The Most Exciting U.S. Hotel Openings Coming in 2026
The next chapter in American hospitality is being written in two directions at once. On one end, cities keep stacking glassy Jenga towers with rooftop bars and a view engineered for the grid. On the other, 2026’s real momentum splits cleanly: forward into places nobody used to consider hotel markets and backward into properties so dormant they’ve started to feel like local folklore.
The surprise is how often the backward move wins. Restoration beats new construction when the bones are right. Original moldings, working transoms, hand-worn stair rails—the kinds of details contractors now call “character” because they can’t easily reproduce them—become the main draw. From Florida to California, the most convincing openings aren’t necessarily trying on a whole new look. They’re trying to rediscover themselves and the reputation they once had, with designers acting less like decorators and more like conservators with better lighting plans.
That’s the old-new side of the story. The new-new side is stranger and more American. Nontraditional hoteliers are stepping in with concepts that feel engineered for people who are tired of the usual script, like a country music icon building a Nashville hotel complete with recording studios and a personal museum. Even the outdoors has been rebranded for comfort. Safari-style tents at national park–adjacent prices keep solving the eternal camping paradox defined by wanting the night sky without the misery.
Then there’s the geographic shift, from coastal circuits to altitude. The next wave moves from Nantucket and Palm Beach energy toward Aspen and the mountain towns where “weekend” is a sport. These places assume you’ve already done the obvious trips, seen the sights, bought the fleece. They’re betting the next American traveler sometimes wants a second act, not just an opening number. Here are the spots we have our eye on that represent both sides of the coin.
White Elephant Aspen
- 315 E Dean Street, Aspen, CO 81611 | Opening February 2026
White Elephant’s first Western outpost lands close enough to downtown for an easy wander, and close enough to the Aspen Institute orbit that you can plausibly claim an agenda beyond après. Boston-based firm Embarc steers the look away from antler cosplay and into alpine chic with real texture, stone, leather, and warm cognac tones. Beyond the design, expect more than 125 original artworks selected by curator Emily Santangelo, plus a partnership with Anderson Ranch Arts Center that turns the hotel into a soft on-ramp to Aspen’s arts scene. LoLa 41° opens with it, bringing sushi and seafood with enough personality to justify lingering, then finishing the night in the speakeasy lounge instead of running the same circuit as everyone else.
Delano Miami Beach
- 1685 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139 | Reopening March 2026
Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck’s 1995 creation returns after five years and nine figures of renovation, with the nightclub replaced by a 22-person sauna. Ben Pundole, who spent 20 years with Schrager, is steering this Art Deco icon away from bottle service and toward NAD+ therapy, a nod to the fact that the people who made South Beach matter are now 50 and prefer REM sleep to strobe lights. The Rose Bar returns, while restored terrazzo and octagonal columns satisfy preservation board requirements that the building channels Art Deco that’s true to place, not from outer space.
The Cooper
- 176 Concord St, Charleston, SC 29401 | Opening March 2026
Beemok Hospitality Collection’s 191-room answer to the peninsula’s landlocked luxury sits where The Cooper River matters, within walking distance of Joe Riley Park but far enough from Market Street’s bachelorette parade. Champalimaud and Meyer Davis are building rooms that understand why people really come here—to watch container ships pass under the Ravenel Bridge with a drink that costs less than it would in Manhattan. The 7,000-square-foot spa’s cryotherapy chambers sound excessive until you remember Charleston’s August humidity could kill a camel. A slate of restaurants plus a marina should give luxury cruisers in the Holy City exactly what they’re after.
Under Canvas Yosemite
- 30801 Hardin Flat Rd, Groveland, CA 95321 | Opening April 2026
Eighty acres outside Yosemite’s western boundary means you can hit Glacier Point for sunrise without sleeping in your Subaru rental. Under Canvas learned from Yellowstone that Americans will happily pay north of $400 to sleep in a tent if you give them a real bed and don’t make them brave the elements just to find a bathroom. The Groveland location is strategic—far enough from Valley congestion to feel like an escape, close enough that Half Dome stays a same-day plan. This is the Yosemite paradox solved for grown-ups, the kind of stay that preserves the National Park feeling without resigning you to Curry Village logistics.
The Huntington Hotel
- 1075 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108 | Opening Spring 2026
Ken Fulk’s resurrection of this 1924 Nob Hill landmark treats nostalgia as raw material. Flynn Properties and Highgate are betting that 143 rooms and an 8,900-square-foot spa can make Nob Hill feel relevant again. The restored rooftop neon sign will glow over Huntington Park once more, a small act of civic theater visible from the Financial District that’s largely forgotten this neighborhood exists. The Big Four restaurant is also set to return, which matters in a city that still needs at least one dining room where banquettes carry more weight than bandwidth.
Trailborn Jackson Hole
- 400 E Snow King Ave, Jackson, WY 83001 | Opening June 2026
Trailborn’s Jackson debut comes with a clear plot twist. The brand is taking over the current Snow King Resort Hotel and reopening it as a renovated, 203-key base at the foot of Snow King Mountain, an address that makes the whole trip run smoother. You can hop between downtown Jackson and the lifts in minutes, then pivot to Grand Teton or Yellowstone when you want bigger terrain. It’s Trailborn’s first ski resort and its first property with a full-service spa, a signal that the brand is leveling up from outdoorsy motel energy to a more complete resort experience. An on-property Adventure Concierge, plus a bowling alley and games room, leans into the idea of Jackson as a four-season hang, not just a winter flex.
Songteller Hotel
- 211 Commerce St, Nashville, TN 37201 | Opening June 2026
Dolly Parton’s first hotel lands in the Gulch, close to the industry’s working core and a quick hop from places like Third Man Records when you want your music history with actual vinyl. AJ Capital gave Parton complete creative control, which explains why the recording studios are built to real standards, including proper Neve boards, not tourist-friendly play stations. The rooftop pool looks toward downtown but sits removed enough to feel usable, even for people who live here. Suite names pull from deep cuts rather than greatest hits, a quiet nod that this isn’t a costume shop version of Dolly. It’s a hotel built for fans who know the catalog, and for travelers who like their Nashville with a little craft behind the glitter.
1 Hotel Austin
- 98 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 | Opening Fall 2026
Starwood mogul Barry Sternlicht plants his biophilic flag where Waller Creek hits Lady Bird Lake—the last calm corner before downtown turns into a permanent bachelor party. The pitch is eco-minded calm at full downtown volume: big lake-and-skyline views, wellness baked into the program, and the kind of “I woke up like this” sustainability that takes serious capital to pull off. The location is genius, since it’s close enough to walk to Franklin Barbecue, but far enough that you won’t hear the pedal taverns. You’ll come for a weekend, then start mentally rebooking for a midweek reset.
The Knox Hotel & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection
- 4600 Knox Street, Dallas, TX 75205 | Opening Fall 2026
Martin Brudnizki designing for Highland Park feels like letting Versace loose on a dressage arena. It shouldn’t work, and yet it most certainly will. Auberge’s Knox property doesn’t shy from the neighborhood privilege—front-yard access to the Katy Trail (Dallas’ 3.5-mile social treadmill) and walking proximity to buzzy Knox-Henderson restaurants. The 48 private residences upstairs offer Brudnizki’s take on “Texas modern,” while the hotel below sets the stage for concerts, gallery takeovers, and the kind of events where your name isn’t on the list—it’s on the plaque.
Recess Hotel & Club
- 7 E. Congress Street, Savannah, GA 31401 | Opening Fall 2026
Recess captures Savannah’s particular genius: knowing how to party like a debutante while dressing it up as historic preservation. The 221-room hotel will fill the former Manger Building with a members-only club, coworking spaces and a rooftop that aims to lure locals, too. Retro-futurist interiors nod to mid-century travel optimism, à la Pan Am’s golden hour, not Jetsons—and each floor includes a “Rumpus Room” for guests, a more refined riff on the dormitory lounge.
Denū Hotel & Spa
- 30 N 1st St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 | Opening Fall 2026
In downtown Phoenix, where sidewalks can hit 110 degrees by noon, Denū’s decision to open a 17-story wellness hotel feels counterintuitive until you realize this city comes alive after dark. Positioned near Roosevelt Row, the hotel offers easy access to galleries, cocktail bars and late dinners, followed by short walks home when the temperature finally drops. The 236-key Meritage Collection property includes a full-service rooftop spa, plus a pool deck that doubles as a winter suntrap. Gensler’s design favors desert minimalism, and the onsite café is designed for slow mornings awakened by the desert sun.