Travel
They are in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
If your vacation goals in 2026 include sleeping in a century-old hotel, four in New England are downright legendary, according to Forbes Travel Guide.
The publication recently released its 2025 Icons List, naming “the world’s most legendary five-star hotels,” and four New England properties made the cut: Chatham Bars Inn in Chatham, Mass.; Wequassett Resort & Golf Club in Harwich, Mass.; Ocean House in Watch Hill, R.I. and Weekapaug Inn in Westerly, R.I.
The 23 properties on the inaugural list all have a history of more than 100 years, continuous operation under the same name, and a five-star rating. Fifteen of the hotels are in Europe, six are in the U.S., and two are in Asia.
“To be named as a 2025 Hotel Icon is to stand among the most extraordinary addresses in the world,” said Hermann Elger, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide, in a statement. “These legendary properties blend rich heritage with extraordinary service, offering experiences that feel both timeless and distinctly of their place.”
Cape Cod’s Chatham Bars Inn, which opened in 1914, is “a pioneer,” wrote Forbes Travel Guide.
“It had an onsite farm long before farm-to-table cuisine became a restaurant trend, soundproofed accommodations and private bathrooms featuring fresh and saltwater baths,” wrote the publication.
The “charming” Wequassett Resort rooms, villas, and cottages underwent a $12 million renovation for the hotel’s 100th anniversary this year, the publication noted.
“Elsewhere at the seasonal beachfront hotel, guests can enjoy three tennis courts, three pickleball courts, two outdoor heated pools, six restaurants and bars, a water sports center, access to the Cape Cod National Golf Club and Twenty-Eight Atlantic, the area’s only Five-Star restaurant,” wrote Forbes Travel Guide.
Ocean House’s new building in 2004 has “a similar exterior and the same interior character” as the original, wrote Forbes Travel Guide.
“Today, 69 rooms and suites are adorned with custom wood furnishings and coastal-cool hues, a spa provides Five-Star pampering and Five-Star Coast restaurant offers the same spectacular waterfront views that first drew vacationers more than 150 years ago,” wrote the publication.
Weekapaug Inn offers 33 “intimate” rooms, wrote Forbes Travel Guide.
“On the picturesque Atlantic Coast, surrounded by a salt pond and overlooking a barrier beach, the hotel has always been a nature haven with an on-staff naturalist leading beach walks, boating excursions, bird watching and more,” wrote the publication.
Check out the 2025 Icons List.
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