Holiday cabins across the USA to plan your next escape

Jun 01, 2023

From Shelter Island to Phoenix, a slew of new hotels around the country take the form of charming holiday cabins and cottages

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When it comes to travelling around the United States, few things feel more American than pitching up in a holiday cabin. A slew of new hotels around the country appear to have heard the call, while bringing nostalgic design tropes up to date and paying close attention to the creature comforts today’s travellers are used to. From seaside to countryside, here are some recommendations to take note of.

Located about two hours outside of San Francisco, the bohemian enclave of Guerensville in California’s Sonoma county has been a treasured retreat for decades. Encircled by towering ancient redwoods and located alongside the Russian River, Dawn Ranch is a storied retreat that was a miners lodge in its earliest days. Available for occupancy since the 1900s, it has recently been carefully brought back to life, following a devastating flood in 2019.

Designed by Bridgeton Studio, in collaboration with designers Brian Smith and Whitney Clark, the hotel’s new incarnation showcases 81 renovated cabins and cottages that are rustic and modern at the same time. Built over the years, each refreshed cabin was already existing on the property, with three in particular, dating back to the hotel’s origins. Updated with sleek green tiles in the bathroom, custom wood furnishings by Oxford Street Company, unlacquered brass accents, double-sided gas fireplaces by Ortal and amenities by Le Labo, each of the serene spaces possesses an heirloom, yet indulgent feel, with portable safari chairs, picnic baskets and infrared mats by Higher Dose all in easy reach.

dawnranch.com

The Pridwin has bottled up the clean-scrubbed charm of the American northeast coast and placed it against the scenic, waterfront views of Shelter Island. Fully reopened this year following two years of extensive renovations, the resort, which was built in 1927 and family-run since 1961, is now collaboratively managed by Cape Resorts, who reimagined the property by fusing together a playful nostalgia and modern sensibility.

In addition to 33 rooms in the main house, the hotel now boasts 16 private cottages scattered over seven acres of restored shoreline that overlook Crescent Beach. Ranging from studios to two-bedroom duplex configurations, these spacious cottages have been nestled into the property’s hillside and are equipped with individualised features, ranging from kitchenettes and wood-burning fireplaces to private decks with sweeping views of the water.

Like the rest of the hotel, Colleen Bashaw, Cape Resorts’ vice president of design, deployed a design concept that lovingly embraces the classic and the new. From a whimsical approach to colour to the embrace of cinematic touches, such as vibrantly printed upholstery, vintage tchotchkes, cane furniture and creative, unexpected twists (guests are invited to feed the hens in the chicken coop where fresh eggs are collected each morning), The Pridwin fuses together the feel of a classic seaside resort with an elevated, summer camp-like atmosphere.

caperesorts.com/pridwin

Inness, the elegant enclave conceived by a group of designers and developers who would regularly escape the clutches of New York City to seek refuge in the Hudson Valley, makes the most of its 220 acres with 40 hotel rooms, made up of 28 cabins and a 12-room farmhouse. Beautifully designed by Post Company (part of our Wallpaper* USA 300 list), the property is a poetic blend of restrained details that still exudes warmth and hospitality around each perfectly composed corner. With most of the rooms showcasing dramatic mountain views, the interiors feature custom-designed furniture by Post Company, made by Roll & Hill, Belgian linens and an eclectic curation of found objects and art that together harks back to a simpler time of artisanal craftsmanship in the region.

The cabins here are minimally appointed with elegant plaster walls, portrait windows, wood burning stoves, private decks and enough space to gather alone or with other friends on property. Available in king, grand king and two-bedroom formats, these private retreats have been designed to foster lingering and introspection. An epic wellness building that will house a spa, gym, and a space for movement and yoga classes is currently underway and set to debut in 2024.

inness.co

Auberge Resorts’ Wildflower Farms goes against expectations with its contemporary take on traditional barn and farmhouse typologies. Its eye-catching architecture is by Electric Bowery, a design firm founded by Cayley Lambur and Lucia Bartholomew, who met when working for Frank Gehry. Constructed to frame the surrounding landscape and nestled into the site, Wildflower Farms’ undulating composition fosters a direct connection to nature that is also echoed in its material palette. Here, the resort’s cabins and cottages articulate its village feel, springing out of the whole but maintaining the property’s overall design language.

Designed to blend into the surroundings, each of the 60 cabins and cottages merge the indoors and the outdoors, with sweeping floor-to-ceiling windows, private patios, views of the wildflower meadows and equally alluring interiors by Ward and Gray. Available in a sprawling two king bedroom layout, or cosier formats that also boast private gardens and terrace daybeds, Wildflower Farms takes cabin dwelling to a luxe, new level.

aubergeresorts.com/wildflower-farms

The Wanderer in Kennebunk, Maine is a 17-strong collection of cottages and houses, located along the Maine coast. Stylishly appointed with both pool and beach located in arm’s reach, The Wanderer makes it easy for visitors to get out and explore the natural beauty of the Maine coast, with cruiser bikes and complimentary breakfast treat bags at the ready.

Paying homage to its former iteration, The Wanderer has been designed by Mark Cotto, creative director of Atlantic Hospitality. All the cottages combine the ethos of a laid-back surf lodge with traditional New England touches, such as exposed wood walls, shiplap, brass lighting and vaulted ceilings. Bamboo, jute and rattan bestow a rustic charm, while vintage bamboo tortoise nightstands and custom-designed rope-wrapped surfboards capture the imagination. Intended to help guests unplug and focus on having fun, the cottages do not feature workstations. Configured as studios or one-bedrooms, a number of them do accommodate dogs so that trusted companions can also enjoy the great outdoors.

wanderercottages.com

Originally built in 1929, the Arizona Biltmore has been considered one of the go-to resorts since Hollywood’s golden age. Now owned by Waldorf Astoria, it recently unveiled a property-wide refresh, overseen by Virserius Studio and PHX Architecture. Tucked amongst 39 acres of desert, the luxurious oasis, which is filled with Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired touches, is set against dramatic views of Piestewa Peak (in fact, Wright was a consulting architect on the project, which was designed by a protegee, Albert Chase MacArthur.)

The hotel’s revamp includes two separate pools for adult and family use, new dining options, a spa and solar garden armed with 12 treatment rooms, and new cottages that combine old world glamour and high desert style. Like elsewhere on property, they feature ‘Biltmore Blocks’ - bricks created from desert sand onsite and designed by MacArthur and Wright with interlocking lines, of which 6,000 were repaired, replaced and restored during the renovation, and surrounded by native cacti and flora. Finished with organic textiles, wood accents and stuccoed walls, each cottage has its own fire pit and private terrace where guests can lounge the days and nights away.

arizonabiltmore.com

In its glory days, Canoe Place Inn was a favourite amongst Hollywood royalty, presidents and politicians alike. From Lucille Ball and Albert Einstein to Teddy and Eleanor Roosevelt and John D. Rockefeller, such was the calibre of guests who would often stop in Hamptons Bay, which lovingly was known as ‘the first stop out East.’ Esteemed clientele aside, the property has been recently updated with interior design by Workstead, who re-envisioned it as a garden by the sea. Encompassing a three-storey main building, a restaurant that spans both the indoors and outdoors, a window-wrapped event pavilion as well as five guest cottages situated on the property’s north and west, the well-sized property boasts a deep rooted design legacy, including colonial-style architecture by the American architect William Bottomley around 1921, which Workstead primarily drew inspiration from.

Rather than a cosy cabin, Canoe Place’s five one to four-bedroom cottages lavishly blend the comfort and intimacy of a family home with the amenities of a waterfront resort. Tucked on the hillside behind the main inn, each cottage is a colourful melange of bright tones and patterned textiles. Large windows fill each room with natural light while a curated selection of antique, vintage and contemporary furnishings create alluring points of interest wherever the eye may turn. Each equipped with its own electric fireplace, outdoor fire pit, private patio and bath and body products by Costa Brazil, these cottages make it easy to spread out.

canoeplace.com

Originally founded in 1963 as an organisation for local surfers, the York Beach Surf Club welcomed a new incarnation in the hands of Taylor Perkins, the son of the club’s original founder Sonny Perkins, a surfer who was pivotal in the overall emergence of East Coast surf culture. Teamed with a minimalist, Scandinavian aesthetic that still nods to the spirit of Maine’s traditional coastal architecture, the new York Beach Surf Club encompasses 52 rooms and cottages located around a heated saltwater pool and pool bar, an oceanfront lawn and an oyster and cocktail bar of its own called The Rolling Pearl.

In the bungalows, many of them turn-of-the-century cabins that have been restored, outdoor living rooms, full bathrooms, modern kitchens and vaulted ceilings make them hard to leave. Designed by Brass Tacks Design Studio, each cabin’s clean, crisp interiors are more akin to city living than for catching the waves.

yorkbeachsurfclub.com

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Pei-Ru Keh is the US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru has held various titles at Wallpaper* since she joined in 2007. She currently reports on design, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru has taken a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars and actively seeks out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.

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