Hotels Issue (#6)

Description

At the heart of this issue is our love of hotels. There are 110,000 of them in America (see more fun stats on page 6) and this celebration of hotels is 132 pages of the newest and most exceptional places that we recommend. On page 60, you’ll find our first-ever Greatest Hotels Ever awards. The selections that made the inaugural list were culled from reader nominations, and they represent a very specific kind of awesomeness: They are notable, yet affordable (average night stay is under $350, usually way under). They also embrace the things we love — music, food, art, design and exploration. There’s also a whole lot more. Don’t book another hotel before flipping through this issue.

IN THE ISSUE

CONCIERGE [INFO AND TIPS TO GUIDE YOUR TRAVEL PLANNING]

BY THE NUMBERS
Totally geeky hotel stats that will blow your mind.
by Fifty Grande editors

A REALLY BRIEF HISTORY OF AMERICAN HOTELS
Electricity! Air conditioning! Apps! From the first hotel in 1794 straight through to 2024, it’s been a wild ride.
by Emily Frantz

CHECK IN
The coolest hotels coming this year.
by Matt Meltzer

THE EVOLUTION OF THE BOUTIQUE HOTEL
When everything’s “boutique,” what does that even mean anymore?
by Stacey Lastoe

STUFF WE LOVE
Let some of the best shows of the past 12 months serve as inspiration for your next trip.
by Wes Orshoski

CRASH COURSE
Q&A with the author of “Hotel, An American History,” the defining account of the hotel’s evolution in the U.S.
by Chris M. Walsh

FEATURES

AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE STANDARD, HOLLYWOOD’S HEYDAY
It helped define the cool-but-affordable category and flexed an outsized influence on the American hotel landscape.
By Chris M. Walsh and Raef Harrison

THE GREATEST HOTELS EVER AWARDS 
Our inaugural reader-chosen list of the best hotels in the U.S. (Bonus: They’re all under $350 a night.) 
By Fifty Grande Editors

21c’s ST. LOUIS REVIVAL
The newest location from the museum hotel features works from top and rising Black artists from around the globe.
By Adam Robb

THE SIREN BECKONS
Five years in, the hotel continues to revitalize Detroit’s iconic Wurlitzer Building. 
By Adam Robb

GOING CRAZY
A revamped historic hotel adds to the growing rebirth of Mineral Wells, Texas. 
By Courtney Smith

HAWAII’S (ALMOST) CARBON-NEUTRAL HOTEL 
‘Alohilani resort’s eco-conscious quest aims to plant 100,000 trees.
By Briana Brady

MAKING THE GRADE
The eclectic McMenamins company delivers a hospitality experience that’s infused with quintessential Portland.
By Sarah Yeoman 

IN SESSION
West Virginia’s Schoolhouse Hotel manifests the future of accessibility. 
By Katherine James

HOW TO OPEN A COOL-ASS ART HOTEL
How Tucson’s Hotel McCoy used grassroots events and programming to carve their unique niche. 
By Chris M. Walsh

DECOR DAZZLE
Urban Cowboy’s Lyon Porter on building hotels with swagger.
By Matt Meltzer