The Curation: Volume 28

The 950 most special hotels in America, new hotel openings to know about, the coolest rentals on the Italian island of Pantelleria, and getting to know me by getting to know me as a traveler.

This is the longest hotel list I’ll likely ever create. America. Vast and different, fascinating and beautiful. This represents that. Luckily, it’s in map form.

Then, since nearly all of you seemed to enjoy my personal writing a few weeks ago (flattered, thank you), today I’m sharing who I am as a traveler. It’s honest and a good and unconventional way to get to get to know me. There’s also a lot of new hotels to share, many very exciting. The highlight is a legitimately cool new hotel in Philly you’ll likely want on your radar. Then, for our Italy Fix, a spotlight on the coolest rental hotel on the Italian island of Pantelleria. But let’s be real, today is all about the US hotel list, aka Happy Hoteling in America.

Next week, and for the following few, I’ll be writing from Italy. Umbria, Tuscany, Liguria, the Aeolian Islands, Rome, Capri, the Cilento Coast, and Lago Maggiore. Hotels and hidden gems, the highs and the lows. Everything you need to know, or might want to know. Reviews for every stay. Guides to under-the-radar towns.

For the sake of doing my part to mitigate over-tourism, this will all live behind a paywall. That’s the only way, in this day and age, for special places to stay special, while still being able to share it with those who enjoy places less on the mass radar. I’m so incredibly excited to experience this and then relay it to you. But! There will be more than just Italy over the next month, it’s an and not or situation. Everyone can win, at least in Hoteling. Thank you for being here. This one was a very long time in the making.

Note that posting times will likely not be as consistent while I’m in Italy, as I’m trying to balance work and writing and content creating and actual vacationing and then the whole time zone thing. But, every week, I promise it’ll be good.

Happy Hoteling In America

I was never required to write a college thesis, but this could be mine for adulthood. A map of the 950 most special hotels throughout the United States. The goal is for you to search anywhere in the country, and find a Great Hotel to stay. For you to discover new places in your home state, and destinations that invite you somewhere new. Or, find a Great Hotel to replace your previous “place just to sleep.” There’s something for all of that and then all the rest.

I learned a lot in researching and creating this list. About America and our differences and similarities. It made me think. A lot. During this election year, my biggest internal perspective is pretty simple: we is more important than me. We are one collective people. We affect each other. We need and can foster each other’s well-being. We are all here for the first time. We are all Americans. And, we’re united by having at least one Great Hotel in our state (and Washington, D.C.). I don’t know what it means to be American right now, but I do think it’s our right to stay somewhere special, if we’re fortunate enough. At a hotel. A Great Hotel.

In certain cities, Marriott and Hilton have monopolized the good hotel market. That means there are more chain names on this list than my usual. But still, I passed on everything that didn’t feel good in my gut. As you’d imagine, most of the map is boutique or independently-owned. There are 950 hotels – it is a big country. Places that span aesthetic choice, type of trip and size of budget. All places that make you feel something – a hotel conducive to memories. It’s intended as a resource for any American (or anyone, anywhere) in search of a special hotel in the US. Every type out there – boutique and luxury, farm and B&B, inn and restaurant with rooms, resort and destination, historic and new.

Creating this has also been a Life Moment. An opportunity to learn about my country in a deep and unique way I hadn’t before. A time and way to understand more. It’s easy to see patterns when you research a lot of hotels, in alphabetical order. At the highest level, I’m disappointed that the traditional and nationwide media, especially in the luxury sector, they have really ignored a lot of the country. And it’s not because the gems don’t exist, it’s just that many of these places aren’t even on booking.com. It’s really hard to rely on a simple Google if you’re in search of a Great Hotel in many of the traditionally-dubbed “flyover states.” I’ve filled as many gaps as I possibly could.

Naturally, as I’ve only lived in the states of California and New York, I don’t know others as intimately. To give me wider perspective, I started watching a lot more YouTube channels from people in various and diverse states. People who live entirely different lives than I do. Of all races and backgrounds. It’s been a good education. Incredibly interesting. Especially in trying to get a good sense of a state. I’ve had fun spending time on Street View. Trying to imagine my life there, but also what it would be like walking up and and waking up in all these hotels. 950 of them. I’ve been on magical URL trip and I want to plan endless IRL trips.

I know I’ve said this one too many times now for you to believe me (even though I mean it every time), but Happy Hotelers, I’m damn proud of this. If anyone in the audience works for Tablet/Michelin and you would like to purchase this to drastically expand your US offering – I’m all ears.

While Happy Hoteling in America is a map of 950 hotels, intended to be used in actual trip-planning, I want to shine light on certain properties today. They represent the beauty in our differences and similarities. They instill a sense of hope, in America. They’re a good representation of the good I’ve learned through this process. They’re all names I would love you to know. I’ll shine my spotlight on more hotels from Happy Hoteling In America, next week. The link to the map is at the end, or available for purchase via a PDF on happyhoteling.com. They are the same thing, please don’t double purchase :)

Let’s start by touching on hotels in some less-touted locales. I really admire these hoteliers. They are creating spaces and places of inspiration where most don’t. They are allowing people in all 50 states (Nebraska, you’re the only one who’s a stretch on that) to experience a Good Hotel on their own turf.