The Best New Affordable Luxury Hotels of 2025

Anna & Bel, Philadelphia

Fishtown, an enclave northeast of Philadelphia’s Center City, “needed a hotel,” says co-owner Dor Barkai Berkovitz. He and his wife, co-owner Galli Arbel, live around the corner and have watched “Fishtown really make a name for itself in the last 10 years,” thanks to an attention-grabbing food scene (I’m particularly taken with Kalaya Philadelphia from James Beard Award-winning chef Nok Suntaranon and Michael Solomov’s latest concept, Jaffa Bar). The historic building that became this chic, 47-room hotel blends in with the neighboring row homes. When I stayed with my husband and four-month-old son, our second-floor room opened onto a communal balcony. We grabbed breakfast in the glass-enclosed courtyard, which feels very much like a private greenhouse in the middle of Philly, then played chess by the fire in the living room and browsed the art collection curated by local gallery Paradigm Art Advisory. On a less wholesome evening, I checked out the Caletta bar for some arancini and a Cynar-heavy take on a Boulevardier. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $300. —Maya Kachroo-Levine

Basq House, Byron Bay, Australia

One of Australia’s most famous beach towns might be the last place you’d expect to find a boutique hotel modeled after a Moroccan riad, but that’s exactly what you get at Basq House. The mix-and-match aesthetic of this 32-room property lends it a creative vibe: basket-like pendant lights; a smooth leather sectional; a decorative antique terra cotta vase; smattering of large-scale paintings depicting everything from abstract mosaics to watercolor portraits. The indoor-outdoor library that spills into the courtyard is an especially sweet retreat, with its custom floor-to-ceiling bookcase and cushy seating: perfect for a post-swim glass of wine. Some rooms have balconies that look out into the village or over the courtyard. And, while the curved walls of the open-air shower stalls might not be to everyone’s taste, it certainly offers a sexy touch to every stay. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $251. —Chadner Navarro

Cascada, Portland, Oregon

These days, it seems like any hotel with a spa calls themselves a “wellness destination.” But at Cascada Thermal Springs + Hotel in Portland’s Alberta Arts District—a neighborhood filled with independent boutiques, restaurants, and galleries—that moniker feels well-earned. The centerpiece of this 100-room glass-and-timber hotel is the city’s largest hydrothermal spa, comprising five pools of varying temperatures (plus steam and dry saunas), most of which are located in a dimly lit, cavernous subterranean space. During my stay—over a chilly March weekend—I visited the thermal baths three times in as many days, cycling between the ice-cold plunge pool at one end and the steaming hot one at the other, with long dips in the mineral water pools in between. It was a perfect foil to the typically drizzly spring weather in Portland. The health and wellness ethos extends to every other part of the property, too: the in-house cafe, Alberta Street Coffee, has nutritious, high-protein grab-and-go lunch options alongside ethically sourced teas and coffee beans; two large gyms (one for strength training, one for cardio); and breathwork and meditation programming, including the sound bath I did on my first night, which used a combination of high-vibration singing bowls, gongs, and the ethereal voice of our practitioner, Stephanie, that sent me to another realm. Cascada’s primary restaurant, Terra Mae, meanwhile, serves a Japanese-Portuguese mashup menu with revelatory dishes like the “Fisherman’s Stew” (black cod, miso, tiger prawns, and clams in a rich seafood broth) and a tonkatsu sandwich (Japanese breaded pork cutlet served between soft milk bread and slicked with black garlic mayo) that’s worth a visit, even if you aren’t staying at the hotel. Doubles from $299. —John Wogan

The Celestine, New Orleans

In the heart of the French Quarter, this 18th-century building—once a hotel where Tennessee Williams wrote “A Streetcar Named Desire”—has reopened as the Celestine, a 10-room hideaway with a sumptuous cocktail bar, Peychaud’s. Every room has four-poster beds, antique furnishings, and in some cases, balconies overlooking the courtyard or the famed Toulouse Street. The hotel doesn’t have a restaurant, but offers live music most nights of the week, which I enjoyed while sitting by the fountain in the courtyard. When I asked the bartender to mix up his favorite tipple, he made a Roffignac, a NOLA classic, using the original 1938 recipe with eau-de-vie and raspberry shrub. Doubles from $250.​ —Alessandra Amodio

The Flat Iron Hotel, Asheville, North Carolina

Attention to historic detail informs every aspect of The Flat Iron Hotel, a 71-key, restored 1920s-era grand dame, which is full of art deco elements, like an original brass letterbox hanging between two hand-crank elevators, and a 1939 red Steinway piano in the lobby. At various points in its history, the building contained an array of businesses—including a bar, a dance studio, a detective’s office, and a barbershop—and throughout the hallways, a series of plaques depict the lives of some of the characters who worked there. Meanwhile, Luminosa, the ground floor restaurant, honors Appalachia’s foodways. Each bite showcases executive chef Graham House’s strong connections to the local community of farmers and foragers, with dishes like paper-thin, crispy country ham and grilled rapini with whipped herbed tallow and sorghum. The bar, Red Ribbon Society, presents interesting cocktails crafted from kitchen trim, foraged ingredients, and local spirits. One sip of the Meet Cute—gin, orange wine, chickweed, lemon, and honey—took me straight to the height of summer. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $249. —Carrie Honaker

Hotel Humano, Puerto Escondido, Mexico

When Hotel Humano opened in December 2024 in the La Punta Zicatela zone of Puerto Escondido, the visage of this backpacker surf spot got a nice slather of high-end SPF. Built with concrete and latticed brickwork and studded with stick-in-your-mind design elements, like a dramatic burgundy tile motif, the 39-room property inserts sophistication in between the beachwear boutiques and fish taco grill-outs. The centerpiece pool, lined with royal palm trees and a soaring palapa restaurant, could hold your attention all day, with icy Mexican lagers and ample daybed loungers. But La Punta is not the kind of beach town where you come to just veg out, and Hotel Humano functions best as a kind of luxury base camp. On my first morning, the hotel arranged a lesson for me with their go-to surf school, Art of Surfing. While the main stretch of Zicatela Beach to the north is a pro-surfer paradise, the cliff-hugging corner of La Punta is perfect for beginners. As the sun started to go down, I made my way to Humano’s rooftop bar. On the weekends, DJ sets create a dancey vibe, but during my stay the mood was decidedly more inspired—I watched vacationers at two separate tables sitting quietly, penning their reflections into journals, and felt compelled to do the same. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $195. —David Shortell 

Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel, California

Jacumba Hot Springs, with a population just shy of 900, lies about 70 miles east of San Diego. There are no stoplights and barely any businesses, just a few shops and weathered ranch-style homes. Driving in, it looked like a gold-mining village from the Old West. But then I saw a groovy sign that read: “Restaurant. Bar. Mineral Pools. Enter the Vortex.” Those mineral-water pools, fed by underground hot springs, are the main draw of this 20-room property, but as I found during my stay, there’s so much more. A dark grotto bar and its Mexican-inspired cocktails—the border is ever visible from the town’s main road—invite guests and locals to step away from time and enjoy a Oaxacan old fashioned or a zero-proof marg. The indoor-outdoor restaurant serves contemporary California fusion: Sonoran short rib with charred cauliflower, carnitas tacos. There are many ways to relax within the hotel’s walls: yoga classes, soundbaths, or simply reading a book with your feet dipped in the mineral waters. (Daytrippers can also buy a guest pass to the pools and reserve a cabana.) But the magic also extends off-property. When the new owners purchased the hotel, they also acquired a nearby lake that they restored and opened to the public, plus several nearby old storefronts, which they plan to develop into even more restaurants and shops. One highlight is an old bathhouse that’s only a two-minute walk from the hotel. Jacumba’s owners converted it into an open-air concert space, where local musicians perform weekly. Warmed by heat lamps and candle light, under a brilliant canopy of stars, I couldn’t have asked for much more. Doubles from $220. —Rosecrans Baldwin

Kimpton Bem Budapest, Hungary

When I arrived at Kimpton Bem Budapest, I was presented with a welcome drink that seemed, to my non-expert palate, like a fine Champagne. But these were flutes of pezsgő, Hungarian sparkling wine. This initial toast is just one of the ways the new property stays rooted in Hungary and its beguiling capital city, while bringing something fresh to a hotel scene known mostly for its stately grand dames. Housed in a 19th-century former barracks on Buda’s Bem József Square, the hotel’s neoclassical exterior belies the flamboyant, quintessentially Kimpton style within. The vision of Dutch interior designer Marcel Wanders is eclectic but rich with folkloric and historical reference: a large stag sculpture at the center of the lobby is a reference to the csodaszarvas, a central figure in the Hungarian origin myth; the ornate mosaic covering the reception desk (and the towering tiled columns of AGOS, the main restaurant) might conjure Budapest’s Roman or Ottoman eras. At Fennen, the rooftop lounge, and the ground-floor Bar Huso, the drinks list includes plenty of pálinka, the local brandy. Wanders’ signature whimsy also shines through in each of the 127 guest rooms and suites: Some have walls that seem wrapped in red velvet, for example, while others are covered with massive white poppies. Mine had a carpet—patterned like the foamy surface of a dark, stormy sea—which seemed to blend into the wall behind the bed, printed with ocean creatures and dramatic waves. They echoed the rolling blue Danube right outside my window. Doubles from $263. —H.W.

Marisma Camps, Patagonia, Argentina

With species including Magellanic penguins, sea lions, and five types of whales, Argentina’s southerly Chubut Province almost feels like the Galapagos of Patagonia. It’s on this pristine stretch of wild land, between the Andes Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, that Rewilding Argentina, a conservation NGO, has built Marisma Camps. Marisma has just six stand-alone casitas, made in the local style with corrugated metal and quaint wooden trims. Each is rustic and snug, offering a private deck overlooking the South Atlantic, with woolen blankets to cozy up with.

Stays are all-inclusive, with three meals and two daily excursions. I went on a gaucho-led horse ride through the golden steppe at sunset, as well as a sunrise hike to Tehuelche shell mounds, where my guide spoke of the area’s Indigenous history. I also cold-plunged in a protected cove, mountain biked down the brown-sand coast, and kayaked the namesake marisma, or tidal marsh. Llama-like guanacos, dwarf armadillos, and giant flightless birds, called choiques, were all frequent visitors. Guests dine together on three-course menus at a long wooden table, sharing tales of daily outings and wildlife sightings. If Patagonia’s notorious winds dissipate, there are even nightly bonfires and asado-style barbecues by the sea. From $230 per person per night, all-inclusive. —Mark Johanson

Maryhill Estate, Glumslöv, Sweden

At Maryhill Estate, set in Skåne on Sweden’s southern coast and a quick train ride from Copenhagen, groovy tunes set a laid-back mood as soon as I walked in. Another hit from Nordic hospitality company ESS Group, this hotel, with luscious Swedish baths and 163 rooms, takes over the historic Hill House castle, dating back to 1918. The floral decor throughout the vast living spaces evokes an eternal spring. I settled into a velvet armchair in my swanky suite overlooking one of the four heated outdoor pools and inhaled the coastal views. Cushy beds and curiosities in the form of artwork, books, and games decorate each of the country-chic rooms. After a glass of Champagne at the Sugar Pool Bar, a long balmy bath beneath a crisp night sky renewed and refreshed me. As I floated back to my suite, I eyed the animated groups of colleagues and friends circling the billiard tables, dart boards, and backgammon sets. With 11 bars and two restaurants–one serving French-Scandi cuisine, the other focused on Mediterranean classics, there’s no lack of food and drink. Come morning, I felt overdressed as several guests poured over the generous breakfast buffet in their plush green bathrobes, still glowing from a morning dip. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $270. —Kasia Dietz

Melbourne Place

Melbourne has long been considered the creative capital of Australia but until now hasn’t had a hotel that truly captures its character. Enter Melbourne Place, a distinctive 14-story tower latticed in concrete and glass on downtown’s vibrant Russell Street. Architects Kennedy Nolan have distilled the city’s essence into this 191-room hotel, showcasing impressive art, including hyper-realist portraits by South Sudanese-Australian artist Atong Atem. The textured rooms, gleaming with oiled jarrah wood and Australian terrazzo and marble, range from 205-square-foot Everyday Queens to the 1,460-square-foot Dawn Penthouse with a 10-seat dining table and baby grand piano. My Horizon suite one floor below was a 700-square-foot pleasure pad with a sunset terrace, dining for eight, and a musk-pink hallway bathtub. Street-level restaurant Marmelo channels Iberia in hand-painted azulejo tiles and a brashly delicious menu where Portuguese tarts turn savory with celeriac and spanner crab and the custom charcoal grill lends smoky depths to whole fish and paella-style arroz de marisco. Basement bar Mr. Mills (with separate laneway entrance; very Melbourne) radiates supper-club vibes from its velvet and timber surrounds, tapas-style snacks, and Douro Valley wines. But its rooftop bar Mid Air that best captures the city’s spirit. With Mediterranean-inspired menus by rising star chef Nick Deligiannis and a drinks list that leans into distinctive wines from Australia and abroad, this indoor-outdoor space with fireplace and brick masonry “eyes” framing skyline views is a dramatic stage to play out life’s dramas. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $190. —Kendall Hill

Naturally Pacific Resort, Campbell River, British Columbia

Stepping through the lobby doors of Naturally Pacific Resort, in the town of Campbell River on Vancouver Island, I came face-to-face with life-size photographs of the area’s powerful landscape: the rushing waters at Myra Falls, snow-covered Mount Washington, grizzly bears hunting salmon in the Bute Inlet. These displays of wild beauty extend to the 100 rooms: textured wall coverings in blues and greens, earth-toned furnishings, and stone counters and vanities. It also has a 10,000-square-foot garden, an apiary, and an orchard, which supply the hotel’s restaurant. But perhaps the most memorable feature was the option to decline housekeeping and, instead, purchase one square meter of protected rainforest in my name through the resort’s partner, Wilderness International. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $124. —C.H.

Populus, Denver

The 13-story, wedge-shaped Populus cuts a striking figure in Denver. Its façade, which is punctuated by eye-shaped windows, was inspired by the bark of Colorado’s native aspen tree, Populus tremuloides. Biophilic design continues inside the 265-room property: headboards are crafted from fallen pine trees, and some artwork is made with pressed wildflowers. In the elevators, guests hear birdsong recorded in Rocky Mountain National Park, and in the street-level restaurant, Pasque, an eye-catching installation made from 500 sheets of reishi-mushroom “leather” hangs above the bar. What’s more, with its commitment to producing zero food waste and using exclusively renewable electricity, Populus is the first carbon-positive hotel in the country. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $299.​ —Dobrina Zhekova

The Standard, Singapore

Singapore calls itself “the Garden City,” and this 143-room property leans into that identity. From the outside, the Standard is, well, quite standard for the uber-modern metropolis: a cool, sleek glass box rising from the tree-lined streets of the Orchard neighborhood, named for the nutmeg and citrus farms that once dominated the area. Inside, the mood instantly warms. In the lobby, my eyes were drawn to the terrarium at the check-in desk. The site-specific installation by Thai artist Eric Tobua is a miniature tropical wonderland, replete with orchids and butterflies. Through the lobby’s floor-to-ceiling windows, I could also see a multi-tiered garden courtyard, featuring a soaring green wall alive with all manner of tropical plants—philodendron, nettle, evergreen vines. The horticultural theme continued at the Cafe Standard, the hotel’s all-day restaurant and bar, where I sipped on a refreshing “botanical sling,” a spin on the iconic Singaporean gin cocktail. Upstairs at Kaya, an izakaya-inspired restaurant, another Thai artist, Saran Yen Panya, has papered the walls lavishly with intricate flowers, hand-embroidered by his mother and sister. At dinner, I delighted in the cleverly, if morbidly, named Finding Miso; the gorgeous char of the grilled flounder pairs beautifully with tsuyu, a Japanese condiment made with soy and sake, here enriched with miso. I also loved the tiramisu, its flavor deepened by miso’s umami. That evening, I wasn’t quite ready to sleep, totally enamored by the sparkling nighttime panorama of the cityscape—a view all The Standard, Singapore’s own. Doubles from $216. —Jeff Chu

The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit

The StandardX Bangkok Phra Arthit—which marks The Standard brand’s second outpost in Thailand, under the more wallet-friendly StandardX banner—is a love letter to Thai talent and terroir. The cavernous lobby features rotating art exhibitions by creatives such Kantapon Metheekul (also known as Gongkan) and Anurot Chanphosri. The adjoining café serves brews from coffee beans sourced in northern Thailand’s Nan province, while the boutique is a one-stop-shop for jewelry by Bangkok-based Hizoga or organic skincare by Patom. The 62 spacious rooms strike a balance between simplicity and fun, with clean lines and tongue-in-cheek touches, such as tea bags tucked into faux cigarette packs. Upstairs, the rooftop opens to a pool overlooking the Chao Phraya River, alongside a bar (try the Mezcal Guavarita with pink guava cordial). While some of Bangkok’s top street food districts, including Yaowarat and Nang Loeng, are just a short taxi ride away, the hotel’s restaurant, Bang, makes staying in just as tempting, with breakfasts including Thai congee or coconut mango pancakes, and dinners of chicken curry-smothered roti and zingy som tum papaya salad. Doubles from $112. —Chris Schalkx

Viceroy at Ombria Algarve, Portugal

When I moved to Portugal, I fell in love with the country’s sense of calm. There’s always time to sit for coffee and appreciate the view, and there’s simply no rush. It’s a vibe that’s hard to capture, but the Viceroy at Ombria Algarve somehow manages to embody this sense of calma. The resort has 76 guest rooms spread out across 24 buildings, all surrounding its “town square,” which sits in the midst of 370 acres of private land, punctuated by fig, citrus, and olive trees. Here, guests can lean further into Portuguese culture with artisan-led workshops in pottery, tile painting, and bread baking, or choose off-site activities like visits to a local honey farm, guided hikes, and horseback riding. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $236. —Stacey Leasca 

Wood Hotel Bodø, Norway

Wood Hotel Bodø has something that few other Norwegian hotels do: a rooftop pool. Despite summertime temperatures rarely exceeding 77°F in Bodø, the comfortable 95°F year-round water is one of the hotel’s calling cards, as are the property’s panoramic views of the peninsula. Look left, and the snow-capped mountains of Straumøya are in view; look right, and the vast Norwegian Sea and rounded, granite Landegode island dominate the horizon. Each room—furnished with cabinetry, chairs, side tables, and handblown glass lamps all made in Norway—looks out at either land or sea. At the property’s main restaurant, Attme, the menu is unapologetically Nordic: cod with bacon, marinated scallops with a sea buckthorn ponzo. The hotel sits on Rønvikfjellet mountain, making it the perfect base from which to set out on the web of hiking trails that wind through the surrounding greenery. Accessible hotel. Doubles from $141. —Monique Ceccato