8 hotels with cool free perks, like forest bathing and loaner guitars
Once upon a time, a TV in your hotel room was a cool perk. These days, in-room blow dryers and free bicycles no longer cut it. Hotels spend billions on cool, carefully curated amenities and activities designed to keep guests coming back. Here are eight places where you can indulge.
Lake Tahoe, Nev.
Waking up in paradise is even easier thanks to Edgewood Tahoe’s Après Sleep Cart. Designed to gently spur a soothing start to the day, it’s stocked with freshly brewed Naturopathica tea infused with healing extracts, rose geranium mist, homemade granola, and juice.
Guests are primed to glide right into their daily Mindful Mountain Yoga class with views of the lake and majestic pine trees. Rooms start at $249.
Info: Edgewood Tahoe
Aspen, Colo.
A 54-foot, indoor rock-climbing wall, ice-skating, snowshoeing, and fat-tire biking are some of the highlights at the new Limelight Hotel Snowmass.
Top off the adventures at the marshmallow-shaped s’mores carts steps away at Base Village and Snowmass Mall, everyday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. throughout the winter season. Rooms start at $350.
Info: Limelight Hotel Snowmass
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Pulitzer Amsterdam gives a daily guided tour of 17th and 18th century canal houses and their famous inhabitants, including Rembrandt.
Also, kids receive a bundle of age-curated programming. Personalized pillowcases featuring the child’s name and hobby, a new bedtime story placed on the pillows each night, and a treasure hunt with prize at the end are just some of the bonuses. Rooms start at $335.
Info: Pulitzer Amsterdam
Lanai, Hawaii
Never mind those rudimentary blow dryers. Four Seasons Lanai features the futuristic Rolls Royce version that’s lightweight and helps prevent heat damage, the Dyson Supersonic.
There’s also morning meditation, sunset yoga overlooking Hulopoe Bay, lei making, hula and ukulele lessons. Rooms start at $1,150.
Info: Four Seasons Lanai
Paso Robles, Calif.
Museum visits are a popular activity, and Allegretto Vineyard Resort houses one of the most robust art collections in the area, with daily, docent-led tours.
Tandem bikes for cruising the vineyards, chef-accompanied garden tours and the world’s first sonic labyrinth featuring tones created by wind instruments are other elevated offerings. Rooms start at $270.
Info: Allegretto Vineyard Resort
Newport Beach
Many hotels require extra fees for fitness classes, gym visits and enjoying the spa amenities, but not the Resort at Pelican Hill. Guests are also treated to an Art & Architecture Tour plus a glass of Prosecco, golf club rentals, use of the driving range after noon, and transportation to and from the beach at Crystal Cove State Park. Rooms start at $495.
Info: The Resort at Pelican Hill
Sedona, Ariz.
An imaginative variety of soulful happenings are always on the menu at L’Auberge de Sedona. Prepare for an entertaining and otherworldly stargazing escapade with resident astronomer Dennis Young on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings.
Get closer to nature amid red rocks with a fully clothed Forest Bathing sensory experience, along with daily yoga, photography lessons, and sound healing to calm the nervous system and balance the body’s energy centers. Rooms start at $349.
Info: L’Auberge de Sedona
San Diego
In the mood to rock out? Whether you’re an expert or novice, the Stay and Strum loan program featuring Taylor Guitars at Pendry San Diego is a memorable experience, as is the use of Sector 9 Skateboards.
Visitors with little ones will appreciate the premium UPPAbaby strollers. And access to a range of Cadillacs, including an Escalade SUV for off-property exploring, is another plus. Rooms start at $315.
Info: Pendry San Diego
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