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The Best Places in the United States

Drink + Stay + Do, change section














































  1. Address
    2201 Second St NE, Minneapolis, MN, United States
    Hours

    Open now, until midnight

    Friday 5 PM–Midnight

    Reserve
    Resy
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram






  2. A boardwalk over Waller Creek, three new bridges, and 13 acres of bike and pedestrian paths threading from Fourth Street down to Lady Bird Lake: The Confluence is the second phase of a long-running project to stitch a green corridor through downtown Austin. It replaced a stretch of concrete with actual breathing room, which in this city counts as a civic event. Bring a bike or just walk it; either way, Lady Bird Lake is the payoff.














  3. The awards


  4. The working winery came first, and everything else followed. An hour north of Atlanta in the North Georgia foothills, Chateau Elan is a full resort built around 3,500 acres of vineyard and pine forest, with rooms running from wood-and-leather Deluxe Kings up to a Presidential Suite with vineyard views. Five restaurants, a bourbon speakeasy, a spa, and championship golf round things out, which is lucky, since most guests never find a reason to leave.

    The awards


  5. The awards


  6. Bookshelves line the walls of this University of Iowa-adjacent hotel, which makes sense once you remember that Iowa City is home to the Iowa Writers' Workshop, the creative-writing program that launched half the authors on your nightstand. The Graduate leans into that literary identity hard, so expect campus-town energy, Hawkeye pride, and a lobby that feels more like a well-curated reading room than a chain hotel check-in.

    The awards


  7. A boutique hotel on the University of Tennessee's main drag, Graduate Knoxville leans hard into Volunteers territory: the rooms are done in orange and white, and a Peyton Manning partnership means the football nostalgia is baked in, not bolted on. The Graduate chain has made college-town hotels its whole thing, and the Michelin Guide has included this one in its Selected Hotels list. Pack accordingly if you're visiting on a game day.

    The awards


  8. The awards


  9. Six studio rooms in a restored 19th-century house on the New Hampshire seacoast, each with a full kitchen and in-unit laundry, which is the boutique hotel quietly admitting that some guests prefer to live in a place rather than just sleep in it. The decor is traditional in its bones but contemporary in execution, and the team fields calls from guests who want a local's read on where to eat or where to go. New Castle is a short drive from Portsmouth.

    The awards


  10. Sewing machine motifs and geometric textiles cover the rooms of this downtown hotel, a nod to El Paso's old garment industry that doubles as a quiet history lesson. The building is a 1960s motor inn conversion, and the border-city identity runs through everything: Mamacitas handles locally rooted brunch with Mexican influences, while the fifth-floor cocktail bar sits above a rooftop pool with views across two countries.

    The awards


  11. The stained-glass ceiling in the Dome Bar has been stopping people mid-sentence for over a century, and it's still the best argument for booking a room in the building around it. Hotel Paso del Norte is a full-on luxury hotel, old-school grandeur in the public spaces, but the rooms go contemporary, with custom furniture and wall-sized murals of antique city maps that make ignoring your inbox feel almost cultured.

    The awards


  12. A Berkshires wellness resort where you can book a treetop ropes course in the morning and still order a cocktail before dinner, which puts it ahead of most places that use the word "wholesome" this often. The facilities are new, the design runs toward calm without tipping into cold, and the programming swings from spa treatments to beekeeping. It's an easy drive from New York, which the parking lot quietly confirms.

    The awards


  13. Geodesic domes and tree-platform villas, each with its own plunge pool or hot tub, tucked into the Hill Country outside Marble Falls. Missing Hotel is a glamping retreat where the name explains the concept: you go missing for a few days, which is the whole point. Eleven units, a quirky mix of modern and bohemian, close enough to Austin for a weekend escape but far enough that "off-grid" isn't just marketing copy.

    The awards


  14. A mid-century motor lodge that never forgot what it was, River Lodge sits visible from the 101 in Paso Robles wine country, its retro façade and postcard pool intact. Rooms were quietly overhauled with bespoke furnishings and private porches, some with hammocks or firepits. Complimentary Linus bikes and a poolside cocktail bar make it easy to stay longer than planned, which is the whole point of wine country anyway.

    The awards


  15. A lovingly restored 1950s motor inn where the retro bones have been given proper adult upgrades, including full kitchens with Smeg fridges that suggest someone has opinions. This is a self-catered, low-touch stay on the New Hampshire coast, so you're cooking, not calling room service. The beach is directly across Ocean Boulevard, the swim shop has your gear, and Portsmouth is ten minutes away when the tranquility starts to feel suspiciously peaceful.

    The awards


  16. A former furniture store in downtown El Paso, now a boutique hotel where the walls do most of the talking. Every room carries original work from Mexican, European, and local artists, so the effect lands somewhere between gallery and guestroom. The building itself has been around forever, and the renovation leans into that bones-and-history feel rather than papering over it. A good sign for a city center that has been quietly pulling itself together.

    The awards


  17. A Victorian tavern turned 20-room boutique hotel on the edge of Lenox, where the rooms split the difference between antique atmosphere and working Wi-Fi. Some have reading nooks, some have private porches, all have local art on the walls. There's a living room for a drink, but no proper bar or restaurant, which is fine since the town center is a short walk and Stockbridge is minutes south. The Michelin Guide includes it among its selected hotels.

    The awards


  18. Perched in Chattanooga's Bluff View Art District, the Edwin Hotel is a contemporary property where the art collection spills from the lobby straight into the loft-style rooms, so even unpacking feels vaguely cultured. Whitebird handles dinner with some seriousness, and the Whiskey Thief rooftop bar handles everything else. Chattanooga draws the outdoor crowd, but the Edwin doubles as a social destination for people who also want a good drink after the hike.

    The awards


  19. Twelve rooms above a Grand Ballroom in the one building that survived a 1940 fire, which tells you something about what you're getting into. The Piccolo is a small, historic inn on Paso Robles's main square, with fireplaces, soaking tubs, and private balconies in each room. The Michelin Guide has it in their Selected Hotels list. Celebrity chef Charlie Palmer runs the restaurants downstairs if you'd rather not wander far for dinner.

    The awards


  20. Pendleton blankets, wood paneling, and leather everything: Urban Cowboy Lodge commits to the rustic bit without apology, which is partly the point of escaping the city in the first place. This Catskills retreat spreads 28 rooms and suites across five buildings, from cabin-style quarters to a sprawling six-bedroom lodge floor. An Estonian Iglu sauna sits in a trailer on the property, apparently the only one in the country, because of course it does.

    The awards


  21. A 19th-century Italianate mansion on 22 acres of Olmsted-designed parkland, with 19 rooms and a French restaurant running eight tables. It is the kind of hotel that makes you wonder briefly if you've wandered into a novel. The Gilded Age bones are intact, the modern touches stay quiet, and Tanglewood is a short walk away for anyone who needs a reason to justify the room rate beyond sheer indulgence.

    The awards



  22. Address
    644 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101, United States
    Hours

    Open now, until 1 AM

    Friday 6 PM–1 AM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram


  23. Address
    7220 N Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33150, United States
    Hours

    Open now, until 10:30 PM

    Friday Noon–10:30 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  24. Address
    21 Essex Way, Unit 201, Essex Junction, VT 05452, United States
    Hours

    Closed now, opens Sat noon

    Friday 4 PM–9 PM

    Reserve
    Resy
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  25. Rank 2587. Bludorn

    American

    Royal blue booths, an open kitchen you can pull a counter seat at, and a baked Alaska that arrives on fire make the room feel like it has something to prove, in a good way. Bludorn is a New American restaurant and bar where the menu swings wide, from oysters (some Texan) to cioppino to seafood towers. The chef is a James Beard semifinalist, and the hospitality is the kind that makes you notice it without being able to say why.


    Address
    807 Taft St, Houston, TX 77019, United States
    Hours

    Open now, until 10:30 PM

    Friday 5 PM–10:30 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  26. Address
    180 Flynn Ave, Burlington, VT 05401, United States
    Hours

    Closed now, opens Sat noon

    Friday Noon–9 PM

    Reserve
    Resy
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  27. Address
    1600 20th St, Denver, CO 80202, United States
    Hours

    Open now, until 11 PM

    Friday 4 PM–11 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  28. Rank 2587. Cana

    Brazilian

    Caipirinhas built from fresh sugar-cane juice anchor this small Brazilian bar and kitchen in Adams Morgan, where a vinyl soundtrack keeps the room at a low simmer all night. The open kitchen sends out charcoal-oven dishes and fried tapioca squares with spicy guava sauce that Washingtonian singled out as a favorite dish of the year. A James Beard semifinalist for Best New Bar, it draws the kind of crowd that skips the menu on the second visit.


    Address
    2412 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009, United States
    Hours

    Open now, until 1:30 AM

    Friday 5 PM–1:30 AM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  29. Rank 2587. Club Frills

    American Burger Joint

    Club Frills is a cocktail bar dressed as a 70s basement, with fake wood paneling, a disco ball, and tabletops that are marble only in spirit. It wears the dive costume without the sticky floors or the low prices. The drinks run low-ABV and funky, often in colors not found in nature, and the kitchen turns out a burger built around diced olives. It was a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.


    Address
    79 Ives St, Providence, RI 02906, United States
    Hours

    Open now, until 1 AM

    Friday 5 PM–1 AM

    Reserve
    Resy
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  30. Rank 2587. Copper Spoon

    Cocktail Bar

    The awards


  31. A strip-mall address in Scottsdale is doing its best to throw you off, but step inside Course and it's a full tasting-menu restaurant, white-tablecloth intentions and all. The kitchen runs a rotating seasonal menu, five courses on weeknights and eight on weekends, with a James Beard semifinalist nomination for the chef and another for pastry. The Pinnacle Guide awarded it one Pin for 2026.


  32. Rank 2587. Darling

    Southern


    Address
    631 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, United States
    Hours

    Open now, until 10 PM

    Friday 5:30 PM–10 PM

    Reserve
    Resy
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  33. Rank 2587. Elcielo Bistró DC

    Modern Colombian

    A corn broth that quietly dismantles everything you thought about corn broth is a good sign you're in the right place. Elcielo is a Michelin-starred fine dining tasting menu restaurant near Union Market where the Colombian-born chef turns his home country into a deeply personal, course-by-course argument. The chocotherapy dessert has become a thing people mention unprompted. The room runs warm in a way that doesn't feel managed.


    Address
    1280 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002, United States
    Hours

    Open now, until 11:30 PM

    Friday 5 PM–11:30 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    Website

  34. Address
    112 Lake St, Burlington, VT 05401, United States
    Hours

    Open now, until midnight

    Friday Noon–Midnight

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  35. Address
    70 Main St, Winooski, VT 05404, United States
    Hours

    Closes soon, 10 PM, in 59 min

    Friday Noon–10 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  36. Address
    403 Hill Rd, Greensboro Bend, VT 05842, United States
    Hours

    Closed now, opens Sat 11:30 AM

    Friday 11:30 AM–6 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

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Eat Score

The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

    How we score →

    Drink Score

    The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

      How we score →

      Stay Score

      Four fifths of the score is the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin Key outweighs a listicle. The last fifth is where it is: the ranked places to eat and things to do around it, and how safe the country is. When you sort by what's nearby, distance from you changes the order, never the score.

        How we score →

        Do Score

        The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

          How we score →

          Best Place Score

          The Best Place Score rates the area around a point, not any one place. The places are 60% of it: the best of what's within reach, weighed by distance. The setting is the other 40%: how life goes in that country (how people rate their own lives, how long and how well they live, how safe they are) and what it's like right there (the air, and the weather). If the score looks low, we probably haven't found enough critics out here yet.

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