Travel + Leisure Readers’ 15 Favorite Inns in the Continental U.S. of 2024

Find wine-country luxury, desert eclecticism, and rugged seaside views at the inns on our list, as voted in the 2024 "World’s Best Awards" survey.

As wonderful as the glitzy, expansive resorts of the world may be, there’s something extra special about vacationing at an inn, particularly within the continental U.S. The ease of passport-free travel has its own appeal, and beyond that, there’s an intimacy to a smaller property, a kind of small-town warmth and collegiality so often struck up at these places that you may not find at a behemoth resort. As our reader feedback revealed, inns seem to inspire a deep-seated loyalty and affection in travelers — the result, perhaps, of that same intimate ambiance. But make no mistake: Travel + Leisure readers appreciate the finer things in life, and the inns on this list leave no detail overlooked. Whether your travels take you to the sunny historic heart of St. Augustine, Florida, or the vineyard-lined slopes of Sonoma, California, the 15 glorious properties on this list have you covered.

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. Over 186,000 T+L readers completed the 2024 survey. A total of more than 700,000 votes were cast across over 8,700 properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).

Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, inn, 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

A few broad trends emerged among this year’s winners, but upon closer inspection, each inn has a character and identity all its own. Readers seemed to love coastal and lakefront spots, with 10 of the 15 spots on the list having some proximity to the water. Bucolic getaways are always a draw, as at Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards (No. 8) in Bristol, Virginia and the Farmhouse Inn (No. 9) in Forestville, California. And while it’s no surprise that many inns come with a sense of history (the No. 7 property, Inns of Aurora in New York’s Finger Lakes region, certainly ticks that box), that doesn’t mean there’s no room for a little quirkiness and irreverence, as you’ll see at Palm Springs’ Holiday House (No. 12).

Across the board, these places left a major impression. One reader called Villa Mara (No. 2) in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, “the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in,” while another said it was “an absolutely sublime experience. I felt like I was on a private yacht in Monterey Bay: every detail was attended to with precision yet without being overbearing.” Readers highlighted outstanding, warm service at a number of properties on the list, with one commenting that the Willcox (No. 5) in Aiken, South Carolina, offers a “club-like atmosphere where everyone is a member.” That Southern hospitality was similarly perfected at Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards, according to one T+L reader: “From the time you enter the door until you depart, you are treated with the utmost respect and care. The staff goes overboard to make your stay a happy one. I can’t wait to go back again.” Read on for more on this year’s top spot, plus our full list of the best inns in the continental U.S.

The Winner

Candleberry Inn: Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Picture a quintessential New England B&B and you’re apt to find yourself conjuring up a vision of the Candleberry Inn. The Cape Cod property is as classic as they come: a stately white clapboard colonial with black shutters and an American flag billowing. Some parts of the main property date all the way back to 1780, and the look and feel is traditional and polished, but not uptight. That particular alchemy has won legions of admirers among T+L readers. Writes one voter, “beautiful property. Attention to detail is superb. The staff is so warm, friendly, and accommodating.” Another highlighted its “very convenient” location in Brewster, calling it “the best place on the Cape.” But one loyal fan put it most eloquently: “There is no better experience than the Candleberry Inn,” they wrote. “It checks all the boxes for quality, hospitality, and food. It's like a big warm hug. It is truly unique and not to be missed.”

"There is no better experience than the Candleberry Inn."

T+L READER

The Full List

1. Candleberry Inn: Brewster, Massachusetts

Reader Score: 98.67

2. Villa Mara: Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Reader Score: 98.55

3. Hotel Walloon: Walloon Lake, Michigan

Reader Score: 98.36

4. The Norumbega Inn: Camden, Maine

Reader Score: 98.32

5. The Willcox: Aiken, South Carolina

Reader Score: 97.88

6. The Inn Above Tide: Sausalito. California

Reader Score: 97.75

7. Inns of Aurora: Aurora, New York

Reader Score: 97.39

8. Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards: Bristol, Virginia

Reader Score: 95.75

9. Farmhouse Inn: Forestville, California

Reader Score: 95.00

10. The Collector Luxury Inn & Gardens: St. Augustine, Florida

Reader Score: 94.96

11. H2Hotel: Healdsburg, California

Reader Score: 94.25

12. Holiday House: Palm Springs, California

Reader Score: 94.11

13. The Wauwinet: Nantucket, Massachusetts

Reader Score: 94.00

14. Weekapaug Inn: Westerly, Rhode Island

Reader Score: 93.83

15. Stephanie Inn: Cannon Beach, Oregon

Reader Score: 93.78

For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.