Women have long influenced hospitality behind the scenes but remain underrepresented in leadership. They make up a majority of the hospitality workforce yet hold a far smaller share of executive roles, a gap that persists even as more women step into ownership and senior positions.
A growing cohort of founders is changing the industry from the top down, building extraordinary hotels that focus on art, community, wellness, and more. This Women’s History Month, as part of our Hotels We Love series, we’re spotlighting women-owned and women-led properties that reflect that shift.
Blue Apple Beach
Blue Apple Beach in Colombia is owned by Portia Hart of Hart Hospitality.
Photo by Harold Valencia
Why we love it: A stylish, eco-conscious Caribbean island escape
Loyalty program: Leaders Club (Leading Hotels of the World)
Rates: From $250
Only 20 minutes by boat from Cartagena, Blue Apple Beach sits on the sandy shores of Tierra Bomba Island. Designed with local materials like thatched grass roofing, the hotel prioritizes sustainability through solar power and waste-reduction practices, including recycling glass into sand for construction and new glassware for the restaurant. The property has 11 rooms—each with its own plunge pool—along with two communal pools and a restaurant serving cuisine inspired by the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
Blue Apple Beach is owned by British Trinidadian entrepreneur Portia Hart, founder of Hart Hospitality. She also runs Cartagena’s Townhouse Art Hotel, building a small but distinctive portfolio of design-driven boutique properties in the region.
Joali Maldives
Accommodations at Joali Maldives all have private decks and pools.
Courtesy of Joali Maldives
Why we love it: Immersive art installations in a secluded island setting
Rates: From $3,093
Located on Muravandhoo Island in Raa Atoll, Joali Maldives blends striking architecture with hidden art installations, many by local women artists, scattered throughout tropical forests and along white-sand beaches. Seventy-three overwater and beach villas decorated with natural woods and blue hues dot the island. They’re complemented by five restaurants, wellness spaces, and marine conservation programs.
The resort was founded by Turkish entrepreneur Esin Güral Argat, who has launched initiatives supporting leadership training for girls in local communities at both Joali Maldives and its sister property, Joali Being.
The Lodge at 58° North
The Lodge at 58° North is co-owned by Kate Crump, who is also a fly-fishing guide.
Photo by Jeremy Koreski
Why we love it: Expert-led fishing adventures and wellness in Alaska’s wild frontier
Rates: From $11,250 per person for four nights
Bristol Bay is a region of southwestern Alaska known for its vast wilderness and prolific wild salmon runs. Here, the remote Lodge at 58° North is inspired by Scandinavian architecture, with locally sourced fine dining, guided fishing excursions, and nature-driven wellness. The property was created by co-owner Kate Crump and operates on individually designed, four-night (or more) itineraries. Guests spend their days fishing in rivers, plunging into glacial streams, and returning to dinners highlighting produce from the lodge’s greenhouse and salmon caught nearby.
Crump, a seasoned fly-fishing guide, is a pioneer in an industry long dominated by men. As one of the first female guides in Bristol Bay, she continues to push for greater inclusion in outdoor recreation. Today, three of the lodge’s five guides are women—a high ratio for retreats in the area.
Ode Toronto
Ode Toronto, owned and run by Erica Herbert, is in Toronto’s lively Dundas West neighborhood.
Courtesy of Ode Toronto
Why we love it: A neighborhood-first boutique hotel with an artsy guesthouse feel
Rates: From $200
Set in Toronto’s Dundas West neighborhood, Ode Toronto offers an alternative to the city’s high-rise hotels: a 10-room, low-rise retreat designed to connect guests with the surrounding community. There’s no restaurant or retail on site—an intentional choice that encourages visitors to explore nearby vintage shops, independent restaurants, and bars, with the neighborhood’s mix of cultures defining the experience.
Ode Toronto was founded in 2021 by Tobago-born, Toronto-raised Erica Herbert, who runs the hotel with her family. The owners themselves steer guests toward neighborhood favorites through in-room tip sheets and texts. Art is on display throughout, with such notable works as a mural by Toronto artist Lauren Pirie.—Heather Greenwood Davis
Related: Toronto’s Only Black-Owned Hotel Sits in One of the City’s Most Creative Neighborhoods
Peacock Pavilions
American hotelier Maryam Montague is the visionary behind Peacock Pavilions near Marrakech.
Courtesy of Peacock Pavilions
Why we love it: A Moroccan craft-driven retreat amid olive groves
Rates: From $300
Set among olive groves about 10 miles outside bustling Marrakech, Peacock Pavilions is a Moroccan craft-focused retreat created by American hotelier and designer Maryam Montague. The estate—which often hosts yoga and art weekends—has three pavilions and two bungalows filled with Berber rugs and handmade furnishings sourced in Morocco and beyond. Lounge by the pool, stretch on the yoga deck, dine in the garden gazing over the Atlas Mountains, or settle in for a movie night at the outdoor theater.
Montague, who previously worked in humanitarian development, built and decorated the property with her architect husband. She also runs an online souk showcasing artisan home goods from Morocco and founded Project Soar, a nonprofit that supports girls in the local community.
The Pinnacle Kigali
Sheila Kyarisiima designed Pinnacle Kigali with artwork sourced across Africa.
Photo by Ariel Nyembo
Why we love it: An intimate, art-filled luxury stay celebrating African creativity
Rates: From $3,090
Opened in January 2026, the Pinnacle is a new nine-suite luxury hotel in Kigali’s leafy Rebero Hills neighborhood. Founded by Rwandan Ugandan entrepreneur Sheila Kyarisiima, the property is composed of individually designed suites, each inspired by a family member or chapter of Kyarisiima’s life. Art plays a central role, with sculptures and paintings from across Africa—many from Kyarisiima’s private collection—throughout the hotel. Guests can also enjoy four restaurants, an infinity pool, spa, champagne bar, four-lane bowling alley, and cinema that can be booked for private film showings.
Kyarisiima is among a small but growing group of Black women redefining Africa’s high-end hospitality landscape. With a background spanning finance, civil engineering, and real estate development across multiple continents, she plans to expand with additional properties in the future.
Related: Traveling to Rwanda? “Don’t Skip Kigali,” Says Owner of City’s Newest Luxury Hotel
Violino d’Oro
Co-owner Sara Maestrelli oversaw the Venetian craft-led design of Violino d’Oro hotel in Venice.
Courtesy of Violino d’Oro
Why we love it: A richly detailed boutique hotel celebrating Venetian craftsmanship
Rates: From $803
Designed to feel like the home of a Venetian artist, Violino d’Oro is a love letter to Venice past and present. Nearly everything inside the 32-room property was made in Venice, from glass light fixtures to Ginori porcelain on the tables. Each detail nods to a different chapter of Venetian history, while the nine-table restaurant Il Piccolo serves classic Venetian cuisine (such as tortellini en brodo and a shifting selection of cicchetti, or small bites, such as creamy cod paired with prosciutto).
Opened in 2023, Violino d’Oro is part of the family-run Collezione Em hotel group. Creative director and co-owner Sara Maestrelli carries on the legacy started by her aunt, overseeing the aesthetic direction of the group’s properties, including the recently reopened Pensione America in Italy’s Forte dei Marmi town on the Tuscan coast.
Related: Women Make Up Most of the Hotel Workforce. These Leaders Are Making Sure They Run Them, Too.
