6 hotels for a relaxing summer vacation

by

Why fight the crowds in Europe this summer when there are so many charming, even unexpected destinations? Here are just a few of our summer vacation spots, including a renovated New York beach hotel; Airstream Suites Under the Stars in Utah; new titles in Kentucky that pay homage to horse culture; and a farm in Wyoming that offers activities like cuddling goats and learning about llamas. And if you’re craving an international vacation, it’s low season in Argentina, where a small hotel has just opened amid the vineyards and wineries of Mendoza. Whether you are interested in raising a cup or in lifting From Llamas, a peaceful haven awaits.

For some, there is no better way to spend the summer than in the Hamptons in New York. Others, looking for a more relaxed getaway, look to the wineries and country roads of Long Island’s North Fork. There, on the beach, this 1950s-era hotel opened in late June after being sold last year and reimagined. Here you will find 20 rooms plus eight Beach cottages (studio and one-bedroom cottages with private covered porches and outdoor showers) and four cottages, each with outdoor space. beach homes With full kitchens and fireplaces and due to open in the fall.

When you’re in the mood to bite, there’s no need to hit the road. Ryan Hardy, the chef behind Charlie Bird and Pascual Jones restaurants inspired by Manhattan’s Italian cuisine, oversees the dining and drinking venues at Silver Sands. You can order seafood, lobster rolls and salads at Eddie’s Oyster Bar. There is a pizza truck too. Coffee, pastries and fast food can be had at the snack bar. And for cocktails, beer, and wine, look no further than the Lobby Bar. There are also plans for dinner later this summer. As for outdoor pursuits, you don’t have to go far for those, either: kayaks and bicycles are free for guests. And unlike some beach city properties, this one plans to be open year-round. Rates start at $500 per night for bungalows, from $595 per night for lodge rooms and from $645 per night for beach shacks during high season (through September 30).

Kentucky is known for its bourbon and horse racing, and in Lexington, this new 125-room room and suite the hotel He praises both. It is located on Manchester Street in the Distillery District, and is on the site of the town’s first recorded distillery, established in 1865. Its stone The facade is designed to evoke the area’s historic Bourbon warehouses (Rick House), while inside, wood and jewel-toned rooms create a warm atmosphere.

When you get hungry, drop into Granddam (the term for a horse’s grandmother), where leather seating is meant to suggest saddles and the food is modern, Appalachian-inspired dishes like tomato pie and 12-hour-roasted wild boar. On the roof, Lost Palm Bar & Lounge aims to transport you to 1960s South Florida, another epicenter of horse culture, with its playful Art Deco style. The “tiki cocktail program” and dishes made for sharing, such as al pastor tacos with alligator, and baked and stuffed lobster tails, bring a touch of the tropics to Southern comfort cooking. And yes, there is a gym, so you can work on it later. Rates from $220 per night.

About an hour and a half west of Lexington, in Louisville’s eastern market district, known as NuLu or New Louisville, this 122-room and suite hotel takes its name from a regional type of limestone as well as Saint Genevieve, a patron saint of Paris and a nod to Louisville’s connections to France. (The city is named after King Louis XVI, after all.) bunkhouse A hospitality company, surrounded by shops, bars and distilleries. You can also walk to Louisville Slugger Fieldthe Waterfront Botanical Gardens and the Big Four Bridge Over the Ohio River, which connects Waterfront Park in Louisville, Indiana.

Inside the hotel, a mix of modern and antique furniture and artwork celebrate Kentucky’s history and culture. A restaurant called Rosettes, named after the horse racing strips, serves fare from the culinary director Ashley Shantiis a finalist for the 2020 James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year and a former competitor On the Bravo series “Top Chef”. There’s also a rooftop lounge, Bar Genevieve, for cocktails and snacks, as well as a Mini Marché for coffee and quick breakfast and lunch. The market is also the gateway to the intimate Lucky Penny Bar, where you can sip a cocktail long after everyone has turned for the night. Rates from $195 per night.

planning to visit Zion National Park? If camping doesn’t sound like much of a vacation, try the emerging 16-acre AutoCamp Zion where you can book different types of accommodations such as Airstreams and cabins. The classic 31-foot Airstream Suite, for example, comes with a kitchenette, queen bed, private bathroom, heating and cooling, and a private patio with a fire pit and dining area. Or consider a classic cabin with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living area, along with an outdoor dining area. Accessible accommodations are also available.

Outside your sleeping quarters, you can savor the desert landscape through a wall windows At the property’s Clubhouse, where you can also stop at the General Store for beer, wine, and groceries. Or head to the kitchen for dishes like breakfasts, sandwiches, pizza and burgers. When not exploring the park, consider a free morning yoga session, a dip in the pool, or a mountain bike ride (free for guests to use). Or you can relax on the banks of the Virgin River. Rates from $269 per night in the fall.

While it’s summer in the United States, it’s winter in Argentina, where there are usually fewer crowds. However, no matter the season, you’ll likely find some peace at this boutique wine hotel he opened Susanna Balbo, an eminent winemaker (and the first woman in Argentina to graduate with a degree in oenology), with her daughter. Located in a suburb of Mendoza between the Andes Mountains and the city of Mendoza, the hotel has just seven suites. Spa suites have private gardens with outdoor fire pits, heated loungers, steam rooms, “sensation showers” that allow for different combinations of water pressures and temperatures, massage tables, and locally made bath products. Each suite also has a living room, terrace and wine fridge (some also have dry saunas). All suites surround a house and outdoor pool, a setup meant to cultivate the feeling that you’re staying in a friend’s home—only that friend has a “wellness butler” to prepare a bath of local salts and herbs in your bathtub, and a restaurant called La VidA that serves traditional Argentinian fare.

There are wine tastings, of course, as well as blending classes where you can combine different varieties to create your own wine. And for those who want to savor and wander, there are seaplane “wine safaris” to destinations like Patagonia and the Andes Mountains. Here, wine isn’t just for drinking: You can try a spa treatment like a red wine and raisin cream hydrating body wrap. Around the property, you’ll see works by Argentinian and Brazilian artists. And if you want to work up a sweat, there are exercise sets with elastic bands, dumbbells, dumbbells, a yoga mat and jump rope. Rates start at $780 per night (through September) based on double occupancy, including breakfast. NB: The hotel is for ages 15 and up.

For many people, mountain towns are places to ski and snowboard. However, the pleasures of warm weather should not be overlooked. And few destinations offer as much to do in summer as Brush Creek Ranch, between the Sierra Madre mountain range and Wyoming’s Medicine Bow National Forest. There are three guest ranches: The Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch (which has 19 Trailhead Lodge rooms and 25 private log cabins), Magee Homestead (nine cabins) and French Creek (four cabins and a glamping yurt). Guests can take part in activities like Llama Hike and Picnic, a full or half day of hiking ($200 to $400 per person), and Llama Wade Fly Fishing, a full day excursion with fishing guides, llamas to carry your gear, and picnic lunch ($750 for two guests). For something a little less intense, try Llamas 101, where you can feed and groom the animals and spend playtime with the kids, known as crias ($150 per person). Llamas aren’t the only animals in residence. Among Brush Creek’s new experiences are Goat Pasture Walks, where you’ll have breakfast in a goat’s milk lab, then wander through a pasture with a herd of goats while eating breakfast ($200 per person).

Rates start at $1,550 per person, per night based on double occupancy (guests stay four or more nights get one free night). Packages include accommodations and certain activities on the farm (eg archery, rock climbing, guided tours) and dining, including a selection of drinks.

Follow the New York Times Travel on Instagram And Sign up for the Travel Dispatch weekly newsletter For expert tips on traveling smart and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming of a future vacation or just armchair travel? Verify 52 places worth visiting in 2023.