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I spent more than 150 nights in hotels (between business and leisure travel) in 2025. This number used to be over 200 pre-pandemic, but is still healthy with that much time away from home. I balance my stays between Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, and some independent hotels.
With numbers like these there are going to be some great stays, some bad ones, and whole lot that are forgettable because nothing special happened or the room was just okay. It’s the hotels that wow or horrify you that create lasting memories. I’ll focus on the positive here. This could be an amazing upgrade, a lovely suite I booked, awesome service, great facilities, or something else that sets it apart.
Here are my 10 favorite stays from this past year:
10. Andaz 5th Avenue (New York, NY)
I’ve stayed at the Andaz 5th Avenue many times. It offers great suite upgrades, a nice breakfast, and an awesome location. My last visit saw me encounter an incredibly rude check-in agent, but the manager on duty fixed his attitude and the issues he presented almost instantly.
9. Thompson Dallas (Dallas, TX)
I was proactively upgraded to a beautiful National Suite. It was spacious, well designed, and a place that I thoroughly enjoyed working and relaxing in during my stay. While I did not have the chance to use them, the Thompson Dallas offers impressive gym, pool, and spa facilities, which makes this an ideal hotel for vacationers as well as those on business trips.
8. Grand Hyatt at SFO
I found my favorite airport hotel. The accommodations, service, amenities, and design of the Grand Hyatt at SFO are all top notch. I would gladly stay here again and could not believe that I was at an airport hotel. The Grand Club offers snacks, an evening service, and breakfast. Elite treatment is also great here with me being upgraded to a suite without even having to ask. The suite included one of my favorite amenities ever: a plane spotting guide and binoculars. It was a lot of fun watching the planes go by below.
7. The Adolphus, Autograph Collection (Dallas, TX)
The Adolphus Hotel, Autograph Collection is one of my new favorite hotels in Dallas. The room, facilities, service, and in-room dining were all top notch. I wish I would have had more time at the hotel and the opportunity to try out breakfast, but I will definitely be returning.
6. Park Hyatt Toronto (Toronto, Canada)
The Park Hyatt Toronto offers understated elegance and great Globalist treatment. I was only in the hotel for a few hours and then again to sleep, but the staff was friendly and the suite I was assigned was gorgeous.
5. Bellagio Resort & Casino (Las Vegas, NV)
The Bellagio will always be one of my favorite hotels in Las Vegas. I have stayed here around two dozen times and it’s always fabulous. From the mid-Strip location to the Conservatory to the spa and the restaurants, I can’t praise it enough. My last trip saw a great suite upgrade. Look for that review soon.
4. Tampa EDITION (Tampa, FL)
t’s great to have such a luxe property in my backyard. The Tampa EDITION offers comfortable accommodations, a friendly staff, a great rooftop pool, several restaurants, and more. It’s location is perfect with even more on Water Street right outside the door. This is Tampa’s nicest hotel. I’ll be back for sure.
3. Park Hyatt Milan (Milan, Italy)
We thoroughly enjoyed our one-night stay at the Park Hyatt Milan. The suite was well equipped and comfortable. Everyone we encountered seemed genuinely friendly and the hotel is quite luxe, overall. Breakfast was elaborate and high quality. The hotel is not the easiest to find when driving, but we made it and the staff took good care of our car.
2. St. Regis Rome
The St. Regis Rome is a true gem in the Marriott Bonvoy® portfolio and is now one of my favorite St. Regis locations. It’s well located, offers an amazing breakfast, treats loyal members well, and checked off every box I could ask for when staying in a luxury property.
1. St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort (Bal Harbour, FL)
This is another property where I have been a guest countless times through the years. It’s my favorite resort in the United States. The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort offers everything I want in a beach resort. It’s elegant, has a beautiful beach and pools, offers top-notch service, and is generous with upgrades. It also provides an amazing breakfast. I will definitely return in the future and can’t wait to once again relax in one of the hotel’s incredible suites.
Anthony’s Take: These were my favorite hotel stays in 2025 for a variety of reasons. From amazing upgrades to beautiful beaches and lots of amenities, I’d gladly return to any of these hotels and hope that I get to again soon. All of the properties this year were either part of Hyatt or Marriott. Let’s see what 2026 brings.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
