The Lowdown: Charleston is lucky enough to have two of the USA’s very best boutique hotels – the smaller, more intimate, Spectator Hotel, and this one here, the very grand, also award winning, Hotel Bennett. It has 179 luxurious rooms and suites, and lots of lovely common space including a rooftop terrace with swimming pool, four drinking and dining venues and a small spa and gym. Rooms: They have a wide range of accommodation here from 355 sq. ft. neat and tidy rooms to very opulent 1050 sq ft suites with balconies and nice views over Marion Square. In between you have some spacious suites and rooms some of which also have balconies and nice views. Whatever you choose you are absolutely guaranteed a very high level of luxury and comfort. They all come with super comfortable king size beds, sofas, work desks, cable TVs and coffee makers, high tech controls for lighting and curtains, and 24 hour room service. Some, as mentioned, also have balconies and they all have quite wonderful bathrooms with designer soaking tubs. Prices & Availability: Enter your dates and check prices at Booking.com here. Food & Facilities: Their signature restaurant is Gabrielle, a sophisticated fine dining venue which has a lovely outdoor terrace overlooking Marion Square. It also has a stylish, lively bar. The menu lies somewhere between Southern U.S. and European, particularly French. Lots of great fresh seafood too. The Patisserie serves a range of coffee and has a European vibe, croissants and all. Fiat Lux up on the ninth floor by the swimming pool is a sleek cocktail bar with a broad wine list and also does small bites and snacks – club sandwiches, salads, cheese & charcuterie boards etc. Then there is the swanky Camellia champagne bar with its mirrored ceilings and pink marble floors and table tops. Other facilities include a gym, open 24 hours, and a spa, with spa treatments and massages etc. also available in your own room. Room service is 24 hours and you can also order off the menu from Gabrielle for room delivery but only until 10pm when the kitchen closes. Hotel Bennett is pet friendly READ MORE

The Lowdown: The multi award winning Spectator Hotel’s famous lobby bar is a suave tribute to the Roaring Twenties. The rooms are a bit more modern in appearance, as are the exteriors, but the bygone-era like effect remains throughout. Service is legendary here – they have a small team of classically trained butlers wandering around, always at your service. The focal point lobby and bar serve as a kind of living room here for guests, and with such small numbers staying at any one time the atmosphere is intimate and friendly. It’s a very popular hotel, and also very small – it has just 41 rooms – so booking your stay in advance is recommended. Rooms: Just 41 rooms in total then but you have a deal of choice – from 377 sq. ft. entry level rooms to 538 sq. ft. Premier Penthouse Suites. Their entry level rooms are good value relative to the upper end suites we think, especially the ones with the balconies, and all the rooms seem to come with good views. None of them are particularly spacious though we have to say. But once that’s out of the way it’s very difficult to find fault with anything. They are bright, cheery and mainly dressed in white. They have king size beds, stylish lighting, plush carpets and velvet headboards alongside modern hotel amenities such as Nespresso coffee machines and cable TV. The bathrooms are white marble, and come with double vanity sinks, walk-in rain showers and locally made, Deep Steep luxury bath products. Prices & Availability: Enter your dates and check prices at Booking.com here. Food & Facilities: Surprisingly perhaps, there isn’t much in the way of food made at the hotel itself. Gourmet continental breakfasts are ordered in fresh from a local bakery and delivered to your room for example. There are many good restaurants nearby though, and your personal butler can pick up food from any number of them and deliver it to your room. There are drinks though in abundance at the marvelously atmospheric bar, which is also a popular spot with locals. It does snacks and small bites alongside its famous retro cocktails. READ MORE

The Lowdown: Only open since 2018 the Angad is a bright and bold new addition to the hotel scene in St. Louis, Missouri. It has, as the name suggests, a strong emphasis on art and is a veritable showcase for local talent. Throughout the building, you can admire curated sculpture pieces, paintings, video art, and photographs from local artists, the majority of which are also available to buy. Color is also a strong theme at Angad with most of its 146 rooms having an exact equivalent in a different color. On the understanding that color affects mood, you can choose between green for rejuvenation, yellow for curiosity, red for empowerment, and blue for freedom. Its location right in the heart of St. Louis’ Grand Center Arts District is fitting and here you are within walking distance of some of the city’s best restaurants, cafes, bars, theaters, and galleries. Rooms: All 146 rooms have a different single color scheme – red, blue, green, and yellow. You don’t get to choose your room before booking, but only after contacting the hotel once you get the confirmation e-mail or at your check-in. The rooms range from entry-level singles to 410 square feet rooms with two queen size beds to sleep four, 505 square feet suites which have a double bedroom, a separate lounge area, and a kitchenette, and then their top-of-the-range, 1,400 square feet, Double King Suites which have two double bedrooms with king size beds, and a lounge area. Check out all the details at Booking.com here. Be prepared for some low-level shock on getting acquainted with your room for the first time: except for the floors they are almost entirely monochrome. The idea is that such an immersion in a specific color can encourage certain moods. In this case that is either red for empowerment, blue for freedom, yellow for curiosity, or green for rejuvenation. Prices & Availability: Enter your dates and check prices at Booking.com here. Food & Facilities: There are two food venues onsite the most prominent being the Commonwealth Restaurant which does a fresh take on modern European cuisine with a seasonal menu and locally sourced ingredients. It READ MORE

The Eliot is a wonderfully old-style boutique hotel right next to The Harvard Club on Boston’s Commonwealth Ave. Built in Neo-Georgian style in 1925, it retains a huge amount of old European style elegance and charm. Rooms: The Eliot has a total of 95 rooms, with 79 suites and 16 guest rooms. Each accommodation is decorated in a plush European style – French toile prints, beautiful fabrics, and stately furnishings. Serta mattresses are topped with down duvets, large goose-down pillows, and thick Anichini cotton throws. The elegant marble bathrooms may be compact, but they are well-appointed with fragrant Essential Elements toiletries and plush monogrammed terry bathrobes. Some bathrooms even feature renovated walk-in showers for added convenience. Modern facilities across the board include minibars, flat-screen TVs, free HBO and HD channels, pay-per-view movies, and kids’ programming like Disney Channel on demand, high-speed Wi-Fi, iHome clock radios, and noise-insulated windows. Measuring between 200 to 250 square feet, their entry-level Deluxe Guestrooms are slightly smaller than the average standard room in the city. However, they are cozy and nicely presented, furnished with either a single queen bed or two double beds. The one-bedroom suites at the Eliot Boston are generously sized, ranging from 420 to 480 square feet. These suites feature a bedroom with a queen, king, or two double beds, as well as a separate living room with an additional flat-screen TV and a queen-size sleeper sofa. The living area can be closed off with French doors making them useful for families or groups. More useful again for groups are their Two-Bedroom Suites. These accommodations span 650 square feet with two en-suite rooms and a large living space. Prices & Availability: Enter your dates and check prices at Expedia.com here. Food, Drink & Facilities: The Eliot Hotel Boston is home to Uni, one of the best Japanese restaurants in the city. Guests can indulge in a wide array of sushi, sashimi, and izakaya small plates, all expertly prepared. If you prefer the comfort of your room, you can take advantage of the hotel’s room service menu. In addition to the exquisite Japanese cuisine from Uni, you can also order American classics like READ MORE

The Lowdown: Hotel Clermont, in the heart of Atlanta’s trendy Poncey-Highland neighborhood, is a celebration the city’s eclectic history. The hotel has a storied past, having once been a somewhat disreputable 1920s-era hot spot before it fell into disrepair. In recent years, it has been lovingly restored to its former glory, with both vintage-inspired decor and amenities that are thoroughly modern. Playful design details abound – like the goldfish bowl in the lobby and the neon pink sign on the rooftop bar that reads, “We are not a hotel, we are a refuge.” Rooms: Hotel Clermont’s 94 rooms are divided into several categories. Double rooms are cozy, yet stylishly appointed with a queen bed and whimsical touches like retro rotary phones. The Deluxe Double rooms are outfitted with two queen beds. Their King rooms then are a step ahead in size and with king beds instead of queen. Their top-of-the-range is the Clermont Suite, the hotel’s largest accommodation, with separate living and sleeping areas, a king bed, and a large balcony with sweeping views of Atlanta. Most economical, if you’re with a group are the bunk rooms which can sleep up to four on bunk beds. Check out all your room options here at Expedia.com Food, Drink & Facilities: Hotel Clermont has several dining and drinking options on-site. Tiny Lou’s is a chic French-American brasserie that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with dishes like lobster eggs Benedict, steak frites, and a rotating selection of house-made charcuterie. The restaurant’s intimate bar is a great spot for a pre-dinner cocktail or nightcap. For a more casual vibe, head to the Lobby Bar, which serves up creative cocktails and light bites. And, of course, there’s the rooftop bar, which is a destination in and of itself. It boasts stunning views of the Atlanta skyline, a pool, and an outdoor fireplace. Hotel Clermont also has a fitness center and a bike rental program. Location: Located on Ponce de Leon Avenue, one of Atlanta’s main thoroughfares, Hotel Clermont is surrounded by some of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Poncey-Highland is known for its indie shops, restaurants and galleries, and it’s just a few blocks from READ MORE

The Lowdown: Right in the heart of Denver’s historic LoDo district, The Oxford Hotel’s own history goes all the way back to 1891, and this classic old Denver red-brick retains a huge amount of old-time elegance. The location is prime, you are just a minute’s walk from Denver Union Station, and yards away from some of the city’s very best restaurants, cafes, shops and nightlife. Rooms: Each of The Oxford’s 80 guest rooms are uniquely decorated but all share the same old-world style and cozy ambiance. They all also have impressively comfortable beds, high-quality linens and some lovely antique furniture pieces amongst other things. The bathrooms are particularly nice and all come with baths, some of them of the romantic, free-standing, claw foot type. Room types stretch from Classic King Rooms and Premier Suites to their top-of-the-range Oxford Suite, which has a separate living room and bedroom, and some stunning views of the Rockies. Prices & Availability: Enter your dates and check prices at Expedia.com here. Food, Drink & Facilities: The Oxford Hotel is home to several excellent dining options, including the hotel’s signature restaurant, Urban Farmer. This farm-to-table steakhouse serves up locally sourced meats and vegetables in a chic setting. Guests can also enjoy craft cocktails and light bites at The Cruise Room, an Art Deco-inspired bar that dates back to the Prohibition era. The Oxford Club, Spa & Salon offers a range of services to rejuvenate mind and body. The spa features a range of treatments, including massages, facials, and body wraps, while the fitness center offers state-of-the-art equipment and various fitness classes. The hotel’s stunning ballroom, with its ornate details and soaring ceilings, is a popular choice for grand events, and the hotel’s rooftop terrace offers breathtaking views over the city. Location: The Oxford Hotel is in the heart of LoDo, just a few blocks away from Coors Field, the home of the Colorado Rockies, as well as the Denver Art Museum and the Denver Performing Arts Complex. The 16th Street Mall, a pedestrian-friendly street lined with shops, restaurants, and entertainment options, is very nearby too. Some Guest Reviews: “Charming, friendly, great location, and overall great experience. READ MORE