NYBanker

Little Palm Island.

(Not a luxury hotel, but rather a lower four star with unusually good dining.)

NYBanker

Most of the FS-SB "cottages" are four-plexes, iirc.

I really enjoyed the property...but was in a room towards the back and the train noise (and vibration) was not trivial.

Intex98

San Ysidro Ranch

azlotus

L'Auberge de Sedona would be my choice

DetailsIM

Hidden Pond in Kennebunkport, ME.

amanpuloflyer

If you are planning to go into the nappa valley, we very much enjoyed the Calistoga ranch at the tail end of our road trip after a week at the Bel Air in LA.
Much better than the sister property Auberge du soleil if you want cottage style accomodation.

amanpuloflyer

Now, if your going down the pacific coast highway, I thoroughly recommend a very low key place near the Hearst castle.
Pelican inn in Cambria, if you want to break up the route between Carmel/Monterrey and LA.
Small and cozy, fab beach, otherworldly sunset, good breakfast and on you go into the Santa Inez valley, solvang, ranch country, before reaching LA right from Santa Barbara and the 101 straight to the Bel Air.

vuittonsofstyle

Post Ranch Inn - Big Sur, CA
Twin Farms, Vermont
Sanctuary, AZ
Royal Palms Resort & Spa, AZ
Amangiri, Utah

xracer

Amangiri <> separate accommodations. And certainly not cottage-style (unless you are the Flintstones).

hedoman

Two recent stays that would be worth a look.

Hacienda Penthouse at Ojai Valley Inn Ojai CA
Moorings Village Islamorada FL

vuittonsofstyle

Amangiri is not a block of rooms - it comprises individual, single-level accommodations, sometimes joined, but if you take the Amangiri Suite then it's very separate and very private. Not exactly a cottage, but it embraces the spirit of one, despite the contemporary architecture.

Kagehitokiri

interesting, 30 bedrooms total
although seems like its next to a large property https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Moori...18690&t=h&z=18

giri > http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=37....=h&form=LMLTCC
aman 'cottages' in US are above OP budget (from $5000 and $7500 respectively)

although valid point would be that giri is only 34 rooms plus 1 villa. OP was including properties with hundreds of rooms. at what point does a small property, that is not 'cottages' become something along close enough lines. for example a property that is basically a villa that lets you book individual rooms. that is only open to hotel guests, and not public. i enjoyed my stay at the lodge verbier, which actually is that exactly. (9 rooms + kids room) and properties like washington school house in US are similar. (12 rooms) there may be some slight variations that work for OP.

xracer

You are correct - Amangiri is not one block of rooms - it is two. In each block, every accommodation is attached to at least one other (and many are attached to two).

Although the top level accommodations (Amangiri and GiriJaala) are each at the end of one of the two blocks, they are both connected to one other room.

I agree that privacy is better in the two named suites, but I would not say it is good. I found the privacy in the 'normal' suites to be no better than at a standard hotel with balcony.

The only way to get a true 'cottage style' (i.e. separate) accommodation here is to book a villa and, as Kage indicated, the price for such accommodations is outside of the OP's budget.

hedoman

Nice satellite shot, Kag. It really does not do the place justice regarding the feel of seclusion. We were towards the southern property line. Straight shot to the beach 140 yards away. Difficult to see the unit from the trees.
Heck, I never saw the pool or tennis courts. I read the two terrible tripadvisor reviews after the stay and they were right. Both moaned about the lack of onsite restaurant and it being too quiet.

NYBanker

We stayed in a standalone villa (cottage) at Qasr al Sarab....we had room 18 which is pure standalone...it does give a different (good) feel being that way. Even the FS SB, where the houses have saveral units in them, had a nice feel.