The Best City Hotels in the Continental U.S. in 2016

Some of the very best cities on the planet can be found in the continental United States — so is it any wonder that some of the most exciting hotels are found in the lower 48?

Take the Old 77 Hotel & Chandlery in Louisiana, for example. One of the coolest new hotels in the country debuted at the No. 7 spot this year in the No. 7 city in the world: New Orleans. The Old 77 has two galleries promoting local artists and a French-Caribbean restaurant (conch croquettes share the menu with black drum fish with beurre blanc and caviar). Inside the 167 rooms, guests will find custom vintage-inspired writing desks and exposed-brick walls.

The best hotels in American cities are those that introduce you to your destination the moment you drop your bags.

New York City hotels, including the recently reopened Knickerbocker in Times Square and the Greenwich Hotel, immerse guests in the Big Apple experience. You’ll find everything from 24/7 bartenders mixing bedside Old-Fashioneds (at the Knick) to a hotelier who doubles as an unofficial mayor of New York (Robert De Niro, who grew up near the Greenwich Hotel).

When visiting the Windy City, could you ask for a better view of the Chicago River and downtown skyline than from a room at the Langham Chicago, which all boast floor-to-ceiling windows? And on a frosty Boston night, where else would you want to bed down than at the XV Beacon, where every one of its 63 rooms is outfitted with cashmere throws and a gas fireplace?

How did these 15 U.S. city hotels become World’s Best darlings? In our annual World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to score their travel experiences, evaluating everything from hotels and cities to islands,cruise lines, and spas. Hotels were rated on their rooms and facilities, location, service, food and drink, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations.

Read on for the full list.