30 Hotel Chains Every Traveler Should Know

By Sandra Ramani
March 13, 2012
The UNA Hotel in Modena, Italy.
Courtesy Rotana Hotels & Resorts
Finding the perfect room abroad can be harder than mastering a foreign language, especially in places where amenities and prices vary widely. Budget Travel to the rescue: We sniffed out the hotel chains that locals rely on most—and compiled them into this handy hotel cheat sheet.

Whether you favor basic, no-frills bargain hotels or accommodations with a happy balance of perks and price, you've probably already found a hotel chain or two that suits your needs—at least here in the States. But what happens when you travel abroad? We searched far and wide for the foreign hotel chains locals rely on most, from Mexico City to Moscow, compiling them all in this international cheat sheet to a good, cheap night's sleep (almost) anywhere on earth. Among our search criteria, consistency was key—we prioritized chains with reliable standards of service, cleanliness, and amenities (since you can't always trust hotel ratings abroad, and filtered out those with erratic pricing or less-than-desirable locations. But that doesn't mean there won't be some (pleasant) surprises in the mix—many of our bargain picks also include indulgent extras like monsoon showers, on-site spas, and design-mag-worthy interiors.

SEE FOR YOURSELF: THESE HOTEL CHAINS ARE STYLISH, TOO

Best Worldwide:

NH Hotels
Started in Pamplona, Spain in 1978, NH has grown to become one of the top 20 largest chains in the world, with more than 400 properties in 26 countries, from Andorra to Uruguay (most are concentrated in Europe and South America). The look varies from one hotel to the next, but many are set in historic buildings with original architectural details and filled with stylish, modern furnishings: solid, neutral-hued linens on the bed and abstract art on the walls. NH also often has several hotels in the same destination—so it's worth it to check out all your options for the best rate and location. Sample rates:from $120 at the Hotel NH Musica, Amsterdam; from $114 at the Hotel NH Anglo American, Florence; from $143 at the Hotel NH Tango, Buenos Aires.
nh-hotels.com
Properties: 400+
Average Size: Medium
Typical Location: All

Ibis
Sure, the hotels may be cookie-cutter (furniture is of the basic, blond-wood variety) and the locations aren't exactly thrilling (most properties are near business districts and airports), but the brand definitely has a lock on convenience, thanks to 24-hour snack bars, WiFi, and often on-site parking. All 900-plus outposts, from continental Europe to Asia, Africa, South America, the Middle East, and Australia, also serve locally-influenced breakfast buffets (say, crepes in France, or tropical fruits in Brazil). Sample rates: from $100 at the Ibis Praha Old Town Hotel in Prague; from $117 at the Ibis Antananarivo Ankorondrano in Madagascar; from $94 at the Ibis Buenos Aires Obelisco in Argentina.
ibishotel.com
Properties: 919
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: Transit hubs

Mercure
Most of Mercure's 725 hotels (across 49 countries) are in Europe, with the remainder in Australia, South America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.The three- and four-star properties include both business-friendly city spots and resorts—the latter of which are more likely to incorporate vernacular design elements such as thatched-roof cottages at a Bali resort or a hammam at a Morocco hotel. All have on-site restaurants, and most offer packages with conveniences like breakfast and internet. Sample rates: from $104 at the Mercure Montpellier Centre in France; from $63 at the Mercure Resort Sanur in Bali; from $66 at the Mercure Ouarzazate in Morocco.
mercure.com
Properties: 725
Average Size: Medium
Typical Location: All

TRYP by Wyndham Hotels
A boutique brand from the Wyndham group, TRYP aims for the spot where form and function overlap, providing urban adventurers with 21st-century amenities (WiFi, fitness centers, flat-screen TVs), a streamlined aesthetic (neutral color palettes, hardwood floors), and legitimate social scenes (on-site bars and active lobbies designed for mingling). Spain, Germany, Portugal and Brazil have the most properties now, but there are one-offs in Europe, South America, Canada and the U.S. Sample rates: from $79 at the TRYP Valencia Azafata in Spain; from $99 at the TRYP San Jose Sabana Hotel in Costa Rica; from $90 at the TRYP Berlin in Germany.
tryphotels.com
Properties: 91
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: City center

Room Mate Hotels
A spunky upstart based in Spain, Room Mate's outposts in Buenos Aires, Mexico, NYC and Miami cater to a nightlife-loving crowd: Most are located in hip, culture-centric neighborhoods, each one has live DJ-spun music, and hearty buffet breakfasts are served until noon daily. The décor is playfully avant-garde and picks up on motifs that reference some aspect of the destination. (In Mexico City, a pair of cartoonish white cacti stands in front of a colorful mural of ceramic fish scales, while the Granada hotel skews moodier and more elegant.) Bonus: The bathrooms are typically spacious, and Wi-Fi is always free. Sample rates: from $82 at the Room Mate Leo in Granada, Spain; from $79 at the Room Mate Valentina in Mexico City.
room-matehotels.com
Properties: 14
Average Size: Medium
Typical Location: City center

Best By Region:

Asia & The Pacific
Insider advice is especially helpful in Asia. While several countries have government-run hotel ratings systems, many are voluntary and self-assessed and, consequently, are unreliable. Plus, some countries—Japan, for one—don't use ratings systems at all. Australia is a bit easier: They recently revamped their popular ratings system, AAA Tourism, to focus on a combination of cleanliness, amenities, and quality, rather than just a checklist of facilities.

APA Hotels & Resorts
Japanese hospitality meets no-nonsense frugality in this robust nationwide chain. APA is an acronym for "Always Pleasant Amenity," and depending on your location, that might refer to a traditional public bath (available at no cost to hotel guests), a free breakfast of bread, coffee, rice, and miso soup, or a choice between a standard room (of the floral-bedspread variety) or a Japanese room, with tatami-mat floors for lounging. Sample rates: from $93 at the APA Hotel Takasaki-Ekimae in Tokyo; from $93 for a single at the APA Hotel Nagasaki-Ekiminami in Nagasaki; from $124 at the APA Villa Hotel Yudoyabashi in Osaka.
apahotel.com
Properties: 76
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: All

Centara Hotels & Resorts
With their fancy pool decks, on-site spas, and concierges, properties from the Centara brand (Thailand's largest) all feel like splurges, even if they're not. You'll find them in most of the country's major tourist destinations, from Chiang Mai to Krabi, along with the Maldives, Bali, Vietnam and the Philippines. The brand includes several sub-categories: The five-star Centara Grand and the Centara Boutique Collection are on the pricey side, so stick to the four-star Centara and three-star Centra properties for comparable quality at better rates. And watch for deals when you're booking—often, the online rates are much lower (up to 60 percent) than standard published prices. Sample rates: From $46 at the Centara Duangtawan Hotel Chiang Mai; from $81 at the Centara Villas Phuket; from $62 at the Centra Taum Seminyak Bali.
centarahotelsresorts.com
Properties: 55
Average Size: Medium/Large
Typical Location: All

GreenTree Inns
Whether you're in Beijing or Nanjing, you can expect this fast-growing Chinese chain to deliver clean, pleasant rooms with free WiFi, TVs, and basic amenities, all in locations that are convenient to universities, train stations and conference centers. Sample rates: From $34 at the Beijing Tuanjie Lake Spring Hotel; from $24 at the Chengdu People's Park Hotel; from $29 at the Shenzhen Huaqiangbei Express Hotel.
998.com/eng
Properties: 300+
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: All

Lemon Tree Hotels
Travelers looking to set up a home base in one of India's larger cities can take good advantage of Lemon Tree's growing chain. The hotels were originally designed for business travelers—but you'd never know it at first glance. The rooms are cheerful (brightly hued bedspreads, colorful expressionist and abstract artwork) and well-equipped (LCD TVs, orthopedic mattresses, free bottled water), and nearly every hotel has a decent swimming pool. There are even a few affordable resort outposts—one in Goa, and one near Vembanad Lake. Solo female travelers can book into a "Lemon Tree Diva" room, which is on a women-only corridor and has extras like reflexology foot massagers. Sample rates: from $72 at the Lemon Tree Electronics City in Bangalore; from $138 at the Lemon Tree Amarante Beach Resort in Goa; from $94 at the Lemon Tree Hotel in Chennai.
lemontreehotels.com
Properties: 15
Average Size: Medium/Large
Typical Location: City center

Rydges
With the exception of the three five-star "Art Series" hotels (with slightly higher rates—and style quotients), this Australian-owned chain is known more for its reliable, middle-of-the-road rooms and much-touted signature Dream Beds—pillow-top numbers made from breathable latex—than for trendy flourishes. Founded in 1988, the brand has properties all over the continent as well as some in New Zealand, one in Dubai and one in London. Sample rates:from $191 at the Rydges World Square in Sydney; from $138 at the Rydges South Park in Adelaide; from $106 at the Rydges Hobart; from $170 at the Rydges South Bank in Brisbane. rydges.com
Properties: 40
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: All

Tune Hotels
At this Malaysian chain (with a few outposts in Bali, Thailand, the Philippines, and London), you get what you pay for—literally. While prices are rock-bottom for the rooms (under $20 for singles in many cases), you'll rack up fees for things that come standard at many other hotels (TV and Wi-Fi cost roughly $7.50 for 24 hours, while air conditioning, shower gel, and towels run from $5-$15, depending on the location). Still, the bright rooms are more than mere crash pads, with 250-thread-count bedding, power showers, housekeeping and 24-hour security. Book early and you may even luck into one of the extremely-limited-quantity $1 a night deals. Sample rates:from $18 at the Tune Hotel in Downtown Penang; from $30 at the Tune Hotel in Downtown Kuala Lumpur; from $20 at the Tune Hotel Kita in Bali.
tunehotels.com
Properties: 20
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: City center

Europe
While Great Britain has a fairly trustworthy hotel rating system, many other European countries use ratings that are far less predictable and intuitive. For example, French hotels earn stars based not on quality but the presence of certain features (air-conditioning and bathroom facilities, for example), while in Italy, a hotel can earn a single star just for changing the sheets on the beds once a week.

Dedeman Hotels & Resorts
Founded in Istanbul in 1966, Dedeman now has hotels and resorts all over Turkey, as well as in Bulgaria, and Uzbekistan. Rooms are more comfortable than cutting-edge, but the properties have worthwhile bonuses such as Turkish baths, indoor/outdoor swimming pools, and multiple options for on-site dining, drinking, and even dancing. Sample rates: from $147 at the Dedeman Ankara in Turkey; from $88 at the Dedeman Silk Road in Tashkent, Uzbekistan; from $169 at the Dedeman Istanbul.
dedeman.com
Properties: 16
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: City center

Husa Hotels
No one-trick pony, this Spanish chain's strength lies in its diverse roster of hotels, each defined by the type of experience the traveler might want. In Barcelona alone, you can choose between nearly two dozen very different Husa options—12 branded "Urban" for their strategic city-center settings, and five in the higher-end "Luxury" level
. Other lodging categories include "Holiday" (resorts like the beachfront Conil Park on the Atlantic Coast),"Well Being" (serenity-focused spots like Sant Bernat in the Sierra del Montseny, surrounded by woods and gardens), and "Mountain" (the Chalet Bassibé in the Valle de Aran, with a lobby fireplace and indoor-outdoor pools). At all hotels, however, you'll find well-priced rooms decorated with the kind of details that channel old-world glamour: leather, velvet, and wood-paneling. Often, you'll find top-quality fitness centers, serious restaurants, and spas. Sample rates: from $78 at the Husa Bonanova Park in Barcelona; from $67 at the Husa Conil Park in Conil; from $117 at the Sant Bernat in the Sierra del Montseny; from $112 at the Chalet Bassibé in Valle de Aran. husa.es
Properties: 101
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: All

Jurys Inn
Location is key at the Jurys Inn hotels, which are positioned in city centers all across England, Ireland, and Scotland (plus one in Prague). They don't take many risks with the décor—most color palettes revolve around gray or brown—but the rooms are spacious and the hotels have on-site restaurants and consistent, professional service. Sample rates: from $78 at the Jurys Inn in Cork; from $87 at the Jurys Inn Prague; from $104 at the Jurys Inn Glasgow; from $98 at the Jurys Inn Liverpool.
jurysinns.com
Properties: 32
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: City center

Median Hotels
This small French chain's strong suit is simple: solid, three-star rooms at reasonable prices in some of Europe's most expensive cities (Paris and Geneva). They're mainly in business suburbs or near convention centers and transportation hubs, and facilities typically include parking, WiFi and an on-site restaurant serving a buffet breakfast. (Depending on the hotel, they may also provide dinner and lunch service.) Reception is open 24 hours, and most rooms have minibars. Sample rates: from $103 at the Hotel Median Paris Châtillon; from $116 at the Hotel Median Geneve Aeroport.
medianhotels.com
Properties: 5
Average Size: Medium/Large
Typical Location: Airport/highway

Motel One
Boutique style at wallet-friendly prices is the hallmark of this German brand, which has more than 30 hotels in Germany, one each in Vienna and Scotland and dozens more in the pipeline (including places in Edinburgh, Brussels and Krakow). No matter which one you visit, you'll find the same design elements popping up in each: Mid-century-style egg chairs, damask-patterned wallpaper, and lots of turquoise accents. It may not look as current in a decade, but for now, the interiors strike a nice balance between playfulness and polish. Free Wi-Fi, flatscreen TVs, and monsoon showerheads round out the appeal. Rates start at $65 at each hotel.
motel-one.com
Properties: 39
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: City centers

Omena Hotels
For fabulously affordable accommodations in a famously expensive region, check in to one of Omena's
über-consistent Scandinavian locations. Rooms are nearly identical from one hotel to the next: All have a sleeping area with a double bed, a separate sitting area (with two armchairs that fold out into extra beds), an en-suite bath, and a TV, mini-fridge and microwave. One drawback: There's no staff on-site, so guests check themselves in with a security code from their online reservations, and contact a remote "reception desk" via phone with any questions. Rates start at $60 at all properties. omenahotels.com
Properties: 14
Average Size: Medium/Large
Typical Location: City center

Premier Inn
This is the fastest-growing budget brand in the UK, and it shows: With over 600 hotels in cities, near airports, and along highways, there's pretty much always a Premier Inn nearby. With that kind of presence, they don't really have to deliver much else, but they've still improved upon the bare-bones motor lodge model. King-size platform beds are standard, bathrooms come with tubs and showers (not always a given in Europe), and most of the properties have their own restaurants and bars. Sample rates: from $52 at the Premier Inn Dublin Airport; from $95 at the Premier Inn Plymouth East in Plymouth, England.
premiertravelinn.com
Properties: 600+
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: All

SORAT Hotels
This German chain's hotels are all over the map when it comes to décor: In Brandenburg you'll find leather sofas in the lobby and a restaurant that resembles a library, while the Nurnberg hotel has plaid-upholstered armchairs and framed drawings of sheep, and the IBB Hotel Erfurt is a restored medieval inn with exposed beams. What they all share, though, are reasonable rates, solid service, and a not-too-big, not-too-small size that's perfect for folks who don't go for B&Bs or bland business hotels. Sample rates: from $68 at the SORAT Hotel Agneshof in Nurnberg; from $66 at the SORAT Hotel Ambassador in Berlin; from $79 at the IBB Hotel in Erfurt.
sorat-hotels.com
Properties: 13
Average Size: Medium
Typical Location: City center

UNA Hotels
Enjoy affordability with style—and individuality—from this Italian brand. You can check into a converted 16th-century palazzo in Florence, a 2001-inspired space in central Bologna with white walls, primary-colored accents, and space-age globe lamps, or a historic hotel in Sicily updated with a modern-Baroque décor. Sample rates: from $137 at the UNA Hotel Vittoria in Florence; from $152 at the UNA Hotel Venezia in Venice; from $144 at the UNA Hotel Modena; from $162 at the UNA Hotel Roma in Rome.
unahotels.it
Properties: 26
Average Size: Medium
Typical Location: All

Mexico and South America
South American ratings systems tend to be fragmented (with different standards for different types of lodgings) or surface-level, taking into account only facilities, not service or quality. In Mexico, however, you'll recognize the same AAA Diamond ratings you see in the U.S.

Casa Andina
Each of this homegrown Peruvian chain's hotels has its own style and charm—and reflects its unique location, whether it's in the Sacred Valley or on the banks of Lake Titicaca. The brand is split into Private Collection, Select and Classic hotels, with the latter being the most affordable. Choices include the rustic, village-style Casa Andina Classic in Colca, which has clay-roofed stone casitas and its own planetarium and observatory; and the Casa Andina Classic in Cusco Koricancha, set in two adjacent colonial manor houses. Sample rates: from $142 at the Cusco Koricancha in Cusco; from $120 at the Miraflores San Antonio in Lima; from $92 at the Puno Tikarani in Puno.
casa-andina.com
Properties: 20
Average Size: Medium
Typical Location: City center/Resort

One Hotels
There may not be much romance to Mexico's budget-friendly chain—hotels are typically located near airports or other transit hubs—but the rooms are bright and streamlined, with furnishings a step above Ikea, and man, do they pile on the perks. At most hotels, breakfast, WiFi, and parking are all free, and snack bars and coin-operated laundry stations are readily available. Rates from $50.
onehotels.com
Properties: 16
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: Airports/highways

Africa and the Middle East
Across the African continent, efforts are being made to standardize ratings. The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGSCA) revised its quality-oriented ratings system last year, resulting in lower ratings for many borderline properties; ratings will be reviewed annually.Malawi launched its first ratings system in 2010, and the East African Community (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi) is currently working toward a unified ratings system. Abu Dhabi debuted a new five-star system in 2011, although a handful of super-luxe hotels in the region have declared themselves as 6- or 7-star properties.

City Lodge Family of Hotels
This South African brand's hotels are separated into four categories: one-star Road Lodge hotels, two-star Town Lodges, three-star City Lodges and four-star Courtyards. Not surprisingly, the Courtyard options are the most charming, and have studio and suite options with kitchenettes, which can help offset the higher nightly rates (a March price check at the Courtyard Cape Town revealed a promo rate of $139 per night). Still, most all hotels under the brand's umbrella have on-site restaurants and WiFi, and even the one-star spots offer 24-hour service, breakfast and, in some cases, swimming pools. Sample rates: from $146 at the Courtyard Cape Town; from $158 at the City Lodge Durban.
citylodge.co.za
Properties: 52
Average Size: Medium/Large
Typical Location: City Centers

Protea Hotels
Africa's largest hotel group, Protea has properties in eight countries—Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa and Malawi—plus one outpost in London.They range from country inns and mountain retreats to seaside resorts and city-chic spots. The urban hotels tend to be edgier—a purple pool table here, neon-pink lighting there—while the out-of-town properties are more likely to feature native artwork or old-fashioned canopy beds and floral-upholstered furniture. Sample rates: from $131 at the PH Thuringerhof in Windhoek, Namibia; from $165 at the PH Cape Castle in Cape Town.
proteahotels.com
Properties: 120
Average Size: Medium
Typical Location: Resort

Rotana Hotels
Beginning with the Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi in 1993, the Rotana group has grown to include dozens of properties in Egypt, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar and more; by the end of 2012, their roster should total more than 70 properties in a variety of price categories. The "young and fresh" Centro sub-brand is the most budget-friendly—and even those properties feel decidedly upscale, thanks to features like floor-to-ceiling windows, flat-screen TVs, and marble-topped desks. On-site dining and amenities like full gyms and rooftop pools enhance the experience. Sample rates: from $116 at the Centro Barsha in Dubai; from $81 at the Centro Al Manhal in Abu Dhabi.
rotana.com
Properties: 70
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: All

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Eaton Hotels
A sub-brand of the luxury Langham hotels, Eaton Hotels are split into Eaton Smart and Eaton Luxe options, plus one Eaton House Apartments location in Hong Kong: Eaton Smart properties have on-site eateries and gyms or pools, while Eaton Luxe adds extras like 24-hour room service and complimentary internet—and an aesthetic that's straight from the pages of a Pottery Barn catalog. There are currently one Eaton Luxe (Shanghai) and two Eaton Smarts (Hong Kong and New Delhi Airport.) More are set to open in China through the next two years, along with one in Bali in 2014. Sample rates: from $107 at the Eaton Luxe in Shanghai; from $142 at the Eaton Smart in Hong Kong.
eatonhotels.com
Properties: 4
Average Size: Large
Typical Location: All

dusitD2
Thailand's luxury Dusit brand has earned raves for its sleek boutique sub-brand dusitD2, which is both design-focused and more wallet-friendly than its exclusive sibling—and comes with resort-worthy perks such as on-site spas, spacious pool decks, and concierge service. At present there are only two dusitD2 locations—one in central Chiang Mai, another near the beaches of Pattaya—with two more in the works (New Delhi and Pasadena, California.) Sample rate: from $130 in Chiang Mai.
dusit.com/dusit-d2
Properties: 2
Average Size: Medium/Large
Typical Location: Resort

CitizenM
Citizen M's first outpost, at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, revolutionized the concept of the transit hotel. Now, the budget brand has expanded to city centers (Amsterdam and Glasgow currently, with London and New York on the way). Their "affordable luxury" concept shows up in swanky lobbies outfitted with Eames loungers and 24-hour canteens, and in the guest rooms, where colored mood lighting, wake-up calls, in-room movies, the thermostat, and even the window blinds can all be controlled from the same high-tech “mood pad” remote control. Sample rates: from $92 in Amsterdam City; from $94 in Glasgow.
citizenm.com
Properties: 3
Average Size:Large
Typical Location: All

The Big Sleep Hotel
With their floral Orla Kiely wallpapers, pastel accents, and clawfoot tubs, this mini-chain of hotels (one in Wales, two in England) might be better suited for girlfriend getaways than stag weekends—but some of the rooms do come in blue, and the prices for the family suites can't be beat (from $55 for a double plus bunk beds in Cardiff). All rooms have flat-screen TVs, tea/coffee makers, and WiFi and broadband (for a fee), and rates include a buffet breakfast.Starting rate: from $46.
thebigsleephotel.com
Properties: 3
Average Size: Medium
Typical Location: City center

YOTEL
Inspired by the mod—and modular—design of first-class airplane cabins, YOTEL's four branches (three at airports in London and Amsterdam, one on New York City's west side) feature supremely compact rooms (aka "cabins") with fold-down work desks, flat-panel TVs, and, in some cases, bunk beds. The WiFi is free, kitchenettes are in the hall, dining is on-site, and rates are by the hour. Sample rates: from $113 in London Gatwick for 24 hours; from $99 in Amsterdam Schiphol for 24 hours.
yotel.com
Properties: 4
Average Size: Medium
Typical Location: Airport/highway

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11 New Hotel Wonders

If the best architecture aims at eternity, to paraphrase famed English architect Christopher Wren, then these new hotels are bound to be immortal. The 11 hotels on our list all opened within the last four years, and each is an example of awe-inspiring design in its own right. You can stay in a wave-like skyscraper in Chicago, a stack of cantilevered cubes in Portugal, or a hotel tucked into the wild cliffs of an Australian island. And, even better, it won't cost a fortune to spend a night in these architectural wonders. Seven of the 11 are under $200 a night. SEE THE WORLD'S MOST AMAZING NEW HOTELS 1. BELLA SKY COMWELL  Copenhagen, DenmarkThe two structures that make up the Bella Sky each incline at a slightly different angle. Or as the architects sweetly put it, the towers are drawn to each other, "yet seem a little shy." In fact, the creative use of angles is employed both inside the property and out—geometric angles give the exterior a filigreed look, while inside the hotel there are rooms where there are no 90-degrees at all (there are over 200 different room shapes in the 812-room hotel). The location, in the Copenhagen neighborhood of Orestad five miles from the city center, actually inspired the leaning-tower design. The buildings are so close to the airport that height restrictions dictate that they must not exceed 246 feet. 011-45/3247-3000, bellaskycomwell.dk, from $155 per night. 2. JUMEIRAH AT ETIHAD TOWERS HOTEL  Abu DhabiQueensland architecture firm DBI Design won the World's Leading New Hotel Award for 2011 for this stunning $1 billion residential and retail center. The complex is made up of five towers on a beachside stretch on a peninsula in Abu Dhabi. Constructing the buildings that now dominate the modern skyline posed structural challenges. The towers all curve, meaning each floor slab is a different shape. The 382-room Jumeirah hotel takes up 66 stories of one of the towers. 888/645-5697, jumeirah.com, from $192 per night. 3. HOTEL CONSOLACIÓN  Teruel, SpainPerched atop a ridge, this collection of 10 freestanding, wood-clad modernist cubes, or "Kube" suites, opened in 2009. Located in the rural mountain town of Teruel (a three-hour drive from both Barcelona and Valencia), the sleek cubes create a beautiful juxtaposition with the groves of olive and almond trees that surround them. Each suite has a sliding glass wall that opens onto a private terrace, and, inside, sparse interiors combine slate, copper-treated pine, and metal sheeting. The hotel incorporates some classic elements as well: a converted 14th-century hermitage serves as a communal area for guests. 011-34-978/85-67-55, consolacion.com.es, from $185 per night. 4. SOUTHERN OCEAN LODGE  Kangaroo Island, Australia Architect Max Pritchard designed this lodge to blend into the dramatic surroundings of Kangaroo Island. Tucked back behind cliffs, the hotel opened in 2008 and consists of 21 suites cascading down a windswept slope, following the natural curve of the land, each with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and sweeping views of the Southern Ocean. Suites were constructed from lightweight materials—steel screw piles, timber framing, iron cladding—that could be carried in to create minimal disturbance to nature, and which also could handle the challenge of building on precarious soil conditions (several feet of sand atop solid limestone). Inside are environmentally sound sandblasted limestone floors and recycled spotted-gum walls. The off-the-grid location led to innovations such as sculptural containers for collecting rainwater. 931/924-5253, southernoceanlodge.com.au, from $1,000 per person, per night with a two-night minimum. 5. MARINA BAY SANDS  SingaporeThis trio of 55-story towers opened in 2010 and hold an incredible 2,561 hotel rooms, plus a museum, casino, convention center, waterfront promenade, shops, and restaurants. Architect Moshe Safdie has said that his challenge "was to create a vital public place at the district-urban scale-in other words, to address the issue of megascale and invent an urban landscape that would work at the human scale." His way of dealing with that was to design the complex around two central axes to give a sense of orientation. The towers are connected at the top by the cantilevered, two-and-a-half-acre SkyPark, home to gardens, 250 trees, a public observatory and a 492-foot swimming pool—all perched high in the sky like a fantastical cruise ship forever suspended in midair. 011-65/6688-8868, marinabaysands.com, from $350 per night. 6. YAS VICEROY HOTEL  Abu Dhabi This 499-room hotel was the first to be built straddling a Formula 1 racetrack (it opened in 2009 and was renovated in 2011 to become a Viceroy). The structure consists of a pair of 12-story towers joined by a sweeping, 700-foot curvilinear skin of glass and steel—actually 5,800 pivoting, diamond-shaped glass panels that reflect the sky by day and are illuminated up by an LED system at night. The architects' aim was to reflect artistry and geometries associated with ancient Islamic art and craft traditions, and from a distance the panels create the appearance of a spectacular veil. 888/622-4567, viceroyhotelsandresorts.com; from about $210 per night. 7. RADISSON BLU WATERFRONT HOTEL  Stockholm, SwedenThe piece de resistance at this 414-room hotel of white polished stone and rough black stone is its attached conference center—a glass structure with an exterior made up of 13 miles of semi-transparent stainless steel rods. They reflect the sky and water, radically change the skyline, and are what architect Hans Forsmark describes as "a reminiscence of the Nordic Light." The interiors of the hotel, which opened in 2011, follow straight lines and geometric precision. 800/333-3333, radissonblu.com, from $155 per night. 8. AXIS VIANA HOTEL  Viana do Castelo, Portugal The 88-room Axis Viana Hotel was a striking addition to the folkloric village of Viana do Castelo when it opened in 2008. The exterior is made up of reflective aluminum, black glass, and green stone, and the cantilevered design changes the shape of the hotel depending upon your vantage point. The contrasting interior consists of white finishes and materials including wood and stone. It's all edged by a shimmering outdoor pool and surrounded by views of the Lima River and Mount St. Luzia. 011-351/258-802-000, axishoteis.com, from $100 per night. 9.HÔTEL AMERICANO  New York, New York The 10-story Americano sits on the site of a former parking garage in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. Neighbors were likely pleased with the swap when the hotel opened in 2011. The building looks like a massive metal sculpture—perfect for the gallery-filled neighborhood—with floors connected by catwalks and wrapped with stainless-steel mesh. The industrial façade holds 56 rooms plus two restaurants, a lobby café and two basement bars; for urban escape, there is a roof deck with a pool, bar, and peaceful garden terrace. 212/216-0000, hotel-americano.com, from $295 per night. 10. MIURA HOTEL  Celadná, Czech Republic Rising like a geometric spaceship in the Beskydy Mountains is this distinctive hotel made of concrete, sheet metal, violet glass, Corian, and stone. Miura opened in 2011 and is divided into three parts, one of which seems to levitate above the ground, plus two side wings containing the 44 rooms. The arrangement means that all of the rooms have views of the surrounding mountains. The striking hotel also has an impressive art collection, with works by Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, and Czech sculptor David Černý. Known for his large-scale installations, Černý's works here include an almost 30-foot-tall stainless-steel man pushing against the exterior of the hotel. 011-420/558-761-100, www.miura.cz, from $126 per night. 11. RADISSON BLU AQUA HOTEL  Chicago, Illinois Architect Jeanne Gang literally made waves in a city full of iconic skyscrapers with her showstopper building. The 82-story glass structure's exterior has undulating concrete balconies resembling the swirls and ripples of nearby Lake Michigan. Such a unique design brought with it a unique construction challenge—each floor plate is a different shape, which means a different concrete pour was required for every story. To manage it, the concrete was poured into a specially designed flexible metal edge that was reused over and over again—an important detail for green architecture. Much of the building is designated for private residences, but the 334-room Radisson Blu Aqua opened on 18 floors in November 2011. 312/565-5258, radissonbluchicago.com, from $175 per night.   SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: 12 Elevators You Have to See to BelieveWorld's 16 Most Picturesque Villages15 International Food Etiquette Rules the Might Surprise You12 Hot Springs Worth Traveling For

Inspiration

The 14 Most Beautiful Home and Garden Tours in America

You might think home and garden tours are merely a superficial pleasure (the kind Grandma might enjoy), but you're only half right. Sure, these estates offer their fair share of sensory pleasures—the scent of blossoming flowers, the gurgle of fountains, the warmth of the sunshine as you traverse the grounds—but their beauty is far from skin-deep. To make our list, a property had to be as interesting as it is beautiful, and the result is a collection of homes with real stories to tell. A Georgian Revival mansion that housed descendants of Abraham Lincoln, a palatial, Charles II-style mansion so striking that three classic Hollywood films were shot there—these are the kinds of places you'll still be talking about long after you've left. And then there are the gardens—romantic, Italian-inspired grounds, tropical forests, the gardening world's versions of the Mona Lisa and David. Yes, Grandma would like these places, but who wouldn't? 1. FILOLI, WOODSIDE, CALIFORNIA Husband-and-wife gold-mine owners built this Georgian-inspired 36,000-square-foot house between 1915 and 1917, about 30 miles south of San Francisco. But the property's star feature is the 16-acre English Renaissance garden, which was completed in 1929. The 654-acre Filoli estate is known for its bonsai and magnolia collections, as well as the largest heirloom orchard in private hands in the United States. Best time to visit: In February through August on the fourth Wednesday of every month (and the third Wednesday in September and October), Filoli hosts afternoon teas, where visitors snack on scones with fresh lemon curd and sip tea out of china cups. Open Tuesdays-Sundays (except holidays) until October 21 in 2012, 86 Cañada Rd., 650/364-8300, filoli.org, admission $15, tea $45 (including admission). 2. HILDENE, MANCHESTER, VERMONT The 107-year-old Hildene is a must-see for presidential-history buffs: After all, it was built by Robert Lincoln, the only son of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln to survive into adulthood. Set on a promontory 300 feet above the Battenkill Valley in Vermont's southwest corner, the Georgian Revival mansion housed descendants of the president until 1975 and still contains Lincoln family heirlooms, such as a 1,000-pipe organ installed in 1908, as well as one of only three of the President's iconic stovepipe hats in existence today. Hildene's gardens are notable for their multi-colored flowers, including more than 1,000 peony blooms, planted to resemble a cathedral-style stained-glass window. Best time to visit: Mid-June marks the start of peony season; visit the Hoyt Garden to see Hildene's massive collection of the flowers (many from the original plantings) in bloom. Open daily (except for major holidays), 1005 Hildene Rd., 800/578-1788, hildene.org, admission $16. 3. VILLA TERRACE DECORATIVE ARTS MUSEUM, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN Built in 1923, the Villa Terrace was once owned by Lloyd Smith, president of the A.O. Smith Corporation, which made bicycle parts, hot water heaters, and later heavy munitions during World War II. The place now serves as a decorative arts museum, housing pieces from the 15th to the 18th centuries, including an extensive collection of artisan iron crafts. The estate's grounds, which overlook Lake Michigan, are known for the Renaissance Garden, which was modeled after 16th-century Tuscany and restored in 2002. Highlights include bushes that sprout culinary and medicinal herbs and the Scaletta d'Aqua, a water stairway that flows down past three terraces of crab apple trees into a fishpond.Best time to visit: Every year, on the first Sunday in June, the Renaissance Garden celebrates its official opening with free admission. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 2220 N. Terrace Ave., 414/271-3656, villaterracemuseum.org, admission $5. 4. MONTICELLO, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA Designed by Thomas Jefferson in the neoclassical style, this plantation home sits on a mountaintop 70 miles northwest of Richmond. From oval flowerbeds to winding paths, Jefferson designed every fruit, vegetable, and flower garden over two centuries ago. Today, those gardens are planted up to three times per year to let seasonal flowers shine, including bee balm and calendula. Don't miss the home itself, where you can see Jefferson's 18th-century furniture, books, and gadgets such as the polygraph, a device which used pens and ink to make exact duplicates of his letters as he wrote them.Best time to visit: Spring and early summer bring the prettiest blossoms. Vibrant tulips reign late April; ornamental Sweet William and delicate Canterbury bells bloom in May. Open daily except Christmas, 931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway, 434/984-9822, monticello.org, admission $17-$24 (depending on the season). 5. BILTMORE ESTATE, ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA Set against the Blue Ridge Mountains, George Vanderbilt's 250-room chateau-style estate ranks as the largest private home in America. The 75 acres of formal and informal gardens—from a tree-specked shrub garden with meandering paths to a manicured Italian garden dotted with pools—were designed by master landscaper Frederick Law Olmsted, best known for creating New York City's Central Park. There's also a conservatory filled with tropical plants and a rose garden, which houses more than 250 varieties of the flower.Best time to visit: During the annual Festival of Flowers (April 7-May 20), Biltmore's gardens burst with color as tulips and azaleas start to bloom. Open 365 days a year, 1 Lodge St., 800/411-3812, biltmore.com, admission varies by season and ranges from $35-$64. 6. BARTRAM'S GARDEN, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA Located less than 15 minutes from downtown Philadelphia, this 45-acre farmstead's bucolic vibe belies its urban surroundings. Not only do the grounds hold native species of ferns, wildflowers, and trees, including America's oldest gingko, but they're also home to the country's oldest living botanical garden, which botanist John Bartram started in 1728. Best time to visit: In past springs, boats to Bartram's have departed from Philadelphia's Central City, though prices and dates have not been set for this year. After a cruise down the Schuylkill River, visitors are led on a tour of Bartram's grounds. Open year-round (except holidays), 54th St. and Lindbergh Blvd., 215/729-5281, bartramsgarden.org, admission $10; boat tour tickets available at schuylkillbankstours.tix.com. 7. MAGNOLIA PLANTATION & GARDENS, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA A former slave plantation established in 1679, Magnolia contains America's oldest public gardens. They were constructed in 1840 by John Grimké Drayton, the original estate owner's great-great grandson, and opened to visitors three decades later. Today, the English-style gardens feature winding paths lined with native azaleas (Grimké Drayton is said to have introduced the flower to the U.S.) and antique camellias, as well as a pre-Revolution-era plantation house and a petting zoo with African pygmy goats and whitetail deer.Best time to visit: Magnolia is known for its azalea collection—the biggest in the U.S.—so go in late March or early April when the flowers start to pop. Open year-round, 3550 Ashley River Rd., 800/367-3517, magnoliaplantation.com, admission $10. 8. VIZCAYA MUSEUM AND GARDENS, MIAMI Biscayne Bay glitters just beyond the 10 acres of European-inspired gardens and native forest at Vizcaya, an opulent, European-style villa built in 1916 as a winter home for agricultural industrialist James Deering. The mansion-turned-museum houses international antiques and art from the 15th through 19th centuries. But the real scene-stealer is the outdoor sculpture garden, which features artifacts like a Roman altar from the second century AD and the 290-year-old Sutri Fountain, imported from Italy especially by Deering.Best time to visit: Romantics will dig Vizcaya's moonlight garden tours, which offer live music and a chance to gaze at flowers under the stars and are scheduled around full moons. Check the website for dates. Open daily (except Tuesdays and Thanksgiving/Christmas), 3251 South Miami Ave., 305/250-9133, vizcayamuseum.org, admission $15. 9. NAUMKEAG, STOCKBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS This Gilded-Age mansion in the Berkshires was completed in 1886 as a summer retreat for prominent New York attorney Joseph Choate and his family. The 44-room house—which contains the Choates' furniture and artwork from Europe and Asia—sits among 10 acres of terraced gardens designed by America's first Modernist landscape architect, Fletcher Steele. Of particular note are the Blue Steps, four tiers of fountain pools surrounded by a grove of white birches.Best time to visit: The fall foliage in the Berkshires is considered some of the most stunning anywhere in America. The leaves hit their peak in October so head to Naumkeag as close to the end of the season as possible to see the leaves beginning to turn. Open daily, Memorial Day through Columbus Day, 5 Prospect Hill Rd., 413/298-3239, thetrustees.org, admission $15. 10. OLD WESTBURY GARDENS, OLD WESTBURY, NEW YORK Hollywood has made good use of this palatial, Charles II-style mansion on Long Island's Gold Coast: North By Northwest, The Age of Innocence, and Cruel Intentions were all shot here. The estate was built between 1904 and 1906 for financier and lawyer John S. Phipps, with elements borrowed from classic British country estates and the medieval Battle Abbey. The collections of English antiques, American furnishings, and Chinese porcelain were amassed over the family's 50-year residence. Westbury House sits on a 200-acre property that once held a number of Quaker farms, surrounded by eight formal gardens, plus wooded paths, ponds, and more than 100 species of trees.Best time to visit: Over 40 flower varieties (from lilacs to irises to tropical water lilies) bloom April through July, but leaf-peeping is a must in October, when Westbury's grounds burst with bold red, orange, and yellow fall foliage. Open daily (except Tuesdays), April 30 through October 31, 71 Old Westbury Rd., 516/333-0048, oldwestburygardens.org, admission $10. 11. HERMANN-GRIMA, NEW ORLEANS Built in 1831 by a German-Jewish immigrant, who made his fortune in cotton, the pink-bricked Hermann-Grima house—which still includes its original mahogany dining table and hurricane shades—contains the only horse stable and functional outdoor kitchen in the French Quarter. Outside, the grounds include Versailles-inspired ornamental parterre filled with antique roses and citrus trees.Best time to visit: Every October, Hermann-Grima commemorates 19th-century Creole mourning rituals with a "celebration" called Sacred to the Memory. The house is draped in black crepe, and a coffin is stationed in its parlor. It's morbid, sure, but it also happens to be the house's most popular annual event—and the closest you'll get to reenacting a scene from 1800s New Orleans. Open Monday-Saturday, 820 Saint Louis St., 504/525-5661, hgghh.org, admission $12. 12. GREEN ANIMALS TOPIARY GARDEN, PORTSMOUTH, RHODE ISLAND Have you ever seen a tree that looks like a teddy bear, or a reindeer, or a unicorn? You will at Green Animals Topiary Garden, one of the oldest of its kind in the country. Here, more than 80 plants (including California privet, yew, and English boxwood) have been clipped to resemble mammals, birds, and geometric shapes. The garden, which sits on seven acres overlooking Naragansett Bay, shares its land with a rose arbor and fruit trees. The grounds also include a white clapboard house that cotton manufacturer Thomas Brayton bought in 1872—a charmingly meager counterpoint to the ostentatious mansions of Newport, about 10 miles south of here.Best time to visit: Summertime at Green Animals brings sensory overload: The herb gardens are fragrant, the on-site orchards brim with fruit, and Naragansett Bay is guaranteed to be a picturesque shade of blue. Open May 12-October 8, 380 Cory's Ln., 401/847-1000, newportmansions.org, admission $14.50. 13. HISTORIC DEEPWOOD ESTATE, SALEM, OREGON The 4.2 acres of formal English gardens and nature trails at Deepwood—a multi-gabled, Queen Anne Victorian home built in 1894—were designed by Lord & Schryver, the Northwest's first female landscape architecture team. The gardens, which are surrounded by the Rita Steiner Nature Trail, are full of romantic touches: gazebos, ivy-covered arbors, and fleur-de-lis-adorned gates.Best time to visit: TheDeepwood Wine & Jazz Fest takes place in the estate's gardens on June 30; for $10, guests can stroll among the flowers while jamming out to local musicians. Oregon wine and gourmet snacks are on hand, too. Open daily (except Tuesdays), May 1-October 15; open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, October 16-April 30, 1116 Mission St. SE, 503/363-1825, historicdeepwoodestate.org, admission $4, though access to the grounds is free. 14. TALIESIN WEST, SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and studio, where he lived from 1937 until his death in 1959, sits at the foothills of the McDowell Mountains in the Sonoran Desert. (The 550-acre property is now the main campus of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture and the international headquarters for the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.) The house, considered to be one of the architect's masterpieces for touches like the cabaret theater and shaded pool, was constructed with native materials such as desert rocks, and its translucent roof and slanted windows let natural light flood in. Wright was so energized and reinvigorated by Taliesin's desert landscape that he designed some of his most renowned buildings, like New York's Guggenheim Museum, in the abode's drafting room. Outside, the grounds include a sculpture garden filled with bronze statues and desert plants.Best time to visit: The year 2012 marks the 75th anniversary of Taliesin, and the milestone is being celebrated throughout the year with a series of symposiums, fundraisers, and concerts (check website for dates). If you want to skip the fanfare, sign up for the Night Lights tour, which runs Fridays from February through October. The two-hour trek starts at twilight and lets you experience Taliesin's grounds under the dusky desert sky. Open daily (except major holidays), 12621 North Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., 480/627-5340, franklloydwright.org, admission varies by tour ($18-$60), Night Lights, $35. SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: 15 International Food Etiquette Rules That Might Surprise You To Go or Not to Go: 11 Places With a Bad Rap Secrets of the 10 Most Popular Cruise Ports World's 16 Most Picturesque Villages How to Do America's Most Scenic Drive—Without the Traffic