Related: Best Countries for Solo Travelers
If you’re looking to explore the world with no travel companion other than your fabulous self, you may think the surcharges, sympathetic looks, and stink-eyed waiters sneering, "Table for one?" are a sheer inevitability. Happily, that’s not the case. These celebrated hotels make solo travelers feel engaged, comfortable, and catered to, rather than up-charged.
Generator Paris
The Hotel: The latest outpost by this highbrow hostel brand, where guests have the option to book into a whopping 199 stylish rooms—shared or private—in Paris' super-central 10th arrondissement.
The Solo Spin: Whether you choose a private, balconied room at this next-gen hostel, or decide to bunk up with other travelers, the Generator experience is by definition a social one. The lobby cafe is always abuzz with creative types, the lounge is equipped with ping-pong and foosball tables, and the rooftop draws a crowd for its killer Montmartre views. For those flying solo, safety is a top priority: shared rooms can be booked on a female-only basis, and security guards and keycard-operated elevators ensure the party stays where it should.
Anamaya in Costa Rica
The Hotel: A beach resort on Costa Rica’s Montezuma coast best known for its active retreats, with plush quarters to rest up after yoga-filled days—think cliffside bungalows, decked out with open-air bathrooms and rainforest-shrouded terraces.
The Solo Spin: Though it’s not a traditional destination spa, the focus here is on well-being: you can book in for yoga retreats, surf camps, art workshops, and more. Each retreat features a set group itinerary, though there’s room for personalization—guests can choose to be as involved as they want, or break away to the pool, beach, or spa on their own.
Riad Star in Marrakech, Morocco
The Hotel: Once a guesthouse for the Pasha of Marrakech—and the onetime residence of French-American singer Josephine Baker—Riad Star is tucked away in a residential neighborhood within the walled Medina. Now owned by a British couple who spent two years restoring it, it has seven ultra-cozy (and completely unique) rooms.
The Solo Spin: To help navigate the Medina's maze-like streets, the owners developed a GPS-equipped app loaded with info on recommended sites, shopping, and dining; each guest is also given a pre-loaded cell phone, so staffers can come find you if you get lost. Touches like these make exploring the city less intimidating—and when you return to mint tea on the rooftop terrace, you'll feel like you've come home.
The Boatshed in Waiheke Island, New Zealand
The Hotel: A relaxed, foodie-favorite hideaway with five white-on-white, ocean-facing suites and a staff that's as chatty—or quiet—as you want them to be.
The Solo Spin: A short ferry ride from bustling Auckland, Waiheke is a dreamy island dotted with sandy coves, noted vineyards, and intimate inns. The Boatshed has a particularly communal vibe, with rooms that flank a book-lined living room and open kitchen, where guests gather for the legendary breakfasts and dinners made with ingredients from the on-site gardens. But once mealtime draws to a close, things quiet down considerably, which means you can enjoy the ultimate “me time”: cuddling up with a book on your private terrace or in front of a fireplace, glass of wine in tow. Should you choose to wander, the manager is always a phone call away for a ride back home.
Shangri-La Tokyo
The Hotel: Gold-lacquered panels and silk embroidery set the tone for an opulent stay in the city center—the hotel is located just above Tokyo Station and walking distance from the must-hit Ginza shopping district.
The Solo Spin: Though Tokyo's overall safety and the helpfulness of its residents make it a good option for independent travelers, it can sometimes be a tricky city to navigate. Enter Shangri-La, which sends red jacket-wearing attendants to meet and greet guests off the airport bullet train, and escort them through the bustle to the hotel. Also on offer are one-on-one, English-speaking excursions to help guests explore the city. Our favorite? The "Foodie Tokyo" walking tour, which takes you to markets, food halls, and street food stalls all around the city.
Hotel Vermont in Burlington
The Hotel: A rustic-chic hideaway with 125 flannel-filled rooms on the banks of Lake Champlain, it’s an ideal launch pad for exploring both burgeoning Burlington—an up-and-coming food town—and the Green State's many natural charms.
The Solo Spin: Solo guests can email the property's Activities Coordinator—a local expert who grew up on a nearby maple sugaring farm—to book one-on-one outings, such as kayaking on the lake in the summertime, snowshoeing in the winter, or even candle-making in the hotel lobby. Singles can also join other guests on a guided bike-and-brew tour organized by the on-site Beer Concierge.
CasaSandra in Holbox, Mexico
The Hotel: Created by painter, poet, and Latin Grammy Award-winner Sandra Perez, the dreamy CasaSandra is the epitome of barefoot luxury: each of the 17 TV- and phone-free suites is individually decorated in a laid back-luxe style, with thatched days beds and white sand beach access.
The Solo Spin: It takes a two-hour drive and short ferry ride from Cancun to reach Holbox, so it’s no wonder you’re often greeted with the same phrase: "How do you know about Holbox?" But after a day or two, it's hard to tell the difference between local, expat, or tourist here—and activities like kite-surfing lessons, fisherman-led boating tours, and gallery-hopping ensure you’ll soon know everyone in town. Every Saturday, the hotel's poolside "Noche Cubana" drinks and live music event draws both hotel guests and locals—or "new friends," as you'll be calling them by then.
L'Eremito in Umbria, Italy
The Hotel: This hotel's solitary premise—which includes meditation sessions and silent mealtimes—make it exactly the kind of place you’d never go to unless you were flying solo.
The Solo Spin: Italian for "hermit," this Umbrian hotel lives up to its name with a set-up that's as monastic as money can buy. Fourteen rooms once used by practicing monks have been upgraded to include wrought-iron beds, bathrooms, under-floor heating, and bedding hand-made from hemp yarn—but you still won't find a TV, phone, or Wi-Fi anywhere on premise. In addition to a digital detox, the hotel offers yoga and meditation classes, horseback riding, painting and Gregorian chanting workshops, and plenty of chances to commune with nature, starting with hands-on work in the gardens. Tasty vegetarian meals are taken together, but in silence, so there's no pressure to chat. You can also choose to fast—though in Italy, that might be one penance too many.
Graduate Athens in Athens, Georgia
The Hotel: All the co-ed spirit of college, with decidedly grown-up comforts (Malin + Goetz bath amenities, plush tufted headboards, and fresh flowers among them).
The Solo Spin: Set in a 19th-century foundry near the University of Georgia, the Graduate is chock-full of vintage art, quirky nods to the school’s Bulldogs mascot, and pieces that speak to the city's musical history (it was the birthplace of bands like R.E.M and The B-52s). You’ll feel part of a community hanging out in the lobby and adjacent Iron Works Cafe—these spaces buzz with laptop-toting guests and locals—or at the on-site Foundry Bar & Mill, which regularly features live music. There’s also an off-campus shuttle that can take you around town for free, upon request.
Rosewood Sand Hill in Silicon Valley, California
The Hotel: This 16-acre, 121-room retreat offers all the luxe amenities and peace of a luxury resort—from an award-winning spa to stunning pools and Michelin-starred dining—without the honeymoon vibe.
The Solo Spin: Thanks to a location right in Menlo Park, 14 miles from San Jose and 35 miles from San Francisco, this hideaway attracts area staycationers and business travelers unwinding from days of VC pitching. In other words, you won’t feel like the odd man out for traveling sans-partner. There are culinary excursions to San Francisco led by the hotel's Executive Chef, bike tours of town, or guided hikes in the Santa Cruz Mountains if you’re looking for company, but you’ll be just as happy unwinding with everyone else by the pool or spa.
Iron Horse Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The Hotel: Everyone is welcome—business travelers, motorcycle enthusiasts, spa-goers, and even pets—at this 100-year-old converted warehouse just south of Milwaukee’s downtown district.
The Solo Spin: This is a city that’s transforming by the minute—and the Iron Horse has been central to its renewal. Feel part of the scene through a full roster of on-site events, from the Local Motives Music Series, featuring Milwaukee craft brews and local bands, to Thursday Bike Nights, a weekly evening of contests, exhibits, and demos held in conjunction with the nearby Harley-Davidson Museum. (Arrive with four-legged company and you’ll also get custom walking maps pinpointing dog parks and dog-friendly establishments nearby.)
Monaco Washington, D.C.
The Hotel: 183 colorful, pattern-filled rooms set in a landmarked Penn Quarter building. The Metrorail is a short block away, but a spate of fitness programming will encourage you to get around by bike or foot instead.
The Solo Spin: Kimpton makes a brand-wide effort to welcome solo guests—recall their Guppy Love initiative, which has long put goldfish in the rooms of potentially-lonely travelers—but this capital city outpost takes it up a notch. Every Wednesday (weather permitting), General Manager Ed Virtue leads guests on a bike tour past monuments and historic sites, along the Potomac River, or through Rock Creek Park. Want to explore on your own? Borrow a GPS unit pre-loaded with Garmin's favorite D.C.- and Virginia-area trails at the pace that suits you best.
