In this article, we will be taking a look at the 20 most luxurious hotels in the U.S. To skip our detailed analysis of the global luxury hotel market and the U.S. hospitality sector, you can go directly to 5 Most Luxurious Hotels in the U.S.
The Global Luxury Hotel Market
Wealthy people want to live a luxurious life and stay at the most expensive luxury hotels in the world. According to the Forbes list of Richest in 2023, the world’s billionaires have an accumulated net worth of $12.2 trillion. At the same time, as per World Population Review, the world has 47 million millionaires, of which 18 million reside in the U.S.
The global luxury hotel industry is a large marketplace and is anticipated to grow significantly in the coming years. In June, Fortune Business Insights published a report on luxury hotels, which stated that the global luxury hotel market was worth $128.54 billion in 2022. The global luxury hotel marketplace is expected to grow from $140.28 billion in 2023 to $293.61 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 11.1% over the forecasted period.
The global tourism industry acts as a catalyst for the hotel industry. Luxurious stays of families and executives during holidays and business tours massively support the luxury hospitality industry. The tourism industry continues to expand post-COVID. Fortune Business Insights cited World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)’s report from 2022, which highlighted that over 900 million tourists traveled globally in 2022, twice the number in 2021. With increasing tourism activities, the most luxurious hotels in the world remain prime destinations such as Zemi Beach House (Anguilla), Kayakapi Premium Caves (Cappadocia), and The Plaza (New York).
Post-COVID Trend
The hospitality sector was among the hardest-hit industries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns and closures of hotels negatively impacted luxury hotels around the world. The average annual hotel occupancy in the U.S. plummeted 44% in 2020, the report by Fortune pointed out. However, the hospitality industry has boosted the U.S. economy post-COVID followed by an increase in traveling and tourism. In 2022, the North American luxury hotel market size was $47.09 billion. The North American market is driven by an increase in leisure travel in the U.S. and Canada. The best hotels in the U.S. are some of the most luxurious hotels in North America including The Post Oak Hotel (Houston), Four Seasons Resort (Hawaii), and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills).
The Casino Hotels
The gambling industry in the U.S. immensely contributes to the luxury hospitality sector in the country. Some of the biggest gambling cities in the world are based in the U.S. As we pointed out earlier, the U.S. has 619 casino hotels and 2,147 licensed casinos, the most in any country. The U.S. gambling market contributes $261 billion to the country’s economy, annually. With a massive tourism and gambling industry, some of the most luxurious hotels in the U.S. are affiliated with casinos. Among some famous casino hotels in the U.S. we have, The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas owned by VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE:VICI), and Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas owned by Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX).
Hotel Companies in the U.S.
The U.S. attracts millions of tourists each year. According to IBIS World, the market size, in revenue, of the U.S. tourism industry is $1.2 trillion in 2023 and is expected to increase 4.3% this year. Some of the leading luxury hotel companies operating in the U.S. include Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR), Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT), and Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H). Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT) is one of the largest hotel companies in the world, with a market capital of $57.79 billion, as of July 14. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) is not far behind with a market capital of $39.25 billion, as of July 14.
On April 26, Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) posted earnings for the first quarter of 2023. The company reported a revenue of $2.29 billion, up 33.2% year over year, and outperformed revenue consensus by $104.84 million. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) expects high demand in the upcoming quarters supported by strong leisure trends. During its Q1 2023 earnings call, the company made some comments on this:
“We’re pleased to report that demand for travel remains strong, maintaining the trend that we saw in the back half of last year, which led to both our top and bottom line results finishing the quarter above the high end of our guidance. As we move forward, fundamentals remain strong, and we expect secular tailwinds to continue to support growth. Despite continued macroeconomic uncertainty, we’re optimistic that the power of our network effect, our industry-leading RevPAR premiums, and our fee-based capital-light business model will continue to drive strong operating performance, unit growth, and meaningful cash flow, enabling us to return an increasing amount of capital to shareholders.
Leisure trends remained strong throughout the quarter with RevPAR surpassing 2019 by approximately 15%, ahead of prior quarter performance. Strong leisure transient demand continue to drive rates up in the mid-teens above 2019 and occupancy fully recovered back to 2019 levels, driven by the surge in travel in Asia Pacific. Business transient also continued to improve with RevPAR up 4% from 2019, reflecting the resiliency of business travel, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses, which remained roughly 85% of our segment mix. Recovery in group remains robust with RevPAR finishing roughly in line with 2019 with steady improvement each month in the quarter and March exceeding 2019 by 5%. Demand for future bookings also remained strong with full year group position up 28% year-over-year and 3% versus 2019.”
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) has opened two new Embassy Suite resort properties in Virginia Beach and Aruba. The earnings call comments further add:
“We also opened 2 new Embassy Suite resort properties in Virginia Beach and Aruba with the Aruba addition marking the brand’s 10th international property. And after recently being ranked the #1 Hotel Franchise in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 for a record-breaking 14th year in a row, Hampton by Hilton expanded its global presence to 37 countries with the brand’s first property in Ecuador. While we expect to see some impact from the current financing environment, we are encouraged by the progress on the signings and starts front. We signed approximately 25,000 rooms during the quarter, growing our pipeline to a record 428,000 rooms, more than half of which are currently under construction. Signings in the quarter outpaced prior year across all regions.”
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Our Methodology
To compile our list we sourced our data from two credible sources, namely, Tripadvisor and Expedia. We narrowed down our selection to the 20 most luxurious hotels in the U.S. with the highest prices offered by 5-star hotels on the two sources. Five-star hotels offer the highest levels of luxury to their customers via personalized services, sophisticated accommodations, and a wide range of amenities. We went for the prime offering for each hotel such as presidential suites as we are looking for the most luxurious service. The luxurious hotel with the highest rate was ranked higher. The prices may vary based on the dates and reservation availability. As this is a highly subjective topic, our methodology to capture the 20 most luxurious hotels isn’t perfect but a reasonable approximation. For instance, the prices of luxurious winter resorts are probably meager right now because there is no snow. This means our methodology can be biased against winter resorts. The 20 most luxurious hotels in the U.S. are listed in ascending order of the aforementioned metric.
20 Most Luxurious Hotels in the US
20. Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
Price per Night: $4,101
Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is located in Beverly Hills near the city center. The five-star hotel provides shopping on-site, a rooftop terrace, and other luxurious amenities. Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is ranked 20th on our list of the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
Some of the leading U.S. luxury hotel companies include Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR), Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT), and Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H).
19. Acqualina Resort & Residences On The Beach
Price per Night: $5,397
Acqualina Resort & Residences On The Beach is one of the most charming and family-friendly resorts on Miami Beach. It offers a wide range of luxurious services and amenities, including babysitting and bowling offsite. Acqualina Resort is owned by The Trump Group and the resort is ranked among the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
18. Fairmont Kea Lani Maui Villa Experience
Price per Night: $5,996
Fairmont Kea Lani Maui Villa Experience is situated at a pivotal point on Maui, next to a golf course and beach. The five-star hotel provides all the possible amenities and services offered by a luxurious hotel. An S&P 500 real estate investment trust, The Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST), owns Fairmont Kea Lani Maui Villa Experience. The hotel is ranked 18th on our list of the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
17. The Lowell
Price per Night: $6,070
The Lowell is located in a busy neighbourhood of Manhattan, near Central Park. The five-star hotel has the availability of all the necessary amenities of a luxurious hotel. The Lowell is one of the top hotels in New York and has made it to our list of the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
16. Grand Wailea Maui, A Waldorf Astoria Resort
Price per Night: $6,186
Grand Wailea Maui, A Waldorf Astoria Resort is located in the neighbourhood of Kihei, Maui. Situated in the same area as Fairmont Kea Lani Maui Villa Experience, the five-star hotel has a golf course next to it. The hotel is owned by BRE Hotels & Resorts and is ranked among the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
15. Pendry West Hollywood
Price per Night: $6,982
Pendry West Hollywood is owned by Montage International. The five-star hotel reflects the glamorous life in Hollywood Hills. Situated in the rich neighbourhood of the Hollywood industry, Pendry West Hollywood offers prime accommodation with all the top-notch amenities. It is ranked 15th on our list of the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
14. Auberge Du Soleil
Price per Night: $7,055
Auberge Du Soleil is located in the mountainous region of Rutherford, California. The five-star hotel offers all the possible amenities from pool to spa, and much more. Auberge Resorts owns the hotel and Auberge Du Soleil is one of the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
13. Espacio The Jewel Of Waikiki
Price per Night: $8,257
Japanese real estate firm, Kowa Co., Ltd. (TYO:7807), owns Espacio The Jewel of Waikiki. The five-star hotel is situated in Waikiki on the waterfront, a neighbourhood in Honolulu. The visitors can experience natural sites around the hotel such as Pearl Harbor and Waikiki Beach. Espacio The Jewel of Waikiki is ranked 13th on our list of most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
12. Four Seasons Resort Lanai
Price per Night: $8,299
Four Seasons Resort Lanai is located on the beach in Lanai City, Hawaii. Visitors can experience nearby Manele Golf Course and Munro Trail, along with experiencing the services and amenities at the five-star hotel. Four Seasons Resort Lanai is one of the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
11. Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club
Price per Night: $8,402
Perched on the Bal Harbour Shops in Surfside, Florida, Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club offers a vast range of amenities. The five-star hotel has a beach bar, a poolside bar, and a terrace, among other services. The hotel is ranked 11th on our list of the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
10. The Beverly Hills Hotel
Price per Night: $9,944
The Beverly Hills Hotel is situated in Beverly Hills, a prime location near Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles. The five-star hotel has various amenities and visitors can experience the beauty of Santa Monica Beach and Venice Beach. The hotel is one of the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
9. 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay
Price per Night: $10,561
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is located in Princeville, Kauai. The five-star hotel is situated on the beach and has a golf course next to it. Visitors can experience the beauty of Hanalei Bay and Anini Beach from the hotel. 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is ranked ninth on our list of the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
8. Equinox Hotel New York
Price per Night: $11,268
Equinox Hotel New York is situated in Hudson Yards, New York. The five-star hotel is a luxurious place for ambitious people to spend their time and relax. The beautiful view of New York City from Equinox Hotel’s rooms offers a lifetime experience to its customers. Equinox Hotel New York is ranked among the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
7. Montage Laguna Beach
Price per Night: $13,705
Montage Laguna Beach is located on a coastal bluff high above the Pacific at Laguna Beach. The luxurious resort offers 30 acres of seaside beauty at the center of Southern California’s preeminent artist colony. Montage Laguna Beach is one of the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
6. The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
Price per Night: $13,773
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park is situated in the hub of the city, Manhattan. The nearest state of art buildings include the Museum of Modern Art and Radio City Music Hall. Offering all the top-notch amenities, the five-star hotel is ranked sixth on our list of the most luxurious hotels in the U.S.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR), Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT), and Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) are some of the largest hotel companies in the world, by market cap.
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Disclosure: None. 20 Most Luxurious Hotels in the U.S. is originally published on Insider Monkey.