Press Release
Travel + Leisure Readers’ 15 Favorite U.S. Resorts of 2023
Travel + Leisure Readers’ 15 Favorite U.S. Resorts of 2023
Sprawling properties with superior service and pristine natural settings excelled in our annual “World’s Best Awards” survey for 2023.
For a domestic vacation beyond urban skylines, nothing compares to the sweeping vistas and seemingly inexhaustible range of activities at a top resort in the United States. This year, Travel + Leisure readers cast their votes for an exceptional selection of properties, set in destinations from the slopes of Aspen to the beaches of Nantucket.
How Voting Works
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 ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 165,000 T+L readers completed the 2023 survey, an increase of nearly 25 percent over pre-pandemic voting levels. A total of more than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).
Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below:
- Rooms/facilities
- Location
- Service
- Food
- Value
For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
What Readers Loved
The hotels in this list are varied in terms of style and location, but their dedication to hospitality is universal. Some of the qualities that most impressed Travel + Leisure readers: personalized service, attention to detail, sense of place, and a connection to the local community. For a perfect example, look at No. 4 winner Quisisana Resort in southwestern Maine, and No. 3 winner, Hotel Walloon in northern Michigan — both quintessential lakeside summer havens. “Our family comes back year after year to enjoy getting together,” shared one voter of the former. “Rain or shine, the staff creates a welcoming place for us to enjoy a well-deserved respite together. The nightly entertainment is first-class.”
Readers couldn’t get enough of resorts in the Western U.S., including mountain retreats like Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado (No. 3), which one reader said “treats you like family from the time you arrive at the airport.” California properties took the greatest number of spots on this year’s list of reader favorites, with four resorts in the Golden State making the cut. Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection (No. 2), which opened in April 2022 on an estate that was established in the 1850s, brings a fresh option to travelers looking to experience Napa Valley, while Rancho Valencia (No. 7) down near San Diego makes it easy for guests to connect to their healthiest selves through its varied wellness offerings.
But it was a resort in the Beehive State that earned the No. 1 ranking for 2023. Read on to find out which mountain escape was named this year’s top pick.
The Winner: Goldener Hirsch, Auberge Resorts Collection, Park City, Utah
“Gorgeous” is how multiple voters described this ski chalet, which is located at the base of Silver Lake Express chair lift at the Deer Valley resort. A collection of 68 rooms, suites, and residences gives guests the option of staying in either a chalet with old-school Bavarian touches, like antique furniture, or a more contemporary, minimalist building where your room might include a private balcony. The food was also outstanding, according to one reader: “Chef Nicolas has created a wonderful inventive menu that still includes my favorite fondue.”
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jessica Rothschild / Rachel Farnham
Murphy O’Brien Public Relations
For more information: auberge-beta.kingandpartners.com/goldenerhirsch
Follow Goldener Hirsch, Auberge Resorts Collection on Instagram @goldenerhirschauberge