While it’s not the nonstop travel extravaganza of summer, fall has its own reasons to get out and explore. There are football games, of course, but also fall colors, apple picking, and shoulder season retreats that are both cheaper and less crowded than they are in the summer. There’s also a cool new crop of hotels which opened in fall 2024 across the U.S. that can be destinations unto themselves, like a seaside resort on California’s Central Coast and a rehabbed railroad depot in Utah. Have a look at our favorite new hotels that opened this fall.
Arlo Washington, D.C. – Washington, D.C.
DC is the home to the latest Arlo location, after DC’s oldest apartment building was refashioned and 12 stories added. The titanic 445-room hotel is born out of the 1888 Harrison Apartments, and rooms in the historic building have a distinct colonial aesthetic with exposed brick walls and cozy dens. It’s set around a sunny communal courtyard, which includes a 24-hour gym and penthouse suite. Onsite dining is highlighted by Arrels, a Spanish-style open fire restaurant from chef Pepe Moncayo. The Arlo also brings downtown DC its coolest new rooftop bar, where guests can enjoy Japanese yakitori with views of the District
Asher Adams – Salt Lake City, Utah
Fall’s coolest adaptive reuse project comes to us from Salt Lake City, where the old Union Pacific Depot from 1908 has been miraculously reborn as the 225-room Asher Adams hotel. The old main terminal is restored as a bustling lobby, where frontier-themed frescos look down on a Provincial American restaurant and check-in desk. No. 199, the hotel’s cocktail bar, has similar throwback vibes, with a vinyl collection guests are welcomed to peruse and pick the evening’s soundtrack. Rooms are a mix of midcentury modern lines and block onyx chic, maintaining the sophistication of the historic depot. It’s also located right on the TRAX light rail line, and a short walk to the Delta Center, Temple Square, and other SLC attractions.
The Delegate – Frankfort, Ky.
If traversing Kentucky’s iconic Bourbon Trail seems like a daunting drive, post up in the state’s capital city at The Delegate hotel. Besides the 48 rooms. crafted out of two historic brick buildings, the hotel has a small-batch bourbon tasting room, where you can sample the best of the Bourbon Trail then hobble upstairs to sleep it off. If you have an appetite, you can saunter over to Cypress & Oak, the onsite restaurant that incorporates – you guessed it — more bourbon in several dishes.
Le Petit Pali – Los Angeles
Palisociety, the brand of retro-inspired hotels that aim to feel more like homes than hotels, opened Le Petit Pali, in the old Brentwood Motor Hotel. A novel example of the reimagined California roadside inn, Le Petit Pali brings a level of European elegance to the old motel, decorating rooms in reclaimed oak and floral patterns, with plush beds and Pali’s signature pinstripes. Every morning, guests get a hand-delivered basket from Brentwood bakery Clark Street, as well as fresh jams and coffee. The understated bed and breakfast is a quaint, quiet respite from LA’s frenetic west side, and a great place to tuck away during a SoCal vacation.
Monterey Beach Hotel – Monterey, Calif.
Hard to believe, but the Monterey Peninsula has only one true beachfront hotel: the brand new 192-room Monterey Beach Hotel, set on 600 linear feet of shoreline. The property dates back to 1967, but shut down for a while to upgrade to this century. The new Monterey Beach Hotel sits less than 60 feet from the Pacific Ocean, with most rooms directly facing the sea and the sunset. While the air along the Central Coast can be a little cool, the sunny pool deck features a fully heated swimming pool and hot tub, as well as a Scandinavian sauna and ice bath coming later this year. You can also borrow a complimentary Z-bike to get out and explore the peninsula. Or just post up at one of its three bars and restaurants and enjoy your meal with a soundtrack of crashing waves.
Motto Bentonville – Bentonville, Ark.
Hilton’s compact Motto brand opens its first U.S. hotel outside the northeast in rugged Bentonville. The “micro hotel” offers stylish rooms with bunk beds, murphy beds, and other space-saving innovations ideal for the adventurous traveler. If you’re in town for some hard-core trail rides, the Motto has a bike valet and organizes tours through 37 North Expeditions, who’ll take you along the area’s 400 miles of trails. After your ride, you can relax on the sunny patio at Motto Commons, or indulge in Japanese delicacies at Junto Sushi. There’s also art on the walls curated from nearby Crystal Bridges, and a tropical themed tavern at Bar Kapu.
Moxy Wynwood – Miami
Miami’s art district transformation from gritty industrial area to gleaming commercial center continues with the opening of the Moxy. The colorful lifestyle hotel brings 120 rooms to the city’s hottest neighborhood, where the second floor bar doubles as the check in desk and offers a lively place to conviviate with your fellow guests. The rooms are the Moxy’s usual brand of minimalist cool, mixing light walls and modern art in small spaces designed to get you outside. The street-level entrance drops you right in the heart of Wynwood, where dozens of brand new restaurants, blocks of colorful murals, and a handful of local breweries await.
Pennyweight Hotel – Boston
The season’s most cleverly named opening, Pennyweight Hotel, sits at 155 Portland Street in Boston’s burgeoning west end, a tribute to the weight of a U.S. penny – 1.55 grams. But you don’t have to be a numismatist to appreciate this art-filled boutique, where 112 rooms are done up in white and light hues with views out onto Boston’s historic streets. The hotel is just a short walk to TD Garden, the Freedom Trail, and pretty much any Beantown attraction you’re in town to see. It also offers a tasty new American bar and restaurant in the lobby at 155 on Portland.
Hotel Polaris – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Hotels on military installations aren’t usually what one would describe as “cool or even “comfortable.” But, the Air Force is raising the on-base luxury bar. Hotel Polaris, located at the U.S. Air Force Academy, is the pride of our armed services. The 375-room resort has six bars and restaurants, two rooftop bars, and America’s only hotel flight simulator. That’s right, guests at the Hotel Polaris can either fly an F-16 through a dogfight or land a 737 MAX, in between peeping views of snow-capped mountains out the Polaris’ floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s also a sprawling outdoor pool where you can soak up the mountain sun, or catch fighter jets zooming by in the distance.
Populus – Denver, Colo.
Billed as America’s first “carbon-positive” hotel, Populus is a tribute to Rocky Mountain nature set right in Downtown Denver. Whether the hotel’s planting of over 70,000 trees truly offsets its carbon footprint is debatable, but what’s not up for debate is the Aspen tree-inspired architecture that brings loads of natural light inside. The 13-story hotel offers 265 rooms, many of which have hammocks in the window for you to enjoy the sun. The rooftop bar and restaurant Stellar Jay offers stunning views of the sunset and skyline, with a firepit-filled patio that feels a little like a mountain camping trip.
Trailborn Highlands – Highlands, N.C.
Highlands was fortunately spared much damage from this fall’s storms, and welcomes visitors to the Blue Ridge Mountains with this modern alpine lodge. Light woods and dark stones dominate the décor, a clean modern take on the traditional mountain escape. Though Trailborn boasts a big Nordic spa and a cozy fireplace-filled living room, it’s also a place to get out and explore. The hotel is set on 4.5 acres of pristine wilderness inside the Nantahala National Forest, and offers guided hikes and outdoor excursions. Later in winter, it’ll open the Highlands Supper Club, plating Southern classics inside a rustic log cabin.
Urban Cowboy – Denver
Urban Cowboy’s Rocky Mountain debut finally opened its doors in October, bringing its design sensibility to an historic Gilded Age mansion. The interior is a collection of thrift shop chic, from a hand-carved wooden bar found in Ohio to an assortment of western art uncovered in Colorado. Rooms have hammered copper tubs, with custom-designed wallpaper inspired by a 1700s pattern. Urban Cowboy will also bring Brooklyn wood-fired pizza hit Roberta’s to the property, where you can enjoy its trademark Bee Sting pie in the crisp mountain air.
