Editors' Choice Awards Winners 2018 SEE FULL GUIDE prev next Best Beach Hotels & Resorts Best Budget & Business Hotels Los Angeles Winners Atlanta Winners Chicago Winners New York City Winners Best Casual Dining Best Iconic Restaurants & Fine Dining Best Quick Service Restaurants Best Romantic Restaurants Best Specialty Restaurants Best Breakfast & Brunch Best Bars & Breweries Best Art Galleries & Museums Best History & Specialty Museums Best Iconic & Historic Attractions Best Free Attractions Best Family Attractions & Experiences Best Music & Performance Best Parks & Gardens Best Science Museums & Attractions Best Shopping & Experiences Best Stadiums, Sports Attractions & Ski Resorts Best Beaches & Natural Attractions Best Family Hotels Best Historic Hotels Best Inns, B&Bs and Boutiques Best Luxury Hotels Best Specialty Hotels Editors' Choice Awards Winners 2018 close Overview TripSavvy Inspiration Best Specialty Hotels TripSavvy Editors' Choice Awards 2018 By TripSavvy Editors TripSavvy Editors We’re a team of experienced writers and editors who obsessively scour the world to find the best places, products, and businesses in the world. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 06/26/19 Fact checked by Erin Medlicott Fact checked by Erin Medlicott LinkedIn Twitter New York University Rutgers University Erin Medlicott is a fact checker and researcher with a background in lifestyle and finance. Prior to her work at TripSavvy, she did financial research for the American Express Departures Magazine as well as the Wall Street Journal. She earned a TripSavvy's fact-checking Archer Hotel by Claire Cohen Not every occasion calls for a one-size-fits-all hotel. Some hotels suit the visual-minded, with carefully considered design notes carrying through from the lobby to the guest suites. Others imbue a trendsetting atmosphere, serving up cocktails and DJ sets until the sun rises. From gay-friendly hotels to the most romantic, here are TripSavvy's favorite specialty hotels for 2018. Design Hotels The Opposite House The Opposite House: Beijing, China — featured in The Best Hotels in Beijing In the hubbub of Beijing The Opposite House is an oasis of quiet and calm. It opened in time for the 2008 Olympics and wowed both locals and tourists alike with its remarkable design that blends the old with the new. Famed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma created every detail to invoke positive feelings. The exterior is made of emerald glass, the color of serenity, and the lobby is a vast seamless space meant to give off a sense of tranquility and order. The rooms are spacious and open. The sculpture garden has works from the best Chinese artists around the world. –Alyson Krueger Detroit Foundation Hotel: Detroit, Mich. — featured in The Best Hotels in Detroit Casa Camper Berlin: Berlin, Germany — featured in The Best Hotels in Berlin Hotel Unique: Sao Paulo, Brazil — featured in The Best Sao Paulo Hotels Hotel Design Secret de Paris: Paris, France— featured in The Coolest Boutique Hotels in Paris The Upper House: Hong Kong — featured in The Best Hotels in Hong Kong Hotel Fasano: Sao Paulo, Brazil — featured in The Best Sao Paulo Hotels Made in Louise Made in Louise: Brussels, Belgium — featured in The Best Hotels in Brussels The Belgians know how to live right. They start the day with homemade pastries and jams or oversized waffles in a beautiful loggia overlooking a beautiful garden. Throughout the day they crack open a craft beer to enjoy with close friends or family. At night they cuddle up in an oversized bed in a cozy room that is also elegant. Made in Louise has perfected giving this experience to guests. They’ve even set up their hotel in a 20th century townhouse, so visitors feel like they’re living in the grand home of a friend rather than a hotel. –Alyson Krueger Gay-Friendly Hotels Grand Resort The Grand Resort: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — featured in Fort Lauderdale Gay Resorts & Hotels The Grand Resort and Spa is Fort Lauderdale’s largest and best-known gay owned and operated spa-resort that first opened in 1999. The resort included 33 well-appointed rooms and suites, and is located just steps from the beach, in addition to all of the city’s attractions and nightlife. As Fort Lauderdale’s first gay resort with its own full-service day spa and hair studio, Grand Resort offers guests an experience that is unique and which sets them apart. The resort rates always include free WiFi and parking, continental as well as hot catered breakfast each day. –David Duran Simpsons of Potts Point: Sydney, Australia— featured in Gay-Friendly Hotels in Sydney Auberge Aux Deux Lions: Quebec City, Canada — featured in Gay-Friendly Hotels in Quebec City Bobcat Inn: Santa Fe, N.M. — featured in Santa Fe Gay Hotels & Inns Calypso Inn: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — featured in Fort Lauderdale Gay Resorts & Hotels Capitol Hill Mansion Capitol Hill Mansion: Denver, Colo. — featured in Gay-Friendly Hotels in Denver This incredible gem has been one of Denver’s premier urban inns since 1994. The inn has eight distinctive guestrooms, each named after a Colorado wildflower. There are three two-room suites, two rooms with balconies and two with fireplaces. Three even have whirlpool tubs! But what makes this place so special are the owner/operators, a father and daughter duo that are enjoy interacting with guests and serve as the perfect city ambassadors, helping with suggestions on what to see and do. The father, Chef Carl, prides himself on his breakfast creations and with good reason, as his bountiful breakfasts are delightful and something to look forward to each morning. –David Duran Chaps Inn: Palm Springs, Calif. — featured in The Best Gay Hotels in Palm Springs Hacienda Nicholas: Santa Fe, N.M. — featured in Santa Fe Gay Hotels & Inns Residenza San Lorenzo: Palm Springs, Calif. — featured in The Best Gay Hotels in Palm Springs Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — featured in Fort Lauderdale Gay Resorts & Hotels Hacienda at Warm Sands Hacienda at Warm Sands: Palm Springs, Calif. — featured in Best Gay Hotels in Palm Springs From the moment you enter the gates at Hacienda at Warm Sands, you’ll quickly appreciate why it’s considered one of the most upscale gay male resorts in California. This stylish and spacious hotel comes with lush landscaping, is extremely service oriented and offers just ten suites, which means you will receive extra care and attention while staying there. Located in Palm Springs, a city known to cater to the LGBTQ community, Hacienda at Warm Sands is within a short distance to all the city’s major attractions, restaurants and nightlife. Or just take advantage of the property and treat it as your semi-private hideaway resort oasis. –David Duran El Farolito Bed & Breakfast Inn: Santa Fe, N.M. — featured in Santa Fe Gay Hotels & Inns Hotel Palomar Phoenix CityScape: Phoenix, Ariz.— featured in Phoenix & Scottsdale Gay-Friendly Hotels Meranova Guest Inn: St. Petersburg, Fla. — St. Petersburg Gay-Friendly Hotels & Inns Ten Thousand Waves: Santa Fe, N.M. — featured in Santa Fe Gay Hotels & Inns Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort: St. Petersburg, Fla. — St. Petersburg Gay-Friendly Hotels & Inns El Mirasol Villas Resort: Palm Springs, Calif. — featured in The Best Gay Hotels in Palm Springs Hot Hotels Hotel San Jose Hotel San Jose: Austin, Texas — featured in Hip Hotels in AustinFormer Manhattan Prosecutor Liz Lambert transformed this 1930s motor court hotel, previously a hub for drugs and crime, into one of Austin’s best designer properties. Every detail, from the bed platforms made of reclaimed wood to the custom saddle leather chairs, is considered. Guests get custom Sferra sheets and kimono bathrobes. They can even get into the retro spirit by borrowing typewriters and polaroid cameras. There is a small pool, decorated with cacti, for hotel guests only. Forget your bathing suit? The hotel will lend you a dipster (disposable swimwear.) The hotel hosts multiple events in its parking lot including the five-day South by San Jose festival. –Alyson Krueger Archer Hotel: New York, N.Y. — featured in Archer Hotel, NYC Kimpton Gray Hotel: Chicago, Ill. — featured in Pet-Friendly Hotels in Chicago Mason & Rook Hotel: Washington, D.C. — featured in Best New Hotels in Washington, D.C. Kimpton’s newest D.C. hotel, Mason & Rook opened in 2016 to rave reviews, thanks to its stylish residential feel — mid-century vintage finds, funky artwork, and Chesterfield sofas abound in the 178-room hotel off of the hip 14th Street corridor. Lots of D.C. hotels (and their guests) are stuffy and, well, stifling. At Mason & Rook, a cooler, friendlier vibe takes hold thanks to its modern design and amenities like a rooftop pool and lounge, complimentary bikes, and in-room yoga mats, plus the unpretentious bar and restaurant, Radiator. –Devorah Lev-Tov Raffles Dubai: Dubai, UAE— featured in The Best Hotels in Dubai Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom: Vienna, Austria — featured in The Best Hotels in Vienna The Sebastian Vail: Vail, Colo. — featured in Vail's Best Winter Resorts After a day on the slopes, this luxury boutique hotel knows how to warm up its guests. Yes, there’s the steaming hot tubs with views of snow-capped mountains. But, the property also has a hot chocolate program, with weekly rotations of gourmet flavors and homemade Baileys Irish Cream marshmallows. The hotel is located in the center of scenic Vail Village, which has bars, restaurants, shops and an ice skating rink and channels European vibes with its cobblestone streets. The Sebastian Vail also has a private mountain club edged up against Vail Mountain, where ski valets help guests step into warm ski boots. –Brittany Anas Cosmopolitan Hotel Las Vegas: Las Vegas, Nev. — featured in The Best Hotels in Las Vegas Fairmont Nile City: Cairo, Egypt — featured in The Best Hotels in Cairo Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club: Honolulu, Hawaii — featured in Honolulu's Best Hotels Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club — open since 2016, in the shell of a former motor lodge — is two blocks from Waikiki Beach’s main drag (Kalakaua Avenue). Need a curated experience? The “director of aloha” can hook you up with restaurant recommendations, vintage shopping, the best place to get a lei, you name it. Live music, poolside flicks and yoga sessions are guest perks. Locally renowned chef Ed Kenney helms the all-day-dining menu at Mahina & Sun’s, featuring local, organic cuisine. Rooms flaunt retro-chic décor and don’t leave without grabbing coffee at Olive & Oliver, whose floral-motif paper cups are a huge hit with design fans, as is the attached boutique. –Kristine Hansen Romantic Hotels Hotel Moments Budapest: Budapest, Hungary — featured in The Best Budapest Hotels The Oxford Hotel: Denver, Colo.— featured in The Most Romantic Hotels in Colorado Sofitel Cairo El Gezirah: Cairo, Egypt — featured in The Best Hotels in Cairo Shangri-La, Singapore: Singapore — featured in Singapore's Most Romantic Hotels Bill and Coo Suites and Lounge: Mykonos, Greece — featured in Best Hotels in Mykonos Hotel Artemide: Rome, Italy — featured in The Best Hotels in Rome Fisher Island Hotel & Resort: Miami, Fla. — featured in The Best Miami Hotels Sterling Inn and Spa: Niagara Falls, Canada — featured in The Best Niagara Falls Hotels Kimpton Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh, Pa. — featured in Pittsburgh's Best Hotels Wedgewood Hotel: Vancouver, Canada — featured in Romantic Hotels in Vancouver Park Hyatt Saigon: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — featured in The Best Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City Spicers Balfour Hotel: Brisbane, Australia — featured in The Best Brisbane Hotels Mine Hotel Boutique: Buenos Aires, Argentina — featured in The Best Buenos Aires Hotels The Loden Hotel Loden Hotel: Vancouver, Canada — featured in the Most Romantic Hotels in Vancouver Tucked away on a quiet yet central tree-lined street in Coal Harbour, the boutique Loden Hotel is a romantic haven for couples on a city break (or staycation). After a day of sightseeing, take a dip in the deep soaker tub and then snuggle up in a soft robe. Cuddle up in the king-sized bed and order room service from the hotel’s award-winning French restaurant Tableau Bar Bistro (get the pork ragu pasta if it’s in season). Borrow the Loden’s complementary cruiser bikes to take a ride around the nearby seawall, which stretches to Stanley Park and over to Kitsilano. –Amy Watkins Hotel Drisco: San Francisco, Calif. — featured in Romantic Hotels in San Francisco Banyan Tree Phuket: Phuket, Thailand — featured in The Best Hotels in Phuket Ett Hem: Stockholm, Sweden — featured in The Best Hotels in Stockholm Hotel Lilla Roberts: Helsinki, Finland — featured in The Best Helsinki Hotels The Library Hotel The Library Hotel: New York, N.Y. — featured in the Most Romantic Hotels in NYC Hidden in Midtown East is a hotel dedicated to literary geniuses; every detail creatively nods to them. The property has an astonishing collection of over 6,000 books organized by the Dewey Decimal System (remember that? Each guest floor is dedicated to one of the ten categories.) Book lovers get access to The Reading Room, open 24 hours a day, that offers free coffee, espresso, tea, cookies, and a wide array of books. The highlight is the rooftop bar fittingly named Bookmarks. Surrounding by New York City’s most beautiful towers, guests sip cocktails named among others The Pulitzer, Tequila Mockingbird, The Hemingway, and the Drunken Botanist. –Alyson Krueger Virgin Hotels Chicago: Chicago, Ill. — featured in Chicago's Most Romantic Hotels Hotel Ohla Barcelona: Barcelona, Spain — featured in The Best Barcelona Hotels Willows Lodge: Seattle, Wash. — featured in Seattle's Most Romantic Hotels The Brown Hotel: Louisville, Ky. — featured in The Best Louisville Hotels Storchen Zurich: Zurich, Switzerland — featured in The Best Zurich Hotels Hotel Estherea: Amsterdam, Netherlands — featured in The Best Hotels in Amsterdam Best Beach Hotels & Resorts Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit Share Pin Email