The best hotels in the United States of America

It’s hard to introduce the best places to stay in the United States of America without letting on to people your own preferences. Maybe you dream of the bright lights of New York beckoning you towards elegant days in great art galleries, great shopping gallerias and great restaurants, or of Hollywood stardom in L.A.? or of just seeing Hollywood stars on Venice Beach… Maybe the spectacle of the Grand Canyon is high on you bucket list? or the spectacle of Yellowstone? Yosemite? Death Valley? Or maybe it’s the historic grace of the old south you fancy a taste of? mint juleps in Savannah? gumbo in New Orleans? Maybe you want to try your hand at being a cowboy... head to Texas, Dallas or Lynchburg. Are you fascinated by the power and politics of Washington DC? or interested in visiting the birthplace of the nation? Or are you more interested in the birthplace of Elvis or the blues? Do you fancy driving over the ocean in the Florida Keys? over the San Fransisco bay on the Golden Gate Bridge? over snow covered mountains to Aspen? or over the desert in the Mojave? Or just drinking wine in Napa…

It’s all choices choices. But it does start to get a bit easier once you work out the best places to stay in the United States of America for you. The best places, places, we mean. From there we can help you out with the best hotels in the United States of America. So here are some of our recommendations to help inspire the start of your American travel dream today.

Some of our United States of America Collections:

• The Best Places to Stay in Washington DC
• The Best Places to Stay in New York
• The Best Places to Stay in Los Angeles
• The Best Places to Stay in Miami
• The Best Places to Stay in San Fransisco
• The Best Places to Stay in Boston
• The Best Places to Stay in Las Vegas
• The Best Places to Stay in New Orleans
• The Best Places to Stay in Aspen
• The Best Places to Stay for the Grand Canyon
• The Best Places to Stay for Yellowstone National Park
• The Best Places to Stay in Nashville
• The Best Places to Stay in Memphis
• The Best Places to Stay in Hawaii
• The Best Places to Stay in Savannah
• The Best Places to Stay in Texas

Some of the places you might like to Stay

• Washington DC is a showcase of a city, a visitor’s paradise where politics meets art, history, and scenic splendour. A hundred trips to Washington would not exhaust the rich array of attractions – there are around 200 museums for a start, plus the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the cherry trees around the lakeside Jefferson Memorial and the incredible grandeur of the Capitol building. Washington is a city to make you gasp at every turn.

• Gloried on film, New York has no equivalent. It’s the original city that never sleeps: overseen by Lady Liberty who welcomes you poor and huddled masses.

• Los Angeles offers more than Hollywood starlets, bronzed skin and bikini-clad bodies, Los Angeles is a hub for everything creative and inspiring. From the music and movies to the clothes and food, L.A. has an energy and promise it's impossible to duplicate.

• When most of us think of Miami we think of modern glamour in a sunny setting. Here Art Deco beauties display their white, rounded edges with pride against a beautiful bright blue bay edged by another graceful sweep of white - but this time it’s sand. The gleaming skyscrapers of Brickell, 'Miami's Wall Street', stand in stark contrast to the low-slung, charming coastal properties of South Beach.
• San Fransisco has the cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, gay rights, foggy vintage beauty, lovely liberal attitudes, fabulous food, the freshest new technologies and a multitude of micro climates.
• Boston is 'The Athens of America'. Birthplace of the nation. Home of architectural and cultural treasures, Ivy League universities and the added bonus of beautiful New England surrounds.
• Las Vegas is a town that never wants to stop having fun. Vegas’ hotels offer bars made of ice, gondola rides, ancient Roman toga parties, 24-hour circuses, fairground rides, a replica Eiffel Tower and even a replica erupting volcano. And of course, the famous opportunity to be married by an Elvis impersonator at any time of the day or night that takes your fancy. In fact in Vegas you can pretty much do whatever you want whenever you want. The drinks keep coming, the buffet never closes and the dice keep rolling.
• New Orleans has been a French trading settlement, an important Civil War battleground, the birthplace of jazz and now is the place to experience the heritage and cultural baggage amassed by this major port and melting pot.
• Savannah is a graceful, languid old Southern Belle: the warmth and the grand colonial architecture lead to evening strolls and late meals and the Spanish moss literally dripping from the trees makes it seem other worldly and a bit magical.
• Nashville is a country music pilgrimage waiting to happen.
• Memphis is a dilapidated beauty on the banks of the Mississippi River best known as the home of Graceland: altar to Elvis. Or as the home of the blues. And it’s also got a great reputation for barbecue food.
• There’s probably no island group more synonymous with the daydream of a tropical island paradise than Hawaii? What with the lush tropical jungles hiding volcanoes and sky-scraping waterfalls?

Use our guide to the best places to stay in the United States of America and start to plan your stateside adventure.

The Best Places to Stay in the United States of America

For Luxury

• New York’s Lowell Hotel is perfect if you're looking for classic, intimate luxury. The bathrooms are marble, the colour pallet draws from nature, the lobby is well dressed and the staff will all know you by name after your first night's stay.
• Check into the Maybourne Beverly Hills if you're looking for real Rodeo Drive opulence. Just back from 'the drive', this hotel has a 20,000 square foot spa, divine rooftop pool and a range of classically elegant rooms and suites. The service is top notch!

For a city break

• Washington’s Jefferson Hotel is a Renaissance revival property with a grand marble staircase complete with a statue of the hotel’s namesake. There are 96 rooms with high ceilings, large windows and traditional style. There’s also an excellent restaurant and a spa.
• Long a landmark of uptown New York, The Mark, value adds to its park side location with an award-winning restaurant and a world-renowned hairdresser. 'Stylish' doesn't do the decor by Jacques Grange enough credit.
• The Westhouse Hotel is an exclusive hotel in a fantastic location a few minutes from Times Square and Central Park. Channelling rich 1920s glamour with a touch of Art Deco, it boasts crystal chandeliers and polished wooden floors.
• For a proper Hollywood experience, book the Hollywood Roosevelt. This hotel hosted the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929 and was a favourite of big name stars like Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. Plenty of the original 'Spanish Colonial' style remains but with a modern take added during the hotel's complete restoration in 2005.
• Gorgeous Art Deco icon, Sunset Tower, was once the Hollywood address. Errol Flynn, John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe were all residents during its glorious heyday as an apartment building. A careful restoration has retained all the charming details and has added all the 21st Century essentials, including a spa and restaurant.
• The Charlie is a unique collection of 13 standalone cottages. Once home to Charlie Chaplin and friends such as Marilyn Monroe, minutes from Sunset Boulevard.
• Clift is an historical landmark hotel renovated to modern luxury with art and furniture being a big feature. Rooms are large with great views of the San Francisco skyline.
• The Golden Nugget hotel and casino is a Vegas icon right in the heart of town. There are around 2,500 rooms and suites, ranging from the very affordable to the very grandiose. There’s also a range of restaurants and bars, as well as state-of-the-art spa and one of the world’s more impressive swimming pools.

Some of the Hippest Places to Stay in the USA

• Archer New York blends downtown-style brick walls and industrial spaces with uptown decorative influences, located in the Garment District just a mile from Times Square. The modern rooms are chic and delicately decorated and the rooftop bar Spyglass offers irresistible panoramic views.

For a beach break

• The lovingly restored National Hotel is a 1940s landmark in amongst Miami’s wonderfully Art Deco oceanfront area. It has the longest pool in town, 151 rooms and an atmospheric French restaurant.
• The Gale South Beach is an Art Deco charmer right on the beach. Elegant and nostalgic inside, the rooftop bar, pool and restaurant offer spectacular ocean views.
• Key Largo’s Coconut Palm Inn is a secluded hotel with just 17 rooms and a private marina, pool and beach access. The decor is laid back yet elegant and there are plenty of great extras like paddleboards, fishing rods, bikes and kayaks on offer.
• The Tranquility Bay Resort in the Florida Keys is a collection of two and three-bed beach houses set on the pristine white beaches of Marathon. As well as direct beach access there are three pools, a beach bar, restaurant and loads of activities laid on, including kids diving lessons.
• The Halekulani is a five star hotel on famous Waikiki Beach overlooking Diamond Head. There are around 450 comfortable and well-equipped rooms as well as several well regarded restaurants and extraordinary views.

For Adventurers

• Jenny Lake Lodge in Moose, in the Grand Teton National Park, is a collection of rustic cottages with stunning mountain views. They do a five course dinner and there’s a well stocked bar to revive you after your days out in the wilderness.
• The Hotel Terra in Teton Village is right at the foot of the mountains, so perfect for snow thrill-seekers and those who love a spectacular view. You’re in the heart of the great outdoors, but it’s a big enough hotel to offer every comfort.
• L’Auberge de Sedona is one of the Grand Canyon State’s most celebrated watering holes, with a famous restaurant and spa, all with stunning views of the Sedona landscape. Located next to the picturesque Oak Creek, it's perfect for romance, or for outdoors-oriented family time.

For great value

• citizenM New York offers the usual luxury for less that you've come to expect from their brand. Compact rooms boast wall to wall windows, and there's a rooftop bar for panoramic views across the city.

Prefer an Apartment, private cottage or Villa?

• If you’d prefer to stay in an apartment or private villa we recommend you visit our online partner, booking.com.

Travel Information

• America is really, really, really, really big. So it’s not really helpful to list all the airports and talk about the best times of year to visit the whole county because no one is going to do that. But when you’ve chosen some of the best places to stay in the United States of America for you you’ll find our travel recommendations at the bottom of the pages.
• If you’re thinking about hiring a car we recommend checking what our online partners, Rentalcars have to offer.

Still not sure?

• Refine your search to just the best places to stay in Florida?
• or the best places to stay in California? or in New York State?
• or the best places to stay in Massachusetts? or Georgia?
• or you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.