From Los Angeles to Yellowstone via Monument Valley, San Francisco and Lake Powell, our consultants have put together their selection of the best hotels in the American West.
1
Dream Hollywood - Los Angeles
Situated near Hollywood Boulevard, famous for its excesses, nightlife, legends and the people who go there, Dream Hollywood is a welcome escape that you can enjoy returning to after a day strolling around sprawling LA, with a cosy, trendy and relaxing vibe. The hotel has several highlights. Take advantage of the rooftop pool area, and enjoy a drink with a view over the city as the sun sets, while the large windows in your room make sure the city views just keep coming. From its almost futuristic reception and comfortable rooms to its rooftop restaurant with panoramic views across the whole city, this is a great place to stay.
Dream Hollywood
2
Amangiri - Page (Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell)
A stone's throw from Lake Powell, nestled at the foot of a huge mesa (flat-topped and steep-sided hill) and facing the desert, the Amangiri hotel is located in a breathtakingly beautiful and wild setting. With its ochre adobe-style buildings and flat roofs that mirror the mesa, the hotel is barely visible from the bumpy track that leads to it. Then head inside and you'll find a world of smooth concrete with perfect lines hidden in this arid canyonland; and a large lounge with huge windows that open out onto the desert. The public spaces in the hotel openly flow from one to the next, and include a library, more lounge areas and a restaurant with an open kitchen. The hotel's suites feature high ceilings, a large bedroom with a luxurious king bed, seating area, a spacious bathroom and a terrace. At the end of each terrace is a ledge which can be used as a cushioned seating area, alongside a wood-burning fire, where you can enjoy an evening soundtracked by the desert and its coyote inhabitants. The cuisine is refined and organic, with a well-stocked bar, sophisticated spa and some exciting excursions on offer. As night falls, listen to the wind whistling through the star-lit rocks.
The most beautiful hotel by far in this part of America, the Amangiri is a deliciously refined oasis in the heart of the desert. The pool, which you'll almost certainly have seen before in magazines, is amazing. It is built to include a small mesa, the table-like hills that make up the landscape of the red-toned west of the country, and which guests can swim around.
3
Hotel Zephyr - San Francisco
This hotel consists of a long, three-storey brick facade building with - if we're honest - little architectural interest, but with pleasant and contemporary rooms. Hotel Zephyr is located a block-and-a-half from Pier 39, and very close to the old sailing ships at the San Francisco Maritime Museum at Hyde Street Pier.
Hotel Zephyr
4
The Line Hotel - Los Angeles
Located in Koreatown between Hollywood and Downtown, The Line is located in the main tourist hub. The scene here is young and trendy, with two fashionable restaurants, a café and a nightclub that is popular with locals. The hotel has a pared-back architectural design, featuring concrete rooms with huge floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Hollywood Hills. The hotel's creators have also teamed up with Korean chef Roy Choi, known for his famous food truck. He now serves up his dishes at Le Pot restaurant, which is always full, alongside a bar open day and night, while the pool on the rooftop is among the most popular in LA.
Egg Canvas & Adrian Gault - The Line Hotel
5
Ojai Rancho Inn - Ojai, California
Inspired by real-life ranches, Ojai Rancho Inn features a warm wood design with floor-to-ceiling panelling, wooden furniture and comfortable wood-framed beds. Its warm colours combined with the cacti and tipi in the garden contribute to a true Old West atmosphere. The bar, with its comfy bar stools, is somewhere to sit with your elbows resting on the counter, sipping your drink to a soundtrack of vinyl.
6
Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel - Huntington Beach
This modern hotel is a harmonious blend of tranquillity and comfort. With its ocean-side setting, it's the perfect place to tap into the local Huntington Beach lifestyle. Not too far from Los Angeles, it is a great place to round off a trip, and this charming boutique hotel has everything you need to enjoy the beaches around California's surfing capital.
Shorebreak Hotel Kimpton
7
Tower23 - San Diego
The modern and pristine facade of this luxurious hotel overlooks the Pacific, with stunning views from bay windows on its top three floors. It's the perfect place for a final seaside stop on the trendy Pacific coast.
Tower23
8
The Standard Downtown - Los Angeles
Located in Downtown, a constantly-evolving business district, this skyscraper once owned by an oil tycoon has become the place to be for the young and trendy Los Angeles set. More than just a hotel, at Standard Downtown there's a rooftop pool and bar, a '60s-style coffee shop, stylish hairdresser and an impressive book shop. The only thing standard about this hotel is its name. Take in the view from the panoramic terrace on the 11th floor with a cocktail at the lounge bar (a current local hotspot), enjoy a swim among the skyscrapers in the heated pool or watch a Hollywood action film al fresco, projected onto a nearby building.
The Standard Downtown LA
9
The View - Monument Valley
Built by the heiress of a large Navajo family, this hotel was designed with the sacred places around it in mind. Moulding to its surroundings, it features only three floors and a matching orange colour palette, blending seamlessly with the valley's red cliffs. The spacious and comfortable rooms all have balconies with views of the valley, while the cabins, located away from the main building, are more private and offer beautiful view of the valley's stone structures.
True to its name, the view of Monument Valley is breathtaking, with epic sunrise and sunset views.
Rights Reserved
10
Amangani - Yellowstone
The second Aman on our list of the best hotels in western USA. Meaning 'peaceful home', Amangani was inspired by large Asian-style lodges and features three floors and wooden balconies, all set in a spectacular location with huge windows that open out to the peaks of the Teton mountain range, soaring 13,780ft above. Oklahoma sandstone columns, walls panelled with Douglas pine or Pacific redwood and clad in raw stone blocks with animal skin decorations (imitation, an environmental requirement) all offer a sense of rustic refinement that suits the surroundings perfectly. The simple decoration and colour palette used give off an almost monastic vibe, and with its breathtaking location, magnificent views, architecture in perfect harmony with its surroundings and sense of simple and refined elegance, staying at Amangani makes for an unforgettable experience.
The Amangani
11
Grand Teton : Jenny Lake Lodge
The small wooden cottages here date back to the 1920s, when the national park was created by Rockefeller, and are scattered in a clearing with stunning views of the Teton Range reflecting in the nearby lakes. This is one of the best hotels to stay in throughout the national parks in the American west. It's an ideal cross between a mountain chalet and ranch, with a refined, authentic style featuring perfectly-tailored food and activities, designed to suit even the most demanding traveller looking for the right price.
Jenny Lake Lodge
12
El Capitan Canyon - Santa Barbara
El Capitan Canyon
