Exploring the best new hotels in the Midwest

It might not have the glitz of Palm Beach or the distinction of London, but the Midwest is anything but mid these days.

A wave of exciting hotel openings and unique tourism experiences are bringing fresh energy to America’s heartland.

“There’s a lot of vibrant and exciting things to do here, especially in the fall,” says Michelle Koffel, a luxury travel advisor with Gifted Travel Network based in Columbus, Ohio. “You can find top-tier experiences without the price tag.”

Koffel argues that dollar for dollar nowhere delivers value quite like the Midwest. And with airfare and accommodation prices skyrocketing on the coasts, in the Caribbean and across Europe, she’s seeing more and more American families opting to explore a little closer to home.

“You know if you’re coming to the Midwest you’re getting nice, welcoming, non-pretentious people who are just so happy and honored that you’re visiting,” says Koffel. “You really can’t compare Midwest people to those anywhere else.”

From bustling foodie enclaves to (lakefront) coastal escapes, the Midwest is stepping into the spotlight —not with flash, but with plenty of heart and serious value.

Cocktails in Columbus

“It’s not all cornfields in the Midwest,” says Koffel. A case in point is the Junto, the first independent lifestyle hotel in Columbus. “It’s one of the hot spots,” she says.

Opened in 2023 and set in a former warehouse surrounded by the performance venues and art galleries of the Franklinton Arts District, the Junto is loaded with all the things sophisticated travelers expect from a city hotel — 198 sleek rooms and suites with an abundance of natural light, a rooftop bar and a wood-fired restaurant. It’s cheeky café, Maudine’s, is named after a cow that once ran for homecoming queen at Ohio State. Guests can borrow kayaks, bikes, Polaroid cameras and picnic baskets from an in-house “Gear Garage,” or book a complimentary shuttle to Ohio State football games (from $249 per night).

But why Columbus? Ohio’s largest city is also home to the only urban via ferrata in the country at Quarry Trails Metro Park, a rock-climbing route just 10 minutes from downtown that ends at a hidden waterfall. Popular bar Law Bird was a 2025 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Bar, and restaurant Agni was named one of Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurants of 2024. Locals are clamoring for reservations at the brand-new Isla, a 14-seat chef’s counter spotlighting hyperlocal ingredients from Chef Andrew Smith, a rising star in the food scene.

It’s a city worth eating up and drinking in.

Glamping in Minnesota

Sixty minutes north of the bustling city of Minneapolis, near Cross Lake in Pine City, is Sweetbriar Ridge (from $386 per night). Opened in 2024 and expanded for 2025 amidst a landscape of prairies and forests, it offers unique safari-style glamping tents where no detail has been overlooked.

Husband and wife Bri and David Rodgers are behind the camp. They spent years searching for the perfect land to build a unique escape, and they found it here. Sweetbriar Ridge is situated on a private 56-acre parcel that’s great for hiking or snowshoeing, and is in close proximity to various wildlife areas, state parks and historic sites. Nearby, grab craft beers at Three Twenty Brewery and award-winning pizza from Pizza Pub. The Rodgers have also partnered with a number of local businesses to enhance each guest’s stay, from onsite massages, gua sha facials and guided fishing excursions, to onsite catering and private dining services.

Each of the property’s three domes offers privacy and expansive views year-round. Spacious 16-foot-high ceilings, expansive 20-foot bay windows, mezzanines complete with stargazing skylights and fully functional ensuite bathrooms make for a comfortable stay. Domes also come with a kitchenette, as well as a campfire stocked with complimentary firewood and s’mores kits (from $214 per night).

Common curd-esy in Wisconsin

A celebration of cheese that’s far from cheesy, Seven Acre Dairy Company in Paoli, Wis., is introducing a new generation to one of the state’s most historic dairies.

The property’s roots date back to 1888 when a group of local farmers built a cheese factory, which thrived for over a century before falling on hard times.

In 2021, locals banded together to purchase and save the factory. Now, it’s been reborn as a restaurant, bar, café, event and meeting space, micro-dairy (producing its own butter and ice cream), as well as a boutique hotel (from $149 per night).

Newly opened is Little Cloud, the debut restaurant from popular local Chef Ben Serum (who trained in Copenhagen at Noma) in collaboration with award-winning cheesemaker Anna Landmark, founder of Landmark Creamery, conveniently located across the street. Landmark is descended from eight generations of Swiss dairy farmers.

Little Cloud’s cheese and butter are crafted exclusively for this new restaurant, with an ever-evolving menu created by chef and cheesemaker together.

“Leaving home to train under some of the world’s most renowned chefs taught me the value of building deep relationships with hyperlocal farmers and purveyors,” says Serum. “Now, it’s a dream come true to work hand-in-hand with one of the nation’s most respected cheese and butter makers.”

Soaking it up in South Dakota

A boutique, adults-only resort set deep within cowboy country, Shortgrass Resort is bringing a design-forward concept to South Dakota — a state that’s big on natural beauty but a little scant on luxury.

This passion project from husband-and-wife team Rachel Headley and Jared Capp — stars of the reality show “Building Outside the Lines” — brings a completely fresh concept to the region. Set on 52 acres of wide-open prairie north of Spearfish, it’s a stone’s throw from Black Hills National Forest, Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore National Monument.

It offers eight stylish Danish-inspired bungalows with custom-tiled bathrooms with heated floors, and private decks overlooking a meandering river that crosses the property. There are several swimming holes on resort grounds, too, for a real cowboy experience. Not looking to rough it too much? The resort’s staff can arrange curated picnics, private yoga lessons and guided tours of the area’s parks — and with three farm-to-table meals a day served at the resort’s restaurant Meander, all you’ll need to do is show up (from $1,215 per night, all inclusive).

Reflecting on Mirror Lake, Wis.

If you’ve heard of Wisconsin Dells at all, you probably associate it with old-school water parks, roller coasters and dated hotels. You would have been right — until now. The brand-new Treetop Villas, which opened this year, are a collection of four large and luxurious tree-top suites (from $500 per night).

Treehouses come with full kitchens, gas fireplaces, laundry, fire pits and lake-facing balconies with hot tubs. The architects drew inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright (a Wisconsin native) and each bedroom is cantilevered over the sandstone cliffs to maximize privacy and panoramic views (from $250 per night).

The villas opened in tandem with Dawn Manor next door, a 170-year-old property that has been completely renovated and relocated from its original location several miles away. The newly restored Victorian estate is now home to several lively bar and restaurant spaces paying homage to the area’s history. Between the villas’ contemporary design and the vibrant Dawn Manor space, this corner of Wisconsin is offering a new take on a town best known for its waterslides.