym, event space, and a pool bar.
The loft-style rooms have Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, minifridges, and iPod docks. Suites have extra living space, surround-sound systems, HDTV projectors, and some even landscaped terraces and hot tubs.
Dream Downtown Hotel, 355 W 16th St, New York, NY 10011, 212-229-2559
Royal Palms Resort And Spa
Royal Palms Resort And Spa has 119 guest rooms, villas, and casitas surrounded by the historic property’s lush landscaping. The building is in the estate style and each room has hand-selected European furniture, flat-screen TVs, and Desert Dream pillow-top mattresses.
Estate Rooms have large writing desks, Juliet-style balconies, deep soaking bathtubs, separate showers, comfortable leather chairs, wireless internet, phones, wall safes, irons, iPod/clock radios, bars, coffee, and tea. Estate Suites add marble stone vanities and queen-size pullout sleeper sofas.
Terraces have features like rustic wooden vanities, marble stone, master baths, gas-burning fireplaces, walk-in steam showers, and/or living rooms. Villas are truly spacious with indoor steam showers, private patios, outdoor fireplaces, and outdoor showers, and the option of multiple bedrooms.
Guests have access to the ALVADORA SPA facilities every day plus use of the 24-hour fitness center. There is an outdoor pool perfect for a dip any time of the year.
Guests can also rent bikes or take advantage of limo services. The elegant T. Cooks has seasonal dishes with organic specialties, while the Mix Up Bar at the restaurant is perfect for a drink.
Royal Palms Resort And Spa, 5200 E Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ, Phone: 602-283-1234
Hotel Marques de Riscal, Elciego, Spain
Designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry, (with more than a passing nod to Spain’s renowned Gaudi), Hotel Marques de Riscal is located in the heart of Spain’s City of Wine, Elciego.
The hotel offers guests a holistic adventure, combining stunning architecture with individually-styled guestrooms, mouth-watering cuisine, wellness amenities and an immersive wine experience.
The modern design of the hotel offers comfort and luxury with surprising little pops of genius around every corner, as asymmetry meets classic. All the rooms are generously proportioned and offer beautiful views over the medieval village.
The Michelin-starred Marques de Riscal Restaurant, the 1860 Restaurant and the Vinoteca & Bistro will take care of your dining and wining requirements.
Hotel Marques de Riscal, Calle Torea 1, Elciego, Spain 01340, + 34 945 180888
Alila Villas, Uluwatu, Bali
Embracing their dramatic cliff-top location, Alila Villas in Uluwatu have been designed to not only fit in with their environment, but to become one with nature.
Every element in their design has been carefully considered to provide guests with comfort, solitude and an open-to-nature experience that embodies the Balinese way of life.
Each of the stunning villas features unique lava-rock roofs and bamboo ceilings and provide seamless indoor-outdoor spaces and incomparable views of the forests and the ocean, which you can soak up around your private pool.
On-site amenities include the luxurious Alili Spa and several indoor-outdoor dining options for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.
Alila Villas, JL. Belimbing Sari Tambiyak, Pecatu, South Kuta, Bali 80364, Indonesia, +62 361 848 2166
Kruger Shalati, Kruger National Park, South Africa
Kruger Shalati is a unique hotel located in the heart of one of the world’s most astounding wildlife Mecca’s.
Also known as The Train on the Bridge, this hotel is actually located within 24 Train Carriage Suites and 7 Bridge House Suites, all of which offer guests the ultimate luxury home-from-home wildlife experience. Echoing the true experiences of the first 1920
Rail safari, Kruger Shalati boasts an arrival lounge, dining areas and a stunning cantilevered swimming pool which overlooks the river below.
The railway carriage rooms are sumptuously appointed and ensure that all visitors have a luxurious stay in the heart of Big 5 Country. Your stay includes wonderful African-themed fine-dining and daily game drives.
Kruger Shalati, Shalati Station and Bridge, Skukuza Rest Camp, Kruger National Park, South Africa, +27 13 590 6000
Riggs, Washington DC
Riggs, Washington DC is located within a one-of-a-kind historic building which was constructed in 1891 to serve as the headquarters of Riggs National Bank.
Stepping into the soaring entrance of the Richardson Romanesque-style building is like taking a step back in time. No expense has been spared in the renovation of this venerable grand dame of architecture, which now boasts 181 sumptuous guestrooms and suites.
You can enjoy a meal in the original Corinthian-columned banking hall, which is now home to Café Riggs, while the former basement vault, the Silver Lyan, serves bespoke cocktails.
Needless to say, the rooms and suites offer the last word in luxury and refinement.
Riggs, Washington DC, 900 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004, 202 638 1800
The Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India
Nestled in the shadow of the sacred Nanda Devi Mountain range, The Kumaon offers a very special mountain retreat in the Himalayas.
Uniquely designed to blend with nature, the hotel offers 10 beautiful suites arranged along the slope of the mountain.
The lower suites have been constructed to resemble local village homes, while the more elevated suites feature ash-bricks clad with bamboo and copper wire to blend with their surroundings.
The amazing dining area is located in a cantilevered glass and steel structure which offers sweeping views of the surrounding landscape.
The on-site spa offers all the pampering you desire and the surrounding landscape provides unlimited adventures.
The Kumaon, Village Gadholi, Kasar Devi, Almora 263601, Uttarakhand, India, + 91 7579 44 9997
Blue Lagoon Resort and Spa, Iceland
The world-famous Blue Lagoon is a vast natural geothermal lake, rich in healing minerals, which has been harnessed to enhance the health and wellness of thousands of visitors each year.
Blue Lagoon Resort and Spa has 2 extraordinary hotels which have been designed to blend seamlessly into their other-worldly lava landscape.
Silica Hotel is located a short walk from the main lagoon and has a private lagoon where guests can enjoy the waters in relative privacy (the main lagoon receives hundreds of day-visitors every day and can get rather full).
The Retreat Hotel takes things up a level by offering a subterranean spa, Michelin-starred dining and wrap-around access to the healing waters of a private lagoon.
Both hotels offer irresistible wellness and dining packages.
Blue Lagoon Resort and Spa, Norðurljósavegur 11, 240 Grindavík, Iceland, +354 420 8700
Inntel Hotel Amsterdam Zaandam
If you are looking for something a little different for your next visit to Amsterdam, you will find it at the Inntel Hotel Amsterdam Zaandam.
The hotel has a most interesting façade which appears to be made up of carefully stacked traditional houses from the area. But the uniqueness of this hotel does not stop with the façade.
Inside you will find that each of the guestrooms has a wall-panel depicting typical foods and crafts from the Zaan area.
In addition, the luxury rooms boast a private, in-room sauna and whirlpool tub.
Other hotel amenities include a wellness center with gym, pool, sauna and steam room.
The Puur Saen Restaurant prides itself on serving delicious cuisine featuring local produce.
Inntel Hotel Amsterdam Zaandam, Provincialeweg 102, 1506 MD Zaandam, +31 75 631 1711
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
You can set sail on a journey of exploration and wonder when you check into the ship-shaped Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
The top levels of the hotel have been designed to resemble a cruise liner, which rests majestically on 3 lofty towers.
The hotel boasts very luxuriously appointed guestrooms and suites designed to provide guests will an unforgettable experience. One of the highlights of your stay should include a dip in the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool, where you can swim right up to the edge of the towering structure.
The hotel boasts a long list of amenities including a Fitness Club, the Banyan Tree Spa, the Rooftop Observation Deck and 6 restaurants and bars.
Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Ave, Singapore, 018956, +65 6688 8868
