Summer is summering—as the kids say these days—and there’s no time like the present to get out there and make the most of it. Many of us have our go-to summer spots and well-worn favorites, but how about trying something new this year? Across the country in some of our favorite summer destinations (including Carmel-by-the-Sea and the North Fork of Long Island), we’re noticing intriguing new properties popping up that all seem to have one thing in common: they’re all doing things just a little bit differently, and all seem to be raising the bar in terms of hospitality and individualized guest experience. From a homey boutique hotel on Martha’s Vineyard with just eight rooms to a stunning gut renovation of a stone castle on the Maine coast, here are some of the season’s most intriguing and exciting openings.
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Le Petit Pali—Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Where it’s located: This hotel is actually two mini hotels, set a stone’s throw apart from each other: Le Petit Pali at Ocean Avenue, and Le Petit Pali at 8th. They’re both just a short walk from all the shops, restaurants and galleries that people know and love in this trending coastal community south of Monterey.
Why we’re excited: This new concept from hotelier Avi Brash’s Palisociety portfolio promises a European-inspired bed & breakfast model, with luxe details and California-inflected touches throughout. Each room comes equipped with Diptyque bath amenities, Bellino linens, and mini-bars curated with locally sourced snacks. The 34 rooms at Le Petit Pali at Ocean Ave, most of which have fireplaces, nail that California coastal aesthetic, with sage green walls, jute rugs, and beautiful wood furniture. The 24 rooms at Le Petit Pali are done in classic California craftsman style, surrounding an al fresco courtyard. Almost all rooms across both feature fireplaces. Thoughtful hospitality can be found at every turn: from a Taittinger champagne continental breakfast included in your rate; to a guests-only social hour with cocktails and locally sourced small bites; to house made cookies and optional hot water bottles delivered to your room each evening. Coastal grandmas, eat your heart out. Rates from $525.
The Ozarker Lodge—Branson, Missouri
Where it’s located: Over 5 million travelers visit the Ozark Mountains each summer, and the debut of this 102-key property marks the first true boutique hotel experience in the destination.
Why we’re excited: It’s an all-American experience, updated for today. After action-packed days of hitting all of the lakes and trails that the region has to offer, you can return to the Ozarker and expect a family-friendly yet relaxing atmosphere. Social spaces are a real strength here, including: fire pits, cedar soaking tubs overlooking a natural creek, a playground for kids, a coffee bar with lounge-style seating, as well as a dedicated space for a rotating assortment of local food trucks to pop up. All in all, it’s a charming hotel that we think will set the stage for some long-lasting family memories—a number of the guest rooms even have bunk beds, which kids are bound to love. Rates from $109.
Trailborn Rocky Mountains—Estes Park, Colorado
Where it’s located: It’s pretty great to offer a location with a national park in your backyard—and this newcomer sits less than six miles from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Why we’re excited: There’s a sense of quiet inside the guest rooms at Trailborn Rocky Mountains. Yes, it’s because of the eco-friendly cork flooring, but it’s also because of a reverence for the great outdoors. The hotel has a sustainability mission that permeates every aspect of its operations: from the Grown Alchemist clean skincare amenities, to the portion of each reservation’s proceeds that goes to support Rock Mountain Conservancy’s land conservation efforts. A location this good (just minutes to the national park’s gates) is this hotel’s single greatest asset, but there are so many other things to love here, too. It’s a perfect base camp from which to explore the region, whether you’re doing your own thing in the national park, or having the hotel arrange one of their signature experiences, which include alpine tundra nature walks and fly fishing. Rates from $225.
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Silver Sands Motel & Beach Bungalows—Greenport, New York
Where it’s located: On a generous stretch of 1,400 feet of private beachfront facing Shelter Island.
Why we’re excited: If the Hamptons are where you go to be seen, North Fork is where you go to disappear—and disappearing is oh-so-easy and enjoyable at this Greenport motel, a mid-century era relic that changed owners last year and underwent a colossal renovation. Located just outside of downtown Greenport, it’s accessed via a private wooded road that transports you to 1,400 feet of private beachfront on Peconic Bay. The Silver Sands opens this summer with its original (yet remodeled) twenty motel rooms, and will add one- to five-bedroom bungalows throughout this year, each overlooking the water from a perch of lush native landscaping. The brains behind Charlie Bird and Pasquale Jones in New York City, chef-partner Ryan Jones will ensure the newest iteration of the Silver Sands will be incredibly tasty, by restoring the motel’s original on-site diner, as well as offering summer and early autumn guests weekend cookouts. Keeping things sustainable was a huge part of the new owners’ vision for bringing the Silver Sands into the 21st century: not only will the hotel reduce its carbon footprint with water-reduction methods and eliminating all reliance on fossil fuels, but it will also relaunch the defunct Pipes Cove Oysters farm, located in 15 acres of underwater land just off its shoreline. Rates from $595.
The Coco—Edgartown, Massachusetts
Where it’s located: You couldn’t ask for a better location, right on North Water Street in the heart of historic Edgartown, just steps from the ferries, shops, and restaurants.
Why we’re excited: Lark Hotels’ “Edgartown Collection” is a unique concept of five mini-hotels, each housed in a historic, homey building in close proximity to the others. It’s clearly working: The Coco, opened in time for this summer in a historic sea captain’s home, is the fifth in the group. From the outside, the premises are a seamless part of Edgartown’s coastal New England aesthetic. But when you step in, you’re transported to a world of color and comfort inspired by “the feeling of returning home after traveling the world,” according to Lark Hotels CEO Peter Twachtman. Each of the eight guest rooms here is finished with its own design scheme of layered patterns, jewel tones and dramatic wallpapers. Think of this one as less of a classic New England hotel experience and more like staying in your most fabulous friend’s Vineyard house. Rates from $400.
The Norumbega—Camden, Maine
Where it’s located: Just half a mile north of downtown Camden, on a quiet stretch of scenic Route 1, overlooking Penobscot Bay.
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Why we’re excited: Erected in 1885, this “Stone Castle by the Sea” was ahead of its time thanks to electric lights and steam heat. It served as a private residence for nearly a century before changing hands several times since the 1980’s, never really getting the full attention it deserved. That is, until New York architect William Tims purchased it in May 2022. Over the last year, he and his partner Brett Haynie have painstakingly updated the property, giving this historic landmark the new chapter it deserves, and reopening it as one of the most desirable places to stay in Maine’s midcoast region. Many of the building’s period details remain, including the original wooden millwork, a turret, the large entry hall with coffered oak ceilings, inlaid wood flooring, and more. There are also plenty of welcome new additions, including renovated marble baths, a welcoming porch swing, and an intimate new bar that is open to the public. Best of all? Tims and Haynie plan on keeping this beauty open year-round, a rarity for this region. We simply love to hear it—because the Norumbega seems like the kind of place that lends itself to cozy autumn and winter sojourns just as well as it does to sunny summer escapes. Rates from $349.
