4 New Hotels Helping to Redefine American Luxury

Admit it: far flung travel’s fine, but it’s even better to find a top tier property that doesn’t risk burning a day or two of vacation recovering from jetlag. And the USA has long had a storied reputation for  great short-hop spots in Robb Report’s Best of the Best, scoring nods in recent years for the Four Seasons New Orleans and the reimagining of the Sunset Tower Los Angeles among others.

The pandemic’s wake, though, has proven a particular boom time for homegrown hospitality, with a slew of world-class new properties opening within our borders. They’re a direct response to an uptick in demand, since luxury has, quite literally, come home: per data from industry monitor STR, the average daily rate or ADR at stateside luxury resorts climbed from $182 at the pandemic’s outset to $492 in March—or a rise of just over 170%.

Among the last year’s new domestic openings, four properties have been standouts: two in the west coast’s backyard, and a pair in the northeast. Each is distinctive and noteworthy, but they share the same mission: helping to redefine the idea of true American luxe for the next generation of five-star travelers.

City Luxe: Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad, New York City

The Backstory

Yet another new arrival to the revived NoMad district, this soaring 50-story tower is the second Ritz-Carlton in Manhattan.

Room to Book

If the signature 2,100-square-foot Ritz-Carlton suite is booked, opt for any alternative with a southern exposure for views out across Wall Street to Lady Liberty.

House Champagne

While there’s no house label, the Ritz-Carlton offers a menu of classics: Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, and Krug, among others.

Pro Tip

Nubeluz, the oddly named rooftop bar, is a reservations-only hideaway: Come after dark for a dazzling dose of old-school glamour, all twinkly lights and gleaming surfaces.

Doubles from $895

Hipster Luxe: Habitas-on-Hudson, Staatsburg, N.Y.

The Backstory

This property was a long-gestating project from Chateau Marmont’s André Balazs, who contributed extensively to its aesthetic. When he exited, hipster-chic specialist Habitas—think five-star Tulum—came in and opened three months later, in December.

Room to Book

Room 6 (of 20) isn’t the most spacious on-site, but it’s the most charming: a duplex in the main house with its own entryway, complete with desk and scarlet-hued enamel typewriter, overlooking the swimming pond.

House Champagne

Piper-Heidsieck

Pro Tip

Ask the hotel to book a driver to ferry you around local sites, including Olana, the estate of painter Frederic Edwin Church.

Doubles from $250

Cali Luxe: Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Los Olivos, Calif.

The Backstory

The much-delayed reboot of a 19th-century railroad tavern by Auberge Resorts Collection in the Santa Ynez Valley quickly became a weekending spot of choice after finally opening in February.

Room to Book

The 67-room inventory is a combination of renovations and new builds that replicate the original’s design. The best is the updated two-bedroom Oak Cottage.

House Champagne

There is no house Champagne, just an assortment of sparkling wines, mostly from domestic growers.

Pro Tip

Los Olivos was a backdrop to the wine-country movie Sideways—ask the hotel to book tours at vineyards including Rancho Sisquoc.

Doubles from $950

Lei Luxe: 1 Hotels Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii

The Backstory

It took $300 million and nearly five years to reimagine the ailing Princeville Resort as this new, 251-room property on its own 14-square-mile estate, a flagship for the eco-luxe brand 1 Hotels.

Room to Book

The largest is the 2,400-square-foot Makana penthouse, which has two king beds, a private kitchen, and a terrace.

House Champagne

Nicolas Feuillatte 

Pro Tip

The bay nearby was long a counterculture, surf-mad hub and is said to have inspired Puff the Magic Dragon—come ready to embrace the chill-out (or drop-out) vibe.

Doubles from $1,500