Worth The Trip: 8 Best Honeymoon Hotels in the US

Between the centuries old live oak trees covered in Spanish moss to the dolphins playing in the May River running through the 20,000 acre property, the Montage Palmetto Bluff oozes romance. So much so that Justin and Hailey Bieber picked the Bluffton, South Carolina resort, located between Hilton Head and Savannah, for their fairytale wedding in 2018.

The Montage is the perfect destination honeymoon hotel. Besides five-star service and luxurious rooms, suites, cottages and villas, there is no shortage of activities to partake in at the riverfront property.

If you enjoy golf, the May River Golf Club boasts a signature Jack Nicklaus designed 18-hole course that is serenely beautiful. If golf isn’t your sport, no worries – you can take a sunrise SUP board ride, go water-skiing, head out horseback riding or try your hand at shooting sporting clays.

When it comes time to dine, there are plenty of choices on property: the Montage hosts multiple Southern-inspired restaurants, our favorite of which is Octagon. Its menu features modern takes on classic Carolina cooking, as well as signature cocktails like the barrel-aged Artillery Punch.

Set on a ridge above a wild portion of California‘s Pacific Ocean coastline in Big Sur, the Post Ranch Inn is a revered honeymoon destination hotel. The adults-only property boasts fabulously designed rooms and suites with sheet metal art and salvaged redwood paneling. They also come with floor-to-ceiling windows with ocean or mountain views. There are no TVs in the room on purpose, but there is Wi-Fi if you just can’t live without streaming shows from your laptop.

Book a Tree House to turn up the romance. These free-standing, triangular wooden structures are set on stilts nine feet above the forest floor. Luxuriously appointed, they come with a king bed set under a skylight for private stargazing, as well as window seats and fireplaces.

The Post Ranch Inn has a number of amenities that make it easy to spend a honeymoon on property. Complimentary morning yoga classes for all levels are offered, as are free guided nature walks and sand journey meditation designed to strengthen your immune system and expand creativity. The heated infinity swimming pool and two 104 degree spa pools appear to melt right into the ocean below and are wonderful for watching the sunset.

If you want some full body pampering, the house spa offers a range of organic treatments, including an excellent Thai massage. If you want to take your spiritual explorations further with your partner, shaman sessions and couples astrology are also offered.

About 30-minutes outside Bend in central Oregon, the resort community of Brasada Ranch is perfect for a outdoor activity tailored honeymoon. Set on nearly 2,000 pristine acres, the property features Cascade Mountain views from its rooms, suites and cabins.

Done up in rustic chic style, we love the suites that feature comfy king beds, vaulted wood ceilings, deep soaking tubs and furnished balconies. If you want more privacy, the cabins are larger and spread apart from each other. Some even have private hot tubs. Brasada Ranch is also luxurious without being outrageously expensive, offering a more affordable destination honeymoon option.

The ranch is home to the 18-hole, semi-private Brasada Canyons Golf Course. Designed by Jim Hardy and Oregonian Peter Jacobsen, it is known as “the best 18 views in Oregon” for its panoramic mountain views at every hole. The fairways here are pristine and the greens are fast. Best of all, no two holes run parallel on this course, which means each feels very private and offers a distinct view. There is also a five acre practice facilities with a two-tiered driving range, short game area and putting green.

If you’re more into riding horses than swinging golf clubs (or maybe you enjoy both), there is also an equestrian club on the property with curated horseback riding experiences. Lessons can be organized and there are more than 900 trails to explore.

End your day with a soak in their hot tub or by the fire-pit. The onsite Range Restaurant and Bar serves fresh, seasonal farm-to-table fare designed to fuel well-being.

If you want to combine your honeymoon with a destination wedding, then the Inn and Spa at Loretto is the perfect choice. You can say your vows inside the historic Loretto Chapel, which has a legendary spiral staircase that can only be posed upon when you book the chapel for your wedding. The non-denominational chapel also features beautiful stained glass windows.

The Inn and Spa at Loretto is a luxe property that makes for a great honeymoon hotel. The classic adobe building features architecture and design that is influenced by the Native American Pueblo people. Rooms and suites feature crimson accent walls and delicately woven rugs and textiles. Book one with a kiva fireplace and a west facing balcony for sunset views.

In the heart of downtown Santa Fe, you’ll be walking distance from the city’s main plaza, as well as dozens of restaurants, bars and shops. Back at the hotel, grab a bite to eat at the award-winning Luminaria Restaurant. It serves innovative global meets Southwestern cuisine in rustic elegant environs, with both indoor and outdoor dining space. If you just want a drink, the hotel’s lobby lounge is the perfect spot to sip on a strawberry-jalapeño margarita.

For a remote, rejuvenating trip featuring private hot springs, Dunton Hot Springs Resort in Colorado‘s craggy San Juan Mountains, about 25 miles southwest of Telluride, is one of the best honeymoon hotels in the U.S. There are a number of different sizes of cabins to choose from – all are hand-built and date back to the 1800s. The most romantic come with private indoor or outdoor hot spring fed tubs. All feature mountain chic designs, decks with snow-capped mountain views and wood-burning stoves for chilly nights.

There are a range of activities to keep you entertained during your stay at this destination resort. Soak in one of the five guests-only, hot spring pools (not open to the public). These include one at the source of the calcium bicarbonate spring that feeds all the resort’s pools and another in a 19th-century bathhouse.

The temperature in each pool is different, with the coolest chilled to 85 degrees Farenheit and the warmest at 106 degrees Fahrenheit. All the pools are rich in natural minerals like dissolved iron, manganese and a touch of lithium, and soaking is said to help improve circulation, open peripheral blood vessels and help your body turn sugar into energy.

Other activities include winter heli-skiing and summer horseback riding and fly fishing (for extra fees). There are also many hiking trails to check out in the area.

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is the perfect destination for a classic Hawaiian honeymoon. Right on the beach at Wailea on the island of Maui, the luxury resort was designed with romance in mind. A glamorous ambiance prevails throughout with open-air common spaces, manicured grounds with flowering plants and fountains, along with a museum-worthy art collection.

From the moment you check in, you’ll be treated to attentive service that makes all guests feel like VIPs. The concierge team is used to hosting honeymooning couples and can suggest a range of personalized island experiences. You can also spend your days on property, lounging in a private cabana with direct views of the golden sand beach or in the adults-only infinity Serenity Pool, which has a swim-up bar and an underwater music system.

The rooms and suites here are well-appointed and spacious, and most come with furnished balconies. The best have direct ocean views. All feature marble bathrooms with deep soaking tubs, designer toiletries and separate showers.

Set on a prime stretch of gold sand beach, the W Fort Lauderdale is where to book for a fun, flirty honeymoon – one that includes nights spent dancing at the club or popping bottles of bubbly from your cabana facing a picture perfect turquoise sea. More modern in design than other high end Fort Lauderdale resorts, the W features curvaceous architecture and an ultra trendy vibe that works perfectly for TikTok or Instagram.

The rooms and suites at this pet-friendly property have a sleek contemporary look with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, custom rugs designed to resemble ocean waves and white furniture. Book a corner room for wrap-around windows.

Days can be spent exploring buzzy Fort Lauderdale, which is easy thanks to the hotel’s central location. Besides the beach, the city is known as the “Venice of America” and is filled with canals similar to the city of their nickname, but with a South Florida bent.

At the hotel, there is a slick rooftop swimming pool that also hosts the WET Bar & Grill, which serves up burgers, salads and other light fare, along with a range of cocktails that are delivered right to your sun-lounger. The Living Room, the lounge space on the main level of the property, is where to head for hand-crafted cocktails and a buzzy scene that includes locals. At night, it turns into more of a club with DJs and dancing.

Turpin Meadow Ranch is a great choice if you want a classic dude ranch style honeymoon. In a gorgeous natural setting surrounded by wilderness just 40-minutes north of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the lodge sits on the banks of the Buffalo Fork River and comes with a Grand Teton Mountain backdrop.

Open year-round, the ranch offers a plethora of activities that vary with the season. Summer is most popular, and this is when you’ll get the more traditional western ranch experience, with horseback riding and fly-fishing excursions. Winters are quieter, but equally beautiful and if you love snow sports, there is Nordic skiing, snowmobiling and even fat biking.

Accommodation is in mountain luxe wood cabins and chalets, featuring bespoke handmade furnishings, Pendleton blankets and awe-inspiring (seriously, we aren’t using this word extraneously) mountain views from front porch rocking chairs. There are also rooms in the main lodge.

Note that rates include a hot buffet breakfast, but meals and activities here are a la carte, so you can do as much or as little as you want, which can keep costs down.