It’s never too early to plan for Memorial Day weekend. So, fire up the grill, slather on the sunscreen and toss that swan inflatable into your suitcase (ahem) – we’ve rounded up 10 hotels that are made for long weekends, all with availability from 23-25 May, 2020…
TROUTBECK, UPSTATE NEW YORK
Remember trees? Sunshine? If a long winter has kept you indoors for far too long, it’s time to break free… and Upstate New York is your oyster. A 250-year-old country estate, Troutbeck was once home to legendary naturalist Myron Benton and even hosted the likes of Twain and Thoreau. Make like Myron and get down with the great outdoors: there’s hiking, fly fishing and river rafting nearby. Or, simply lie in the grass eating Hudson Valley cheese – you’re free to commune with nature however you see fit.
THE BETSY SOUTH BEACH, MIAMI
Should you spend the weekend by the pool or at the beach? Why choose when you can just go to Miami. At the Betsy South Beach you’ll have access to a courtyard pool, rooftop pool and the ocean. Hotel staff will even get you settled with chairs and an parasol in the sand plus a cocktail in your hand.
FREEHAND CHICAGO, CHICAGO
In addition to kicking off summer, Memorial Day is the unofficial start to hot-dog-eating season. Here’s a fun fact: on average seven billion hot dogs are consumed from Memorial Day to Labor Day (that’s 818 weiners per second). The Windy City is an ideal destination for frankfurter consumption and the Broken Shaker bar at Freehand Chicago is the best spot to wash down those dogs with a prickly pear margarita. Local tip: steer clear of ketchup. Die-hard Chicagoans never diminish their dogs with ketchup. You’ve been warned…
JOURNEY EAST HAMPTONS, THE HAMPTONS
If you’re looking for the Hamptons without the stereotypical headaches (crowds, a scramble for a lounge chair, unruly hooligans in khakis and boat shoes), Journey East Hampton is the place to be. The hotel is a clapboard-clad sanctuary with a saltwater pool, bikes to borrow and quaint cottages with private patios. A Hamptons weekend that’s actually restorative? Yes, this is how to do Memorial Day.
GRAYBARNS, CONNECTICUT
This retreat is the closest you can get to crawling inside the pages of your favourite interior-design magazine. What was once a stagecoach stop, then a small textile factory, later a speakeasy and eventually the honeymoon hotel of Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher, is now a dreamy boutique hideaway with features that’ll make any design fan go weak in the knees: oak floors, reclaimed wood, exposed beams, fireplaces and soaking tubs – to name a few.
THE DEWBERRY, CHARLESTON
Multiple US cities claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day and Charleston is one of them. But while we can’t conclusively say the South Carolina port city gets the honor, we would like to declare Charleston the birthplace of the Memorial Day tradition of eating one’s body weight in Lowcountry cuisine. Do exactly that at the Dewberry, where you can feast on cheddar biscuits, oysters on the half shell and barbecued shrimp and grits at restaurant, Henrietta’s.
THE LINE AUSTIN, AUSTIN
The holiday is synonymous with barbecues, but rather than settle for a backyard shindig, head to the city known for the best grill game in the country (psst… don’t tell Charleston we said that). Get your meat on at legendary spots like Freedmen’s, Terry Black’s and Valentina’s Tex Mex, then digest by the lakeside infinity pool at the Line Austin.
LOS POBLANOS HISTORIC INN, ALBUQUERQUE
Spend the long weekend at an organic farm in New Mexico and return home refreshed and smelling like lavender. Los Poblanos has become famous for its small-batch lotions, salves and soaps, and a stay here means you can get up close to the process. Sneak a peek at the lavender fields and take spin through the farm shop. Afterwards, enjoy the farm’s other bounty at an intimate eight-course Chef’s Table dinner that’s available to just five guests per evening.
HOTEL JOAQUIN, LAGUNA BEACH
So your social media feed has become a steady stream of Game of Thrones memes, huh? Step up your ‘Gram game with what’s potentially the most photogenic hotel in Southern California. Joaquin – with its 22 individually designed rooms, natural-wood accents, textile wall hangings, hand-painted tiles and one-off antiques – is irresistible. As is the property’s saltwater pool and seaside location.
SPARROWS LODGE, PALM SPRINGS
If you took the feel of a backwoods cabin and combined it with the guarantee of rain-free pool days, you’d have Sparrows Lodge – a Palm Springs desert hotel that looks like it was plucked from the Poconos. While away the weekend dining in a communal barn, getting a massage in an open-air tent, reading on your private patio and sipping spritzers by the pool at this fully restored 1950s retreat.
Make Memorial Day weekend a memorable one our selection of Stateside hotels…