In 2019, the obsession with elevating experiences grew exponentially. Hotels are not simply somewhere to sleep after a long day of travel and meetings—even the biggest brands are boutique-ing their style and offerings. The celebration of local artisans was prevalent, from furniture to food, as was the desire to make hotels more like your hip home-away-from-home. Integrating visitors with locals and business with pleasure through programming and communal offerings were big themes on repeat, and we expect more to come. Here’s a 2019 round-up of some of our favorite new and re-vibed places to meet and find momentum.
Curated Charm for Mid-Size Meetings
Sometimes smaller is better. In this batch of new hotels are 4 properties with just 100 to 150 rooms, and modest square footage for meetings and events. While you won’t house 300 guests at these hotels, what you will find is strong design and a rooted sense of the hotel’s surroundings reflected within. History, local culture, an artistic disposition and homage to old world beginnings are amongst the charms awaiting visitors of these confident venues.
Luxe New Landmarks of the East and West
Each of these properties has a little something extra. One provides the luxury of a hundred options, another the luxury of high-end hospitality’s marriage to sustainability, and two more the luxury of opulence. Take your time to indulge, whether it’s in the endless array of activities at JW Marriott Desert Springs, or by taking advantage of rare in-room caviar service when staying suite-style at the Conrad New York midtown.
Restored from Antiquity
You can’t fit a building in a blue bin, but you can still recycle it. All these properties take up residence within walls that once lived another life. A YMCA, a railway building and an old office tower in Los Angeles are reborn to hospitality, while a 95-year-old structure in Detroit that originally housed jewelry-makers escapes demolition to turn hotel.
Oh, So Experiential
You’ve noticed the trend that people are no longer satisfied with a place to rest their head—they want an experience. This means a focus, something unique to observe, making it hands on, or getting giddy in the details. From a culinary museum and art installations to goat milk cheese-making, these properties are as much about their extracurricular offerings as they are about the thread count in your sheets.
Port City, Sunny City: New Hotels in Coastal States
Get thee to the coast—even if you’re not one for sandy beaches and a whiff of sunscreen, there’s just something about the coastal breeze, sweet with winds from distant shores. Whether on the river, in white sands, or pulling in to port, these properties all share the adventurous bent of status in a coastal state. Experience a Florida resort’s boutique offering, get hip and communal miles from the warm SoCal waters, or wake to a brisk salty sun at the hub of a traditionally sea-faring town.
