#ashlist: My Ten Favorite Hotels in the U.S.

Wish you were here? Yea, me too.

10. Amangiri | Canyon Point, Utah
This Aman resort, designed to blend into the landscape, is located on a perfect-scoring 600 acres surrounded by the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and Grand Staircase-Escalante. It’s understated, but absolute luxury in the desert. You won't feel the slightest urge to leave this oasis for days, which is good because here in the middle of nowhere, there's nowhere to go.

9. Crosby Street Hotel | Soho, NY
It's the cool Soho apartment you've always dreamed of inside of the NY brownstone you've always dreamed of. It's home. Bright and cheery rooms are individually decorated with tall headboards and sleek modern furniture—a welcome refuge from the world below. Right in the heart of Soho, you won't have any need for an Uber to brunch at Balthazar, but in my opinion the hotel restaurant is just as good.

8. The Breakers | Palm Beach
 Inspired by the Italian villas of the fifteenth century and modeled on the Villa Medici in Rome, this historic hotel has timeless Italian Renaissance–style architecture, with opulent public areas contrasted by simple, breezy rooms. And the stunning location right on top of the ocean makes it a perfect romantic getaway.

7. Hotel Jerome | Aspen
Considering that it's the choice ski-spot of America's elite, it's really quite amazing that Aspen doesn't have better hotels. There is literally only one I recommend, but I recommend it highly. Freshly renovated historic Hotel Jerome in downtown Aspen has swapped frumpy brocade lounges for cow print chairs and leather accents, turning the 19th-century classic into a popular après-ski spot (like a mellower Ace Hotel with portraits of frontiersmen on its walls). Luxury suites are bigger than some Manhattan apartments, outfitted with oversized everything. Morever, it's ridiculously pedestrian friendly, though with such great restaurants and amenities, there's little reason to leave (except for, you know, skiing and stuff).

6. Hotel Bel-Air | Bel-Air
Hollywood royalty's favorite hide-out is every bit as glamorous as you'd imagine it to be. And it really is hidden-- I've never not gotten lost driving through the hills for a staycation in one of the canyon suites or dinner at what is probably Wolfgang Puck's best LA restaurant. Frequenters of the Dorchester Collection be advised-- the kitchen can make anything on the menu of any of the collection's menus. So if you're craving a Croque Monsieur just like the one you had in Paris, you're in luck.

5. The Montage | Beverly Hills
Montage Beverly Hills endures in true celebrity style: this 201-room Spanish colonial hotel is the picture of discretion, advertising itself with just a single sign. That’s all you need when the grandeur of the exterior does the talking for you. Inside, white-glove service trumps white-hot buzz—the staff is, as the kids say, ‘on point'–and a fleet of Rolls Royce chauffeurs doesn’t hurt, either.

4. Chicago Athletic Association Hotel | Chicago
Sport and story dominate in the Chicago Athletic Association, some of which were once used by members taking a break between laps in the pool or a game of pickup basketball. Find vintage-style wooden climbing walls behind a desk, a pommel horse at the end of the bed, table legs done up in tennis racquet wrap, and a retro white-and-black tiled bathroom. The first clue that the CAA is as much lowbrow as it is high: Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack is on the ground floor, right off Michigan Avenue. The aim throughout the hotel is to be playful, unpretentious, and inclusive, and it's executed perfectly, capped off by the stunning rooftop bar, Cindy's, which boasts an incredible Chicago view.

3. Park Hyatt | Midtown NY
The truth is, the top three on this list each have a strong case for being the best hotel in the country, each with their own distinct and perfectly executed theme. The luxurious textiles, massive white lobby walls and floor-to-ceiling windows with major views are complimented by works of art that rival MoMa and leather trunks that double as mini bars. And so, the very lucky guest of this decidedly and defiantly untrendy hotel is struck by minimalism, artistry and, mostly, power.

2. The Baccarat | Midtown NY
The Baccarat is 80% of the reason why I constantly complain that five-star ratings are doled out far too generously. This midtown hotel is so opulent, so luxurious and transporting that most five star New York hotels should be utterly embarrassed place themselves in the same level. There are fewer than five great hotels in New York, and I've put three of them on this list. Jouffre silk-covered walls, a coyote-fur armchair, crystal chandeliers and objets everywhere (Baccarat, naturally) make the Baccarat my pick for most stunning hotel lobby in the country, but there are countless more reasons to keep coming back to this singular beauty. (Sidenote: Absolutely press the “champagne” button on the in-room telephones, which magically makes a bottle of bubbly appear at your door).

1. Faena | Miami Beach
If I were a hotel, I would be the Faena.

It's not just a hotel, not just the crown jewel of a multi-billion dollar district that's completely revitalized Miami beach, it's a fantasy world. Faena takes you on surreal journey down the rabbit hole from the moment you enter its doors and are struck by the “Cathedral,” glitters with gold-leafed columns and floor-to-ceiling murals. Every room adds layer upon layer to this, the most glamorous, most personality driven hotel I've ever seen. A time machine back to Miami's golden era, this transporting beauty is not just my favorite hotel in the U.S. It's hands-down the best.