travel leisure portland maine

How to Spend Three Days in Portland, Maine

A trip to Portland, Maine, delivers more than just outstanding seafood and the best lobster in the US. Its fresh food is matched by the collection of breweries that you could spend all weekend visiting. Add in some fantastic galleries and fascinating museums and you have a recipe for a memorable 3 days. 

The population of just 66,000 allows Portland to provide bustling city vibe without diminishing its quintessential New England feel. Outside of restaurants and breweries, Portland maintains an old-time feel when everywhere is the world is in such a hurry to jump into the future. From rain-soaked cobblestone streets to classic independent bookstores, each day in Portland is the perfect chance to walk back in time.

Where to Stay in Portland, Maine

The best area to base yourself during your 3-days in Portland is within the Old Port district. Old Port mixes in with the downtown area providing excellent dinning and multiple breweries within walking distance, along with the starting point for many activities in this itinerary.

Most importantly, these walks will include venturing along the cobblestone streets, passing old bookstores and boutiques. 

The Best Time of Year to Visit Portland

Temperatures in Portland remain quite mild throughout the year, even in winter when the sprawling peninsula protects the city from the unrelenting Atlantic Ocean. Having said that, to truly enjoy what Portland is all about, it’s best to avoid the city during the winter months. 

For those that enjoy parks from blooming flowers all the way to auburn leaves, the Spring and Fall present the perfect opportunity to explore Portland. Museums and restaurants, closed in the winter, open their doors in Spring. While whale watching season begins in April.

Summers in Portland are wonderfully mild thanks to the ocean breeze floating in off the coast. The Summer is the best time to explore the beaches, to sail in Casco Bay and go sightseeing, including venturing to Acadia National Park.

Ok, now it’s time to for the fun part, the planning. With the help of this 3-day itinerary for Portland, you will be able to explore the city like a local, visiting the best museums and eating at all the tastiest restaurants. Let’s get to it!

Day One: Breweries and Books

Aside from being a lobster-lover’s paradise and a town of classic lighthouses, Portland has a thriving brewery scene that grows by the year. Since you have just the long weekend to spend in this coastal town, there is no time to waste.

If you have access to a car, it is easy to drive around Portland and into neighboring towns hitting up the best local breweries. These include the Bissel Brothers Brewing Company and the much-loved Allagash Brewery .

But since this is a fun vacation, why not take a load off your shoulders and join a Maine Brews Cruise ? With a variety of tours to choose from, you can experience Portland’s best breweries on foot with a friendly, knowledgeable guide. Or you can take to the high seas and explore local forts while getting your craft beer fix along the way. 

However, if you are traveling with friends or have a rather rowdy family, you might be tempted to experience the Baycycle Brews Cruise, a human-powered pontoon boat. Drink and pedal your way around Casco Bay, spending time with your favorite people while sipping on Maine’s best beers.

After lunch, provided you aren’t in need of a long nap and some Gatorade, walk it off by exploring the stunning cobblestone streets in Portland’s Old Port. Here you will find narrow roads flanked with gorgeous old brick buildings now home to a variety of cute boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and bars. If you have your tourist hat on, you will also wander by some shops that sell hand crafted souvenirs and trinkets to bring home. 

Begin on Commercial Street where you can sit by the waterfront and take in the views of the harbor and the boats running in and out. Once you’ve taken your obligatory photos, start your stroll down to Exchange Street, the most happening part of town. 

Despite growing popularity and tourism, Portland remains much the same and, in its own unique way, continues to pay homage to the city’s humble beginnings. A prominent example of this is Portland’s slew of old-timey book stores hidden behind red brick facades. 

In a world that runs full-steam ahead into the digital age, Portland’s wonderful literary scene holds on tight to its envious total of 13 independent bookstores. If you only have time for one, then make a beeline for Sherman’s , a longstanding Portland institution that opened in 1886. It houses an expansive section dedicated purely to authors from Maine. 

Although if you have a means of transport, Quills Books and Beverage combine all things great. Come check out their cafe, lounge and bar so you can read a classic with a coffee or a red wine in hand. 

Once dinner is sorted and you have tried some of Portland’s specialty dishes, it is time to explore the city’s nightlife. Portland’s many breweries and age-old pubs may not be the spot for a raucous Miami -style evening, but they make for a wonderful place to hang with friends and family.

For some fun live music, be sure to check out Blue , which specializes in Irish and Jazz tunes, a great complement to a few craft beers. Then there is Maps , which, as you probably guessed, has walls covered in various maps of the world. But to have a grand old time, then walk back down to Old Port where you will find Oasis , crammed into the district’s cobblestone streets. 

With an upstairs nightclub with a rotation of DJs, and several live acts each week, you can dance the night away right here. 

Where to Eat on Your First Day in Portland

For a light lunch after a big trip on the paddling pontoon boat, head to Banh Appetit , a new but welcome part of Portland’s impressive food scene. Serving authentic, handmade Vietnamese cuisine, Banh Appetit is a favorite among locals and those traveling through town. Begin with the cha gio (egg rolls) and end with the bo xao banh mi, which includes a delectable filling of lemongrass beef. Don’t forget to wash it all down with their limeaide, made fresh on-site.

For your first night in Portland, you will have an abundance of choice that particularly favors those that love their seafood. Even if you aren’t a big fan, Portland, being right on the fresh Atlantic Ocean, does it better than most. So for dinner, make a reservation at Eventide Oyster Co, where you can try Portland’s favorite lobster roll which comes in a doughy steamed bun topped with chives. 

Day 2: Museums and Islands

After a delicious breakfast to begin the day, make your way down to the Portland Museum of Art . On Congress Street, the museum houses an expansive collection of American, international and contemporary art. All up, there are over 22,000 pieces of art which date as far back as the 18 th century. Along the Museum of Art’s permanent collection, you will find a thorough rotation of exciting exhibits focusing on talented located artists and prominent works from all corners of the globe. If you are visiting on a Friday, the good news is that entry is free from 10am to 8pm!

Once you have your art fix, continue down Congress Street to the Maine Historical Society Museum . The Historical Society helps to preserve and celebrate over 12 centuries of life in Maine. Inside you will find a fantastic gallery with artifacts and rotating exhibits along with the Wadsworth Longfellow House, which is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. You can take a tour of the iconic poet’s boyhood home or download a self-paced audio tour. Afterwards, hang out in the gorgeous garden and relax under the warm Maine sun. 

Although we have listed a great lunch option below, consider getting it to-go or picking up some supplies for a classic Portland picnic. We know just the place for you to kick back with your partner or friends and family and enjoy a peaceful afternoon. 

With your picnic supplies and a cheeky bottle of bubbly, make your way down to the Eastern Promenade. Designed by the same firm who created New York’s iconic Central Park, the Eastern Promenade is 68 acres of lush green landscape with playgrounds, sports fields and a plethora of casual walking paths. 

On one of the rolling hills, sit back and enjoy the expansive views of Casco Bay and downtown Portland. Once the lunch is complete, stretch your legs out on the 2 mile long walking path that will have you very excited for your next activity: the Casco Bay Lines Mail Boat .

There is no better way to explore the many islands of Casco Bay that by jumping onboard a working boat that carries mail and freight alongside its many passengers. A single ticket gets you up to a three-hour journey through the bay where you can hope on and off a variety of islands, the most popular destinations being Little and Great Diamond, Chebeague and Peaks Island. 

Peaks Island is a part of Portland and comes with a decent residential population that booms in the summer. With amazing ocean views to explore, you can get around the island on the preferred method of transport, the golf cart. 

For a quick energizer, head to Peaks Cafe for the much-loved cinnamon buns before making your way to the Backshore or the top of Battery Steele for the best views on the island. From there, hop back on the boat and continue island hopping into the late afternoon. 

An Alternative for Day Two

Anytime spent in Portland, Maine is a chance to explore one of America’s best national parks. Located three hours out of Portland is Acadia National Park, where you will find incredible hiking to thrilling peaks and stark cliff faces. The ‘Crown Jewel’ of the north Atlantic Coast is also home to uninhabited islands, and well-preserved estuaries featuring migratory birds and unique habitats.

One of the best ways to explore the park is by driving the stunning Park Loop Road through Mount Desert Island. This picturesque byway also takes you to some of the best spots in the park, including Cadillac Mountain, one of the first places in the USA to view the daily sunrise. 

A trip to Acadia isn’t complete without visiting Thunder Hole. Despite the crowds, it is well worth the visit, just the hear the monstrous thunder clap noise created by the waves breaking into the hole.

Finish your trip in beautiful Bar Harbor, a colorful town right on the park’s boundary. This is a great place to load up on hiking food or the place to enjoy dinner after the day’s adventures. For a special evening, check out Reel Pizza Cinerama , for an outdoor cinema experience matched only by the pizza.

Read More: Why Acadia is My Favourite National Park ; How to Spend a Perfect Three Days in Acadia National Park, Maine

Where to Eat on Day Two

Begin day two with a bang at Hot Suppa . With a lively breakfast atmosphere, a hybrid outdoor space and fantastic coffee, this is the best spot for breakfast in town. Chow down on your hearty southern cuisine that comes with a strong twist of New England personality, while the colorful walls create a vibrant diner experience. 

When lunch time comes around, load up at one of Portland’s trendiest restaurants, Black Cow. Half-cocktail bar, half burger-haunt, Black Cow is all about handmade burgers and craft cocktails. Choose from a variety of mouthwatering burgers and be sure to add a side of their special mac ‘n’ cheese. Complete your experience with a classic milkshake or hand crafted soda. 

For dinner, enjoy a night of farm-to-table dining at Fore Street . With locally sourced ingredients and hand crafted meals, Fore Street cooks up all your favorites with a typical Portland twist. The menu rotates daily, reflecting what is available locally, but they always hit the spot. 

Day 3: Whales and Beaches

Your day three itinerary for Portland, Maine will take you away from the historic downtown and further out to sea. Whale’s flock to Maine’s rich ecosystem full of sand eels, copepods, and plankton. From mid-April all the way to October, you will have the chance to see whales at their best before they swim south to warmer waters.

Whale watching is more than just a spectator sport, it is a fantastic way to connect with nature. Spotting the world’s largest living creatures off the coast of Portland is an inspiring sight, one that you won’t soon forget. 

While you can spot humpback, pilot, minke and the enormous finback whales from the comfort of the Portland shoreline, you can’t beat being out on the water among all the action. 

With Odyssey Whale Watch , you will join a cruise with almost a decade of experience. Both fun and educational, this adventure is great for young and old. Enjoy the invigorating nature, fresh ocean air and entertaining narration as you go search for these impressive beasts. Half-day tours begin at 10am and 2.30pm, lasting around 4 hours each.

If you arrive out of whale watching season or don’t feel like venturing out to sea, sign up for a walking food tour and round out your culinary experience in Portland. This tour will cover all the hotspots you may have missed, along with providing local insight into hidden gems that don’t show up on a Google search.

Over two-and-a-half hours, you will eat your way around the historic Old Port, sampling multiple restaurants serving anything from seafood to Italian. 

Where to Eat on Day Three

Tandem Coffee may not look like your typical breakfast joint, it is within an old gas station after all. However, this cute coffee and bakery establishment serves up enlivening coffee and some of the best pastries in the region. The home-made biscuits will melt your heart and their signature breakfast sandwiches features these biscuits with an envious mix of butter, sweet & savory flavors that will have you drooling for the rest of the day.

If you aren’t out in search of whales or traipsing over town on your food tour, then stop by Saltwater Grille for your last meal in Portland. With an amazing view to accompany your selection of delicious seafood, chowder and vegetarian options, this will be a heart-warming way to end your travels. 

Final Thoughts on Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine offers an exciting mix of throwback architecture and relaxing culture along with their fresh dining scene and thriving collection of breweries.

Being stuck between a large town and a small city is in no way a disparaging remark, as Portland provides visitors with all the impressive aspects of big city living with a hometown feel along with being very walkable.

Overall, this three days in Portland itinerary will have you falling in love with the town and quickly planning a return adventure. 

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Lauren Juliff

Lauren Juliff is a published author and travel expert who founded Never Ending Footsteps in 2011. She has spent over 12 years travelling the world, sharing in-depth advice from more than 100 countries across six continents. Lauren's travel advice has been featured in publications like the BBC, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Cosmopolitan, and her work is read by 200,000 readers each month. Her travel memoir can be found in bookstores across the planet.

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I would love to visit Portland! It sounds like a great place to visit.

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Meet Lauren Juliff

The Ultimate Travel Guide to Portland, Maine

Where to stay, dine, shop, and relax in the Pine Tree State's largest city.

A population of about 67,000 has earned it the title of Maine's largest city, but at 21 walkable square miles, Portland feels delightfully town-like.

With terrific, forward-thinking restaurants, stylish independent boutiques, a vibrant arts and culture scene, and cobblestoned streets, Portland is the perfect New England destination for a long weekend. The area is particularly magical in summer, when the weather's clear and dry, and when delicious eats in the Old Port abound.

The only problem? You'll never want to leave.

Mercury Inn

There are lots of old-timey B&Bs in Portland. Mercury Inn, named for the Roman god of travelers, is not one of them. The chic, urbane little gem fills exactly the niche Tim Karu and Jacob Krueger hoped it would when they set about modernizing a historic Victorian inn in the leafy, residential Parkside neighborhood a few years ago. Sourcing from local makers, vendors, and vintage stores, the husband-and-husband duo, natural hospitalitarians and food obsessives, dressed the common spaces and seven guest rooms with low-slung furnishings, high-impact art, and multicolored textiles. It's as if Design Within Reach and Anthropologie had the coolest kid, ever—one who happens to love gray and yellow, and one who's committed to using LEDs, non-toxic paints, and compost bins. Mercury's house-made breakfast, which takes over the elegant front room of the parlor floor, changes daily based on what's available at Karu and Krueger's favorite farms and purveyors.

Press Hotel

Print may be dead in some places, but the history of newspapers is still very much alive at the 110-room Press Hotel, which occupies the brick-and-stone building that was home to the Portland Press Herald until 2010, when the paper moved offices. Today, the hotel finds clever ways to play up its storied past. Inkwell, the lobby bar, calls its happy hour "Off the Record"; typographical murals spell out Press Herald headlines of yore; and leather desk chairs are embroidered with "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," a phrase once used to test typewriters because it has every letter in the alphabet. Beyond these throwbacks, the Press Hotel is stocked with plenty of contemporary creature comforts, including including a gallery featuring works by local artists and marble baths with C.O. Bigelow toiletries.

119 Exchange Street, thepresshotel.com

Danforth Inn

Fresh on the heels of a renovation, the Danforth Inn is ready to strut its stuff. When the nine-room B&B changed hands in 2014, its new owners added a much-raved-about Southeast Asian restaurant, yet still managed to preserve the splendor and grace of the 1823 house. Guest rooms are all plushly decorated and named for local neighborhoods and attractions; Casco Bay is bedecked with olives and plums, Eastern Promenade is bright white with gray accents. Public spaces recall the history of the building: relax in the wood-paneled billiard room, which served as a hideout during Prohibition, or soak in views of the harbor from the benches lining the original rooftop cupola.

163 Danforth Street, danforthinn.com

Eventide Oyster Co.

It's likely you'll have to wait for a table—or, even better, a seat at the concrete oyster bar—at Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley's hugely popular seafood spot. No worries, though: just use the down time to slurp back a couple of oyster shooters, dig into the nicely curated list of local and international beers, and mull over your order. Thankfully, it's very hard to make the wrong choice at Eventide, where the lobster roll—a sweet steamed bun stuffed with lobster meat that's been tossed in brown butter, lemon juice and salt—the tangy crudos, and the local oysters (accompanied by creative alternatives to mignonette, including Tabasco ice and kimchi ice) are all top-notch. And should you find yourself eating at Eventide more than once on your trip to Portland—well, you certainly wouldn't be the first to do so.

86 Middle Street, eventideoysterco.com

Central Provisions

The Federal-style brick building at the corner of Fore and Central streets has worn many hats over the course of its 200-plus-year history: it's been various shops (wine, burlap bags, blacksmith supplies) and once served as a storage facility for the East India Trading Company. In 2014, the space became a restaurant for the very first time, with husband-and-wife team Chris and Paige Gould at the helm. He's the chef, she's the GM, and their menu, driven by seasonality and local produce, changes daily. That said, the outstanding crudos (like scallop with tarragon, pistachio, lemon and bottarga), inventive veggies (like fried cauliflower with ras el hanout, a Moroccan spice blend), and pristinely prepared proteins are all a constant. And whatever you do, don't overlook the bread and butter—crusty sourdough with fresh butter and lemon sabayon. Yes, it costs $7, but it'll rock your world.

414 Fore Street, central-provisions.com

J's, the no-frills seafood joint on a pier off Commercial Street, is diner-like and dark, with a large, U-shaped wooden bar taking up most of the interior space. It's the kind of place where ordering a well Martini in the middle of the day feels like the right call. (In 1977, the year J's opened, craft cocktails hadn't yet become trendy.) While there are plenty of places in town for lobster rolls, J's version does right by minimalists: it's a hot dog bun with a heaping pile of lobster meat. That's it. Even the mayo comes in an individual-size packet on the side. Be sure to order a bucket of steamers, as well—if you're unsure how to eat them, one of the hilarious straight-shooters behind the bar will gaily lend a hand.

5 Portland Pier, jsoysterportland.com

If you're looking for a healthy meal, you're not going to get it at Duckfat. But if you're looking for one last hurrah—say, an indulgent snack before you pack up and head to the airport—there's really no place better. As its name implies, Duckfat specializes in cooking things in duck fat; best among them, the Belgian-style fries, which come with standard (Heinz, malt vinegar) or more inventive (truffle ketchup, garlic mayo) condiments. Wash it down with a milkshake made from local gelato, like the to-die-for wild Maine blueberry.

43 Middle Street, duckfat.com

THINGS TO DO

Portland Museum of Art

The Portland Museum of Art is small and mighty; it's packed with many wonderful pieces, but it won't consume an entire day. Recent exhibitions have highlighted Georges Braque; Georgia O'Keeffe, Florine Stettheimer, and other women modernists; and Henri Matisse. The museum's permanent collection is studded with works by Warhol, Monet, and Winslow Homer, arguably the most famous artist to come from Maine. In spring, summer, and fall, PMA offers round-trip excursions to and from Homer's former home and studio, located 12 miles north on the peninsula of Prouts Neck.

7 Congress Square, portlandmuseum.org

Peaks Island

Peaks Island is one of the more than 200 islands in Casco Bay, and the simple act of getting there will check another item off any good Portland bucket list; that is, taking a boat ride. One 20-minute ferry later, Peaks is best explored on foot or by bike—there's a rental shop right near the dock. Toodle around for an hour and whiz past charming Shingle-style cottages; then, be sure to swing by the Umbrella Cover Museum—a shoebox-size storefront filled with the world's largest collection of umbrella sleeves, according to Guinness World Records—before making the return trip.

peaksisland.info

Portland Sea Dogs

At Hadlock Field, a quick cab ride from downtown, aspiring Boston Red Sox players hone their chops as Portland Sea Dogs. It's worth catching a game here if you're visiting Portland during the season, if only for the sheer sense of Americana: Tickets are cheap and easy to come by; dining options are proudly non-gourmet; the mascot keeps the crowd entertained; and local kids participate in inter-inning competitions and games, right on the field. There's even a microbrew stand by the first base line—it may be Double-A baseball, but this is still Portland.

271 Park Avenue, milb.com

Shopping Downtown

Aside from a Lululemon, the Old Port remains nearly free of retail chains, making it easy to support Portland's myriad independent businesses. Standouts include the Salt Cellar, with dozens of finishing and cooking salts from across the globe; K Colette, with so many beautifully arranged soaps, pottery, linens, and other trinkets that you'll wish you had more wedding presents to buy; Portland Dry Goods, a hipper, more outdoors-y version of J.Crew; Furniturea, an Arts District shop with modern, Maine-made furniture and decor; and Vena's Fizz House, with barware, mixology books, tonics, and syrups, plus a bar serving up fizzes and other post-shopping cocktails.

Portland Hunt + Alpine Club

With sparse decor and a wall of windows overlooking Market Street, Portland Hunt + Alpine Club practically begs you to Instagram your drink. And whatever you order—whether it's a classic Old Fashioned or something from the "Adventurous" category—will be beautiful enough to brag about. That's because husband-and-wife owners Andrew and Briana Volk are meticulous through and through, right down to the folklorish Irish toast ("And if you're going to drink, drink with me") printed inside the leather-bound menu. There's food, too, including a house smörgåsbord and other Scandinavian fare. But if you're just looking for a snack, go for the house popcorn, which is dusted with green chile powder, butter, and parmesan.

75 Market Street, huntandalpineclub.com

Microbreweries

Portland consistently reigns supreme on lists of destinations for beer lovers, and it's not hard to see why. According to Forbes, the city has the highest rate of microbreweries per capita of any city in the country—including its brewery-rich sibling in Oregon. In the East End alone, small-batch makers like Rising Tide and Oxbow —plus a cluster of food trucks—promise to fill a weekend afternoon with leisurely tastings and tours.

Fore Street

With exposed brick, thick wood beams, and an open kitchen, Fore Street, the patriarch of farm-to-table dining in Maine, is rustic glamour at its best. And even if you don't leave time for a full meal here—a revelatory experience, if you can swing it—at least carve out time to grab a drink in the spacious, elegant bar, which offers one of Portland's best wine lists. Kick back and watch Fore Street's servers and cooks man the massive hearth, grills, and rotisserie in the dining room just beyond. Who knows—you might just find yourself putting in your name for a table.

288 Fore Street, forestreet.biz

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3-Day Portland, Maine Itinerary

By Author Daina Grazulis

Posted on Last updated: June 22, 2022

Categories MAINE

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Portland, Maine – The Small “Big” City

This 3-Day Portland, Maine Itinerary has everything you need to know about exploring the most populous city in the state!

Welcome to Portland, Maine! This is an incredible city full of rich history, amazing restaurants, fun bars, and beautiful ocean views.

I like to call Portland a small “big city.” It has that distinctly urban downtown vibe, but a relatively small population to be considered “big.” At roughly 67,000, Portland is the most populated city in the entire state of Maine.

Portland has an unmistakable charm that shines through in its narrow cobblestone streets, historic brick buildings, and traditional colonial townhouses. These elements mix wonderfully with the modern storefronts and art galleries that line the main streets of the city.

In recent decades, Portland has morphed from simply a town necessary to pass through for tourists to get to other parts of Maine to a destination city in itself.

It’s a fun and exciting place to explore – perfect for a romantic getaway or a weekend out with friends. This 3-Day Portland, Maine Itinerary has everything you need to know for your stay.

For more suggestions on what to do in the area, check out these 46 Fun Things To Do In Portland, Maine.

Don’t forget to check out our most recent Maine travel blog posts: – 10 Sandy Beaches Near Portland, Maine – The Best Pick Your Own Apple Orchards in Maine – 7 Best Coffee Shops in Portland, Maine

Fun Facts About Portland, Maine

• Did you know Portland, Oregon was named after Portland, Maine? The most populated city in Oregon was founded by a pair of New Englanders—Boston’s Asa Lovejoy and Francis Pettygrove from Portland, Maine. Each man wanted to name the spot after his hometown. So, they settled this matter the right way—via  coin toss.  Pettygrove won two out of three flips and that was that.
• Roughly 40 percent of all Maine residents live in the greater Portland metropolitan area.
• No transatlantic port in the U.S. is closer to Europe than Portland. According to the city’s official website, it’s also America’s 20th-largest fishing port.
• Acclaimed poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and author Stephen King were both born in Portland. King still maintains a residence in his native state; he and his wife Tabitha divide their time between Florida and the city of Bangor.

Day 1 in Portland, Maine

Time to explore and get acquainted with this historic seaside city! This includes shops, museums, lookouts, and bars.

Old Port/Congress Street

Portland’s historic Old Port cobblestone streets are lined with cute boutiques, touristy shops, art galleries, restaurants, and bars.

Start down on Commercial Street by the water, and work your way up the bustling Exchange Street. I’m personally a huge lover of bookstores, so that’s typically where I spend most of my shopping time downtown.

My favorites are Longfellow Books and The Green Hand – check out this complete list of bookstores in and near Portland! Another must-see shop is Flea For All .

Portland Observatory

The  Portland Observatory  is a historic maritime signal tower at 138 Congress Street in the Munjoy Hill section of Portland.

Built in 1807, it is the only known surviving tower of its type in the United States. Using both a telescope and signal flags, two-way communication between ship and shore was possible several hours before an incoming vessel reached the docks.

It’s now a tourist attraction that provides historical context and amazing views of Portland and the ocean.

The  Portland Museum of Art , is the largest and oldest public art institution in Maine. It was founded in 1882. It is located in the downtown area known area The Arts District in Portland, Maine.

The Museum’s collection includes more than 22,000 artworks, dating from the 18th century to the present. Visitors under 21 years old always get free admission, and entrance is free to all every Friday from 10am to 8pm.

The Maine Historical Society Museum features changing exhibitions and programs spanning more than 12 centuries of Maine life. Drawing from the extensive collections of the Maine Historical Society, original exhibits feature art, artifacts, stories, and documents that vividly bring Maine history to life.

These museums are both located down Congress Street from each other. These are perfect activities for a rainy or hot day when you just don’t want to be outside.

Portland has a flourishing bar scene that comes alive in the evenings and on weekends. There is truly something for everyone from dancing club bars to live music venues to intimate cocktail lounges.

My favorites include the hidden speakeasy Lincoln’s , a basement bar decorated in vintage maps and records called Maps , and the live music bar Blue . Check out my Portland, Maine Bar Guide for more information on enjoyable bars in town.

If you don’t drink alcohol, you can still participate in the festivities!

Vena’s Fizz House specializes in expertly crafted mocktails. Other bars with non-alcoholic cocktails on the menu include Central Provisions , Sagamore Hill Lounge , and the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club .

Where To Eat Day 1:

For lunch, check out Pai Men Miyake for amazing sushi and ramen bowls, or The Thirsty Pig for delicious house-made sausages and an extensive craft beer tap list.

Stop by David’s for an affordable high-end happy hour. Thai food at Boda or seasonally inspired farm-to-table American food at The Little Tap House are great options for dinner in the area.

Day 2 in Portland, Maine

Today is all about enjoying the two best things Portland has to offer – ocean views and beer. Don’t forget to bring a sweatshirt and have safe and sober rides around town!

Farmer’s Market

The Portland Farmers’ Market has been in operation since 1768! Whether it’s early spring, the heat of summer, a crisp fall morning, or a snowy winter day, the Farmer’s Market has something fresh and healthy for everyone.

If it can be grown or produced in Maine, you’ll find it at the Portland Farmers’ Market. The few times I’ve walked through the market, I was amazed at the overall variety of products being sold.

The best part is that they’re all local, mostly organic, and fresh! You’ll find every kind of seasonal vegetable, a huge variety of animal meats and cheese, fermented goodies, fresh baked goods, art, and homemade jewelry.

Casco Bay Lines Mail Boat

The Mailboat is an incredible way to experience Casco Bay from the sea. This true working boat carries passengers, mail, and freight to several islands off the coast of Portland.

A ticket gets you a 2-3 hour boat ride, and the option to hop off at any of the islands including Little Diamond, Great Diamond, Long, Cliff, and Chebeague. Just be sure to have a copy of the mail boat schedule so you know when you can hop back on to make it back to Portland.

Don’t forget to bring a sweatshirt or light jacket, even in the summer. Temperature and winds out on the water can be very different from the coast. For more information about the different islands and Casco Bay Lines Ferries, click here.

If you have time, this is one of my absolute must-dos in this 3-day Portland, Maine itinerary! There is simply nothing like the fresh ocean air to go with some of the best views you’ll find in all of Maine.

There are a lot of craft breweries in Portland (dare I say too many?). It’s a great city for beer lovers who want to enjoy some cold Maine brews on a Saturday afternoon.

Even if you don’t drink beer, many breweries do serve cider, wine, cocktails, or craft soda. There are breweries all over Portland and the surrounding areas, so you have several options for how to tour them.

You can hitch a ride by booking a Maine Brew Bus craft brewery tour. The all-inclusive tours provide a behind-the-scenes look at Maine’s craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, and more. Tours are led by expert guides in addition to a knowledgeable non-drinking driver to ensure the best possible experience.

You could take a walking tour of several breweries in the same area within walking distance from downtown Portland. Or, if you do decide to have someone in your party drive you around, make sure to be safe!

Here’s a full guide to the best breweries in Portland, Maine.

Even if you decide not to do an entire tour of the breweries, at least visit one as part of your Portland, Maine itinerary. It’s said that Portland has the most breweries per capita in the entire US! My absolute favorites are Foundation Brewing , Lone Pine , and Allagash .

Where To Eat Day 2:

Portland has some AMAZING breakfast restaurants , so you really can’t go wrong in that department. Try out Miss Portland’s Diner near Deering Oaks Park before hitting up the farmer’s market.

Pack a picnic of artisan charcuterie to enjoy on the mail boat with items from Rosemont’s Market . If you’re hungry on the brewery tour, both Sebago Brewing (get the waffle fry potato nachos, just trust me) and Foulmouthed Brewing have excellent food.

For a romantic dinner out, try Ribollita for some mouth-watering house-made Italian food.

Explore the abundant nature that Portland and its surrounding areas have to offer. Wear some comfy walking shoes and expect to be dazzled by all the natural beauty you’re about to experience!

Eastern Promenade

The Eastern Promenade was designed in 1905 by the Olmsted Brothers landscape firm, renowned for creating New York’s Central Park and the Boston Commons.

Today, the 68-acre historic landscape on the northeastern slope of Munjoy Hill (east end of Portland peninsula) offers unparalleled views of Casco Bay and Portland Harbor.

This is one of the best spots for a picnic in Portland (although there are many awesome contenders!), and is a beautiful place to watch the sunrise.

There is a 2-mile trail that runs along the coastline in addition to basketball and tennis courts, a baseball field, and a playground. Even if you decide not to spend any time hanging out on the Eastern Promenade, it’s worth a drive-by to get the most expansive view of the Casco Bay in the city!

Gilsland Farm

Gilsland Farm is located about a 15-minute drive away from downtown in Falmouth. It’s home to the Maine Audubon Society headquarters and is my favorite paradise away from the noise and activity of the city.

I’m always amazed at how much wildlife I see every time I visit, even if it’s just for a short walk. There are 3.5 miles of networked trails that lead through expansive wildflower meadows and forests.

The property runs along the Presumpscot River Estuary, providing some lovely and peaceful scenery just outside of Portland.

If you’re interested in exploring more trails around the area, check out these 8 easy hiking trails near Portland, Maine.

Bug Light Park

This is my favorite spot to catch a view of the Portland skyline. Pack a picnic, grab a book, and go relax on the expansive grassy lawn facing the big city at this cute park in South Portland.

This is a lovely place to kill a couple of hours on a nice day. There is also a small, cute lighthouse that juts out into the bay.

Portland Head Light

Okay, I couldn’t make a Portland, Maine itinerary without including the famous Portland Head Light.

It’s situated along the spectacular shores of Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth about 5 miles outside of Portland. The park has absolutely amazing views of the ocean and rocky Maine coastline.

There is a half-mile-long beautifully landscaped Cliff Walk that leads up to the lighthouse – it’s my favorite part of the entire park!

I write more about it in another post – 11 Public Gardens In Maine. Join in the fun and take a picture of Portland Headlight – it’s reportedly one of the most photographed lighthouses in the country.

Lobster Roll

There is a lot of debate about where you can get the best lobster roll in Portland.

Personally, I aim to get the best bang for my lobster roll buck instead of frequenting the trendy and “boutique” lobster joints. I’m sure those places make for great Instagram photos, but that’s not what I’m after in a lobster roll!

With that being said, the absolute best place to grab a lobster roll or dinner in the greater Portland metro area is The Bait Shed in Pine Point.

It is about a 20-minute drive from downtown Portland, but it’s totally worth it. Patrons are seated on a deck that juts out into the Scarborough River.

Where To Eat Day 3:

I hope you have a big sweet tooth! For breakfast, head over to Artemisia Cafe for a wholesome and fresh artisan breakfast.

While you’re in South Portland, grab a crafted latte at Omi’s Coffee Shop . Pick up a baked treat at Omi’s, Scratch Baking Co , or The Cookie Jar (or get something from all 3! No judgment here!).

The Cookie Jar has the absolute BEST donut holes and donuts in the Portland area. Have a humongous lobster roll or another seafood dish at The Bait Shed for lunch (see above).

Head back on down to South Portland for the best dinner you’ve ever had at David’s 388 (I’m not kidding, it’s AMAZING!).

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Saturday 10th of December 2022

Fantastic Info....planning a trip for June...Can you suggest places to stay? Or best neighborhoods?

Caroline Savage

Thursday 30th of September 2021

I would update your suggestions with mask information or least the Maine CDC website. And maybe the date you updated.

Monday 6th of September 2021

Peaks Island is also a great place to visit, but I am a little biased cause my cousin lives there and owns the greenhouse just up the hill from the ferry dock. There's a spot known as whaleback that is my serenity place. I could sit there all day with a good book and bottle of wine. And Battery Steele is quite interesting.

Daina Grazulis

Tuesday 7th of September 2021

I agree! After publishing this blog post, I realized I left out a few things that should be on this list - I will be updating it soon, and Peaks Island will definitely be added!

Saturday 26th of June 2021

We are flying into Boston and driving to Maine early October (Thursday-Tuesday)- our first trip! Recommendations on places to stay? I was thinking we should take a tour to see the fall leaves after we arrive in Boston then stay in Maine after. Your information has helped greatly but I am having issues coming up with an itinerary.

Sunday 4th of July 2021

Hi Danielle! Sounds like a nice trip - depending on your timeline, I would suggest staying in Portland, Bar Harbor, or Camden. I plan on posting some more articles this summer about fall activities/itineraries, so I'll let you know when those are up!

Marie Moreland

Wednesday 9th of June 2021

Thank you for this information! I will be in Maine next month and have not been able to find a travel book for it. This info is great and I will print it off to take with me! I have copied 3 days in Portland and 9 hikes in/near Bangor. Other recommendations??? Thanks again!

Friday 11th of June 2021

Hi Marie! I hope you enjoy your trip to Maine! I just posted another article with 14 fun things to do in Belfast, Maine (one of my favorite cities in the state). DEFINITELY stop by the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden in Boothbay Harbor - it's amazing (I also have an article with 11 beautiful public gardens in Maine). Honestly, if you're just visiting, I would not stop in Bangor, it's not really an exciting place for tourists. The Belfast/Camden area is a much better place to hangout.

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The BEST things to do in Portland, Maine (+ a two day itinerary option!)

Last updated on March 11th, 2024

Portland, Maine is one of our favorite cities in the United States and in this guide we’re sharing the best things to do in Portland, Maine, plus a two day itinerary! For our final stop on our big month long New England road trip we headed to Portland, Maine, which is a city we had been looking forward to visiting for so long. And it was basically love at first sight! With a historic downtown area, gorgeous waterfront views, an amazing restaurant scene, and unique activities, Portland had a vibe that we meshed with so perfectly and during our few days in the city, we had the best time trying delicious local foods, wandering around town, and even catching lobster. It quickly became one of our favorite cities we have been to!

Check out our time in Portland, Maine, including exploring the city and going lobstering !

Ready to experience this beautiful city for yourself? In this guide we’re sharing the best things to do in Portland, Maine, as well as all of our insight from our visit to this city, including where to stay, when to visit, how to get around, and a two day Portland, Maine itinerary to help you prioritize your time. We hope you fall in love with Portland like we did!

Looking for more things to do in Maine and New England? 

• New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary
• Our Favorite Hikes in Acadia National Park
• The Best Things to do in Acadia National Park
• How to see the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park
• Hiking the Precipice Trail at Acadia National Park
• How to backpack the Cutler Coast in Maine
• 7 Day Vermont Road Trip Itinerary
• 2-4 Day Acadia National Park Itineraries

About Portland, Maine

When to visit portland, maine, getting to + around portland, maine, where to stay in portland, maine, how much time do you need in portland, maine, the best things to do in portland, maine , two day portland itinerary.

Portland is the largest city in the state of Maine, with 40% of Maine’s residents living in the general area. But despite this, it still retains a small city feel, with historic buildings and no giant skyscrapers (the tallest building will soon be an 18 story building).  The city was established in 1786 and was originally the state capital of Maine, until Augusta took the title in 1832. Because of its location on the water, Portland became a booming center of trade, as it was the closest U.S. port to Europe. The city continued to grow when the railroad came to Portland in 1832, even overcoming a fire that destroyed much of the city in 1866, but around the 1960s, the area now known as Old Port began to deteriorate.

In the 1980s, the waterfront experienced a rebirth and today the Old Port neighborhood is one of the best preserved east coast historic waterfronts and has maintained much of its historic charm from the 1800s, with brick sidewalks and ornate buildings.  While the city itself is beautiful to look at, what we loved about Portland is that it has a little something for everyone. Whether you’re a fine dining foodie or prefer a good food truck (like us!), enjoy museums and art, love to walk around parks and experience history, or prefer to be out on the water, there is no shortage of things to do in Portland, Maine for any type of traveler.  

You can visit Portland, Maine year round, but your experience will vary depending on the season. Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect!

As you can imagine, winter is bitterly cold in Maine. The lows in December, January, and February are well below freezing, with highs barely above freezing. If you enjoy snow, there are lots of snow activities to partake in near the city, including skiing, plus some great coffee shops and bars to warm you up afterwards.  Note: Some activities and restaurants close in the winter, so you may not get the true Portland experience, but you will be able to see the city in a way many tourists do not and have less crowds.

The spring time will still be pretty cold, so you’ll want to pack layers for your visit, as the warmer temperatures don’t really come around until May. But the springtime will bring less crowds and flowers in bloom, with many outdoor activities becoming more accessible again. 

Summer is the best time to visit if you want the perfect weather and most activity options. You’ll have temperatures that rarely go above 80 and the lowest chances of rain all year. However,  this pleasant weather does bring the summer vacation crowds, so you’ll want to book activities and lodging early. There are also quite a few fun festivals and events in the summertime to enjoy!

If you’re looking for crisp, cool temperatures, fall foliage, slightly cheaper accommodations, and less crowds then fall is your season in Portland. We visited in the fall and LOVED it! Our visit was during mid to late October, around peak fall foliage time , and we were treated to sunny, warmer days. We may have just gotten lucky though, as typically October and November are rainier months, so make sure to bring a rain jacket and some layers just in case!

Portland is located in the southern part of Maine and is close to other major cities in New England and out East, which makes it pretty easy to get to no matter your mode of transportation. 

Flying to Portland, Maine

The closest airport to fly into will be the Portland International Jetport , which is located very close to downtown Portland and is Maine’s largest airport. It is served by several major airlines including American Airlines, Delta, jetBlue, Southwest, and United.  If the Portland airport doesn’t offer a good flight option for you, the Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) is about 2 hours away and is a massive airport that is serviced by all major airlines and offers nonstop flights from many destinations in the United States.

Driving to Portland, Maine

Driving to Portland instead? Here is how far the city is from nearby popular destinations:

• Boston, MA: 2 hours (112 miles)
• Providence, RI: 2.5 hours (163 miles)
• Bar Harbor, ME: 3 hours (175 miles)
• Acadia National Park: 3 hours (171 miles)
• Burlington, VT : 4 hours (257 miles)
• New York, NY: 5 hours (316 miles)
• Montreal, Quebec, CA: 5.5 hours (277 miles)
• Buffalo, NY: 8.5 hours (556 miles)

Note: These times are estimates based on no traffic, but plan to spend longer on the road. Also, some of the times above include driving tolls. If you want to avoid paying for tolls, make sure to turn off tolls on your Google Maps settings.

Getting around Portland, Maine

During our time in Portland, we did a combination of walking and driving to get around the city.  The Old Port area is very walkable, but to get between neighborhoods and to explore some of the spots a bit out of town, you’ll either need to drive or rent a car , take a Lyft/Uber, or take public transportation .  For Uber and Lyft, we’d highly recommend looking at their fare estimator tools ( Uber , Lyft ) to see how much you’d expect to spend when getting around town. While it would likely be affordable around town, it may get pricey to visit some of the spots outside of the downtown and main city area. We still think it would be cheaper than renting a car, but if you plan to explore more of Maine, having a car is worth it!

Where to park in downtown Portland

Since we were staying in our van while visiting Portland and were sleeping outside of town, we had to drive into town any time we wanted to explore. And while we mostly explored by foot once in town, we still had to find parking for our van. Our van is 22.5 feet long, so it’s longer than a normal vehicle, but we were able to find parking both times we drove into town. The first time was in the afternoon and we needed parking for about 5 hours, so we parked in this lot , which was $20 for all day parking. It was definitely pricier than street parking, but was a safe spot to leave the van. The second day we arrived in town very early and parked here at a meter, which only cost a few dollars for a few hours. It was a great spot! Note: RV parking (trailers or anything over 23 feet) is basically non-existent in the city, so if you have an RV, we suggest staying at a campground and either driving your vehicle or taking a Lyft around.

To truly experience Portland, we suggest staying in the downtown area, where you can walk to coffee shops, restaurants, and bars, as well as the waterfront. Below are some of our top suggestions for Airbnbs (our preferred way to stay when not in our van!) and hotels, all convenient to the best things to do in this Portland guide.

Hotels 

Portland has almost any hotel chain you can think of right in the downtown/Old Port area. 

• Hampton Inn Portland Downtown – Waterfront
• Canopy by Hilton Portland Waterfront
• Hyatt Place Portland – Old Port
• Hilton Garden Inn Portland Downtown Waterfront
• Courtyard by Marriott Portland Downtown Waterfront

Curious how we get FREE flights and hotels? Check out our list of our favorite travel cards that have saved us thousands of dollars!

Staying in an Airbnb would be a great way to experience the downtown/Old Port area of Portland like a local. East End, Walk to the Old Port (1 bedroom, 1 bathroom): This Airbnb is located in the charming East End area, which has a more neighborhood feel than Old Port, but is still close by to enjoy all of the popular sights. It also includes parking, which is a big perk! Bright & Spacious Apartment with Amazing Shower (1 bedroom, 1 bathroom): This bright and airy apartment is located on the western side of downtown, north of West End. It has all the amenities you’d need in an Airbnb stay including a washer and dryer and very nice bathroom and shower.  Extraordinary Architectural Masterpiece Downtown (1 bedroom, 1 bathroom): This beautiful penthouse rental is located on top of the Old Port area. You have great views of the surrounding area through the big windows and can even enjoy them outside in your own private courtyard. It has a fully stocked kitchen with a gas range, but is also walking distance from many of the delicious restaurants we mention in this guide. Quiet, Sunny 3 Br 2 Bath with Deck and Views (3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms): This second floor rental can sleep up to 6, has beautiful bedrooms, and a deck with gorgeous views of the water, as well as a grill so you can cook and enjoy the outdoor space!

If you’re like us and traveling in a van or RV, here are some options close to Portland, but still a drive away.  Bayley’s Camping Resort   This campground is a 21 minute drive to Portland and has all the camping options you can think of. Along with loads of amenities, there is even live music on the weekends!  Saco / Old Orchard Beach KOA Holiday This KOA is also located about a 25 minute drive southwest of Portland and has all the camping amenities you’ll need.

Old Orchard Beach Campground This campground has 4 main areas with 3 of them being for campers and RVers. Reviewers say it is very clean, the staff is very friendly and is in a great location.

Boondocking

There aren’t very many boondocking spots in Portland, in nature or even in a parking lot. If you’re in a pinch or are just in for one night, the Falmouth Walmart allows overnight parking and the Freeport Village Station is a quiet place as well. We stayed at both of these and had a safe, quiet experience. 

Portland, Maine is what we like to call a “liveable city.” This is a title we give cities we visit that we could see ourselves living in and when visiting, you may spend a lot of time doing things that you would do at home, like visiting parks, going out to eat, checking out coffee shops or bars, and shopping. They may have tourist attractions, but the town doesn’t necessarily revolve around tourist sights and for the most part the things you do are relatively normal activities.  And what that means for us is that we could spend tons of time in these cities just hopping around to different restaurants, going for walks, and just enjoy “living” there. So while you could spend weeks in Portland just experiencing life like a local, for a tourist trying to visit the most popular sights, we suggest having 2-3 days. This timeframe will give you the chance to experience some of the best activities, explore the downtown area, plus try a handful of good restaurants. We’re including a two day Portland, Maine itinerary at the end of this guide to help you plan your time in the city!

Ready to explore the city? Below are some of the best things to do in Portland, Maine, based on our experience, as well as spots that were high on our list and highly recommended, but we ran out of time to visit. If you’re overwhelmed by all there is to do, we’re including a two day itinerary below as well!

Watch our time in Portland, Maine, including exploring the city and going lobstering !

Drink Local Coffee

The best way to start our day in a new city is with a local coffee shop! And lucky for us, Portland has no shortage of solid options. We LOVED Tandem Coffee Roasters while in Portland, which not only roasts their own coffee, but also makes breakfast biscuits that we hear are solid (arrive early to snag one). This coffee shop is located in a converted 1960s gas station and you know it’s good when locals are lined up before it even opens. Some other good coffee shops to check out are Bard Coffee , Yordprom , Speckled Ax , Burundi Star Coffee , Coffee By Design , Higher Grounds , and The Proper Cup .

Walk around Old Port

One of the best things to do in Portland, Maine is to just walk around the Old Port area, which goes from Commercial Street along the water up a few blocks. This area of Portland is extremely walkable and has so much of the historic charm we mentioned earlier in the guide.  While in Old Port you can check out the different shops and boutiques, enjoy the different restaurants (more on that next!), walk along the water, and maybe see fishermen loading and unloading their daily catch. You could spend a whole afternoon just in this area and likely not see it all!

Eat your way through the city!

Portland was named Bon Appetit’s 2018 Restaurant City of the Year and there is NO shortage of delicious restaurants to enjoy while in the city. In fact, where to eat will likely be the toughest decision you’ll have to make during your visit, as there are just so many incredible options.

Where we ate

During our visit we visited a couple spots that we highly recommend, plus a few that we were dying to try, but ran out of time for.  First up on our Portland food adventure we went to The Holy Donut for their famous Maine potato donuts, which have a unique texture from a regular donut, but are so hearty and delicious. We got three donuts total, including a Chocolate Sea Salt (this flavor is their most popular), Pumpkin Head, and Maple Bacon, which was hands down our favorite. They also have gluten free and vegan donuts too! We also ate at Bite Into Maine , which was said to have one of the best lobster rolls in town. We were torn between the Maine style, which is cold and is tossed in mayo and has chives on top, or the Connecticut style which is hot and has melted butter that they pour on top right in front of you. The Connecticut style sounded better to us, but we were in Maine afterall, so we had to try both. And to our surprise, they were both equally delicious and we couldn’t really pick a favorite. Both had incredibly tender lobster meat and were served on a heavenly, toasted New England style hot dog bun.  At the time of our visit, each roll (we got the 4.5 oz) was $26, which is pricey, but we had heard that lobster was more expensive in 2021 due to demand and that this was a pretty standard price. We typically do not spend that much on food, but it was more than worth it to try this decadent delicacy!  We also got a homemade Whoopie Pie from Bite Into Maine, which is Maine’s official state treat. It’s two chocolate cake-like rounds with a creamy filling between them and is said to have been popular in Maine since 1925. It was delicious! And we washed it all down with the state fruit of Maine, but in soda form, Blueberry soda.

Other spots to check out

While we wish we could’ve eaten more in Maine, our time constraints and budget didn’t allow it, but there were some spots that came highly recommended to us that are high on our list for next time and we feel confident recommending. Hifi Donuts for more traditional donuts, Standard Baking for delicious baked goods, Eventide Oyster Co. for oysters and other seafood, Duckfat for duck fat fries (they also have a frites shack in town), poutine, and sandwiches, The Highroller Lobster Co for lobster rolls and other lobster filled dishes, Terlingua for BBQ, and Hot Suppa for brunch. There are obviously many more amazing local restaurants than this, but those are the spots that are pretty iconic to check out if it’s your first visit. 

Go on a food tour!

Can’t decide where to eat and want to experience a taste of many spots? Go on a food tour! Maine Day Adventures offers food tours in both the Old Port and East Side neighborhoods!

Go Lobstering! 

When you think of Maine, the top food item that comes to mind is likely lobster (or lobstahh!) and our absolute favorite thing we did in Portland, Maine was go lobstering with Lucky Catch Cruises ! On this lobstering tour you go to not only get out on the water and learn about how lobsters are caught, but you also get hands-on experience, from baiting and emptying traps, measuring lobsters, banding claws, learning the difference between males and females, and so much more.  The crew really makes you feel like you’re a fisherman and puts you to work. It was one of the most fun and educational tours we have ever been on! (Watch our full experience here ) You can choose between different sailing locations and we did the Seal Watch tour, as it worked best with our schedule. We didn’t see any seals, but that didn’t matter, the views were still amazing and we were so focused and jazzed about catching lobsters! 

And at the end, you have the option to buy a lobster from the boat, which may be one that you just caught (don’t worry, they have extras from earlier cruises if you didn’t catch many, like our boat). You buy this lobster at market price (ours was $10) and then can take it over to Portland Lobster Company , where they’ll steam it and provide some sides, like fries, corn, and coleslaw for only $12. While we definitely preferred our lobster in roll form, it was so fun to catch lobsters and eat one fresh right afterwards!

Tip: make sure to bring cash to buy a lobster AND for a tip!

• Take a ferry to Peaks Island

Want to visit an island while in Portland? Take a ferry to Peaks Island , which is just a 17 minute ride away on the Casco Bay Ferry . While on the island you can walk around, kayak, rent bikes or a golf cart , and enjoy a couple public beaches. It’s a calm, relaxing getaway from the “big” city!

Visit the Portland Observatory

The Portland Observatory , which is located on the east side of town, is a historic maritime signal station and is the only one left in the United States! It was created in 1807 by order of Captain Lemuel Moody as a way to alert ship owners of their ships arriving, as you couldn’t see the ships entering the harbor until they were almost there.  Moody charged a fee of $5 per year for ship owners to be alerted of their ships and used a telescope to identify vessels as far as 30 miles away. This maritime signal station ran until 1923, when two-way radios replaced its purpose. It has been renovated multiple times and is now open to the public to experience and costs $10 per adult for tours. Unfortunately this spot was closed during our visit, but we would love to check it out next time!

Kayak to Fort Gorges

During our cruise with Lucky Catch Cruises, we went by this cool looking fort on an island on the Casco Bay called Fort Gorges . This fort was built in 1864 to protect Portland from foreign naval powers, but by the time it was completed, new technologies for artillery had emerged and it was already obsolete. It ended up being a storage facility in both World Wars and was then given to the city of Portland. The only way to access this fort is by boat or kayak, which limits how many people actually get to experience it. If you don’t have your own method to get out there, we suggest going on a tour with Portland Paddle , who will ensure you cross the Casco Bay safely and take you all around the fort. It is worth noting that the fort isn’t maintained very well, so it provides a very dark, rustic experience, which in our opinion, only makes it more fun and authentic to check out! 

Explore Fort Williams Park & the Portland Head Light

Another huge highlight for us in Portland was Fort Williams Park , which is a free park that was formerly a military fort. Construction of the fort began in 1873 and the fort became officially named Fort Williams in 1899. During World War 1 the fort was manned by artillery companies and National Guard troops and during WWII it served as the headquarters of the Harbor Defenses of Portland, before becoming more of a training site in 1951. Today there are a couple batteries to check out, an old mansion , and one of the most iconic lighthouses in the US, called the Portland Head Light . This lighthouse was the first lighthouse completed and put into service by the government under the Lighthouse Act of 1789. 

It was first lit in 1791, using 16 whale oil lamps. The tower and keeper’s quarters have changed a bit over time and the tower now stands at 80 ft tall. And it is said to be the most photographed lighthouse in America, and also the oldest in Maine. Tip: If you want to check out more lighthouses, Bug Light and the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse are close by too! Another perk of Fort Williams Park is that Bite Into Maine is located here, so you can enjoy history, views, and lobster rolls all in one spot!

Walk the Eastern Promenade

Located on the East Side of town is the Eastern Promenade , which is Portland’s largest developed park. Here you can walk the 2 mile trail that goes along the Casco Bay waterfront, hang out at a beach, and just soak up the views. If you’re looking for a nice, scenic stroll, this is a great stop!

Visit the Victoria Mansion

For architecture lovers, check out the Victoria Mansion , also known as the Morse-Libby House. This home is a perfect example of a 19th century Italian Villa style home, with a gorgeous exterior and interior to explore, with 90% of the interior being original. It was built as a summer home for Ruggles Sylvester Morse and his wife and completed in 1860. Once Ruggles died, his wife Olive sold the home to J.R. Libby, who kept it in almost the exact same condition and lived in the home until 1929.  The house has been a public museum since 1941 and costs $16 per adult, with different rates for seniors, children, students, and families.

Go Brewery Hopping

Portland is home to an amazing craft brewery scene and while we don’t drink, if you do, you’ll be in beer heaven! Here are some top breweries in town:

• Allagash Brewing Company
• Bissell Brothers Brewing Company
• Oxbow Blending & Bottling
• Foundation Brewing Company
• Austin Street Brewery
• Rising Tide Brewing Company
• Belleflower Brewing Company
• Lone Pine Brewing Company
• Fore River Brewing Company

If you want a safe way to check out multiple breweries around town and not worry about driving, go on a brewery tour with Maine Brews Cruise !

Check out the Portland Arts District & Museums

Portland is home to an arts district, which is located around Congress and High Streets and was created in 1995 to be the cultural and creative hub of the city, with different galleries.  The Portland Museum of Art is the most popular attraction in this area and focuses on a mission called “Art for All,” which was created to ensure the museum is diverse, inclusive, and accessible for all. There are changing exhibits, as well as permanent collections to explore while in the museum. It costs $18 per adult (22 and up), $15 for seniors and students over 22 years old, and is FREE for anyone 21 or under. If you visit the Arts District on the first Friday of the month you can take part in the First Friday Art Walk . During this event, all of the art institutions in the Arts District open their doors for free from 5 PM to 8 PM.

Now that you know of some of the best things to do in Portland, Maine, here is our suggestion of how to combine some of these activities into two epic days in the city! While you won’t be able to see and eat it all in two days, these are our top suggestions to ensure you experience the best of Portland.

• Grab coffee at Tandem Coffee Roasters and then donuts at The Holy Donut.
• Lobstering cruise with Lucky Catch Cruises (our TOP PICK!) and then enjoy steamed lobster at Portland Lobster Co.
• Kayak to Fort Gorges 
• Go on a food or brewery tour
• Visit the Portland Art Museum or Victoria Mansion.
• Enjoy the rest of the day by walking around the Old Port area, going into different shops.
• For dinner, head to Eventide. We suggest trying to make a reservation in advance!

• Start the day with breakfast at Hot Suppa or grab a pastry at Standard Baking. 
• Head to Fort Williams Park for the morning and afternoon. Explore the bunkers, outside of the mansion, and the Portland Head Light!
• Have lobster rolls and whoopie pies at Bite Into Maine.
• Spend the rest of the day doing any activities from day one that you didn’t have time for, or go up in the Portland Observatory and walk around the Eastern Promenade.
• Enjoy your final meal at Duckfat or Terlingua.

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23 Best Things to Do in Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine, is a tough little city. A large part of it burned down in the Great Fire of 1866. But in the following years, Mainers and architects and builders from nearby cities like Boston came together to rebuild using the less-flammible brick

• All Things To Do

Old Port Old Port free

U.S. News Insider Tip: Don't miss Wharf Street in Old Port, which has an eclectic mix of bars and restaurants along its pedestrian-only cobblestone street. Try Street & Co.'s upscale seafood, The Independent Ice Co.'s fine whiskeys and the Bar of Chocolate's specialty martinis and sweets. – Mariya Greeley

This downtown neighborhood is considered the city's center and bustles with things to do left and right, all the while gracefully maintaining its historical facade. The area is lined with cobblestone streets and 19th-century warehouses, and with the wharf just steps away on Commercial Street, the city's heyday as a world-renowned port town is easily felt. Tourists can benefit from ferries and cruise experiences, as well as the delectable catches aboard the lobster boats that dock there daily.

Portland, Maine, Brewery Tours Portland, Maine, Brewery Tours

U.S. News Insider Tip: For nondrinkers or those looking to take a booze break, check out places like Root Wild Kombucha and Urban Farm Fermentory . They offer a range of nonalcoholic and alcoholic drinks with atmospheres comparable to the breweries nearby. – Mariya Greeley

Beer is to Portland is what lobster is to Maine. If you visit without sampling some brew, you're missing out. Portland is considered by experts to be one of America's best beer cities thanks to its large crop of local brewers as well as its role in the microbrew movement. For a city with a population of a little more than 68,000, its nearly 20 breweries offer plenty of choices for both residents and visiting beer enthusiasts.

Portland Museum of Art Portland Museum of Art

U.S. News Insider Tip: Consider aligning your visit with a First Friday Art Walk. The first Friday evening of every month, the Arts District comes alive with art lovers taking self-guided tours of local art galleries and venues. Meanwhile, musicians, performers and artists of all types display their art in the streets. – Mariya Greeley

For such a small city, Portland houses some pretty big names in its art museum. Andy Warhol, Claude Monet and Winslow Homer are among the icons showcased within the Portland Museum of Art. Along with some of the greats, the museum features an extensive collection of American, European and contemporary works, as well as pieces from Maine artists. Paintings abound, but you'll also find photographs, sketches, pottery, furniture, ornate silverware, sculptures and so much more. With more than 18,000 pieces in its collection, visitors are bound to see something new each time they browse the museum’s galleries. Additionally, the museum hosts regular events, including movie showings, curator talks and family-focused activities.

Popular Tours

The Real Portland Tour: City and 3 Lighthouses Historical Tour with a Real Local

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Downtown Portland, Maine City and Lighthouse Tour-2. 5 hour Land Tour

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Portland-area Beaches Portland-area Beaches

Maine's Atlantic beaches might be known for relatively chilly waters (peak is approximately 65 degrees Fahrenheit), even in the summer months, but Mainers will tell you how refreshing a dip in the ocean is on a hot summer day. If that doesn't sound like your idea of fun, you’ll still find plenty of activities and atmospheres to enjoy on Portland-area beaches.

Although East End Beach is the only public beach in Portland (located off Eastern Promenade ), there are more than a half-dozen others within 20 miles of downtown, each with distinct characteristics and benefits. Every summer, they’re host to families and friends laying out or playing on the sand and kayakers, sailors, surfers, paddleboarders, swimmers and more enjoying the water. Maine beaches are beautiful year-round, and ideal places for quiet walks in the offseason. 

Casco Bay Islands Casco Bay Islands

Though there is only one public beach in the town of Portland ( East End Beach ), shorelines abound in the nearby Casco Bay Islands. The Casco Bay Islands are a group of islands located off the coast of Portland, six of which are accessible by ferry year-round. Each island has its own personality, history, attractions and activities.

Cliff Island is the smallest Casco Bay Island that's accessible year-round by ferry and is home to only 60 full-time residents. All roads are unpaved here, and as such cars are seldom used. The island doesn't offer many attractions, but does provide a tranquil, secluded atmosphere.

Eastern Promenade Eastern Promenade free

Portland's waterfront is at its most picturesque at the Eastern Promenade. Beloved by locals, the Eastern Promenade is a 78-acre waterfront park located on a stretch of land separating Back Cove from the Fore River. The park offers trails, a beach, and plenty of grassy areas to simply kick back and unwind. To make the most of your visit, take a stroll along the 2-mile Eastern Promenade Trail, which starts in the heart of the Old Port .

Once an old rail line, the Eastern Promenade Trail takes visitors away from the excitement of the city's center by the rocky banks of Fort Allen Park and small yet charming East End Beach (Portland's only public beach), where you'll find plenty of locals soaking up the sun or embarking on bay adventures. To continue the coastal trek, the trail connects directly to the Back Cove Trail, which snakes for about 3.5 miles along Back Cove with picturesque views of the water and downtown skyline. There are plenty of other shorter trails and paths located in the park that bring hikers to various points of interest. Once you've gotten your fill of scenic strolls, consider a climb up the park's grassy hills for sweeping views of the bay, as well as the islands and boats that dot its deep blue waters.

Fort Williams Park Fort Williams Park free

Located adjacent to Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth is the 90-acre Fort Williams Park. Fort Williams was a U.S. Army fort from 1872 to 1962. A few years later, residents of Cape Elizabeth bought the land to later turn it into a park. Visitors today can picnic, tour an arboretum, hike or walk along the park's trails or visit the park's other historical sites, including Battery Keyes (one of the last batteries built on the old fort site) and Goddard Mansion (the ruins of a grand home built in the 1850s). Travelers should note there are no trash receptacles around the park so you must take your trash with you when you leave.

There's also natural and recreational amenities to explore, including tennis and pickleball courts, athletic fields and a garden designed specifically to let children explore their relationship with nature.

Portland Observatory Portland Observatory

For some of the best views of the harbor, head to the historic Portland Observatory, the country's last standing maritime signal tower. Built in 1807, the octagonal, 86-foot-tall tower was commissioned by Captain Lemuel Moody as a communication station for Portland's harbor, but it wasn't built as an altruistic measure. Moody charged ship owners an annual fee of $5 to alert merchants (who he also charged) of ships arriving. He could spot them from as far as 30 miles away with his telescope. Before the observatory was built, ships couldn't be seen from town until they came around a point of land and were practically in the harbor. Moody offered an advantage to both paying captains and merchants, while also making a tidy profit for himself.

Eventually, the two-way radio replaced the tower's function, but the Moody family operated the tower until 1923. After some years of neglect the observatory was donated to Portland and in 1984, Greater Portland Landmarks took over and restored it. Recent visitors said the views from the observatory are not-to-be missed and its history is fascinating. Reviewers also advise allowing 45 minutes for the observatory tour. There is no elevator, so you'll have to climb the stairs to the top to take in the views, but past travelers say the pace is manageable.

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Vintage Fire Truck Sightseeing Tour of Portland Maine

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Victoria Mansion (Morse-Libby House) Victoria Mansion (Morse-Libby House)

Architecture buffs and lovers of interior design will be swept up by the opulence of the Victoria Mansion (aka the Morse-Libby House or Morse-Libby Mansion). This National Historic Landmark was originally built in the mid-1800s as a summer house for hotelier Ruggles Sylvester Morse. In 1940, William Holmes, a New York educator visiting Portland, purchased the home. He and his sister (an interior design instructor) turned it into a museum named in honor of Queen Victoria.

What makes the Victoria Mansion so important in the eyes of historians is that it's seen as an exemplary illustration of pre-Civil War grandeur. The exterior of the house was modeled after an Italian villa and features an ornate square tower, numerous balconies and piazzas. Inside, prepare to be even more amazed. Ninety percent of the original interiors are still intact, with carved wood paneled walls, gas light fixtures, cherub-clad crown molds, and ornate draperies and carpeting throughout. Designed by Gustave Herter of Herter Brothers, one of the most popular design firms of the day, it is the only work of his kind in the U.S. that remains intact.

Peaks Island Peaks Island free

Portland doesn't end at the waterfront. Peaks Island, one of the Casco Bay Islands , is 3 miles east of downtown's shore and about a 15-minute boat ride away. Peaks Island was known as the Coney Island of Maine in the 19th century (it was home to amusement parks, theaters and more), but nowadays it feels more like a quaint neighborhood with roughly 1,000 year-round residents.

Peaks is a perfect low-key day trip for history buffs, art lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. When you arrive, rent a bike or golf cart, the preferred modes of transportation on the island. Head to Baba's Cafe, Inn on Peaks or Island Lobster Company to fuel up for the day while overlooking the ocean. From there, explore the galleries and shops along the harbor side. Cool off at Sandy Beach or trek the nearly 4-mile loop trail that takes you around the island, passing scenic views and the remnants of historic Battery Steele — an important coastal defense battery constructed during World War II to protect the entrance to Casco Bay. For more Peaks Island history, stop by Fifth Maine Museum, or for something playful head to the world's only Umbrella Cover Museum, a quirky collection that is dedicated to the appreciation of the mundane.

Hadlock Field Hadlock Field

U.S. News Insider Tip: Special activities, like fireworks or "Bark in the Park" games, which allow you to bring a four-legged friend and sit in a designated pets area, make the experience extra special. Look for them when booking tickets. – Mariya Greeley

For Portland pride, look no further than Hadlock Field. In the summer, the field hosts regular games for the beloved Portland Sea Dogs, the local minor league baseball team. The field was named after Edson Hadlock Jr., who coached baseball at Portland High School from 1950 to 1978.

Portland Head Light Portland Head Light

Commissioned by George Washington in 1787, this lighthouse project was provided $750 by the General Court of Massachusetts when Maine was still a part of Massachusetts. When the U.S. government took control in 1790, the lighthouse was given an additional $1,500 for its completion. The lighthouse got its name from being situated at the entrance for ships at Portland Harbor. Portland Head Light was first lit in 1791, making it the oldest lighthouse in Maine.

Located about 5 miles southeast of Portland in Cape Elizabeth's Fort Williams Park , the tower provided navigation to ships for almost 200 years. The lighthouse was decommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1989 when it became an automated tower.

The Holy Donut The Holy Donut

In 2010, Leigh Kellis felt the Portland food scene was missing great doughnuts. So she decided to make them. After months of experimenting with different recipes in her kitchen on Portland's Munjoy Hill , Kellis landed on a mix that met her standards. Her variation on a northern Maine recipe included a type of food you might not expect in doughnuts: potatoes. Riced potatoes added a unique flavor, texture and consistency that set Kellis' doughnuts apart, and orders from local shops started coming in. With her family's support, Kellis soon opened the first Holy Donut retail location. Now, the family-owned business is a bonafide doughnut destination with four Maine locations: two in Portland, one in Scarborough and one in Arundel.

With about 20 rotating imaginative doughnut flavors – including seasonal, gluten-free and vegan options – you have a good chance of finding a flavor that you'll love. Though potato doughnuts aren't for everyone, many recent customers rave about unique flavors like dark chocolate sea salt, maple bacon and pomegranate. They describe the doughnuts as dense, filling and delicious. Reviewers also tend to mention the friendly service adding to their positive experiences.

Discover Portland City and Lighthouse Tour

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Private Sunset Charter on a Vintage Lobster Boat

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Two Lights Lighthouses Two Lights Lighthouses free

Built in 1828, these two Cape Elizabeth lighthouses were the first twin lighthouses on the coast of Maine. They may look familiar: One of them was featured in Edward Hopper's well-known "The Lighthouse at Two Lights," a painting housed in the  Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City . Today, the eastern lighthouse on Lighthouse Point Road is an active, automated station, shining 17 miles out to sea, while the western lighthouse is a private residence. Neither lighthouse is open to the public.

You can still get lighthouse views at On the Rocks at Two Lights, a lookout at Dyer Cove where recent visitors praised the natural beauty and recommend sunrise and sunset trips. While you’re there, stop for a bite at the Lobster Shack at Two Lights, a seasonal award-winning restaurant that dates back to the 1920s. The area is 6 miles south of Portland Head Light if you're in the mood for a lighthouse road trip.

Wadsworth-Longfellow House Wadsworth-Longfellow House

Built after the Revolutionary War, the Wadsworth-Longfellow House was home to four generations of the esteemed family whose contributions to American culture are now celebrated in this museum. The most famous person in this family was 19th-century poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who grew up in the home.

Along with its esteemed namesake, the home is also important to Portland and U.S. history. The building is the oldest standing structure on the Portland peninsula, the first brick dwelling in the area and the first home museum in Maine. The site is operated by the Maine Historical Society.

Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine

U.S. News Insider tip: Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine is next to Thompson's Point, a venue that hosts big name music acts for outdoor concerts and weekly events during the summer. The museum is also steps from the International Cryptozoology Museum where you can explore BigFoot mythology and more. – Mariya Greeley

If you're looking for something to do with the kids in Portland, the Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine is a must-see attraction. With more than 30,000 square feet of space, this museum provides interactive learning and fun for the entire family.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

U.S. News Insider Tip: Visiting during the holiday season? The garden creates a mile of spectacular light displays , called Gardens Aglow, open a few nights a week to brighten the winter darkness. – Mariya Greeley

The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is an attraction that took 16 years to create. What started as a dream for a public garden became the largest botanical garden in New England. Located about 60 miles northeast of Portland, the gardens consist of more than 300 acres of land, 17 of which feature plants native to the state. Each garden at the facility has a specific theme, including dahlias, bees and rhododendron, among others.

Munjoy Hill Munjoy Hill free

U.S. News Insider Tip: Munjoy Hill's Duckfat Frites Shack, a little sister location to downtown's Duckfat, has a limited menu, but shorter wait times than its popular sibling. You'll find the order window down an alley beside Oxbow Blending & Bottling. – Mariya Greeley

If someone mentions happenings on "the Hill" in Portland, they're likely not referring to Washington, D.C. politics but to the Munjoy Hill neighborhood of the city. Munjoy Hill is Portland's easternmost neighborhood and lies between Washington Avenue and Mountfort Street on one side and Casco Bay on the three others.

A Walk Through Time Tour in Portland

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Tate House Museum Tate House Museum

Tate House was built in 1755 for Captain George Tate and his family. Tate was a senior mast agent for the British Royal Navy, a role which meant he was responsible for the transport of white pines — now Maine’s state tree — from Maine to England. During hourly site tours, visitors should expect to see artifacts, furnishings and the grounds, which not only tell the story of how the Tate family lived in the 18th century, but also the importance of mast trade during this period.

Located about 4 miles west of downtown, the Tate House is the only pre-Revolutionary home in Portland that is open to the public. Past visitors say that the tour is an educational experience.

Portland Fire Engine Co. Tour Portland Fire Engine Co. Tour

Looking for a unique way to explore Portland? The Portland Fire Engine Co. sightseeing tour takes travelers on a ride around town in a vintage fire truck.

Expect to see scenic coastal views of Portland, along with historical sights, lighthouses and Civil War forts. During the 50-minute tour, you'll also enjoy a live narration of Portland history and view historical images provided by the Maine Historical Society on the truck's LED TV. Past tourgoers describe this as a fun outing and applaud the insightful guides.

Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. and Museum Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. and Museum

U.S. News Insider Tip: Look out for special events like Ice Cream Trains and Sunset Express rides on weekend evenings during the warmer months and special "Polar Express" rides during the holiday season. – Mariya Greeley

Located about 1.5 miles from the Portland Museum of Art , the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. and Museum teaches travelers about train preservation and Maine's narrow gauge railway history. The state's two-foot gauge railway system was made of tracks less than half the width of standard gauge railways. These narrow tracks were cheaper and easier to build while allowing trains to navigate Maine’s tough terrain of forests, rocky hills and mountains. A unique system, these rails helped to connect rural areas with larger cities and made travel and transportation of goods more accessible. From the 1870s until the 1940s, about 200 miles of narrow gauge railroads served many small communities in Maine.

Palace Playland Palace Playland

Situated about 20 miles south of Portland in the town of Old Orchard Beach, this 5-acre amusement park is New England's only beachfront amusement park. Past visitors say Palace Playland is an awesome place to take the family.

The park has a 24,000-square-foot arcade and features more than 200 games like Skee Ball and air hockey. And no amusement park would be complete without rides. Younger visitors can enjoy kiddie rides like a carousel and spinning tea cups, while older kids and adults test their bravery on the park's thrill rides like the Sea Viper roller coaster.

Funtown Splashtown USA Funtown Splashtown USA

Located about 15 miles south of Portland in Saco, Maine, Funtown Splashtown USA is a family-owned amusement park. The park is home to about 50 rides, water slides, pools and games for travelers to enjoy. Past visitors said the park is particularly fun for families with a variety of rides and clean facilities. However, some caution that lines can be quite long depending on the day and on-site food can be pricey.

Standout rides include Excalibur, Maine's only wooden roller coaster, and the Thunder Falls Log Flume, the longest and tallest log flume ride in Maine. The facility has several water slides, rides and pools at its Splashtown Water Park. And when your stomach starts to rumble, there are a variety of different eateries on-site (outside food and drinks are also allowed). 

Portland Bicycle Tour with 5 Lighthouse Stops and XL Lobster Roll

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13 Best Hotels in Portland, Maine

By Joe Ricchio

In the last decade, Portland, Maine's hotel scene has blown up. Once a small New England city with some chains in the touristy Old Port, a few more out by the airport, and a handful of quaint B&Bs, this is now a destination where you can find exactly the sort of stay you're looking for, whether you need to rack up rewards points—or want something more independent. Boutique hotels have sprouted in the historic West End, while conversions of industrial and commercial buildings provide hip new alternatives downtown, and island resorts in Casco Bay let you escape the city altogether. Check out these favorites and figure out where you want to set your base of operations during your next visit. These are our editor's picks for the best hotels in Portland, Maine.

Click the link to read our complete Portland, ME, travel guide .

All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Blind Tiger Arrow

Occupying a Federal-style mansion built in 1823, Blind Tiger is the newest addition to Portland’s historic West End—note the proximity to the Old Port —and one of the newest openings from the Lark hotel group. Every room is different, influenced by its own local “host” who goes so far as to write personalized welcome letters. Looking for a  decadent, food- and drink-based experience in town? Choose the luxurious Bon Viveur suite (which also has a private roof deck). Seeking out great local music and want a room with décor and content inspired by prominent local artists? Go for the Event Records suite. Location, attention to detail, and loads of local touches make Blind Tiger one of the coolest stays in town. 

Canopy by Hilton Portland Waterfront Arrow

Truly reflective of Portland’s new direction, Canopy boasts modern comfort and style while being directly across from the city’s working waterfront. The rooftop bar, Luna, has quickly become a popular hangout for both tourists and locals alike—as it turns out, the water views are universally appealing. Though it is a Hilton property, Canopy has plenty of unique character, and the clientele runs the gamut from vacationing families to hipster twentysomethings. Someone did their homework before opening, as you will find some of the city’s most exciting art and food featured throughout.  

The Press Hotel, Autograph Collection Arrow

Set in the former headquarters of the Portland Press Herald , The Press Hotel is a member of Marriott's Autograph Collection. The hotel plays up its journalism theme and celebrates the art of writing with flourishes like typewriters in the lobby and old news copy blown up on the wall. Rooms look like modern writers' studies, with sumptuous leathers, vintage desks and textiles from local artist Angela Adams. And the hotel's restaurant, Union , is one of the city's best .

Westin Portland Harborview Arrow

Thanks to a dramatic renovation, the formerly dilapidated Eastland Hotel is now the sleek, modern Westin Portland Harborview. Rooms are spacious and minimalist, with some of the best views of the city anywhere up on higher floors (especially in the corner suites), and all come with Westin's signature Heavenly Bed. Up on the 15th floor, Top of the East offers panoramic views alongside a menu of upscale pub food. On the first level you'll find C2, a contemporary American restaurant. If you want to be in the middle of everything with a view, this is your hotel.

Alex Erdekian

Jessica Puckett

Best Bower Arrow

It is only in recent years that the city’s East End has really taken off as a dining mecca, and Best Bower lands you right in the middle of it. The building itself, an old schoolhouse, was moved from a neighboring town over 100 years ago. The wood and ironwork have been beautifully restored and remodeled by some of Portland’s most prominent craftsmen, and feature six rooms with access to a shared courtyard. It is owned and operated by local restaurateurs and nicely captures the feel of the neighborhood. 

Black Point Inn Arrow

One of Maine’s original luxury waterfront inns, The Black Point Inn has been newly renovated and updated but still retains its old-world New England charm, making it a popular destination for both locals and tourists. Rooms are spacious, with plush furnishings and cozy décor. If you want the full waterfront inn experience, book one of the Commodores Chambers, which comes with views of the ocean. There's also a geothermal heated pool, fitness room, bikes and kayaks, yoga classes (held out on the lawn), in-room massage services, and valet parking.

Pomegranate Inn Arrow

A hidden gem in the West End, The Pomegranate Inn has a collection of contemporary art in a vivid array of colors. Each piece of furniture in the lobby and guest lounge is different, adding to the eclectic feel of the space. Eight guest rooms further the public areas' contemporary theme, with bright colors and artistic details. We loved Room Eight, which has a private sitting room that's flooded with natural light, muted, soothing pink tones, a gas fireplace with a tiled hearth, and a firm, comfortable bed. In the morning a tapas-style breakfast, included in the room rate, has everything from frittatas to chilled oats to honey-roasted pineapple.

Portland Regency Hotel & Spa Arrow

Located in the Old Port and housed in a 19th-century armory, the Regency is well-known in Portland. Though it has been updated, the property still boasts many historic architectural features, with lots dark wood and warm-toned colors. The Regency also has the best hotel bar in the city in the Armory Lounge , which makes the sort of martinis you dream about.

The Francis Arrow

One of Portland's newest boutique hotels is housed in a historic 1881 building. With only 15 rooms, each with a character all its own, the Francis has been beautifully restored to combine classic West End charm with more modern touches. Room décor is understated and reflective of the history of the building as a home built by one of the city's leading 19th century architects. Each room features custom-built furniture and art by acclaimed photographer Nicole Wolf. The hotel is located nicely set away from the Old Port to avoid the summer's crush of tourists.

Portland Harbor Hotel Arrow

The Portland Harbor Hotel has undergone a major update since opening in 2002, giving it a decidedly more modern personality and nautical vibes. In keeping with the theme in the public spaces, guest rooms have a seafaring thing going on. This is a hotel to book if you want to be in the center of everything in Portland. It's in tourist central in the Old Port, which means you're just down the street from the city's best restaurants and bars .

Inn by the Sea Arrow

A stately hotel set right on the waterfront in Cape Elizabeth, the Inn by the Sea is an all-immersive escape. Its pristine lawn, dotted with Adirondack chairs, offers views of the coast, and its poolside patio is the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon, glass of wine in-hand. Newly built Cove Suites feature two bedrooms, a luxe bathroom with an oversized tub, an ample dining area, and a full kitchen. The Inn also has one of the best spas in the state and unbeatable views of Crescent Beach.

The Inn on Peaks Island Arrow

Located on scenic Peaks Island in Casco Bay, The Inn on Peaks Island has unbeatable views and vibes, with just six guest rooms as well as a popular pub with items like haddock tacos and lobster sliders. All of the suites are named after other Maine islands; the Great Diamond, for instance, has cathedral-style ceilings, a king canopy bed, a hot tub, and stunning views from the balcony. The experience and the scenery more than justify the 15-minute ferry ride from the mainland. If you're worried you won't have enough to do out on the island, don't: Peaks Island has more activities than other Casco Bay islands, including kayak rentals, sailing charters, and museums to visit.

121 Middle, an Urban Inn Arrow

Made up of what are essentially modern luxury apartments located, 121 Middle opened quietly and is one of Portland's best kept secrets. The “rooms” have high-tech amenities like touchscreen, stainless steel appliances in fully equipped kitchens, but there are plenty of restaurants right around the corner. It's got all the amenities of a hotel combined with the feel of home, and is close to the best of what Portland has to offer .

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• Sep 1, 2022

Portland, Maine: Perfect 3-Day travel itinerary for a summer long weekend

If you're looking for an easy long weekend, 3-days in Portland, Maine is the perfect summer getaway. Did you know Portland has been named in the past as the best food destination in the USA? And is home to some of the best-voted lobster roll restaurants in the country too? In this guide, you can expect to find the best places to eat and explore all planned out in an easy-to-follow 3-day travel itinerary including lighthouse spotting, island hopping and plenty of good food.

Where to stay in Portland, Maine:

We'd recommend 1 of two options for accommodation:

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If you don't have a car: Old Port

Old Port is full of the cutest cobblestone lanes, red brick buildings housing bars, restaurants, cafes and stores, plus is located right on the waterfront overlooking Casco Bay, with direct access to the piers where many of the ferries for island day trips and tours depart. Everywhere within Old Port is centrally located and within walking distance making it the perfect spot if you don't want to rent a car as part of your trip.

Hotel Options in Old Port, Portland, Maine:

If you rent a car: South Portland by Willard Beach:

This is a great option for a more relaxed neighbourhood feel. The suburb is filled with beautiful beach houses and is within walking distance of the beach and cafes. There aren't many hotels located here, so the best option would be an Airbnb if you want to stay in this area.

Top things to see, do, eat and drink in Portland, Maine: A 4-Day itinerary

Day 1: South Portland, Willard Beach & Old Port

Morning Day 1:

Breakfast at Scratch Bakery , South Portland - Don't miss their bagels, arrive early as they sell out fast. They also do great coffee and pastries.

Visit Fort Prebble & Spring Point Lighthouse , walking distance from Scratch. Take the 20-minute coastal walk along Willard beach through to the lighthouse and back

End the morning with a swim at Willard Beach , also don't miss visiting Fishermans Point for the best views overlooking the beach

Afternoon Day 1:

Have lunch at Duck Fat Frites in Old Port and don't miss their Poulet, which is fries coasted in duck fat with gravy and shredded duck. Their original milkshakes are also great.

After wander around Old Port through the cobblestone streets. Be sure to stroll down Wharf Street and stop in the shops around Exchange and Market Streets. Commercial Street is great for restaurants and bars.

Evening Day 1:

Grab some takeaway food, we recommend the clam chowder from Gilberts and watch the sunset at Bug Light park and lighthouse in South Portland (10-minute drive from Old Port)

Day 2: Visit Boothbay Harbour & Wiscasset

Morning Day 2:

Take a 1.5-hour scenic drive to Booth Bay Harbour. Have a quick breakfast along the waterfront at Red's Coffee House (We recommend the blueberry scrolls).

Book a tour with Cap n' Fish cruises , they have 1-hour harbour sightseeing cruises, as well as longer 2-3 hour cruises including whale and puffin watching. We booked the Puffin watching, which we would recommend. If you do this one bring binoculars or a camera with a good zoom lens.

Afternoon Day 2:

Driving back in the direction of Portland, stop to try Red's Eats Lobster Rolls or Sprague Lobster in Wiscasset.

Red's Eats has been voted as the best Lobster rolls in Maine and has been featured on numerous travel shows like Somebody Feed Phil. You can expect to wait up to 2 hours to order here with long queues forming daily. If you don't want to wait, located right across the road is Sprague Lobster which we opted for and was the best lobster rolls we had of the trip. Be sure to order it with the melted butter.

After lunch take a de-tour drive through Bailey Island , stopping to enjoy the coastal walks and views.

Evening Day 2:

Have dinner at The Honey Paw (Asian Fusion) or Via Vecchia (Italian Food) in Old Port depending on what you are feeling like. If you can we recommend making a reservation in advance.

The Honey Paw:

Via Vecchia:

Day 3: Portland Head Lighthouse, Fort William Park, and Peaks Island

Morning Day 3:

Have breakfast in Old Port, picking up pastries from The Standard Baking Co (expect a queue if visiting over the weekend so arrive early) or the Holy Donut (Amazing potato-based donuts, their salted chocolate is their best seller).

Drive 20 minute south to explore Fort William Park and Port Headland Lighthouse. Be sure to take some of the coastal walking trails while there.

Have lobster rolls for lunch in Fort William Park from the Bite Into Maine food truck (Also featured as one of the best eats in Portland on Somebody Feed Phil).

Afternoon Day 3:

Take the ferry from Casco bay to Peaks Island, It's just a 15 minute ride across, with the ferry running around every hour

Getting around Peaks Island: The island is 4 miles around, and will take about 2 hours to explore . You can rent a bike from Brad's located just a 5 minute walk from the ferry terminal for $20 for 2hrs. Alternatively you can also rent golf buggies on arrival too for around $90 an hour, be sure to pre book these before your visit as they sell out (Try Peaks Island Rental).

Places to see: don't miss the Battery Steele and Civil War Museum.

Have dinner at the High Roller Lobster Co , for more amazing lobster rolls, the fresh oysters are great there too.

We hope you enjoyed our long weekend travel guide to Portland, Maine. To see more of our other USA destination guides click here .

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OUR AIM: is to help more people experience the world in just a weekend. We hope through sharing our easy-to-follow short break and weekend travel guides we can inspire others to make the most of their weekends and precious annual leave.

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Why Right Now Is the Perfect Time to Fall in Love With Portland, Maine

Get to this portland before it becomes that portland..

Updated on 8/26/2020 at 1:46 PM

Portland has always had a special place in people’s hearts, even if they haven’t actually been there. In the minds of many, it epitomizes the deep-Northeastern experience, conjuring visions of fishermen walking streets straight out of an L.L. Bean catalog.

That Portland’s still here -- lighthouses, lobster rolls, and plenty of opportunities to use the word “quaint” -- but things are changing. These days, bearded brewmasters seem to outnumber actual fishermen. The food scene has morphed into world-class, destination dining that doesn’t start and stop with lobster. Artists and creatives are flocking to the city’s shores. And word is spreading so fast, it won’t be long before the vibe starts to feel on par with the next, well, Portland. Or Asheville. Or Denver. 

Go now to catch this town in transition. New and old are still in near perfect harmony, and there’s never been a better time to fall in love with the city. That's why we've selected Portland as one of our 20 Places We're Dreaming About in 2020 . What follows is a handy, five-day itinerary for your consideration -- packed with tips for places to visit, things to do, and seafaring creatures to eat.

Know before you go

If you like cozying up with scarves, a toasty fireplace, and a lot of snow, Portland certainly delivers in the fall and winter -- and spring, honestly -- when you'll also be tempted to leave the city for skiing. If you’re coming to Portland to experience its rich maritime culture -- the Tall Ships Festival shows up in Portland in July -- you’re going to want to stick to the warmer months. Portland summers, though short and sweet, are sunny, warm, and come with lots of activity on the water -- aim for July or August.

Day 1: Getting to know Portland

Arrive at Portland's International Jetport, just 2 miles from downtown Portland, then head downtown. Staying in the heart of the city is key, given its smaller scale and easy walkability. For quick access to the sheer volume of restaurants, galleries, shopping, and 'grammable #content, you're going to want Old Port . This is the heart of Portland's history, from the brick facades and cobblestone streets, to the working waterfront, along with a range of quality hotels and nearby Airbnb options that will keep you tapped into the main vein. 

Grab a decadent lunch at James Beard-nominated Central Provisions -- don't skip the bone-marrow toast -- then wander around Old Port and downtown to get a feel for the colonial coolness (it's a thing) of the city. In the evening you'll want to visit The North Point , which has fantastic cocktails and globe-spanning meat and cheese boards in a brick-laden, cozy atmosphere. MORE:  The best restaurants in Portland

Day 2: Go island hopping in Casco Bay

Did you come in summer or winter? Either is great. But if you want to maximize your outdoor time then summer and fall are best. After breakfast, head over to the waterfront to take a trip out onto Casco Bay to explore the many Calendar Islands that scatter across it. (Fun fact: The Calendar Islands got their name from Captain John Smith -- yeah, that John Smith -- because he thought there was an island for every day of the year. Truthfully, there are only 220.) One of Portland residents' most beloved is Peaks Island , just an 18-minute ferry ride from the city. Cycle through the country lanes to look at the colorful cottages, sprawl on the pebbled beaches, or eat fantastic lobster rolls at The Inn on Peaks Island .

When you head back to the mainland, pop by the iconic Holy Donut for one of their classics (these are potato donuts made with all-natural ingredients, if that somehow makes you feel less guilty).

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Day 3: Enjoy a good old-fashioned Portland beer crawl

Brewery day! Portland's brewery scene is one of the fastest growing in the country. We're not going to tell you how to do a beer crawl, but we will say you're doing it wrong if you don't take advantage of food trucks and pale ales at Rising Tide Brewing ; farmhouse ales at Oxbow Brewing Company ; ever-changing canned New England IPAs and crisp pilsners at the white-hot Bissell Brothers ; and legendary Belgian-style beers from Portland OG Allagash (which was passionately discussed among America's best breweries to visit on a recent Thrillist podcast ). 

Most of the breweries are walkable and have good food options, but this is also a good day to stop in at Duckfat : A stalwart of the chef-driven sandwich movement and a can't-miss bite in the city. They serve up sandwiches like the next-level Overnight Duck Confit with duck fat-fried frites and donuts . Which is to say, it's good, rich beer-crawl food.

Day 4: Take in some history and modern art

If you like history and culture, you will probably want to snap a picture of the Portland Head Light . It's the oldest lighthouse in Maine, and one of the most photographed. Grab an Uber out to Fort Williams Park to check it out up close, along with the namesake fort, a historic mansion, and more. It's not an entire day's worth of an activity, but it is a cool photo op. Back in the city, there are plenty of museums and galleries to check out, like the Portland Museum of Art , which has its fair share of Warhols and Monets.

In the evening make your way over to lovely West End , which is known for its quiet waterfront park promenade, as well as its explosive sunset views. Come dinner time, head over to Washington Avenue , an emerging neighborhood that is being highly praised for its burgeoning restaurant scene. Here is where you'll find everything from a fresh raw bar at The Shop by Island Creek Oysters to El Salvadorian cuisine at Tu Casa .

After dinner, dip into some speakeasy culture at Blyth & Burrows for a strong, mixology-driven cocktail, plus more oysters and a toast to a city that has now become one of your favorites.

Day 5: Last meal

Make one final eating stop at Bayside American Cafe for a legendary brunch -- think smoked salmon platters, lobster Benedict (one of six Benedicts available), and strawberry cheesecake French toast -- before hopping on your flight back to wherever it is you came from. MORE:   These gorgeous spots throughout Maine will convince you to extend your trip

Keep it going: Road trip!!

Now that Portland’s out of the way, use the city as the gateway to a deep dive into Maine, which is best explored by road trip. Rent a car and tack on three extra days, then just pick a direction. Head south and you’ll be inundated with quaint-to-the-max beach towns, unexpected nightlife options, and enough lobster rolls to feed an army of longshoremen. Head north and you’ll find dense woods inside the state’s national park, welcoming villages flanking the scenic rocky coast, and, um, also enough lobster rolls to feed an army of longshoremen! East and west is... we're not sure. Tommyknockers or something? For a closer look, we tapped our resident Maine-ah for an extra itinerary for the ultimate quick-and-easy Maine road trip. Get it right here. MORE: This century-old general store is a must-stop on your Portland road trip

MEET THE WRITER

Since 2009, Meagan Drillinger has been traveling the world and writing about it. But her love of travel stems from childhood when her family would take bizarre, off-the-beaten-path trips that have shaped her own style of travel today. Her writing has appeared in Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, InsideHook, Men's Health, and more. Plus, she is the Mexico reporter for Travel Weekly magazine.

When was the last time you visited Portland? What drew you there? I last visited Portland in September 2019, but initially what drew me to Portland were the rumors that have been churning about it for the last couple of years: I had heard that friends of friends had been making the journey up there and were delighted by what they found in terms of restaurants, bars, a laid-back vibe, plenty of nature, and a waterfront scene that centered around eating and drinking. As I started making my own trips, what kept me returning was the constant rotation of new things to try.

What was the most surprising or impressive thing about Portland you didn't expect? The diversity. I had always thought of Maine as a very homogenous state. Turns out Portland defies that, with dozens of international restaurants helmed by people who are actually from the destinations these restaurants represent.

What's the thing about Portland that sticks out most in your mind? The waterfront. The city lives and thrives around the sea and it's evident in nearly everything, from the fantastically fresh seafood, to boating activities, the islands you can explore, and more. I love sailing around Casco Bay with a bottle of something cold and endless views out to the Calendar Islands.

Number one can't-miss recommendation for a visitor? Eat seafood. Whether it's oysters, a lobster roll, or fresh fish, you can't go wrong with what's coming out fresh from the bay. The Portland Head Lighthouse is also pretty cool for a quick photo op, but you're not going to be there with any locals. Still, it's worth the picture.

What's your top tip for someone going for the first time? Stay downtown or in Old Port. You can walk nearly anywhere on the peninsula. You won't need to rent a car, and you can explore pretty much everything that makes a quintessential Portland trip complete.

Next big trip you have planned in 2020? Each year I go down to Mexico for the winter, so I'm continuing that tradition. But I have never really explored much of the Baja Peninsula. I am hoping in April to do a road trip from Tijuana down to La Paz.

Ultimate bucket list destination you've always wanted to visit? Last year I crossed two major ones off my list: Indonesia and the Philippines. Now I'm chasing Bolivia and New Zealand.

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16 Best Things to Do in Portland, Maine

This small but sophisticated coastal city has tons to offer

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As northern New England's cultural hub, Portland, Maine, has become a showcase for artists, musicians, craftsmen, and actors. This charming coastal city routinely appears on lists of America's best places to live, visit, dine, and play outdoors, and is also an increasingly popular port of call for cruise ships. Portland and nearby towns in southern Maine are also a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts and fans of spectacular scenery.

If you're looking for memorable things to do, here's your guide to some of the best attractions in Portland and southern Maine.

Shop Local at the Portland Farmers' Market

The Portland Farmers' Market is more than just a place to buy produce. It's a historical pillar of the community, having originally started in 1768 (eight years before the Declaration of Independence was signed). The Farmers' Market takes place year-round, so you can shop regardless of what month you visit. It takes place outdoors at Deering Oaks Park from the end of April until December every Saturday and Wednesday, but moves to a nearby indoor location during the winter months and only opens on Saturdays. There's perhaps nowhere better in the state to purchase organic fruits and vegetables, locally-made honey, freshly made goat cheese, or bustling bouquets of wildflowers.

Enjoy the Outdoors at Eastern Promenade

Few city parks offer the seaside views that you can find at Portland's Eastern Promenade . This 68-acre public park completely envelopes the East End peninsula, offering sweeping views of Casco Bay and the islands just off the coast. Easily accessible from downtown Portland and just a mile from the Old Port, this park offers visitors much more than just a scenic stroll. At the south end of the Promenade, Fort Allen Park delights history lovers with artifacts dating back to the Revolutionary War. Birdwatchers camp out near the shoreline to catch a glimpse of the over 200 bird species that reside in the local area. If you're visiting in the warmer months, take a dip in the bay or rent a kayak; if it's winter, pick up a sled and take advantage of the snow-covered bunny slopes.

Imbibe at a Craft Brewery

Allagash Brewing Company / Flikr / CC BY 2.0 

Portland has gained a reputation as one of the premier craft beer hotspots in the United States, and while there are a number of brewery options to try, none of them are more well-known than Allagash Brewing Company . Founded in 1995, Allagash exploded into the craft beer scene with their Belgian-style Allagash White, which is served on tap at bars across the country. You can take a tour of the brewery and stop by their on-site bar to try some of their products that are only offered at the brewery and no where else.

Allagash is a favorite for tourists and locals alike, but beer lovers shouldn't ignore the other superb breweries in town. Lone Pine is centrally located next to East Promenade Park and Oxbow Beers is also conveniently situated in downtown Portland.

Catch Your Own Lobsters

Want to taste the freshest lobster of your life? Catch it yourself! In Portland, you can board an authentic lobster boat with real Maine anglers and venture out into scenic Casco Bay, where you'll learn how to bait and haul traps. Lucky Catch Cruises depart from Long Wharf several times daily from the first weekend in May through the last weekend in October. The luckiest part of your adventure is the opportunity to buy the lobsters you caught at discounted, wholesale prices. Portland Lobster Company , located across the street from the dock, will cook your catch and supply the butter.

Photograph the Iconic Lighthouses

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson 

The Maine coast has more than its fair share of New England's lighthouses, and when you visit the state's largest city, capturing your own images of storied Portland Head Light should be on your must-do list. George Washington was president when a beacon was first constructed on this dramatic ledge. There's a museum in the former keeper's quarters, built in 1891, that you'll want to visit. It's open daily from Memorial Day through October and on a more limited schedule starting in late April and through the end of December. Allow plenty of time to explore historic ruins in adjacent Fort Williams Park.

There are five more lighthouses within an easy drive from Portland, from Breakwater Lighthouse in the north to Two Lights State Park in the south, so make a day of photographing these inspiring guardians of the Maine coast.

Visit the Portland Museum of Art

View the outstanding collection of American, European, and contemporary paintings and other works at the Portland Museum of Art , Maine's largest and oldest public art museum. In addition to its permanent collection, which includes many Maine masterworks among its highlights , the museum hosts special exhibitions and events throughout each year. Winslow Homer's restored studio is the museum's most unique holding. Reserve a spot on a small group bus tour to this landmark in Prouts Neck, Maine, where you'll see scenes that inspired Homer's dramatic marinescapes.

Shop at the Old Port

This seaport city's waterfront warehouses and cobbled streets that mariners have trod for centuries now beckon to shoppers. Downtown Portland's Old Port District has been reimagined as a retail hub, and you'll delight in exploring shops and galleries with distinctly Maine flair. Don't miss Sea Bags , where the totes are made from recycled sails. And be sure to stop into Harbor Fish Market , even if it's only to drool over the bounty of Maine's waters.

Sightsee from a Fire Truck

Climb aboard an antique fire truck for a memorable look at Portland's neighborhoods and attractions. Portland Fire Engine Co. offers the city's coolest tours, narrated by locals who not only share historical tidbits but the inside scoop on a city they love. In just under an hour, you'll have a good feel for the city. The fire truck stops for photo ops and a multimedia presentation adds to the experience. Tours depart from Commercial Street in front of the Portland Lobster Company from late April through late October.

Embark on an Island Cruise

Hundreds of isles dot Portland's storied waters, and Casco Bay Lines provides ferry service to the major islands. Far more than a year-round transportation company, the ferry line's schedule includes scenic cruises including sunrise and sunset excursions and music cruises featuring local bands and dancing. One of your best options is the 15-minute voyage to Peaks Island, where you can rent a bike and find quiet beaches, casual dining and one of Maine's quirkiest attractions: the Umbrella Cover Museum . Casco Bay Lines is also famous for its mailboat runs . That's right: You can see the sights as this working boat delivers island dwellers' mail.

Tour Historic Homes

Portland is an architecturally interesting city, which was largely rebuilt in Victorian style following a devastating 1866 fire . One of the city's first brick buildings not only survived the blaze, but it also became Maine's first historic house museum in 1901. If you're a literature fan, you'll want to be sure to tour the Wadsworth-Longfellow House , where influential poet and famous Portland son Henry Wadsworth Longfellow spent his childhood.

For a glimpse of lavish living in the city, visit another Great Fire survivor. Step back into the Victorian Age on a guided tour of the beautifully furnished Victoria Mansion , which was the most expensive home ever built in Maine at the time it was completed in 1860. Both houses are open for tours May through October. Victoria Mansion also reopens for special holiday tours from late November through early January .

Indulge in a Food Tour

Portland is Maine's top culinary destination, and there are so many restaurants, bakeries, breweries and gourmet food producers competing for your stomach space, you may find choosing where to dine and imbibe your trip's biggest dilemma.

Enter Maine Foodie Tours : their Portland walking tour is an efficient way to sample some of the Old Port's most delicious dishes and treats. Over the course of three hours, you'll taste everything from chowder to chocolate truffles made with Maine potatoes and sip craft beer and Maine honey wine along the way. Plus, your guide will share an insider's perspective on the food scene that will help you plan meals for the rest of your stay. Small group tours leave from the Old Port Wine Shop on Commercial Street year-round.

Explore a Cemetery

Portland's Eastern Cemetery dates back to 1668, but in modern day, is brought to life by devoted guides during Spirits Alive tours available Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday from July through mid-October. Once neglected and badly vandalized, this historic landscape has been resuscitated and transformed into a city attraction. You'll especially appreciate the artistry of 700 headstones etched by local stonecutter Bartlett Adams. If you're visiting Portland during the Halloween season, don't miss your chance to Walk Among the Shadows , bumping into ghostly storytellers.

Behold a Guinness World Record Holder

Just outside of downtown Portland in Yarmouth, Maine, there's a free attraction that will allow you to say you've seen the whole world in a day. Eartha is the world's largest revolving globe, and as this marvel spins, you'll feel a new appreciation for Maine's place on the planet. Eartha occupies the lobby of Garmin, which purchased the massive globe's innovative creator: DeLorme. A condition of the sale was that Eartha ​remains open and free to the public. You can visit any weekday year-round.

Find a Hidden Bar

Psst! Want to hang out at a cool speakeasy while you're in Portland? Make sure you have cash on you because that's all they accept at Lincolns , where all drinks cost a Lincoln. That's a $5 bill: Get it? Dimly-lit and with a local vibe, this basement bar has a secret entrance at 36 Market Street, and once you find it, whatever you do: Don't photograph it. Comedy and open mic nights are the best times to go. If it's your first time trying to find your way in, an Uber driver may be your best tipster.

Wow Your Kids at a Museum or Planetarium

Treat wee ones to a memorable adventure at the Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine in Portland, where hands-on exhibits—including a lobster boat, farmers' market, space shuttle, ranger station, and tide pool touch tank—will fascinate and entertain them. There are even dedicated areas for toddlers, so it's the perfect first museum experience for the tiny set. Take in a spectacular star show or laser light display at the University of Southern Maine's Southworth Planetarium , too, and you'll be as enthralled as your children.

See a Theater Performance

If you're a theater fan, you'll want to see what's on at Portland Stage . Maine's largest professional theater company produces seven mainstage shows annually and also stages new and experimental works and hosts talks and other events. The Portland Players , Maine's oldest community theater company, also presents engaging performances during a season that includes drama, comedy, and musicals. Check the schedule at John Lane's Ogunquit Playhouse , too. This summer theater venue, located south of Portland in Ogunquit, is renowned for its high-quality Broadway musicals.

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Travel Trade

Welcome motorcoachs, receptives, and international tour operators.

Exploring the Greater Portland region is a must for travel professionals. This dynamic area seamlessly blends coastal beauty with a flourishing culinary scene, rich history, and breathtaking natural landscapes. With its scenic waterfront, award-winning restaurants, and local breweries, Greater Portland is a dream destination for travelers looking to create lasting memories. From enjoying fresh lobster to visiting iconic lighthouses and immersing in vibrant arts and culture, the region offers an all-encompassing experience. Whether your clients seek outdoor adventures, lively festivals, or simply warm hospitality, the Greater Portland region caters to all interests and age groups. Booking vacations here means providing your clients with an authentic, enriching, and unforgettable escape, capturing the essence of New England at its finest.

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The Greater Portland, Maine region is devoted to keeping our destination accessible and safe for every person at every ability level. Check out our resource guide to getting around! Have questions while visiting?

Contact [email protected] and we will assist you personally.

Inspiration

Why should you bring your tour to Greater Portland, Maine? Let’s see what nationally-recognized magazines, travel journals, and media professionals have to say about the region in recent years. Because whether it’s the arts, world-class food + drink, or exemplary events and activities–there’s always something to be abuzz about in Greater Portland, Maine.

Itineraries

Looking for itineraries? A good travel plan has a steady pace to see local sites, while allowing time for transitions between cities. Our easy to navigate downtown and charming area towns can stretch to fit any activity or group meal you dream up. Try our ideas below or start building your own with our My Trip Plan tool.

You’ve probably heard about Portland’s foodie scene. But, don’t you think it’s time you try it for yourself? Soaking up every bit of lobster butter?

Embark on a coastal odyssey through Greater Portland, Maine. Nestled along the Atlantic shoreline, the region offers unrivaled New England charm with a cosmopolitan flair.

If you’re considering the Northeast for a meeting, event, or conference—it is time to start thinking about hosting in the Greater Portland region!

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We want everyone to enjoy the local landmarks, maritime history, art, entertainment, and world-class food and drink in Greater Portland. Below are international language brochures we translated for use. If you have additional requests, please check out our accessibility guide and reach out for additional assistance.

Chinese | Mandarin

AREA METROPOLITANA DI PORTLAND

Autentica – Per la sua natura

RÉGION DE PORTLAND

Authentique, de nature

グレーター・ポートランド

GROSSRAUM PORTLAND

Von Natur aus Authentisch

ÁREA METROPOLITANA DE PORTLAND

Naturalmente autentica

Connect with us to talk through logistics for your upcoming trip to the northeast. Let us assist tying-up your loose-ends from transportation to step-on guides to group meals. We can also provide local guides, maps, and discounts to your group upon arrival.

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PORTLAND’S ONLY UNDERGROUND DOUGHNUT TOUR

Insider’s tip: decadent dining in downtown portland.

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A DAY OF WINE, WATERFALLS, AND WONDERFUL VIEWS

Insider’s tip: satisfy your sweet tooth at the salt and straw, a morning tour of the greater portland area.

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INSIDER’S TIP: THE UNIQUE BEAUTY OF PORTLAND’S ART SCENE

Experience portland’s street art by bike, embark on a day trip to the oregon coast, insider’s tip: dinner at andina restaurant, delve into the heart of oregon’s wine country, insider’s tip: dine like a local at kachka, insider’s tip: start your day at the screen door restaurant, insider’s tip: explore division neighborhood, accommodation options.

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Travel + Leisure names Portland best place to live on East Coast

by Ariana St Pierre, WGME

A popular travel magazine ranked Maine's largest city as the best place to live on the East Coast.

Portland took the top spot on Travel + Leisure’s “10 Best Places to Live on the East Coast” list.

Travel + Leisure says Portland attracts newcomers with its natural beauty, bustling art scene, and laid-back outdoorsy lifestyle.

• Also read: This Maine movie theater will celebrate 100th anniversary with 25-cent tickets

"Portland is a walkable gem of a city on the working waterfront, marrying rich history with ever-evolving culture,” Jennifer Sweeney, a broker at Town & Shore Real Estate, told Travel + Leisure.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire came in second. According to Travel + Leisure, Portsmouth is a magnet for families looking for a safe and picturesque place to relocate. The historic city, which is one of the oldest working ports in America, is celebrating its 400th birthday.

Boston, Massachusetts, rounded out the top three. Travel + Leisure says Boston residents enjoy some of the highest annual compensations in the country and plenty of job opportunities. The city also has a youthful vibe thanks to its many universities.

According to Travel + Leisure, Boston is also not from some of the best beaches in the country on Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard.

Below is Travel + Leisure’s full list of the “ 10 Best Places to Live on the East Coast”:

• Portland, Maine
• Portsmouth, New Hampshire
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Greenwich, Connecticut
• New York City, New York
• Washington, District of Columbia
• Charleston, South Carolina
• Savannah, Georgia
• Miami, Florida
• Jacksonville, Florida

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• It List 2024 Overview: It List 2024

The 100 Best New Hotels of the Year

• The Best New U.S. Resorts of 2023
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• The Best New International Resorts of 2023
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• The Best New City Hotels of 2023
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• Hotels + Resorts
• It List 2024 The 100 Best New Hotels of the Year The Best New U.S. Resorts of 2023 The Best New Affordable Luxury Hotels of 2023 The Best New International Resorts of 2023 The Best New Cruise Ships of 2023 The Best New City Hotels of 2023 The Most Luxurious New Hotels of 2023 CLOSE Part of It List 2024

It List 2024: The best new hotels of the year, all visited and reviewed by Travel + Leisure's expert editors and contributors.

Since 1971, Travel + Leisure editors have followed one mission: to inform, inspire, and guide travelers to have deeper, more meaningful experiences. T+L's editors have traveled to countries all over the world, having flown, sailed, road tripped, and taken the train countless miles. They've visited small towns and big cities, hidden gems and popular destinations, beaches and mountains, and everything in between. With a breadth of knowledge about destinations around the globe, air travel, cruises, hotels, food and drinks, outdoor adventure, and more, they are able to take their real-world experience and provide readers with tried-and-tested trip ideas, in-depth intel, and inspiration at every point of a journey.

Our annual guide to the most game-changing hotel openings (and reopenings) has taken Travel + Leisure editors and contributors to 39 countries on six continents. We started with a list of more than 200 soon-to-open hotels, and T+L editors and reporters visited nearly 130 of them over the last 12 months. The endeavor brought us to a swish, antiques-filled hot spot in Fort Worth , Texas’s Cultural District; a hideaway that breathes big personality into Spain’s little-known wine region of Priorat; and an all-inclusive ski resort in Hokkaido, Japan , among other intriguing new hotels redefining the destinations around them.

Related: Our Hotel Values

Ahead, the 100 very best new hotels, including hidden gems in Morocco and reborn icons in Mexico and Hawaii. And, for the first time, the best newly launched luxury cruise ships. We’ve divided our picks into six categories to help you find the right escape for your travel mood. And we’ve noted, at the end of each entry, properties that have accessible rooms and common spaces that meet or exceed ADA or similar, country-specific rules. 

Read on for T+L’s 2024 It List — we’ll see you at the rooftop pool. 

— Edited by Maya Kachroo-Levine and Danielle Pointdujour

Hotels by Category

The full 100, 1 hotel hanalei bay, kauai.

Nina Ruggiero/Travel + Leisure

Once in a while, a hotel lands in a new place feeling like it’s always belonged there. The 1 Hotels brand and the Hawaiian island of Kauai were destined to be a match: They share a dedication to sustainability and a reputation for lush greenery. When 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay opened its doors in February 2023, the first thing locals and returning visitors noticed was that unlike its predecessor, the stark-white St. Regis Princeville, it didn’t stand out. On Kauai, that’s a good thing. A khaki-green exterior, rooftop gardens, and a host of endemic plants mean the hotel blends into its surrounding hills, leading all eyes straight to Hanalei Bay. And the bay is well deserving of the spotlight: as if its clear, swimmable waters weren’t enough, the skyline is dominated by the peaks of Mount Makana — also known as Bali Hai, the start of the otherworldly Na Pali coast — and the vibrant rainbows that appear in the sky almost daily. From the ocean-facing rooms and open-air restaurants to the pool with a view, everything at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is built for enjoying this incredible backdrop, blurring the lines between indoors and out. The Bamford Wellness Spa is focused on Hawaiian plant medicine, with personalized facials and massages that make use of local scrubs and honeys. The spa also offers sensory stimulation like hyperbaric oxygen therapy and a zero-gravity float chamber. The new Within Wellbeing program, a first for the 1 Hotels portfolio, curates four- and seven-night retreats focused on personal growth, longevity, balance, nutrition, and more. The 8,000-square-foot Anatomy gym offers personal training and fitness classes daily, and the signature restaurant, 1 Kitchen , serves organic vegetables grown on site, sustainably and locally caught seafood, and biodynamic wines. The hotel makes a concerted effort to support Hawaiian businesses, from the designers in its boutique and the juices and coffee at Neighbors , its all-day café, to its partnerships with nearby farms, surf schools , guides, and nonprofits including the Kauai Humane Society . From $1,200/night. Accessible hotel. — Nina Ruggiero

21c Museum Hotel St. Louis

Courtesy of 21c Museum Hotels

Opening in August 2023 with the not-so-hidden agenda to breathe new life into one of St. Louis’s most historic neighborhoods, this 173-room property — Missouri’s second 21c Museum Hotel — has proven that it is indeed fun to stay at a YMCA. Before the renovated, 10-story neo-Renaissance building found a second life as a hotel, it housed the downtown St. Louis chapter of the YMCA for nearly a century. Today, instead of luring guests with team sports and weight rooms, this Locust Street location does so with art exhibitions, culinary extravagances, and well-curated guest rooms. The building’s Wes Anderson–esque facade was renovated by the preservation pros at Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel , while Bill Rooney Studio reimagined the guest rooms and architecture firm Hufft designed the public spaces. True to the brand’s ethos, the hotel only showcases art from the 21st century, each piece hanging from an unexpected place, like on the walls lining the YMCA’s former basketball court — gloss floors, suspended running track, and all. Altogether, there is more than 14,000 square feet of art exhibition space, all designed to double as event space hosting community activities like altruistic happy hours supporting a different local nonprofit each month. Even the hotel rooms act as mini galleries, featuring unconventional layouts and exclusive artwork from artists with strong ties to Missouri, like Carmon Colangelo. Designers brought in custom Rookwood Pottery tiles to replicate the historic inlays of the basement fitness and swim club, where the phrase “Swim for Life” is still etched on the pool floor, preserving a piece of YMCA history. In contrast, new culinary additions bring a fresh appeal to the hotel — I loved the Northwest Coffee at Good Press cafe and the playful, Spanish-style tapas and cocktails at Idol Wolf restaurant. From $161/night. Accessible hotel. — Kristy Alpert

Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel, Italy

Housed in a 13th-century Capuchin convent, Anantara Convento di Amalfi 's church has been meticulously maintained, as have its Arab-Norman cloisters, where a Franciscan friar leads walking meditations and luxury wedding ceremonies between the cliffs and the sea. Inside, convent benches still line simple, dimly lit halls, inspiring quiet moments of contemplation, though the bougainvillea-draped exterior corridors are just as appealing. Convento is built high into a cliff overlooking one of the most beautiful sections of the Amalfi Coast, serving a sparkling blue view that’s best enjoyed by day from the infinity pool or a table at La Locanda della Canonica , where pizza by legendary Neapolitan pizzaiolo Gino Sorbillo is plated on colorful ceramics. By night, yachts light the dark waters below, adding to the romance of fine-dining restaurant Dei Cappuccini , where chef Claudio Lanuto creates tasting menus using fresh seafood and vegetables from the on-site monks’ garden. The sea is also on display from the outdoor gym and each of the 52 beige-and-white rooms and suites — where reflections of the sapphire Mediterranean offer the only pop of color, save for bowls of bright yellow Amalfi lemons. The only exception is the Suite del Priore (formerly home to the convent prior), with a ceiling covered in preserved frescoes above the four-poster bed. The serene neutral color palette extends to the spa , which includes a hammam and uses Valmont skin care products. Amalfi’s town center is a short walk away, and the hotel arranges some of the area’s most breathtaking excursions , from private sunset cruises and scenic hikes to helicopter tours. From $1,401/night. Accessible hotel. — Nina Ruggiero

Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas, Thailand

Courtesy of Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas

The 40-minute speedboat ride from Phuket to the new Anantara Koh Yao Yai brought me to a secluded property in the middle of Phang Nga Bay. The 27-acre paradise sits on a quiet, powdery stretch of sand shared only with elusive hornbills and macaques. Built from the ground up, Anantara Koh Yao Yai’s 148 rooms are spread across a handful of buildings: two-story penthouses and cozy villas, all featuring private plunge pools, plus family-friendly suites outfitted with darling bunk beds and slides. A minimalist design runs through every butler-serviced room: sleek wood paneling, woven headboards, marble baths with soaking tubs, and copious amounts of light pouring in through floor-to-ceiling balcony doors. The same aesthetic carries over to the 10,00-square-foot spa with a hammam as well as the resort’s main, silver gray–tiled infinity pool overlooking the water. The indoor-outdoor Beach Restaurant serves an ambitious international menu — sushi, pastas, and much more — which excels thanks to fresh, local ingredients. For a more hands-on culinary experience, I tried a cooking class at the on-site Spice Spoons culinary school and learned to make green curry, pad Thai, and mango sticky rice with an expert chef. From $750/night. — Tanvi Chheda

andBeyond Punakha Valley, Bhutan

Chris Schalkx

Luxury safari operator andBeyond’s first property outside Africa and South America, andBeyond Punakha River Lodge is a game-changer for Bhutan. After locating a lush plot of land along the roaring Mo River in the Punakha Valley, the company worked with Fox Browne Creative, known for its high-end African safari camps, to bring the vision to life. The lodge’s eight suites meld the brand’s signature safari-style tents with Bhutanese details such as ornate timber frames, shingled roofs, and kaleidoscopic textiles (woven by Renew, a nonprofit dedicated to women’s empowerment). Bathrooms open onto outdoor showers and have skylights above the soaking tubs, making them perfect for stargazing. The spa features herbal hot-stone baths and poolside loungers with views of the Himalayas. Adventure seekers can opt for bike rides in the mountains and whitewater rafting, complete with elaborate picnics. The lodge also offers guided tours to the gold-trimmed Punakha Dzong, one of the country’s oldest fortresses, and jungle hikes to frozen-in-time villages. From $890/night, all-inclusive. Accessible hotel. — Chris Schalkx

Angama Amboseli, Kimana, Kenya

Emli Bendixen

In the south of Kenya, everybody looks for elephants, but it’s the birds you notice first: lilac-breasted rollers, grey-crowned cranes, turacos, kingfishers, and hornbills. The wildlife is as varied and eye-catching as the landscape, which is dominated by the spectacular Mount Kilimanjaro. No wonder high-end safari operator Angama chose this spot for its new lodge , a follow-up to the game-changing Angama Mara, which opened in 2015. The new property, with its 10 spacious suites, sits in the private Kimana Sanctuary, a 5,700-acre tract filled with wildlife, including antelope, buffalo, elephants, giraffes, impalas, and warthogs. With an infinity pool, excellent farm-to-fork cuisine, and a bar lounge, Angama Amboseli makes for a plush home base for forays into Amboseli National Park. From $1,650 per person, all-inclusive.​ Accessible hotel. — Paul Brady

Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection, Fort Worth, Texas

Denny Lee/Travel + Leisure

Arriving at Bowie House on a Friday night, I was surrounded by fun-loving Texans in cowboy hats and fur vests leaving their Rivian SUVs with the valet. They walked through the art- and antiques-filled lobby, richly adorned with Texas longhorns, cowhide-upholstered club chairs, wool rugs, and a riot of horse-themed objects: paintings, statues, photographs, saddles. The wood-paneled bar overflowed with elegantly dressed women laughing over bottles of wine; older couples slurping down oysters by the fireplace, families carving into steaks in the Bricks & Horses restaurant, and young professionals perusing the impressive art (all collected by the hotel’s charismatic owner, Dallas businesswoman Jo Ellard). The equestrian theme continues upstairs in the 88 rooms, each of which is furnished with comforting touches like bar carts, art books, woven leather headboards, and dimmable lighting. Of course it’s no accident that the hotel is practically next door to the Will Rogers Memorial Center, a premiere venue for horse competitions and livestock shows. (When I visited, there was a stock show and rodeo going on.) Now those riders, cowboys, and cowgirls have a place to hang out, in all their western finery. From $609/night. Accessible hotel. — Denny Lee

Broadwick Soho, London

Courtesy of Broadwick Soho

Broadwick Soho ’s mishmash of florid patterns and bold colors make it hard not to fall for this endearingly eccentric London property. Its aesthetic has proven to be catnip to the artists and actors who’ve always patronized Soho, central London’s most louche and creative district. At the ground-floor reception, finished in pretty pinks, big-bucks artworks by Bridget Riley and Francis Bacon are displayed without fanfare. Truth is, they’re easily missed in the midst of so much aesthetic flamboyance. Look out for drinks cabinets secreted within adorable brass elephants, handcrafted by Jaipuri artisans; pretty illustrated countertops specially made in Positano, Italy; and a glitzy mirrored cabinet in The Nook, a residents-only lounge where hotel guests can peruse a British-inflected record collection including classics from Sade and The Rolling Stones. There are opportunities to mingle with locals at rooftop bar Flute, where the gorgeous, golden onyx-topped bar counter is offset by some good-humored kitsch: animal-print fabrics, cork-clad walls, palm-print carpets. This might be a lighthearted spot, but they take cocktails seriously; a bartender educated me on Soho’s long standing as a center of mixology before presenting me with a perfect paloma, and the atmospheric city views from the terrace make this a top spot for date nights. Named for the owner’s mother, dimly lit basement restaurant Dear Jackie is more discreet and feels fun and indulgent — my rich, punchy puttanesca pasta was delicious and a good value at less than $20. Sated on all the delights of Soho, within and beyond the hotel, guests can retire to one of 57 comfy, characterful rooms finished in soft pastels, distinguished with unique artworks, and generously stocked with toiletries by chic Sicilian outfit Ortigia. From $753/night. Accessible hotel. — John O'Ceallaigh

Bulgari Hotel Tokyo

Courtesy of Bulgari Hotels & Resorts

“We bring the art of Italian living wherever we go,” Silvio Ursini, executive vice president of Bulgari Hotels & Resorts , told me at the opening of the Bulgari Hotel Tokyo . The 98-room property, which occupies the top five floors of the 45-story Tokyo Midtown Yaesu tower, is the eighth in Bulgari’s small, luxurious portfolio (a ninth, in Rome, opened in June). It feels like a Roman holiday in Japan — where both arigato gozaimasu and grazie mille are completely acceptable ways to thank someone for a glass of Champagne. Guests can choose from an Italian restaurant helmed by Niko Romito, an acclaimed chef born and raised in Italy, or an eight-seat omakase counter from chef Kenji Gyoten, known for his Michelin three-starred restaurant in Fukuoka, Japan. The hotel’s design is a pastiche of Japanese artistry. In my room, the ceilings were hand-painted with five layers of gold paint by local craftspeople and were second only to the alluring black granite bathtub. My favorite Italian design piece was the one I visited each morning, when I would take the elevator to the 40th-floor, and plunge into the spa’s 15,000-square-foot pool. Its floor is breathtaking, made of mosaic tile and Venetian glass in an entrancing shade of green that glimmers gold when natural light shines through the water. From $1,700/night. Accessible hotel. — Maya Kachroo-Levine

Cap Karoso, Sumba, Indonesia 

Frédéric Lagrange

Nothing builds anticipation like a 45-minute drive between corn fields and the sapphire Indian Ocean, on a road lined with flora so lush vines spill onto the pavement. It wouldn’t have taken much to enchant me after that trip, but the welcome I received at Cap Karoso , a 15-acre beachfront resort on an undeveloped island east of Bali, still managed to overdeliver. The staff greeted me by name and handed me an indigo ceramic cup containing a heavenly hibiscus-coconut elixir: precisely the type of off-the-grid charm that makes this 47-room, 20-villa property so singular. The food and drink from the Beach Club restaurant and Apicine Bar were flavored with local ingredients — think papaya spritzes and handmade gnocchi with Sumba cashew foam, courtesy of executive chef Antoine LeVacon and consulting mixology maestro Nico de Soto. The guest chef–only restaurant Julang stimulated my tastebuds with dishes like king prawn with asparagus, cardamom foam, and ponzu sauce courtesy of Tokyo-born chef Katsuaki Okiyama, the guest chef during my stay. This is a place well equipped for downtime, thanks to the Malala Spa, which uses healing herbs and rituals for its treatments, and has two picturesque pools, sunlit accommodations with generous bathtubs, and commissioned artwork that plays on motifs from ancient Sumbanese culture. Nearby, traditional Marapu villages, crystalline lagoons, and surf breaks are also ripe for exploration. Fiery sunsets mesmerized me from the beach, where at low tide locals fished for their dinners, but nothing captivated me quite like my interactions with the predominantly Sumbanese staff, who are overwhelmingly warm. From $300/night. — Kathryn Romeyn

Capella Sydney

Samantha Falawée/Travel + Leisure

When Capella Sydney opened in March 2023, the news created a buzz. That might have been because it was Sydney ’s first luxury hotel to open in almost a decade — and is housed in a handsome, early 1900s building in the heart of the city that once held Australia’s Lands and Education offices. Or it may have been because it was the first property outside of Asia from the Singapore-based Capella Hotels & Resorts, which was voted the No. 1 hotel brand by readers in last year’s World’s Best Awards. Walking into the lobby entrance, I passed four multimedia pieces by aboriginal artist Judy Watson that depict motifs of the Indigenous Eora, the original inhabitants of the land on which Sydney now stands. Hanging from the ceiling of Aperture, the indoor courtyard-garden area serving finger sandwiches and afternoon tea, is a mesmerizing, flower-like light installation by Dutch duo Drift — the only other one like it is housed in the permanent collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam . In the hotel’s 192 rooms, dramatic black steel window frames and soothing dove-gray marble blend unobtrusively with a warm, neutral palette. Brasserie 1930 has a modern but cozy atmosphere. My eggs Benedict, served on a fluffy crumpet with truffle hollandaise, sautéed kale, and smoked Berkshire ham, was so delicate and delicious, I ordered it every morning of my stay. In the evening, I headed to the McRae Bar to try craft cocktails inspired by popular drinks of the late 1800s to early 1900s – and was  surprised to come across a local “Culturist,” a rotating cast of local experts from mixologists to magician Harry Milas , who delighted me, along with a handful of guests, with a sleight-of-hand show. The hotel is located within walking distance to the city’s Royal Botanic Garden, the ferry and train stations at Circular Quay Wharf, and the Sydney Opera House. After a day spent sightseeing, I headed to Auriga Spa on the sixth floor. Swimming in the 66-foot heated pool, under a glass ceiling flooded with sunlight, was the perfect relaxing moment. From $650/night. Accessible hotel. — Samantha Falewée

Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, France

Courtesy of Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel

As I opened the door to my beachfront room at the Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel , I was greeted by a perfectly framed view of a lone yacht perched on a lightly rippled Mediterranean Sea. The scene was so quintessentially Côte d’Azur that it felt scripted just for my arrival. Considering this property’s silver-screen credentials, maybe it’s not so far-fetched a thought. The address of choice for Hollywood’s A-list since the first Cannes Film Festival in 1946, the Carlton, like the most-loved cinema hits, was due for a modern remake. After a two-year closure, La Grande Dame, as the hotel is known along La Croisette, has emerged with a new swagger, whether that’s from the false ceilings pulled away to reveal hidden frescoes in the lobby; a refreshed dining scene that includes Rüya, the French Riviera’s first Anatolian restaurant; or the rooms, smartly restyled in soft grays, light pinks, and off-whites. The color palette was deliberately chosen by designer Tristan Auer to showcase the region’s famous light as it streams through the bay windows. With its heritage-listed belle époque facade relatively untouched, the hotel’s biggest change is felt on the side facing away from the sea. Gone is an unsightly car park, replaced by two expansive wings split into a clutch of exclusive branded residences and an immense 10,770-square-foot penthouse. Tucked inside this new horseshoe form is a tranquil garden, Cannes’ largest infinity pool, and enough space to fit an ice rink come winter. From $550/night. Accessible hotel. — Chrissie McClatchie

Casa Pestagua, Cartagena, Colombia

Kiko Kairuz/Courtesy of Casa Pestagua

Thanks to a $15 million renovation, one of Cartagena’s most beautiful colonial mansions now shines as a 16-room boutique hotel, Casa Pestagua . The 18th-century facade blends seamlessly into the charming squares, cobblestoned streets, and colorful buildings of the historic Old City, and inside, guests enjoy amenities that include a bar and a gym. AniMare, the restaurant, serves both traditional dishes like ceviches and seafood cazuela — a stew made with coconut milk and vegetables — and more contemporary offerings like açaí bowls. For guests in need of a break from the city, the hotel offers day trips to Barú Island; you can even stay overnight in one of six beachfront bungalows (exclusive to guests of Casa Pestagua and its sibling property Casa San Agustín) for an additional cost. From $500/night. ​ — Susmita Baral

Cayo Levantado Resort, Dominican Republic 

Courtesy of Cayo Levantado

As the only resort occupying the palm-fringed Cayo Levantado island off the coast of Samana Bay, this luxury all-inclusive wellness property, which opened its doors in the summer of 2023, whisks guests away to a serene world that blends ancient traditions with modern practices. Travelers get a sense of what’s to come as soon as the resort’s private boat approaches the island’s Victorian-inspired dock, where turquoise waters backed by lush tropical greenery conceal 218 spacious guest rooms, suites, and villas with private plunge pools and patios. Dominican architect Ramón Emilio Jiménez has done a spectacular job of introducing a sense of place by incorporating local materials and handmade decor like palm leaf-shaped sconces and Guayacán wood trays. However, the highlight of Cayo Levantado is the wellness experiences, which are organized around four “paths”: refresh, restore, relax, and renew. For each, guests can choose from a long list of activities such as breathwork classes, yoga, sound baths, Tibetan singing bowl meditation sessions, cold plunges, and even a Shamanic cleansing ceremony — many of which take place in the resort’s open-air wellness center. 

Nutrition is also an important part of any stay. Some of my favorite meals were at the resort’s Santa Yuca restaurant. This idyllic open-air space serves healthy dishes, like a fantastic grilled watermelon salad with avocado cream sauce, prepared with ingredients that literally grow right next to the tables. From $450 per person per night, all-inclusive. — Dobrina Zhekova

Château des Fleurs, Paris

Mr. Tripper/Courtesy of Château des Fleurs

The family-run Vivre-Les Maisons Bertrand group has been having quite the opening season in the Triangle d’Or section of Paris’s eighth arrondissement with the debut of Château des Fleurs , a boutique escape just off the Champs-Élysées. Designed by Barcelona firm Quintana Partners, the 37-room hotel is a highly designed flurry of custom flourishes, from the Gaudí-inspired doors to the elegantly sculpted wooden gym equipment to the ebullient motif of carved wooden balls that pops up throughout the lobby, evocative of the bubbles in the glass of Champagne that greets guests staying in a suite. With hammam-style showers and a railway-style dressing area, tufted velvet sofas and a claw-foot tub within feet of the bed, the Belle Époque sanctuaries can be hard to leave. What feels most 21st-century about this 1910 hotel is that the lobby bar and snug micro-restaurant, Oma, which means “mother” in Korean, is as much a meeting space for guests and city residents as it is for pulling out a laptop to work. From $490/night. Accessible hotel. — Christine Muhlke

Club Med Kiroro Grand, Hokkaido, Japan 

Lydia Price/Travel + Leisure

With its new property in Japan, Club Med has achieved an enormous feat: making it easy for families to take a far-flung international ski trip. The brand’s latest all-inclusive resort, Club Med Kiroro Grand , is on the northern island of Hokkaido, where heaps of fluffy snow are blown in on Siberian winds. The towering 266-room property immerses guests in an enchanted forest. You’ll find giant sculptures of woodland creatures, mushroom-shaped light fixtures, and foliage-covered ceilings in the sprawling complex, which includes an indoor pool, a kids’ campus, and a spa. My favorite amenity was the outdoor onsen, where I soaked in mineral-rich spring water every afternoon. The main dining hall serves a diverse spread of comfort food designed to please the broad range of nationalities staying at the resort. Dishes included bulgogi, pad see ew, and roasted chicken with mashed potatoes — all freshly made by Kiroro’s chefs and bursting with layers of flavor. Apart from the multicultural buffets, the resort houses three specialty restaurants. My eight-course sushi feast at Ebisu was a masterpiece made almost exclusively from local ingredients. Not to be outdone, barbecue restaurant Kaen served the most succulent Wagyu beef I’ve ever tasted, with other Hokkaido-sourced produce like scallops, pork, and salmon on the guest-manned grills. And at the lively Ogon, I took a crash course in making my own Japanese hot pot. All three restaurants are mere steps away from the lobby doors; in fact, everything at Kiroro Grand is less than a 10-minute walk away from the guest rooms, making long treks schlepping skis and disgruntled children a thing of the past. From $2,250 per person for seven nights. Accessible hotel. — Lydia Price

Como Le Montrachet, Burgundy, France 

Courtesy of COMO Hotels and Resorts

Though new to the scene, Como Le Montrachet — the luxury hospitality group’s first venture in France — is quickly becoming a go-to for local and visiting Burgundophiles alike. At the head of Puligny-Montrachet’s sleepy town square, this breezy inn combines contemporary design with its sturdy, rustic, 19th-century bones, and even in its infancy drew a consistent crowd for dinner at adjoining restaurant Le Montrachet. The wine selection is, of course, world-class — it’s never difficult to find great wines when in France (especially in Burgundy), but the Le Montrachet team truly takes the selection and service to the next level in its quest to highlight the region’s best at a variety of price points. Apart from a few local winery visits (a must), my time spent here revolved around the seasonally driven menu and its accompanying pours, each with a sommelier’s anecdote or two. And I’d be remiss to not call out the cheese cart, which could easily be considered life-changing, although certainly not for the faint of heart. Accessible from Paris, Dijon, Lyon, and nearby Beaune, Como Le Montrachet is an epicure’s sanctuary, and an unpretentious one at that (you certainly don’t need to be a wine expert to feel welcomed here). And in true Como fashion, each of the hotel’s common areas and guest rooms are directly inspired by the surrounding environment — a theme that defines Le Montrachet’s culinary program in a holistic harnessing of terroir. From $377/night. Accessible hotel. — Céline Bossart

Como Metropolitan Singapore

Last September, the Singapore-based Como group unveiled Como Metropolitan Singapore , the brand’s first hotel in its home country. Located on Orchard Road — the city-state’s famed shopping and lifestyle hub — the hotel is part of Como Orchard, an immersive experience spread over 19 floors, which showcases the group’s strengths in hospitality, wellness, fashion and cuisine. Designed by Atelier Ikebuchi and Milan-based Otto Studio, the interiors feature clean lines, contemporary aesthetics, and furniture from noted Italian brand Giorgetti. A bonsai tree marks its discreet entrance, while the lobby features a huge LED display of flowers by artist Thomas Hilland and locally sourced coffees served by Bruno, the robot barista. The 156 rooms are full of thoughtful touches, such as amenities from wellness brand Como Shambhala, butler hatches, and refillable water bottles. A newly launched Sleep Dreams package encourages deep relaxation in your room using a device that plays low-frequency sound waves. Como Shambhala offers yoga, pilates, a 1,500-square-foot gym, and innovative treatments like hot and cold immersion therapies. (I tried the Oxygen Therapy, which involved destressing in a lightly pressurized hyperbaric device.) International dining concepts like Cedric Grolet Singapore and Cote Singapore draw both travelers and locals to the property; the former serves Grolet’s exquisite fruit and flower-shaped pastries, sandwiches, and teas. Cote Singapore — the Michelin-starred U.S. restaurant’s first international outpost–blends American steak preparations with Korean BBQ, offering top-quality beef cuts and a lively, clubby atmosphere best described as “sexy Yakuza den.” From $300/night. Accessible hotel. — Shamilee Vellu

Curtain Bluff, Antigua

Courtesy of Curtain Bluff

Tucked away on Antigua’s southwest end, this 72-room property recently unveiled a multimillion-dollar renovation that combines old-school elegance with modern flair. It’s evident in the details: the rattan chairs from the ‘80s that have been re-lacquered; the classic turquoise and green bedding now juxtaposed with contemporary tiling. This delicate dance between welcoming the new and continuing the legacy of late founders Howard and Chelle Hulford is what makes Curtain Bluff one of the most coveted resorts in Antigua. The resort’s new two-story, state-of-the-art wellness center is a hideaway, complete with an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, an expanded fitness center, and a yoga pavilion. After your massage, retreat to the upper balcony to take a dip in the cliffside Jacuzzi. The resort’s most popular suites have been outfitted with marble soaking tubs and large walk-in showers that leave you feeling energized and ready for the day. Guests will still find all the familiar amenities that make Curtain Bluff so special: four full-size tennis courts, delicious Caribbean-French dishes at restaurants Sea Grape and Tamarind, and a host of sports and water activities for families. Be sure to carve out time to sample the resort’s international wine cellar during a tasting with head sommelier Glouster St. Ville. From $1,850/night. Accessible hotel. — Jasmine Grant

Dawn Ranch, Sonoma County, California

Maya Kachroo-Levine/Travel + Leisure

The spicy, amber-rich scent of cedar greeted me before I saw the wooden cabins at Dawn Ranch , which form a horseshoe around a grassy lawn dotted with cornhole boards and a giant Connect 4 set. The whimsy of this redwood-shaded hideaway from the hospitality group behind Marram Montauk reflects the carefree energy of Guerneville, a town on the Russian River. The 87 accommodations include seasonal glamping tents, but I opted for a cottage, which had a double-sided fireplace lined with green tile. The property has its own dock on the river and is just 14 miles from both Healdsburg’s posh wineries and the Pacific coast. Guests can also borrow bikes for a quick jaunt to the famed 1,400-year-old Colonel Armstrong redwood. Don’t let the allure of Sonoma fine dining pull you away from the Ranch’s restaurant: helmed by two Argentine chefs, it has South American undertones, with dishes like yellowfin tiradito at dinner and Paraguayan chiapas , a gluten-free cheesy bread, for breakfast. From $450/night.​ Accessible hotel. — Maya Kachroo-Levine

Eliamos Villas Hotel & Spa, Kefalonia, Greece

Courtesy of Eliamos Villas Hotel & Spa

Covertly nestled on a cypress-clad hillside on Kefalonia island, this unpretentious, all-villa hotel in a profoundly soothing setting is a rare find on Greece’s Ionian Sea. Eliamos Villas Hotel & Spa was born out of a love for the sprawling, fertile isle shared by London-based interior architect and designer Maike Gruna and her Greek-Australian husband with Kefalonian roots. Gruna crafted 12 minimalist, honey-hued stone villas that meld inconspicuously with surrounding olive groves. The three-bedroom sea-view villa, framed by beamed timber ceilings and dressed in neutral tones, stands out as Eliamos’ premium offering — expansive terrace included. En suite bathrooms feature walk-in showers, matte earthenware sinks, and soul-grounding pale gray concrete floors. Beside Villa 103’s private saltwater infinity pool, I sunk into a plush sunbed and tuned into soporific island time as distant sailboats floated on electric, indigo waters. At the exceptional alfresco restaurant, chef Sokratis Maligkanis turns out creative, seasonal Mediterranean comfort fare amid a riot of pink and violet wildflowers and aromatic herbs like sage and rosemary. He sources hyperlocal raw materials like forest mushrooms foraged from looming Mount Ainos for luscious risotto. Ripe summer peaches are marinated and laced with extra-virgin olive oil, making for a sweet alternative to classic tomato salad. Foodies, take note — only guests can dine here. For the fitness-minded, there’s a communal lap pool and an all-wood outdoor gym where yoga classes are also held. Hop on a complimentary e-bike to explore nearby beaches or rent a motorboat and reach isolated coves. To completely unwind, book an in-villa massage or reflexology treatment. From $700/night. — Helen Iatrou

Estelle Manor, Oxfordshire, England

Courtesy of Estelle Manor

Don’t let the stately Jacobean facade fool you: There’s nothing stuffy about Estelle Manor , a 60-acre estate in the green pastures of Oxfordshire, about an hour northwest of central London. A country offshoot of the U.K. capital’s private club Maison Estelle, the resort is all Roaring Twenties, devil-may-care razzle-dazzle. It all feels cinematic and delightfully British, including the way the house car — a Land Rover, naturally — clatters over the pebbles of the tree-lined drive and the cheery apricot glow of the fire that seems to flicker in sync with the DJ. The 108 guest rooms are outfitted in a flamboyantly aristocratic style: tasseled pillows, faded kilim fabrics, four-poster beds, and lacquered mini-bars crammed with everything from elderflower kombucha to collagen eye patches. Amenities include a gym, a co-working space, a chic boutique, and three good restaurants: the Billiards Room, a buzzy Chinese venue; the Glasshouse, which serves heritage vegetables and Cotswolds chicken; and the Brasserie, with seasonal favorites like Oxford-cheddar soufflé and Alaskan king crab. From $500/night. Accessible hotel. ​— Nicole Trilivas

Explora Journeys’ Explora I

Paul Brady/Travel + Leisure

It’s not every day a new cruise line arrives. The debut of the remarkable Explora I was a moment years in the making for Explora Journeys , the upstart luxury operator that aims to bring a European sensibility to the world of vacations at sea. So far, the project is a smashing success, thanks to the ship’s low-key vibe, standout food and beverage, and intriguing itineraries that visit in-demand ports in Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. My own August 2023 trip on Explora I , from Copenhagen to Hamburg, Germany, included fulfilling visits to places such as Oslo and the town of Stavanger, Norway, a gateway to adventurous hiking with a postcard-perfect Old Town. The ship itself was also a destination, with its abundance of outdoor space — including an alfresco fitness center — and pools at seemingly every turn. The 461 suites, all of them with balconies, are filled with luxurious touches such as Frette linens and robes, heated marble floors, and Dyson hair dryers. But Explora I truly shines when it comes to food: During the week I was aboard, it was impossible to find a bad meal — and I was often astonished at the quality of, in particular, the pasta served in the Emporium Marketplace and the sushi on offer at Sakura, two of the nine restaurants aboard. The most ambitious of them all is Anthology, a rotating-chef concept that has seen a residency from seafood whiz Mario Ulaissi, known for his Michelin three-starred restaurant on Italy's Adriatic coast, and that recently welcomed Emma Bengtsson, from Aquavit , in New York City. Much has been made of Explora I ’s Rolex boutique — the first on any cruise ship — but for my money, the other shops on board were more interesting: the company has tapped family-owned businesses around the world to create capsule collections of resort wear, handbags, fragrances, sunglasses, and beautiful gifts that can’t be found elsewhere. From $2,050 per person for a six-day sailing. Accessible ship. — Paul Brady

Faraway Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts 

Elizabeth Rhodes/Travel + Leisure

Martha’s Vineyard — with its golden beaches, illuminated lighthouses, seafood shacks, and periwinkle hydrangea bushes — is the prototype for a classic New England summer escape. And while structured navy stripes and fish paintings have their place, Faraway Martha’s Vineyard trades the old-school nautical aesthetic found throughout the Vineyard for something breezy, refined, and whimsical. Owner Blue Flag Partners and design firm Workshop/APD transformed the Vineyard’s beloved old Kelley House and its surrounding buildings into the second Faraway location (the first opened on Nantucket in 2021). Bohemian influences from the 1960s and ‘70s are felt throughout the 58 guest rooms and suites — which range from standard rooms in Kelley House to two-bedroom suites in the adjacent houses — and in the lobby, with ceiling-high bookshelves adorned with bursts of jewel-toned florals and black-and-white tapestries. I was one of the first to check into the totally reimagined Edgartown hotel in July, prime time for a seaside stroll and a lobster roll — both of which I found just a short walk from the hotel’s central location. The hotel’s restaurants honor the location’s historic roots with a fresh take: The Newes From America, an Edgartown institution that actually predates the hotel by a few centuries, serves classic pub fare, while the lush outdoor Pelican Club offers tropical cocktails and delicious sushi (I ordered The Pelican maki roll and the spicy tuna crispy rice). At the center of the property sits a new pool lined with loungers and cabanas, a large hot tub, and a fitness center. From $695/night. Accessible hotel. — Elizabeth Rhodes

Fontainebleau Las Vegas 

Connie Zhou/Courtesy of Fontainebleau Las Vegas

Since Fontainebleau Las Vegas was first announced in 2005, there has been an infusion of more than $3.7 billion into this 67-story resort. And after walking through its cantilevered porte-cochere, I can say, as a Vegas local, that it’s been worth the wait. Beyond the lobby is an impressive art collection including a 46-foot sculpture by Urs Fischer and paintings by Richard Prince. The design, curated by the resort’s creative director Peter Arnell and executive vice president of design John Rawlins, feels cohesive, especially with a six-acre pool deck that boasts every aquatic feature imaginable, from serenity pools to full on bacchanals. The nearby spa features a performance sauna where professional dancers use choreographed towel flicks to warm the guests, and the massive co-ed thermal area is the city’s largest, with hydrotherapy pools, cold plunges, a snow shower, a salt-mist cave, and an herbal inhalation room. Rooms start at a generous 488 square feet and feature striking views of the Strip and Las Vegas Valley; I particularly loved the massive sunken tub in my Royal Suite. There are 36 restaurants and bars: my favorites included Kyu (an Asian-inspired, wood-fired BBQ) where the nam prik –sauced kale chips and wagyu tartare mixed with brûléed bone marrow was a revelation; Papi Steak, serving some of the city’s best prime selects; and Ito, where booking one of the 12 seats at the swank omakase counter affords access to the resort’s super-exclusive members’ club, the Poodle Room, before and after dinner. For more convivial pursuits, visit the on-site outpost of white-hot Miami nightclub Liv and Liv Beach. From $300/night. Accessible hotel. — David Morris

Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica

Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

The Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo , originally opened in 2004, got a major update that finished at the end of 2023, including an expanded kids’ club, a reimagined, adults-only, infinity-edge pool with cabanas and chairs for rental, and a spectacular beach club. I was particularly fond of the new Virador Beach Club , which invites you in with its neutral palette and amazing Mediterranean eats. (The labneh and moussaka were two of my favorite noshes, but the whole menu, orchestrated by chef Khaled Natour, offers something truly different on the Gold Coast.) The property also has a new wellness shala, basically a serene tree house hovering over the resort and gazing out toward the water. The architectural marvel perfectly blends with its environment, and I found it immediately relaxed me before my sound-healing session, in which the vibration of gongs and sound bowls lulled me into a trance. Next, I visited the separate spa building for a Tsuru Cacao Ancestral Ritual before retiring to the hydrotherapy pools. The property is sprawling, at 120 acres, which you can explore on foot or e-bike, and the activity roster is impressive — golf on the 18-hole Arnold Palmer–designed green, local rum tastings, and surfing lessons are all on offer. Whether you venture out to the waves on a standard board or get a lesson on the new eFoil surfboard that’ll have you floating above the water, it’s all about pura vida . From $1,200/night. Accessible hotel. — Samantha Leal

Gardiner House, Newport, Rhode Island 

Michael P.H. Clifford/Courtesy of Gardiner House

Entering the newly opened Gardiner House in Newport, Rhode Island, felt like stepping back into the Gilded Age. Inspired by the Gardiner family’s 1860s mansion, the luxury 21-key boutique hotel is located on Lee's Wharf — a piece of prime real estate facing Newport’s idyllic marina. Though it opened in fall 2023, just as Newport hit the off-season, Gardiner House turned the city’s hospitality scene on its head by quickly becoming a social hub for stylish locals and in-the-know winter visitors. The heartbeat of the hotel is the Studio Bar and lounge right off the foyer, where art-littered, dark-green walls; a real-wood fireplace; and an eclectic assortment of velvet sofas, comfy accent chairs, and oversized ottomans strike the perfect balance between cozy and chic. There’s a variety of delicious craft cocktails to choose from, and a small menu of light bites: yellowfin with avocado, kobe beef sliders, and truffle fries were my favorites. The property’s culinary portfolio will expand this spring with the debut of a second-floor Mediterranean restaurant with an outdoor terrace and floor-to-ceiling windows offering an unobstructed view of Newport Harbor. Most of the rooms and suites have harbor views, too, plus simple, beachy decor and thoughtful amenities — Matouk linens and Ortigia toiletries, for example — throughout the space. Guests can walk to Thames Street, Newport’s buzzy downtown area, in less than a minute where a myriad of mom-and-pop shops, vintage boutiques, and restaurants await. From $725/night. Accessible hotel. — Annie Archer

Gran Hotel Mas d'en Bruno, Priorat, Spain

Located in Tarragona, a province roughly an hour-and-a-half outside of Barcelona, Gran Hotel Mas d’en Bruno is set between hilltop villages, undulating country roads, and the Siurana River. On arrival guests pass through rows of Grenache grapes before being welcomed into a 500-year-old building, complete with arched windows and terra-cotta rooftops. Consider the 24 rooms to be siblings; some have soaking-tubs, others fireplaces. All the marble, from the coffee tables to the Catalonia-sourced alabaster lamps, hails from Spain. Organic shapes echo throughout the hotel, which comprises the main house (or masia ) and the separate atelier annex, which holds a few of the guest rooms and sits along miles of vines owned by winery Clos de L’Obac. The rounded edges of the bed headboards and wood accents seamlessly merge with exterior features such as terraces or balconies. Once the former site of an olive press, the spa offers a single treatment room, as well as a hot tub and a stone-walled soaking pool. The restaurant, which has views of the property’s swimming pool and proprietary vineyards, transforms from morning to night. During the day, enjoy lunch at Tarraco, which combines Mediterranean and Italian fare, and after sunset try the tasting menu with local wine pairings at Vinum (à la carte offerings are also available). Arrange for a rock-climbing or hiking excursion in Serra de Montsant Natural Park or opt for a bike ride through the region (four electric bikes are complimentary). From $450/night. Accessible hotel. – Alexandra Cheney  

Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll, Iceland 

Courtesy of Highland Base – Kerlingarfjöll

Iceland is famous for Ring Road, the 820-mile route circling the island, but tucked in the center of the country is a remote region known as the Highlands. It’s hard to access, with only a few unpaved roads, and in the winter, you must be driven there by a guide. Now, at the edge of the Kerlingarfjöll mountain range, a new hotel — Highland Base — is letting travelers post up in comfort. “We're basically putting a destination here in the middle of the island,” Magnús Orri Marínarson Schram, Highland Base’s general manager, told T+L. The journey here typically takes four hours from Reykjavík, but mine took six due to unpredictable weather — and the destination was worth every minute of the journey. Highland Base has 46 hotel rooms, six one-bedroom private lodges, seven huts, and a campsite. My room had all the luxe amenities I could ask for, but didn’t feel too out of place in the middle of nature thanks to the earthy tones that match the exterior landscape. The underground passageway connecting the hotel rooms to the main building was a nice touch for guests (read: me) who didn’t want to face the outdoor elements before every meal. The menu featured hearty, seasonal dishes like mushroom soup made with coconut cream; Icelandic lamb soup with rutabaga and potatoes; and pan-fried Arctic char. But the real gem is the daily waffle bar, which is a touching tribute to the site’s past: It used to be a ski school that served waffles to kids after their lessons. Opening this year is a sauna and three geothermal pools with water sourced from the nearby hot springs; Kerlingarfjöll has the third-largest geothermal area in all of Iceland. From $430/night. Accessible hotel. — Susmita Baral

Hotel 1928, Waco, Texas

Courtesy of Hotel 1928

Over the past decade, Joanna and Chip Gaines have won fame for making old homes in and around their hometown of Waco, Texas, new again. On their TV show Fixer Upper, they uncovered countless shiplap walls and helped popularize the modern farmhouse trend. Their shoppable Magnolia empire now offers everything from wallpaper to kitchenware to baked goods — and, with the recent opening of Hotel 1928 , luxurious lodgings in downtown Waco.

Hotel 1928 — in a Moorish Revival building constructed in, yes, 1928 — might be the couple’s most remarkable fixer-upper yet. The former Shriners temple had sat largely empty since the 1990s. With AJ Capital, owner of the soon to be Hilton -operated Graduate Hotels , Joanna and Chip restored the elaborate plasterwork inside and out, buffed and polished the original terrazzo floors, and created 33 sumptuously furnished rooms and suites. The hotel is now a sparkling showcase for Joanna’s evolving but always elegant aesthetic, with moody, black walls and red, vintage area rugs in the public spaces; plush, pink sofas and floral-upholstered banquettes in Bertie’s, the rooftop bar; and stunning deep-green tile paired with white marble in the expansive bathrooms. What truly sets the Hotel 1928 apart is its devotion to local history as well as Texas’s rich culture. Up and down the halls, you’ll find framed vintage images by local photographer James Jasek, who has been shooting Waco since the 1950s. One of famed author Larry McMurtry’s typewriters sits in the corner of the library. A signature scent blending the state’s legendary cedar with sandalwood and jasmine infuses the building (candles are available in the gift shop). And at your preferred wakeup time, a gentle knock on your door will announce the arrival of your coffee — a custom blend by Texas’s own Merit Coffee Co . From $375/night. Accessible hotel. — Jeff Chu

Hotel Bardo Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is known for its antebellum architecture, its Southern hospitality — and its fabled ghosts. And now there’s a luxury resort that channels all three. Opened in February, Hotel Bardo Savannah occupies a Southern Gothic terra-cotta mansion on Forsyth Park, 30 acres of green space surrounded by historic homes and Spanish-moss-draped oak trees. During a pre-dinner stroll, I wandered the streets of restored Victorian homes without seeing a single bachelorette party or a horse-drawn carriage (common sights in the city’s more touristy areas to the north). On my return, the hotel beckoned like an urban oasis, with friendly valets in olive green uniforms welcoming me back by name. Entering the lobby, I found a warm, festive space furnished with circular club chairs, marble-topped tables, and potted palms. The welcoming décor continues in the 149 guest rooms and suites — think pole-wrap headboards, green velvet chairs, and brass lamps. My “Bardo” suite was particularly huge, with a full kitchen, six-person dining table, and plush daybed under a 12-foot-high turret. Saint Bibiana, the hotel’s hot-ticket Italian restaurant, is housed in a separate three-story mansion. There I had a delightful dinner that included fresh oysters, silky burrata and perfectly cooked pasta before heading to Club Bardo, a members-only lounge on the second floor, for cocktails. Hotels often try to make their guests feel like locals, and Bardo has succeeded in this goal by inviting its neighbors to join in the fun. By 10 p.m. the club was buzzing with well-dressed couples, flirty singles, and young professionals sipping wine and Negronis. From $450/night. Accessible hotel. — Denny Lee

Hotel Casa Lucia, Buenos Aires

Courtesy of Hotel Casa Lucia

If Casa Lucia 's walls could talk, they’d tell you it was the tallest building in Latin America when erected in 1929. Set in the upper-crust neighborhood of Recoleta on a sycamore tree– and neoclassical building–lined street, the 20-story art deco skyscraper debuted after a year-long renovation under the flag of Spanish lifestyle brand Único Hotels . Breaking from tradition, the new iteration swings open the hotel’s wrought-iron gates to directly connect the slick lobby bar and signature Cantina restaurant to Calle Arroyo’s vibrant tableau of sidewalk cafes, art galleries, and cocktail haunts. The atrium entrance, gleaming in polished checkerboard marble, is home to a new showpiece brass-and-wood bar that serves cocktails and more than 400 wines by the bottle. Evening hangout Le Club Bacan is a handsome candlelit cocktail and tapas bar with a private members’ club, while Cantina pays homage to Argentina’s polo heritage and culinary roots with helmets and mallets mounted on walls and a menu appealing to the local palate (read: delicious beef and wine). Of the 142 rooms and suites, choose one on an upper floor with a balcony to take in panoramic cityscapes and a bird’s-eye views of Rio de la Plata, as well as contemporary Argentinian artwork, hand-woven lampshades, and photographs of the beautiful doors of Buenos Aires, which hang over every bed. Soon, a serene spa will open with a 52-foot pool, sauna, steam room, and massage and reflexology offerings. From $600/night. Accessible hotel. — Nora Walsh

Hotel Honeyrose Montréal, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel 

Courtesy of Hotel Honeyrose Montreal

At Honeyrose , a new downtown Montreal hotel, bold design gestures mean Insta-ready surprises everywhere: a swirling lobby staircase, pressed-flower bar tables, and black-and-white murals in the common areas. While Honeyrose is part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio brand, its owners amped up the local flavor by tapping stellar Montreal talent. Architects from Provencher Roy designed the sleek guest rooms — among the city’s biggest — with bathroom amenities from local organic brand Idoine and art from Montreal painter Roxy Peroxyde, who adds floral face tattoos to traditional portraits. Homegrown design guru Zébulon Perron dreamed up the naval-inspired, ground-floor Commodore restaurant, where a wooden crown hovers over a glossy circular bar. French bistro fare here includes an epic Niçoise salad, Gruyère-slathered onion soup, and an ethereal crème brûlée. I was thrilled to see coffee sourced from my local roastery, Atwater Market’s beloved Brûlerie aux Quatre Vents. Montreal-based set designer Juliette Sarrazin outfitted the buzzy, fifth-floor Muze lounge with pink flamingos, birdcages, and 1970s swing seats on the massive terrace. The 15th floor houses a T-shaped pool and Precor machinery–equipped gym with city views through floor-to-ceiling windows. You won’t find a better location if you’re here for one of the city’s big cultural events, like the Montreal International Jazz Festival . Honeyrose borders the Quartier des Spectacles ― literally, the “neighborhood of shows” ― with its concert halls, outdoor performance venues, and museums. Access to the city’s speedy, efficient Metro is across the street, and Old Montreal is a 15-minute stroll south. From $269/night . Accessible hotel. — Michael Kaminer

Hotel La Palma, Capri, Italy

Courtesy of Hotel La Palma

Expectations were high when the prestigious Oetker Collection — the brand behind legendary properties like the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on the French Riviera and The Lanesborough in London — took over Capri’s most historic hotel just steps from the famed Piazzetta. Originally opened in 1822 as the Locanda Pagano, the new design draws on this rich heritage, with ceiling frescoes in the lobby and neoclassical furniture. The color palette consists of varying shades of aquamarine, from the striped lounge chairs by the pool to the upholstery in the 50 rooms and suites, as if the hues of the Mediterranean on a bright summer day were used to decorate the space. Acclaimed chef Gennaro Esposito opened a namesake restaurant at La Palma serving simple coastal cuisine like zucchini tartare and sole meunière. The ground-floor bar and the rooftop restaurant, Bianca, are a bit more casual — by Capri standards, anyway — and provide the perfect spot for a pre-dinner spritz. But the hotel’s secret weapon is the beach club, Da Gioia, occupying a prime position in Marina Piccola. Anyone can book a table for a lazy lunch of caprese salad and lobster linguini on the deck overlooking the sea, but only hotel guests can use the lounge chairs on the pebble beach. After a day in the sun, visit the spa for a facial, using skincare products by Tata Harper and Augustinus Bader, before freshening up for dinner. From $1,028/night. Accessible hotel. — Laura Itzkowitz

Hotel San Fernando, Mexico City

Hugo Campoy/Courtesy of Hotel San Fernando

Did you know San Fernando is the patron saint of the Spanish Army Corps of Engineers? The designers from Bunkhouse, the creative Austin, Texas–based hospitality group, reveled in such off-beat details of Hispanic culture when they reimagined the Edificio San Fernando, an elegant art deco apartment building from 1947, as a boutique hotel in La Condesa, one of CDMX's leafiest and most charming neighborhoods. The Hotel San Fernando is a loving celebration of mexicanidad that recalls the genteel beauty of the city in the post-war era, when it was a sleepy mountain capital where a few cars trundled down broad, leafy avenues and artistic celebrities like Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo were bringing the country's Indigenous culture into the mainstream. The hotel’s 19 rooms spread over five floors feel like spacious apartments, with original casement windows, contemporary furnishings from local design studio La Metropolitana, and (in many cases) their own kitchens and lounge rooms. Bunkhouse's designers say they were inspired by the Mexican idea of sobremesa , the dreamy after-meal time when diners relax into conversation and take a respite from their hectic lives. The sense of entering a serene refuge from the 21st century begins as you pass through the original curved doors to the lobby, which is adorned with striking green tiles, stained-glass windows, hanging textiles, and decorative lamps from the Oaxacan-based studio Oaxifornia. The polished-stone and wood stairway leading upstairs is overflowing with potted plants, giving a calming, tropical greenhouse effect (there is no elevator), while the attached Lounge Fernando extending onto the sidewalk serves tasty small bites (try the fried shrimp tacos), an array of creative margaritas, and Mexican natural wines. Drinks can also be taken to the sun-dappled rooftop, which doubles as a breakfast patio for guests in the mornings. And because San Fernando opens into the heart of La Condesa, an array of fine restaurants, bars, cafes, parks, clothing boutiques, and art galleries are only a stroll away. From $225/night. — Tony Perrottet

Hôtel Swexan, Dallas 

Marco Galloway/Courtesy of Hotel Swexan

There’s a reason Hôtel Swexan is putting Dallas on the radar for luxury city stays since its opening last summer. The paradoxical name takes Swiss and Texan to form a singular word and a thoroughly considered approach to hospitality and design. The 134-room, 20-floor hotel building was designed by famed architect Kengo Kuma — making it his third in Dallas’s growing bounty of world-famous architecture. From the moment of entry, I felt the warmth of Texas hospitality and the remarkable influence of sophisticated and traditional European design. The intimate foyer eases your senses into a relaxing and indulgent atmosphere and the guest rooms are lavishly comfortable with just the right amount of residential feel. The floor-to-ceiling windows reveal city views while the spacious marble bathrooms give a spa-like experience with Le Labo products and a dramatic bathtub that fills from the ceiling. Staying at Hôtel Swexan transports you away from Dallas while also very much anchoring you to the best the city has to offer. A standout feature of the property is its ability to act either as a full retreat you’ll never want to leave or as a home base for exploring the city’s museums, entertainment venues, sporting events, and walking trails. There are five unique food-and-beverage concepts within the building from rooftop to basement. The most notable is the seventh-floor steakhouse, Stillwell’s. Its midcentury ranch atmosphere and the zero-waste beef program of locally raised Akaushi cattle make this a contender for top tier steakhouses in a city known for them. In between meals and lounging poolside under the Texas sun, a visit to the gym is a must — the sprawling, cutting-edge fitness center would impress even a professional athlete with its choice of equipment, outdoor terrace, cold plunge, and saunas offering a plethora of ways to work out or relax. Beyond the expansive list of on-property features, what steals the show here is the level of service. Our stay was made memorable by the personalized touches for us and the over-the-top-attentive staff. With its intentional design details, top-quality service, and offerings in wellness and dining, Hôtel Swexan sets a new standard for city hotels. From $432/night. — Mariah Tyler

JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa, South Korea 

Ben Richards/Courtesy of JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa

Formed by a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago, South Korea’s Jeju Island puts on a show: Idyllic fishing villages are flanked by glistening black basalt, cascading waterfalls gurgle against dormant volcano backdrops, and rugged shorelines dotted with azaleas abound in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the southern city of Seogwipo, JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa sits on a quiet cliffside overlooking a rugged coastline, forested hillsides, and the crouching tiger–shaped Beomseom Island in the distance. Led by designer Bill Bensley, the property pays homage to Korean culture, with walls made of quilting fabric called jogakbo , and ceiling lights shaped like traditional Korean scholars’ hats, called gat . The property features 197 guest rooms, including 28 suites, with hanok-inspired wooden walls and balconies that reveal panoramic views of the cobalt East China Sea. Five on-site restaurants highlight local Jeju delicacies like the Udo peanut, apple mangos, and a crispy black pork belly – which executive chef Joon Ko salts for three days and slow cooks for three hours. Other amenities include four pools, a spa, a gym, and a sundrenched lounge where I enjoyed afternoon tea and desserts like citrus sponge cake topped with green mandarin cream. Ask the hotel how you can swim with Jeju’s famous haenyeo female divers, whose sustainable practices and daily catches like abalone and urchin have been feeding their communities and hotels for decades. From $827/night . Accessible hotel. — Kristin Braswell

Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort, Island of Hawaii

Courtesy of Rosewood

Kona Village , once a celebrity haven on Hawaii’s Big Island, shuttered in 2011 after an earthquake off the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan, generated a devastating tsunami, and reopened this past summer as part of the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio. When my husband and I arrived eight days into Kona’s new chapter, we met return guests — the old resort amassed a hefty cult following, counting Steve Jobs among its biggest fans — eager to revisit their old rooms. Sure enough, you can still book the six legacy hales that survived the tsunami, though along with the 144 new stand-alone villas, these have been upgraded by designer Nicole Hollis with improvements that include palapa-shaded decks, outdoor showers, and Hawaiian accents such as fans, hats, paddles, and kapa -printed pillows. We spent one afternoon on a sailing canoe, gliding three miles out into the Pacific, and followed that with a soak in the 82-foot Shipwreck Pool. At around 3 p.m. a cart brimming with bright-green coconuts came around, which we drank from in a sumptuous black-stone hot tub. We feasted at the four restaurants and bars — each of which has its own mai tai recipe, by the way — starting our day with Hawaiian malasada donuts at Moana and ending it with wood-fired local ahi tuna at Kahuwai Cookhouse, our toes in the sand as we watched the sunset. From $1,800/night. Accessible hotel. — Maya Kachroo-Levine

KuKaya Lodge by The Bushcamp Company, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

Courtesy of The Bushcamp Company

At KuKaya , the latest lodge from safari outfitter The Bushcamp Company , just a few miles from the main entrance to Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, guests choose their own adventure. I had my pick of private game drives day or night, or thrilling walking safaris. Each of the lodge’s six thatched-roof tents comes with luxurious interiors, plush bedding, separate living areas, full kitchens, and glass walls that open completely for indoor-outdoor living and wildlife viewing opportunities. There’s ample outdoor space, too, and every tent has a fire pit and private plunge pool, so you can enjoy the scenery in total solitude. I found my solitude was only interrupted by vervet monkeys giving me a mile-long stare from the trees above, a tower of giraffes walking to the water’s edge, a pride of lions stalking their prey, and endangered African wild dogs playing along the riverbed just a few feet away. Each night, guests are invited to dine at KuKaya’s outdoor restaurant, where they’re served an astonishing meal of fruits and vegetables grown at Bushcamp’s private garden, fish caught in the river just down the street, and even local mango dried on-site, ensuring the lowest carbon footprint possible. Just be sure to close the door to your outdoor shower before you leave; the monkeys really are just waiting to ransack your room. From $590 per person per night. — Stacey Leasca

La Fantaisie, Paris 

Jérôme Galland/Courtesy of La Fantaisie

Faubourg-Montmartre, a stretch of the ninth arrondissement that’s often passed over by non-Parisians, is now attracting a crowd of creatives at La Fantaisie . Camouflaging with the boulangeries and bistros of villagey Rue Cadet, the only sign of the hotel entrance is the rattan tables lining the sidewalk cafe out front. The rest of the hotel, by Swedish design darling Martin Brudnizki, isn’t nearly as discreet. The 73 rooms and suites are themed around the oasis-like courtyard garden, originally designed by celebrated 16th-century master gardeners Jacques and Jean Cadet (the market street is named after the brothers). Pistachio, coral, and pale lemon are the dominant shades splashed everywhere, from the ceilings and Sicily-inspired ceramics to the velvet bar stools of Dominique Crenn’s restaurant, Golden Poppy. An homage to California’s state flower — and a link to the chef’s Michelin three-starred Atelier Crenn in San Francisco — the winter garden eatery unfolds around a centerpiece olive tree with mirrors dangling like Christmas ornaments and faux fleur poppies sprouting behind floral fabric–swathed banquettes. With culinary royalty like Crenn at the helm, pescetarian dishes take risks that pay off — scone-like banana pancakes with a dollop of smoked osciètre caviar, corn waffles checkered with smoked trout roe, and carrot and mussel sabayon were standouts. Even if you’re visiting in winter like I was, the rooftop Bar Sur Le Toit’s Mediterranean garden is still in bloom (herbs are plucked for Crenn’s signature cocktails). If you’re feeling jet lagged, the holistic philosophy from the subterranean Holidermie wellness sanctuary extends to minibar offerings like a botanical-based sleep elixir and melatonin-infused gummies placed on the nightstand at turndown. From $378/night. Accessible hotel. — Lane Nieset

Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino, Greece

Margarita Nikitaki/Travel + Leisure

They say breakfast is the best part of the day (and many a hotel stay). At the Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino, they are right: smiling waiters in relaxed linens bring you a ginger kombucha shot and warm pastries while you ponder whether to order the Peloponnesian porridge made with trahanas (fermented wheat with goat’s milk) or the Greek-style eggs Florentine with spanakopita stuffing and feta dill hollandaise. Before you’ve made up your mind, you’re presented with the paramana , a tray of dainty sweet and savory dishes that changes daily. Almost everything is sourced within a 50-mile radius of the resort, from the sheep’s milk yogurt and honeycomb to the organic tomatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. With some fifteen million olive trees, the region of Messenia (a 3.5-hour drive from Athens) is the agricultural heartland of the Peloponnese and home to a rare trove of ancient ruins. Greece’s first Mandarin Oriental pays homage to the abundance of local products and artisans, as well as the country’s myths and legends: There are olive oil tastings, textiles inspired by folk costumes, electric bikes for exploring the Gialova lagoon — a rich habitat for migrating birds — and boat trips to pay homage to the heroes of the battle of Navarino, which took place on the placid bay that is visible from every sun-drenched suite and villa of the 99-key resort. The curvy, glass-fronted buildings are embedded in the hillside and enveloped by greenery, creating a sense of space and openness. It requires serious willpower to venture out when there’s Ormos Beach Club, a sexy swim-up pool bar for slushie cocktails; Pizza Sapienza, an okamase pizza bar that will change your relationship with carbs forever; an indoor-outdoor lap pool that seems to float between sea and sky, and a serene spa that blends Eastern and Mediterranean botanical remedies. From $1,095/night. Accessible hotel. — Rachel Howard

Maroma, A Belmond Hotel, Riviera Maya, Mexico

William Jess Laird/Courtesy of Belmond

Mexican architect Jose Luis Moreno was scouting for a home by plane when he first saw the 200-acre piece of land that would eventually become Maroma , the Riviera Maya’s first luxury resort, which opened in 1995. By 2021, the white stucco property, by then part of the Belmond group, was ready for a glow-up. After a two-year closure and $45 million design overhaul by London-based Tara Bernerd & Partners, Maroma now fully channels the joy of Mexico. Some 700,000 clay tiles were sourced from Jalisco for the 72 rooms and suites, but strategic pops of yellow — on an umbrella by the saltwater pool or woven into loaner guest caftans by female artisans in Chiapas — are what caught my eye. Chef Curtis Stone crafts a menu of fire-roasted meats and seafood at Woodend, while at Casa Mayor, executive chef Daniel Camacho sources 90 percent of his ingredients from within Mexico, including surprises such as a regional coffee of the day. (I loved the beans from Veracruz.) The electric-white beach is still the main draw, but when you need a break from the sunshine, a small-batch tequila and raicilla tasting in the private cantina awaits. From $1,095/night.​ Accessible hotel. — Jacqueline Gifford

Mollie Aspen, Colorado 

Courtesy of Mollie Aspen

By the time I made it to Mollie Aspen in January, only a month into the hotel’s life, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky had reportedly already been through. That’s Aspen for you. Rihanna’s pick, unsurprisingly, hits; the hybrid lobby-restaurant-cafe is cozy without the in-your-face, capital-m Mountain Vibes. (Read: no taxidermy.) At the restaurant, furnished with soft brown banquettes and deep chestnut leather couches, I had a winter salad with roasted squash and a perfectly smashed burger on a toasty sesame bun. Mollie’s food and drinks are by Death & Co. , and as a longtime fan of the cocktail empire that brought us now-classic cocktails like the mezcal-aperol Naked & Famous, I mostly came to the new hotel to eat and drink. I ended my Saturday night at the hotel with fried, powdered sugar–dusted zeppole and a Pineapple Express, a non-alcoholic cold brew and Seedlip concoction that could give even the best espresso martini a run for its money. It was a perfect drink to nurse while warming my hands by the slate and marble–lavished fireplace, but I’m eager to return in the summer when the third-floor rooftop terrace bar will open with exceptional views of Aspen Mountain and an al fresco plunge pool. The design of the 68 rooms match the muted common space aesthetics — all by Brooklyn, New York–based Post Company , whose work shows up twice more on It List this year: natural wood and butter-soft black leather, Maison Balsac tinted glass water pitchers, Parachute sheets, grid-patterned rugs, and of course, mountain views. From $500/night. Accessible hotel. — Maya Kachroo-Levine

Nay Palad Hideaway, Siargao Island, Philippines

Courtesy of Nay Palad

This resort on the soft sands of Siargao Island, a 90-minute flight from Manila, has been reborn. It used to be Dedon Island, an upscale tropical hotel from the owners of outdoor furniture company Dedon, until 2021’s Typhoon Odette all but leveled the property. In June 2023 it rose again, as Nay Palad Hideaway . You can expect warm, thoughtful service, and the resort staff can arrange activities, like island-hopping yacht excursions and picnic lunches under coconut trees, that are just right for jealousy-inducing selfies. But you should take time to enjoy the comfort and charm of your villa, too. Whether you’re staying in a tucked-away garden unit surrounded by sweet-smelling spider lilies or hiding out with your crew in the three-bedroom Perlah Villa, these spacious dwellings are sanctuaries in themselves. Most of the furniture was made by artisans from Siargao and evokes the easy-breezy vibe of island life: oversize wooden headboards carved with jungle motifs, woven loveseats that swing from the ceiling, and baskets in the shape of crabs. In addition to these quirky details, however, what elevates the 10 pointy-roofed villas is their size — each has indoor and outdoor showers, a private patio large enough for yoga sessions, and a secret loft space that can act as a separate lounge or extra bedroom. From $1,780/night.​ — Chadner Navarro

Nolinski Venezia

Guillaume de Laubier/Courtesy of Nolinski Venezia

Venice may be slowly sinking, but the enchanting canal-filled city proved irresistible to Evok Collection , the group behind a handful of boutique hotel brands in France. Its first property in Italy recently opened in the 1929 Stock Exchange building near Piazza San Marco and brought some French je ne sais quoi (and superlative croissant-making skills) to La Serenissima. Entering the red-carpeted foyer, head to the ground-floor restaurant, Il Caffè, which serves an excellent fritto misto in an intimate dining room with exposed brick walls or the adjacent courtyard. Upstairs, the design becomes even more show-stopping. Off the colonnaded second-floor lobby is the cozy Library Bar, replete with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stacked with more than 4,000 books, a piano, velvet banquettes, and a Marc Chagall–inspired ceiling mural by French artist Simon Buret. Housed in the former council chamber’s auditorium, the Palais Royal Restaurant sports a glamorous midcentury air and serves an à-la-carte breakfast menu worth waking up for, especially those buttery French croissants and pain au chocolat. Though the hotel owners are French, there are nods to Venice, including around 600 Murano glass objects, some in the shape of an octopus, a recurring motif. The 43 rooms and suites are beautifully decorated with stucco headboards, mango wood paneling, and bathrooms featuring mosaic tiles and Japanese Toto toilets. Suites come with a separate sitting area, a bar stocked with complimentary full-size bottles of premium liquors, and elegant cocktail glasses in which to drink them. Fancy a midnight soak? A small indoor pool on the top floor festooned with gold mosaic tiles is open 24/7. From $851/night. Accessible hotel. — Laura Itzkowitz

Norumbega Inn, Camden, Maine

Courtesy of Norumbega Inn

Just north of Camden, Maine, on Route 1, the towering, turreted “ Castle by the Sea ” has been winning the hearts of road-trippers and romantics for the better part of 130 years. After an overhaul by owners Will Tims and Brett Haynie, who purchased the property in 2022, the interiors of this Gilded Age treasure now live up to the grand facade. New York City–based design firm Studiocake was tapped to collaborate on the refreshed look, which is inspired by the home’s original owner: an inventor and globetrotter named Joseph Baker Stearns. The finishes and furnishings layer old and new, and give guests the impression that they’ve been spirited away to a storied country estate. You might encounter a pressed-flower collage by artist Tricia Paoluccio across from an antique chest of drawers, or one of Greta Grossman’s midcentury modern Grasshopper lamps perched next to a Baroque-inspired carved wooden chair with tapestry cushions. Norumbega’s 11 rooms each have their own selling point, such as the curving leaded-glass panes of the turret room, the second-floor gallery in the library room, or the sweeping views of Penobscot Bay from the top-floor balcony. If you can bear to leave your room, there’s a lounge with a grand piano and a well-stocked library waiting downstairs, along with a basement game room, a bar overlooking the grassy back lawn, and a covered porch where you can hang out in warm weather with a cocktail and a pulpo snack plate whipped up by the property’s Peruvian chef. From $229/night. — Lila Harron Battis

North Island Okavango, Botswana

Martin Harvey/Courtesy of Natural Selection

North Island Okavango ’s greatest luxury is its exclusivity. Set amid tall ebony trees on the edge of a lagoon frequented by elephants and hippos, the idyllic camp has just three tents — and it’s really a stretch to call them “tents,” though their roofs are indeed made of canvas. Each luxurious suite has 850 square feet of indoor space — living room, bar area, one-and-a-half bathrooms — and 650 square feet outside. They all have indoor and outdoor showers as well as a soaking tub with lagoon views. While the furnishings are carefully chosen, the decor — contemporary African baskets, fine woodwork, flat-weave rugs — never steals attention from the stunning surroundings. That all-too-rare feeling of immersion in nature continues when you’re out on safari. North Island, part of the Natural Selection portfolio of camps and lodges, sits in a section of the Okavango with few other safari camps, so you’ll rarely see other tourists. Wildlife is plentiful — on my trip, I spotted not just lions and leopards, but also sitatungas, an unusual amphibious antelope. And because of North Island’s prime location in the Okavango Delta’s neck, there are year-round opportunities to travel both on land and by water, either by the local dugout canoes called mokoro or by motorboat, which are ideal for viewing hippos, crocodiles, and birdlife. The solar-powered camp’s design honors its environment in other ways, too: North Island Okavango’s tents and the network of decks on which they sit can be totally deconstructed, with no permanent trace on the fragile ecosystem. And because the surrounding concession belongs to a community trust, a portion of the revenues directly supports five nearby villages. From $1,395 per person per night. — Jeff Chu

Oceania Cruises’ Vista

Nick Tortajada/Courtesy of Oceania Cruises

The new Oceania Vista is in a class of its own; no really, it’s the first in Oceania Cruises ’ new Allura class. Of its 11 bars and restaurants, three are entirely new to the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings–owned brand — including a high-end cocktail spot called Founders’ Bar, serving 26 intricate drinks that use house-made syrups and top-shelf booze like Whistle Pig and parsley-infused Grey Goose. As Oceania levels up, the cruise line has produced a ship that feels more like a floating resort than the vessels that came before. There’s pickleball; a health-conscious restaurant, Aquamar, serving made-to-order salads and pressed juices; and a coffee shop that looks like one in walking distance of my home in L.A. (marble counters, gold accents, leather bar stools) and pulls an espresso shot of similar quality. Vista has more suites than others in the Oceania fleet, too: There are 14 Oceania Suites (up to 1,200 square feet); eight Vista Suites (up to 1,850 square feet); and three Owner’s Suites with Ralph Lauren Home decor and two massive terraces (2,400 square feet). But the most hotel-like touch? A celebrity chef–driven restaurant, Toscana, where Giada De Laurentiis — the ship’s godmother — supplied two recipes for the menu. As someone who watched a lot of Everyday Italian in the early aughts, I was particularly excited to try her signature, Capri-inspired lemon spaghetti, and lemon-cream sauce with grilled shrimp and capers didn’t disappoint. From $2,499 per person for a seven-night sailing. Accessible ship. — Maya Kachroo-Levine

One&Only Aesthesis, Greece 

On the Athens Riviera, 10 miles from the city center, Greece’s first One&Only seems to float along the tranquil Saronic Gulf. Spacious “residences,” designed for families and groups of friends, unfold onto private stretches of beach, and waterfront bungalows have wooden docks and ladders that descend to the water. The stay is more akin to a Mykonos vacation than a city break, yet I could get to the Acropolis in less than an hour. Though the tavernas and wine bars of Athens beckoned, I was reluctant to miss any meals at the resort, where chef Paco Morales — known for the Michelin three-starred Noor, in Córdoba, Spain — has a pop-up that serves chicken croquettes topped with ras al hanout mayo and delicate, flash-fried calamari stuffed into a brioche. The food wasn’t the only luxury: the country’s first Guerlain Spa, where I indulged in an ultra-hydrating facial, made it even harder to leave the resort. From $1,620/night.​ — Maya Kachroo-Levine

One&Only One Za’abeel, Dubai 

Courtesy of One&Only Resorts

In Dubai, change is intentional — and the opening of One&Only One Za’abeel , the One&Only Resorts brand’s first hotel in the heart of a major city, is no exception. In the affluent Za’abeel district, the hotel is connected to an adjoining tower by the world’s longest cantilever , the 750-foot-long Link, a concept by Japanese architecture firm Nikken Sekkei that hovers more than 300 feet above the ground. Inside, the resort vibe is brought to life by noted Aman designer Jean-Michel Gathy, with a soothing color palette and rich textures that pay homage to the country’s desert landscapes. The 229 rooms and suites continue the elegance with sand, taupe, and gold tones, marble floors, and carpets so soft you’d sleep on them if there wasn’t already a plush, king-size bed calling your name. Floor-to-ceiling windows draw your eyes to the horizon over Old Dubai or the futuristic skyline of Downtown Dubai, depending on your room. Relaxation is built into the resort’s ethos, with a three-floor spa, the Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie. I enjoyed a 90-minute Longevity Path to Detox treatment, a three-step process that involves phytotherapy and hydrotherapy. But where the intentionality behind One&Only One Za’abeel shines is in its cuisine. In step with Dubai’s plans to become a major culinary destination , the resort offers 11 exceptional restaurants and six chefs known for their Michelin-starred restaurants (chef Anne-Sophie Pic of London’s La Dame De Pic , for example). From the inventive street food at StreetXO by chef Dabiz Muñoz (try the paella pollo and caviar) to the interactive Andaliman, where dishes like the Jimbaran-style grilled red snapper are prepared tableside, each restaurant feels like a destination in its own right. Even indecisive eaters will find a home at the upscale food hall, Arrazuna, where sampling everything is expected. To wind down, grab a sunbed at Tapasake Pool Club, take a dip in the 393-foot-long infinity pool, the longest in the UAE, and watch the sunset. From $835/night. Accessible hotel. — Danielle Pointdujour

Otro Oaxaca, Mexico

Courtesy of Otro Oaxaca/Design Hotels

Directly across the street from Oaxaca’s Baroque cathedral Santo Domingo, Otro Oaxaca boasts perhaps the best views and most coveted location of any hotel in the cobblestoned city. The newest opening from Mexican boutique hotel firm Grupo Habita , Otro is its fourth installment in the state of Oaxaca. Otro is just a short walk from some of the city’s most tempting restaurants, museums, and attractions, yet it offers guests a tranquil respite from the clamor. The neo-vanguardist hotel, with its natural palette of reclaimed wood, adobe, brick, and iron, is a dream for design aficionados, and each of its 16 utilitarian rooms includes surprising pops of color, like green–coated aluminum bed frames with built-in bedside tables and burgundy suede blackout curtains. On the rooftop, guests can take in the panoramic views of Oaxaca’s central valleys while lounging on French terry cloth daybeds lining the lap pool. For those who prefer more private swimming quarters, book an hour-long slot at Otro’s subterranean plunge pool, meant to mimic a cenote. I happily spent 60 minutes luxuriating in the underground space before heading to dinner at Otro’s restaurant. I started my meal by choosing from a wide selection of mezcals, the menu offering everything from espadín to rare agave spirits like tepeztate and tobasiche . Otro’s dinner menu highlights the bounty of Oaxacan seafood, with fish delivered daily from the coast. The stone crab pâté toast with fermented black garlic — at once sweet, savory, and with generous hunks of meaty crab — is a must-order. From $300/night. — Catherine Tansey

Palihouse Hyde Park Village, Tampa, Florida

Courtesy of Palisociety

Accessed from a street-level scene of upscale boutiques and restaurants in one of Tampa’s most sought-after residential neighborhoods, Palihouse Hyde Park Village made me feel like I was arriving at a friend’s house. Inside I found a two-story lobby with checkerboard terrazzo floors and a coffered white oak paneling; elsewhere in the property I spotted other surprising touches, like a three-tier, hand-blown glass chandelier, a framed collection of vintage Hermès scarves, and handmade Mexican ceramic tiles. The hotel’s living-room-style lounge, the Lobby Bar, is perfect for cocktails and conversation, and serves breakfast plus an all-day bar menu featuring classic burgers, lobster tacos, and tuna tartare. Tucked away down art-filled corridors are 36 rooms outfitted with Smeg mini fridges, custom wallpaper and drapery, and a cocktail bar stocked with artisan spirits, tools, and tumblers for in-room cocktail hour. Outside in the leafy Hyde Park Village neighborhood, you can browse boutiques, bike along the nearby bayfront, or just picnic on pizza under the shade of a live oak. From $305/night. Accessible hotel. — Terry Ward

Pelorus Private Island, Australia

Jason Ierace/Courtesy of Pelorus Private Island

The Indigenous Manbarra people, custodians of Australia’s Palm Islands for millennia, believe this small, northeastern archipelago was formed when the Rainbow Serpent emerged from the Queensland tablelands and lay down in the ocean. The islands, strewn across the Coral Sea, are the vertebrae of its spine. On the northernmost island, known as Pelorus, North Palm, or Yanooa, an $8 million property with five lavish residences has opened, promising the most exclusive – and inclusive – accommodation on the Great Barrier Reef. Access to this isolated idyll is by helicopter (30 minutes) or motor yacht (five hours) from the Queensland city of Townsville. At the southwestern tip of a 1,000-acre tropical island, guests are greeted with chilled towels and Champagne before hosts Grant Logan and Kate Hawkins settle them into their reclusive hideaway. The modernist pavilion-style building features an infinity pool and generous interior spaces of neutral tones and native timbers to ensure the eye is always drawn to the saturated blues and greens of your playground: the Coral Sea. Days are as active or sedentary as you desire, with every imaginable water toy – Jet Skis, Seabobs, water bicycles, and a motorboat – at your disposal for island or outer reef explorations. Craving company, a spa treatment, or a quick lesson in marine science? Sibling resort Orpheus Island Lodge, a short speedboat ride across the strait, has a restaurant, day spa, and marine research center. From $13,067 per night for two people. Accessible hotel. — Kendall Hill

Pendry Newport Beach, California

Courtesy of Pendry Newport Beach

Nestled in the heart of Newport Beach’s Fashion Island, the latest addition to the Pendry portfolio promises to establish itself as an Orange County icon — following in the footsteps of its long-loved sibling property, Montage Laguna Beach , 11 miles down the road. In true younger sibling form, Pendry Newport Beach is Montage’s cool, trendy foil that comes alive at night. After the sun sets on the cabana-lined pool and fireside Jacuzzi out back, a vibrant atmosphere unfolds at Bar Pendry, where locals mingle with hotel guests over craft cocktails. After joining in the revelry with a smoky bourbon for him and a tropical, toasted coconut–topped concoction for me, my fiancé and I ducked into the hotel’s private wing for a more subdued nightlife scene at the members-only Elwood Club . The club hosts a coastal Italian restaurant, Viamara , and a cozy sports pub where we swung our way through a few rounds in the Topgolf Swing Suite. But the late-night highlight is its cabaret, where we sat in a velvet booth listening to live jazz over two glasses of red. At Set Steak & Sushi , dinner is an event in its own right as bluefin tuna pizza, Peking duck, and prime steaks are served beneath glowing lanterns on a romantic terrace, or inside a stylish nautical-themed dining room. The 40-ounce tomahawk still regularly makes its way into our dinner conversations. Spread throughout a 20-story tower, the hotel’s 295 guest rooms, 114 of which are suites, are sleek and contemporary, offering a spacious home base from which to explore the area. You won’t wake up on a beachfront, but you will find yourself close to must-visit spots such as Balboa Island, Crystal Cove, and Corona del Mar. Take advantage of Pendry’s Ride & Drive program and grab keys to a Cadillac at no charge, or strap on a helmet and take out a Scott e-bike. If you’re traveling with little ones, don’t worry, Paintbox, the on-site kids’ club, will entertain them while you’re out. Or, you may decide to use your kid-free time to pamper yourself at the spa; it’s the only Spa Pendry with a MediSpa machine and cryotherapy. From $396/night. Accessible hotel. — Nina Ruggiero

Raffles Boston

Courtesy of Raffles Boston

The 137-year-old Raffles hotel brand is finally making a splash in North America — and in Boston, of all places. Opened in September and set in a 35-story tower in the well-heeled Back Bay neighborhood, it is as smashing as you’d expect. On arrival, I was whisked to the 17th-floor Sky Lobby, which has wraparound views of the skyline. My room was sumptuous, with sophisticated gold and black touches that gesture to the brand’s Asian roots. Butler service was discreet and attentive — after check-in, I found a chilled cranberry cocktail called the “Boston Sling” (a nod to the Singapore Sling, which was created at the flagship property in 1915) waiting in the room’s glass-fronted wooden bar. From $700/night.​ Accessible hotel. — Elizabeth Cantrell

Raffles London at The OWO 

Flora Stubbs/Travel + Leisure

In a city where splashy new hotels seem to pop up on a weekly basis, how do you make sure your property makes the biggest splash of them all? In the case of Raffles London at The OWO , it went something like this: Purchase the landmarked Old War Offices from Britain’s Ministry of Defense (rumored listing price: $450 million). Lavish more than $1.25 billion on restoring its hallowed corridors, along which Sir Winston Churchill famously strode, making decisions that altered the face of history as he went. (The wood-paneled office in which he decided to enter World War II is now part of the Churchill Suite, bookable for $29,000 a night.) To keep things contemporary, install a gleaming, 27,000-square-foot Guerlain spa over four subterranean floors and invite Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco, known for his Michelin three-starred restaurant on the French Riviera, to oversee three of the hotel’s nine restaurants, including an eponymous dining room focused on the finest ingredients from the British Isles. The effect of all this? Every bit as dazzling as you might expect. Stepping through The OWO’s Portland Stone portico on Whitehall Street, I was wowed by the Grand Staircase, above which a 26-foot Murano glass chandelier hangs like a benevolent planet. Up on the third floor, my boots sunk into the deep, cream and ruby-red carpets now lining the building’s 2.5 miles of corridor, along which boy scouts once delivered messages by bicycle. I stayed in a suite named after Vera Atkins, a British-Romanian spy — one of eight female politicians, spies, and public figures around whom the hotel’s expansive corner suites are themed. Thierry Despont, the late Parisian interiors star, sprinkled his fairy dust over all of The OWO’s 120 accommodations; the Atkins suite had an updated art deco look, with curvaceous velvet banquettes and heavy-cream accents to brighten up all the wood paneling and parquet. Speaking of spies, “James Bond” author Ian Flemming regularly visited the OWO’s library (now the restaurant Mauro Colagreco), and the building itself has appeared in no fewer than five Bond movies, as the MI6 offices. There may be stiff competition among high-end London hotels, but there can be few that deliver a more quintessentially British experience than this one. From $1,385/night. Accessible hotel. — Flora Stubbs  

Regent Hong Kong

Susmita Baral/Travel + Leisure

Regent Hong Kong has been a fixture in the city’s Kowloon area since 1980, but it just reopened after a massive two-year renovation. Walking onto the newly renovated property felt like entering a secret oasis in a city of 7.4 million people. The hotel presents like a sanctuary, starting with the Feng Shui fountain outside and the terrace with lush landscaping and three infinity pools. My room had a window-front daybed and a deep soaking tub from which I could enjoy the views across the city’s iconic Victoria Harbor and Hong Kong Island. And should you, like me, not want to leave unless absolutely necessary, know there are excellent on-site dining options. The hotel is home to seven restaurants and bars, including Michelin two-starred Lai Ching Heen ; an outpost of Nobu; and Harbourside, where guests can indulge in an elevated daily buffet for breakfast and lunch. I found myself crippled with decision fatigue on what to eat for breakfast — the local specialties, the continental breakfast, the fresh-baked pastries, or all of the above? The answer was obviously D, all of the above. From $767/night. Accessible hotel. — Susmita Baral

Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Grandeur

Courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ sixth ship, the Seven Seas Grandeur , sailed its inaugural season in December, joining sibling ships Seven Seas Explorer and Seven Seas Splendor as the newest member of the luxury fleet. The cruise line is a favorite among Travel + Leisure readers for its gorgeous ships and all-inclusive pricing that covers unlimited shore excursions, dining at specialty restaurants, and even round-trip airfare. Grandeur lives up to its name thanks to stunning, art-filled spaces designed by cruise ship interior experts Studio Dado: signature restaurant Compass Rose is enchanting with interiors inspired by a fairy-tale forest; the Observation Lounge sparkles with an undulating chandelier and swanky bar; and the $11,000-per-night Regent Suite has a private en suite spa and custom Treesse mini pool. As I boarded Grandeur for the ship’s inaugural sailing, I was mesmerized by the grand staircase and glittering chandelier. And with a maximum capacity of 744 guests, I found it easy to take time to myself in the myriad of quiet spots tucked throughout the ship, whether in the Serene Spa and Wellness area, in the Library, or on the Sports Deck overlooking the ocean. Seven restaurants include specialty steakhouse Prime 7, pan-Asian restaurant Pacific Rim, and breakfast and lunch buffet La Veranda, which refines the cruise buffet experience with daily specials like paella and sushi. Several bars and lounges, a pool and hot tubs, a casino, Broadway-style productions, and cooking classes at the Culinary Arts Kitchen make the ship a destination in itself, though guests will want to take advantage of those included excursions on Caribbean, Central American, North American, and European itineraries, ranging from seven to 16 nights, during the ship’s 2024 season. From $4,669 per person for a seven-night sailing. Accessible ship. — Elizabeth Rhodes

Roost Detroit

Matthew Williams/Courtesy of ROOST Detroit

Tucked inside Detroit’s iconic Book Tower, this Roost location merges the comforts of a contemporary home with the elegance of a bygone era. The building’s past and future blend seamlessly, thanks to a transformative renovation by the real estate firm Bedrock Detroit. The painstaking restoration, conducted over a seven-year period, invokes the structure’s Italian Renaissance–revival style, originally conceived by architect Louis Kamper in the 1920s, which includes awe-inspiring arches and a romantic rotunda that now floats above an all-day café and wine bar. The property has been updated with a contemporary art collection curated by the Library Street Collective gallery and features pieces by local creatives Senghor Reid and Sydney James. Travelers staying in one of the property’s 117 apartment suites will love the spacious floor plans, some of which feature Detroit river views.

But the details are what define the guest experience: stellar service, Le Labo Santal 33 amenities, elevated electronics from Sonos and Samsung, and colorful Fortessa glassware are just a few ways this property defies the expectations of a standard extended stay. Roost is also an ideal hideaway for remote work: a 3,000-square-foot study also serves as a co-working space and lounge that features private booths and retreat-ready conference rooms. There are several restaurants, including a chic rooftop bar named Kampers, but Le Supreme is the one that stands out. This Parisian-inspired brasserie has vintage-inspired decor. I parked myself in a booth and ordered a rhubarb and rosé-filled Mon Cheri cocktail, which paired well with the peppercorn-crusted filet mignon and a shrimp, avocado, and mâche salad. From $289/night. Accessible hotel. — Keyaira Boone

Rosemary, Marrakesh

Marina Denisova/Courtesy of Rosemary

Hidden behind a hand-carved cedar door, Rosemary is the latest example of the creative energy sizzling through this ancient city. The five-bedroom guesthouse was designed by Belgian artist Laurence Leenaert, who founded the ceramics and textile brand Lrnce, known for its cool, artsy aesthetic. Working with more than 30 local artisans, she used materials sourced in Morocco — including stained glass from Meknes, pots from Safi, and marble from Rabat. Every inch of the riad is an expression of her imagination, from the abstract drawings hand-carved into sandstone tables to the colorful murals made from zellige tiles. Squint and you’ll notice that each of the tiles in the bathroom is a miniature painting; find out more in the ceramic and plaster workshops that turn Rosemary into a creative hub. From $236/night.​ — Chloe Sachdev

Rosewood Munich 

Davide Lovatti/Courtesy of Rosewood

Entering the Rosewood Munich , a hotel 10 years in the making, feels like walking into your friend’s living room (granted, your most stylish friend’s living room), with a grand lobby where you can sink into plush seating while sampling the local sweets the hotel puts out to satisfy your sugar cravings. Cuvilliés, the brasserie open to both guests and locals, is one of the poshest new restaurants in Munich, with ingredients sourced from the region, including Helmut Schlader Alpine caviar, wagyu beef from Tegernsee, and lamb from a breeder in Jochberg. Guests can retire to their apartment-style rooms, decked out in bespoke furnishings and all-marble baths. The most luxurious accommodations, though, are Rosewood’s five houses, with unparalleled amenities like full kitchens, massive soaking tubs, private courtyard terraces, and more than 2,600 square feet of living space. My favorite spot at the hotel is much smaller: the ultra-exclusive speakeasy, 100B, hidden on the property. During my visit to the hotel, I caught a rare glimpse inside the space to find soft, red velvet furnishings accent rich, dark-wood walls, made all the better by its top-shelf drink offerings, including hard-to-find bottles of Pappy Van Winkle and other rarified liquors. The only way in is to butter up a bartender, who may or may not acknowledge its very existence. From $865/night. Accessible hotel. — Stacey Leasca

Sha Wellness Clinic Mexico

Courtesy of SHA Mexico

Wellness culture reaches its apex at Sha Wellness Clinic , open since January 2024 in Costa Mujeres, Mexico, just north of Cancun. The 100-room property, with 35 privately owned residences, offers an all-inclusive, immersive wellness experience in four- to 21-day programs. Guests engage in wellness therapies, ranging in scope from the medical – intravenous oxygenation, for instance – to the therapeutic, like Shiatsu massage. Upon arrival, each traveler receives a state-of-the-art evaluation, assessing everything from body composition to vascular age to muscular strength, to determine specific wellness needs. My own four-day Rebalance & Energize program included sessions with a Chinese medicine specialist for acupuncture and energy healing; a consultation with a head nutritionist for a meal plan; various overall health assessments with the clinic’s physicians; a Tibetan sound bowl session; and a water-based treatment called the hydroenergetic detox, in which I was wrapped in seaweed and massaged by machine. Shamadi, the nutrition-focused fine-dining venue, serves sophisticated, multicourse menus both inside and outside, on a terrace overlooking the sea. (A second restaurant, Earthy, focused on live-fire cooking, is set to open soon.) When they aren’t meeting with the clinic’s trained professionals, guests are also welcome to use the property’s hydrotherapy circuit, infinity pools, and fitness facility, or snorkel at the largest coral reef in the Northern Hemisphere. During my stay, a swim with a school of stunning barracuda, shimmering in Caribbean sunlight, proved particularly restorative. Four-night program from $5,600, all-inclusive. – Hannah Selinger

Shinta Mani Mustang, Nepal

Elise Hassey/Courtesy of Shinta Mani Mustang

There are still wildly beautiful and enchanted pockets of the world to discover, and this new property — imagined by celebrated interior designer Bill Bensley — is right in the heart of one: the ancient Kingdom of Mustang in Nepal, close to the border of Tibet. From the outside, this U-shaped structure, built using local Baglung stone, resembles a monastery. But inside, thanks to Bensley’s historical research and taste for rich color and pattern, it feels like an elegant, colorful palace. Large public spaces are appointed with a mix of antique Mustang treasures, lampshades decorated with cascading yak hair, and pops of orange and yellow. When not on daily excursions to nearby temples and villages, guests can visit the resort’s spa, which is overseen by a doctor of traditional Tibetan medicine. Each of the 29 rooms has a spacious bathroom — many with deep tubs — as well as woven tiger rugs on the polished black wood floors, and felt blankets from a Nepal-based workshop that supplies Hermes. But none of it can begin to compete with the view of Mount Nilgiri through the floor-to-ceiling windows. From $1,800/night, with a five-night minimum. Accessible hotel. — Gisela Williams  

Silversands Beach House, Grenada 

Courtesy of Silversands

Just three minutes from the airport — and steps from Portici Beach — the latest from luxury hospitality brand Silversands is a 28-room resort with hillside rooms offering panoramic views and canopied beachfront suites that almost touch the surf. All are designed with relaxing neutral tones, artwork handpicked by the property’s Egyptian developer, Naguib Sawiris, and floor-to-ceiling windows and doors that lead to expansive terraces or decks. The restaurant, Azzurro, blends Caribbean and Mediterranean cuisines in dishes like pasta topped with coconut-​and-panko-crusted shrimp and island-inspired sorbets. There are three more restaurants for guests to enjoy, as well as the longest pool in the Caribbean, at the bigger Silversands Grand Anse, 15 minutes away via Mercedes-Benz shuttle. From $700/night. Accessible hotel. ​ — Danielle Pointdujour

Silversea’s Silver Nova

Courtesy of Silversea Cruises

Carrying 728 passengers, Silver Nova is big for the luxury sector, but boasts a hugely important metric: a capacious passenger space ratio — that is, the number of guests relative to the size of the ship. Simply put, this ship offers more elbow room per passenger than almost any other cruise vessel. Silver Nova is wrapped in glass, with an asymmetrical layout; the funnel is positioned off-center, so is the pool, offering an expansive, uncluttered pool deck. Many features of the brand-new ship recall previous Silversea successes, my favorite of which is the S.A.L.T. (Sea And Land Taste) program, expanded for Silver Nova . S.A.L.T. perks include a gorgeous, sea-facing lab for hands-on culinary lessons (at no additional cost), plus a new concept, the Chef’s Table, where an 11-course menu is prepared for just 24 diners. All facets of the S.A.L.T. ecosystem, including ingredients, a bar, lectures, and shore excursions, are keyed to the region Nova is sailing. While food is a drawing card for Silver Nova , accommodations also received a revamp. Tied to the theme of bringing the outside in, there are brilliant new suites found in the aft starboard corner of the ship, with wraparound balconies revealing a 270-degree view.  This is where you can tuck me in when I win the lottery and head off on a world cruise. But until then, Silver Nova will summer in Alaska and spend northern hemisphere winters in Australia and New Zealand, places where top-deck views should prove ceaselessly rewarding. From $3,250 per person for a seven-night sailing. Accessible ship. — David Swanson

Silvestre Nosara Hotel & Residences, Costa Rica

Juan Tribaldos/Courtesy of Silvestre Nosara

If there is a formula for building a hotel that immediately makes you feel at home, Chris Ingham Brooke and Ilya Korolev, the owners of Costa Rica's newest boutique stay, Silvestre Nosara , have nailed it. Maybe it's because the nine-key property is also where Brooke and his family live, or perhaps it's because every single detail of the spacious residences was executed with the utmost consideration for the comfort and privacy of families. Each apartment-like residence has two bedrooms and two en suite bathrooms, plus floor-to-ceiling French doors that open to patios or balconies. The ground-level residences feature lush private gardens with saunas and cold-plunge bathtubs. The kitchens come with fully stocked refrigerators, and if you run out of something, the concierge team is happy to run out and get it from a nearby organic food store. Guests can head to the two-level rooftop for breakfast; the roof is also where you'll find the hotel's infinity pool and cabanas, surrounded by a canopy of trees providing shade from the ground. Naturally, if you've come all the way to Nosara with your family , you're probably here to soak up the sun and catch a few waves. So grab a complimentary board from the hotel's surf school and head straight down the hotel’s jungle path to the famous Playa Guiones, just five minutes away. From $960/night, with a three-night minimum. — Dobrina Zhekova

Singita Mara River Tented Camp, Serengeti, Tanzania

Courtesy of Singita

The most low-key property in Singita’s illustrious East African lineup is also the most exclusive. Singita Mara River Tented Camp is one of only a few permanent camps in the sought-after Lamai wedge, a spit of savanna sequestered from the vast Serengeti National Park by the Mara River. Reopened after a complete rebuild that saw infrastructure from the old camp cleverly repurposed, the camp is sexy and sustainable, and channels the adventurous spirit of a mobile operation — while still providing every imaginable creature comfort. Over 20 African designers and makers were commissioned to add their creative stamp to the new camp. The six well-spaced tents have king-size beds, outdoor tubs, and beaded Maasai artworks by Sidai Designs , an Arusha-based female collective. The chic but utilitarian interiors are done in bold blues and reds, inspired by traditional Maasai blankets. Compact design solutions like mobile wardrobes add to the clutter-free vibe; there’s even a canvas-clad mini-bar stocked with local beers, homemade fruit cordials, Champagne, and vegan chocolate. Like all Singita lodges, the hub of the camp is a bar where smoothies, cappuccinos, and craft cocktails are served by the 100-percent Tanzanian staff. The camp’s prime riverfront site guarantees front-row seats to all the predator-prey action during migration season, but sightings remain impressive year-round, thanks to plentiful resident plains game, including herds of buffalo and elephants, and all the big cats. Suites from $2,045 per person per night. — Jane Broughton

Six Senses Crans-Montana, Switzerland

Imagine you took a quiet, sleek spa with darkened windows and hushed hallways and deposited it onto a Swiss mountainside in an old ski town in the most skiable part of the Valais region, and you get the idea behind Six Senses Crans-Montana . In a town that still feels ripped from a 1987 calendar (in a good way!), the property is like a portal to the future that you can ski right into — or out of. And when you enter that portal from the cold slopes, a “ski concierge” will be waiting to rush your gear into a warm room to dry before it’s delivered to you again on your way out in the morning. My favorite parts of the 45 room-resort were the views of the Alps and the huge soaking tub in my room. Byakko, a lacquered jewel box of a Japanese restaurant on the second floor, serves sushi and other dishes not quite local to the Rhône Valley. The more woodsy Wild Cabin, on the first floor, is where you can have your smoothies for breakfast, pizzas at lunchtime, or game-heavy dinners. A local charcuterie and cheese course is served every evening in the lobby bar. But the pièce de résistance is the spa, a steamy subterranean waterworks with hot tubs and cold plunges, two full-size pools, and toasty massage rooms. From $1,090/night. Accessible hotel. — Devin Friedman

Six Senses Rome

Courtesy of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas

The Eternal City has plenty of exclusive hotels where the brass is polished to a shine and the Negronis flow easily (see: the famed Hotel de Russie terrace). The new Six Senses , a 96-room temple to wellness, smack on Via del Corso and a five-minute walk to the Trevi Fountain, is a welcome departure from all that tradition. Fresh off a red-eye from New York City, I tested “biohacking” remedies at the subterranean spa, slipping on a blue-light facial mask, a back massager, and Normatec compression socks to shake off the jet lag, before making my way to a sprawling series of Roman baths — utterly palatial, by any city hotel standards. And though the property is housed in a 15th-century palazzo, with a central marble staircase that transported me back to the Renaissance, the overall vibe feels fresh and relaxed thanks to Milan-based designer Patricia Urquiola. In a nod to well-being, the rooms are designed to soothe, from the spare, cocciopesto-covered walls to the divine Naturalmat organic mattresses. They also give you a sense of place — contemporary photos of ancient Roman busts crown the beds — and if you're willing to splurge, the license to live like a local. Book a deluxe junior suite with a terrace, and you can enjoy a bottle of wine outdoors with the rooftops of the city seemingly at your fingertips. The travertine-clad lobby embraces warm earth tones, with plants and a skylight bringing the outdoors in; for true alfresco living, don’t miss the Notos Rooftop, a combination yoga studio, restaurant, and farmers market. How very 21st century is that? From $1,083/night. Accessible hotel. — Jacqueline Gifford

Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland 

From a distance, you could easily mistake Slieve Donard for a castle. The sprawling Victorian resort first opened 125 years ago as a railway hotel, becoming the grande dame of Newcastle, a small seaside resort town in Northern Ireland’s County Down. Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts — a brand with a collection of five historic properties located near some of Scotland and Northern Ireland’s best golf courses — completed Slieve Donard’s renovation in September. The transformed lobby and guest rooms highlight Northern Ireland’s natural beauty and the property’s heritage, and reimagined restaurants update the grandeur of the hotel’s heyday. J.J. Farrall’s, named after the hotel’s architect, serves afternoon tea and refined Irish cuisine at dinner; the Percy French, Lighthouse Lounge, and the Wolf offer more casual snacks and drinks. I was immediately struck by the hotel’s plush interiors, striking facade, and stunning views of the Irish Sea and the Mourne Mountains. Many of the 180 rooms look out over the Mournes, designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty — and home to Slieve Donard, the highest mountain in Northern Ireland and the hotel’s namesake. Beautiful hikes, Game of Thrones tours, and whisky distilleries are among the most popular things to do in the area, but many visitors come here for one thing: golf. The property is located right next to the Royal County Down Golf Club, which dates back to 1889 and is home to the Championship Course, widely recognized as one of the most beautiful in the world. From $286/night. Accessible hotel. — Elizabeth Rhodes

Son Bunyola Hotel & Villas, Mallorca, Spain

Courtesy of Son Bunyola Hotel & Villas

A stay at this sprawling property on Mallorca’s sunbaked western coast feels like a visit to a billionaire’s home, and in a sense, it is. Son Bunyola is the newest in Richard Branson’s Virgin Limited Edition hotel collection. The centerpiece of the 1,300-acre plot is a 16th-century manor, which houses 26 rooms and suites. There are also three multi-bedroom villas, one of which is built into a defense tower that dates back to the 13th century. The design team managed to make these storied structures feel like a home away from home. The result is an exclusive Mediterranean hideaway where guests spend their days sunning on yachts, sipping Mallorcan wines, and indulging in ancient Moroccan rituals at the spa. Nights are filled with seven-course tasting menus and starry views. It’s an adult playground, and that’s by design. Thankfully, when you check out, you can take the handmade espadrilles in your room with you, to continue the relaxation at home. From $703/night.​ Accessible hotel. — Jennifer Bradley Franklin

Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, Australia 

GEORGE APOSTOLIDIS/Courtesy of Southern Ocean Lodge

When Southern Ocean Lodge first opened on an island off the coast of southern Australia in 2008, it set the bar for all-inclusive eco-lodges in Australia with its spectacular setting, striking design, and precise yet easygoing hospitality. But the resort burned to the ground in one of the devastating bushfires of 2020. Sheltering underground with smoke seeping into their bunker, longtime managers John Hird and Alison Heath vowed to rebuild. Their employer, Baillie Lodges, agreed, and the lodge reopened this past December. The 25 terraced suites have been updated to include soaking tubs, double vanities, and master controls for zoned lighting. Furnishings are smartly positioned — I could count the night stars through the floor-to-ceiling windows from bed — and the suites have also been angled to provide maximum privacy and views of the surf on the beach below. Chef Tom Saliba makes ample use of island ingredients, like hand-fed partridges, which he barbecues, and mushrooms for whipped tofu with panisse at breakfast. The lounge features a 1970s-style central fireplace and plenty of comfortable seating, but perhaps its greatest charm is a wide-open bar generously stocked with ingredients, a cocktail book that guests are encouraged to use to mix their own drinks, and bar accoutrements. The wine cellar is filled with southern Australian bottles to wander in and grab. The expanded spa now includes warm pools and cold plunges, plus a sauna, and those looking for adventure can book guided tours to spot fur seals and endangered sea lions. From $2,213/night. Accessible hotel.­ — Betsy Andrews

Tanda Tula Safari Camp, Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa

Courtesy of Tanda Tula

At this reimagined camp in the Timbavati , one of South Africa’s lesser-known private nature reserves, there are 180-degree views of the Nhlaralumi River, which is dry for much of the year, allowing for feet-in-the-sand sundowners and barbecues after immersive game drives. Part of the Greater Kruger region, the reserve is known for guaranteed, year-round sightings of leopards lurking in riverine thickets, large herds of buffalo, packs of wild dogs running free, and numerous prides of lions — including rare white lions. But perhaps the real luxury of choosing this intimate camp is that you’ll rarely bump into other safari cars while exploring the ecosystem, unlike reserves located inside Kruger that can be overrun with tourists. The interiors of the nine off-grid suites channel a strong sense of place through homegrown design that feels refreshingly modern, while still honoring the intricate patterns of traditional Tsonga motifs. Everything is steeped in the colors of the surrounding bush — including the deep aubergine of the purple pod cluster leaf, an indigenous tree. Sleek, statement bathrooms lead to open-air showers, private plunge pools, and incredible views. The service feels easy and intuitive, whether you’re arranging a massage in your suite or ordering lunch on your deck. Menus are in sync with the seasons and champion fresh produce grown by small-scale local farmers. Uplifting people is part of Tanda Tula’s DNA: through the work of the property’s foundation, your stay helps fund educational opportunities and scholarships for bright young minds, as well as an adult literacy program for staff. Suites from $1,338 per person per night. Accessible hotel. — Jane Broughton

The Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York City

William Abranowicz/Courtesy of The Fifth Avenue Hotel

The buzz on social media surrounding the debut of The Fifth Avenue Hotel was hard to ignore — especially with Sarah Jessica Parker as host of the grand opening. The Fifth, as those in the know call it, brought new life into Manhattan’s hospitality scene with 153 rooms and suites decorated in a maximalist style by the firm of designer du jour Martin Brudnizki. The interiors are defined by rich colors; luxurious tapestries; artwork like Queen Mary, a portrait by Alanna Airitam; and Murano-glass chandeliers that provide an air of fantasy. Café Carmellini, from chef Andrew Carmellini, is reminiscent of the HBO series The Gilded Age, with lush fabrics and balcony seating overlooking the dining room. But instead of icy glares between the Astors and the Russells, you’ll find delicious dishes like lobster cannelloni and rabbit cacciatore. Before you head back to your room, have a nightcap at the Portrait Bar. The Cebu Island, an inspired cocktail blending rum, scotch, and Midori with a variety of tropical ingredients, deserves a buzz of its own. From $895/night. Accessible hotel. ​— Danielle Pointdujour

The Georgian, Santa Monica, California 

Douglas Friedman/Courtesy of The Georgian

The First Lady, as The Georgian is often referred, first opened its doors in 1933 and quickly became a hangout for the Hollywood A-list crowd. In a sea of white buildings lining Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, California, The Georgian’s not-quite-Tiffany & Co. blue facade with gold trim pops. The eight-story hotel reopened in 2023 after an extensive renovation, and for Blvd Hospitality co-owners Jon Blanchard and Nico Rusconi, deciding what stayed and what went was a grand undertaking. Stayed: the original bathrooms in the 56 guest rooms, including the antique tile work, and that unquestionably Georgian blue facade, which is echoed in the bellhops’ baby-blue uniforms. Another vintage nod: The Georgian Room restaurant hosts Spaghetti Sundays, where I feasted on house-made garlic bread, spaghetti in a hearty marinara sauce, and Grandpa Tony's Meatballs, all a nod to the Red Griffin, the restaurant The Georgian housed in the ‘50s. Currently, the hotel offers a total of 84 guest rooms (including 28 suites), two open-to-the-public restaurants, an art gallery (with new exhibitions opening every two weeks), a library curated by Lee Kaplan of Arcana Books , a Peloton-outfitted gym, and a sultry, U-shaped lobby bar. A feast for the eyes, textures and colors fill every space. Pink chairs and yellow booths populate the outdoor terrace, coral-colored feathered lamps and mustard floor-to-ceiling curtains are seen throughout the lobby, and black-and-white images of Santa Monica line the walls. In the guest suites (one of which is named after Blanchard’s son, Hudson), there are record players and art deco–inspired bars, complete with a quartet of buttons that read like a directory: “Champagne,” “dessert,” “book club,” and “the usual,” the last of which is meant for repeat guests and their beverage/room service order of choice. From $700/night. Accessible hotel. — Alexandra Cheney

The Hotel Maria, Helsinki, Finland

Courtesy of The Hotel Maria

Founded by an Olympic champion and named for Empress Maria Feodorovna, the cosmopolitan mother of Russia’s last tsar, Helsinki’s The Hotel Maria has ambitions as rarefied as its pedigree. In 2020, Finnish developer (and three-time Olympic gold medalist) Samppa Lajunen acquired a parcel of mostly 19th-century buildings in the elegant Kruununhaka neighborhood and set out to convert them into the five-star hotel he believed Finland’s capital needed. The result is a 117-key property that blends glossy international luxury with Nordic sensibilities in a way that feels classic, even pleasantly old-school, as well as purposefully Finnish. The spa, for example, provides guests with an opportunity to try out the national obsession by alternating between sauna and cold plunge. And, throughout the hotel, 200 dreamlike, silvery paintings of iconic flora and fauna by homegrown artist Pia Feinik are on display. Thanks to quirks of the historic structures, every room is unique. Entry-level guest rooms are spacious and well-appointed, and those seeking something more distinctive can choose from 38 suites, including the sprawling, kitchen-equipped Imperial Suite, which feels like the pied-à-terre of a minor royal. Perhaps as an antidote to the winter darkness, around 180 chandeliers blaze in Maria’s rooms and public spaces, most strikingly in the sleek Bar Maria, where clusters of stylized glass icicles glow softly overhead. At the hotel’s hushed and refined flagship restaurant, Lilja, local ingredients like reindeer and cloudberry are foregrounded, and elbow room abounds (Finns like their personal space). Although Helsinki is often visited only as a day trip off a Baltic cruise, it’s a city with a welcoming, walkable center that rewards a longer stay, especially with The Hotel Maria as an unabashedly fancy — though not stuffy — home base. From $487/night . Accessible hotel. — Maggie Shipstead

The Hoxton, Brussels

Courtesy of The Hoxton

In the rapidly developing Northern Quarter of Brussels, close to the Bruxelles-Nord railway station, is a 198-room outpost of The Hoxton , the U.K. hotel brand’s first in Belgium. Concrete architraves adorning the windows, which local architecture practice 51N4E left intact, are a stark yet nostalgic reminder of the building’s industrial and corporate past as the former IBM Tower. But the interiors, courtesy of in-house creative team Aime Studios, exude warmth and softness. For instance, the striking double-height lobby is filled with plants, in homage to the 19th-century botanical garden that once stood nearby. This greenery is juxtaposed with artwork (the lower level doubles as the Hox Gallery) and a smattering of glamorous vintage furniture snagged at flea markets and secondhand shops across the region. Public spaces are buzzy: Cantina Valentina, the Peruvian-style restaurant, is packed with locals devouring ceviche and tequeños against a backdrop of artist Madeleine Schilling’s dreamy botanical mural. There’s also Tope, a rooftop taqueria, where artist Claire de Quénetain’s painted pink ripple wallpaper is enjoyed alongside jalapeño margaritas, cacti, and heady views of the city. After a frothy, orange flower-scented Pisco sour nightcap in one of the lobby’s cocooning chairs, guests head up to their color-blocked rooms, a mélange of deep red, cream, and sky blue punctuated by striped headboards, long oval-shaped glass room dividers, and velvet sofas. Bathrooms, outfitted with confetti-pink pedestal sinks, exude an equally delightful retro feel. From $217/night. Accessible hotel. — Alia Akkam

The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Auberge Resorts Collection, Los Olivos, California

Courtesy of Inn at Mattei's Tavern/Auberge Resorts Collection

The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern finally brings a luxurious place to stay to Los Olivos, a gem in the Santa Ynez Valley with a population of 1,132 that was crowned America’s best small food and culture town by T+L in 2023. The delightful 1880s property is pristine and enchantingly symmetrical, with guest houses coated in a gleaming layer of white paint and a red-shingled water tower sitting in the middle of an idyllic, greenhouse-flanked lawn. During my first evening, I crossed this perfect patch of grass to the Tavern restaurant for a round of martinis and just-out-of-the-oven focaccia, followed by clams served with a slab of pork belly in a garlicky broth. I then slipped down the hall to the Bar, housed in the tavern that original owner Felix Mattei opened in 1886, to finish my evening with a spicy red blend from the Santa Rita hills and a chocolate soufflé doused in caramel sauce. I loved strolling into town to taste wine at Dragonette Cellars , Story of Soil , and the beloved Stolpman Vineyards Fresh Garage — just a small sampling of the 27 wineries within walking distance of the hotel. There’s also the cute Los Olivos General Store and a new restaurant from the chef behind the Michelin-starred gem in nearby Los Alamos , Bell’s . But spending time at the hotel was equally tempting. On my last day, I gave in and just lazed by the pool, where I lunched on duck wontons and grilled shiitakes at the alfresco Gin’s Bar — named for Gin Lung Gin, the head chef at Mattei’s in the 1910s. From $950/night. Accessible hotel. — Maya Kachroo-Levine

The Lafayette Hotel & Club, San Diego

Courtesy of The LaFayette

After opening in 1946, The Lafayette Hotel & Club in San Diego quickly became a celebrity hot spot. Bob Hope, its first guest, owned a penthouse apartment there. Johnny Weissmuller, of “Tarzan” fame, designed the pool. Confirmed visitors included Ava Gardner, Frank Sinatra, and Katharine Hepburn; local lore says Marilyn Monroe might have checked in with a politically powerful friend of hers. Over the subsequent decades, The Lafayette’s star flickered. Three years ago, local restaurateur Arsalun Tafazoli bought the hotel, and after a stunning, $31-million renovation, The Lafayette reopened this past summer. While the landmarked exterior is largely unchanged, the interior shouts loudly with new life. The Brooklyn, New York–based firm Post Company orchestrated the unabashedly maximalist design: sofas and chairs with leopard print, zebra stripes, and bold florals; multicolored Mexican Talavera toilets; hand-painted murals; one custom wallpaper featuring kimono-clad women, another with jungle-dwelling bush babies. Look closely at the bedside reading lamps and the posts of the canopy beds, and you might spot snakes; Tafazoli sees the creatures as avatars of revitalization because of how they shed their old skins. And this isn’t style over substance: There are Sferra linens on the beds, Diptyque toiletries in every bathroom, and even stationery custom-printed with the guest’s name on the desk in every room. Listen up; famed music producer Swizz Beatz curated the soundtrack. The Lafayette’s exuberant eclecticism continues in its bars — there are three, including The Gutter, where you can play skee-ball and shuffleboard while you drink — and its restaurants, most notably Quixote, where Mexican-born chef José Cepeda serves modern takes on venerable family recipes. From $248/night. Accessible hotel. — Jeff Chu

The Lana, Dubai

Courtesy of The Lana

The Middle East debut for the Dorchester Collection is just another sign that when it comes to hospitality, Dubai is on the level of London, Paris, Rome, and Los Angeles. And The Lana still manages to stand out in a crowded field. That’s partly because of its location in Marasi Bay Marina, an upscale new development. The striking Foster & Partners building is avant-garde, while the interiors, from designers Gilles & Boissier, are more subtle, with soft pinks and sandy beiges that nod to the surrounding desert and elegant touches such as textured wallpaper and rich wood paneling in the 225 rooms and suites. There’s also a Dior spa and a trio of notable restaurants helmed by celebrated chefs — Martin Berasategui, Jean Imbert, and Angelo Musa. Locals are already clamoring to get into the rooftop bar, High Society, where I took in the skyline, martini in hand. From $925/night. Accessible hotel.­ — Chrissie McClatchie

The Leela Ashtamudi, A Raviz Hotel, Kerala, India

Courtesy of The Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts

On the banks of Kerala’s second largest lake, Ashtamudi, The Leela offers visitors the chance to experience the unhurried beauty of Kerala’s backwaters. Tourist traffic on Ashtamudi is substantially lower than at Kerala’s other waterways, like the sought-after Kumarakom Backwaters and Alleppey Backwaters. While the new hotel is still a work in progress — a bar and restaurant, among other things, are not yet open — it is arguably the best in this underappreciated region. On a recent trip, I saw no tourists as I took the hotel boat around the lake in search of brackish water dolphins, only fisherfolk tending to their nets. After a morning on the lake, I had lunch at the hotel overlooking the lakeside garden. Here, guests can have a chef prepare the fish they catch on their trip, or visit a local market with one to buy produce and cook it together. Later that day, I enjoyed an Abhyanga treatment at The Leela’s spa, where the masseurs kneaded my travel-weary back. The hotel’s 93 rooms and suites are tastefully done up; where some rooms feature traditional Kerala mural work drawn from Hindu myths, others carry modern art. The furniture, too, is a mix of colonial and contemporary. The room to book: the Royal Heritage suite that offers an expansive view of the lake, sunset included. From $97/night. Accessible hotel. — Prasad Ramamurthy  

The Peninsula London

Will Pryce/Courtesy of The Peninsula London

The Peninsula brand, which operates a 96-year-old flagship in Hong Kong as well as properties as far-flung as Beverly Hills and Istanbul, spent 35 years looking for the right address in London. They found it on a prime corner overlooking Wellington Arch, in the heart of Belgravia. The eight-story building, its Portland-stone facade a nod to British craftsmanship, opened to the public in 2023. The timing couldn’t have been better — or worse — depending upon how you look at it, as the British capital is experiencing a luxury hotel boom. So what sets The Peninsula London apart? That location, for one. I was able to walk to Harrods and Buckingham Palace in 15 minutes, and yet still feel tucked away from the fray, thanks to the quiet courtyard, anchored by two 120-year-old Japanese maple trees, and the subterranean, forest-themed spa. The 190 rooms, designed by Peter Marino to soothe with their neutral, calming tones, start at a very generous 549 square feet. But the biggest perk might be the in-room technology, a Peninsula signature, so seamless I could charge all of my devices on a bedside table (some cord-free) without unpacking an adapter. If some parts of the hotel lean classic, others skew more whimsical, including the rooftop Brooklands Bar & Restaurant by Claude Bosi, themed around race cars and aviation (even if you don’t eat there, have a peek at the replica Concorde suspended from the dining-room ceiling). And Canton Blue, the formal Chinese restaurant, is a true feast for the eyes with its displays of suspended porcelain cups, plates, and antique musical instruments. Full from the excellent soup dumplings and Peking duck, I left my table at 11:30 p.m. — and the room was still abuzz. From $1,600/night. Accessible hotel. — Jacqueline Gifford

The Pinch, Charleston, South Carolina

Matthew Williams/Courtesy of The Pinch, Charleston

Just off of King Street in Charleston, South Carolina, the flicker of gaslight beckons those in the know down a cobblestone alley to The Pinch . Housed in a collection of 19th-century buildings, the property was brought to life by design and management company Method Co . Its 22 rooms and suites, plus three extended-stay residences, are furnished tip to toe in sumptuous materials — walnut herringbone floors, zellige tiles, burnt-orange velvet sofas, marble farmhouse sinks with unlacquered brass fixtures — but the overall feel is playful and easygoing, never fussy or formal. The hotel is also home to The Quinte, a moody, wood-paneled oyster bar that retains traces of its billiards parlor past, and Lowland, a fine-dining spot in a historic townhouse across the alleyway. Presiding over the culinary show is James Beard Award–winning executive chef Jason Stanhope, who gestures to Southern classics without veering into cliché. At Lowland, unexpectedly inspired dishes such as a celery salad with dates and cheddar stuck with me well after I pushed back from the table. The Pinch is just right for a long, leisurely stay, with washer-dryers in every room and kitchens that bear the design fingerprints of a true cook: hooded gas ranges, a full lineup of kitchen tools, and enough place settings to invite friends for dinner. It’s the details that make this place sing: there’s a white-noise machine by the bed, a burr grinder for the freshest coffee, a minibar lineup that nails the high-low mix (An adaptogenic zero-proof spritz? Yep. Moon pies? Also yep.). Pair all that with extended-stay discounts and a price tag that feels refreshingly reasonable, and a multiweek Charleston residency starts to look less like a pipe dream and more like an ideal plan for shaking off the midwinter blues. From $300/night. Accessible hotel. — Lila Harron Battis

The Restoration Asheville, North Carolina 

Blake Shorter/Courtesy of The Restoration Asheville

Front-door access to the best trails in the Blue Ridge Mountains, James Beard Award–winning restaurants, abundant breweries, and a thriving art scene have made Asheville, North Carolina, one of T+L readers’ favorite American cities . But what’s long been missing is an elevated hotel in the heart of downtown. Enter The Restoration Asheville , a 60-key property from The Restoration Hotel Collection (which has a flagship property in Charleston ) that opened in April 2023. My room had a green suede chaise lounge and a dramatic, oversized church-window mirror. I appreciated the Appalachian touches throughout the property, like floor-to-ceiling murals by local painter Scott Allred depicting the nearby mountains. The library-themed lobby and the adjacent streetside patio are excellent places for coffee and people-watching. I also appreciated the variety of dining options, including The Exchange restaurant, which has upgraded Southern favorites, like a jalapeño- and buttermilk-battered fried chicken sandwich and a trout and chicory caesar salad, and The Draftsman, a basement-level bar with a bowling alley and skee-ball. But if you’ve come to Asheville, you’ve come to eat and drink your way through the city . I recommend brunch at Chai Pani or Cúrate , dinner at Neng Jr.’s , and cocktails at Anoche , a snug mezcal bar in the River Arts District. Plus, the new S&W Market , a food hall and taproom in a soaring art deco building, is next door to the Restoration. From $225/night. Accessible hotel. — Elizabeth Cantrell

The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Florida

Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, Naples

The Ritz-Carlton, Naples , to me, has always embraced its status as a social hub with gusto. I’ve seen many an anniversary dinner, Champagne toast, and lavish, eggs Benedict–stuffed brunch celebrated on these grounds. Kids splash away in the wave-shaped family pool; adults indulge in stiff cocktails with their shoes off at Gumbo Limbo, the seaside restaurant; and everyone relaxes under the spell of that old-school, Ritz-Carlton service. Now, this 38-year-old resort – reopened after Hurricane Ian and a $100-million-plus glow up — leans more new school in its design. I was still greeted by a fleet of staffers outside the grand porte-cochere, but the lobby interior is less claustrophobic. Gone are the dark-wood beams, chandeliers, and thick carpet; in their place are brass accents and floating crystal pendants suspended above a marble-topped bar, the hot reservation on a Saturday night. The airy, nautical feel also extends into all 474 guest rooms, where I was impressed by the grasscloth headboards, the built-in bedside reading lamps, and the full-size bottles of Diptyque amenities. Seventy new suites and the largest Ritz-Carlton Club lounge in North America lie in the 14-floor Vanderbilt Tower, an addition that flows so well with the original building, you can’t really tell what’s old and new. Other fun tweaks include a new adults-only pool, 10 poolside bungalows (all named for Florida islands) with en suite bathrooms, and Sofra, which, unlike Gumbo, favors lighter dishes like heirloom tomato salad accompanied by barrel-aged feta and grilled whole sea bream. With dining trends moving the way they are these days, this Mediterranean spot, like the resort itself, will soon be the talk of the town. From $1,100/night. Accessible hotel. — Jacqueline Gifford

The Rome Edition

Nikolas Koenig/Courtesy of The Rome EDITION

The first thing you notice about The Rome Edition is its ideal location, a 10-minute walk from both the Borghese Gardens and the Trevi Fountain. Inside, you’re struck by the floor-to-ceiling green velvet curtains designer Patricia Urquiola chose to contrast with the travertine walls of the lobby, while boxy white sofas echo the straight-lined architecture. The 91 guest rooms feel minimalist, even with beds swathed in Italian linens and marble bathrooms stocked with Le Labo amenities. Cobalt-blue and lime-green upholstery pop against the white-oak paneling in the restaurant Anima, helmed by Paola Colucci, the chef behind Trastevere cult favorite Pianostrada. Diners rave about the pillowy focaccia topped with mortadella, smoked ricotta, pistachios, honey, and orange zest. For drinks, choose from the Jade Bar, the Punch Room, and the Roof, which offers memorable city views. From $747/night.​ — Laura Itzkowitz

The Rounds at Scribner’s, Hunter, New York 

From left: Chris Mottalini/Courtesy of The Rounds; Paul Brady/Travel + Leisure

Does the perfect cabin in the woods exist? It does now. A new hotel within a hotel in New York’s Catskill Mountains promises forest bathing without the grit, a dose of nature while keeping it hygge. A set of just 11 cabins, inspired by the shape of yurts, they’re up the hill from Scribner’s Catskill Lodge , the destination lodge that’s popular with city families seeking an escape and groups of friends intent on a ski weekend without the hassles of flying. Picture the Muji Hotel Ginza , crossed with the chicest Airbnb A-frame you’ve ever seen in Joshua Tree, California, and you’ll have a feel for the cabins at the Rounds. Designed by Post Company (known for their work on Mollie Aspen , nearby upstate gem Inness , and The Lake House on Canandaigua ), the stand-alone cottages here are a fusion of Scandinavian and Japanese motifs, along with several contemporary features: oiled white-pine floors and trim, linens and cottons, an outdoor cedar soaking tub, angular accent lights, and a freestanding gas-fueled fireplace. In the five suites, a large sunken sitting area is the focal point, below a small skylight that affords plenty of natural light. (Another showstopper: the Calacatta Viola marble pedestal sink in the bathroom.) Guests have the full run of the main Scribner’s lodge, which has an array of games and activities (bocce in the summer, ice skating in colder months), plus a full-service restaurant, Prospect, where I sat at the bar and ordered the winter harvest salad and a pork chop with Morita chile sauce. The wine list features plenty of natural finds, including several from New York State. Those staying in the Rounds have their own communal spot, the Apex Lodge, a low-key place to grab a morning coffee or evening brew and check with the staff about hiking trails or local restaurants. While it’s certainly possible to simply veg out here, bouncing from one’s private deck to the soaking tub, there’s a nightly ritual that’s worth emerging for: once the sun sets, and the fire in the Lodge’s midcentury modern chiminea gets going, there’s no better place to be, s’mores in hand. From $450/night. Accessible hotel. — Paul Brady

The Singapore Edition

Courtesy of The Singapore Edition

With a slew of ambitious newcomers opening their doors and long-standing stalwarts emerging from floor-to-ceiling refurbishments, 2023 was a banner year for Singapore's hotel scene . Among the most-anticipated new arrivals was The Singapore Edition , the first Southeast Asian outpost of the buzzy, design-minded hotel group launched by nightlife guru Ian Schrager (of NYC's Studio 54 fame) and Marriott International. Those familiar with the brand will clock its hallmarks from the get-go: A sculptural staircase takes center stage in the marble-floored lobby; oversized artworks dot the common areas; and the 204 guest rooms channel the brand's signature minimalism through straight-lined furnishings in soothing palettes of ivory and oak. Even the Punch Room, the punch-focused cocktail bar now found at almost a dozen Edition hotels across the globe, made its Singapore debut swathed in eye-popping Yves Klein blue. But the hotel is far from a copy-and-paste affair. Uniquely Singaporean touches include lush indoor gardens that nod to the city's tropical greenery, and louvered window panels inspired by the homes that once dominated this neighborhood, called the Orchard Road district. Similarly fresh is The Edition Singapore’s signature restaurant, the aptly named Fysh, where Australian chef and self-proclaimed “fish butcher” Josh Niland serves up wildly innovative fin-to-tail creations such as noodles from fish bone, tuna merguez sausage, and sweet ice cream — really! — from fish eyeballs. From $400/night. Accessible hotel. — Chris Schalkx

The St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya, Mexico

Courtesy of The St. Regis Kanai Resort

While all of the five-star service and amenities associated with The St. Regis brand are here (including the acclaimed 24-hour butler service and the nightly Champagne sabering), this Riviera Maya, Mexico, resort presents a significant break from tradition. About 40 minutes from Cancun, in the gated Kanai community, is an airy, architectural marvel that makes the most of its stunning natural setting — while still protecting it. The curved, overlapping circular design by Mexican architectural firm Edmonds International was inspired by the stellar constellation Pleiades. It reminded me of a bright-white UFO, gently hovering over lush green vegetation. Yes, it hovers: To achieve a minimal footprint, the entire resort is set on stilts above the surrounding mangroves, which bleed into the adjacent 620-acre Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The view from my sleek, spacious room looked out on the mangroves, with the smooth, white-sand beach and cerulean water beyond. The 143 rooms and suites (all with patios and many with private infinity pools) feature locally inspired details like green marble sinks nodding to Mexico’s cenotes, ceramic light pendants that evoke the stars above, and wood-carved headboards reminiscent of ancient Maya textiles. When I tired of the beach, I moved between the two pools, the spa with its hydrotherapy circuit, the well-curated boutique filled with Mexican-crafted creations, and the hotel’s eight bars and restaurants. I especially loved escaping to the library when I needed a break from the hot sun, sampling the Maya cacao and teas on offer. From $1,099/night. Accessible hotel. — Devorah Lev-Tov

Todos Santos Boutique Hotel, Mexico

Fernando Marroquin/Courtesy of Todos Santos Boutique Hotel

During the pandemic, a media-shy Mexican family of shoe tycoons visited Todos Santos, the enchanting oasis an hour up the coast from Los Cabos, and bought a cobweb-collecting lodge housed in the historic villa of a 19th-century sugarcane baron (as one does). With zero hospitality experience but a keen eye for design, the optimistic hoteliers renovated extensively and opened the Todos Santos Boutique Hotel in January, giving the building the thoughtful, exquisite inn its handsome Spanish Colonial–style bones deserve. Potted palms nearly skim the black coffered ceilings in the open-air lobby, where twin stone staircases cascade down to the pool, sunken like some chic little lagoon where tasseled khaki umbrellas have sprouted along the edges like mushrooms. The lush landscaping and surrounding brickwork — including a new-build casita housing four suites and upping the existing room total to 10 — give the space the cloistered vibe of a Mexican riad . With checkerboard marble floors in the lobby, a gold-framed art collection, impeccable woodwork covering La Copa bar, and emerald-tiled bathrooms, every new material feels considered and luxurious. Every preserved element feels historically purposeful, even the bullet holes peppering the foyer walls from a long-ago gunfight. Honestly, who wouldn’t kill for this property? From $796/night. Accessible hotel. — Adam Erace

Trunk(Hotel)Yoyogi Park, Tokyo 

Courtesy of Trunk

Since opening its first location in Harajuku in 2017, the Trunk brand has distinguished itself as Tokyo’s go-to cool-kid hangout. Its latest iteration, Trunk(Hotel) Yoyogi Park , opened in September just steps from one of the city’s largest green spaces. The rooftop infinity pool provides views of the cityscape and the park’s tree canopy, best enjoyed over a cocktail from the oyster bar. The minimalist design, from Japanese architect Keiji Ashizawa and the Danish firm Norm Architects, mixes rough materials with high polish, adding washi-paper pendant lights by Kojima Shoten of Kyoto and Ariake paper-cord chairs. Some of the 25 rooms have terraces facing the park, freestanding bathtubs, and copper-trimmed room dividers. Pizzeria e Trattoria L’Ombelico offers all-day dining, and is best known for Tokyo-Neapolitan-style pies — made with an extra punch of salt. From $405/night.​ — Kristin Braswell

Ulum Moab, Utah

Courtesy of ULUM Moab

Ulum Moab is the first outpost of Ulum, a new brand from glamping hospitality giant Under Canvas. The concept was born from Under Canvas Moab guests' requests for "more comfort in nature," said Matt Gaghen, CEO of Under Canvas. And it certainly delivers: Despite technically staying in a tent, not once did I feel like I was roughing it. My 360-square-foot tent had a king-size bed, a queen-size sofa bed, temperature control, a rain shower, a 70-square-foot deck, and a bathroom stocked with Aesop amenities. The glamping resort, which sits on 200 acres of desert with views of 100-foot cliffs and the Looking Glass Arch, has 50 tents, hot and cold dipping pools, and a lobby with floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy the stunning views. The concierge can point guests to nearby hiking and biking trails at various state parks, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and rock climbing at Looking Glass Arch — and you’re just an hour away from both Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park . What took my breath away was the stargazing on clear nights; Moab is known for its low light pollution and uses International Dark Sky standards to keep it that way. The on-site cafe and restaurant serve breakfast and dinner, with a heavy emphasis on local, seasonal ingredients and Southwest-inspired flavors. Even the cocktail and mocktail offerings are inspired by local flora. From $629/night. — Susmita Baral

Umana Bali, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Indonesia

Elspeth Velten/Travel + Leisure

Skirting the edge of a cliff above Bali’s southernmost point sits Hilton brand LXR’s newest resort: the 72-villa Umana Bali . On an island where resorts are clustered in major tourist centers like Seminyak, Nusa Dua, and Jimbaran, LXR’s first resort in Southeast Asia is refreshingly off the beaten path in the village of Ungasan. The resort’s Balinese pride is on full display, starting from the traditional welcome ceremony that greeted me on arrival and continuing with the property’s terraced layout (a nod to Bali’s iconic tiered rice fields) and the jewel-box of local desserts in all colors of the rainbow at breakfast. Each of Umana’s one-, two- and three-room villas encircle their own massive infinity pools, with access directly from the primary bedroom (and a secret path to a tropical outdoor shower). Inside, villas are studded with touches from Bali designers like Kevala Ceramics and locally made sandals, beach bags, and sun hats for use during a stay. These local accents are complemented by top-of-the-line amenities like Sonos speakers and Toto Washlet toilets. I grabbed a sun hat while taking advantage of the hotel’s easy access to Melasti Beach, which has, in my opinion, some of the clearest water in Bali. During my stay, the Umana staff made everything on my Bali wish list happen: I enjoyed a morning village walk through the local market and past the temples at Ungasan, participated in a private sound healing session in the resort’s beautiful spa, and felt totally catered to when I brought up my pregnancy-related dietary restrictions. Whether I ate on-site at Commune or Oliverra, or indulged in an in-villa breakfast, I never had to mention a specific restriction twice. From $750/night. Accessible hotel. — Elspeth Velten

Vermelho, Alentejo, Portugal

Rodrigo Cardoso

While today, few travelers can point to the tiny village of Melides on a map, that could soon change with the opening of Vermelho , the first hotel from legendary shoe designer Christian Louboutin. Portuguese architect Madalena Caiado made the property look like the centuries-old monasteries found throughout the region; Louboutin, the king of red-lacquered soles, selected every eye-catching interior detail. Opulent carpets? Yes. A chandelier shaped like a celestial sea urchin? Absolutely. An installation of 100 ceramic bird heads by the artist Elisabeth Lincot? You bet. Many pieces were pulled from Louboutin’s personal collection, including vintage prints and intricately designed textiles. Vermelho’s centerpiece is a cocktail lounge with an ornate silverwork bar made by Sevillian jeweler Orfebre Villareal. The restaurant, Xtian, serves classic Portuguese dishes with international flavors. Each of the 13 rooms and suites has a different look, but all come with enormous tiled tubs and colorful Frette robes. Outdoors, noted landscape designer Louis Benech has added peaceful gardens and a heated natural swimming pool. From $322/night. Accessible hotel. ​​ — Lindsay Cohn

Villa Mabrouka, Tangier, Morocco

Chris Wallace

Nearly 30 years after first arriving in Morocco in 1966, Algerian-born couturier Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé, bought Dar Mabrouka, a whitewashed villa in Tangier overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, and made it their summer home. In 2019, more than 10 years after Saint Laurent’s death, English designer Jasper Conran purchased the property, renamed it Villa Mabrouka , and transformed it into a 12-suite hotel. During my stay, I couldn’t help being reminded of the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles—partly because of the laid-back, house-party atmosphere, and partly because of the eclectic design style. The mélange of pieces in the Marrakech Suite (formerly Saint Laurent’s bedroom) included an inlaid pearl table from Syria, a Kermit-green cashmere throw from India, and Moroccan lanterns. The gardens overflow  with 6,500 new plants, shrubs, and trees, as well  an emerald herringbone tiled pool. The newly constructed dining gazebo has a trompe l’oeil wallcovering painted by the English artist Lawrence Mynott, and serves a can’t-miss Berber tagine. From $490/night . Accessible hotel. — Chris Wallace

Volga Hotel, Mexico City

Courtesy of VOLGA

I barely knew where to rest my eyes at the architecturally inventive Volga Hotel , the latest offering from the Mexican hospitality group Hamak that takes the concept of a "design hotel" to new levels. Perhaps guests should think of it as an urban cenote — or at least that’s what Javier Sánchez, one of the three Mexican architects behind this hotel, which opened its doors fall 2023 in the trendy neighborhood of Cuauhtémoc, wants you to think. The aesthetic experience begins when approaching the hotel from the street: its Brutalist, fortress-like exterior gives no clue as to the magic that lies within. Once inside, guests descend a circular stairway made of shining copper, down into near darkness, to the reception desk and lobby located one floor underground, where raw-concrete walls sprout exuberant plants. The 50 spacious rooms have the spare, calming aesthetic of a Japanese ryokan , with natural materials — wood, volcanic rock, brass, and Turkish marble — and are stocked with scented bath amenities from local company Aromaría. All have interior balconies with curved wooden screens that offer privacy when shut, or slide open to offer ringside seats to the courtyard far below, which is occupied during mealtimes by a fine-dining Mexican-Mediterranean restaurant run by the celebrity chef Edo Kobayashi. The reservations-only lounge, the Music Room, is where hip young Mexicans sip mezcal- and tequila-forward cocktails as local DJs play, but the outside world is not entirely ignored. Take the elevator to the rooftop during the day and you step out into an explosion of brilliant sunshine and a bar serving "ethnobotanical" drinks around a heated lap pool with 180-degree views of the city. From $416/night. — Tony Perrottet

Courtesy of W Budapest

In July, the W Hotel brand opened its grandest property yet, in the Hungarian capital’s UNESCO-listed Drechsler Palace. The W Budapest is the revival of an architectural gem that also showcases W’s new creative direction: grounded in elegance and sophistication, without foregoing the brand’s fun side. On entering the hotel, guests walk through archways made from an intricate metallic mesh — a modern "second skin" designed to represent the building’s new life. Other details that blend past and present, and celebrate the city's history, can be found throughout the interior — from the wave-like glass ceiling covering the courtyard to the mirrored walls that create an optical illusion in the underground spa, a nod to Hungarian escape artist Harry Houdini. In fact the serene spa, with its aromatherapy steam room, Finnish sauna, and heated relaxation pool, is one of the hotel’s highlights, and offers a welcome moment of tranquility in the heart of this busy city. I had a phenomenal de-stress massage that cured all signs of jet-lag and fatigue. Another way to unwind? Head to the hotel's underground speakeasy, Society25, where head bartender Stefano Ripiccini has dreamt up a cocktail list inspired by the Belle Époque. From $326/night. Accessible hotel. — Dobrina Zhekova

Warren Street Hotel, New York City 

Simon Brown/Courtesy of Warren Street Hotel

When Joni Mitchell wrote, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot,” she certainly wasn’t singing about Warren Street. In quite the opposite turn of events, British designer Kit Kemp and her Firmdale Hotels group took a soulless parking lot in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood and erected its very own turquoise steel-and-glass paradise from the ground up. Bursting with contemporary art and Kemp’s signature prints, the Warren Street Hotel quickly secured its spot as my happy place in New York; even on the cold, gray first week of February, I found it was impossible to hold onto a sour mood upon entering. In its 69 unique rooms, colors and patterns mix in unexpected ways, creating the feeling that anything could happen. In addition to her beloved London lineup , this is Kemp’s third NYC hotel. She’s the creative mind behind the Crosby Street Hotel in SoHo and The Whitby Hotel in Midtown, but the opening of Warren Street may be her most whimsical creation yet. She worked on the project with her daughters, Willow and Minnie Kemp, and the mother-daughter connection is undoubtedly what injected such warmth into the stylish property, particularly in its suites and residences. Mine came with a bookshelf-lined lounge, fireplace, and marble soaking tub with a TV hung beside it, beckoning me to stay in for the night. Some are even outfitted with the ultimate city luxury: private terraces with manicured gardens. Regardless of room type, expect floor-to-ceiling windows and a space that will entice you to linger a little bit longer and order breakfast in bed. (Yes, even with downtown Manhattan waiting outside.) Still, don’t keep all your meals behind closed doors. Downstairs, the Warren Street Bar & Restaurant , an all-day brasserie with a big personality, was already drawing locals when I visited in the hotel’s first month. From $925/night. Accessible hotel. — Nina Ruggiero

Wilderness Usawa Serengeti, Tanzania

Courtesy of Wilderness

The main attraction of virtually any Serengeti safari is invariably the great migration, the 1,200-mile mass journey of more than 2 million wildebeest and zebra each year. Chasing that magnificent natural spectacle is especially thrilling at Usawa , a new roving camp from luxury safari company Wilderness , which migrates along with the animals, following the herds across nine sites in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. The camp starts the year in the southern part of Serengeti National Park, in Kusini (where the calving season runs from January to March), and makes it all the way to Bologonja in the north (where wildlife famously crosses the Mara River). Each of the camps is identical, with six canvas-wrapped guest tents featuring king-size beds, all-natural skin care products, and colorful decor like woven blankets and upcycled glassware — all handmade by Tanzanian artisans. Usawa, which means “balance” in Swahili, is also fully off-grid, operating via a combination of solar panels, portable sewage tanks, and mobile batteries. The light footprint means wildlife is never disturbed as camps are manually erected and deconstructed, making game drive–worthy sightings possible even from your tent — and leaving no trace behind once Wilderness packs up and moves to the next location. Sustainability plays a part in the culinary offerings as well, with elevated traditional recipes like creamy  mtori  plantain soup and spicy curry showcasing fresh veggies and meat from Tanzania’s robust farming communities. Most satisfying of all at Usawa, however, is the chance to see one of nature’s greatest phenomena up-close, year-round: dramatic Mara River crossings by the thousands, big cats and other predators in action, and the birth of hundreds of calves in a single day. From $950 per person per night, with a minimum two-night stay. — Jackie Caradonio

Yowie Hotel, Philadelphia

Bre Furlong/Courtesy of Yowie

Shannon Maldonado opened Yowie , a tiny shop in Philadelphia’s Queen Village neighborhood, in 2017, garnering a devoted following with her ever-evolving collection of cool, highly curated wares. In what feels like a natural evolution, last July, the designer opened a boutique hotel where nearly every item in the rooms is available to purchase. If walking through her shop is like getting a glimpse into Maldonado’s dynamic world, checking into the Yowie Hotel is getting to live inside it, even just for a night. The 11-room hotel is situated on the city’s historic South Street, anchored on the ground floor by the new Yowie shop and Wim, a bright, minimalist cafe. Accommodations range from a cozy room with a king-size bed to a two-bedroom suite, and while each space is outfitted with a kitchen and splashed in her calculated mashup of contemporary furniture, color, and custom art, no two are the same. Yowie is an invisible service hotel, which means in lieu of a check-in desk, you’ll get a welcome text with a code to unlock the doors. It’s all the more impressive, then, that even without the traditional hotel trappings, the designer and her team manage to impart so much warmth into the guest experience. Find a poster by the elevator with this month’s neighborhood happenings, a drawer full of goodies you may have forgotten to pack in the hallway, and a handwritten welcome note alongside a few paper guides recommending the staff’s favorite Philly spots in your room. And since there’s no lobby, I didn’t have to walk through the shop or cafe, but I wanted to for a salted caramel latte and a spiced carrot toast at Wim, and to pick up a few ceramic cereal bowls I admired in the room, as a way to bring a little piece of Yowie home. From $215/night . Accessible hotel. — Regan Stephens

It List 2024