42 Best Hotels in USA

Four beautifully restored ranch houses and bungalows occupy this historic country estate in Hawi, where guests enjoy their own private swimming pools, horseback riding, round-the-clock concierge availability, and plenty of fresh fruit from the orchards. Listed on the State Historic Register, Puakea Ranch pays homage to the four generations of cowboys and plantation workers who once lived on the property. The two-bedroom Yoshi's House sleeps six and has ocean views from the lanai, plus a lava-rock swimming pool. Cowboy House is a three-bedroom former bunkhouse that sleeps six, while the Miles Away bungalow provides two bedrooms and its own private dipping pool. A large studio, James Cottage shares a swimming pool with Cowboy House and also has its own private hot tub. Decorated with local art depicting the property, each home has its own kitchen, barbecue grills, and washer-dryer. It's 15 minutes to the closest public beach, and just down the road from the artists' town of Hawi. It's one of the few properties on the Kohala Coast that can also be entirely booked for weddings and events. 

The 32 houseboats docked in two rows at Port City Marina don't feel like boats on the inside—high ceilings, modern fixtures, quartzite counters, and classy furniture make it feel more like you've rented an elegant town house. Each two-story boat features an upstairs porch overlooking the Cape Fear River. The Cove is within easy walking distance of the Live Oak Bank Pavilion music venue, making it a popular booking for summer concerts. 

Perfect for a comfortable base in the country, think of these two oceanfront, plantation-style cottages as your own private beach home on Molokai's east end; each has a full kitchen, washer and dryer, and ocean-facing lanai. There are small beaches just steps from the front door, and the Pauwalu cottage is fronted by a fishpond, which is the perfect wading spot for families with young children.

The mountain hollow that's home to these seven cabins perfectly captures both sunrise and sunset over the creek. Accommodations range from a luxurious treehouse to creekside lodges suitable for an extended family vacation. You may question whether you've taken a wrong turn as you wind up the dirt road to this bucolic enclave, before realizing you're in exactly the place you want to be. 

Black Mountain College closed in 1957, but its impact is still felt today through the legacies of alumni and faculty like Willem and Elaine de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, Josef and Anni Albers, Buckminster Fuller, Kenneth Noland, and other maverick spirits who helped to shape American art, music, and literature. The campus is now split between Camp Rockmont, a private summer camp, and Lake Eden Retreat, which includes eight cottages and studios, several of which were built by the college. The grounds surround the aptly named Lake Eden, and are still a peaceful place of respite for creatives and lovers of the arts. Each May and October, Lake Eden Retreat hosts LEAF Festival, drawing several thousand revelers for a weekend of workshops, contra dancing, and world and Appalachian music.

Spend the day swimming at the beach just steps away from your private lanai and fall asleep to the sound of the ocean at one of four artfully decorated, one-room cottages on the sandy beach at Anaehoomalu Bay. These cottages are among the few beachfront rentals you will find anywhere on the island. It's a short stroll to the adjacent Lava Lava Beach Club bar/restaurant, which serves lunch and dinner daily. Ride your included cruiser bike in the morning to the nearby coffee shops at the Kings' Shops and Queens' MarketPlace.

On an intimate beach on the Chukchi Sea five miles outside Kotzebue, Iñupiat families and locals come to fish, and visitors can spend time here in one of the four simple cabins, joining fish camp activities, sharing meals, and browsing locally made art and craft pieces and meeting the people who create them. The price includes activities and payments to Kotzebue elders who share their Iñupiat way of life with guests. The cabins can accommodate two people, with bedding, continental breakfast, and dinner included. There's a shared shower in the main building and an outhouse on the beach.

Situated at the southern tip of the Ocean Shores peninsula with sweeping views of Grays Harbor, this upscale vacation community begun in 2017 has about 60 homes (and counting) of various sizes and configurations, from compact one-bedroom bungalows to grand three-story homes with multiple bedrooms and baths. Many properties overlook the bay or pristine Oyhut Wildlife Recreation Area and have beach access, and all are within walking distance of the water. There are a couple of hip eateries in the village and a well-stocked grocery store. 

Spacious decks and wall-to-wall windows maximize the view at these mountainside luxury cabins. Live-edge tables and nods to the local mountain biking culture add creative flair to the spacious digs. Access to Pisgah National Forest and the Hub, a bike shop and bar, are directly outside the entrance. 

A sole, beautifully decorated cabin nestled in the woods across from Kenai Lake, Teddy's is surrounded by mountains and hiking trails. The cabin sleeps up to four comfortably. The grounds are superbly manicured and convey a sense of a magical forest. The inn is 6 miles from Moose Pass and 23 miles from Seward.

Three public-use cabins are within Kachemak Bay's Halibut Cove lagoon area, another (called Sea Star) is near Tutka Bay lagoon, and a fifth is at China Poot Lake. All but the lakeside cabin are accessible by boat; China Poot can be reached only on foot from the boat landing on the beach or by floatplane to the lake. The cabin furnishings are sparse, but include wooden bunks and sleeping platforms, a table, and chairs; there's no running water or electricity. Four of the five cabins sleep up to six people (the other, the Overlook cabin at Halibut Cove, sleeps eight), and all can be reserved up to six months in advance. There are also yurts in the parks available through   alaskanyurtrentals.com.

Owners Charlie and Susan Hoerner restored a three-bedroom plantation home on Kapaa's Baby Beach to reflect the charm of yesteryear with the conveniences of today. Think plank flooring, gingerbread, and stained glass alongside a Wolf stove, Bosch dishwasher, and granite countertops. The orientation is due east; you won't have to leave your bed—or living room or lanai—to watch the sunrise, the whales breach, or the full moon rise. In addition to the main Sunrise Cottage, there's a cozy and more affordable bungalow called Moonrise Cottage in back that's perfect for honeymooners. Rent both (weekly rentals only) to sleep a total of eight. Credit cards are accepted via PayPal only.

The primary draw of these remote, individually decorated log cabins between Carbondale and Redstone is the three natural hot springs nearby. The tiered pools are set in a pretty rock grotto with dramatic views of distant snowcapped mountains. Studio cabins are small, but most include kitchens and loft mattresses for kids. Hardy folk might consider sleeping in one of five sheepherder's wagons, with tight quarters and no bathrooms (use the showers and toilets at the hot springs locker rooms). On-site activities include trout fishing and canoeing in the summer, and ice-skating, sledding, and snowshoeing in the winter.

Banner Elk lacks a boutique hotel or upscale B&B, so most visitors rent a condo at the ski mountains or a cabin—this local outfit offers six homes fully stocked with amenities, ranging from upscale multi-bedroom lodges with hot tubs and stone fireplaces to smaller historic cottages walkable to Main Street.

This charming lodging option on the western shore of Bear Lake happens to be just over the border in Idaho, set on a grassy bluff near Bear Lake West Golf Course and offering two vacation homes decorated with country furnishings and colorful quilts. The Farm Home can accommodate 12 guests and features five theme bedrooms each with a fireplace and bathroom. The Lake Home can accommodate 11 guests and features two bedrooms, two futons, and two bunk beds. Both homes offer great views of the lake and have beach access. 

These spacious (584–889-square-foot) contemporary bungalows provide guests with an upscale, up-to-date home away from home, with fireplaces, outdoor patios and dining areas, wireless and streaming-service connectivity, fully equipped kitchens, and washers and dryers. With all the accommodations sleeping up to four, the bungalows work well for families or couples traveling together.

Back-to-nature enthusiasts love these two-bedroom, tin-roofed duplexes—each named after a different species of tree and each sleeping up to six—set among the state park's sand pines and scrub oaks, a five-minute walk from the beach via a private boardwalk. Although the cabins are basic, they do have central heat and air-conditioning and full-size kitchens. Gas fireplaces, barbecue grills, and screen porches are homey touches.

If you're an outdoors enthusiast, you can appreciate Kauai's mountain wilderness from the dozen rustic cabins—of varying age and quality—that make up this lodge. Cabins are no-frills but more comfortable than a tent, and the mountain setting and proximity to some of the state's most beautiful trails are grand. Wood-burning stoves ward off the winter chill and dampness (wood is a few dollars extra), as it can get pretty cold at this elevation. Cabins sleep two to six and have full kitchens and bathrooms. Note that there's no Wi-Fi or cell service. The nearby restaurant serves breakfast and lunch, or you can bring up groceries from Waimea.

This company's inventory of privately owned beach homes ranges from one-bedroom condos to six-bedroom manses smack-dab on the beach. Units are furnished, with one to several TVs and DVD players, and their kitchens are stocked with pots and pans, dishes, cutlery, and microwaves. During peak summer months, most properties require one-week minimum stays.

Built in the late 1950s, these six old-school (but Wi-Fi-equipped), two-bedroom log cottages offer an amazing view of both Blue Hill and the Bagaduce River, water access from a private dock, screened porches, and plenty of room to run around outdoors. Although the property is open year-round (with wood-stove heat in winter), the cottages are mainly rented out weekly, with nightly stays offered only when availability allows.

These once-functional grain silos are one of the more memorable—and popular—accommodation options in the Kalispell area. Located on an 80-acre, third-generation family farm, these beautifully designed units offer loft bedrooms, full kitchenettes, and stunning mountain views. 

Enjoy single, double, and family-priced lodging with private bathrooms in these small cottages of various sizes, all of which come with a kitchen, phone, Wi-Fi, and TV. They also manage various size cabins, duplexes, and other units for larger groups.

The 330-acre Fort Worden, built as a late-19th-century gun emplacement to guard the mouth of Puget Sound, gained a new purpose when enterprising souls turned the spacious Victorian homes on Officers Row into some of the more memorable lodgings on the Olympic Peninsula. The charming houses are furnished with antique reproductions, and some have been recently renovated with new furniture. Besides the Officers Row choices, there are houses from the former NCO Row and assorted other duplexes, cottages, and loft apartments. Homes range from the one-bedroom Alexander's Cottage (built in 1883) to the recently remodeled 14-bedroom Reunion House that accommodates 29 and has a double kitchen. The old fort is a magical place for children, with an artillery museum, a marine science center, and a graceful old lighthouse. Dining options include a restaurant, pub, and beach snack shack that are open varied hours and days depending on the season.

Built in the 1930s by a Japanese doctor, this vintage home offers stunning views of downtown Hilo and the bay. The Zen garden on the grounds reveals three colossal stones weighing several tons each and installed by the home’s original owner. A total of four simply furnished rooms come with private baths, and two of the rooms offer panoramic bay views.

With limited accommodations in Oak Glen proper, consider staying in neighboring Cherry Valley at this 15-acre estate, where a three-story mansion has eight bedrooms—each with a private bath and access to the library, dining area, kitchen, and bar—and the grounds have four private cottages with kitchenettes, all of which can be booked if the entire estate isn’t reserved for a wedding or other private event. On-site amenities include tennis courts, a catch-and-release fishing pond, a barbecue area, a swimming pool, and a horse ranch.

This little, albeit luxurious, log cabin 10 miles outside town sleeps four and has been rented out by the stars of the hit series Yellowstone, who have chosen to relax here when they’re not filming in western Montana. Handmade from local timber by the owners, it screams rustic, yet it’s outfitted with Wi-Fi, designer appliances, Pendleton blankets, luxury amenities, and custom furniture that almost counts as functional art. In addition to a queen-size bed downstairs, there’s a sleeping area for kids in the loft, a dining area with incredible views, a full kitchen including an antique sink, and a bathroom with the best showerhead in town.

If you have a large group and would like a little privacy, try Moriah, a small collection of three restored historic buildings on a picturesque 3-acre property with a private boat dock on Lake Marble Falls, just 8 miles from town. The large wooden porches offer spectacular views of the hills and the expansive backyard, which includes a full volleyball court, hammocks, and plenty of room to run around. The main timber-frame house has a large main room, a full kitchen, and an upstairs loft with two futons. Each of the two 1850s timber cabins has a master room with a comfortable king bed and a bunk-room with two sets of bunk beds.

The Bureau of Land Management runs 12 public-use cabins in the White Mountains National Recreation Area and one road-accessible cabin on the Elliot Highway, with 300 miles of interconnecting trails. Designed primarily for winter use by dog mushers, snowmachiners (snowmobilers), and cross-country skiers, cabins provide shelter for summer backpackers, although summer access is limited by mountainous and boggy terrain. The cabins have bunk beds, wood stoves, tables, and chairs.

Usually reserved by locals and adventurers with extensive backcountry experience, these Alaska State Parks cabins have woodstoves, bunks, and tools for cutting wood; you have to supply everything else—food, bedding, water, cooking utensils, and, at some, firewood. This is basic Alaskan shelter, but it can't be beat for leaving the real world behind.

This collection of more than 125 homes in the Wawona area is a great alternative to the overcrowded valley. Fully equipped options range from cozy one-bedroom cabins to spacious six-bedroom houses with plenty of room for groups. Most have fireplaces, many have Wi-Fi, and all have decks with barbecues. The property rarely fills up, even in summer, so it's a good choice for last-minute lodging; there's a two-night minimum in the off-season and a three-night minimum in summer and on holidays.