Presented by Capital One
Our 2024 Hot List winners all represent the best in new hospitality, design, and more, and these three standout properties are no exception. From a ground breaking opening that is keeping pace with Phoenix, Arizona’s continuous rise, to a beloved retreat in Northern California that connects guests to the outdoors to the reopening of a classic on the Mexican coast, these are the places to book that not only offer the standard in hospitality, but the top access to the destinations around them. Here’s how—and why—to check in to three of our 2024 Hot List winners, from Arizona to California to Mexico—plus what to pack for each.
Belmond
Belmond
The reinvention of Maroma this past year, an iconic resort on the Mexican Caribbean, is a study in modernizing without sacrificing soul. Suites overlook a tree-lined pool, and glimpse the thin white sands affronting a baby blue sea. Spacious rooms are done up in local textiles and tilework. As a resort on the Yucatan, this place has everything you want—epic seafront beaches, swinging pool scenes, an incredible spa and two restaurants. It also inevitably has that type of stylish, well traveled crowd expected of a Belmond. Languid days are spent shifting from pool to beach to cocktails at Freddy’s Bar. And there is nothing wrong with that. But if feeling more adventurous, you can head to any number of the area’s incredible cenotes for a surreal swim in a cave filled with electric blue water.
You are going to want to fill your suitcase with kaftans, resort wear and a few bathing suits that will help keep the glamour alive poolside. And at night, breezy, beautiful; dresses from designers like Ulla Johnson keep things sophisticated but—maybe even more importantly – comfortable.
Courtesy The Global Ambassador
We love how there isn’t a whiff of the expected southwest aesthetic at this pioneering resort that cements Phoenix as a lifestyle destination where food ranks just as high as wellness. Instead, black and white photos line the walls and swathes of black and white checkered marble lend a sense of old world glamor to the lobby. The bar is one of the most electric places to be in all of Phoenix, with a rotating door of the techies and creatives who are helping Phoenix to become the fastest growing city in the United States. But then, of course, there is the food. The hotel is co-owned by 12-times James Beard nominee Sam Fox, the power house behind the city’s increasingly exciting food scene. There are five places to eat and drink, including the signature Thea, with its near-distracting views of Camelback Mountain.
Speaking of that landmark mountain, it is inevitably tempting to leave this urban resort in pursuit of Arizona’s outdoors. The hotel is minutes from the Cholla trailhead, on Camelback, and you can get to Paradise Valley and Scottsdale easily. But you are also walking distance to shops and restaurants if also wanting to tap into Phoenix’s metropolitan side. Be sure to pack smart for it all – plenty of athleisure (which won’t look out of the place amongst the local hikers who stop in for juices each morning) and smart, urban casual like James Perse and Acne.
Dawn Ranch
Dawn Ranch
Dawn Ranch, Sonoma County, California
Laid back Sonoma county has seen its share of glitzier resorts opening in recent years, to rival neighbor Napa. We love that Dawn Ranch, reborn from a beloved riverfront resort dating back over a century, stays rooted in the area’s rustic, bohemian vibe. Accommodations include glamping tents, cottages and cabins, all charmingly decked out with brass fixtures and wooden furniture that honors craft. Inside the Lodge, which co-functions as dining, bar and main gathering space, fireplaces and comfy sofas create the type of space you’ll want to kick your mud-flecked boots off in and hang out with tea and cocktails. Days here are peaceful—as active or quiet as you choose to make them. That may mean canoeing up the Russian River or having the retreat pack you a picnic to unfurl at a favorite spot across its 22 acres.
No phones or televisions help the resort feel wonderfully throw-back, and fire pits and kitchen gardens keep it all feeling wonderfully bucolic. Be sure to bring with you plenty of loose-fitted pants and linens; hiking boots and water shoes will help in all the terrain. But make sure you also have something simple and elegant slip into, that feels deserving of the fantastic halibut crudo and masterfully assembled by Argentine chef Fernando Trocca. Not surprising, the wines are phenomenal.
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