Sleep When You're Dead? No, Sleep at These Hotels

HAP Weekly

Sleep When You’re Dead? No, Sleep at These Hotels.

Our Top Reads This Week

HAP WEEKLY

The New Hotel Amenity Nobody's Skipping: Sleep

By Stacey Leasca

Nearly a third of U.S. adults slept less than seven hours a night on average in 2024, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, and only about half reported they woke up feeling well-rested on most days. While there’s a whole host of reasons this may be happening, there is a simple solution for finding a great night’s rest: Booking the right hotel that takes turn-down service far beyond a tiny chocolate on your pillow.

Just look to Almanac Palais Vienna, which launched the Gold Sleep Ritual earlier this year. It pairs a neuroacoustic playlist engineered from the light frequencies bouncing off gold surfaces at the Vienna State Opera—developed with Austria's TU Wien research university—with a personalized pillow menu, a cranberry-honey evening elixir, and a morning stretching sequence to ease guests back into the day.

Parker Palm Springs is taking a similar swing with the Jonathan Adler-designed Palm Springs Yacht Club, which now offers breathwork yoga in the hotel's secluded garden, complete with immersive soundscapes and chilled eucalyptus towels, plus private evening float sessions in the indoor pool paired with weighted blankets and adaptogen-laced nightcaps.

One travel writer favorite is Portrait Milano, which Hotels Above Par contributor Jessica Benavides Canepa says "offers a comprehensive sleep service” noting that the wide selection of pillows comes with its own description and fit suggestion, alongside a tea and music menu with volume instructions. The spa's Deep Me massage, she added, was specifically designed to help guests land a good night's sleep.

HAP WEEKLY

In Italy's Dolomites, the newly opened Forest Suite at Miramonti Boutique Hotel goes in the opposite direction. Rather than adding more, it’s giving people less on purpose. The room’s king-size bed faces a floor-to-ceiling glass wall overlooking the trees and dramatic porphyry rock formations, while the freestanding Alape bathtub offers a warm sanctuary for guests. The best feature, however, is just outside. Guests can cross a private bridge leading directly into the forest, where they’ll find a private outdoor whirlpool and sun loungers for the ultimate unwinding in the midst of Mother Nature.

Murrieta Hot Springs also allows guests to indulge in some outdoor time before bed. Guests get a sleep tray curated by the hotel's medical director, including a "sleep sack" to physically put your phone away and a lavender-and-vetiver aromatherapy stick, plus 24/7 access to the property's geothermal pools. "Tucking your phone away, slipping on a hotel robe, and soaking in a mineral-rich hot pool before bed?" Lauren Murphy, a travel writer who experienced this magic herself, said, adding it’s "Life-changing."

And at Singita Lebombo Lodge in South Africa's Kruger National Park, saying “goodnight” is all part of the experience. "Singita Lebombo is one of my favorite turndown rituals," Nicole Kavander, a travel and design writer, shared. "We came back to candles glowing, chamomile tea ready, the bed beautifully turned down, and a scent diffuser filling the room." The lodge also leaves instructions for evening yoga and a guided meditation, she said. "It sounds like a lot, but it never felt gimmicky, just incredibly calming and thoughtful."

HAP WEEKLY

Welcome to Shoulder Season: Why September Beats August Travel & Where To Go

By Ruby Gregg

Welcome, September. The ninth month of the year marks the time for back-to-school, and, despite summer not officially ending until September 22nd, it's when we need to get serious again. But I have a hot take that might make the transition an easier pill to swallow: Taking a shoulder season trip.

I understand August is a convenient time to travel, especially with kids. However, August travel is wildly overrated. No matter where you are, it’s hot, crowded, and you’re faced with highly inflated rates. Once you start viewing September not as a consolation prize but as the ultimate insider travel window, the way you vacation will never be the same—especially if you head to one of these destinations.

Italy is easily one of my favorite places on Earth, but I’m done with navigating it in July and August because of the heat. September seems to be the ultimate sweet spot for all of Italy, but it seems particularly ideal for a visit to Sicily. At the end of summer, the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas are still inviting while the air has softened to a more comfortable tone. To stay, Azienda Agricola Mandranova anchors you in the heart of rural Sicily, where an old stone olive mill has been reimagined into a hotel, equipped with homemade morning treats and the scent of citrus in the air. Imagine exploring cobblestone streets and old-growth vineyards without clinging to a portable fan, reading by the water without fleeing to the sea every ten minutes, and actually wearing a sweater to dinner. The crowds will have dispersed, leaving only you to enjoy the island.

Provence, France, will enamor you in different ways than Italy, but they share one undeniable truth, which is that September is the golden time to travel. La Vendange, the annual grape harvest, brings the region back to its fullest life, fueled by the energy of the locals, and you're invited to join. And for where to lay your head, Le Moulin sits in the center of Provence. Similar to Azienda Agricola Mandranova, it's an 18th-century oil mill right across from that has been turned into a relaxed village townhouse, complete with terracotta floors, and local wines.

And if an end-of-summer Euro-moment is out of the question, don’t worry; Santa Barbara didn't earn the title "The American Riviera" for nothing. Palihouse Santa Barbara nails vintage coastal style in an idyllic Presidio setting, giving you zero reasons to leave the country. While September can mean some unfortunate Sunday scaries for winter to come if you're on the East Coast, Southern California will still be enjoying its summer just a little bit longer, and so should you.

HAP WEEKLY

The Boutique Hotel We're Obsessed With—Trinchera Reserve & Lodge

By Ruby Gregg

Picture an expansive, untamed wilderness rivaling a national park—that is Trinchera Reserve & Lodge. This rare, Southern Colorado hideaway captures a solitude that isn't just a fantasy; it is the core of the experience.

Spanning 250 square miles of high desert, dense alpine forests, and soaring tundra, Trinchera stands as a testament to environmental stewardship and refined mountain living. Every stay is sculpted around an intimate, fully customized "High Alpine Safari"—a private invitation to venture deep into the backcountry. Guided by seasoned naturalists, adventures run the spectrum from first-light wildlife tracking in quiet valleys to off-piste exploration and high-alpine summit climbs.

To safeguard the sanctity of the landscape, guest numbers are intentionally restricted to a tiny cohort split between the main lodge and secluded, luxury backcountry cabins. Modern distractions dissolve, and what remains is an unfiltered connection to Western wilderness, thoughtful, seasonal dining, and a level of privacy that has become the world’s ultimate luxury.

HAP WEEKLY

Inside the Cinematic World of Ash Hotels

Ash Hotels might just be the most captivating boutique hotel group in America. With properties in cities like Detroit, Baltimore, Providence, New Orleans, and soon Richmond, the brand transforms forgotten buildings into immersive worlds that are more like richly detailed film sets than ordinary getaways.

Behind the cinematic curtain? CEO Ari S. Heckman and Creative Director Xavier Donnelly, whose partnership has elevated Ash into something bigger than hospitality. “Our definition of hotelier is totally holistic,” says Heckman. “We aren’t just making an individual place to sleep but trying to conjure a feeling that’s palpable just by being on the property.”

Read the full article through this link.

This story ran in our 2026 magazine. Each week, we will share one story from it in our newsletter. To buy a physical copy, visit our subscription store here.

Editor's Note

Want more Hotels Above Par?

Book your next stay via our HAP Collection (or just explore it for major travel inspo at no cost).

Subscribe to HAP CEO Brandon Berkson’s personal weekly Substack, Hotel Espresso

Get our exclusive print-edition HAP Newspaper

Brandon Berkson, Hotels Above Par