No two summers are exactly alike in the United States. American summer has a distinctive vibe, to be sure, but it varies from region to region. Whether it’s lake trips and porch nights in the Midwest, endless beach days in California, or afternoon thunderstorms in the South, you know where you are in the U.S. by how people spend their hottest days. That’s why hotels that open during the summer have to do more than just give you a place to stay, they have to give you a sense of what summer means in whatever place they call home.
This year’s coolest new summer hotels are up to the task. From a lodge near the mountains of the West to a seaside escape in the East, luxury, adventure, and everything in between abound at America’s best new hotels of summer.
Amrit Ocean Resort – Singer Island, Florida
If a summer of indulgence has you looking for a fall detox, perhaps a trip to Palm Beach County is in order. This new waterfront resort on secluded Singer Island has the season’s most extensive new wellness offerings, with a 103,000-square-foot wellness center that has pretty much everything you need to refresh your body. Hammams, hydrotherapy, personal wellness consultants and a 3,500-square-foot gym mean you can leave feeling like you’re in tip-top shape. On the culinary side, Amrit will debut an all-vegan restaurant in the fall if you’re up for exploring plant-based living during your stay.
El Caminante Bar and Bungalows– Capistrano Beach, Calif.
Of all of the American summer traditions, California has one of the most iconic. Maybe you’re already imagining the southern California coast and its cool Pacific breezes blowing through Spanish mission architecture, palm trees rustling as the wind goes past. That essence is captured at this new Orange County hotel, where 30 individually designed beachside bungalows are the picture of a SoCal beach retreat. You’ll find firepits on the beach, exclusive to guests, and common areas that evoke the old mission design. There is, of course, onsite Reiki and sound healing by request too, because otherwise it just wouldn’t be California.
Cloudland Lookout Mountain – Rising Fawn, Ga.
The mountains of northern Georgia are an ideal place for a summer escape, especially when that escape means dangling your drink over a cliffside infinity pool. That’s the vacation fantasy you can fulfill at Cloudout Lookout Mountain, where the pool overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains and McLemore Cove. Views from the rooms aren’t much of a falloff, either, with panoramas of the hills from nearly all 245. You can also play 18 holes at the Mountaintop Highlands golf course, and a second championship course is opening in the fall.
Hotel Granada – Atlanta, Ga.
A century-old apartment building in midtown Atlanta has gotten a major facelift, reopening as the Hotel Granada. You’ll see hints of the building’s former life dotted around the property, like the central courtyard fountain and an original mosaic floor with the hotel’s name. The courtyard is also home to Pom Court, the hotel’s restaurant with a menu that ranges from Spanish omelets to cheddar grits. To complete the property’s aesthetic, the Granada enlisted the help of the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta to curate the interior art of each room with paintings and ceramics by Georgia-based artists.
The Henson – Hensonville, New York
The Catskills’ coziest new property sits in the little hamlet of Hensonville, where the owners of the Hunter Houses treehouses have restored a 159-year-old hotel. The Henson has 16 individually designed rooms brimming with natural light, adorned in furniture that brings the Catskills lodge motif into 2024. The hotel’s rooftop gives you sweeping views of Windham Mountain and Black Dome, though you can get more intimate with Upstate nature in the meticulous outdoor gardens. The onsite restaurant Matilda comes from the chefs behind NYC’s Contra and Wildair, who showcase what they can do with ingredients from surrounding farms.
Hotel Heron – Alexandria, Virginia
Back in the last roaring ‘20s, the George Mason Hotel was a place for high society and politicos to rub elbows in the tony DC suburb of Alexandria. A hundred years later the same Colonial Revival structure is once again home to Alexandria’s hottest hotel, this time reborn as the Heron. The 134-room boutique has rooms with subtle historic accents, like globe light fixtures and blue wood closets. The onsite restaurant Kiln adds a gathering-place happy hour to the city, serving Mid-Atlantic ingredients like Olde Salt Oysters and North Carolina shrimp.
Moxy St. Petersburg – St. Petersburg, Fla.
Moxy’s brand of lifestyle fun finally arrives at bustling Central Avenue, only a few blocks from Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays. The hotel’s Florida mid-century modern vibe fits right in with St. Petersburg’s artsy ethos. Up top, you’ll find Central Avenue’s first rooftop pool, flanked by Sparrow, the hotel’s Asian-inspired restaurant. The lobby hosts live music on its indoor stage, and even when there’s not a band playing, the indoor-outdoor bar tempts you to linger in the Florida heat.
The Nevada — York, Maine
One might find “Nevada” a strange name for any hotel near a beach, much less one in Maine. This 21-room reimagined motel is actually named after a Navy ship on which the original owner served and has little to do with the desert. The reimagined motor inn is a seaside stunner. Rooms with full-length windows have front row seats to Long Sands Beach and the ocean. The hotel also possesses another Maine anomaly – a Tiki bar called Lulu’s – where you can soak up the sun and get a little slice of Polynesia in coastal New England.
Romer House Waikiki – Honolulu, Hawaii
There’s nothing quite like meticulously planning your Wiakiki honeymoon, then checking in to your hotel and finding half the occupants are under the age of 8. Romer House felt that pain and opened the historic beach’s first adults-only hotel, decked out in mid-century décor and blissful silence. If you want to enjoy the sun while keeping your secluded quiet, the upstairs Backyard pool club is limited to guests only. And once you’re ready to head inside, the Japanese-Hawaiian fusion at Izakaya 855-ALOHA serves a truly unique menu with dishes like panko-fried mahi and prime beef tongue with lemon ponzu.
Hotel Rumbao – San Juan, P.R.
Old San Juan gets its lone branded hotel with the debut of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio Hotel Rumbao. Set inside the walls of this historic city, the hotel has modern rooms filled with colorful art to give the Rumbao a real sense of place — in case the views down the neighborhood’s narrow streets weren’t enough. The hotel opened a new destination restaurant in Old San Juan at Kueros, which adds some modern touches to traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. The bar is already a hotspot, too, and a worthy addition to the city’s strong cocktail scene.
Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa – Jackson, Wyoming
Less of an opening and more of a desperately-awaited reopening, this Jackson Hole icon is back after a five-year, fire-induced hiatus. The new Rusty Parrot looks like an all-new property, with 40 rooms outfitted with stone fireplaces, wood fixtures and a luxe new lobby. The trademark stuffed bear and cowboy poem turndown service remains, continuing the same beloved hospitality that has made the lodge so popular. The new restaurant Wild Sage throws another upscale dining option into the already trendy mix at Jackson Hole, and the Body Sage spa is a great place to recharge between strenuous days on the mountains.
Wildhaven Yosemite – Mariposa, California
Perhaps “roughing it” at Yosemite National Park isn’t your idea of a vacation, but you still want to see the wonders of El Capitan, Half Dome and Yosemite Falls. Enter Wildhaven, an approachable new glamping resort right outside the park. Here, cabins come with AC, kitchens and unfettered views of Yosemite. If you want something slightly more rustic, Wildhaven is also outfitted with safari tents with private decks. Whichever option you choose, Wildhaven gives you just enough nature to know you’re in the great outdoors, and just enough comfort to escape it when you’re done.
