Hotels with Fascinating Architecture

Only two blocks from the White House, The Willard InterContinental Washington is Washington’s gathering place, where from the 1850s the world’s elite, politicians, bankers, industrialists, and socialites would meet and exchange ideas in one of the hotel’s famous restaurants or the even more famous Round Robin Bar.

This beautiful luxurious and sophisticated beaux arts hotel was designed by renowned hotel architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh.

It has 12 floors of pure opulence, with elegantly decorated rooms with courtyard views and many classic details but with all the latest modern amenities such as flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, desks, and minibars.

Suites also have dining and living rooms. The hotel lounge serves a very popular high tea, and the gourmet restaurant serves seasonal international cuisine. The Round Robin Bar is still a popular gathering place for local power brokers and tourists alike.

The Willard, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave Nw, Washington, DC 20004, Tel. 202-628-9100

Built in 1929 on 39 acres about 8 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona Biltmore is a luxury resort known as the Jewel of the Desert.

This landmark legendary hotel has an illustrious past, with an architectural imprint by the famous Frank Lloyd Wright, a colorful history, and a guest list that includes royalties, presidents, and movie stars.

The luxurious and elegant hotel has spacious, modern rooms and suites with art deco lighting, mission-style furnishings, free Wi-Fi, HD TVs, balconies, wet bars, fireplaces, and kitchens.

There are eight pools, a swim-up bar, a waterslide, seven tennis courts, two golf courses, and five restaurants. It is surrounded by a lush garden and stunning mountains.

Arizona Biltmore, 2400 E Missouri Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85016, Tel. 602-955-6600,

MADE Hotel is a trendy new hotel in Manhattan's NoMad district, opened to the public in the fall of 2017 by The Devli Group.

The hotel is located within minutes from major New York City landmarks such as Herald Square and Madison Square Park, offering 108 charming guest rooms and suites with design elements by Los Angeles design firm Studio MAI.

Floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of the Empire State Building, with amenities included such as Sapira mattresses, smart radios, flat screen televisions, and free wireless internet.

Restaurants on site include the all-day Paper Coffee cafe and the Good Behavior rooftop lounge, which serves up tiki drinks and highlights live music performances and DJ sets.

MADE Hotel, 44 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001, Phone: 212-213-4429

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park was built in 1909 by Freelan Oscar Stanley to provide accommodation to the American upper class enjoying the beauty of the surrounding mountains. The hotel is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and 5 miles from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.

The hotel and its accompanying structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In its long history, the beautiful 142-room colonial revival hotel has hosted a number of famous guests and has developed a reputation for drama and strange paranormal happenings, and it played a major role in the Stephen King novel The Shining.

The hotel is spread over a 60-acre campus and offers a variety of different accommodations that range from historic rooms to bed and breakfast style lodging called The Lodge as well as the new Aspire Residences. The hotel offers elegant, luxurious rooms, world-class entertainment, superb outdoor adventures in Rocky Mountain Park, one of the largest whiskey collections in the country, outside fireside dining, and weekly rotating visiting celebrity chefs.

The Stanley Hotel, 333 Wonderview Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517-9665, Tel. 970-577-4000,

Designed by renowned Mexican architect Enrique Norten, Selina Chelsea New York City is a ten-story 56-room boutique hotel located on the edge of New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, surrounded by some of the best art galleries in the world.

Celebrating the neighborhood’s historic industrial past, the hotel’s façade is covered with stainless steel mesh that turns into a glowing curtain at night.

The hotel’s interior, created by French designer Arnaud Montigny, is a mix of influences – Latin, French, Japanese, and mid-century American – reflecting New York’s global vibe. It is minimal and warm at the same time, with black glass, hardwood, marble, and concrete working together.

The view from the rooftop deck and pool is breathtaking. Guest rooms have beds on wooden platforms as well as natural materials and warm lighting.

Selina Chelsea New York City, 518 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001, Tel. 212-216-0000,

When it opened its door in 1913, Wilmington’s Hotel du Pont instantly became one of America’s most opulent hotels of the Gilded Age.

Its gleaming woodwork, terrazzo and mosaic floors, gilded hallways, and handmade chandeliers were made by Italian and French craftsmen. The DuPont Theatre is located in the hotel lobby.

An extensive renovation brought the hotel to its former glory, with modernized rooms and contemporary amenities but with many original features carefully preserved.

The rooms are elegant in a traditional style. There is a gourmet French restaurant, a lobby bar, a café, a hair salon, a fitness club, and a gift shop. The historic theatre is still operating.

The hotel is located near Wilmington’s Rodney Square, a mile from the Amtrak station.

42 W 11th St, Wilmington, DE 19801, Tel. 800-441-9019, Map

Spread over 87 acres of beautiful Lake Buena Vista property, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is located in the heart of the magical Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.

The walls of the resort’s main buildings perfectly reflect Florida’s wonderful tropical landscape, with hand-painted colorful murals of the lush Florida nature.

The façade was designed by Michael Graves and painted in coral and teal colors with multi-story statues of swans and dolphins in many public spaces.

In the lobbies there are huge, dramatic chandeliers from the Mediterranean while the service desks are made of golden onyx from Asia and there is a huge collection of art pieces scattered all over the resort.

The views from the modern, comfortable rooms are spectacular. There are 17 restaurants and lounges and special dining options for the kids in Garden Grove.

Swan and Dolphin Resort, 1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd., Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, Tel. 407-934-1609

The Cloister at Sea Island is one of the two resorts on the privately owned Sea Island off the coast of Georgia. Designed in 1928 by renowned architect Addison Mizner, famous for designing Palm Beach, the Cloister has long been a favorite destination for the rich and famous who want privacy, seclusion, comfort, and easy-going Southern hospitality.

A massive recent renovation brought the hotel to the 21st century with modern amenities, while preserving the elegant, ornate Spanish revival architecture.

The Turkish rugs, wood-beam ceilings and many other classic details are still there. Rooms and suites are lavishly decorated and have soaking tubs, rainfall showerheads, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi, while all suites have balconies and living rooms.

The resort has three championship golf courses, tennis courts, stables for horseback riding, tennis, a fitness center, an indoor pool and a spa as well as a range of gourmet restaurants.

100 Cloister Dr, Sea Island, GA 31522-1503, Tel. 844-490-8629, Map

Designed by world-famous architect Mies van der Rohe, who died before the building started construction, The Langham Hotel is located in a striking 52-story skyscraper in downtown Chicago, with spectacular views of the city, Lake Michigan, and the Chicago River, near The Loop, Magnificent Mile, Grant Park, and Millennium Park.

The hotel has 268 guest rooms and 48 suites painted in warm caramel colors with rich textiles and gleaming dark woods that create inviting spaces.

Floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views of Chicago. The hotel occupies 13 floors of the former IMB building, now named AMA Plaza.

The minimalist lobby has retained much of the building’s corporate feel, now warmed up by large-scale modern paintings and colorful Czech glass light fixtures.

The Langham , 330 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, Tel. 312-923 9988