20 Best boutique hotels

20 BEST Boutique Hotels

*Offering sleek design, exquisite dining and plenty of pampering, first-class boutique hotels are popping up all over the country. Here are 20 of the best.

words by > Jill Fergus

01// Ace Hotel, Seattle

Located in the heart of Belltown (the city’s coolest neighborhood) and just a few blocks from the famed Pike Place Market, this funky hotel offers spartan yet stylish rooms for a song (the cheapest is around $99 per night). Housed in a red brick turn-of-the-century building, the 24 mostly white rooms are streamlined and slightly futuristic. At the Ace, less is more: mattresses rest on raised platforms, lamps are glowing cubes, metal hooks replace a wardrobe—and some rooms have shared bathrooms down the hall. And while there is no restaurant or bar, the staff will gladly give you dining and drinking suggestions. www.theacehotel.com

02// Hotel Burnham, Chicago

Those who enjoy staying in historic places will love the Hotel Burnham (named after architect John Burnham), which occupies the landmark Reliance Building. Built in 1895, the structure is noted for its delicate glass and terracotta façade supported by a sturdy iron and steel frame infrastructure. The clubby lobby is rich in mahogany wood and russet-colored leather chairs and sofas. All 122 rooms feature massive eight-foot-high windows and beds with a canopy of sheer gold fabric and blue velvet headboards. Guests can enjoy lunch, brunch or dinner in the bustling Atwood Café, and in the evening, guests can take advantage of the complementary wine hour. Plus, the shops of Magnificent Mile are just minutes away. www.burnhamhotel.com

03//Hotel Palomar, San Francisco

The 198-room Hotel Palomar with its sleek, contemporary design is one of the Bay City’s chicest hideaways (Gwen Stefani and David Byrne have checked in). It is located on five floors of a historic 1907 building in the South of Market district (and a quick walk to the Financial Center and Union Square). The room décor consists of earth tones with splashes of color, and suites feature leopard print carpeting, olive leather armchairs and Italian granite tiled bathrooms with large spa tubs. Be sure to dine at the much-lauded Fifth Floor restaurant helmed by executive chef Melissa Perello, whose modern California-French cuisine includes such dishes as foie gras ravioli and rack of lamb with squash and sage. www.hotelpalomar.com

04// Hotel Icon, Houston

In the heart of the revitalized downtown business district, the Hotel Icon is seemingly straight out of New York or LA. This design-conscious boutique hotel is housed in a former bank—the soaring lobby features two rows of 30-foot Doric columns, and the check-in counter area is where the massive vault was once located. One of the city’s top restaurants, BANK, is located off the lobby and is owned by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, while on the mezzanine level is the Whiskey Bar, the city’s coolest cocktail lounge. Owned by nightlife impresario Rande Gerber (husband of Cindy Crawford), the Asian-inspired space features a red-and-black color scheme and bronze Buddha statues. www.hotelicon.com

05//Fifteen Beacon Hotel, Boston

This boutique hideaway is one of Beantown’s most posh hotels. It is housed in a ten-story Beaux-Arts building on the eastern edge of Beacon Hill—one block from the gold-domed State House and within walking distance of most major attractions. The 60 rooms have a contemporary design and feature push-button gas fireplaces, queen-sized canopy beds and whirlpool tubs. The much-acclaimed Federalist serves updated New England classics like lobster bisque and beef Wellington. There’s also a wine cellar where private dinners can be arranged. In warm weather, guests can relax on the rooftop terrace with its sweeping city views. They can also make use of a chauffeured Lexus that shuttles them around town free of charge. www.xvbeacon.com

06// Hotel Monaco, Washington, DC

In a town that is not necessarily known for its hip quotient, the Monaco stands out. This luxurious but whimsical hotel is housed in the former General Post Office building, an all-marble National Historic Landmark designed in the early 1840s. There are 183 stylish rooms with bold color schemes, original vaulted ceilings and touches like plaster busts of President Jefferson and a goldfish for your room upon request. The Poste is a sexy brasserie serving dishes like Virginia Kobe beef steak tartare, crispy skin wild striped bass and pumpkin ravioli. The lobby is a great people-watching spot. Enjoy the free wine in the evenings, when you can mingle with DC’s hippest visitors. www.hotelmonaco.com

07// Old Bahama Bay, Grand Bahama Island

Grand Bahama Island is known for its talcum-soft beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters and radiant sunshine, and one of the best places to enjoy all the island’s riches is at Old Bahama Bay, a 228-acre resort on the island’s western tip. There are just 49 rooms, spread out among low-rise cottages mere steps from the sea. Guests can partake in such nautical activities as snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, boating, swimming with dolphins and sunset cruises. On property is the Straw Bar, an informal beach bar where you can sip a cold Kalik beer and enjoy a conch burger, and the Aqua restaurant, with more refined cuisine. www.oldbahamabay.com

08// Hotel Teatro, Denver

Located in a historic 1911 building (it used to be the storage area for Denver’s trams), the 111-room Hotel Teatro sits on the edge of the trendy LoDo (Lower Downtown) area, which has a multitude of loft-like restaurants and funky boutiques, plus a buzzing bar scene. The lobby contains original marble walls and floor and gilded cornice. Due to its proximity to the Performing Arts Center, the lobby is outfitted with costumes and props from recent theatrical productions. Rooms come in a cream, gold and sage color scheme, with 12-foot ceilings and cherrywood desks. Dine in the casual Jou Jou bistro and the more formal Restaurant Kevin Taylor; the wine cellar, boasting a vaulted ceiling, is available for private functions. www.hotelteatro.com

09//International House, New Orleans

Thanks to the steady recovery after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans’ hotels and restaurants are up and running. In the fashionable central business district (just a ten-minute walk from the French Quarter) is one such hotel: the International House in a pretty Beaux Arts building, whose 119 contemporary rooms boast original black-and-white jazz photographs, sleek lamps and Louisiana wildflowers. Don’t miss a cocktail in the candlelit Loa Bar, and enjoy the French-Vietnamese dishes in Lemongrass. Afterward, hit the French Quarter cafés and taverns, where you can hear the sweet sounds of Dixieland jazz, Delta blues and Cajun zydeco. www.ihhotel.com

10// Hotel on Rivington, New York

The Lower East Side is one of the Big Apple’s newly hip neighborhoods, due to the fact that many once dilapidated tenements now house designer boutiques, hip eateries and chic bars. The area also has its own cutting-edge boutique hotel hideaway—the Hotel on Rivington, a sleek 21-story, glass-enclosed hotel on Rivington Street. The 110 rooms come with velvet chairs, Frette linens, flatscreen TVs and Japanese soaking tubs—not to mention spectacular floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Manhattan’s skyscrapers (some rooms come with balconies). The restaurant Thor also takes advantage of the skyline with its glass ceiling, which allows guests to see the surrounding buildings while they dine. www.hotelonrivington.com

11// Hotel Victor, Miami

South Beach always sizzles, and you can always expect a sexy, stylish crowd at the glam Hotel Victor, which was designed by Jacques Garcia (of the Hotel Costes in Paris and the Spice Market restaurant in New York). The swanky hideaway offers an infinity-edge pool overlooking the Atlantic, a large jellyfish-filled lobby aquarium and the Vix restaurant, with ceviche and pan-roasted black cod on the menu. Satin headboards and curtains, ebony lacquered furniture and custom-weave carpeting define the 90 rooms. Spa V is a tranquil oasis—don’t miss a spell in the traditional Turkish sauna… essential after a night of partying at the hotel’s Vue Terrace, featuring circular beds and specialty cocktails galore. www.hotelvictorsouthbeach.com

12// Hotel ZaZa, Dallas

Dallas’s most design-conscious lodging is the Hotel ZaZa, located in the emerging Uptown district. Beyond the whimsical canary-yellow exterior is a soaring lobby with dramatic lighting and global objets d’art. There are 154 rooms, including the Dallas Suite with leather and cowhide accents, and the Far East Suite with a minimalist design and Japanese furnishings. The hotel’s restaurant, Dragonfly, is the brainchild of Texas-born chef Stephan Pyles (of Star Canyon and AquaKnox fame). Try the Mediterranean-Asian fare—tandoori barbecue prawns, grilled ginger beef—then head to the poolside Urban Oasis bar, where all of the Big D’s most beautiful people hang. www.hotelzaza.com

13// The Rittenhouse, Philadelphia

One of Philadelphia’s most elegant hotels is The Rittenhouse, located on leafy Rittenhouse Square—the City of Brotherly Love’s most famous public square.

The 98 guest rooms—the city’s largest hotel rooms—are done up with mahogany furnishings, damask fabrics and marble baths. The Lacroix restaurant, under the direction of Jean-Marie Lacroix, serves refined French fare, and the Mary Cassatt Tea Room is where you can indulge in afternoon tea as you enjoy the garden views. After a day exploring the local sights—from the Liberty Bell to Constitution Center—have a massage at the Adolf Biecker Spa and Salon. www.rittenhousehotel.com

14//The Atlantic, Fort Lauderdale

The Mediterranean-style beachfront hotel features 124 contemporary rooms. Chill out on a chaise by the fifth floor pool, where you can rent a cabana; enjoy a cubatini treatment (a lime-and-mint scrub) at the Spa Atlantic; and show off your golden glow at the trendy Trina Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, owned by Don Pintabona (of New York City’s Tribeca Grill fame). Order a martini at the bar, then head to the outdoor patio to savor creative dishes like tagine-baked Florida grouper, citrus-marinated chicken and pan-seared snapper. Buzzing Las Olas Boulevard, lined with cafés, shops and art galleries, is a five-minute taxi ride away. www.luxurycollection.com

15//The Glenn Hotel, Atlanta

This sleekly designed hideaway brings a taste of South Beach style to downtown Atlanta. Located across from Centennial Olympic Park and just a short walk away from the Georgia Aquarium, The Glenn Hotel is the perfect sleepover for the chic traveler. Rooms feature a comforting yet minimal design, with plasma televisions, elegant furniture and simple wood accents. B.E.D., the celebrity-filled dining and nightlife institution imported from Miami, serves as the hotel’s restaurant and features laidback dining—literally, as you are asked to take off your shoes, slip on some slippers and relax on one of the eatery’s famed bed-like seating platforms. www.glennhotel.com

16//Madison Hotel, Memphis

The music-themed Madison Hotel is one of the Memphis’s coolest places to rest your head. The lobby is decorated with bold colors—cobalt blue sofas and ruby red plush armchairs. And the Grill 83 is a hotspot for gourmets (the signature dish is the 16-ounce bone-in Kansas City filet). Head to the sexy rooftop garden for sweeping views of downtown Memphis and the Mississippi River. The 110 rooms have contemporary interiors with wood floors, Italian linens and Art Deco lamps. Other features include an indoor heated pool and a fitness center. The hotel is just minutes from legendary Beale Street, which is lined with places to hear all manner of music, from jazz to blues to reggae. www.madisonhotelmemphis.com

17// Raffles L’Ermitage, LA

This minimalist zen-like retreat in Beverly Hills, just minutes from the designer boutiques of Rodeo Drive, is an ultra-luxe hideaway. The 124 rooms include Asian influences like sliding screens and silk bedding, as well as all the high-tech gadgets you could want: internet access, CD/DVD player, fax and private cell phone. While the hotel won’t reveal any of its celebrity guests’ names, Hollywood heavies and music megastars are known to chill out by the rooftop pool, which overlooks the Hollywood Hills. The Jaan restaurant is set in a serene garden patio with a waterfall and serves modern California cuisine. www.lermitagehotel.com

18// Mansion on Forsyth Park, Savannah

Soak up the Southern hospitality at the 126-room Mansion on Forsyth Park, set in Savannah’s Historic District, which brims with antebellum buildings and moss-draped oaks. Located across the street from Forsyth Park (featured in the bestseller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), the hotel is housed in a 19th century Victorian-Romanesque structure complete with a fairy-tale turret. Decadent design accents include Brazilian mahogany, Italian marble, Lalique doorknobs and crystal chandeliers. Have a cocktail on the rooftop patio; enjoy eclectic cuisine at the 700 Drayton Restaurant; and, when the temperature rises, cool off in the courtyard swimming pool. www.mansiononforsythpark.com

19// Wheatleigh, Berkshires

The bucolic Berkshires in western Massachusetts (a two-hour drive from Boston) is a seductive mix of New England coziness and cosmopolitan cultural offerings. And while quaint bed and breakfasts abound, Wheatleigh takes its inspiration from a 16th century Florentine palazzo. The 19 rooms feature hand-blown glass fixtures and limestone floors; most have fireplaces and terraces. After a day of antiquing or museum-hopping (or leaf-peeping if you visit in autumn), enjoy chef J. Bryce Whittlesey’s exquisite cuisine, including poached fois gras, and pan-seared wild striped bass with braised celery root and truffles in the romantic, candlelit dining room. www.wheatleigh.com

20// Wentworth Mansion, Charleston

One of America’s most charming cities, Charleston is also home to one of the top boutique hotels. Two hours south of Myrtle Beach, Wentworth Mansion is located in a red brick Second Empire building known for its beautiful architectural detailing (Tiffany stained glass windows, hand-carved marble fireplaces, intricate woodwork). It is also near all of the colonial city’s attractions, including historic homes and the City Market area. The 21 rooms all feature king-sized beds, gas fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. Enjoy breakfast on the breezy porch, wine in the parlor and dinner in the Circa 1886 restaurant with gourmet French/Southern cuisine and an impressive wine list. www.wenthworthmansion.com