The best hotels offer so much more than a place to stay. In this episode of Unpacked, go behind the scenes of our Best New Hotels list to discover the hotels that are helping to redefine a destination, setting a new bar for sustainability and design, and bringing travelers into communities where their dollars can really count. Host Aislyn Greene and senior deputy editor Jennifer Flowers—Afar's resident hotel expert—share inspiration for your next great trip.

In 2025, Hotels are Becoming Local Heroes

On this episode, you’ll learn: 

• How hotels are uplifting local communities and preserving cultural legacies. 
• What the future of sustainable stays looks like and how to sniff out the real deal.
• Immersive cultural experiences you can only have when you stay at a hotel. 

“Sustainability Has Never Looked So Beautiful.” 

Don’t miss these transformative moments: 

[02:47] This carbon-positive hotel takes sustainability to new heights. 

[09:59] Would you forgo electricity for this historic stay?

[17:58] Local Discoveries: How a tea towel led to new travel plans. 

Resources

• Read the transcript of this episode.
• Explore the Best Hotels of 2025 list.
• Listen to last year's Best New Hotels episode.
• Listen to our Unpacking ILTM episode.
• Want more recommendations? Subscribe to Jenn’s newsletter: Stay Here Next
• Follow Jenn on Instagram or read this story about her childhood in the Plaza Hotel. 
• Learn more about Populus Hotel in Denver, Dar Tantoura the House Hotel, Kibale Lodge, One and Only One Za’beel and other extraordinary stays on afar.com

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

** New Opportunity: What's one tricky travel topic you want us to unpack? Send us a voice message here, for a chance to weigh in and be featured in an upcoming episode. **