In a place as vast and varied as the United States, it should come as no surprise that the new hotels on offer for 2023 run the gamut. Diverse cultures, local histories and epic landscapes inform and inspire to create their own distinct style of luxury to suit all kinds of travelers.

The city’s historic French Quarter is home to a new 45-room boutique hotel, The Palmetto, which leans into its charming southern roots. A what, this old thing? esthetic means decor featuring classic antiques have been reinvented through custom upholstery, lots of comfortable seating, sun-filled guest rooms and a warm elegance that transports you to a more genteel era.

Emblematic of Charleston, the palmetto tree inspired much of the property’s details – from the earthy tones to the greenery-splashed wallpaper.

The hotel is close to a lively area packed with restaurants; a plethora of churches, for which Charleston is nicknamed the Holy City; one of the country’s oldest markets; and the famed waterfront, but it’s worth your while to make time to sip craft cocktails in the southern sitting room-inspired hotel bar-cum-lobby.

The Bunkhouse group, known for its colorful properties and community-minded projects throughout the southern United States and into Mexico, opens its latest in the heart of Louisville’s NuLu neighborhood.

This 122-guest room hotel draws inspiration from, and celebrates, numerous aspects of the area’s history through its furniture, decorative details, menus and more. Its name, for instance, is a nod to both a type of regional limestone essential to bourbon production as well as the city’s French connections.

On-site features include a restaurant reminiscent of a Parisian sidewalk cafe, a rooftop bar and a mini-market stocked with fresh produce and local provisions. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for Lucky Penny, a bar hidden within the hotel that serves up late-night cocktails and snacks.

The Raffles hotel brand – known as the 1915 birthplace of the world-famous Singapore Sling – opens its first property in North America this year in Boston’s Back Bay, a neighborhood filled with historic brownstones, architectural gems and lots of glossy shops. A new 35-story building houses the hotel’s 147 guest rooms as well as 146 residences.

Five distinct restaurants and bars, a spa boasting a 20-meter indoor pool and a multi-story sky lobby perched above Copley Square – a small green space ringed with buildings of note – round out the offerings. Our amenity of choice: the signature butler service.

Available 24/7 to any and all guests, a Raffles butler is ready to shake up your favorite drink, dole out sightseeing recommendations or even pack your bags, if you’re having a hard time leaving the lap of luxury.

Uniquely conceived 21c Museum Hotel adds a 10th art-filled location in St. Louis, reimagining a Renaissance Revival-style former YMCA building. Founded by a preservationist and contemporary art-collecting couple, the brand is rooted in the belief that art can anchor and energize a community, as well as enrich the travel experience.

The 10-story hotel features 173 rooms, a full-service athletic and swim club and two farm-to-table restaurants serving warm, welcoming cafe fare and inventive tapas. And while exhibitions have yet to be announced, no stay at 21c St. Louis would be complete without a meander through the onsite outpost of the brand’s multi-venue contemporary art museum. There’s more than 130 square metres to explore.

Echoing its former lives as uber-popular hangouts – a restaurant called Rick’s On The Bricks and then as The Ginger Man bar – the new western-flavored Bowie House seeks to keep the camaraderie and good times going in true Texas style. The loft-style building houses 88 guest rooms, 18 suites and an airy onsite spa.

But the plethora of gathering spaces is what makes this hotel such a standout. Be sure to visit the signature restaurant, private garden with outdoor seating and separate terrace bar. The colonnaded lobby itself invites guests to peruse its intimate library, cozy up in the fireplace lounge or play a game of pool. When you need a moment’s peace, escape to the second floor to lounge in a private cabana next to the outdoor pool and bar.

The legends and lore – the mo’olelo – that swirl around the sacred shores of Kahuwai Bay on Hawaii’s Big Island are many, making it a special place both for locals and visitors. Once the site of an ancient fishing village, the new hotel sits atop 33 hectares of rich geologic coastline. Through both amenities and design, the property celebrates Hawaiian heritage, dedication to sustainability and spectacular nature that surrounds at every turn.

The 150 standalone guest rooms and suites all feature an oversized lanai and most, an outdoor shower. Borrow a bike from the resort and head off to discover the full effect of this magical place that has won the hearts of so many travelers. Take time to look for the petroglyphs in and around the village. Thousands of years old, these early drawings were left by the fisherman villagers who walked these same grounds long ago.

The moneyed mood along this legendary avenue is wholly distinct from the rest of Manhattan’s hustle and bustle. But The Fifth Avenue Hotel, opening  in a beautifully restored landmark building, kicks it up a notch as the very manifestation of Gilded Age elegance and glamor.

Every bit of the hotel, from the guest rooms through to the gathering spaces – study, bar, restaurant – and the design and architecture to the menus, evokes the most luxurious of world travels far and wide.

Think chinoiserie accents, antiques, arresting art and objects gathered from around the globe. Rich colors, textures and patterns blend to create an old world opulence designed, as they say, to transport and inspire. Choose a terrace suite so you can take your morning espresso outdoors and remind yourself of where you are in space and time.

The striking red rock formations and vastness of the American Southwest create an almost alien backdrop for this luxury glamping experience, less than an hour’s drive from both Canyonlands and Arches national parks. Moab has long called to mountain bikers, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts looking to play in this pristine, seemingly empty wilderness.

For those needing a little more comfort, ULUM is here to bridge the gap. Guests can connect deeply and closely with nature and, at day’s end, retreat to tented suites with private bathrooms, silky linens and deluxe bath products, wood-burning stoves, full-service dining and more.

There are no meal reservations, so line up quick to lock in an early dinner during the mystical Golden Hour (4–5pm). Community fire pits are lit nightly. Layer up to combat the nighttime chill and contemplate the universe in the most star-filled sky you’ve ever seen.

Surrounded by the rolling hills of California’s wine country, just north of Santa Barbara, a modern hybrid farmhouse-ranch welcomes guests to the latest incarnation of a well-loved landmark. First put on the map in the late 1800s, this former stagecoach stop enjoyed a rather lively reputation through the prohibition era.

Today, a handful of guest rooms and meticulously restored cottages dot the property as well as an open-air restaurant, spa and pool.

The Inn coordinates several unique complimentary and pay-per experiences for guests and members. Book ahead of time to take part in weekly wine tastings at the property’s water tower; learn to harvest and prep uni, a local delicacy; tour a llama farm, and more. Our pick: a leisurely bike ride through Santa Ynez Valley to explore wineries and the best local sights.

The St. Regis Chicago, situated on 11 floors of the 101-story St. Regis Tower, is now the third tallest building in the city. It also has the proud distinction of being the tallest building in the world designed by a woman: award-winning architect Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang.

Completed in 2022, the building’s design reflects the facets of a shimmering gem and has changed the city skyline. Guests checked into one of the 191 guest rooms can access an indoor pool with outdoor terrace, be pampered in the luxury spa or squeeze in a workout in the fitness center. Two onsite restaurants – for Japanese and Tuscan steakhouse fare – will encompass a dining room, lounge, bar and outdoor eating space.

The Portland-born poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was one of the 19th century’s great American writers – and is now the inspiration for the name of this new hotel. In the city’s historic West End neighborhood, the property sits amid stunning examples of 19th-century Victorian and Italianate architecture.

In addition to playing up the seaport city’s history, its other focus is wellness. The property is billed as a place to rest, rejuvenate and celebrate, they say, whether that’s through breathing in sea breezes whipping along the rugged Maine coast or heading to the 167-square-metre Nordic-themed spa.

Called Asteria, the spa offers saunas, massage, meditation and more to guide guests to total relaxation. Another good place to recharge: the lobby bar with its European flair that serves as a welcoming gathering space – the heart of the hotel.