The Most Exciting Hotel Openings of This Summer, From Portugal to the Pacific Northwest

Each of this season's most exciting hotel openings marks a fresh chapter in their destination. New design-driven hotels in Jackson Hole and Aspen prove that there are alpine aesthetics that go beyond wall-mounted antlers. An under-the-radar Hamptons landmark gets a major glow-up, and enters a socially vibrant new era. We even included one passport-required property because there’s a newcomer on Portugal’s sun-drenched coast that’s simply too chic to ignore this summer. Whether you’re craving mountain majesty, ocean breezes, or the simple pleasures of getting your hands dirty at a working regenerative farm this summer, these openings are proof that change can be a good thing. In fact, it can sometimes be exactly what you need. Happy travels.

Where it’s located: In the heart of Teton Village at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, just steps from the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram, with easy access to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

Why we’re excited: This reimagining of the old Snake River Lodge and Spa represents Blue Flag Capital’s first foray beyond its coastal portfolio. The group has garnered a following for its design-y, vibe-y hotels including the Faraway’s on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, as well as the new Hotel Corduroy in Montauk, but it turns out their contemporary approach is suited to mountain life, as well. Designed with Workshop/APD and Jenny Bukovec Studio, Faraway Jackson Hole’s “Wild Western Homestead” concept blends alpine influence with contemporary polish. The 90 rooms and 48 residences are decked out with standout amenities including a year-round indoor/outdoor pool, hot tub, sauna, residential-style gathering spaces you can’t help but want to hang out in, as well as Sure Hand, an all-day restaurant and social hub that serves locally inspired cuisine alongside a wood-burning fireplace.

Where it’s located: In the heart of East Hampton Village, a three-minute bike ride to Main Beach and a short walk to shops, galleries and restaurants.

Why we’re excited: Every Hamptons summer needs a hotspot that everyone is talking about, and this year The Hedges Inn is poised to claim that title. With just 12 rooms, you’d think this historic 1873 property would be tucked away somewhere as a best-kept secret, but it’s a building that every New Yorker driving Out East can instantly recognize. It stands prominently where the corner of Woods Lane turns on to East Hampton village’s Main Street. As such, people certainly have opinions about this property, so it’s a good thing that the Hedges has landed in good hands: those of Sarah Wetenhall, the visionary hotelier behind Palm Beach’s Colony Hotel, that pink-washed icon and arguably one of South Florida’s most important social hubs. In partnership with designer David Netto, Wetenhall’s restoration leans into the property’s lived-in sense of Americana, with toile fabrics, antique-inspired furniture, and a restaurant, Swifty’s, that is already one of the Hamptons’ toughest tables to book. If you can’t score an invite to Ina Garten’s East Hampton house, a room at the Hedges will do just fine.

Where it’s located: The Pacific Northwest is so gorgeous in the summer months, especially here on Whidbey Island, known for its rugged shorelines and evergreen forests.

Why we’re excited: This beloved 28-room retreat has been carefully, thoughtfully reimagined by KF Properties, the group behind Les Cactus in Palm Springs and Pueblo Bonito Inn in Santa Fe. To bring the right type of new energy into this hotel, they enlisted the help of designer Cate Ellison Mills, whose portfolio spans New York City’s Hotel Chelsea and Mercer Hotel. The Inn’s next act turns to the principles of Japanese design, which feels like a perfect pairing for the Pacific Northwest's raw beauty. Rooms and standalone cottages feature water views, wood-burning fireplaces, heavenly soaking tubs and luxe Sangre de Fruta bath amenities. Locally sourced minibar selections really drive the PNW vibe home, too. Come here to hike, or come here to do nothing at all, but whatever you do, book a table at Passage, the Inn’s new signature restaurant from Michelin-recognized chef Johnny Spero.

Where it’s located: It’s tucked up and away in a canyon deep in the San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado. The town of Pagosa Springs is known for its access to hiking trails and geothermal hot springs.

Why we’re excited: This is one of the first regenerative agritourism destinations of its kind in Colorado. Opening this July with just four stylish cabins, this working organic ranch invites its guests to participate in feeding the animals, planting trees, and learning about how healthy soil and land stewardship intersect. It’s not all work and no play, however, the property offers a wood-fired hot tub, saunas, cold plunges, electric bikes, and farm-driven dining supplied by the ranch itself. Especially noteworthy is the property’s location far from any light pollution, which means there’s excellent stargazing to be found. What brings the entire experience together is 84 Ranch’s on-site non-profit, through which guests can learn more about raising the next generation of farmers and ranchers. If you’re looking for a summer stay that also has a sense of purpose, this is it.

Where it’s located: On a bluff overlooking where the Columbia River meets the Pacific, in Astoria’s historic Uppertown neighborhood, a short walk away from Victorian-era buildings and Astoria’s waterfront Riverwalk.

Why we’re excited: You would think that being the first permanent American settlement west of the Rockies would mean Astoria might be little bigger, but this 10,000-person city still has small-town charm and atmosphere in spades. This 39-room hotel transforms a historic property into a luxurious retreat, with sweeping river views from most rooms, a higher degree of privacy in two standalone cabins, and direct access to Astoria’s famous waterfront trails. It’s located on the outskirts of town, about three miles from the downtown core of shops and restaurants, so there’s a real sense of tranquility to the property that will appeal to out-of-staters and weekenders from Portland.

Where it’s located: Right in the center of everything, on the corner of Main Street and Garmisch Street in the coveted West End, within easy walking distance of the Aspen Institute, Harris Hall and Benedict Music Tent.

Why we’re excited: Every time it seems like Aspen can’t get any more posh, a new opening comes along that brings America’s toniest mountain town to new heights. This summer, that new dose of excitement comes courtesy of White Elephant, the latest outpost from the Nantucket-born, Palm Beach-refined hotel group known for its highly specific blend of design-driven hospitality.

For its 54-room mountain debut, White Elephant Aspen enlisted Boston-based EMBARC to reinterpret American West style by putting art front and center: there are over 125 original works curated across guest rooms and public areas. The rooms are outfitted with details this brand’s discerning clientele will love, too, like Dyson hair dryers, Byredo bath amenities and Petite Plume custom chalet print pajamas and sleep masks available for purchase. Looking to splurge? The three-bedroom, 1,560 square-foot Ajax Penthouse comes with large dining and living areas, chef's kitchen, a mountain-view terraced outfitted with a private fire pit, and access to a games library courtesy of Arhaus.

Where it’s located: On a private ridge within Lone Mountain Ranch’s historic 148-acre property, with fantastic views of Big Sky Resort’s Lone Mountain.

Why we’re excited: Bison Lodge marks Lone Mountain Ranch’s 26th cabin and introduces a new large-format accommodation that is fantastic for groups. This being Montana, nothing about this one is small: it’s a 5,000 square-foot residence that accommodates up to 16 guests across six king bedrooms. A dramatic great room anchors the space, with professional-grade chef’s kitchen, dual 12-seat dining table, as well as five fireplaces, steam bathrooms, and expansive terraces sprinkled throughout. Booking this lodge includes a dedicated Mountain Experience Host who will wrangle horseback riding reservations, fly-fishing excursions, chef services, and every detail it takes to make your Big Sky stay unforgettable. As one of the largest luxury accommodations to book in the area, and one that exudes authentic Western hospitality, at that, this one will certainly be a hit with high-end groups.

Where it’s located: In Comporta, south of Lisbon on Portugal’s Alentejo coast. It’s a quick red-eye from the U.S. that feels, in travel terms, not much further than a West Coast getaway if you're coming from the East Coast. For those who want to leave the country this summer for beaches with European flair and plenty of room to breathe, if even for just a long weekend, Comporta hits the mark.

Why we’re excited: Since 2014, boutique hotel Sublime Comporta has been a vanguard of this boho-luxe beach enclave’s rise to swankdom. Now, Sublime has renamed those original 23 rooms and 22 villas “Terracotta,” and opened up a new “Sand” wing, essentially its own hotel, featuring 43 new villas a kilometer up the road with their own reception, restaurant, and amenities. Spread across 51 hectares of Atlantic pine forest, dunes and rice fields, these distinctive accommodations range from one- to four-bedroom villas, each with private pools and indoor-outdoor living spaces, all done up in Comporta’s signature sun-baked, au naturel, unpretentious aesthetic.The resort amenities include sceney Monégasque steakhouse Beefbar, as well as a spa, kid’s club, and large communal spaces. What’s most interesting, however, is the harmony that Sublime Sand strikes: the privacy of a villa stay with the social buzz of a full-service resort. It’s a balance that’s increasingly difficult to find at home, and one that’s absolutely worth cashing in some credit card points to book that transatlantic hop this summer.