Fogo Island, CanadaJoe Batt's Arm
Fogo Island Inn
Stilted Atlantic outpost
Double-vaulted lounges and crackling wood hearths frame crashing North Atlantic swells and passing springtime icebergs along the rocky shoreline.
“The inn’s striking modernist architecture along the island’s dramatic rocky shoreline has helped it become an icon among travelers with an eye for design.”
What it’s good at
Gold
An X-shaped timber structure elevated on stilts over rugged granite, filled with custom artisan-crafted furniture.
Gold
Warm, anticipatory full-board hospitality featuring daybreak breakfast hampers, lit wood-burning stoves, and deeply attentive community guides.
Gold
Community hosts lead coastal walks and boil-up lunches, while all operating profits return directly to islanders.
Outside the door
On the rocky Back Western Shore of Fogo Island, looking out over the North Atlantic.
What they say
US Readers' Choice Awards
Condé Nast Traveler
2025
Also in Wallpaper* and AFAR.
There’s a play of scale in the inn’s design that makes its spaces feel both very intimate and boundless…
The rooms
Every room frames the ocean through floor-to-ceiling glass, finished with hand-hooked rugs, bespoke wallpaper, colourful quilts, and organic natural-fibre mattresses.
The spa & gym
Leave the phone upstairs.
The fourth-floor roof deck features two wood-fired saunas and three outdoor wood-clad hot tubs looking out across open Atlantic waters.
At the table
Beneath wildflower chandeliers, the vaulted Dining Room serves handline cod and foraged berries, while The Shed hosts communal crab boil-ups.
Fogo Island's new 29-suite property has been once again designed by Newfoundland-born, Norway-based architect Todd Saunders, who set it on a number of pilotis, offering panoramic views...
How it began
Eighth-generation islander Zita Cobb established the inn with Shorefast, returning all operating surpluses directly into the local community.
Somewhere apart
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Footpaths cross the rocky Back Western Shore past painted saltbox houses, roaming caribou, and centuries-old fishing stages along the water.
The app
This is one hotel. The app has every one we rate.
Our shorthand
What makes a hotel special, how well they pull it off, and what it feels like outside the door.
How well they pull it off
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
Outside the door
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.