Midwest Rising: Hotels, Glamping and Bold Dining Tilt the Fall Travel Scene
As coastlines tighten their grip on travel costs, the Midwest leans into value-forward experiences—from Columbus luxury hotels to rural retreats and quirky culinary collaborations that spotlight the heartland.
Travelers are turning their attention to fly-over country this fall as a wave of hotel openings and unique experiences inject fresh energy into the Midwest. With airfare rising on the coasts and in the Caribbean and Europe, many families are choosing to explore closer to home, seeking value without sacrificing quality. “There’s a lot of vibrant and exciting things to do here, especially in the fall,” said Michelle Koffel, a luxury travel advisor with Gifted Travel Network based in Columbus, Ohio. “You can find top-tier experiences without the price tag.”
Columbus is a focal point of the shift, driven in part by The Junto, the first independent lifestyle hotel in the city. Opened in 2023 in a former warehouse in the Franklinton Arts District, the 198-room property features a rooftop bar, a wood-fired restaurant, and a cheeky café named Maudine’s that nods to a campus legend. Guests can borrow kayaks, bikes, Polaroid cameras and picnic baskets from a Gear Garage, and a complimentary shuttle runs to Ohio State football games from about $249 per night. The Junto sits near the city’s dining scene, including Law Bird and Agni, with Isla, a 14-seat chef’s counter spotlighting hyperlocal ingredients, drawing buzz from locals. Columbus also boasts the country’s only urban via ferrata at Quarry Trails Metro Park, ending at a hidden waterfall.
Across the Midwest, glamping and cuisine are shaping new travel narratives. In Minnesota, Sweetbriar Ridge opened in 2024 near Cross Lake in Pine City and expanded for 2025 with safari-style domes on a private 56-acre parcel. Rates start around $386 per night. The property offers 16-foot-high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling bay windows, a kitchenette and private decks, plus hiking and snowshoeing access and partnerships with local businesses for on-site massages, guided fishing excursions and private dining. Nearby craft-beer stops and eateries, such as Three Twenty Brewery and Pizza Pub, complement the stay. Each dome is designed for privacy and expansive year-round views, with stargazing skylights and a campfire setup. 
In Wisconsin, Seven Acre Dairy is reviving a historic Paoli dairy as a restaurant, bar, café, event space, micro-dairy and boutique hotel, with rooms starting around $149 per night. The original factory dates to 1888, rebuilt by locals in 2021, and the property now features an on-site butter and ice cream operation. Across the street, Little Cloud marks chef Ben Serum’s debut restaurant in collaboration with Anna Landmark, founder of Landmark Creamery, using exclusive cheeses crafted for the menu. Serum says his training abroad reinforced the value of building deep relationships with hyperlocal farmers and purveyors, a philosophy reflected in the restaurant’s evolving menu and cheese-forward approach. 
South Dakota adds a design-forward twist with Shortgrass Resort, an adults-only boutique retreat on 52 acres north of Spearfish. The owners, Rachel Headley and Jared Capp, bring a Danish-inspired style to the prairie and offer eight bungalows with heated floors, private decks overlooking a river, and curated experiences. The staff can arrange private picnics, private yoga lessons and guided tours of nearby parks — and with three farm-to-table meals a day served at the resort’s restaurant Meander, all you’ll need to do is show up (from $1,215 per night, all inclusive).
Wisconsin Dells is also reimagining its image with the opening of the Treetop Villas, four large tree-top suites perched above sandstone cliffs, offering full kitchens, gas fireplaces and lake-facing balconies with hot tubs (from about $500 per night). Next door, Dawn Manor, a 170-year-old Victorian estate relocated and renovated, now anchors the property with a collection of bars and restaurants that celebrate the region’s history. The villas’ design nods to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Wisconsin lineage, while the surrounding area leans into a broader reframe of a town known for water parks and family amusements.
Travel industry observers say the Midwest’s push to mix luxury with authenticity fits a broader pattern: travelers are pursuing value-forward, experience-rich trips in destinations with character and fewer crowds. As fall colors peak, farm-to-table menus and boutique stays keep drawing visitors, the region hopes to sustain momentum beyond the season. 