17 luxury summer retreats to book this season

Few countries shift with the seasons as sharply as the United States, and summer is when its landscapes are most worth travelling for. The properties here range from oceanfront inns on the Oregon coast to working ranches in Montana, a restored mining town in the Colorado mountains and the only private island resort in the country, three miles off the Florida Keys. Each is built around what lies outside the door: a nine-acre pond, a blue-ribbon trout stream, a beach reached only by yacht or seaplane.

Twin Farms

Across 300 acres of Vermont countryside, Twin Farms operates as an all-inclusive country estate where 28 individually designed cottages and suites sit among woodlands, meadows and a private nine-acre pond. Summer activities include canoeing on Copper Pond, paddleboard yoga, picnics deep in the forest and lawn games on the lodge grounds. The Relais & Châteaux property is adults only, with all meals, fine wines and spirits included, alongside use of all activities and equipment. Two Volvo XC90 hybrids are available for chef-prepared picnic drives through the surrounding countryside.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: All-inclusive Relais & Châteaux country estate
📍 Location: Barnard, Vermont
🔑 Key feature: 300 acres with a private nine-acre pond
🏡 Accommodations: 28 individually designed cottages and suites
🛶 Summer activities: Canoeing, paddleboard yoga, forest picnics, lawn games
✨ Ideal for: Adults seeking an all-inclusive country retreat

twinfarms.com, @twinfarms

Post Ranch Inn

One of the most distinctive luxury summer retreats on the Pacific coast, Post Ranch Inn is set 1,200 feet above the ocean on the cliffs of Big Sur, with 40 rooms and houses across an adults-only 100-acre property. Ocean Houses are topped with grass and wildflower living roofs, two cliffside infinity pools face the Pacific, and complimentary morning yoga is offered alongside guided nature walks. The Three Michelin Key property is home to Wine Spectator Grand Award restaurant Sierra Mar, which serves a daily-changing menu and complimentary breakfast. Television-free rooms feature private decks, fireplaces and either ocean, mountain or forest views.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: Adults-only cliffside resort
📍 Location: Big Sur, California
🔑 Key feature: Three Michelin Keys, 1,200 feet above the Pacific
🏊 Pools: Two Pacific-facing infinity pools
🧘 Wellness: Complimentary morning yoga, guided nature walks
🍽️ Dining: Sierra Mar, with Wine Spectator Grand Award
✨ Ideal for: Couples seeking ocean-view seclusion

postranchinn.com, @postranchinn

Little Palm Island

Reached by yacht or seaplane from Little Torch Key, Little Palm Island is America’s only private island resort and a Michelin Three-Key destination. The four-acre adults-only retreat features 30 thatched-roof bungalow suites with no televisions and no audible mobile phones. Each suite has indoor and outdoor showers, copper bathtubs and four-poster beds beneath palms. The Dining Room serves a daily-changing menu by the executive chef, while SpaTerre offers Balinese-inspired wellness across a two-storey atrium. Complimentary watersports include paddleboards, kayaks, snorkel gear and 13-foot Boston Whalers for sandbar exploration.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: Private island, adults-only
📍 Location: Little Torch Key, Florida
🔑 Key feature: Michelin Three-Key, America’s only private island resort
🏡 Accommodations: 30 thatched-roof bungalow suites, no TVs
🍽️ Dining: The Dining Room, daily-changing menu
🚤 Activities: Complimentary kayaks, paddleboards, Boston Whalers
✨ Ideal for: Couples seeking complete disconnection

littlepalmisland.com, @littlepalmisland

Dunton Hot Springs

For history-rich luxury summer retreats, few rival Dunton Hot Springs, a restored 19th-century mining ghost town in the San Juan Mountains comprising hand-hewn log cabins arranged around the original bathhouse. The five hot springs range from 85°F to 106°F and can be enjoyed inside the restored bathhouse, beneath the stars at the source, in pools beside the Dunton Store cabin and inside Well House cabin. Activities include fly fishing on a private nine-mile stretch of the West Fork of the Dolores River, horseback riding, hiking and biking. Rates include all meals and alcoholic beverages from the saloon.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: All-inclusive restored ghost town
📍 Location: Dolores, Colorado
🔑 Key feature: Five hot springs, San Juan Mountains setting
🏡 Accommodations: Hand-hewn log cabins
🎣 Activities: Fly fishing on a private nine-mile river stretch, horseback riding
🍽️ Dining: All meals and alcoholic beverages included
✨ Ideal for: Adventurous travellers seeking history and hot springs

duntondestinations.com, @duntonhotsprings

Blackberry Farm

Among the leading luxury summer retreats for culinary travellers, Blackberry Farm is a 4,200-acre Relais & Châteaux estate in the Great Smoky Mountains, currently celebrating its 50th anniversary. The property is known for its Foothills Cuisine and offers three restaurants including The Barn. Summer pursuits include fly fishing on Hesse Creek, paddleboarding, mountain biking, equestrian sports and clay shooting. Sixty-two rooms range from cottage suites to multi-bedroom homes. The Farmhouse Spa rounds out the wellness offering, while the property’s master gardener leads guided walks through the heirloom kitchen gardens.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: Culinary-focused Relais & Châteaux estate
📍 Location: Walland, Tennessee
🔑 Key feature: 4,200 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains
🍽️ Dining: Three restaurants showcasing Foothills Cuisine
🎣 Summer activities: Fly fishing on Hesse Creek, paddleboarding, equestrian sports
💆 Wellness: Farmhouse Spa
✨ Ideal for: Food and wine enthusiasts

blackberryfarm.com, @blackberryfarm

Dunton River Camp

From the team behind Dunton Hot Springs, Dunton River Camp offers eight safari-style canvas tents on a 500-acre former cattle ranch beside the West Fork of the Dolores River. Each 640-square-foot tent platform includes en-suite bathrooms with six-foot soaker tubs, double vanities and on-demand hot water. Activities include fly fishing in the trout-rich river, horseback riding, mountain biking on dedicated trails and yoga sessions. The restored 19th-century Farm House serves as the dining hub, with all meals, beverages and Barbara’s Bar nightcaps included. The camp operates from June through to mid-October.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: All-inclusive luxury safari-style camp
📍 Location: Dolores, Colorado
🔑 Key feature: 500 acres on the West Fork of the Dolores River
🏕️ Accommodations: Eight safari tents with en-suite bathrooms
🎣 Activities: Fly fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, yoga
📅 Season: June to mid-October
✨ Ideal for: Adventurous couples seeking high-end glamping

duntondestinations.com, @duntonrivercamp

The Ranch at Rock Creek

Set across 6,600 acres in western Montana, The Ranch at Rock Creek was the first guest ranch to earn Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star recognition. The all-inclusive Relais & Châteaux property covers all meals, drinks and twice-daily activities, with summer programming centred on fly fishing on the property’s blue-ribbon trout stream, sapphire mining, horseback riding across five mountain peaks and bowling at the Silver Dollar Saloon. Thirty accommodations range from one-bedroom lodge studios to five-bedroom homes, alongside luxury canvas cabins and the historic Granite Lodge. Frontier-to-table dining is led by executive chef Joshua Drage.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: All-inclusive Forbes Five-Star Relais & Châteaux ranch
📍 Location: Philipsburg, Montana
🔑 Key feature: 6,600 acres with twice-daily activities included
🐎 Summer activities: Fly fishing, sapphire mining, horseback riding
🎳 Unique element: Bowling at the Silver Dollar Saloon
🍽️ Dining: Frontier-to-table programme
✨ Ideal for: Active families and adventure-seekers

theranchatrockcreek.com, @theranchatrockcreek

Inn at Newport Ranch

Wilder than most, Inn at Newport Ranch sits on the northern Mendocino coast with ten distinct accommodations across 2,200 private acres. The working cattle ranch features 1.5 miles of rugged Pacific coastline, 25 miles of trails, redwood groves and seven microclimates. Summer activities include horseback rides ridge-to-canopy, UTV tours through the redwoods and along the coast, kayaking, sea-cave exploration and forest bathing. Dining is for guests only, with executive chef Patrick Meany cooking over live fire and sourcing within a 50-mile radius. The rooftop hot tub is a fixture of stays here.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: Private working cattle ranch and inn
📍 Location: Fort Bragg, California
🔑 Key feature: 2,200 acres with 1.5 miles of private coastline
🏞️ Trails: 25 miles across seven microclimates
🐎 Summer activities: Horseback riding, UTV tours, kayaking, sea-cave exploration
🍽️ Dining: Live-fire cooking, ingredients sourced within 50 miles
✨ Ideal for: Couples seeking a digital detox

theinnatnewportranch.com, @innatnewportranch

Blackberry Mountain

Sister property to Blackberry Farm, Blackberry Mountain spans 5,200 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains, with 36 miles of private hiking trails and a strong wellness focus. Nest, the on-site spa, became the first Joanna Czech-certified spa in the United States in 2023. Accommodations include treehouses, stone cottages and mountain homes, with breakfast and dinner included. Summer programming features rock climbing on the property’s via ferrata, forest bathing, mountain biking and seasonal regional menus. The 2,800 acres dedicated to land conservation give the property an unusually expansive feel.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: Wellness-led Relais & Châteaux retreat
📍 Location: Walland, Tennessee
🔑 Key feature: 5,200 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains
💆 Wellness: First Joanna Czech-certified spa in the United States
🏡 Accommodations: Treehouses, stone cottages, mountain homes
🥾 Trails: 36 miles of private hiking
✨ Ideal for: Wellness-focused travellers

blackberrymountain.com, @blackberry.mountain

White Barn Inn

Among the best-known summer retreats on the New England coast, White Barn Inn has been a Kennebunk landmark for over 150 years. The Auberge Resorts Collection property features 28 rooms across the main inn, suites and stand-alone cottages. The barn dining room holds Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond ratings under executive chef Cornelia Sühr, with a contemporary New England menu rooted in regional sourcing. Summer experiences include cycling tours of the surrounding coast and hemlock-lined trails, picnic baskets delivered to the beach by the inn’s tricycle cart, and a heated outdoor infinity pool.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: Coastal Auberge Resorts Collection inn
📍 Location: Kennebunk, Maine
🔑 Key feature: 150 years on Maine’s coast
🏡 Accommodations: 28 rooms, suites and stand-alone cottages
🍽️ Dining: Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond barn restaurant
🏊 Pool: Heated outdoor infinity pool
✨ Ideal for: Couples seeking refined coastal New England

auberge.com, @whitebarnauberge

The Chanler at Cliff Walk

The only hotel positioned directly on Newport’s 3.5-mile Cliff Walk, The Chanler is one of the more historically distinctive luxury summer retreats. Twenty individually designed guest rooms and ocean villas draw on distinct historical periods, from English Tudor and Renaissance to Louis XVI and Williamsburg. Ocean Villas include private hot tubs, saunas and decks overlooking the Atlantic. Dining at AAA Five-Diamond Cara is by blind tasting menu, while Rémy’s Loose offers a more relaxed French-leaning bar and bistro. The mansions of Bellevue Avenue, including The Breakers, sit within walking distance.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: Five-Star Gilded Age mansion hotel
📍 Location: Newport, Rhode Island
🔑 Key feature: The only hotel on the 3.5-mile Cliff Walk
🏡 Accommodations: 20 rooms designed around historical periods
🍽️ Dining: AAA Five-Diamond Cara, plus Rémy’s Loose
🌊 Setting: Steps from Newport’s mansions and the Atlantic
✨ Ideal for: Couples interested in Gilded Age history

thechanler.com, @thechanler

The Wauwinet

Opinion: What makes an exceptional city hotel?

Open since 1875 on Nantucket’s northeastern shore, The Wauwinet is the island’s only Relais & Châteaux property and sits between two private beaches, one on the Atlantic and one on Nantucket Bay. The historic inn includes 32 guest rooms and four cottage suites alongside the three-bedroom Anchorage Beach House. Summer offerings include complimentary beach cruiser bicycles, sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding, surfcasting expeditions at Great Point and natural history excursions in the adjoining Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge. The AAA Five Diamond TOPPER’S restaurant has held the Wine Spectator Grand Award since 1996, with locally harvested Fifth Bend Oysters cultivated 300 yards from the inn.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: Historic Relais & Châteaux island inn
📍 Location: Nantucket, Massachusetts
🔑 Key feature: Open since 1875, between two private beaches
🍽️ Dining: AAA Five Diamond TOPPER’S, Wine Spectator Grand Award since 1996
🚲 Activities: Complimentary bicycles, sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding
🦪 Local sourcing: Fifth Bend Oysters cultivated 300 yards from inn
✨ Ideal for: Couples and families seeking Nantucket tradition

wauwinet.com, @thewauwinet

Stephanie Inn

Stephanie Inn is an oceanfront 41-room property in Cannon Beach with views towards Haystack Rock. Each room features a fireplace, soaking tub and lanterns provided for stargazing on the beach. Stays include a complimentary chef’s gourmet breakfast buffet, an afternoon wine and beer gathering, and an evening nightcap. The dining room serves Pacific Northwest cuisine each evening, with much of the produce grown on the property’s own farm. Complimentary cruiser bicycles, daily shuttles to downtown Cannon Beach and a curated playlist for the journey home are included.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: Oceanfront boutique luxury inn
📍 Location: Cannon Beach, Oregon
🔑 Key feature: Direct beach access with Haystack Rock views
🏡 Accommodations: 41 rooms with fireplaces and soaking tubs
🍽️ Dining: Complimentary breakfast, evening Pacific Northwest menu
🍷 Inclusions: Afternoon wine gathering, evening nightcap
✨ Ideal for: Adults seeking a quiet coastal escape

stephanieinn.com, @stephanieinn

The Cottages at Cabot Cove

A seasonal escape on one of Maine’s most picturesque saltwater settings, The Cottages at Cabot Cove offer 16 individually decorated cottages on Cabot Cove in Kennebunkport. Each cottage is interior-designed by a different hand, with kitchenettes, private patios and views towards the cove. Daily breakfast baskets of freshly baked pastries, juice and seasonal fruit are delivered to each door. Complimentary beach cruiser bicycles, kayaks and paddleboards are available alongside a private dock and fire pit. The property operates from May through to October, with Dock Square’s restaurants and galleries reachable on foot or by bike.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: Seasonal cottage retreat
📍 Location: Kennebunkport, Maine
🔑 Key feature: 16 cottages on Cabot Cove
🥐 Inclusions: Daily breakfast baskets delivered to your door
🚣 Activities: Complimentary kayaks, paddleboards, bicycles
📅 Season: May to October
✨ Ideal for: Couples seeking a romantic coastal escape

cabotcovecottages.com, @cabotcovecottages

Flathead Lake Lodge

A third-generation family-run guest ranch on the shore of Flathead Lake, Flathead Lake Lodge has been operating since 1945 and occupies nearly 2,000 acres. The all-inclusive stays cover three meals a day, drinks and on-site activities including horseback riding, sailing, mountain biking, water skiing and a lakeside slip ‘n slide. Accommodations are split between standalone log cabins, lodge rooms and suites. Glacier National Park is roughly 35 miles away. Weekly steak fries, barn dances, evening rodeos and a kids’ camp give the property the feel of a family summer camp, alongside a Wednesday night staff-versus-guest volleyball match.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: All-inclusive family-run guest ranch
📍 Location: Bigfork, Montana
🔑 Key feature: Operating since 1945 on Flathead Lake
🐎 Activities: Horseback riding, sailing, water skiing, mountain biking
🍽️ Dining: Three meals a day plus weekly steak fry
🌲 Proximity: 35 miles from Glacier National Park
✨ Ideal for: Families and multigenerational groups

flatheadlakelodge.com, @flatheadlakelodge

The Inn of the Five Graces

A Relais & Châteaux property in Santa Fe’s Barrio de Analco, said to be America’s oldest neighbourhood, The Inn of the Five Graces is built into historic adobe buildings dating to the 1600s. Interiors layer tribal and Tibetan-inspired art, mosaic tiles and Seret & Sons custom furnishings. The signature restaurant, The Pink Adobe, has been serving New Mexican-Cajun cuisine since 1944, accessed via a secret passage off the main courtyard. Summer brings the Santa Fe Opera season, an anchor of the cultural calendar, alongside the inn’s Tibetan-inspired spa, soaking pool and complimentary New Mexican breakfast served in the courtyard.

Quick Summary:

⭐ Style: Relais & Châteaux historic adobe inn
📍 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
🔑 Key feature: Set in the Barrio de Analco, America’s oldest neighbourhood
🏡 Setting: Adobe buildings dating to the 1600s
🍽️ Dining: The Pink Adobe restaurant, serving since 1944
🎭 Summer draw: Santa Fe Opera season nearby
✨ Ideal for: Culturally curious travellers

fivegraces.com, @thefivegraces

Rancho Valencia

Southern California’s only Relais & Châteaux property, Rancho Valencia is set across 45 acres of gardens and citrus groves near Del Mar. Forty-nine all-suite hacienda-style casitas come with private patios and fireplaces, and three private residences accommodate larger groups. Tennis Magazine has ranked the resort as Southern California’s number-one tennis destination since 2008, with 14 Plexipave courts, two European red clay courts and three pickleball courts on site. The signature restaurant, The Pony Room, leads the property’s farm-to-table dining, while the Forbes Five-Star spa rounds out the wellness offering.