30 Best Hotels in the U.S.
In this piece, we will take a look at the 30 best hotels in the U.S. For more hotels, head on over to 10 Best Hotels in the U.S.
The hospitality industry is one of the most lucrative sectors in the world, with flashy hotels providing guests with a taste of high end living sometimes at ludicrous prices. For instance, Italy's Rosewood Castiglion Del Bosco charges guests a whopping $2,000 a night per stay, so if you were to try living for a month there, you'd be out of a cool $60,000 - more than what a typical car costs in the U.S. However, this high price tag does not come without its perks, as the hotel is situated on top of an eight hundred year old estate in Tuscany and provides views of a world heritage site as well.
This same industry was dealt devastating blows by the coronavirus pandemic. As travel shuttered around the world, hotels were forced to cut down on their costs as revenue dried up. A research report from Deloitte takes a deeper look at the havoc wreaked by the virus. It reveals that occupancy rates in some hotels dropped from being higher than 80% before the pandemic to lower than 15% during the peak of lockdowns. Some of the worst hit folks were those who had recently opened up establishments and had yet to recoup their capital outlays before foot traffic completely dried up.
The lower occupancy rates also translate into economic hits. A research from Florida State University, University of Nevada, Boston University, University of Central Florida, and Texas A&M attempts to quantify the financial impact. It estimates that hotels in the U.S. suffered a painful $30 billion in revenue losses in just the two months between March and May 2020. It adds that revenue per available room (RevPAR), a commonly used profitability metric within the industry, dropped by a sharp 86% during the same time period, with the occupancy rate suffering from a 74% decline. The researchers also share that the hardest hit hotels were the large luxury brands, as the economical ones fared much better.
With the virus a thing of the past and life back to normal, it's time to take a look at the future. On this front, a research report from Transparency Market Research looks to estimate the value of the global hotel market. It believes that the industry will be worth $1.27 trillion by the end of 2031 by growing through a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1%. Aiding this growth is the rise in businesses in Asia Pacific which will stimulate demand for hotels throughout. The research firm adds that the number of growing trips by middle class households is also helping the hotel industry since higher purchasing powers leave more room for luxury spending. It also believes that hotels are customizing their experiences to serve individuals, to reflect a growing preference among millennials who are expected to be among the biggest spenders.
Within this industry, the branded hotels segment is expected to outpace the broader market if we believe in research from Azoth Analytics. The firm estimates that this industry segment was worth $197 billion in 2021 and will grow at a CAGR of 8.6% between 2023 and 2030. It also shares that the largest hotels held the largest market share as well, and they will lead the market in growth terms heading into the future.
Finally, taking a look at the situation on the ground, executives from Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) shared their take on how the industry is coping in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and record inflation levels that have sapped purchasing powers during their earnings call conference for the fourth quarter of last year. At the event, the firm's chief executive officer Mr. Tony Capuano shared:
2022 was a very strong year for Marriott. After achieving global RevPAR recovery in June, we finished the year on a real high note, with RevPAR versus 2019, up 7% in December and up 5% in the fourth quarter. Each quarter saw sequential improvement in global occupancy and ADR compared to 2019. We ended the year with fourth quarter occupancy down just 5 percentage points and ADR up 13%. With Asia-Pacific, excluding China, or APAC surpassing pre-pandemic levels in the fourth quarter, all regions, except Greater China, have now more than fully recovered. It is abundantly clear that people love to travel. Globally, leisure demand has remained robust. In the fourth quarter, leisure transient room nights increased 7% versus 2019.
And we continued driving leisure ADR, which rose 22%. Our group business experienced the most meaningful improvement in 2022. In the U.S. and Canada, fourth quarter group revenues increased 10% above the same quarter in 2019. Group revenue for 2023 is already pacing up 20% year-over-year, with room night and rate gains each quarter. Given strong lead generation and increased rate quotes, especially for in-the-year, for-the-year bookings, we expect group revenues this year to strengthen further. In 2022, around half of group room nights were booked in the year compared to just one-third in 2019. U.S. and Canada business transient demand remained steady from the third to the fourth quarter at around 90% recovery. For 2023, we are pleased to have negotiated special corporate rate growth in the high single-digits after holding these rates steady the last 2 years.
With these details in mind, let's take a look at some of the best hotels in the U.S.
Credit: Park Hotels & Resorts
Our Methodology
To compile our list of the best hotels in America, we cast a wide net and looked at seven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) different authentic sources to see which hotels are highly ranked. Hotels on all these were awarded a single point each time they appeared. However, five diamond properties were assigned three points and four diamonds were assigned two points since these are the most highly coveted ratings in the industry. The results of our compilation are as follows.
Best Hotels in the U.S.
30. Halekulani Hotel
Insider Monkey's Score: 2
The Halekulani Hotel is a five star property in Honolulu, Hawaii. It offers private beaches, private balconies, a pool and other amenities. The hotel has been operating for more than a century.
29. The Langham, Boston
Insider Monkey's Score: 2
The Langham, Boston is located in the former offices of the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston. It offers a pool, a walk in shower, rooms with a city view, high chairs, and other facilities.
28. Hermitage Hotel
Insider Monkey's Score: 2
The Hermitage Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Nashville, Tennessee. It allows pets, has a gym, rooms with flatscreen televisions and walk in showers, a business center, and a parking space.
27. Twin Farms
Insider Monkey's Score: 2
Twin Farms is one of the few five star hotels in Vermont. It covers a massive area of 300 acres and offers free parking, a tennis court, car hire services, free breakfast, and flatscreen televisions.
26. The Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort
Insider Monkey's Score: 3
The Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort is a five diamond hotel with its own electric vehicle charging station, a pool, a fitness center, interconnected rooms, and satellite television.
25. The Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalow
Insider Monkey's Score: 3
The Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalow is just a half an hour's drive away from the Los Angeles airport. It has a tennis court, a pool, a parking, multiple bathrooms, and even a bridal suite.
24. Bellagio
Insider Monkey's Score: 3
Any list of America's top hotels would be incomplete without the Bellagio in Las Vegas. A five diamond facility, it offers a casino, babysitting, and electric vehicle charging.
23. Ritz Carlton Hotels
Insider Monkey's Score: 3
Since there are too many Ritz Carton hotels that are both five diamonds and in several lists, we gave them an aggregate score of 3 so that the list could also include other brands.
22. Waldorf Astoria D.C.
Insider Monkey's Score: 3
While it's a non five diamond hotel, the Waldorf Astoria D.C. still ranks high on our list. It's located right between the White House and the Capitol.
21. The Mark Hotel
Insider Monkey's Score:3
The Mark Hotel is located in New York City and it offers blackout curtains, flat screen televisions, boating, babysitting, and valet parking.
20. Boston Harbor Hotel
Insider Monkey's Score: 4
Boston Harbor Hotel is another five diamond facility. It has a spa, both waterfront and city views, provides allergy free rooms, a pool, a fitness center, and a patio.
19. The Lanham, Chicago
Insider Monkey's Score: 4
The Lanham, Chicago is the latest five diamond hotel that received the coveted rating in 2022. It offers allergy free rooms, satellite televisions, bidets for the fancy ones, and a pool.
18. The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician
Insider Monkey's Score: 4
The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician is one of the top hotels in Scottsdale, Arizona. It has several amenities such as a game room, a gym, a fireplace in rooms, and more.
17. Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North
Insider Monkey's Score: 4
Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North offers private balconies, interconnected rooms, a golf course, a tennis court, a pool, and babysitting.
16. The Hay Adams
Insider Monkey's Score: 4
The Hay Adams is another top hotel in Washington D.C. and one that receives a high score despite not having a five diamonds rating.
15. Four Seasons Hotel D.C.
Insider Monkey's Score: 5
Four Seasons Hotel D.C. offers sofa beds in its rooms, allows pets, and offers bars, pools, and gyms alongside other amenities.
14. The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf
Insider Monkey's Score: 5
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf is one of the few hotels located on a private island. It has free parking and private balconies.
13. The Broadmoor
Insider Monkey's Score: 5
The Broadmoor is located on a vast area of 5,000 acres and has its own golf course.
12. The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort
Insider Monkey's Score: 5
The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort is a five diamond hotel located along a beach and has more than 200 rooms.
11. The Post Oak Hotel, Houston
Insider Monkey's Score: 5
The Post Oak Hotel, Houston is the only five diamond hotel in Houston. It is a 38 story building with its own pool and fitness center.
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Disclosure: None. 30 Best Hotels in the U.S. is originally published on Insider Monkey.