While we love checking out dazzling new resorts, established hotels inspire equal awe. Properties capable of enduring the test of time require exceptional service and a methodical modus operandi. This year, many hotels — along with some attractions, wineries and destinations — are marking significant anniversaries, so we’ve compiled a list of festivities across the globe.
Grande Lakes Orlando
Grande Lakes Orlando, home to Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, is throwing a 20th anniversary celebration that captures the magic of summer nights. Every Saturday through Labor Day, there’s an elaborate fireworks show. Neon lights illuminate the waterpark, and night swimmers are invited to float down the lazy river on glow-in-the-dark tubes while listening to a live DJ set. The anniversary agenda also includes mixology classes, a live ice carving and fire dancing performance, and a champagne trolley.
Ojai Valley Inn, Ojai, California
A historic property that’s hosted its fair share of celebrities, Ojai Valley Inn celebrates its centennial this year. The sprawling resort has an impeccable golf course, several pools and restaurants, an art studio and a state-of-the-art event space. The resort will use the latter to host the first Ojai Food + Wine festival. Alice Waters, Dominique Crenn and other top chefs will attend the four-day event in October.
Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Rome Cavalieri marks its 60th birthday with an homage to the year it was founded, 1963. The Four-Star hotel will launch various experiences highlighting different aspects of the decade, beginning with art and design. The Cavalieri has created a series of excellent, limited-edition graphics inspired by the illustrated ads and movie posters of the 1960s. Each poster features a part of the hotel, from the spa to the various restaurants. The following program will showcase the fashion of the 1960s with Italian designer Maurizio Galante’s reimagined front-of-staff uniforms.
White Barn Inn Restaurant, Kennebunk, Maine
The charming, rustic Five-Star White Barn Inn Restaurant hits 50. To celebrate, the acclaimed eatery has invited back its former chefs to cook alongside its current culinary leader, Mathew Woolf. Also expect special events, like a traditional Maine lobster bake, and culinary classes covering everything from cocktail making to cheese-and-wine pairing.
San Franciscans and tourists heading to the Bay Area should note that the Ferry Building is 125 years old. The iconic food space and ferry terminal are an integral part of the community and home to one of the city’s most legendary farmers markets. On August 17, Foodwise, the nonprofit that runs the market, will host a festival in collaboration with Napa Valley Vintners. Revelers can indulge in wine, beer and bites, and snap photos under the 1890s clock tower.
Grand Hotel Timeo, A Belmond Hotel, Taormina, Sicily
Dior gave Taormina’s first hotel a makeover for its landmark 150-year anniversary. Through October, Grand Hotel Timeo’s legendary gardens host two Dior treehouse treatment cabins amid the cypress trees, saturated in the same green shade of the surrounding foliage. Visit these treehouse retreats for skincare services like the Dior Prestige Haute Précision, a holistic antiaging facial, as well as terraces with sea vistas.
La Mamounia, Morocco
The iconic Four-Star La Mamounia turns 100 this year. The former-palace-turned-resort has hosted everyone from Winston Churchill to Gwyneth Paltrow. Current guests are encouraged to stroll the picturesque gardens with 700-year-old olive trees and enjoy a meal in one of the Moroccan hotel’s four restaurants.
Perched in 2,000-foot-tall skyscraper — Shanghai’s tallest — J Hotel welcomed its second anniversary with a fun three-day Cloud Carnival in June. But even if you missed the festivities, you can still celebrate the hotel with a sky-high stay in lavish, expansive accommodations; a wellness treatment at Reiki Spa; a swim in the hammered-metal-ceiling pool; and a Huaiyang meal with incredible views at the 120th-floor Heavenly Jin.
Montage Laguna Beach, California
Twenty years ago, Alan Fuerstman set out to create a new type of hotel that captured the spirit of a place through experiences, from spa treatments to live evening entertainment — and so the Montage brand was born with the opening of Montage Laguna Beach. Today, the Five-Star hotel ushers in the anniversary with a culinary pop-up of sister property Montage Los Cabos’ Thai restaurant Talay, partnerships with Clase Azul tequila and fashion designer Jonathan Simkhai, and the debut of a new virtual reality spa treatment by Natura Bissé.
The 16-island destination marks its 50th year of independence with Junkanoos (street parades with gorgeous costumes and vibrant music) and Goombay Smash festivals (with live music, dance performances, art and Bahamian cuisine). Stay at the elegant Rosewood Baha Mar and partake in its golden anniversary afternoon tea, featuring local bush teas and desserts that are symbols of the Bahamas like caramel profiteroles and pineapple and rum bavarois.
The Surf Lodge, Montauk, Long Island
The Surf Lodge, one of the Hamptons’ coolest hangouts, turns 15 this year. In honor of the occasion, it’s teamed up with CB2 to create The Sandbar, a branded hospitality experience where everything, from the plates to the day beds, is by CB2 designer Ross Cassidy. Resort guests have access to the extensive weekend programming, which includes concerts by artists like Mary J. Blige and Monolink and fitness classes taught by Brianna Joye and Akin Akman.
As the exemplary Florida resort Eau Palm Beach turns 10, it’s earned major bragging rights: a Five-Star award for each of those 10 years. To honor its legacy of relaxed luxury, the kid-friendly hotel has a slew of deals, including 10 percent off the spa’s top 10 most popular services. Plus, a recent remodel resulted in six new restaurants and bars, each offering $10 culinary specials.
If you seek a great Napa Valley winery, visit 20-year-old B Cellars. Known for its food-friendly reds, B Cellars was one of the first wineries to offer food pairings with tastings. Its tasting room features a modern kitchen and a chef who crafts delectable bites (think delicate flaky fish tacos, delicious barbecued ribs and flatbread made with seasonal ingredients) that perfectly align with each wine. After the tasting, ask for a property tour, and you’ll see the small garden where the chef cultivates herbs and produce.
The Jefferson debuted in 1923 as a beaux-arts apartment building designed by noted architect Jules Henri de Sibour and later became a hotel in 1955. To commemorate the building’s centennial, book the Heirloom Package for a custom-made bracelet from D.C.’s Tiny Jewel Box boutique that mimics the lobby’s ornate gates with 10 carats of diamonds, at least one night in the Presidential Suite and dinner for two at Greenhouse’s exclusive Nest table.
Shutters on the Beach, Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, Shutters on the Beach commemorates its 30th anniversary with a weekly party. Every Saturday, the Four-Star hotel on the pristine beaches of Santa Monica hosts a bubbles and jazz brunch. The Seaside Jazz Trio performs with prominent local vocalists, and the Perrier-Jouët flows from the vintage champagne cart. On the menu at 1 Pico, Shutters’ garden eatery: lobster Benedicts, avocado toast, breakfast flatbread, mushroom omelets and more.
Turning Stone Resort Casino, Upstate New York
To recognize its 30th anniversary, this Upstate entertainment hub — which also houses The Lodge at Turning Stone Resort Casino — kicked off “The Next 30,” a year full of top-flight performances from the likes of guitarist Peter Frampton (July 28), country artist Jake Owen (Aug.6) and comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short (Nov. 12).
Timber Cove, Sonoma
Timber Cove, a clifftop hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean, ushers in its 60th year in Northern California. Come celebrate by doing nothing — the reason why travelers stay at Timber Cove. Unwind with a glass of wine, a book, and a stunning view. However, if you’d like some activity, the hotel can arrange a hike with a local historian so you can learn about the Sonoma Coast’s storied past.
