Fodor’s Travel just made its annual hotel list much harder to land on. The 90-year-old travel brand built its reputation on picking places worth the trip, and this year’s edition names far fewer winners than usual. Travelers who follow the list will notice the change right away.
The Fodor’s Finest list has always leaned on real expertise instead of paid placement. Editors work with hundreds of hospitality professionals to choose each property, and no hotel buys its way onto the list.
“An extraordinary hotel stay can mean something different to every traveler. It might be a remarkable sense of place, an unexpected level of personal service, or a setting that makes you see a destination in an entirely new way,” said Jeremy Tarr, editorial director at Fodors.com.
The selections span historic buildings, design-driven city hotels, small hideaways and far-flung lodges, not just five-star luxury brands or newly opened properties. Fodor’s says the focus is on what each hotel actually offers guests, not its room rates or its reputation.
The List Just Got Smaller
Fodor’s has been in the travel business for 90 years. This year, it narrowed its Fodor’s Finest list from 100 hotels to 50, its most exclusive edition yet, according to the company.
Just nine of those properties are in the United States. Hotels from other countries fill the remaining spots.
The US Hotels on the List
- Fouquet’s New York (New York City): The hotel blends French design elements with its Tribeca neighborhood setting, according to Fodor’s.
- Hotel Bardo Savannah (Savannah, Georgia): The property reflects Savannah’s Southern character, Fodor’s said.
- The Inn of the Five Graces (Santa Fe, New Mexico): Detailed mosaics and layered global design define the hotel, according to Fodor’s.
The International Picks Worth Knowing
- Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge (Vancouver Island, British Columbia): The lodge sits in a remote stretch of coastal rainforest, Fodor’s said.
- The Witchery (Edinburgh, Scotland): The hotel’s interiors lean into Gothic design, according to Fodor’s.
- Tierra Atacama (Atacama Desert, Chile): The hotel’s contemporary design looks out onto the desert surrounding it, Fodor’s said.
- Onduli Ridge (Namibia): The lodge sits among granite boulders and open desert terrain, according to Fodor’s.
- Three Camel Lodge (Gobi Desert, Mongolia): Guests stay in traditional ger-style accommodations with views of the Gobi Desert, Fodor’s said.
One More Reason to Pay Attention
Fodor’s built Eugene, its AI travel assistant launched earlier this year, on that same editorial expertise. Eugene helps travelers find hotels and build itineraries from it. If you want to see which 50 properties made the cut, the full Fodor’s Finest list is a solid place to start before your next trip.