Forty-five hotels from around the world are among TIME‘s first annual list of the World’s Greatest Places, including four properties in the United States. The list highlights 100 destinations that are breaking new ground, leading industry trends, and offering visitors an extraordinary experience, according to the publication.
To create the list, TIME solicited nominations across a variety of categories—including hotels as well as museums, parks, and restaurants—from TIME editors and correspondents around the world, as well as dozens of industry experts. TIME evaluated each one based on several key factors, including quality, originality, innovation, sustainability, and influence. The result is a list with entries spanning six continents and 48 countries.
Four U.S. hotels made the list: Hotel Henry in Buffalo, N.Y., the Detroit Foundation Hotel in Michigan, Snow Bear Chalets in Whitefish, Mont., and Sheldon Chalet in Denali National Park, Alaska.
Other U.S. destinations that made the list include: Morgan’s Inspiration Island in San Antonio, the world’s first water park built for people with disabilities; Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, deemed America’s best place for stargazing; and Pandora: The World of Avatar in Bay Lake, Fla., a next-gen theme park that brings Avatar to life.
