The Best New Affordable Hotels in the World: 2023 Hot List
Nothing makes us more excited to get up and go than putting together our annual Hot List of the best new hotels, cruises, restaurants, cultural destinations, and transportation projects. Now in its 27th year, this curated collection is a labor of love for our global team, which spends the year researching, visiting, and vetting the entries to bring you a definitive directory of places whose style, ethos, and service set new standards for hospitality. This year's most affordable hotel winners—defined as properties with nightly rates under $400—can take you on a tour across the globe, from Panama to Dubai to Thailand. All that’s left is for you to decide where you’re going first.
Click here to see the entire Hot List for 2023.
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The Ingalls/Hotel Per LAhotelHotel Per LA — Califorina
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Hot List 2023This hotel is the third act for the beautifully preserved Giannini building in downtown Los Angeles, but it may be the most meaningful one yet. Built in 1922 as the Bank of Italy in an ornate Neoclassical style, the building later found fame after years of neglect as The Nomad Los Angeles. When the pandemic shut down the world, the building went dark once more. Now after an ownership and management change, the hotel has begun anew as Hotel Per La, Italian for “for the,” which was inspired by the building’s original use as the bank for the people. That “for the people” feeling begins at the new entrance on Olive Street where guests walk through a mirrored tunnel—an obvious Instagram backdrop—but it also serves as an appreciation for guests. It says both “Welcome to Los Angeles” and “Wow, look at you.” The 241 guest rooms and suites have kept the thoughtfully decorated apartment style that was put in place by Jacques Garcia with soft beds, antique knick-knacks, and a mix of vintage and current photography. Yet up on the roof is where Hotel Per La shines, quite literally when the sun engulfs the pool deck and bar, encouraging guests to relax however they want. The future feels bright here again. Rooms from $325. —Juliana Shallcross
Natelee Cocks/Bab Al Shams, A Rare Finds Desert Resort, DubaihotelBab Al Shams, A Rare Finds Desert Resort — Dubai
$$ | Hot List 2023Since 2004, this desert resort has been a favorite of residents and visitors for its mix of family-friendly fun, lush gardens, and Arabian architecture. Freshly reopened after an extensive renovation, Bab Al Shams is looking better—and brighter—than ever. The dark furnishings and textiles have given way to a new design aesthetic that features a lighter color palette and a more contemporary mood, all while remaining true to its Arabian roots. Hardcore fans can still find some of the original elements, albeit with a modern style and renewed energy. The much-loved swimming pools on the edge of the sands are now flanked by fresh new restaurants, including Mediterranean Zala and rooftop Anwā for Asian dishes and sunset views. A fleet of Land Rover and Defender vehicles is also on hand for desert excursions. While you’re bouncing through the dunes in the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, you’ll likely spot herds of endangered Arabian oryxes and wandering sand gazelles. Don’t come expecting a golden sea of towering dunes—you need to head 300 kilometers inland to the Empty Quarter for that—but for a taste of desert adventure a short drive from downtown Dubai, you can’t do much better than this. Rates from $354 per night. —Nicola Chilton
JOE CHUA AGDEPPAhotelThe Ned Doha — Qatar
$$ | Hot List 2023In a region where hotels tend to rely on being the biggest, boldest, and most expensive to draw attention, The Ned Doha has chosen instead to embody supreme stylishness. Housed in a brutalist former government ministry, the look inside is utilitarian but sultry: Geometric features and original waffled concrete ceilings are softened by layered fabrics, bold patterns, and Murano glass chandeliers. Rooms exude 1970s glamour, with vintage references including Roberts radios, clunky rotary-dial phones beside the beds, and TVs hidden behind tapestries designed by local artists. The terrazzo balconies look out over the sea, Al Bidda Park, or the Amiri Diwan palace, where camels patrol throughout the day. Walnut-clad walls double as gallery space for the hotel’s collection of more than 350 pieces, many by Qatar-based artists and most by women. As with its big sister in London, which is also a members’ club, The Ned Doha’s social scene centers on a circular stage with nightly live music, surrounded by the hubbub of diners in Cecconi’s and Millie’s Grill. Outdoors, sunshine filters through overhead drapes at Malibu Kitchen, which serves colorful Californian cuisine next to a pool flanked by striped daybeds and cabanas. But the best spot to reflect on what this atmospheric hotel brings to the city is at a table loaded with excellent Levantine meze, salads, and grills beneath the frangipani trees at Hadika. Rooms from $380. —Nicola Chilton
Bali Interiors/The SanubarihotelThe Sanubari — Indonesia
$$ | Hot List 2023For the longest time, visiting Sumba either meant ponying up an eye-watering amount of rupiah for a stay at high-flyer hideaway Nihi, or roughing it at one of the basic homestays dotting the coast. Rowan and Micha Burn, the Bali–based British-Australian couple behind The Sanubari, saw an opportunity for a place pitched between these extremes—a toes-in-the-sand, away-from-it-all hideaway that’s actually affordable. The resort’s remoteness is part of its appeal—guests must take a 50-minute turboprop flight and 2-hour drive—but what awaits is well worth the effort: a 1.5-mile swoop of eye-blindingly white sand backdropped by rice paddies and rocky cliffs, with not a single other building in sight. Stroll down the hotel’s beach (or hop on a bike) to reach Pantai Watu Bella, one of southwest Sumba’s most beautiful stretches of sand, where The Sanubari will soon set up an umbrella-shaded cliffside deck for picnic excursions and sunset barbecues. Further inland, you’ll find frozen-in-time villages, eye-popping valley landscapes, and a river to SUP or canoe down for over an hour during the wet season. Rooms from $324. —Chris Schalkx
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Brett WoodhotelHotel Ulysses — Baltimore
$ | Hot List 2023The hotelier and design studio Ash loves to tell a good story. And the yarn that powers Ulysses pulls right from the hotel’s roots. It occupies the nine-story Latrobe Building, an early 20th-century Italianate pile in Baltimore’s vaguely European Mount Vernon neighborhood (see the cobblestone roundabouts and tidy greens), where upper-crust bachelor boarders once laid their heads. Today, the space once again conjures the quarters of some well-to-do gadabout whose trinkets—acquired from a parade of grand tours, no doubt—lie scattered all about. In the foyer, oil paintings with a tinge of the Goya grotesque hang above vivid mosaic floors. The rooms, appointed with antique (and antique-looking) furniture, occupy eight stories, with a palette that shifts depending on where you are: moody greens and blues on the lower levels; hazy yellow and red higher up. In a ninth-floor suite, the television, covered in fabric block-printed with flamingos, is a nod to native son John Waters. No proper boarding house is complete without common spaces, however. Nothing moves the spirit quite like Bloom’s, a drinking den with mirrored ceilings and a bar in the round that makes every shake and stir feel like a performance. To that we say: bravo! Rooms from $199. —Betsy Blumenthal
PION Studio/The Comodo AustriahotelThe Cōmodo — Austria
$ | Hot List 2023Once upon a time, Bad Gastein was the most glamorous village in the Austrian Alps, famed for its curative waters and elegant Belle Époque architecture. But hard times befell the village, and from the early 2000s onwards, there was an end-of-the-road, almost forgotten feel to the place—but that’s all changing thanks to a passionate, creative community breathing much-needed new life into the village. The Cōmodo is part of the wave of hotels, restaurants, and co-working spaces driving this energy—not to mention one of the most stylish properties in the Alps right now. A mid-century vibe flows throughout the former clinic and health resort, with vintage and custom-made furniture bathed in mountain light. The 70 rooms and suites are filled with custom wallpaper and carpets, and most overlook the valley with spacious balconies. Bad Gastein’s history as a place of healing can be felt throughout the soothing spa, in two dry saunas, and out on the sun deck. If you’re a fan of mid-century modern design, mountain views, Alpine living, and dreamy duvets, The Cōmodo is absolutely worth your time. Rooms from $150. —Nicola Chilton
Conrad Los AngeleshotelConrad Los Angeles — California
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Readers' Choice Awards 2023The Walt Disney Concert Hall has long been the crowning jewel of historic Bunker Hill, and famed architect Frank Gehry has upped the ante with the opening of his first hotel project in Los Angeles. Located just across the street from the striking stainless steel home of the L.A. Philharmonic (also designed by Ghery), the Conrad is the ideal outpost for an art-obsessed traveler, within walking distance of The Broad Museum, The Music Center, Angel’s Flight Railway, and MOCA. The entrance to the Conrad is a jaw-dropping one, with the elevator opening up onto floor-to-ceiling views of the swooshes of the Disney Concert Hall. Corner rooms offer similarly spectacular vistas, and on a clear day, you can see all the way down to the Dodger Stadium and San Gabriel Mountains. But it’s not just the exteriors that are top-notch. Extra touches in all of the spaces include full blackout shades, motion-activated nightlights under the bed skirts, and Byredo Mojave Ghost bath products. The spa treatments stand up to the city’s best, and considering there are five separate culinary experiences curated by Chef José Andrés, this is the kind of hotel where you could easily drop your bags and never leave. From modernist cocktails at Sed and Spanish tapas at San Laurel to laid-back, beachy rooftop dining at Agua Viva, there’s truly something for every traveler. Rooms from $357. —Krista Simmons
Will Pryce/Mayfair House Hotel & GardenhotelMayfair House Hotel & Garden — Miami
$$ | Hot List 2023This architectural marvel was originally designed by acclaimed architect Kenneth Treister and opened in 1985, then sadly fell into neglect in the early aughts. Enter hospitality Pac Man and emerging New York interior designer Matthew Goodrich, and you have today’s iteration of Mayfair House Hotel & Garden that, instead of reinventing the wheel, brings back the best the hotel ever had to offer. The 80s-heyday energy is back and better than ever: Around sunset, Sipsip, the rooftop pool bar features a friendly, eclectic bunch of unpretentious patrons; and during the temperate months, the lush atrium will be filled with an amalgam of well-heeled, work-from-home types and creative artists that likely live in the neighborhood. Rooms feature cool perks like working typewriters, a fully kitted-out bar cart with cocktail sets, oodles of “made in the Grove” craft snacks, and oversized clawfoot tubs. Helmed by Randy Alonso and Chris Hudnall, the Mayfair Grill—from hospitality group, Lost Boy & Co.—features an aromatic wood-fired grill (which you can smell across the street) and inspired by the open-fire flavors of the American Southwest. Rooms from $359. —Ayesha Khan
Jeff McNeill/The Royal HotelhotelThe Royal Hotel — Picton, Canada
$ | Hot List 2023When former Ontario finance minister Greg Sorbara purchased a family farm in rural Prince Edward County nearly 20 years ago, he never imagined how far his new roots would spread. After learning the crumbling structure that was once The Royal was slated for demolition in 2014, he snapped it up and made restoring the former gem a family endeavor. Now, the hotel is back and better than ever, offering casual luxury that honors both Prince Edward County’s roots and current status as a wine tourism hot spot. The 33 rooms put a modern spin on Victorian design —all highly touchable textiles and fresh takes on classic details. Meanwhile, the restaurant pulls ingredients from the Sorbara family’s Edwin County Farms, and a guests-only pool deck makes The Royal the place to book during Prince Edward County’s busy summer season. Rooms from $369. —Alyssa Schwartz
Life House, BerkshireshotelLife House, Berkshires — Massachusetts
$ | Hot List 2023Lit majors, nature lovers, and art fiends alike will feel more than at home in this stylish lodge located just off Main Street in Lenox. There is a specific design narrative here, of a writer retreating into inspiring nature to focus on their craft—just as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edith Wharton, and Herman Melville once did in the Berkshires. (The library lounge with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves is the first thematic clue.) Rooms along the open-air corridors evoke a mountain retreat vibe with subtle literary touches like secretary-style writing desks, lampshades patterned with the marble-style paper backing of old books, and framed poetry produced by an antique typewriter. Pull up a green velvet stool at the Club Rooms for some charcuterie and cocktails. Rooms from $225. —Devorah Lev-Tov
Graydon HerriotthotelAce Hotel Toronto — Canada
$$ | Hot List 2023Unlike many hotel chains, Ace doesn’t rest on its laurels. Each new property is thoughtfully tailored to its setting, the opposite of cookie-cutter. This 123-room hotel—the Ace chain’s first in the Great White North—sits at the crossroads of three of Toronto’s most happening ’hoods: Queen Street West and Chinatown to the north and northwest, the nightspot-heavy King West strip to the south. To spend a few hours in the space, with its revolving door to the street outside and rows of oversized picture windows, is to recall the bustling ground floor in Grand Hotel, but with toque-wearing hipsters filling the stage instead of Greta Garbo. The variously sized rooms and suites meld the brand’s minimalist aesthetic with distinctly Canadian touches, while the hotel’s subterranean dining room, Alder, is a highlight of any visit: Chef Patrick Kriss’s way with wood-fired grilling is deliciously on display. As you chow down on your suckling pig with charred mustard greens, be sure to admire A. Howard Sutcliffe’s Horizon Line, a large-scale plywood mural that evokes the twinkling waters of nearby Lake Ontario. Rooms from $310. —Danny Sinopoli
Future FoundhotelFuture Found Sanctuary — South Africa
$$ | Hot List 2023This isn’t a hotel; it’s a passion project. Jim Brett—who spent his career working for brands such as Anthropologie, West Elm, and latterly J.Crew—came to South Africa in 2004 and vowed one day he’d live here. In 2014, he and his partner bought an old family house on the side of Table Mountain and opened the seven-acre Future Found Sanctuary to the public. Even if you’ve booked only a room, there’s enough space for everyone to do pretty much what they want. If you want to lie about by the pool all day and have a salad lunch in your swimsuit, you can. Or, because it’s situated in a centrally located valley from which the vertiginous Chapman’s Peak Drive winds, you can drive to Cape Point, taste wine in the vineyards in nearby Constantia, pack a picnic to take to the nearby boulder-lined beach of Llandudno, or drive 20 minutes into the city. There truly is nowhere else in Cape Town like it: a secure, contemporary villa with a small spa overseen by a professional wellness expert, staffed by warm locals, and surrounded by a huge garden and backed by the mountain. Brett has employed local experts to create the garden, design, and menus—and it shows. Rooms from $352. —Lisa Grainger
hotelAristide Hotel — Greece
$$ | Hot List 2023The grand, neoclassical exterior—all pediments and Doric columns and ceremonial marble entrances—belie the relaxed, seductive vibe and intimate service here. Hotel Aristide can feel more like a club and a home, allowing you to connect to the artistic heartbeat and true creative spirit of Syros. As a landmark building in the prosperous Vaporia district, it perches loftily overlooking the Aegean, close enough for a five-minute stroll down to a public swimming platform beside the sea. From the destination rooftop restaurant, it’s an exhilarating view over the coming and goings of the ferries. The tone of the place is set by owner-novelist Oana Aristide; a generous, calm, and intelligent presence at the helm, supported by empowered and engaged staff. Fontini and Chryssa at reception, chef Petros in the kitchen, and Konstantinos at the bar are as emotionally invested in the success of the hotel as the owner. It makes all the difference in the world. Rooms from $401. —Catherine Fairweather
Sofitel Grand Casco Viejo PanamahotelSofitel Legend Casco Viejo — Panama
$$ | Hot List 2023Casco Viejo is the historic and walkable heart of Panama City’s nightlife scene for visitors and tourists alike, so for those in-the-know it may come as no surprise that Sofitel’s sixth Legend property in the world came to town in early 2022. The brand has garnered a loyal following by preserving famed addresses and transforming them into luxe cultural getaways true to the history of a place. This one, a former social club, fuses the country’s Spanish- and French-colonial pasts (France tried and failed to build the Panama Canal here before its U.S. completion) to a truly show-stopping and high-design renovation that stays true to the building’s original French-colonial architecture. Rooms range from 375-square-foot superior level options to spacious suites with large sitting balconies—and 87 percent of rooms have an ocean view. All floors except the bottom level have balconies, which make for in-room breakfasts with an incredible view of the cityscape and adjacent historic district. Rooms from $369. —Shannon McMahon
Chase Daniel/The Loren at Lady Bird LakehotelThe Loren at Lady Bird Lake — Texas
$$$ | Hot List 2023This 108-room jewel box has, arguably, the best location in downtown Austin. It overlooks Lady Bird Lake and the city’s growing skyline; a hike and bike trail across the street connects guests to Austin’s top sights and famous quirks alike. Upon arrival, friendly valets meet guests—who, along with their rides, look hot off of the runway—and usher them into the hotel lobby through glass doors. Guests might then take in city views from their balcony, recharge in the award-winning Milk + Honey Spa, take a dip in the rooftop swimming pool, or hit the first floor cafe. It’s all about understated glamor—and a touch of Caribbean hospitality—at The Loren. Rooms from $350. —Stirling Kelso
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Fevzi Ondu/Fairmont Tazi Palace TangierhotelFairmont Tazi Palace Tangier — Morocco
$$ | Hot List 2023Integrating opulence in just the right measure is a difficult task, but this five-star hotel (once home to the king's advisor) pulls it off perfectly. After you enter the building with its cream-colored walls, you’ll find yourself in the lobby, a luminous space with nearly 40-foot ceilings. It’s the first hint that this hotel does everything in style: from the eight acres of landscaped grounds to the dramatic lamps that illuminate the corridor leading to the Crudo restaurant and the photogenic swimming pool, where you’ll lose track of time under the Mediterranean sun. The hotel’s 133 rooms are an amalgam of elements that celebrate the country’s craft traditions with fretwork wooden screens, mosaics, and bespoke fabrics created by local artisans. The Fairmont Tazi Palace’s massive wellness center includes 10 treatment rooms, a private spa, a solarium, a hammam you won’t want to leave, and sunny Andalusian-style gardens that lead to a secluded vitality pool. Let yourself unwind before refueling at one of the four restaurants, where ingredients are pulled from the hotel’s own orchard and kitchen garden. Rooms from $370. —Lidia González
The Virginian LodgehotelThe Virginian Lodge — Wyoming
$ | Hot List 2023Back in the 1960s, Glenn Napierski noticed a lot of vacationers sleeping in their cars and was inspired to open this classic roadside motor lodge. The Virginian instantly became a fixture of the local community and beloved by vacationers. Over the years, the Virg, as it’s locally known, fell into disrepair—enter Outbound Hotels, who swooped in to add the property to their collection of adventure-centric retreats. The revamped motor lodge now features an adventure center, bottle shop, RV park, swimming pool, and even a saloon all within its 13 acres. Rooms pair nods to old-school motor lodge decor (think wall-to-wall plaid carpeting and wood-paneled walls hung with vintage Western oil paintings) with modern touches like mid-century furnishings and Pendleton blankets. The courtyard also hosts programming for guests and locals such as starlight movie nights, rodeo happy hour, plein air painting classes, and game nights. Rooms from $199. —Jen Murphy
Annie SchlechterhotelHotel Chelsea — New York
$$ | Hot List 2023Hotel Chelsea may not be filled with famous musicians anymore, but the rock-and-roll vibe remains. Long-term residents who have been grandfathered into their apartments in the building still float around, and most guests—usually drawn by the hotel’s history—have a knowingness to them, whether they’re in their 30s or 60s. The 158 guest rooms and suites have wood floors with the Hotel Chelsea monogram now inlaid; the sun dapples through ivory eyelet fabric on the windows; and the bathrooms are classically done with light and dark grey marble accentuated by bronze details. Animal-print chairs maintain a bit of spunk in the now bright, airy rooms, as do ornate dark wood bedside tables. Massive closets, their interiors a riot of wallpaper, make it even easier to imagine unpacking and sticking around for a while. If you visited the Chelsea back in the day, you’ll recognize the original fireplaces, stained glass windows, and those iconic wrought-iron balconies leaning over West 23rd Street, which have been restored. Rooms from $199. —Megan Spurrell
Diego MartinezhotelVermelho Hotel Melides — Portugal
$$ | Hot List 2023Twelve years ago, Christian Louboutin hurt himself down at his retreat in Comporta. On his way to the Santiago do Cacém hospital, he noticed Melides, a small village barely half an hour away. He fell in love with its dense pine forests and a marshy lagoon flanked by beaches of unequaled beauty, like Galé, with its fossil cliff of more than five million years old. He bought himself an old fisherman's house and turned it into a tranquil escape, where he entertains friends. Vermelho is his first-ever hotel, a rare fresh build in this town, brought to life with the help of Portuguese architect Madalena Caiado. It is eclectic, extravagant, and curious, much like the man himself. The taste is impeccable–a mix of Spanish and Alentejo traditional design, with pops of color amidst a palette of white and blue that speaks to this part of coastal Portugal. Rooms from $380. —David Moralejo
Kleinjan Groenewald/Caravan by Habitas AgafayhotelCaravan by Habitas Agafay — Morocco
$$ | Hot List 2023The rocky sparseness of Morocco’s Agafay desert has long attracted travelers wanting a break from the sensory explosions of Marrakech. It’s an ideal landing spot for the Habitas group, which since 2016 has been setting up their minimalist, sustainable eco-retreats in places like Mexico, Namibia, and Saudi Arabia. Their oasis among the lunar dunes eschews bells and whistles in favor of communal vibes and engagement with nature—or “luxury for the soul,” as founders Oliver Ripley, Kfir Levy, and Eduardo Castillo call it. They have now applied their ethos to Agafay’s 41 Berber-inspired tents and lodges. Each en suite tent—solar-powered, with eco-bathrooms—embodies stylish pared-downness: no minibars or TVs, just wooden floors and earthy cream and ochre tones reminiscent of the regional rock. Like all Habitas retreats, Agafay uses light-impact building materials as much as possible, either upcycled or sourced locally, which are designed to blend into the landscape. Weekenders escaping European cities sink into poufs and Berber rugs inside the communal glass-wrapped lounge. On the semi-open dining veranda, beneath raffia lamps, they tuck into lamb slow-cooked in the underground oven before knocking back market sangrias by the open-air bar, silhouetted against the Atlas Mountains and flame-red sunsets that give way to heavenly constellations. This is what travel is about—less guilt and more meaning amid tranquility, good conversation, and cleansing nature. Rooms from $350. —Noo Saro-Wiwa
Yiorgos Kaplanidis/Pagostas Guest HousehotelPagostas — Greece
$ | Hot List 2023Unless you can persuade one of the European aristocrats or gilded Greek beau monde to lend or rent you their summer house, there’s only one place to stay in Chora: this three-bedroom guesthouse, built in 1597 and renovated with great sensitivity in 2022. Wafts of jasmine greet you as you step across the threshold—a sage green door framed by slabs of stone mantomata—into an arched courtyard. A constellation of 19th-century Cannakale plates are pinned to the whitewashed wall, and a pair of carved wooden chairs frame a low table with a delicate embroidered tablecloth. Inside, steep stone steps lead to cool, quiet rooms with huge windows that frame views of a patchwork of white, flat roofs—upwards to the monastery, or outwards to the Aegean. It’s a masterclass in the poetry of place, an ode to craftsmanship where each object has found its rightful place. Rooms from $269. —Rachel Howard
Anson SmarthotelAce Hotel Sydney — Australia
$ | Hot List 2023This hipster-hotel titan has spent two decades establishing itself as a shortcut to a city’s pulse. Its first iteration in the Southern Hemisphere, located in Sydney’s city center in the cool-kid neighborhood of Surry Hills, doesn’t disappoint. The Ace, 18 stories high with 257 rooms, is located in a magnificent early-20th-century building that vibrates with top-to-toe creative energy. Revived by Australia’s most in-demand interior architects, Flack Studio, the former brick factory has kept its old bones—high ceilings and exposed brick and concrete walls—offset with one-of-a-kind furniture, art, and bric-a-brac by the country’s best designers, artists, and makers. The deeply comfortable rooms come in varying sizes, some with terraces, living rooms, and marble-clad bathrooms with deep bathtubs and kitchens; all rooms are soundproofed, and some have turntables and vinyl. By day, the lobby, an homage to 1970s suburbia with a burnt-orange-and-tan sunken lounge, is busy with freelancers fueled by flat whites. By night, the lights dim, DJs move in, and olive-leaf martinis flow from the high-shine ochre-and-red marble bar, while the wine bar, Good Chemistry, is a striking mint-green terrazzo-and-tadelakt space that champions the natural-wine movement. Upstairs, the retractable-rooftop restaurant Kiln has been designed by Fiona Lynch with linen walls and colorful Pollock-style splotches, and chef-about-town Mitch Orr delivers an on-trend wood-fired menu, with views every which way across Sydney’s cityscape. Rooms from $150. —Kate Hennessy
Michelle Chaplow/Cashel Palace HotelhotelCashel Palace — Ireland
$$ | Hot List 2023This palace was one of the grandest examples of Palladian architecture when it was designed by Edward Lovett Pearce, surveyor general of Ireland, as a home for the archbishop in 1728. During the recent painstaking revamp of the Grade I-listed structure, even the faintest whir of a builder’s drill was scrutinized by planning regulators. Nevertheless, some happy-making surprises turned up: The roof was replaced with the original blue Bangor slate from Wales; old pitch timbers that hadn’t seen the light of day for decades now shine in top-floor bedrooms in the main house; the chimneys, which had been knocked to two-thirds of their height in the 1950s when they were deemed unsafe, are back to the proportions first conceived by Pearce. Such extensive restoration was made possible by the deep pockets of Cashel Palace’s owners, the Magnier family, who built their fortune breeding thoroughbreds at the nearby Coolmore Stud. It’s an important revival of a significant building in Ireland’s architectural canon, but also a clever move to redirect the compass for luxury travel in this part of the world—drawing the golfing crowds of Adare Manor, the genteel country set of Ballyfin, and making Tipperary a destination in its own right rather than a county whizzed through en route from Dublin to the coast. Rooms from $293. —Gráinne McBride
Felix Brüggemann/Chateau Royal BerlinhotelChateau Royal Berlin — Germany
$ | Hot List 2023If you listened to the naysayers, you’d believe that Berlin was rather boring these days. “Berghain is so vanilla,” they say. “All the artists are moving out.” Well, here’s a hotel that proves otherwise. Several of the city’s artists hang out within these walls—one or two, perhaps, sitting with an Oyster Eau Martini to hand at the bar—and many more have been involved in designing bedrooms or displaying pieces up the stairs and down the corridors. A bronze self-portrait by Alicja Kwade stands outside, Karl Holmqvist’s neon piece signposts the kitchen, and a bold pink painting by Simon Fujiwara in the lobby picks up the color of the Persian carpet below. While other so-called art hotels are little more than blank canvases, Château Royal walks the walk: Owner Stephan Landwehr’s connection to Berlin’s contemporary scene goes back to the 1980s, when he started out as a picture framer; later, as a restaurateur, he opened Grill Royal, which became a popular artists’ haunt. His partner, Kirsten, co-curated the spaces, which flow from the bar through a darkened fireplace room to the restaurant, Dóttir, where Icelandic chef Victoria Eliasdóttir plates up buttermilk-steeped artichokes and linseed meringue. Artists were given free rein in the bedrooms, with results that are occasionally challenging but often surprisingly restrained. With Berlin currently rebalancing itself—the west is regaining its confidence, while Kreuzkölln in the east picks up hipster points—this arty but not too-cool-for-school hotel in central Mitte is a fine place from which to reframe the city. Rooms from $212. —Rick Jordan
Capelongue, a Beaumier HotelhotelCapelongue, a Beaumier Hotel — France
$$ | Hot List 2023At first glance, this five-acre hilly property resembles a resurrected ancient farm with all the agricultural vestiges: a sheepfold, a dovecote, gurgling fountains, surrounded by rows of stately cypresses. Guess again. Capelongue, an impeccable Neo-Provencal 37-room hamlet, was actually built from scratch only a decade ago—and acquired by the Beaumier hotel group in September 2020, who embarked on a two-year renovation—using prettily polished weathered old stones. The airy 57 bedrooms and 19 suites sum up the re-energizing, unpretentious vibe perfectly, with rattan chairs, ceramic jugs, and sweeping views of the verdant Petit Lubéron countryside. Set above a grassy garden of flowering white oleander, Capelongue’s inviting rustic stone bistro La Bergerie excels in Mediterranean comfort food: think Provencal-style pissaladière, chocolate ganache crumble, and verbena-spiked strawberry salad with whipped cream. With the newly-awarded Michelin star, Capelongue’s second gastronomic restaurant, La Bastide, offers two prix-fixe menus meant to be shared amongst friends. And though central Bonnieux is just a quick bike ride away, Capelongue makes a compelling case for staying put—lounging on a sunbed by a stone pool edged with lavender, sipping icy freshly-squeezed lemonade to the tune of whirring cicadas. Rooms from $320. —Lanie Goodman
hotelThe Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon — Thailand
$ | Hot List 2023There were barely any surprises left when I checked in just days after the hotel’s official opening at the end of July 2022—every one of Bangkok’s high-heeled fashionistas and socialites had already TikTok-ed every art-studded nook, DJ set, and Drag Queen Bingo party. And that’s unlikely to change anytime soon, because this high-voltage clout magnet in the city’s tallest skyscraper draws the Thai and international in-crowd like bees to a honeypot. The Standard is a five-star with a vibe Bangkok’s hotel scene was still missing, swapping out the predictably serene, Thai–inspired interiors and chi-chi fine dining restaurants of most of its competitors for a riot of colors, clubby restaurants, and the country’s highest rooftop bar. That’s not to say it’s all-out debauchery, though: The swirling pool, with the CBD’s skyline as its backdrop, is a lovely spot to spend a lazy afternoon, and most of the staff (a mix of Thais and peppy young expats) are a chatty, smiling bunch. Rooms from $170. —Chris Schalkx
InterContinental Khao Yai ResorthotelInterContinental Khao Yai Resort, an IHG Hotel — Thailand
$ | Hot List 2023Some two hours into the three-hour drive northward from Bangkok, the landscape starts changing. Concrete sprawl morphs into Khao Yai’s undulating hillscape bedecked in thick jungles and fruit orchards, and just off the area’s main road that snakes past pastiche European-looking country clubs and patchworks of farmland, the Intercontinental Khao Yai emerges from behind a hedgerow of towering trees. Dotted around the lush estate, you’ll see railway-themed buildings and train cars—which is the exact theme Bangkok–based hotel designer Bill Bensley was going for. The lobby is built like an old-timey ticketing booth, while suites are set up in upcycled vintage railway carriages and draw inspiration from different Asian railway journeys. Also set up in railway carts are two restaurants and one bar (head to Poirot for champignon-topped mushroom tarts and boeuf bourguignon) and a spa specializing in Thai and aromatherapy massage. Needless to say, this imaginative stay is a hit with little ones, but even grown-ups will appreciate the whimsical respite from busy Bangkok. Rooms from $280. —Chris Schalkx
Villa Palladio JaipurhotelVilla Palladio Jaipur — India
$$ | Hot List 2023This boutique hotel, a third Jaipur project by Swiss Italian hotelier Barbara Miolini and her Danish design collaborator Marie-Anne Oudejans, is a riotous ode to Rajasthani craftsmanship and color, especially hot red. On the outskirts of the city, it is as much a bijou cabinet of curiosities as a retreat, with strikingly white crenelated walls above red awnings and a delicious confection of carved stone trellises, block-printed fabrics, hand-painted walls, and checkerboard-marble courtyards with bubbling fountains. Nine dollhouse-like rooms—including four on grounds dotted with rosebushes and jasmine and palm trees—come richly patterned in red and white with gold accents, each with plush beds, block-printed bathrobes, and soft Jaipuri slippers. Clear blue skies and the forested green hills of the lesser Aravallis are picturesquely framed in the multilobed arches of the breakfast terrace, and candlelit dinners are brightened by starlight. There’s a meditation room, a library, a small two-bed spa offering Tibetan treatments, and the sun-warmed pool with its candy-striped pool house and pavilion bar. At night, the gorgeous dining area overlooking the grounds serves up delicious Indian and Italian dishes. Rooms from $315. —Divya Mishra
Francisco Nogueira/SommerrohotelSommero — Norway
Hot List 2023Sitting on an elegant tree-lined street in Frogner, one of Oslo’s oldest neighborhoods, this 231-room hotel occupies a prominent 1930s building—the former headquarters of the city’s first electricity company. The eclectic interiors are a decadent embellishment to the original mishmash of Art Deco and sober, functionalist details—from the handsome timber wall panels in one of the suites, the former director general’s office, to the grand staircase in the lobby. Designed as a social hub with a roster of cultural events for visitors and Oslo locals, the ground floor is a sweep of humming restaurants and bars, plus a cinema and a theater. Meanwhile, the top floor, with sublime Oslo views, is home to a restaurant by Nordic sushi pioneer Frida Ronge as well as the city’s first rooftop pool and sauna. A spacious subterranean wellness floor occupies the building’s former public baths, where you’ll find the original pool and a restored mosaic wall by Norwegian artist Per Krohg. From bathrobes by local bed-linen company Abate to tote bags and cushions from Sisters in Business, a sustainably focused social enterprise that employs immigrant women, Sommerro acts as a showcase for Oslo’s relatively undiscovered brilliance. Rooms from $273. —Lauren Ho
Regent Phu QuochotelRegent Pho Quoc — Vietnam
$$$ | Hot List 2023You’re forgiven if the Regent brand has slipped off your radar. After its heyday in the ’80s and ’90s, it failed to keep up with splashier newcomers and eventually lost its luster. Decades later, Regent Phu Quoc is the product of an ambitious brand revival and has already raised the bar in a country that isn’t exactly short of dreamy beach retreats. The message is clear: Regent has (re)entered the chat. This lush resort is laid out like a Rorschach test, with about 63 villas (126 in total) circling a lagoon and a tall hotel wing on either side. The suites and villas are effortlessly chic and comfortable, with plenty of fresh flowers and, in most cases, a full kitchen. I kept finding new ingenuities that made me think: I can’t believe they thought of that. A set of loungers on both ends of my private pool, so I wouldn’t have to drag them in and out of the sun. Dental kits with a choice between mint or ginger. Wireless phone charging pads on the bedsides, and—get this—a fully stocked second minibar in the bedroom, because god forbid I’d have to totter to the kitchen for a cold drink after bedtime. Phu Quoc isn’t as culture-rich as Vietnam’s other regions, but this luxury gem has all the trimmings for an idyllic long-haul fly-and-flop. Rooms from $400. —Chris Schalkx
Robert RiegerhotelLost Lindenberg — Indonesia
$$ | Hot List 2023Over the past decade or so, most of the boutique hotels in Bali have become a little predictable: the rattan lampshades, the swirling infinity pools, the bamboo yoga shalas. This whip-smart new arrival wants none of that and puts a delightfully different spin on hospitality. After traveling through the rice fields and past the near-deserted beaches of Bali’s little-visited west coast to the sleepy backwater of Pekutatan, guests are greeted by neon pop art and a narrow compound of four wooden watchtowers, each one as tall as the coconut palms flanking it. Elevated walkways, all wood and tillandsia fringes, connect them and lead to a turquoise pool where suntanned and salty-haired hotel guests warmly welcome new arrivals to their surfer tribe. Laid-back Pekutatan is lovely for everything it still lacks: There are no blaring beach clubs, no third-wave coffee shops, and no whitewashed (in every sense of the word) brunch spots slinging smashed avocado and spirulina smoothie bowls. Instead, there’s mile after mile of empty black beach, with Medewi Surf Point, Bali’s longest wave, just around the corner. Novice surfers can start in the calmer waves in front of the hotel with the help of Lost’s resident surf instructor. Rooms from $374. —Chris Schalkx
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Andrea Hutchison/Thompson DenverhotelThompson Denver — Colorado
$$ | Hot List 2023Denver is no longer just a stopover for outdoor enthusiasts coming to play in Colorado’s mountains. And Thompson, a Hyatt brand synonymous with urban cool, is the ultimate base for exploring the Mile High City’s creative cocktail bars, urban breweries and bike trails, and big-name art installations like Meow Wolf. Set in the vibrant LoDo neighborhood (short for Lower Downtown), guests are steps from all of the action and one of the city’s most exciting restaurants, Chez Maggy, is located on the Thompson’s ground floor. Michelin-decorated chef Ludo Lefebvre’s first foray outside of Los Angeles, channels a French brasserie by way of the Rocky Mountains with dishes like bison tartare. Design features throughout the hotel, like the soaring brick fireplace in the lower lobby and saddle leather headboards in the rooms, nod to the region’s alpine and Western spirit. Guests can soak in snow-capped Rocky views from Reynard Social, and regular lounge events like shotski decorating workshops let guests feel like a true local. Rooms from $305. —Jen Murphy
W Costa NavarinohotelW Costa Navarino — Greece
$$ | Hot List 2023A chug through Messinia’s olive-dotted countryside, past bare-chested octogenarians driving ancient tractors, brings you to this 32-acre waterfront property, designed in the form of a Greek coastal village. The first W hotel in Greece offers everything you’d expect from the famously fun, tongue-in-cheek brand—poolside DJs, geometric cushions, a central infinity pool begging to be Instagrammed—plus some added doses of wellness, eco-consciousness, and inclusivity. In line with the rather chummy W vernacular (staff quarters are labeled “Talent”), there are 246 Fabulous, Spectacular, and Wow! room options spread throughout the property—try to book one of the infinity swim-up rooms, which grants access to a shared ground-level 90-meter pool. Like the other hotels in the Costa Navarino collection, there is a true sense of warmth at the heart of the hotel from the 350 staff members—even though it is a big brand hotel, ultimately this is a family-run business, and that hospitable embrace is felt throughout. Rooms from $269. —Jemima Sissons
Amy FronczkiewiczhotelThe Wanderer Cottages — Maine
$ | Hot List 2023This collection of 17 quintessential white clapboard New England cottages has cool, surf shack-inspired decor and a prime location within biking distance to Kennebunkport’s best restaurants, shops, and beaches—perfect for East Coast creatives craving a quick coastal getaway. Each studio and one-bedroom cottage has a cute name, like Love Shack (#11) or Surf Shack (#3) and has been decorated with vintage black-and-white surf photography, nautical-themed antiques, and custom rope-wrapped surfboards. All feature mini-fridges and wet bars, and most are dog friendly. A prime location on a leafy street one mile from Kennebunkport’s buzzy Dock Square allows guests to skip the hassles of summer traffic and parking and use free cruiser bikes to visit downtown’s lobster shacks and bars. Rooms from $183. —Jen Murphy
Ludovic Balay/Hôtel Dame Des Arts ParishotelHôtel Dame Des Arts — Paris
$$$ | Hot List 2023The Quartier Latin is, of course, a famously artsy part of Paris—one with strong cinematic associations. But you needn’t have stumbled out of a screening room at the nearby Le Champo rubbing your eyes with one hand and clutching an issue of Cahiers du Cinéma in the other to appreciate what designer Raphael Navot has done with Hôtel Dame Des Arts. It’s all about the interplay between curved and straight lines, hard and soft textures, glossy and matte surfaces—you’ll inhale its essence the moment you step inside. Style-wise, the 109 rooms are similarly got-up in a way that is at once spartan and spoiling, chic and subdued. The in-house restaurant serves up elevated contemporary Mexican cuisine with fusion of French, Mexican, and Japanese flavors, while the 360-degree views from the rooftop bar alone are a reason to book. If your faith in Paris is flagging—which does happen but seldom lasts—a visit to the rooftop of Hôtel Dame des Arts will restore it. Rooms from $355. —Steve King
Anthony Lanneretonne/La Ferme HIbridehotelLa Ferme HIbride — France
$ | Hot List 2023This innovative eco-friendly hybrid guest house/hotel, tucked away in the sleepy Provencal countryside, is unlike anywhere else in the tourist-clogged Lubéron. A restored ancient farm surrounded by olive groves, vineyards, and a nine-acre forest, the real draw is experiencing the whimsical world of French interior and industrial designer Matali Crasset, who masterminded every detail of the spare but deeply comfortable rooms and small houses, aglow with eye-popping colors, hand-drawn wall murals, and signature furniture. Add to that a dressed-down convivial vibe, superb homegrown wine, a pretty pool (a reservoir, actually), plus masterclass cooking classes and musical events, and you have yourself the ideal (read: bling-free and unspoiled) avant-garde boutique creation. Rooms from $224. —Lanie Goodman
1 Hotel San Franciscohotel1 Hotel San Francisco
$$$ | Hot List 2023The unicorn this city has been waiting for, 1 Hotel San Francisco has an excellent location overlooking the Bay, an eco ethos at the core of its brand, on-point design, and a bar/restaurant that takes advantage of the fact that it’s mere feet from one of the country’s best farmers markets. While the lobby and the hallways are on the moody side of lighting, the 186 rooms and 14 suites are bright and sunny. My king room looked out toward the Ferry Building and over the Bay, with the Bay Bridge off in the distance. (For even more insane waterfront views, the panoramic suite—630 square feet with sweeping Bay vistas—is the room to book). Rooms from $355. —Rebecca Misner