WASHINGTON,—U.S. News & World Report this week announced the 2019 Best Hotels after evaluating more than 30,000 luxury hotels and resorts across the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.
In this year’s rankings, Hawaii’s Four Seasons Resort Hualalai took the first spot, followed by The Peninsula Chicago and the Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, Surfside, Florida. These high-ranking hotels are known for outstanding service, ample on-site amenities, and elegant accommodations.
U.S. News awards the top 10 percent of ranked hotels with a Gold badge. These five destinations are home to the highest number of Gold badge-winning hotels in the U.S. for 2019:
- New York City has 39 Gold badge winners
- Las Vegas has 14 Gold badge winners
- Los Angeles has 14 Gold badge winners
- Washington, D.C. has 12 Gold badge winners
- Chicago has 12 Gold badge winners
U.S. News has also introduced additional destination-specific rankings to the Best Hotels in the USA portfolio, ranging from vacation spots like Lake Placid, New York, to smaller cities like Carlsbad, California, to college towns like State College, Pennsylvania, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. New this year, the rankings include 3.5-star hotels on select U.S. ranking lists.
“The U.S. News Best Hotels rankings combine data from industry expert evaluations as well as traveler-focused reviews and insight to provide a more holistic idea of what each hotel has to offer,” said Hannah Cheney, senior travel editor at U.S. News. “Readers can use the rankings to find a variety of options for every type of vacation. Whether that’s a luxurious stay in Paris or a weekend getaway to a college or beach town, we’ve expanded the hotel rankings to give readers information on even more hotels.”
U.S. News’ 2019 Best Hotels rankings span more than 400 destinations. This time of year, the most popular hotel searches are in warm-weather spots, including Maui, Miami Beach, and Playa del Carmen. Meanwhile, cold-weather fans flock to winter ski destinations like Aspen and Whistler. The Caribbean is making a comeback this year as well, with numerous hotels reopening after a devastating hurricane season in 2017.
U.S. News scored luxury hotels using a methodology that combines each hotel’s industry awards with its star rating and guest reviews. These rankings are part of the expanding U.S. News Travel channel, which evaluates the Best Vacations, Best Cruise Lines, and Best Travel Rewards Programs.
Best Hotels in the United States
- Four Seasons Resort Hualalai
- The Peninsula Chicago
- Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, Surfside, Florida
- Four Seasons Resort Lanai
- Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
