Many flights out of the United States have been canceled, and international travel restrictions are rife in an attempt to keep Coronavirus at bay. But at some point, hopefully soon, domestic travel restrictions will loosen, and hotels around America will re-open. This is the point that those of us in need of a change of scene will be able to book a staycation.
Whilst there is currently no effective treatment or vaccine against the Coronavirus, travel restrictions will be your main reason for choosing to staycation rather than to travel abroad, but there are so many other reasons to take your holiday on the soil of your homeland.
Staycationing will reduce your carbon footprint, support local economies, avoid the language barrier, and enable you to experience genuine American hospitality. After all, America is great, and there are some fabulous American hotels in both cities and the wilderness that should not be missed.
While this review may be somewhat pre-emptive, given the horrific headlines we see every day, this nightmare will not go on forever, so let’s have a dream and start planning from our couches.
We have reviewed the top 10 best hotels for a staycation in the United States. Where the luxury traveler or the family in need of a break should go, read on to find out where you should staycation.
1. Amangiri, Utah
Experience the earth’s beauty at its most basic form in this red-rock, rugged desert scape. Beyond the few pine-clad mountains, there’s little vegetation in this vast arid region. The unique rock formations have been sculpted by time, water, and wind. Visit the red-rock spans in Arches National Park, the sheer-walled river gorges in the Canyonlands, and the stunning buttes and mesas of Monument Valley.
Amangiri resort (pictured above) is your second reason to visit this stunning region. Tucked into a protected valley with sweeping views towards the Grand Staircase, The resort is built around a central swimming pool with spectacular views. Blending with its dramatic surrounds of deep canyons and towering plateaus, this wilderness escape could not be more rugged.
Amangiri’s Aman Spa features a floatation therapy pavilion, water pavilion with sauna, steam room, cold plunge and step pool, fitness center, and yoga pavilion. Amangiri’s trail system allows guests to explore the region’s striking desert scenery on foot. Aman Resorts are one of my favorite luxury hotel brands, and you can read about my recent trip to Aman Grand Canal in Venice.
2. Four Seasons Hawaii
Assuming you can get the flights out to Hawaii and quarantine measures are loosened, I am unashamedly picking all the Four Seasons hotels on the Hawaiian Islands as the very best Four Seasons hotels in North America. Hawaii offers one of the most westernized and sanitized tropical resort locations in the world. Staying on these islands is comparatively free from worry.
Four Seasons Lanai Hawaii is probably my favorite Four Seasons in North America. It offers a true escape on a billionaire’s private island. Larry Ellison’s, to be exact. This Four Seasons on Lanai features in my best Four Seasons hotels in Hawaii. You will not find more beautiful or more remote, empty beaches anywhere in the world than the Four Seasons Lanai.
In second place is Four Seasons Hualalai, pictured above, which offers a tropical beach complete with magical sea turtles, a pool you can snorkel in which is full of fish, a stunning array of pools, bars, and restaurants, and a world-class golf course. I particularly like the open-air bathrooms at this hotel (tip: you need to book a ground-floor room to experience these).
In third place is Four Seasons Maui. I’m biased as I got married (Mauid) and honeymooned here! This hotel feels more vibrant but less exclusive than those mentioned above, but this is all taken into account in the slightly cheaper room rate.
Wherever you are in the world, Four Seasons hotels are consistently one of the best hotels in that city or resort. Because they don’t have a Four Seasons loyalty program, you will never be able to book a free stay by racking up and redeeming points or by collecting points on your credit card and spending them on a Four Seasons hotel stay. It can’t be done. But you can get discounts at Four Seasons hotels and benefit from special rewards at Four Seasons hotels for no extra cost by booking your next stay via our luxury travel concierge.
3. Post Ranch Inn, California
For those based in LA or San Francisco, Post Ranch Inn is perfectly positioned and easy to get to, just hop in your car and drive there. Post Ranch Inn sits within Big Sur’s profound and humbling landscape. Perched on the clifftop of Big Sur, a rugged stretch of California’s coastline between Carmel and San Simeon, this hotel is perfectly positioned to enjoy jaw-dropping sunsets.
Bordered to the east by the Santa Lucia Mountains and enormous redwoods and to the west by the glittering Pacific Ocean, this Inn is a wood and glass structure built on stilts on the top of the hillside. The views from the modern rooms in cliff and ocean rooms are staggering, and there is a generous balcony complete with loungers so that you can absorb the vistas all day and all night. Mountain rooms also have large decks overlooking the mountains, and all rooms come with a wood-burning fire.
4. Sorrel River Ranch Resort & Spa, Utah
In a time when social distancing is key, maybe a wilderness retreat would work well. Sorrel River Ranch Resort & Spa in Utah, an authentic, 100% Old West hideaway with all the trimmings of a stylish, boutique resort. This red rock resort doesn’t just look like a scene from the movies. It is a scene from the movies with multiple Hollywood blockbusters being filmed in the area since 1949, resulting in silver screen epics like the Rio Grande, The Comancheros, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Hidden in the heart of the gorgeous, red rock wilderness and nestled against the banks of the Colorado River, this upscale 240-acre retreat lies just 17 miles from Moab, Utah, and slap bang in the middle of the adventure capital of the West. The resort’s accommodation is not what you’d expect from being in Canyon Country. Rather than a standard room, you stay in charming log cabins that offer a mixture of rustic style and luxury with opulent pine beds complete with handcrafted four-posts, cattle horn wall hangings, artsy barbed wire chandeliers, and more oak than you would see in a forest along with all the modern amenities you would expect in this level of the resort.
With its excellent one-of-a-kind cabins, spectacular views, therapeutic spa, gourmet dining, and riverside pool, this resort really is the point at which luxury meets adventure. Join the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, who chose Sorrel River Ranch as a base to explore this beautiful red rock country.
5. Four Seasons New York Downtown
While New York has currently been hit hard by the virus, this problem will pass, and then businesses in New York will need your support to get back on their feet. For this reason, we have picked two great hotels in New York to staycation in. Four Seasons New York Downtown is an amazing Four Seasons hotel and sits in the center of the Big Apple. Located in downtown Manhatten in New York, this luxurious hotel offers an excellent alternative to staying in Midtown Manhattan. It sits between Tribeca and the financial district, a stone’s throw from the Brooklyn Bridge, One World Trade Center, and is surrounded by the hottest restaurants.
The restaurant CUT by Wolfgang Puck is a highlight and is Wolfgang’s first in Manhattan, serving Wagyu beef and inventive seafood dishes. I particularly love the large, stylish indoor lap pool and relaxing spa and the Gotham suite with its own massive private terrace.
6. Four Seasons Hotel New York
Made famous by “Mr. Big,” the Four Seasons New York sits in one of the most exclusive spots in the city, moments from Central Park. Located between Park Avenue and Madison Avenue, you are also close to Times Square and within easy reach of Fifth Avenue for shopping. Incredible views and a luxurious spa will tempt you out of your stylish room, but it lacks a pool.
7. Four Seasons Napa Valley
Another new Four Seasons is about to open. This property is ideal for Californians and wine lovers, and you can drive there if you live in this state! One of the latest and newest hotels in the Four Seasons portfolio. With one of Napa Valley’s most coveted locations, Four Seasons is nestled in the valley’s north, in the historic town of Calistoga. The hotel and residences are surrounded by hundreds of acres of vineyards framed by picturesque forests and majestic mountains. It’s a natural hideaway for relaxation and indulgence.
8. Trout Point Lodge
Assuming the ferries are working, we love the wilderness retreat of You may never have heard of Trout Point Lodge in Nova Scotia is located in the heart of the UNESCO SW Nova Scotia Biosphere Reserve and is a picturesque 45-minute drive from Yarmouth Harbour, where you find the international ferry from Maine, USA & Yarmouth International Airport.
This luxury eco-lodge, which is a member of Small Luxury Hotels, is surrounded by a pine and spruce forest, secluded in nature and on the banks of the Tusket River right next to the Tobeatic Wilderness area. Here, you might enjoy sightings of black bears, turtles, flying squirrels, grouse, deer, beaver, owls, loons, eagles, and even moose.
The Lodge and grounds occupy 100 acres, and at night, light pollution is minimal, making stargazing sensational. The lodge has a star gazing platform where they organize special tours with an astronomer on staff and powerful telescopes. If you are there on a clear night, the sky will be unforgettable.
9. Four Seasons The Surf Club Miami
If you are looking for sunshine and a beach on American soil for your staycation, look no further! This beachside property, Four Seasons The Surf Club Miami, is a luxurious oceanfront destination bringing a new era of glamour elevated with chic Italian dining and a world-class spa. Located by the northern Miami Beaches on Collins Avenue, the design and ambiance hark back to the classic Jazz Age glamour of Miami in the 1920s and ’30s.
If you prefer cities, Four Seasons Baltimore is located on the historic waterfront, and Four Seasons One Dalton Street is an unbeatable choice and a brand new Four Seasons hotel right in the heart of Boston.
10. Four Seasons Orlando
Let’s not forget Four Seasons Orlando, a must-do with kids. It has waterslides, a lazy river, and a shuttle to the Walt Disney World Resort.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort is one of the best Four Seasons hotels in Florida. Nestled within the 47 square miles of Walt Disney World, it is tucked away in the secluded millionaires’ row of Golden Oaks. This is easily the very best and most luxurious hotel within Walt Disney World.
Add to this that if you book a stay via our luxury travel concierge, you will get all our free VIP benefits added to your stay. You’ll have $100 USD resort spend included in your package, which will go nicely towards your first evening out at this Four Seasons.
This lakeside haven has extensive gardens, pools, and towering pillars of palms and cypress. Tee off at the exclusive Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando, splash around with the kids at Explorer Island, treat yourself to a soothing, post-park massage at The Spa, or toast the evening fireworks with dinner at our rooftop steakhouse Capa.
The hotel has its own luxury coach service to the four theme parks, and your room comes with a free EXTRA MAGIC HOURS benefit and DISNEY FASTPASS+ up to 60 days prior to arrival, making it the perfect base for your next Orlando adventure.
Beyond Walt Disney, World® Resort is the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, an incredible new world which is sure to excite any Star Wars fan young and old.
Within the hotel, highlights for the kids is the five-acre water park, with splash zones, interactive fountains, water slides, and pools for kids and grown-ups alike. An attentive poolside service includes towels, lounger pillows, suncream, and pitchers of iced water.
Highlights include two elegant infinity pools, one for the family and one for adults only, splashing around in the winding lazy river, two exhilarating water slides, and weekly Dive-In Movies at the family pool, which also has zero walk-in water, so it is ideal for any age! In fact, the pools are the biggest reason to stay here. The lazy river sparkles and is never crowded, with giant waterfalls. It just floats you along it’s so relaxing!
The adult pool is a quiet oasis with a hot tub and lounge chairs. It is completely peaceful and a marvelous haven of escape. Crucially, wherever you go on the grounds, it is never too crowded, even when the hotel is full.
The grounds of this Four Seasons are immaculate and beautifully landscaped with palm trees everywhere and flower beds as well as container planters and water features. There’s also a fitness center and a spa, plus an exclusive golf course. A special Disney concierge can arrange all theme park tickets and bookings.
The buildings’ look has a Spanish or Italian feel with tropical grounds. The entire complex is an oasis of calm and the perfect escape from the frenetic theme parks. All rooms are large, even the base standard rooms, and they have almost equally large balconies as well as signature Four Seasons marbled bathrooms with bathroom mirrors with TVs in them.
Room Tip: You must book a room above the fifth floor on the west side if this is your first trip, a Park View room so that you can see the nightly Disney fireworks! Other rooms overlook the Golden Oak properties or the surrounding lake and do not have a direct view out onto this wonderful spectacle.
That said, Golden Oak View rooms are cheaper and the same in ft²age, and you might feel the premium is not worth paying for. Golden Oak View rooms are lovely, and you can always watch the fireworks from the 14th floor of the hotel from the communal hotel balcony.
The rooftop restaurant Capa is the place to go if you don’t have a room with a view of the fireworks. This restaurant is on the roof, and from here, you can watch the nightly Disney fireworks.
Finally, there is a free kids’ club (ages four to 12) that is open from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, with its own water-play area, water slides, and fun.
11. Four Seasons Los Cabos At Costa Palmas
Easily the most anticipated hotel opening of 2019 for guests of our luxury travel concierge was Four Seasons Los Cabos At Costa Palmas. OK, this isn’t on American soil, hence its unorthodox position as number 11 in our top 10, but it is a short flight away and has beaches, private plunge pools, and more. If planes are flying south, this is where I would fly to.
This hotel is just down the beach from the new Amanvari Los Cabos, in the most exclusive resort area in Los Cabos. Arguably, this is the best luxury hotel in Los Cabos.
The calm shores of the Sea of Cortez and this Four Seasons hotel are surprisingly easy to reach, less than an hour from the airport, and they have a huge advantage over many other luxury hotels around Los Cabos. Hotels that face the rough Pacific are disadvantaged, as you are often confined to using the hotel pool rather than swimming in the sea. The Sea of Cortez offers calm waters and great snorkeling, everything you need from paradise!
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