1. COLONY PALMS HOTEL — Palm Springs, California
It’s been a journey for the Spanish Colonial gem that is the Colony Palms Hotel. Founded in 1936 by the (alleged) mobster Al Wertheimer, it became a favorite of the Hollywood in-crowd before they eventually decamped for more distant destinations. But now, a couple of name changes later, the refurbished and redesigned Colony Palms is once again a luxe and stylish destination.
2. RHINOCEROS — Rome, Italy
Long-stay hotels used to be dull places, but that’s all changed. The best of today’s residential-style apartment hotels are just as inventive as any boutique hotel — which is how you get Alda Fendi’s non-profit arts foundation hiring an architect of Jean Nouvel’s caliber to design Rhinoceros, a spectacular collection of apartments in the Foundation’s 17th-century Roman palazzo.
3. SACRED HOUSE — Cappadocia, Turkey
Though it was restored from near-ruin by its present owners, at times Sacred House feels authentically medieval — antiques abound, and bare stone walls go a long way in setting a mood. The mansion is two and a half centuries old, and was for a time a Christian church. Inside are just ten rooms, each one unique, all of them in a style that it’s not entirely unfair to call “maximalist.”
4. THE STANDARD IBIZA — Ibiza, Spain
The Standard hotels have always been among the most glamorous of the boutique hotel names. The Balearic paradise of Ibiza is a perfect fit not only for its famously lively nightlife, something of a Standard specialty, but also for its exceedingly laid-back atmosphere, which brings to mind the brand’s ultra-chill Miami outpost.
5. BLIND TIGER GUEST HOUSE — Portland, Maine
Blind Tiger takes its name from the Prohibition-era speakeasy that once occupied the basement of this lovely 19th-century house. It’s fresh off a 2020 renovation by Lark Hotels, and the brand’s signature attributes are very much in evidence here: photogenic interiors, luxe comforts, a convivial atmosphere, and a location in a vibrant and walkable corner of town.
Hero image : Sacred House
