The best addresses in the United States

It is possible to find a cheap hotel in the USA. That said, a city like New York is a departure from this principle: a bottom-of-the-range hotel in Manhattan may be the same price as a plush apartment-hotel in the Bronx. So when you're shelling out around thirty dollars for a night's stay, you need to be careful. But in tourist areas like Niagara Falls, for example, you'll find motels, small hotels, beds & breakfasts and bed & breakfasts, with budget brands often located on the outskirts. It's best to book in advance to take advantage of great discounts. You can find overnight stays for under $50.

Founded in 1904 by Corsican Charles Pierre Casalasco, who immigrated to New York at the beginning of the 20th century, The Pierre has established itself since 1930 asone of New York's leading hotels, and has won numerous international awards. Make no mistake about it, this old palace-style establishment offers 21st century services on 5th Avenue, at the corner of 61st Street. Located on the south-east corner of Central Park, on the southern edge of theUpper West Side, it is 25 km from La Guardia airport, 30 km from JFK and 25 km from Newark. Close to the N and R (Grand Army Plaza) metro stations. From its heights you will have a remarkable view of Central Park.

A renowned member of New York's upmarket hotel industry, The Pierre 's magnificent Georgian architecture stands on the edge of Central Park, overlooking its most beautiful avenue, 5th Street. You will be seduced by the unrivalled professionalism of its staff, in keeping with the old school tradition of the establishment: lift attendants in all the lifts, attentive room staff, attentive concierges, prompt waiters. The service is distinguished and efficient. The Pierre is part of the Taj brand. Like the members of the general management team, a large proportion of the staff speak French (a total of 35 languages are spoken among the 700 members of staff).

The establishment has 75 permanent residents. It also has facilities for children. The Pierre has 202 rooms spread over 39 floors, including 53 suites, a 170 m2 fitness centre with massage room, a boutique and an impressive beauty salon staffed by a French hairdresser.

With their Victorian style, thick green carpets, reproductions of classic paintings, striped wallpaper and antique furniture, the Pierre's rooms have an old-fashioned charm. Their large size (46 m²) and high standard of service make them a choice establishment, with cable TV (42 channels, including HBO), mini-bar, magazines and safe. The bathrooms, although rather small in relation to the size of the rooms, are very pleasant and functional. They feature bathtubs, hairdryers, bathrobes and many exclusive Bulgari toiletries.

The main restaurant, Café Pierre, offers contemporary French specialities in a classic Italian setting. It is open from midday to 1.00am and offers live piano music. Next door, La Rotonde offers a rococo setting, with trompe-l'œil paintings combining mythological figures and contemporary characters, all set in a 360° Renaissance décor, from walls to ceiling. Breakfast, snacks, teas and cocktails are served here until 11pm.

This legendary hotel is located in Manhattan, at 222 West 23rd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues. When it opened in 1905, it was the tallest building in Manhattan. It is best known for housing artists, some of them eccentric, who lived there year-round. It has been home to some of the most iconic writers in American literature, including Mark Twain, Charles Bukowski, W. Burrough and Jack Kerouac, who wrote 'On the Road' there, so much so that it became a cult venue for the Beatnik movement. Legendary rockers and singers have also stayed here, including Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Tom Waits and Edith Piaf. Or French authors Jean-Paul Sartre and Jean-Claude Carrière. It was reopened in February 2022, after a long closure and a much-needed renovation.

Ideally located in Manhattan in the Penn Station area, this Art Deco-style hotel has retained its originality following its recent renovation, and offers excellent services and a privileged view of the Empire State Building and The Edge, if you have booked a room facing these directions.

The 4-star Chelsea offers concierge and room service, a gym, a restaurant and a bar. The reception is open 24 hours a day.

The rooms are air-conditioned and all have private bathrooms with showers. Some have a terrace. Bed linen and towels are provided. The hotel has specially equipped rooms for allergy sufferers. If you have allergies, please let us know when you make your reservation. Bed linen, towels and bathrobes are provided, as well as a coffee machine, safe and flat-screen TV.

The Château Marmont is the hotel of all excesses, the home of rock stars and Hollywood actors. Like its predecessors, it was built at the beginning of the previous century, during the 'Roaring Twenties'. Standing imposingly on Sunset Boulevard, this sumptuous building designed in the 'château' style was originally a residence made up of flats. In 1931, following the stock market crash, its owners decided to turn it into a hotel, so the flats were rented out by the day. Today, you can rent small flats with kitchen and living room, or single rooms.

Few stars have stayed here before, as the Château Marmont has always enjoyed a solid reputation as an establishment that makes it a point of honour to respect the tranquillity of its guests. Access is heavily guarded and photography is prohibited.

The hotel has a rich Hollywood history, with all the big names staying here. Elisabeth Taylor rented a flat here for Montgomery Clift, who had just been in an accident, Glenn Ford and William Holden gave memorable parties here, Billy Wilder lived here for several years when he arrived in the USA (he was fleeing Nazism), Marilyn Monroe, H. Bogart...

The hotel boasts Californian gardens and numerous trees. It rents out small houses and bungalows. Robin Williams was a regular guest here, and stars regularly rent the penthouse.

The hotel has undergone several occasional renovations that respect its art deco architecture. For example, the kitchens, which had a 70s style that clashed with the 30s style, have been transformed again in recent years to regain their original style. The bar and restaurant also retain the art deco style with its dark wood panelling. The current art deco lift is the recent work of Hollywood decorators. The hotel boasts a swimming pool and a restaurant set in its gardens.

With its French Renaissance palace decor, the Plaza is one of the finest hotels in New York. Built in 1907, it occupies a magnificent square building, with a beautiful green roof embellished with turrets overlooking the south-east corner of Central Park. Its high-ceilinged ground floor houses the lobby, shops and restaurants. The decor is sumptuous, in the purest French Renaissance style: mosaic floors, veined marble walls, frescoes, gilding, huge glass chandeliers and superb turn-of-the-century lifts.

The hotel not only offers its guests a magnificent setting, but also a range of facilities and services that confirm its status as a 5* New York hotel. The 1,000 m2 complex, comprising the Guerlain spa, the Warren Tricomi beauty salon and the La Palestre gym, is impressive, with a mosaic-lined jacuzzi, a beautiful sauna, massage rooms, a men's beauty salon and a mixed beauty salon. Last but not least, the adjoining fitness room is superbly equipped, with an entire wall decorated with a reproduction of a view of Central Park.

The luxury rooms are spacious (around 45 m2), with classic green decor. They are all equipped with a television (with video, 42 channels, Playstation), a large safe, a mini-bar, individual air conditioning (a little noisy), a dressing room, a double telephone line and a latest-generation iPad, high-speed Internet access (at $19/day). The bathrooms feature 24-carat gold-plated fittings and a separate rain shower.

The Plaza has a bar and three restaurants, all renowned in New York for their setting and quality. Directly opposite the entrance, the Palm Court welcomes guests for breakfast, lunch and tea-time (as well as Sunday brunch), in a magnificent setting combining marble colonnades and palm trees. To the right of the main entrance, directly accessible from 5th Avenue, the Oyster Bar offers the ambience of an upmarket English brasserie, with a fine seafood menu. It is open for lunch, dinner and late evenings. Finally, further back, the Oak Room is one of the hotel's most beautiful rooms. With its 10-metre-high ceilings and oak wood panelling, the Oak Room serves succulent meats in a warm setting with live piano music. For the record, all the kitchen and pastry staff are French.

The hotel is listed on the New York City Register of Historic Places (1969) and the National Register of Historic Places (1986). Rooms are renovated every 5 years. Access to the spa is free. Access to the fitness centre is reserved exclusively for hotel guests. The Plaza is part of the Leading Hotels of the World group.

This hotel is imprinted in everyone's memory because it was here that some of the exterior scenes of Stanley Kubrick's film 'TheShining' were shot. In other words, this is the hotel you see in the snow. It is located in Oregon, in the Mt. Hood National Forest, on Mount Hood, in Timberline, Clackamas County. People come here for the mythical aspect of its use in the famous film, but also for its mountain location (1,816 metres above sea level).

Uniquely, it is also a winter sports resort with 35 slopes. The hotel was inaugurated in 1937 by President Roosevelt himself, and opened the following year. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark for its historical significance, and is listed in the US National Register of Historic Places.

The hotel is renowned for its three restaurants. The Blue Ox bar serves seasonal cuisine, while Ram's Head offers bistro-style cuisine for casual dining. Cascade Dining Room is upmarket.

The hotel also has a 24-hour concierge service, a USFS excursion preparation service, a fitness centre and shops. Ski equipment can be rented on site.

The Peninsula Chicago was built in 2001 and has 339 rooms. It is an establishment of very high standing. The address scores points for its perfect location and sensational level of comfort. Of course, this excellence comes at a price. Expect to pay a minimum of €1,210 per night.

The hotel has a cosy bar and two top-quality restaurants, Shanghai Terrace, which is surely the best Chinese restaurant in the city and has an outdoor terrace, and The Lobby, which serves gourmet American cuisine. The breakfast is also exceptional.

The rooms rival each other in excellence.

Would you like to pamper yourself in this exceptional setting? The Peninsula Chicago has a spa designed with Zen in mind and, remarkably, a semi-Olympic indoor pool with sky-light filtered through huge picture windows overlooking the city. The well-equipped gym is perfect for getting back into shape. You can even take yoga classes.

The address is 108 East Superior, River North, Chicago, IL 60611.

Located in Sunny Isles Beach, this exotic paradise lies between Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale. A choice address for a very upmarket establishment with a luxury of services that will delight you, starting with its 3 oceanfront swimming pools, its spa and its 4 restaurants, including Avra Miami and Il Mulino New York.

Acqualina makes its mark with rooms that rival each other in refinement and services that live up to its reputation. With exceptional sea views, the hotel offers no fewer than 54 rooms and 44 suites of up to 3 rooms facing the sea.

Conveniently located in Sunny Isles Beach, Acqualina boasts an upscale spa and wellness facility which, combined with the hotel's outstanding overall quality, has earned it the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award and the AAA Five Diamond Award.

Address: 17875 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160.

A legendary hotel from the city's golden age, the Drake is a grand 4-star hotel in the heart of the city, on the edge of the lake, in the purest "Chicago" architectural style of the 1930s. With a wide choice of rooms, from the simplest and most elegantly decorated to the most spacious suites, you'll be able to plan a stay with your family or on your own in this establishment with its fine facilities.

The Drake has a wide choice of restaurants and cafés. For your well-being, there is a state-of-the-art fitness centre and a spa. Relaxation guaranteed. The hotel offers excellent value for money. Travelling in July, you will benefit from the best rate: €173 per night. Pets are allowed.

The hotel is huge, with 535 rooms featuring HD flat-screen TVs with HBO channels, minibars, irons and hairdryers. There are also shops in the ground floor arcades, a theatre, a restaurant and room service. The bathrooms are marble and have bathtubs.

Address: 140 East Walton Place, Streeterville, Chicago, IL 60611.

Standing out in the city as an architectural beauty, the Fairmont Austin offers impeccable hotel accommodations with rooms featuring flat-screen cable TV. All have desks and sitting areas for relaxation. The luxury bathrooms are equipped with a bathtub or shower.

Texas weather is warm, and you're sure to enjoy our outdoor pool, lake views and sun deck. Austin Bergstrom International Airport is just 9 km away, and you can bring your pet with you.

Texas is much nicer in the off-season, and October could be a great time to visit.

Austin is regarded as the live music capital of the world, with the extraordinary Austin City Limits festival taking place in Zilker Park. Many concerts will be held throughout the city. What's more, Austin is also a great city for foodies and street art, so there's plenty to keep you entertained. With a strong Mexican influence, you'll find tacos all over town, as well as classic Texas barbecue.

The address is 101 Red River Street, Austin, TX 78701.

You couldn't ask for a better location than this lodge in the purest Sierra Nevada architecture, just a few hundred metres from Yosemite Valley and less than 4 kilometres from El Capitan, the famous rocky peak well known to mountaineers. Reception is open 24 hours a day, so you can enjoy nature to the full until the early hours of the morning.

The hotel has its own car park, which you'll find very useful. There is also a shuttle service to the main spots if you prefer to leave your car at the hotel. Another convenience is the cash dispenser. Handy if you've booked a guide for your walks, as they'll be paid on a tipped basis.

The rooms are of a good size and all have a private bathroom with towels. They have a sitting area, a wardrobe to make yourself comfortable and a flat-screen TV. They are well heated when it gets cold. And best of all, they all have balconies with mountain views. The lodge's restaurant and bar are also at your disposal.