Contemporary independent inns

A small contemporary hotel tucked onto Coombs Street in downtown Napa, R Inn keeps things pared back and bright — streamlined rooms punctuated by bold artwork, with smart TVs for the evenings you'd rather stay in. Free parking is a quiet luxury this close to the center of wine country, and guests reward the place accordingly: a 4.9 average across more than 200 reviews.

The Iris occupies a quiet stretch of Line Street in downtown Charleston, trading the usual hotel formula for a handful of apartment-style quarters with full kitchens and furnishings that feel more lived-in than lobby-issued. The mood is contemporary and unhurried — the sort of place where you buy produce at the market in the morning and cook it yourself that evening. Guests have been unusually effusive, giving it a 4.9 across nearly 400 reviews.

Tucked onto Shrimp Boat Lane where Shem Creek meets the marsh, this waterfront inn trades Charleston-area bustle for the slow traffic of trawlers and tidal water just beyond the railing. Rooms are contemporary and unfussy, with an outdoor pool for the long Lowcountry afternoons and breakfast, parking and Wi-Fi included. It's the kind of place guests return to for the view rather than the frills — reflected in a 4.4 rating across more than 700 reviews.

Set just off Kennebunk's Chase Hill Road, The Grand Hotel trades New England chintz for something cleaner and more current — stylish rooms with marble bathrooms and private balconies that invite a slow morning with the coastal Maine air. An on-site art gallery gives the property a cultural pulse beyond the usual lobby decor. It's a contemporary retreat in a town better known for its clapboard and shingle, and reviewers rate it warmly at 4.2.

A contemporary hotel on Meeting Street in Charleston's upper peninsula, the Moxy trades period charm for bold, colorful rooms and a social-minded ground floor. There's a cozy bar for evening drinks, a 24-hour gym, and a rooftop terrace overlooking the downtown skyline.