18 Historic American Hotels Every Design Lover Should Visit at Least Once
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America's grand historic hotels have always promised more than a beautiful place to lay your head—they're living design archives, where hallways, guest rooms, and gardens tell the story of American style through the decades. And right now, many of these storied properties are experiencing a remarkable renaissance.
Across the country, landmark hotels and longtime favorites are unveiling thoughtful restorations and inspired refreshes that honor their architectural legacies while appealing to a new generation of design-conscious travelers. The result? Destinations that feel as relevant today as they did decades ago, pairing timeless craftsmanship with contemporary comfort—and offering camera-ready inspiration at every turn.
Ahead, we're checking into 18 historic American hotels that continue to captivate architects, designers, and tastemakers alike. These landmark stays are inspiring design lovers to hit the road —and proving that sometimes the most unforgettable room in the house is one you can book for the weekend. Start packing!
1) The Beverly Hills Hotel: Beverly Hills, California
Few hotels are as instantly iconic as The Beverly Hills Hotel, where Old Hollywood glamour meets classic California style. Since 1912, its signature Martinique fabric designed by CW Stockwell, striped awnings, and lush tropical landscaping have made the landmark feel like a world unto itself. Inside, timeless interiors, vintage details, and polished finishes preserve the hotel's storied past while giving it old-school glamour. Relax by the pool and slip back in time.
2) Bishop's Lodge: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe's storied Southwestern spirit gets a beautifully tailored update at the Bishop's Lodge. Set among juniper and piñon trees, the retreat draws on the region's adobe architecture, rustic timber, and centuries-old craftsmanship, with earthy materials and hand-finished details that feel rooted in place. Historic touches nod to the property's long ranching legacy, while layered woolen saddle blankets, hearty fireplaces, and warm, collected interiors give its mountain setting an inviting sense of permanence.
3) The Colony Hotel: Palm Beach, Florida
At The Colony Hotel, Palm Beach's signature tropical glamour gets a playful, polished refresh. The 1940s-era landmark is known for its candy-colored palette, whimsical prints, and lush, resort-style interiors. It's a spirit that designer Celerie Kemble leaned into during her redesign, wrapping the hotel's soaring entry in a custom de Gournay scenic menagerie. The swingy town's old-school elegance meets bold patterns, lacquered finishes, and exuberant color, creating a look that feels both wonderfully nostalgic and unmistakably of the moment. Pack your widest-brimmed hat and people-watch through the rosiest-colored glasses.
4) Goldener Hirsch, Deer Valley, Utah
The cozy charm of an Austrian alpine inn comes to life in Deer Valley while visiting the Goldener Hirsch. Wooden beams, painted, carved wood doors and railings, stone fireplaces, and richly patterned textiles create an old-world backdrop for one of the area's most beloved après-ski rituals: gathering over bubbling pots of fondue. The result is part rustic hideaway, part European fantasy—warm, whimsical, and wonderfully transportive after a day on the slopes.
5) Grand Hotel: Mackinac Island, Michigan
At the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island's Victorian-era splendor feels gloriously frozen in time. Its sweeping white façade, towering columns, and famously expansive porch set the scene for an old-school summer escape, while layered florals, antiques, and exuberant color bring the interiors to life. Design lovers can take the nostalgia even further during this fall's Dorothy Draper Design Weekend from September 25–27, a spirited celebration of the hotel's long-standing relationship with the legendary design firm, Dorothy Draper & Co, beloved for their use of pattern, color, and classic American glamour.
6) The Hedges Inn: East Hampton, New York
At The Hedges Inn, East Hampton's coastal charm gets a fresh, design-savvy update. The historic property's shingled architecture, crisp white trim, and gracious interiors capture the easy elegance of an old-school Hamptons escape, while designer David Netto's refresh brings a lighter, more contemporary touch. Think classic Americana, collected antiques, natural textures, and just enough style to make this 19th-century retreat feel effortlessly at home today.
7) Greyfield Inn: Fernandina Beach, Florida
The romance of a bygone Southern retreat is woven into every room at the Greyfield Inn. Built in 1900 by the Carnegie family, the Cumberland Island hideaway pairs gracious Georgian architecture with antique furnishings, timeworn wood, and quietly elegant details. The inn's storied setting also holds a bit of modern mythology: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy were married on the island in 1996, adding another layer of intrigue to its timeless appeal.
8) The Hotel Chelsea: New York, New York
New York's bohemian history is written into every ornate detail at the Hotel Chelsea—the age-old quip "if the walls could talk" has never stood truer. The 1884 landmark's red-brick Victorian façade, wrought-iron balconies, and grand staircases set the stage for interiors layered with art, antiques, and decades of creative lore. Once home to generations of writers, artists, and musicians, the hotel embraces its wonderfully eccentric past, proving that a little patina—and plenty of personality—never goes out of style.
9) Hotel del Coronado: San Diego, California
The Hotel del Coronado has served as Southern California's Victorian seaside stay since 1888. Its iconic red-roofed, turreted silhouette has made it a beloved beachside landmark, while period-inspired interiors keep its Gilded Age spirit alive. Rising elegantly on the Pacific coast, the hotel feels wonderfully cinematic—equal parts historic resort and laid-back coastal escape, with plenty of old-school romance baked into its architecture. Dine at several classic beachside establishments, or take it up a notch and indulge in a Nobu lunch steps from the sand.
10) High Hampton: Cashiers, North Carolina
Generations of Southern families have enjoyed High Hampton in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. With the recent involvement of the Beall family of Tennessee's Blackberry Inn fame, the classic Southern mountain retreat feels wonderfully intact. Historic cottages, stone fireplaces, timber details, and wide porches create an easygoing sense of place, while the surrounding Blue Ridge landscape does much of the decorating. Don't miss the dahlia garden, where rows of exuberant blooms add a dose of old-fashioned garden-party charm to the property's relaxed, storied setting.
11) Kona Village: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
The spirit of a beloved Hawaiian family resort lives on in a thoughtful new chapter at Kona Village, Rosewood's recently reopened property on the Big Island of Hawaii. Designer Nicole Hollis's renovation honors the property's original Polynesian-inspired character, reimagining its thatched-roof hale, natural materials, and indoor-outdoor living with a refined, contemporary eye. The result feels wonderfully rooted rather than overly polished—an evocative blend of island history, handcrafted details, and barefoot ease, tucked in a bay along the Kona coast.
12) Hotel Jerome: Aspen, Colorado
Aspen's grand dame since 1889, the Hotel Jerome is where Old West character meets polished mountain glamour. The landmark's red-brick Victorian architecture, carved stone details, and richly layered interiors nod to the town's silver-mining heyday, while vintage-inspired furnishings and storied gathering spaces keep its history feeling wonderfully alive. It's a rare blend of frontier spirit and sophisticated alpine style, all wrapped in timeless Aspen charm.
13) La Playa Hotel: Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
At La Playa, California's artful spirit meets the dreamy landscape of Carmel-by-the-Sea. The historic hotel pairs Spanish Colonial Revival architecture with arched doorways, tiled details, and roaring fireplaces that feel perfectly at home in this storybook town. Just steps from Carmel Bay, views of the ocean and the coast's famous fog add another layer of magic—think breezy coastal mornings, sunset skies, and a distinctly timeless California charm. The hotel's rolling garden blooms year-round thanks to the town's temperate climate.
14) Mayflower Inn & Spa: Washington, Connecticut
Gustavian furniture mixed with contemporary art gives the Mayflower Inn & Spa a quietly glamorous update. Set among 58 acres of gardens and woodland in Litchfield County, the historic retreat layers classic Colonial-inspired architecture, antiques, and botanical prints. Its serene spa feels like a natural extension of the property, with tranquil treatment spaces and a refined, restorative atmosphere that makes slowing down feel especially chic. Drive north only a few hours for the perfect city-escape weekend.
15) The Huntington Hotel: San Francisco, California
San Francisco's 1920s landmark, The Huntington Hotel, pairs grand architecture and old-world details with designer Ken Fulk's updated take on classic California elegance. Inside, jewel-toned hues, rich leather upholstery, and patina'd furnishings bring a fresh energy to the storied address, while The Big 4 restaurant remains a moody, wood-paneled destination for cocktails, dinner, and a taste of San Francisco history. Eat like a local and order the famous chicken potpie.
16) Ocean House: Watch Hill, Rhode Island
The New England coast is nowhere more inviting than at The Ocean House in Watch Hill. Rhode Island's grand Victorian seaside tradition feels as inviting as ever. The historic resort's Shingle Style architecture (painted a sunny yellow hue) and sweeping porches set the scene for a wonderfully old-fashioned summer escape. Spend the afternoon playing croquet on the lawn, then gather for sunset as the sky turns golden over the water—it's a resort tradition! Come for coastal nostalgia, polished to perfection, with plenty of timeless charm.
17) White Barn Inn: Kennebunkport, Maine
The White Barn Inn, with its intimate scale and clapboard walls, keeps things feeling effortlessly personal, despite being a local landmark for over 150 years. Just minutes from Kennebunkport's rocky coast, the inn captures that coveted seaside mood—equal parts rustic retreat, refined escape, and timeless coastal charm. Check into one of the hotel's three houseboats, each with its own custom roof deck, thoughtfully designed by designer Jenny Wolf, and enjoy coastal Maine living at its finest.
18) San Ysidro Ranch: Montecito, California
At San Ysidro Ranch, Montecito's lushness comes wrapped in storybook charm. The historic hideaway's rustic cottages, stone pathways, and Spanish Colonial–inspired details nestle into gardens bursting with citrus, roses, and bougainvillea. It's no wonder Jackie and John Kennedy chose the secluded property for their honeymoon in 1953. Today, its intimate, old-California atmosphere still feels wonderfully removed from the world.
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