The Surfrider
Malibu
Built in 1953, the low-slung bones of the Surfrider Motel were perfectly preserved upon acquisition by architect Matthew Goodwin, who, with wife Emma Crowther and business partner and entrepreneur Alessandro Zampedri, saw a chance to reimagine the iconic Californian beach house. The 20-room redux is a calm oasis of pastel hues, Belgian linen, rough-hewn timber surfaces, teak beds, woven grass rugs, and pitched ceilings, that has been crisply dressed with Hans Wegner chairs and Picasso prints. With the Surfrider beach metres away, in-house diversions are confined to a library, a rooftop bar and a restaurant whose menu channels Californian sensibilities.
23033 Pacific Coast Highway; tel: 1.310 526 6158; thesurfridermalibu.com; rates: from $325
Anvil Hotel
Jackson
Transformed from a 1950s motel a block north of Jackson’s Town Square is Anvil Hotel, a slick version of a classic Western lodge. Studio Tack has blotted out all traces of the former motel in favour of a stylish but decidedly masculine palette. The lobby evokes the idea of a provisional store, complete with a wood burning stove and smart modern pieces. Each of the Anvil’s 49-rooms is furnished in what the hotel describes as Alpine Modern, which translates into warm two-toned painted walls of white and navy, parquet floors, Woolrich blankets, and sconces by Allied Maker.
215 North Cache Street; tel: 1.800 234 4507; anvilhotel.com; rates: from $195
Austin Motel
Austin
Originally opened in 1938, the mid-century Austin Motel received an interior overhaul by Bunkhouse, thus re-opening in 2017. The landmark blends sly retro touches with a millennial bent – Burgundy laminated desks and tufted beds sheathed in Sfera sheets are paired with push-button phones and vintage silkscreened music posters, while a bar has been added to the kidney-shaped pool flanked by red and white umbrellas. And just to up the nostalgia quotient, in-house activities include punk rock water ballet and synchronised swimming lessons.
1200 South Congress Avenue; tel: 1.512 441 1157; austinmotel.com; rates: from $125
Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa
Napa Valley
Whilst Napa Valley’s attraction largely revolves around its glorified vineyards and fine restaurants, the 50-room Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa is a fine alternative for those after less alcoholic pursuits. Pastel hues of blues, yellows and greens accompanying a glass-blocked lounge, reproduction vintage coolers by the pool and bedrooms dressed with camper van bench seats and graphic tiles, evoke iconography from the great American road trip, a canny move given the building’s past as the Sunburst Motel. An outdoor mud spa featuring DIY mud-bakes and the detoxifying allure of the mint-green claw-foot tub infused with medicinal salts are especially enticing.
1880 Lincoln Avenue; tel: 1.707 942 0991; calistomotorlodgeandspa.com; rates: from $195
The Drifter Hotel
New Orleans
Set along a straight drive out on Tulane Avenue towards Mid-City, the 20-room Drifter Hotel offers a quieter, escapist alternative to New Orleans’ touristy French Quarter. Concordia Architecture and Nicole Cota Studio preserved the silhouette and retro-vibe of the low-slung 1956 motel, while layering on nostalgic American-highway period references by way of white geometric lattices, mid-century furniture, concrete walls, palm-leaf wallpaper, floral-patterned breeze bricks and Oaxacan tile-work. Bedrooms are dressed in Frette and Aesop bath products, but the more entertaining diversions are found pool-side with frozen cocktails and sakes, while on-site food trucks dish up Mexican, Cuban and Trinidadian standards.
3522 Tulane Avenue; tel: 1.504 605 4644; thedrifterhotel.com; rates: from $175
-
'I'm trying to examine what it's like to be a person': Author Curtis Sittenfeld on her new book, 'Show Don't Tell'As Curtis Sittenfeld publishes her new book, 'Show Don't Tell', she tells Wallpaper* why she is drawn to her ambiguous characters
-
Waiting for Ideas have recast the turntable as a minimal aluminium altar for vinyl worshipThe PP-1 turntable is an ultra-minimal, all-aluminium record player designed to enhance the vinyl experience
-
Fendi celebrates 100 years with an all-out runway show at its new Milan HQIn the wake of Kim Jones’ departure, Silvia Venturini Fendi took the reins for a special co-ed A/W 2025 collection marking the house’s centenary, unveiling it as the first act of celebrations within Fendi’s expansive new headquarters in Milan
-
West Hollywood restaurant Somni is as comforting as it is whimsicalChef Aitor Zabala relaunches Somni, orchestrating an artful blend of textures, flavours, and techniques for dreamlike dining
-
A local’s guide to Los Angeles by defiant artist Fawn RogersOregon-born, LA-based artist Fawn Rogers gives us a personal tour of her adopted city as it hosts its sixth edition of Frieze
-
Enter Marea Beverly Hills, an Italian restaurant with Californian gustoConceptualised by Nusla Design and led by chef PJ Calapa, Marea Beverly Hills brings in a sophisticated dining party ambience to flourishing Camden Drive
-
Enchanting culinary entertainment awaits at this fine dining restaurant in Santa MonicaChef Dave Beran returns to his fine dining origins with Seline on Main Street, not far from his French-themed Pasjoli
-
New York restaurant Manuela masters the art of contemporary diningThe latest restaurant from Hauser & Wirth’s hospitality arm, Manuela offers a masterclass in nourishing connections
-
Milanese modernism meets Eastside cool at this LA pizza parlourWildcrust dishes up Neapolitan flavours courtesy of chef Miles Okabayashi, and seductive interiors by Jared Frank Studio
-
New York restaurant Locanda Verde’s second outpost will transport you to a different time and placeLocanda Verde’s expansive new Hudson Yards osteria exudes a sophisticated yet intimate atmosphere overflowing with art treasures
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this yearFrom the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
