Take a dip in a retro swimming pool with soul. Photo by courtesy of Hotel Saint Cecilia.
From a hidden hotel in Peru's Sacred Valley to a 17th-century Dutch farm an hour east of Cape Town, we're encouraging you to up your Instagram ante in 2015. Here are nine ridiculously beautiful boutique hotels that will surely dominate your feed.
Where: Cuixmala, Mexico
The supremely hip ecoresort is a hidden retreat set on a sprawling 25,000 acre estate of land, lagoons, and beaches overlooking the Pacific. It's a relatively unpublicized secret that attracts everyone from bourgeois hippies to low-key celebrities — anyone looking for a laid back but luxurious back-to-nature vacation.
Read it: Now You Know About Cuixmala, the Epic Pacific Coast Hideaway
Where: Jose Ignacio, Uruguay
The place to go if you're looking for the ultimate sunset, overlooking ten acres of sprawling dunes, contemporary Uruguayan art, sleek furnishings, and minimalist pools at every turn. Environmentally friendly casitas are understated yet luxurious at the same time and everything tastefully melds into the oceanfront landscape.
Read it: First Look: Bahia Vik, Jose Ignacio
Where: Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica
It's cool. It's modern. It's minimalist. It's beautiful. And it's located on a quiet, 28-acre stretch of lush forest on the Pacific coast. Local architect Ronald Zurcher took an organic, design-driven approach to the compound, using natural materials (wood, stone, wicker) for communal spaces shaped like cocoons and shells.
Where: Cusco, Peru
A hidden hotel on the Urubamba River in Peru's Sacred Valley. Built to resemble a local village, the low-lying buildings are terraced into a hill facing the Andean mountains. The mix of contemporary furnishings with just enough Peruvian touches to give a sense of place is very well done, making for a lovely in-room experience.
Where: Dolores, Colorado
Deep into the Colorado Rockies, old miners' cabins are reborn as luxurious mountain hideaways. Guests, like so many pioneers before them, will be struck by the beautiful setting of nearly 1,600 acres filled with waterfalls, hot springs, two rivers, and the San Juan Mountains.
Where: Marfa, Texas
The trailer park redefined as a creative hotel and community art project where time stands still. Accommodations consist of teepees, safari tents, seasonal yurts, and campsites. But the real attraction? Seven beautifully restored 1950s-era mobile home trailers.
Read it: A Trailer Park Like No Other
Where: Frankschoekk, South Africa
A 17th-century Cape Dutch farm an hour east of Cape Town in South Africa's Franschhoek Valley. The cottages, with über-modern kitchens where guests can prepare their own meals, makes the hotel a perfect family destination. Don't miss a canoe ride in the estate's lake or a bike ride through the nearby hills.
Read it: Babylonstoren: The Technicolor Salad
Where: Austin, Texas
Lived-in leather Chesterfield couches, lighted chandeliers hanging from trees, an old Citroën permanently parked in the middle of the property: it all looks so effortless. Stay hydrated with a thoughtful pitcher of Richard's Rainwater left by the door each night.
Read it: Dear Hotel Saint Cecilia, You’ve Spoiled Me for Life
Where: New York, New York
Channeling a Parisian hôtel particulier in Greenwich Village, this place is elegant without having an ounce of snobbishness. The cozy lobby living room has lots of seating, a cafe kiosk, free WiFi, and a roaring fire; bistro Margaux has a solarium perfect for quiet breakfasts and two-top banquettes for buzzy dinner dates. The rooms are bright and feminine and reasonably priced.
Read it: New York City's New Boutique Hotels
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We make every effort to ensure the information in our articles is accurate at the time of publication. But the world moves fast, and even we double-check important details before hitting the road.
