Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel

That there are boutique hotels in Omaha in the first place is a vindication of Kimpton’s approach; a place like the Kimpton Cottonwood would do big enough business in New York or Los Angeles, and in Nebraska it’s downright revelatory. Like all of the brand’s hotels, its visual sophistication doesn’t translate into snobbery or elitism — the Kimpton hotels go out of their way to be welcoming and accessible to all.

This one, in a Twenties landmark building in the city’s historic Blackstone district, adds a contemporary gloss to the throwback architecture, and in its rooms and suites it marries modernist-inspired boutique-hotel minimalism with echoes of the Gilded Age and works by Nebraskan artists. Atelier Bloem bath products and Frette linens establish the Cottonwood’s luxury-boutique bona fides, and the Kimpton signature social hour gathers guests to connect over an early-evening glass of wine.

Meanwhile the Cottonwood’s restaurant, bar, and, in summer, the pool club are among the most desirable spaces in town. The Committee Chophouse is an elegant modern interpretation of the classic mid-century steakhouse, and the swanky, emerald-hued Cottonwood Bar leans into the glamour of the 1920s.