2025 Esquire Best New Hotels: The World's Top Openings

Outpost Inn brings a design-led interpretation of Blue Ridge mountain culture to downtown Highlands, NC. Rooms draw on old-school summer camp aesthetics filtered through a modern boutique sensibility, with fireplaces, vinyl records, and curated bookshelves replacing the predictable hotel formula. It sits in a town where outdoor access and independent hospitality have historically coexisted, and it leans into both.

Opened in 2024 on Royal Palm Way, Palm House marks the U.S. debut of London-based L+R Hotels' Iconic Luxury Hotels collection. The 79-room Mediterranean-revival property sat vacant for nearly two decades before an extensive renovation restored its coral facade and pool courtyard while adding sixties-inspired interiors, Art Deco suites, and the pink Murano glass-chandelier Palm bar. Rates from $996 per night.

Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica offers contemporary hacienda-style luxury accommodations on a private 1,400-acre peninsula. Guests enjoy signature Manzu butler service, restorative treatments at Nimbu Spa & Wellness, and coastal dining at Puna and Niri. Choose from intimate suites, private plunge-pool terraces, multi-bedroom residences, or luxury glamping tents that open onto tropical dry forest and Pacific Ocean views. The resort opened in 2025 as the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Central America, delivering private beaches, curated nature experiences, and botanical cocktails at six bars. Expect warm wood finishes, bespoke local craftsmanship, and direct booking through the Ritz-Carlton portal for exclusive packages and concierge-led excursions.

A 2024 Michelin Key recipient in Higashiyama Ward, Six Senses Kyoto brings the brand's wellness-first approach into direct contact with one of Japan's most historically layered cities. Eighty-one rooms take in views of a central courtyard garden and the adjacent Toyokuni Shrine, while the dining program and Nine Tails cocktail bar extend the property's engagement with Kyoto well beyond the spa circuit. Rates from around $1,024 per night.

The Beach Club at The Boca Raton occupies a dedicated oceanfront position along South Ocean Boulevard, operating as a self-contained retreat within the broader Boca Raton resort. Rooms and suites arrive dressed in sand-toned interiors with floor-to-ceiling glass walls facing the Atlantic. Spa Palmera holds Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star status, and La Liste placed the property at 93.5 points in its 2026 hotel rankings.

A mid-century celebrity retreat on Eleuthera's central coast, The Potlatch Club has re-emerged under new ownership with 11 suites, cottages, and villas spread across 12 acres near Governor's Harbour. With on-site dining at the Fig Tree restaurant, a Natura Bissé spa, and pricing available on request, it occupies the intimate, design-conscious tier of Bahamian boutique hospitality.

Inaugurated in 2024 inside a restored 19th-century palace on Bem József tér, Kimpton BEM Budapest pairs Marcel Wanders' design vision with 127 rooms coloured by Lake Balaton blues and forest greens. The Mediterranean-focused Agos restaurant and rooftop Fennen bar anchor the social floor, while a spa and gym complete a property that reads as one of Budapest's more architecturally ambitious new openings.

Virgin Hotels London Shoreditch occupies a converted building on Curtain Road in EC2A, placing 120 rooms inside one of the city's most active creative districts. The property sits within the Virgin Hotels brand's design-forward, socially oriented format, drawing guests who want proximity to Shoreditch's gallery spaces, restaurants, and night venues without retreating to a West End address.

Positioned steps from Piazza del Popolo on Via di Ripetta, ROMEO Roma occupies a distinct tier among Rome's contemporary design hotels, where the architectural influence of Zaha Hadid sets the visual register before guests reach the front desk. The property draws travelers who want modern architecture and art-forward interiors without leaving Rome's historic centre, placing it in a different competitive set from the palazzo-restoration hotels that dominate the city's upper bracket.

A Leading Hotels of the World member on the Estérel coast, Château de Théoule occupies one of the Côte d'Azur's more architecturally arresting positions: a fortified château face pressed against a hillside dropping directly to the Mediterranean. The property sits in Théoule-sur-Mer, a quieter counterpoint to Cannes, roughly 15 kilometres southwest along the Corniche d'Or.

Four Seasons Hotel Toronto occupies a gleaming blue glass tower in Yorkville, the neighbourhood that sets the reference point for luxury spending in the city. With 259 rooms, a Michelin 2 Keys rating, a 98.5-point La Liste ranking, and Café Boulud running a rotisserie-driven French kitchen on site, the property functions as the de facto flagship for a brand that was founded in Toronto.

Restored in 2024, The Nevada sits directly on Long Sands Beach in York, Maine, occupying a mid-century structure that has been brought forward without erasing its original character. The renovation places it among a small tier of New England coastal hotels where design fidelity and beachfront position carry more weight than brand affiliation. For the Maine coast, that combination is harder to find than it looks.

Populus in Denver is a design-forward boutique hotel offering minimalist rooms, a rooftop bar with panoramic city views, and the on-site restaurant Pasque. Opened in October 2024, Populus blends tree-inspired architecture and natural materials with modern comforts, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere steps from the Denver Art Museum and Paramount Theater. Guests appreciate the highly rated breakfast at Pasque, crisp, clean rooms such as the Poplar Two Queen, and a 24-hour fitness center. Time named the property to its World’s Greatest Places 2025 list, marking Populus as a culturally focused urban stay with striking interiors and easy access to downtown Denver’s galleries and theaters.

On Ocean Avenue where Santa Monica's coastal light hits hardest, the Regent Santa Monica Beach operates at a tier where rates are quoted on request and the 167-room inventory rarely discusses itself loudly. Floor-to-ceiling Pacific views, a soft-palette interior program, and direct beach path access position it inside Los Angeles's premium oceanfront conversation, a category with very few genuine participants.

A Michelin 1 Key property and Leading Hotels of the World member occupying a 19th-century Victorian mansion adjacent to Forsyth Park, Hotel Bardo Savannah sets itself apart from the city's preserved-in-amber mansion hotels with 149 spacious rooms, a spa, pool deck, and Saint Bibiana, a restaurant earning recognition for its coastal Italian programme. It reads like a resort that happens to be inside city limits.

SIRO One Za'abeel occupies a distinctive position in Dubai's wellness hotel tier, with a Recovery Lab built around performance recovery and holistic therapies rather than conventional spa programming. Positioned in the Za'abeel district, it sits at the intersection of athletic recovery culture and urban luxury, drawing a guest profile that prioritises restoration alongside comfort.

Positioned on Cooper Jack Bay, The Strand sits within Providenciales' quieter southeastern reach, away from the Grace Bay corridor. A 2025 member of The Leading Hotels of the World, it represents the smaller, design-attentive tier of Turks and Caicos luxury. For travellers seeking measured distance from the island's busier resort strip, the address alone signals a different set of priorities.

Tu Tu' Tun Lodge sits on the banks of the Rogue River outside Gold Beach, Oregon, in a category of American wilderness lodge that prizes seclusion and landscape immersion over amenity volume. The property belongs to a small cohort of Pacific Northwest escapes where the surrounding terrain is the organizing principle of the guest experience, positioning it alongside remote lodges that trade urban polish for river access and old-growth quiet.

Park Hyatt London River Thames occupies a riverside position in Nine Elms, one of London's most transformed districts, within walking distance of Battersea Power Station and Battersea Park. The hotel positions itself against the city's newer luxury entrants rather than its heritage properties, offering terrace access, allergy-free room options, and Thames views in a neighbourhood that has shifted dramatically over the past decade.

An hour from Manhattan, Pendry Natirar occupies a 500-acre Somerset County estate built around a 1912 Tudor-style mansion once owned by Moroccan royalty. The 66-room property pairs historic architecture with contemporary finishes, an organic farm, the acclaimed Ninety Acres restaurant, and a full spa program. Rates from $888 per night position it firmly in the Northeast's premium country-house tier.

Spread across 300 acres of Southern Vermont farmland and forest, Twin Farms is an all-inclusive, adults-primarily resort of 20 rooms and cottages in Barnard, VT. Awarded 2 Michelin Keys in 2024 and ranked 47th in Condé Nast's 2025 Best Resorts list, it sits in the top tier of American countryside retreats, with rates from $3,219 per night and interiors designed by Jed Johnson and Thad Hayes.

Ranked #29 on Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 Best Hotels list, Thompson Palm Springs occupies a prime position on North Palm Canyon Drive at the centre of the Coachella Valley's design-hotel corridor. The property sits in the mid-to-upper tier of Palm Springs luxury, positioned alongside Michelin Key-recognised peers while maintaining the urban-resort sensibility that distinguishes the Thompson brand nationally.

Seven Beach Lane is a sophisticated 16-room boutique hotel blending understated luxury, personalized service, and the timeless ease of beachside living. It offers a modern coastal retreat with heritage architecture and intimate gathering spaces, providing a thoughtful approach to hospitality.

A century-old Art Deco building on the Upper East Side, The Surrey has been refashioned by designer Martin Brudnizki into a property that holds its neighbourhood's traditional luxury while appealing to a newer generation. One hundred rooms and suites run generous by Manhattan standards, and the dining programme operates in collaboration with Casa Tua, the members' club with outposts in Miami, Paris, and Aspen. Rates are available on request.

The Henson is a design-forward boutique hotel in Hensonville, New York, set against the wooded terrain of the Catskills. Award-winning and architecturally considered, it pairs design-led rooms and a meditative library with fine dining at Restaurant Matilda. For travelers seeking a deliberate retreat from the city without sacrificing aesthetic or culinary quality, it occupies a distinct position in the Hudson Valley's growing roster of serious small hotels.

Hotel Hana occupies a five-star address on Rue du 4 Septembre, positioned between Opéra Garnier and Palais Brongniart in Paris's 2nd arrondissement. The property draws on a Franco-Japanese design and hospitality philosophy, offering Japanese cuisine, kobido spa treatments, and a format that places it in a distinct niche within the capital's luxury hotel tier.

Opened in August 2024 atop East Gros Ventre Butte, Hotel Yellowstone at Jackson Hole is an adults-only boutique retreat with views across the Teton Range and Snake River Valley. Winner of the 2025 World Travel Award for Wyoming's Leading Boutique Hotel, it occupies a quiet niche in Jackson's luxury tier: intimate in scale, uncompromising in setting, and positioned well away from the town square crowd.

Nestled on a tree-lined street in SoHo, The Manner is a 97-room hotel with a discreet, refined, and generous sensibility. It offers a chic SoHo NYC experience with a homey vibe, modern rooms, and a curated guest experience in the heart of Manhattan's trendiest neighborhood.

In Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward, where most overnight options have historically been thin, FORTH Hotel occupies a thoughtful position: 196 rooms with floor-to-ceiling park views, a Morris Adjmi-designed glass-and-concrete facade, and a rooftop bar that draws the neighbourhood as much as its guests. From the team behind Ponce City Market, it reads as a deliberate bet on where Atlanta's cultural gravity is shifting.

Set among the vineyards of Dundee Hills, Grange Estate is an intimate inn built from White Oak, Douglas Fir, and Black Walnut sourced from the Willamette Valley floor. The interiors read as a considered study in Pacific Northwest materiality: layered textiles, curated regional artwork, and expansive windows framing the surrounding land. For travelers seeking wine-country lodging with genuine architectural intention, it sits in a narrow peer set.

On Passeig de Picasso, Miiro Borneta occupies a corner of El Born where the old artisans' quarter has become one of Barcelona's most culturally concentrated neighbourhoods. A Country Winner for Luxury Design Boutique Hotel, it pairs a contemporary art programme with the kind of low-key intimacy that larger Eixample properties rarely achieve. For travellers seeking a design-led base with genuine neighbourhood access, it positions itself in a distinct peer tier.

Arev Saint-Tropez sits at the threshold between intimate guesthouse and small resort: 24 rooms dressed in maritime blue, white, and red, with a poolside DJ scene on one side and a quieter spa on the other. The Strand Restaurant opens onto an idyllic terrace, while pricing on request signals a guest profile that expects bespoke service. A Google rating of 4.5 across 55 reviews reflects consistent delivery against that expectation.

A 30-room boutique hotel occupying a Georgian address on Princes Street, 100 Princes Street sits within the Red Carnation Hotel Collection and positions itself closer to a private members club than a conventional hotel. Views directly up to Edinburgh Castle, tartan-dressed interiors with period antiques, and a whisky pantry stocking over a hundred expressions make it one of Edinburgh's more characterful New Town addresses. Pricing is available on request.

London's first all-suite hotel occupies a quiet cobbled yard between Belgravia and Knightsbridge, minutes from Hyde Park. Designed by Richard Rogers and ranking 32nd on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2025, The Emory sits in the same ownership group as Claridge's, The Connaught, and The Berkeley, with 59 suites, an ABC Kitchen outpost, a rooftop bar, and what may be the most lavish private health club in the city.

On the edge of Merrion Square in the heart of Georgian Dublin, The Leinster occupies a setting where art galleries, design studios, and museums define the immediate neighbourhood. The hotel positions itself around considered hospitality and the slower rhythms of a city that still values the art of lingering, placing it in a distinct tier among Dublin 2's character-led properties.

A converted 19th-century women's asylum turned boutique hotel, Anna and Bel brings the first full-featured hospitality property to Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood. Fifty rooms mix warm minimalism with antique details across a substantial red brick structure, while a heated interior courtyard pool and the forthcoming Mediterranean restaurant Bastia round out a genuinely complete package at $288 per night.

Spread across five buildings on Montrose's tree-lined streets, Hotel Saint Augustine arrives at 71 rooms with a design sensibility that earns its address. Burled walnut, red lacquer, and Calacatta Viola marble share space with sculptural furniture and vintage finds, while screened porches set among the canopy offer a quieter counterpoint. Rates from $327 per night place it in Houston's mid-to-upper independent tier.

Set on the southern Baja Peninsula within the coveted Cabo Del Sol community, Four Seasons Cabo San Lucas pairs a swimmable beach with a design sensibility that draws on both Mexican vernacular and Mediterranean influence. The resort positions itself within Los Cabos' upper tier of coastal luxury, where architecture, art programming, and direct ocean access define the category as much as service does.

Positioned between the Promenade des Anglais and Place Masséna, Maison Albar – Le Victoria is a 132-room property that earned a 5-point Gault & Millau Exceptional Hotel distinction in 2025. The address places guests within walking distance of Nice's central axis, with the Côte d'Azur's seafront immediately accessible. A Google score of 4.5 from 137 reviews reflects consistent satisfaction across a well-located, design-attentive stay.

On Congress Street in Portland's West End, Longfellow Hotel occupies a Victorian address that places guests within walking distance of the city's most-discussed dining corridor. The property sits in a tier of design-conscious independents — alongside Michelin Key holders like Blind Tiger and The Hoxton — that prioritize architectural character over chain-scale amenity. For visitors who read the neighbourhood as part of the stay, the address does significant work.

Renovated in summer 2024, Casa Loma Beach Hotel occupies a rare position on North Coast Highway where the Pacific fills every sightline. Direct beach access, oceanfront balconies, a rooftop bar, and a pool place it in Laguna Beach's compact tier of genuinely waterfront properties. The atmosphere runs chic rather than resort-sprawling, making it a credible alternative to the area's larger hotel footprints.

The Dunlin is the newest Auberge Resorts Collection property in the United States, set along the Kiawah River on Johns Island, 40 minutes from downtown Charleston. Its 72 rooms, suites, and 19 villas draw on classic Sea Island design: gabled roofs, screened porches, and marsh views across 2,000 acres of Lowcountry terrain. Travel + Leisure named it to their 2025 It List of best new hotels.