5 min readWhen you’re looking for travel inspo, it’s so easy to gravitate towards the expensive stuff—the bucket-list safaris, the Swiss ski escapes, and the over-the-top honeymoon resorts where a single night can cost more than a mortgage payment. And while so much of travel is about aspiration, there’s another category that deserves just as much attention: the mid-range hotel.
I’m talking about the places that are stylish and special without requiring quite so much financial planning—the charming inn you can book for a long weekend, the hip motel you spotted on Instagram, the hideaway where you can throw down a credit card without too much of a second thought. This tranche of hotels inspires a very specific kind of travel fantasy of its own: Why don’t we just go?
Not every trip needs to be a once-in-a-lifetime proposition. Sometimes you just need two or three nights somewhere beautiful, a pool or a fireplace or a great little bar, and the feeling that you’ve successfully escaped your everyday life without completely blowing up your bank account. From a design-forward motel on Route 66 to a historic Charleston townhome, these are a few of the top mid-range hotels that feel anything but “mid.”
The Lake House on Canandaigua
Finger Lakes, New York
It’s all about the waterfront views here. Set on the north shore of Canandaigua Lake, the Lake House on Canandaigua has a heated lakefront pool, fire pits, barrel saunas, and a restaurant and bar—all overlooking the water. Rooms are polished but relaxed, and many of them come with private balconies. Spend the day winery hopping around the area, and make sure to book time at the Willowbrook Spa, one of the best in all of upstate New York.
Hotel Wren
Twentynine Palms, California
L.A.-based designer Jessica Pell is the owner and creative force behind the Hotel Wren, an adorable boutique hotel in Twentynine Palms, a quintessential desert town that doesn’t feel as hectic or mainstream as its neighbor, Joshua Tree. This intimate hotel has just 12 distinct rooms, as well as an outdoor pool and plenty of spaces to luxuriate beneath the desert sky. It’s close enough to Joshua Tree National Park that you can spend days exploring the wilderness, then retreat back here for an elegant and comfy SoCal desert escape.
El Rey Court
Santa Fe, New Mexico
The El Rey Court dates back to 1936, when it first popped up along Route 66. Today, it has been refreshed into a colorful, modern retreat with adobe buildings, fire pits, a pool, and all the sorts of Southwestern design touches people crave when they visit Santa Fe. What sets this property apart, however, is how it has been embraced by the local community, creating a real atmosphere of authenticity—there’s always a fun crowd and often live music in La Reina, the hotel’s tequila bar.
Hotel Salem
Salem, Massachusetts
Something wicked this way comes? There are countless escapes to explore across New England, but something feels particularly apropos about Salem, the historic seaside town where the infamous witch trials of 1692 took place. If getting a psychic reading, enjoying New England seafood, and perusing the countless astrology and witchcraft gift shops sounds like your kind of escape, then check out the Hotel Salem—it has a perfect location on Essex Street in the center of everything, and is home to The Roof, Salem’s only open-air rooftop bar.
Stilwell Hotel
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Carmel is the type of in-the-know weekend getaway that elegant Bay Area types have been championing for years, and the Stilwell Hotel is a great home base for exploring what this quaint town has to offer. The vibe is quintessentially laid-back California, complete with a heated outdoor pool and a courtyard with fire pits, all within a few blocks from Carmel Beach. This is one of the rare California escapes where you can park your car and go without touching it all weekend.
Bluebird Dennisport
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
As rates at the luxury Cape Cod resorts continue to skyrocket, Bluebird Dennisport remains an accessible option. This is a classic motel that got a very good makeover a few years ago, paring back its offering to the most essential things that modern travelers care about: a good location, décor that reads cool and clean and Scandinavian-adjacent, and easy access to the beach. For a mid-range Cape Cod getaway you’ll still feel like Instagramming, there’s nothing better.
The Penny Lane
Hampton Bays, New York
This quiet corner of the Hamptons—and yes, it is the Hamptons—still embodies the unpretentious, beachy soul of Long Island’s East End, and this new hotel feels like a splurge but doesn’t cost one. Guest rooms and suites are spread around several low-slung bungalows, as well as a Main House with three rooms that share a living area, and can be booked individually or together (great if you’re traveling in a group). For an easy getaway accessed via train from NYC and with proximity to the beach, Penny Lane makes a compelling argument.
Blind Tiger Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
There’s something irresistibly residential-feeling about Blind Tiger Asheville, a boutique hotel set inside an 1889 Queen Anne home filled with antique furniture and local art. It’s perfectly situated for exploring Asheville’s restaurants and galleries, as well as the iconic Biltmore Estate for sightseeing and the Blue Ridge Mountains for hiking.
Hotel Ynez
Solvang, California
Everyone is talking about the Santa Ynez Valley as a low-key (and less expensive) alternative to trendy Santa Barbara, and the charming, 22-room Hotel Ynez sits on two leafy acres in the heart of it all, complete with handwoven hammocks, fire pits, and a heated pool. Book the Garden Suite, which comes with its own private backyard complete with fire pit, hammock, and outdoor soaking tub. It’s the perfect retreat if you spend all day shopping the boutiques and visiting the wineries of nearby Los Olivos.
86 Cannon
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston remains one of the East Coast’s favorite weekend getaways, and 86 Cannon gets the small hotel formula just right. This adults-only haven has just 10 rooms, spread across several historic buildings including a main house that dates back to 1862. There’s everything you need for a set-it-and-forget-it weekend away, including a saltwater pool in the courtyard, complimentary bikes for exploring Charleston, and a daily wine-and-cheese hour that feels downright indulgent. Your rate includes a daily continental breakfast, and shopping on King Street is just a few blocks away.