Vote for the best new restaurants, hotels and attractions of the year
As 2024 draws to a close, USA TODAY 10BEST is taking a look back at all the new hotels, restaurants, festivals, and attractions that recently welcomed guests for the first time. We want to crown the best debuts, so we asked a panel of experts to nominate their top picks in each of six categories. Now, it’s your turn to vote for your favorites.
Voting ends on Monday, December 23 at noon ET, and you can vote once per day, per category.
Click on each category below to vote:
Best New Attraction
Which new attraction is the best on the scene? — Photo courtesy of kali9 / E+
From activity hubs and theme parks to museum exhibits and performance spaces, travelers were treated to a host of new attractions over the last year and a half. With the help of a panel of travel experts, we combed the country for the top new attractions that opened since April 2023, and now we need you to determine the absolute best by voting for your favorite.
Which new attraction do you think is the best?
Best New Festival
Which new festival is your favorite? — Photo courtesy of zamrznutitonovi / iStock via Getty Images Plus
What better ways are there to celebrate music, art, food, culture, and community than with a festival? For the past year and a half, we were treated to a lineup of fantastic festivals that launched for the first time, giving you more new options to explore and enjoy.
From music extravaganzas to cultural immersions and foodie adventures, an expert panel has nominated their top picks for the best new festivals, and now it’s your turn to vote for your favorite and help crown the winner.
Which new festival do you think is the best?
Best New Hotel
At which new hotel are you making your reservations? — Photo courtesy of Dimensions / E+
Whether for work or for pleasure, a hotel stay can make or break a travel experience. Luckily, dozens of new hotels open their doors across the United States each year, offering travelers even greater choice in where to catch their z’s.
We asked a panel of travel experts to nominate their top picks for hotel openings and hotels that were transformed by major renovations over the last year and a half, and now it’s your turn to crown a winner. Which new hotel would you most like to stay at?
Best New Museum
Which new museum gets your vote? — Photo courtesy of AzmanL / E+
Each year brings a slew of new collections (or new facilities for old collections) for museum lovers. These museums have been nominated by an expert panel as the best new or newly transformed venues on the scene, ranging from avant-garde art spaces to impactful history museums, and they represent the top openings of the past two years.
Which new museum would you most like to visit?
Best New Restaurant
Which new restaurant are you most excited about? — Photo courtesy of Dimensions / E+
It’s been estimated that there are nearly 750,000 restaurants in the United States, according to the National Restaurant Association, with thousands of new options opening up each year.
We asked a panel of food and travel experts to nominate their 20 favorite new restaurants to open in the past year and a half, ranging from chef-driven fast casual concepts to high-end dining with a focus on hyper-local and sustainable ingredients.
Which new restaurant would you most like to dine at?
Best New Theme Park Attraction
Which new theme park attraction is your fave? — Photo courtesy of Imgorthand / E+
Each year, theme parks across the United States introduce parkgoers to a new lineup of attractions, from extreme thrill rides that push our adrenaline-pumping limits to themed experiences that awaken our imaginations.
To find the best new theme park attractions that made their debuts over the last year and a half, we asked a panel of experts to nominate their favorites, and now it’s your turn to vote for your top pick. Which new theme park attraction do you think is the best?
Vote: Best New Theme Park Attraction »
Remember, you can vote once per day in each category. The 10 nominees with the most votes in each category will be announced on Thursday, January 2.
