Our favourite hotel stays.
1 THE ADELPHI SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK
Spot historic details, like original wooden bannisters, at this 140-year-old hotel that re-opened in October. NUMBER OF ROOMS 32. WALK half a block through the town centre to Lyrical Ballad Bookstore packed with antique prints and books. WHAT WE LOVED Reading about John Morrissey – the lobby bar’s namesake bare-knuckle boxer – in the library before trying a Prizefighter gin and cider cocktail. ORDER roast chicken with truffle-stuffed skin at the Blue Hen, Marc Plessis’ fine-dining spot under a glass conservatory ceiling. ROOM TO BOOK The soaking tub in 403’s palatial bathroom looks out over Broadway’s colonial revival walkups. Double the bubbles with complimentary bottles of local sparkling water.
2 GRAND HYATT BAHA MAR NASSAU, BAHAMAS
This oceanfront complex oozes laid-back luxury and has plenty of private chaises for quiet lounging. NUMBER OF ROOMS 1,800. NEIGHBOURHOOD Cable Beach on New Providence Island’s northern shore is close to the airport, so you can be poolside in less than 15 minutes. WHAT WE LOVED Feasting on bowls of made-to-order mango-conch salad from the pier-front shack. BEST FOR Multigenerational travel: The Swiss Army knife of resorts has rum tastings at bar T2 and activities for kids, like a scavenger hunt on the beach. SPLURGE ON a Wimbledon-worthy tennis lesson with a pro instructor on the natural grass tennis court.
3 MOB HOTEL PARIS – LES PUCES PARIS
With a rooftop vegetable garden and pop-up exhibitions, this off-the-beaten-path hotel exudes a chic community vibe. NUMBER OF ROOMS 92. NEIGHBOURHOOD Saint-Ouen is being revitalized with new galleries and cafés, like Flea, which doubles as a decor concept shop. WHAT WE LOVED Exploring the lobby’s grocery store, which sells organic snacks, handmade bags and eco-friendly beauty products. WALK to the Saint-Ouen Flea Market in 10 minutes to find anything from Napoleon III-era silverware to industrial light fixtures. ORDER a Proust cocktail with cinnamon-vanilla rum and apple juice by the restaurant’s fireplace, while the DJ warms up at the decks.
4 HOTEL EMC2 CHICAGO
Art-meets-science with design features like steampunk-style in-room gramophones and on-screen cartoons by Jonathan Plotkin. NUMBER OF ROOMS 195. NEIGHBOURHOOD The Magnificent Mile’s shops, from casual Uniqlo to luxury Patek Philippe, are a block away. WHAT WE LOVED Borrowing from the collection of 12,000 vintage books – including Einstein’s The World as I See It – lining the lobby, restaurant and lounge. ROOM PERKS Cleo, one of the hotel’s robots, delivered a corkscrew we’d requested using the in-room Alexa. ORDER grilled Hudson Bay black bass with chorizo and olives, and a glass of Loire chenin at the Albert.