World's Best The Best Resort Hotels in the Continental U.S. in 2016 By Melanie Lieberman Melanie Lieberman Melanie Lieberman is the senior travel editor at The Points Guy and was an editor at Travel + Leisure. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on July 6, 2016 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Courtesy of the Lodge at Glendorn/Kindra Clineff Many of the country’s best resort hotels aren't what most people think of when they hear "resort" — you won’t find bikini-clad women sipping piña coladas at Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, Montana, for example. Still, the properties that were recognized in this year’s World’s Best Awards all have an approach to relaxation that is traditionally and unabashedly American. Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise lines, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations. Whether guests bed down in log cabins or shingled cottages or a vintage manse, they're getting thoroughly looked after. The top 15 properties ranged from opulent mansions in the American South to ranch-style resorts overlooking the Santa Cruz Mountains. Some showed the country’s wilder side, including Triple Creek Ranch, which T+L reader Richard Gill called “one of the jewels of the American West,” and the No. 1 resort, the 1,500-acre Lodge at Glendorn in Pennsylvania. At the Château du Sureau, in Oakhurst, California, visitors are treated to the best of the Old World (afternoon tea, interiors furnished with antiques, and tiles reclaimed from European castles) and the New World. Think hikes through Yosemite, one of the country’s most striking national parks. And don't forget about classic beach getaways. The Gasparilla Inn is a wonderfully preppy property on Florida's Gulf Coast, where you can golf, play tennis, or lounge on the sand, then don a jacket for dinner. Wequassett Resort and Golf Club offers wholesome, upscale fun on beloved Cape Cod. "The gardens are magical, the rooms, food and beverage outstanding, but the service is nothing short of perfection," one reader raved. A high standard of service is something all our winners share, no matter where they are located. And that really makes it a vacation. 01 of 15 No. 15: Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, Rancho Santa Fe, California Courtesy of Rancho Valencia Score: 95.69 02 of 15 No. 14: Gasparilla Inn & Club, Boca Grande, Florida Courtesy of Gasparilla Inn Score: 95.76 03 of 15 No. 13: The Lodge & Cottages at Primland, Meadows of Dan, Virginia Courtesy of Primland Score: 95.87 04 of 15 No. 12: Lodge at Sea Island, Georgia Courtesy of the Lodge at Sea Island Score: 95.90 05 of 15 No. 11: Rosewood Sand Hill, Menlo Park, California Courtesy of Rosewood Hotels and Resorts Score: 96.00 06 of 15 No. 10: Weekapaug Inn, Westerly, Rhode Island Courtesy of Weekapaug Inn Score: 96.67 07 of 15 No. 9: Old Edwards Inn & Spa, Highlands, North Carolina Courtesy of Old Edwards Inn and Spa Score: 96.67 08 of 15 No. 8: Wequassett Resort & Golf Club, Chatham, Massachusetts Courtesy of Wequassett Resort and Golf Club Score: 96.68 09 of 15 No. 7: Triple Creek Ranch, Darby, Montana Courtesy of Triple Creek Ranch Score: 96.76 10 of 15 No. 6: Château du Sureau, Oakhurst, California Courtesy of Château du Sureau Score: 96.77 11 of 15 No. 5: Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa, Gateway, Colorado Courtesy of Gateway Canyons Resort Score: 97.00 12 of 15 No. 4: Farmhouse Inn, Forestville, California Courtesy of Farmhouse Inn Score: 97.07 13 of 15 No. 3: Twin Farms, Barnard, Vermont Courtesy of Twin Farms Score: 97.19 14 of 15 No. 2: The Willcox, Aiken, South Carolina Courtesy of the Willcox Score: 97.25 15 of 15 No. 1: The Lodge at Glendorn, Bradford, Pennsylvania Courtesy of the Lodge at Glendorn/Kindra Clineff Score: 97.38 This Relais & Châteaux property sits on 1,500 acres in northwestern Pennsylvania and emphasizes the bucolic pleasures of early America. (One reader called it a “forest paradise.”) Travelers can make s’mores over an open fire, go skeet-shooting or ice-skating, or explore miles of trails. “It’s like going back in time to stay at a family’s private hunting lodge,” said one T+L reader, who especially loved the massive sandstone fireplace in the redwood Big House. Best of all, you can return season after season, for snowmobiling in winter or fishing for trout in spring. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit