Fitness
The Best New Hotels in America: Iconic Buildings, Outdoor Escapes, and More
From boutique properties to luxury resorts, there’s no shortage of accommodations for travelers opening in 2022 across the United States. And after two years of limited travel, we’re thrilled to be checking out (or perhaps more appropriately, checking into) these new hotels in the coming months.
It’s impossible to categorize all of the new and recently opened hotels across the country, so we focused on some of the buzziest openings, and a few clear trends emerged. In the coming year, a greater number of properties will lean into making the hotel itself a destination, others will focus on giving a second life to much-loved historical buildings, and more still will put an emphasis on the outdoors.
While this is by no means an exhaustive list, these new and upcoming hotel openings stand out from the crowd—and have us excited to hit the road this year.
The Best New Hotels in America
Placemaking Locations
With these properties, the hotel is the destination.
Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville Courtesy Image
1. Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville
Greenville, SC
The focal point of Greenville is, without a doubt, Falls Park on the Reedy River. It’s a sprawling urban green space a stone’s throw from the city’s main thoroughfare, and it’s filled with local art, manicured flower displays, winding pathways, and the waterfall for which the park was named. When the 187-room Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville opens in May, many of the rooms will overlook this dazzling slice of open space. But the view isn’t the only perk: The luxury hotel will also feature an art gallery, wine room, spa, restaurant, and bourbon bar.
Conrad Los Angeles Courtesy Image
2. Conrad Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
It seems like there’s always a new hotel going up in Los Angeles. The latest offering: A new Conrad property, part of a more luxurious portfolio of hotels within the Hilton brand. Although it’s part of a chain, this hotel differentiates itself because it’s integrated into a larger complex designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. The result? A hotel with a vast range of amenities, including shops, restaurants, gathering spaces, 305 guest rooms, a spa, an indoor-outdoor lobby, a public concert space, a 16,000-square-foot rooftop with a private pool, and more. It’s slated to open in June.
3. Hotel Tupelo
Tupelo, MS
Tupelo doesn’t get enough love. The city has a thriving music scene (which makes sense—it was the birthplace of Elvis Presley), dynamic restaurants, grand green spaces, and great shopping. The opening of this sexy new 79-room boutique hotel (the first in town) might finally help the city get the attention it deserves. It’s located right on Tupelo’s main street, and it’ll be an ideal base for helping travelers discover this hidden gem in the South.
Lake Nona Wave Hotel Courtesy Image
4. Lake Nona Wave Hotel
Orlando, FL
This new hotel in Orlando is a triple threat. It’s incredibly high-tech: Rooms feature View Glass smart windows and voice-automated controls. It’s also wellness-focused—it boasts a start-of-the-art wellness facility, a spa helmed by Dr. Deepak Chopra, and exercise classes with Limitless Minds, a company co-founded by Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. And it’s art-forward, with more than 500 pieces of art on the property and a 50,000-square-foot sculpture garden. If that’s not enough, the rooms are visually stunning, too.
Retrofitted Hotels
Historic buildings around the country are finding a second life as distinctive hotels with unique amenities.
1. The Liberty Trust
Roanoke, VA
When the First National Bank was built in downtown Roanoke in 1910, it was considered ahead of its time, largely because it had a newly invented electric elevator. This spring, 111 years later, the building will reopen as The Liberty Trust, a swanky seven-story boutique hotel with 54 rooms. While there are plenty of nods to the building’s historic past, they’re paired with modern amenities like a FitnessOnDemand app for in-room workouts, high definition TVs, and Nespresso machines in every room.
2. Roost Apartment Hotels
Cleveland, OH and Detroit, MI
With the rise of remote work, more and more people are taking advantage of the ability to work from anywhere. Because of that, extended stay hotels (where guests stay for weeks or even months) are experiencing a bit of a renaissance. The Roost Apartment Hotels brand already has three stylish outposts in Philadelphia where each room (studio, one-, and two-bedroom units) is equipped with a kitchen and work space.
In 2022, Roost will open two more locations. One will be in the historic May Company Building (a former department store) in Cleveland. It’ll have 62 apartments and amenities like a rooftop terrace, a gym, a library, and complimentary e-bikes for exploring. The other will be in Detroit’s Book Tower (an iconic skyscraper) and will boast 118 units, two restaurants, a bar, a bakery, and a rooftop event space.
3. The Slate Hotel
Denver, CO
Space in Denver is at a premium—the city’s real estate market is scorching and has been for a while. Some clever designers, however, are getting more bang for their buck by reimagining existing buildings, and the soon-to-open Slate Hotel is a great example. The 251-room hotel will be housed in a former school building in Golden Triangle, one of the city’s most happening neighborhoods. The revamped building will also have meeting areas, an on-site restaurant, retail spaces, a library (aptly called “The Study Hall”), and an “activation alley” for displaying local artwork.
Nature-Focused Retreats
At these properties, communing with nature and unwinding in luxury go hand-in-hand.
The Lodges at Knapp Ranch Courtesy Image
1. The Lodges at Knapp Ranch
Vail Valley, CO
One side effect of the pandemic has been a renewed interest in nature—travelers are increasingly seeking out destinations where they can enjoy the outdoors. The Lodges at Knapp Ranch, a retreat nestled in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, will offer just that. The Ranch has four cabins (sleeping up to 16 people total), so it’s meant to be rented out by groups. Considering the property covers more than 300 acres, your squad will have plenty of room to hike, bike, fish, snowshoe, cross-country ski, and more, all right on the property.
Stanly Ranch Courtesy Image
2. Stanly Ranch
Napa Valley, CA
If your ideal date with nature also includes wine, Stanly Ranch was made for you. The former ranch and current winery estate has 78 suites and standalone cottages with unique outdoor spaces and terraces that overlook the vineyards. The Ranch boasts a hilltop wellness center and spa, hiking trails, farm-to-table dinners at its on-site restaurants, and of course, plenty of wine.
The Chatwal Lodge Courtesy Image
3. The Chatwal Lodge
White Lake, NY
After a two-hour drive from the frenzy of Manhattan, you’ll find an oasis of calm at Chatwal Lodge. The elegant boutique hotel is located on an 18,000-acre private game and wildlife reserve, and it’s an ideal location for exploring the beauty of the Catskills. Here, your days will be made up of boating on the Toronto Reservoir, learning to fly fish, horseback riding, and maybe even catching a concert at the nearby Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, located on the site where Woodstock took place in 1969.
Montage Big Sky Courtesy Image
4. Montage Big Sky
Big Sky, MT
Even though Montage Big Sky just opened, it’s already getting a lot of buzz. Arguably the most luxurious hotel in Montana, the resort has 150 guestrooms and suites (plus 39 Montage Residences, which are apartments available for purchase), as well as amenities like an 18-hole golf course, bowling alley, indoor lap pool, fitness center, spa, various eateries, and more. It’s also well situated—guests have ski-in/ski-out access to Big Sky Resort, and you can drive to Bozeman or Yellowstone National Park in about an hour.
Ambiente, A Landscape Hotel Courtesy Image
5. Ambiente, A Landscape Hotel
Sedona, AZ
Scheduled to open in May, Ambient’s unique architecture—plus its location in one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the country—makes it particularly special. Each of the hotel’s 40 rooms is housed in a cube-shaped, glass-encased “atrium.” Basically, that means that each room has floor-to-ceiling windows for 360-degree views of the surrounding red rock mountains and cliffs. Bonus: It’s adults-only, and each room comes a self-serve wine dispenser.
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