These New City-Centric Hotels Should Be at the Top of Every Traveler’s Must-Visit List

Santo Mauro | Madrid 

Once home to the Duke of Santo Mauro, this fin de siècle villa has been reworked into a 49-key hotel with terraced suites overlooking manicured gardens complete with fountains and centuries-old chestnut trees. Close to cultural activities, such as the performing arts center Teatros del Canal and Spanish painter Joaquín Sorolla’s former home turned museum, Santo Mauro is the perfect hub for exploring the neighborhood. However, with chef Rafael Peña’s two on-site restaurants and exquisitely appointed accommodations by Lorenzo Castillo, there are plenty of reasons to stay in. —Jill Sieracki

Hotel Chelsea | New York

The grit and grunge might be gone, but the magic of Manhattan’s famous Hotel Chelsea is still intact, thanks to a meticulous makeover by new owners Sean MacPherson, Ira Drukier, and Richard Born, the trio behind the ​​Jane and the Bowery hotels. Once the favored stomping ground of rowdy rock stars and eccentric artists, the 1884 landmark will start welcoming guests to its 155 rooms this summer, after an 11-year hiatus. Floor mosaics and stained-glass windows have been lovingly restored, while a refreshed lobby includes artworks by past tenants, among them Donald Baechler and Philip Taaffe. Don’t miss the resurrected Spanish restaurant El Quijote (an Andy Warhol haunt), which features preserved 1930s ceilings plus an original mural inspired by the man from La Mancha. —Geoffrey Montes

The Twenty Two | London

Referencing iconic settings such as Christian Dior’s Paris apartment and Château de Malmaison, designer Natalia Miyar transformed an Edwardian building in London’s posh Grosvenor Square into a 31-room boutique hotel. Also home to a private members’ club and an upscale restaurant serving British classics, the Twenty Two receives guests in a fetching black-and-cream lobby, while the lavishly decorated suites, each boasting a unique design, evoke a bohemian flair with ornately patterned fabrics in sumptuous jewel tones. “I welcomed the challenge to strike a balance by juxtaposing classical design elements with distinct saturated colors to create a relaxed yet exuberant feel,” says Miyar. —J.S.

The Line | San Francisco

World-renowned architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Handel Architects conceived this futuristic hotel property in San Francisco, opening in September. Named the Line, the flatiron-shaped structure houses 236 rooms and 242 residences as well as four dining spaces and Magic Theater, a local non-profit theater company. —J.S.

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2022 Summer Issue under the headline “Keys to the Cities.” Subscribe to the magazine.