Where to stay in the USA
For every city, national park and icon we cover, two hotels we would book ourselves: one standout address with real character, and one easy, well-placed mid-range choice. Photos, facilities, location and booking tips, with the price shown as a level from $ to $$$$.
Cities
Boston- The Liberty HotelLuxury · Beacon Hill / West End, at the foot of Beacon Hill by the Charles River$$$$
- The Godfrey Hotel BostonMid-range · Downtown Crossing, on Washington Street at Temple Place$$$$
Chicago- The Langham, ChicagoLuxury · River North, on the Chicago River$$$$
- Kinzie HotelMid-range · River North, a short walk north of the Chicago River$$$$
Las Vegas- Wynn Las VegasLuxury · North Strip, opposite the Las Vegas Convention Center$$$$
- Golden Gate Hotel & CasinoMid-range · Downtown, at the west end of the Fremont Street Experience$$$$
Los Angeles- Shutters on the BeachLuxury · Santa Monica, on the sand south of the pier$$$$
- Palihotel MelroseBoutique · Melrose shopping district, next to West Hollywood$$$$
Miami- The Betsy HotelLuxury · South Beach, on the quiet north end of Ocean Drive$$$$
- Hotel CroydonBoutique · Mid-Beach, Miami Beach$$$$
Nashville- NoelleBoutique · Downtown, on Printers Alley one block from Broadway$$$$
- Hayes Street HotelMid-range · Midtown, near Vanderbilt and Centennial Park$$$$
New Orleans- Hotel MonteleoneLuxury · French Quarter, on Royal Street$$$$
- Hotel Peter & PaulBoutique · Faubourg Marigny, steps from Frenchmen Street$$$$
New York- The Bowery HotelBoutique · East Village / Lower East Side, at Bowery and East 3rd Street$$$$
- Arlo MidtownMid-range · Midtown West, near Times Square and Hudson Yards$$$$
San Diego- Hotel del CoronadoLuxury · Coronado, on the beach across the bay from downtown$$$$
- Horton Grand HotelBoutique · Gaslamp Quarter, downtown$$$$
San Francisco- The Huntington HotelLuxury · Nob Hill, facing Huntington Park$$$$
- Hotel ZephyrFamily · Fisherman's Wharf, next to Pier 39$$$$
Seattle- Inn at the MarketBoutique · Downtown, inside Pike Place Market$$$$
- Mayflower Park HotelMid-range · Downtown, at Olive Way and Fourth Avenue$$$$
Washington- The JeffersonLuxury · Downtown, near Dupont Circle, at 16th and M Streets NW$$$$
- Capitol Hill HotelFamily · Capitol Hill, one block from the Capitol South Metro$$$$
National parks
Acadia- Balance Rock InnLuxury · Bar Harbor, on the Shore Path above Frenchman Bay$$$$
- Acadia Hotel – DowntownMid-range · Downtown Bar Harbor, beside the Village Green$$$$
Arches- Red Cliffs Lodge MoabBoutique · Scenic Highway 128 on the Colorado River, upriver from Moab$$$$
- Aarchway InnFamily · North edge of Moab, 2 miles from Arches$$$$
Bryce Canyon- The Lodge at Bryce CanyonBoutique · Inside Bryce Canyon National Park, near the rim$$$$
- Best Western Plus Ruby's InnFamily · Bryce Canyon City, 1.3 miles from the park entrance$$$$
Death Valley- The Inn at Death ValleyBoutique · Furnace Creek, inside the park$$$$
- The Ranch at Death ValleyFamily · Furnace Creek, next to the park visitor center$$$$
Glacier- Many Glacier HotelBoutique · Many Glacier, east side of the park, on the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake$$$$
- Belton ChaletBoutique · West Glacier, across from the historic train station$$$$
Grand Canyon- El Tovar HotelBoutique · Grand Canyon Village, on the rim$$$$
- Maswik LodgeMid-range · Grand Canyon Village, a quarter mile from the rim$$$$
Grand Teton- Jenny Lake LodgeLuxury · Inside the park, near Jenny Lake and String Lake$$$$
- Antler InnMid-range · Downtown Jackson, one block south of Town Square$$$$
Smokies- Dancing Bear Lodge & Appalachian BistroBoutique · Townsend, near the park’s Townsend entrance and Cades Cove$$$$
- The Bearskin LodgeFamily · Downtown Gatlinburg, on the Little Pigeon River near the park entrance$$$$
Joshua Tree- 29 Palms InnBoutique · Twentynine Palms, 5 minutes from the park’s North Entrance$$$$
- Joshua Tree InnMid-range · Joshua Tree village, on Highway 62, 5 miles from the park$$$$
Rocky Mountain- The Stanley HotelBoutique · Estes Park, on the hill above town$$$$
- Murphy’s River LodgeMid-range · Estes Park, on the Fall River two blocks from downtown$$$$
Yellowstone- Old Faithful InnBoutique · Old Faithful, Upper Geyser Basin$$$$
- Three Bear LodgeFamily · West Yellowstone, a few blocks from the park’s west entrance$$$$
Yosemite- The AhwahneeLuxury · Yosemite Valley, east of Yosemite Village$$$$
- Yosemite Valley LodgeFamily · Yosemite Valley, near the base of Yosemite Falls$$$$
Zion- Zion LodgeBoutique · Inside Zion Canyon, on the Scenic Drive$$$$
- Cable Mountain LodgeMid-range · Springdale, at Zion’s South Entrance$$$$
Icons
Antelope- AmangiriLuxury · Canyon Point, Utah, 25 minutes from Page$$$$
- Wingate by Wyndham Page Lake PowellMid-range · Page, on the north side of town$$$$
Big Sur- Post Ranch InnLuxury · Big Sur coast, 1,200 feet above the Pacific$$$$
- Big Sur River InnMid-range · Big Sur Valley, on the Big Sur River$$$$
The Keys- The Marquesa HotelBoutique · Old Town Key West, one block off Duval Street$$$$
- Glunz Ocean Beach Hotel & ResortFamily · Key Colony Beach, next to Marathon in the Middle Keys$$$$
Horseshoe Bend- Shash Diné Eco-RetreatBoutique · Navajo Nation, 12 miles south of Page off US-89$$$$
- Lake Powell ResortFamily · Wahweap Marina, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, north of Page$$$$
Maui- Hotel WaileaLuxury · Wailea, on the hillside above the coast$$$$
- Maui Coast HotelMid-range · Kihei, South Maui, across from Kamaole Beach Park I$$$$
Monument Valley- The View HotelBoutique · Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, next to the visitor center$$$$
- Goulding's LodgeMid-range · Oljato-Monument Valley, 5 miles from the Tribal Park visitor center$$$$
Napa- Bardessono Hotel & SpaLuxury · Yountville, in the village center$$$$
- Dr. Wilkinson's Backyard Resort & Mineral SpringsMid-range · Calistoga, on the main street$$$$
Niagara- Red Coach InnBoutique · Niagara Falls, NY, facing the Upper Rapids, 500 yards from the brink of the falls$$$$
- The GiacomoBoutique · Downtown Niagara Falls, NY, a walk from the state park$$$$
Sedona- L'Auberge de SedonaLuxury · Uptown Sedona, on the banks of Oak Creek$$$$
- Sky Ranch LodgeMid-range · Airport Mesa, above West Sedona$$$$
Virgin Islands- Gallows Point ResortLuxury · Cruz Bay, St. John, on the Gallows Point peninsula, a five-minute walk from town$$$$
- St. John InnBoutique · Cruz Bay, St. John$$$$
Editorial picks: no hotel paid to be listed. Facts come from each hotel’s own website. The standout pick links to the hotel’s official site; the mid-range pick links to Trip.com, one of our booking partners (how we make money).