Hotels around the world capturing autumn in full colour
Shoulder season travel yields nourishing rewards, from spellbinding Swiss scenery to a crowd-free city break. These hotels offer a front row view of autumn in full splendour, along with top-notch amenities and thoughtful design
There is a lot to love about autumn: from ochre leaves underfoot and vermillion views across Europe, the US and Japan, to pleasantly warm climes in Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. Off-season, you’ll find relaxed hikers, surfers and cyclists. Cities grow cooler and calmer, with fewer crowds and more room for spontaneous restaurant reservations.
Autumn is also a period of reflection and renewal; a time to slow down, catch up and harvest ideas. We’ve handpicked our favourite hotels for the months ahead. High on environmental aesthetics, they’ll beckon you indoors with crackling fires, glowing cocktails and menus built around the season’s finest local produce.
Hotels in Europe
BEAUSiTE Zermatt, Switzerland
Why we rate it: Belle Époque charm with a British twist
Address: Brunnmattgasse 9, 3920 Zermatt
Price: From from 400 CHF / 366 USD
BEAUSiTE Zermatt has stood since 1907, in the wake of the golden age of alpinism that transformed the region. Today, this boutique stay retains its Belle Époque soul with a playful dash of British flair, paying tribute to the English mountaineers who first ascended its peaks. Eschewing any notion of a beige chalet, rooms unfold in warm honey and sage green tones, with House of Hackney wallpapers and Mulberry Home’s whimsical prints.
Cheerful decor is met by equally affable service, whether listening to live piano in the bar or ordering cuts of meat from the wood-fired grill. The hotel celebrates Zermatt’s long tradition of Alpine dairy farming and cheesemaking, as well as keeping its own cows and pigs for hyper-local sourcing.
BEAUSiTE overlooks the Matterhorn, which blazes with copper larch trees in autumn. As the summer crowds thin, crisp weather is perfect for exploring mountain trails and alpine, either on foot or by bike. Back at the hotel, the spa unfolds through an atmospheric cave and winter garden, replete with a heated outdoor infinity pool.
Castelfalfi, Florence, Italy
Why we rate it: A medieval borgo turned luxury village
Address: Località Castelfalfi, 50050 Montaione, Florence, Italy
Price: From 820 EUR / 936 USD per night
Tuscany’s dry heat eases in autumn; it is still warm enough to swim and bathe, while you explore the region’s ancient landscapes by bike, car or Vespa.
Positioned between Pisa and Florence, Castelfalfi sits on the highest hill in Tuscany. Seemingly endless views of vineyards and olive groves are met by open-air contemporary art, including sparkling Edra chairs by Jacopo Foggini and bronze sculptures by Andrea Roggi.
Castelfalfi extends beyond a hotel to comprise an entire village, complete with a church and a string of shops. The crowd is well-heeled and international, drawing both couples and families for its mix of sybaritic wellness, outdoor pursuits and local gastronomy. Autumn is the season for truffle hunting, e-bike rides and lake fishing. Guests can also try their hand at pizza and pasta making, with generous pours of local wine.
Sustainability is taken seriously: a network of wells, lakes and a water-purification plant enables self-sufficiency, while a wood biomass heating and cooling system supplies energy across the estate. The restaurants follow a “zero kilometre” philosophy, sourcing ingredients locally to reduce transport emissions.
Grand Hotel Kronenhof, Pontresina, Switzerland
Why we rate it: A historic bon vivant in the Engadine
Address: Via Maistra 130, 7504 Pontresina, Switzerland
Price: From 407 EUR / 477 USD per night
Autumn is the oft-overlooked yet mesmerising Swiss season, when the Engadine valley’s larch forests turn from green to golden. Bask in sunshine and blue skies on street level, while a snow-covered winter wonderland is a cable car ride away. While St Moritz and Gstaad draw a glitzy crowd, the mountain village of Pontresina is where you’re more likely to find Swiss locals and a low-key clientele. Grand Hotel Kronenhof is one of few luxury hotels to remain open through the autumn season. Frescoed ceilings are offset by contemporary furnishings, including an impressive collection of Eames chairs. In the spa, soaring floor-to-ceiling windows frame undulating mountain views, and the programme extends to yoga and sound-healing workshops. In the wood-clad Kronenstübli restaurant, waistcoated waiters serve seasonal game such as venison and wild boar, accompanied by vegetables grown in the hotel’s garden.
Arrive from Zurich on the Bernina Express, considered one of the most beautiful train journeys in Europe.
PURO Warszawa Stare Miasto, Warsaw, Poland
Why we rate it: A boutique charmer in the Polish capital
Address: Canaletta 4, 00-099 Warszawa, Poland
Price: From 452 PLN / 125 USD per night
Experience ‘golden Polish autumn’ in Warsaw – a period when sunny, mild weather meets amber foliage. The place to stay is the new PURO hotel, located in the heart of the Old Town. Drawing on the aesthetic of a Scandinavian home, it stands in cool contrast to the area’s more historic stays. Natural materials such as stone, wood and linen create a soothing, reflective space, curated with works by Polish artists. The ground floor flows like a Danish apartment, blending a bakery, wine bar, bistro and lounge, with locally made ceramics and candles available to buy in the lobby. The city’s rich history is right on your doorstep, and an evening at the Polish National Ballet beckons. PURO is Poland’s leading hotel lifestyle brand, with seven additional hotels across the country.
Ett Hem, Stockholm, Sweden
Why we rate it: A private home with daily yoga
Address: Sköldungagatan 2, 114 27 Stockholm
Price: From 555 EUR / 651 USD
Stockholm in autumn is bathed in an ethereal light, with foliage blending into the city’s Falu red buildings. This fleeting interlude before winter is perfect for long walks, fika and the odd ferry ride, umbrella possibly in hand. Stay at Ett Hem, set across three renovated arts and crafts townhouses owned by Swedish hotelier Jeanette Mix. The hotel is designed to feel more like a home, eschewing the formal front desk in favour of an intimate check-in, where staff greet guests in Toteme uniforms. Join daily yoga classes in the spa, sip wine by a fire pit in the outdoor courtyard and enjoy seasonal crayfish, corn soup with roasted hazelnuts and wood-fired langoustines in the acclaimed restaurant.
If you can’t book one of 12 rooms at Ett Hem, try Villa Dagmar or its recently opened sister property Villa Dahlia, both of which balance Swedish craftsmanship with contemporary design.
Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens, Greece
Why we rate it: Good-time vibes in the Greek capital
Address: Artemisiou 1, Glifada 166 75, Greece
Price: From 162 EUR / 190 USD per night
Autumn is Athens’ sweet spot, with fewer visitors but still plenty of sunshine. Travellers can visit the Acropolis without the intense heat and heaving crowds, and the sun’s lower angle casts an atmospheric glow over the city. Ace Hotel & Swim Club opened in 2024 and has already earned a reputation for its good-time vibe and eclectic events programme. It is one of only two Ace hotels with a swimming pool – the other being Palm Springs – and, like its desert counterpart, the hotel mixes retro modernist style with contemporary flair. Guestrooms each feature a turntable and a stack of vinyls by Greek artists, while balconies look out to the pool and beach. You’ll find DJs playing in the lobby, where you can also pick up branded merch created in collaboration with Greek Visions founder Takis Zontiros. Think past autumn leaves and fires with this one, it’s all beachside relaxation in temperate weather, local culture and creative energy.
Hotels in the US
Inness, Accord, New York
Why we rate it: The Catskills’ unofficial country club
Address: 10 Banks Street, Accord, NY 12404
Price: 930 USD per night
The Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York lay claim to one of the world’s most magnificent autumn displays, ablaze with fiery gold, copper and bronze hues from late September through October. Crisp, mild days are perfect for hiking, and on Halloween the Hudson Valley glows with more than 7,000 illuminated jack-o’-lanterns.
Between the Catskill and Shawangunk mountain ranges is Inness, a high-end boutique stay that blends a Scandinavian aesthetic with a rustic Borscht Belt-Americana vibe. Stunning surroundings are met by thoughtful interiors and slow-living ethos, whether staying in the Dutch colonial farmhouse or one of the Nordic-inspired cabins dotted across the grounds. The resort’s sport and wellness membership means you’ll find a local crowd milling by the heated swimming pool, golf course and pickleball courts, as well as the recently unveiled spa and yoga studio. The restaurant serves rustic dishes made with produce from the three-acre organic farm, followed by fireside chats in Adirondack chairs at sunset.
Tourists, North Adams, Massachusetts
Why we rate it: Art, music and creativity in the Berkshires
Address: 915 State Road, North Adams, MA 01247
Price: 355 USD per night
Tourists is a reimagined motel along the Mohawk Trail in North Adams, set against the soaring Berkshire Mountains and Hoosic River. Sink into leather Togo chairs in the lofty wood-beamed lounge, where windows frame red maples and American elms. The hotel hums with a laidback, local creative crowd, drawn by its eclectic programme of yoga, creative workshops and live music. Art installations thread through the forest behind the hotel, and the owners have also been instrumental in extending a cycling route connecting North Adams to Williamstown. After a day on the trails, gather around fire pits to toast s’mores and sip local craft beer from Hot Plate Brewing, just a short drive away.
Hotels in Japan
Maana Kiyomizu, Kyoto, Japan
Why we rate it: Sensorial Japanese design and a thoughtful creative programme
Address: 427-18, Myohoin Maekawacho, Higashiyama
Price: 57,065 JPY / 386 USD per night
In Japan, the changing colour of autumn leaves is known as momijigari, with peak foliage varying by region and altitude. In Kyoto, this occurs from mid-November to early December. For a front row view, stay at Maana Kiyomizu, a restored timber machiya townhouse in the city’s historic district. Traditional features such as tatami floors, washi-paper walls and shoji screens blend with contemporary design for a modern take on a traditional Japanese stay. Guests can also visit Maana Living, the Maana group’s retail space and workshop, where this autumn they can create an art panel using tsuchikabe, a traditional clay material used in machiya walls. The Kiyomizu-dera Temple’s gardens are a short walk away, renowned for their fiery maples.
Beyond Maana Kiyomizu, Maana also offers two private machiya guesthouses in the city: Maana Kyoto and Maana Kamo.
Hotels in Morocco
Villa Laba, Sidi Kaouki, Morocco
Why we rate it: Pursuit of an endless summer in a peaceful Moroccan guesthouse
Address: Douar Ichaouine, Sidi Kaouki, Province of Esssouira, Morocco
Price: 170 EUR / 199 USD per night
Villa Laba is owned by Swedish fashion designer Filippa Knutsson, founder of Filippa K, and her architect husband Thomas Fourtané. The nine-key hotel is more like a guesthouse, located in the Berber village of Douar Ichaouine, overlooking Sidi Kaouki beach on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. In autumn, the summer winds ease, for warm sunny days and a gentle breeze. The weather is perfect for surfing and galloping along the shoreline on horseback. Rooms feature vintage cedarwood doors and handcrafted furniture for a peaceful, rustic stay, while private terraces overlook the garden and pool. Guests gather in the dining room for a set meal, which reflects the season’s harvest. Candles and lanterns replace electric lighting in the evening, lit throughout the property for a wonderfully ambient setting.
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