Best Hotels in the United States: World's Best 2019
Superlative city hotels channel the distinctive personalities of their urban environments while giving guests tranquil spaces for unwinding after a busy day. The best are often found in the country’s cultural epicenters, including Chicago and New York, where six of this year’s honorees are concentrated.
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L invites its readers to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.
Related: The World's Best Awards 2019
New York earned an impressive four spots on this year’s list, with the Mark coming in at No. 11, the Chatwal at No. 9, the Whitby Hotel at No. 8, and the Lowell at No. 5. Multiple readers cited the Lowell’s attention to detail as a main reason for its popularity, while the Mark stood out for “amazing amenities” and “bathrooms with giant soaking tubs.” Chicago came in second with three honorees: the Langham, Chicago (No. 15), Hotel Zachary (No. 12), and Viceroy Chicago (No. 7), which boasts a “lively rooftop bar with great views of the city at night.”
In smaller cities, boutique properties reigned supreme. San Antonio’s 146-room Hotel Emma (No. 13) bears historic touches that hark back to its history as a 19th-century brewhouse. In Charleston — our readers’ favorite city in the Continental U.S. for the seventh year in a row — the Spectator Hotel charms with “incomparable service” and rooms that are “quiet, stylish, comfortable, and luxurious.”
This year’s winner is a “spectacular hotel” in the heart of the American Southwest. Read on to see the full list and which hotel earned the top spot.
15. The Langham, Chicago
Score: 93.87
More information: langhamhotels.com
14. The Peninsula Beverly Hills, California
WBA Hall of Fame honoree. Score: 93.89
More information: peninsula.com
13. Hotel Emma, San Antonio, Texas
Score: 93.96
More information: thehotelemma.com
12. Hotel Zachary, Chicago
Score: 94.13
More information: hotelzachary.com
11. The Mark, New York City
Score: 94.40
More information: themarkhotel.com
10. The Edwin, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Score: 94.46
More information: theedwinhotel.com
9. The Chatwal, New York City
Score: 94.58
More information: thechatwalny.com
8. The Whitby Hotel, New York City
Score: 94.75
More information: firmdalehotels.com
7. Viceroy Chicago
Score: 94.86
More information: viceroyhotelsandresorts.com
5. (tie) The Spectator Hotel, Charleston, South Carolina
Score: 95.29
More information: thespectatorhotel.com
5. (tie) The Lowell, New York City
Score: 95.29
More information: lowellhotel.com
4. The Bristol Hotel, Bristol, Virginia
Score: 96.09
More information: bristolhotelva.com
3. The Row Hotel at Assembly Row, Somerville, Massachusetts
Score: 96.32
More information: marriott.com
2. Hotel Eleven, Austin, Texas
Score: 96.55
More information: hotelelevenaustin.com
1. The Inn of the Five Graces, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Score: 96.62
More information: fivegraces.com
This “spectacular hotel,” as one reader commented, sits at the edge of Santa Fe’s central plaza, putting visitors within walking distance of the art galleries and excellent restaurants of Canyon Road as well as historical sites such as Loretto Chapel and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Its low-slung adobe structures imbue the property with a sense of low-key “charm and luxury,” a sentiment that gets reinforced by wood-burning kiva fireplaces in every room and hand-laid mosaic tiles in all the bathrooms. Another guest called the inn “one of the finest establishments we have ever visited.”
See all of our readers' favorite hotels, cities, airlines, cruise lines, and more in the World's Best Awards for 2019.
