If pampering, complete stress reduction, high-speed excitement and exploring the past are on your travel agenda, a number of resorts are ready to make those wishes come true. A new resort built around racing and casino action or several days in the serenity of a luxurious spa will help put the workday world behind you.
Enjoy a private escape with your own classic Airstream or saltbox cabin. Take a ferryboat to an island or step back into the glory days of baseball while also discovering two classic resorts steeped in history. But if it’s sleek styling paired with culinary excellence and sweeping views of the sea, there’s a destination for that, too.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Granville, Tennessee
One hour east of Nashville, in the community of Granville, the Wildwood Resort and Marina opened in late 2020 and has quickly become a destination for boating, dining and enjoying musical performances on Cordell Hull Lake. The resort boasts a wide range of accommodations well beyond stylish hotel rooms. Guests can opt for a vintage Airstream, a modular chalet, a Saltbox cabin with glass walls or one-room cedar-sided cabins. Harbor cottages are two-story, one-bath houseboats moored at the marina and outfitted with a covered dining porch, a full-sized kitchen, accommodations for six and a canoe. Every weekend there is live music and entertainment that draws some of Nashville’s top talent. Twenty miles east of the resort is Cummins Falls State Park, a 282-acre attraction in the Cordell Hull watershed that boasts the state’s eighth largest waterfall that cascades from a height of 75 feet. In May, the Whiskey Decanter Museum opened in Granville with a display of more than 2,000 decanters in an array of sizes and styles produced by the Jim Beam distillery.
Wildwood Resort & Marina. $189-$379. 7316 Granville Highway, Granville, Tennessee. 931-653-4360, wildwoodresorttn.com
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Credit: Handout
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Oaklawn Park has been drawing crowds to Hot Springs since 1905, but the ultra-modern Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort just opened in May. It’s adjacent to the track, so in addition to strolling over to the stands, guests can watch thoroughbred races from their rooms, many of which have direct views to all the action. A full-service spa features a needle shower, an infrared sauna and a Himalayan salt wall where guests can indulge and unwind before dining in one of the seven eateries on site. Swimming pools with private cabanas offer another relaxation option. A state-of-the-art, 24/7 casino offers craps, live blackjack, slot games and an area dedicated exclusively to watching and wagering on sports of all sorts. Live entertainment is also part of the scene, with performers such as comedian Jeff Foxworthy and the Oak Ridge Boys taking the stage.
Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. $165-$350. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs, Arkansas. 501-623-4411, oaklawn.com
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Credit: Handout
Cooperstown, New York
Guests into golf, the history of baseball, leaf watching and craft breweries will find the Otesaga Resort Hotel at the heart of it all. The historic, red brick Colonial hotel was built in 1909 on the shores of Lake Otesaga and is home to the Leatherstocking course, one of the East Coast’s most challenging with holes that feature an island tee and distances of up to 195 feet over the water. Water sports, a heated outdoor pool, tennis courts and a spa offer opportunities to unwind. The hotel’s Hawkeye Grill curates a range of locally brewed beers ideal for sipping from a rocking chair on the expansive porches overlooking the fall foliage. A 10-minute stroll from the hotel is the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, where Yankees star Roger Maris’ No. 9 jersey from the 1961 season was recently added to the memorabilia. The town hosts its 42nd September Harvest Festival Sept. 18-19.
Otesaga Resort Hotel. $239-$569. 60 Lake St., Cooperstown, New York. 607-547-9931, otesaga.com
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Credit: Handout
Lanai, Hawaii
The Four Seasons resort Sensei Lanai welcomes adult guests to its luxury retreat on the island of Lanai, where wellness in a secluded tropical paradise is the main attraction. Guests are shuttled to the resort on Lanai Air from Honolulu where they’ll discover a Japanese-inspired oasis with open-air spa and dining rooms, water features, light wood furnishings and sleek styling throughout. Upon arrival, guests are paired with personal experts who design individualized treatments and offer yoga, fitness and nutrition classes. A recently added aquatic bodywork program features a personal therapist who guides guests through a 60- or 90-minute series of stretches that combine elements of massage, joint mobilization and shiatsu, all in the warm water of the spa pool. The resort also features infrared saunas, Japanese-style ofuro soaking tubs, a meditation garden and the new Nobu restaurant, where meals feature produce grown on the island by sustainable systems.
Sensei Lanai. $875-$4,324, includes airfare from Honolulu and some wellness experiences. One Keomoku Highway, Lanai City, Hawaii. 808-565-4500, fourseasons.com/sensei
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Credit: Handout
Miramar Beach, Florida
Foodies who can’t get enough of Georgia chef Hugh Acheson’s culinary delights now have another spot to add to the already popular 5&10 in Athens and Empire State South in Midtown. Acheson is the creative force behind the four food concepts at the luxury Hotel Effie, a midrise property that opened in late February on the beach between the Gulf of Mexico and the shores of Choctawhatchee Bay, a favorite spot for swimming, fishing, paddleboarding, kayaking and boating. The hotel’s main restaurant, Ovide, focuses on Southern flavors and traditional favorites such as cheddar grits and lump crab toasts. The signature dish is Effie Burns Biscuits, named for the hotel owner’s grandmother whose classic buttermilk recipe is shared online for guests to savor at home. The 250-room property also features the full-service Spa Lilliana and a rooftop pool and lounge with panoramic views of the Gulf.
Hotel Effie. $239-$399. 1 Grand Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach, Florida. 850-351-3040, hoteleffie.com
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Credit: Handout
Block Island, Rhode Island
Hop a ferry, with or without your car, from Point Judith, Rhode Island, to discover the beauty of Block Island, a 7-by-3-mile getaway 12 miles off the coast. Day-trippers can tour the island by foot or bicycle, shop its quaint stores, gaze at the historic Block Island North Light lighthouse and go to the beach. Those who want to make it a longer stay head to The National Hotel, the island’s flagship property that dates back to the Victorian era. First built in the late 1880s, it burned and was rebuilt in 1903. Today, the sprawling hotel with multiple porches and decks is one of 42 buildings in a district on the National Register of Historic Places. The resort is across from the ferry dock and within an easy stroll to the beach and the historic district’s shops and restaurants. The property houses six stores, 46 rooms, a full-service restaurant serving three meals a day and 12 fire pits where musicians perform most evenings. Divers can arrange to explore the nearby Lightburne, a tanker that in 1939 joined the numerous wrecks around the island.
The National Hotel. $369-$389. 36 Water St., New Shoreham, Rhode Island. 401-466-2901, blockislandhotels.com
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