Top 10 best luxury hotels in the USA

Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.

Today: Top 10 best luxury hotels in the USA

The United States of America is one of the most hauntingly beautiful countries in the world. It offers its visitors a staggering array of breathtaking attractions, including vibrant cities, spectacular scenery, amazing road trips, phenomenal wildlife, and beautiful beaches. My favorite USA travel destinations are the inspiring cities of New York City & San Francisco, the unspoilt wilderness of Alaska, the jaw dropping beauty of the Hawaiian islands, and the phenomenal landscapes of the National Parks in the West. Tomorrow is the 4th of July, a national holiday that commemorates the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, when thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, no longer forming part of the British Empire. Independence Day is a good time to give a round-up of the 10 best luxury hotels in one of my most beloved travel destinations, the USA.

What is your favorite hotel in the USA? Leave a comment.

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9. LITTLE PALM ISLAND, FLORIDA KEYS

Little Palm Island is a close as you can get to a luxury hotel experience on an exclusive private island in the continental USA. Accessible only by boat or seaplane, this adults-only resort in the Florida Keys is a secluded world of lush tropical gardens, crushed seashell paths, and 30 thatched roof bungalows, inspired by British West Indies design and with a careful nod to old world tradition. Thoughtful amenities deliver exotic charm reminiscent of a Balinese hideaway. With no phones or television, the soundtrack at this resort is the lapping of ocean waves, the rustle of the leaves in the breeze, and the melody of neighboring birds and tree frogs. Days are spent in hammocks fixed to the palm trees, lounge chairs on the small beach, and the world-class restaurant and spa.

• Hotel website: Little Palm Island
• Other accolades: Little Palm Island also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s most exclusive private island resorts and the best beach resorts in the USA.
• Review: read my review of Little Palm Island here.

8. POST RANCH INN, BIG SUR, CALIFORNIA

High atop the cliffs of Big Sur, 400 meters (1200 feet) above the Pacific Ocean, sits Post Ranch Inn, a sanctuary for the soul and one of the USA’s most prestigious luxury hotels. The rustic retreat is located on the Californian Highway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, which ranks as one of the most scenic roads in the world. With natural architecture embracing the coast’s dramatic beauty and the surrounding redwoods, the 40 rooms blend rustic elegance, comfort and privacy with panoramic ocean or mountain views. Each room features a wood-burning fireplace, private deck, and complimentary minibar. Enjoy activities like morning yoga, rejuvenating spa treatments, swimming in the ocean-view basking pools, hiking, and nightly stargazing. The celebrated Sierra Mar restaurant serves organic seasonal fare.

• Hotel website: Post Ranch Inn
• Other accolades: The Post Ranch Inn also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s most spectacular cliffside resorts and restaurants with views that match the food.
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast for 2, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).
• Review: read my review of the Post Ranch Inn here.

7. WALDORF ASTORIA LAS VEGAS

6. FOUR SEASONS RESORT HUALALAI, BIG ISLAND, HAWAII

Set on the Big Island’s exclusive Kona-Kohala Coast, this showpiece oceanfront luxury resort captures the essence of Hawaiian design, culture and tradition, and is consistently one of the most sought out resorts by honeymooners. A peerless collection of native Hawaiian art complements the expansive, open-air living spaces and island-inspired décor. Built into its natural surroundings, the resort combines history, culture, pure pampering, and true aloha to all who come its way. The resort features 252 magnificent rooms and suites, championship golf, a world-class spa and fitness center, tennis, on-site ocean activities, retail boutiques, seven pools, cultural experiences, and award-winning dining. The contrast of ancient black lava rock with towering coconut palms, white-sand beaches, and azure seas creates opportunities for lasting memories.

• Hotel website: Four Seasons Resort Hualalai
• Other accolades: Four Seasons Resort Hualalai also features in my top 10 list of the most fabulous luxury hotels in Hawaii.
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).

5. BRUSH CREEK RANCH, WYOMING

Considered by many to be one of the best luxury hotels in the USA, Brush Creek Ranch is set on a working cattle ranch in the heart of Wyoming’s famed Platte River Valley, between the Sierra Madre Mountain range & stunning Medicine Bow National Forest. The property offers an all-inclusive luxury ranch resort like no other, exclusively designed for discerning travelers, ambitious adventurers, corporate group retreats, family luxury dude ranch vacations & glorious ranch destination weddings. Beyond its front gates lie 30,000 unspoiled acres, where you can reclaim a sense of independence while riding trails, driving cattle, fly-fishing, or hiking Medicine Bow Peak. Accommodations include 42 luxurious, timbered rooms, with open-hearth fireplaces and plush amenities. Families can spread out in restored 19th-century log cabins with decks, full kitchens, and expansive views, or stay in the upscale Magee Homestead, exclusively for adults ages 21 and older.

• Hotel website: Brush Creek Ranch
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily continental breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).

4. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL AT THE SURF CLUB, MIAMI

From the moment it first opened its doors on New Year’s Eve 1930, The Surf Club in Miami has hosted history. When tire tycoon Harvey Firestone first had the idea of a new type of social club, on board his yacht the Marybelle, he could never have imagined how enduring the appeal would be of what he would soon create. On this same 9-acre (3.6 hectare) stretch of oceanfront in Surfside, Florida, located in the northern beaches of Miami, Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club today comprises 77 guest rooms, a selection of hotel residences, Le Sirenuse Restaurant and Champagne Bar, three pools, a pristine beach, and spa & wellness center. Pritzker-prize winning architect Richard Meier designed the three buildings that frame and flank the original clubhouse.

• Hotel website: Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club
• Other accolades: Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club also features in my top 10 list of the best hotels & resorts in Miami.
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast for two, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD spa credit).

3. AMANGANI, WYOMING

Introducing exceptional sophistication and luxury to the rugged environs of Jackson Hole, Amangani evokes the atmosphere of the American West and is a favorite of skiers and all lovers of the outdoors. Fitting seamlessly into its Wild West surroundings, the resort is a vision in sandstone columns and floor-to-ceiling windows, with views of the Teton Mountains. Managed by Aman, one of the world’s most exclusive hotel brand, Amangani is sensitively designed with materials native to Wyoming, such as redwood walls and woven cowhide chairs. Spacious suites include king-sized beds, fireplaces, daybeds, and decks with spectacular mountain views. It’s a perfect place to splurge near the wilderness of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park; spring and summer bring hiking and fly-fishing, while winter offers ample skiing opportunities.

• Hotel website: Amangani
• Other accolades: Amangani also features in my top 10 lists of the best Aman hotels in the world and the world’s most luxurious ski resorts.
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast for 2, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).

2. AMAN NEW YORK

The Crown Building on Fifth Avenue building is one of the most expensive and most sought-after city blocks in the world and has presided since 1921 over the midpoint of Manhattan, overlooking Central Park. The 7th through 14th floor of the building is now occupied by the new Aman New York Hotel (opened in 2022), while the 15th floor and above have been transformed into 22, Aman-branded residences, crowned with a five-story, near-14,000-square-foot penthouse (priced in excess of $100 USD million). The new Aman encompasses an extraordinary Aman Spa, with a dramatic indoor swimming pool surrounded by fire pits and daybeds as its centerpiece. Two Spa Houses provide guests with an all-encompassing spa journey, encompassing a double treatment room, sauna and steam rooms, and an outdoor terrace with cabana, daybed and fireplace.

• Hotel website: Aman New York
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast for 2, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).

1. AMANGIRI, UTAH

Overlooking starkly beautiful desert scenery and the Southwest’s iconic flat-topped mesa rock formations, Amangiri (meaning ‘peaceful mountain’) is located in the USA’s Grand Circle region. Five national parks, numerous national monuments and the Navajo Nation Reservation, the largest Native American reservation in the United States, surround the resort, which is also managed by Aman. Draped around a central swimming pool with spectacular view, the hotel’s minimalist decor and surrounding raw landscape of immense power have enormous Instagram potential to wow your friends and inspire your followers. Amangiri’s 34 suites are situated in two elegant wings, which sweep from each side of the resort’s main pavilion. All suites offer private terraces, fireplaces, king-size beds and private courtyard entrances, with some suites having their own pool. Amangiri also features a high-end ‘glamping’ site – called Camp Sarika – which is linked to the main resort.

• Hotel website: Amangiri
• Other accolades: Amangiri also features in my top 10 lists of the best resort & hotels in the USA, world’s best wilderness resorts, the world’s best hotel room views, the world’s most beautiful hotel pools, the world’s best luxury hotels, the world’s most Instagrammable hotels & resorts, the world’s most luxurious desert retreats, and my favorite Aman resorts in the world.
• Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).

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