ATLANTA
Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta
The former Mansion on Peachtree reemerged last year as a Mandarin Oriental, bringing on-point service and subtle Asian touches such as pad Thai served in the bar. A haven in central Buckhead, the hotel features an interior courtyard garden and a 14-room spa with a 60-foot indoor pool. ($325–$6,000) www.mandarinoriental.com
BALTIMORE
Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore
Charm City upped the ante in 2011 with this 18-story, 256-room tower overlooking the historic inner harbor. Enjoy Michael Mina’s Wit and Wisdom tavern and listen in on Baltimore’s annual summer concert series from the expansive pool deck. ($400–$12,500) www.fourseasons.com
BOSTON
Mandarin Oriental, Boston
Asia meets Back Bay at this 148-room hotel, whose main entrance was sited by a feng shui master for its clear views of the Charles River. Relaxed yet refined in style, the rooms and suites are the city’s largest. ($500–$8,000) www.mandarinoriental.com
CHARLESTON
Charleston Place
This Orient-Express property, set amid cobblestoned streets and magnolia blossoms in Charleston’s historic district, combines the ambience of an 18th-century mansion with the amenities of a 435-room hotel. Join locals at the Thoroughbred Club for bourbon cocktails or afternoon tea. ($250–$2,150) www.charlestonplace.com
CHICAGO
Waldorf Astoria Chicago
Fashion-themed decor (chandeliers inspired by Chanel brooches, drapes modeled after Dior kick pleats) fits this hotel’s location near Gold Coast designer shops. Amenities at the property—which has a no-tipping policy—include fireplaces in most of the 188 rooms, a 14,000-square-foot spa, and complimentary Lexus house cars. ($375–$6,500) www.waldorfastoriachicagohotel.com
DALLAS
Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
This flapper-era mansion was built for a cotton magnate intent on showing off his largesse. Today guests find quintessential Dallas glitz with marble, inlaid wood, and stained glass throughout the 143-room property, which is home to one of the city’s best restaurants. ($300–$7,500) www.rosewoodhotels.com
DENVER
Four Seasons Hotel Denver
Set in a 45-story tower in the heart of downtown, steps from the city’s top attractions, the 239 rooms offer views of the city and Rocky Mountains beyond. Unwind at Edge Restaurant or on the treelined third- floor terrace. ($300–$7,000) www.fourseasons.com
HONOLULU
Halekulani
Fresh off a 2012 makeover, this 453-room oceanfront property in Waikiki’s high-end shopping district combines the best of a city hotel and a destination resort. Enjoy striking views of Diamond Head, world-class dining at La Mer, and nightly sunset hula performances. ($500–$7,000) www.halekulani.com
HOUSTON
The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa
A country house at the gates of urbanity, this low-rise 289-room hotel sits on 18 acres of wooded grounds amid Houston’s downtown skyscrapers. A country-club atmosphere pervades the property, which includes a spa and a private sports and fitness center. ($250–$3,500) www.houstonian.com
LAS VEGAS
Bellagio
Immediately recognizable by the fountains dancing in its front yard, this 15-year-old Goliath of the Strip stands out for its lesser-known features, including the poker world’s most competitive forum and the Villas at Bellagio—nine estate-style accommodations with full-size pools. ($175–$5,000) www.bellagio.com
Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas
Arriving via express elevator at the 23rd-floor lobby, guests enter the Mandarin Oriental to find arresting views of the Las Vegas Strip—minus the clamor and commotion of Sin City. The nearly 4-year-old hotel, which occupies a stand-alone tower within the $9 billion CityCenter Las Vegas complex, is devoid of casinos, nightclubs, and shopping arcades. So instead of the ring and ding of slot machines, visitors might hear the sound of live jazz coming from the Mandarin Bar or the sizzle of Wagyu beef at Twist, the first U.S. outpost of the renowned French chef Pierre Gagnaire. Guests retire to one of 392 rooms and suites (an intimate number, considering most Strip hotels have several times as many accommodations) featuring sleek Tihany Design interiors that draw more from Mandarin Oriental’s Asian roots than from Vegas bling. Decadence, however, is not eschewed at the hotel, where the two-bedroom Mandarin Suite includes a cocktail bar, an eight-person dining room, and a gym. ($200–$5,000) www.mandarinoriental.com — Jennifer Ryan
The Mansion at MGM Grand
Twenty-nine villa-style accommodations serviced by a staff of 170 are among Sin City’s most exclusive. Entrée to the little-known enclave gains access to a private screening room, spa, casino, and game room. ($5,000–$15,000) www.mgmgrand.com/themansion
LOS ANGELES
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
Old-world style and service in the heart of Beverly Hills. Renovated in 2012, the 194 guest rooms include 16 Villa Suites amid the ground-level gardens. Cabanas at the rooftop pool offer ideal settings for enjoying the Southern California climate. ($700–$8,500) www.peninsula.com
MIAMI
The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort
Directly across from the Bal Harbour Shops, this three-tower complex designed by Yabu Pushelberg is a modernist monument to style and service. Daily amenities at the 243-room hotel (all with ocean views) include a complimentary chauffeured Bentley, Champagne tastings, and live music in the bar. ($850–$10,000) www.stregis.com
MONTREAL
Ritz-Carlton Montréal
The seat of social and business liaisons for 101 years, this neoclassical landmark reopened in 2012 after a reverential restoration. Updates included a Maison Boulud restaurant, a rooftop pool, and 129 rooms with high-tech sensors for guests’ temperature and lighting preferences. ($425–$10,000) www.ritzmontreal.com
NASHVILLE
The Hermitage Hotel
Opulence with a Southern accent defines the mood at this historic Beaux-Arts building downtown. Music City’s 103-year-old masterpiece offers 122 commodious guest rooms and suites, the Capitol Grille restaurant, and a grand lobby with a stained-glass skylight. ($275–$3,000) www.thehermitagehotel.com
NEW ORLEANS
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans
This famous Canal Street address is the crème de la crème in the French Quarter, with double soaking tubs in each of the 527 guest rooms, a 22-treatment-room destination spa, and the cozy Davenport Lounge, where crooner Jeremy Davenport holds court. ($200–$5,000) www.ritzcarlton.com
NEW YORK
Four Seasons Hotel New York
A grand I. M. Pei–designed tower featuring 368 guest rooms and top dining options that include the Calvisius Caviar Lounge. Find the city’s most impressive 360-degree views (and interiors designed by Pei and Peter Marino) in the Ty Warner Penthouse, located on the 52nd floor. ($900–$40,000) www.fourseasons.com
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
Sipping a blood-orange Manhattan in the Star Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, one can easily lose track of the hours—and even the years. Indeed, the Gilded Age is alive and well in the ground-floor bar, where glossy wood paneling, tasseled damask curtains, and silky brocade armchairs pair with stiff cocktails from the legendary bartender Norman Bukofzer while horse-drawn carriages stroll by the hotel entrance just outside. The club-like ambience extends to the Ritz-Carlton’s 259 guest rooms and suites, several of which afford some of the city’s finest Central Park views. Each room is equipped with a telescope for spying park wildlife, as well as such creature comforts as custom Frette linens and an oversize marble bathroom with a soaking tub. Guests can also enjoy some R & R at the second-floor La Prairie spa. ($600–$25,000) www.ritzcarlton.com — Jackie Caradonio
PHILADELPHIA
Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia
Overlooking Logan Square, this 364-room hotel anchors the United States’ most artistic mile, which stretches from City Hall to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Barnes Foundation’s 4,000-work collection of impressionist art opened within walking distance last year. ($350–$6,000) www.fourseasons.com
PORTLAND
The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel
Once a turn-of-the-century department store, this glazed-terra-cotta structure has dazzled as a hotel since 2008, with tufted velvet chairs and marble vanities in its 331 rooms. Walk to microbreweries, art galleries, and the city’s revered Powell’s City of Books. ($200–$1,500) www.luxurycollection.com
QUEBEC CITY
Auberge Saint-Antoine
A contemporary bijou in 400-year-old French Canada, this 95-room boutique beauty at Old Port preserves 17th-century artifacts within modern interiors. Petite and perfect, with haute cuisine, maple martinis, and harbor views. ($200–$1,200) www.saint-antoine.com
SAN FRANCISCO
Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco
To celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2012, the first Mandarin Oriental in the United States underwent an extensive renovation of its guest rooms and public spaces. All 158 rooms of the financial-district property offer sweeping views from the top 11 floors of San Francisco’s third-tallest building. ($400–$6,000) www.mandarinoriental.com
SANTA FE
Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe
Sixty-five modernist, cashmere-swaddled casitas stacked neatly amid 57 acres in the woodsy, cool, and arid Sangre de Cristo foothills provide a resort-style experience just 10 minutes by car from downtown Santa Fe. ($300–$650) www.fourseasons.com
SEATTLE
Four Seasons Hotel Seattle
Modern design and ultra-attentive service define this 5-year-old, 147-unit downtown property located one block from Pike Place Market. Standout amenities include the 40-foot infinity pool and Art Restaurant, both looking out to Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains. ($325–$5,000) www.fourseasons.com
TORONTO
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
Four Seasons’ new official flagship property, this 259-room hotel in fashionable Yorkville was completed last year and includes the city’s first Daniel Boulud restaurant, an art collection comprising more than 1,700 commissioned works, and the largest spa in Toronto. ($400–$14,650) www.fourseasons.com
VANCOUVER
Rosewood Hotel Georgia
The beauty of Vancouver comes alive at this historic downtown hotel, which reopened as a 156-room Rosewood property in 2011. Rooftop terraces atop the Lord Stanley and Rosewood Suites afford sweeping skyline views. The local prodigy David Hawksworth’s restaurant is one of the city’s most coveted reservations. ($250–$3,750) www.rosewoodhotels.com
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The Hay-Adams
History is inescapable at this 85-year-old boutique-size celebration of Americana, just across from the White House. High ceilings, walnut paneling, and plaster moldings set a presidential tone in the 145 rooms, last updated in 2010. ($300–$8,900) www.hayadams.com
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