The Greenbrier
A resort tradition dating to 1778, an exuberant Dorothy Draper–influenced interior, mineral-springs history, golf, and the declassified congressional bunker make this one of America’s most layered resort stays.
Hotel guideBest Historic Resorts (2026 Guide)
These hotels are not included merely because they are old. Each preserves a meaningful architectural identity, resort tradition, or chapter of travel history while still offering a compelling stay today. Some have been extensively rebuilt or reimagined; the guide is explicit when the historic story belongs to the institution and setting rather than every wall of the current building.
Best Overall: The GreenbrierA resort tradition dating to 1778, an exuberant Dorothy Draper–influenced interior, mineral-springs history, golf, and the declassified congressional bunker make this one of America’s most layered resort stays.Best Beach Resort: The Breakers Palm BeachThe Flagler-era oceanfront landmark pairs Italian Renaissance grandeur with a private beach, multiple pools, golf, and the polished operation of a still-family-owned resort.Best Southern Resort: The Cloister at Sea IslandSea Island’s 1928 Addison Mizner–designed original established the resort’s Mediterranean character; today’s Cloister carries that tradition forward with grand architecture, beach access, and multigenerational rituals.Best Mountain Retreat: Omni Grove Park InnOpened in 1913 and built from massive granite boulders, this Blue Ridge landmark combines monumental Arts and Crafts architecture, celebrated sunset views, and a vast subterranean spa.Best for Families: Hotel del CoronadoThe unmistakable 1888 red-roofed Victorian resort remains a lively Southern California beach destination, balancing architectural drama and Hollywood lore with modern family amenities.Most Architecturally Distinctive: Las Hadas by BrisasOpened in 1974, José Luis Ezquerra’s whitewashed Moorish-Mediterranean fantasy of domes, towers, bridges, and curving lanes remains one of Mexico’s most recognizable resort designs. Choose it for atmosphere and icon status rather than uniformly modern polish.
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The Breakers Palm Beach
The Flagler-era oceanfront landmark pairs Italian Renaissance grandeur with a private beach, multiple pools, golf, and the polished operation of a still-family-owned resort.
Hotel guideThe Cloister at Sea Island
Sea Island’s 1928 Addison Mizner–designed original established the resort’s Mediterranean character; today’s Cloister carries that tradition forward with grand architecture, beach access, and multigenerational rituals.
Hotel guideOmni Grove Park Inn
Opened in 1913 and built from massive granite boulders, this Blue Ridge landmark combines monumental Arts and Crafts architecture, celebrated sunset views, and a vast subterranean spa.
Hotel guideHotel del Coronado
The unmistakable 1888 red-roofed Victorian resort remains a lively Southern California beach destination, balancing architectural drama and Hollywood lore with modern family amenities.
Hotel guideLas Hadas by Brisas
Opened in 1974, José Luis Ezquerra’s whitewashed Moorish-Mediterranean fantasy of domes, towers, bridges, and curving lanes remains one of Mexico’s most recognizable resort designs. Choose it for atmosphere and icon status rather than uniformly modern polish.
Hotel guideJekyll Island Club Resort
The private club opened in 1888 for some of America’s wealthiest families. Its turreted clubhouse and historic cottages now offer an unusually accessible way to sleep inside a National Historic Landmark district.
Hotel guideGrand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa
A Mobile Bay retreat since 1847, The Grand blends broad lawns, military and maritime traditions, golf, pools, and a family-friendly resort rhythm.
Hotel guideThe Omni Homestead Resort
Hospitality in this Allegheny setting dates to 1766. The grand red-brick resort is built around mineral springs, golf, winter sports, and generations of American resort traditions.
Hotel guideMohonk Mountain House
Founded in 1869, this rambling Victorian castle sits above a glacial lake amid thousands of protected acres, with meals and many activities folded into the classic house-party experience.
Hotel guideGrand Hotel
The 1887 hotel’s vast front porch, formal dining traditions, and car-free island setting preserve the theater of a classic American summer resort.
Hotel guideThe Broadmoor
Opened in 1918, The Broadmoor combines Italian Renaissance–inspired architecture, a lakefront setting, golf, celebrated dining, and access to Colorado outdoor adventures.
Hotel guideThe Don CeSar
The 1928 “Pink Palace” is a flamboyant Gulf Coast landmark whose arched façades and towers still deliver the visual drama of a Jazz Age seaside resort.
Hotel guideThe Boca Raton
Addison Mizner’s 1926 Cloister began a resort that has continually evolved. Its modern incarnation pairs historic Mediterranean architecture with an expansive beach-and-club experience.
Hotel guideThe Mission Inn Hotel & Spa
Developed over decades into a fantastical complex of courtyards, towers, arcades, and artifacts, the Mission Inn is less a single-period hotel than an immersive record of California booster-era imagination.
Hotel guideThe Otesaga Resort Hotel
The stately 1909 lakeside hotel brings veranda life, golf, and an old-fashioned summer-resort atmosphere to walkable Cooperstown.
Hotel guideHow We Chose
History you can experience
The strongest choices let guests encounter the story through architecture, grounds, traditions, tours, or long-established resort rituals.
A worthwhile stay now
Historic importance alone is not enough. Each property must still offer a compelling reason to stay, with honest acknowledgment of age, renovation, or uneven polish.