The Peninsula Chicago’s Easter Bear
Photo Courtesy of The Peninsula Hotels
Easter celebrations at some luxury hotels have moved far beyond the traditional brunch-and-bunny routine. These five spots are hosting the type of events on the March 27 holiday that will help your family make memories (or start a new yearly ritual?) this spring.
Elbow Beach Bermuda
An early Easter this year means chillier weather, but why have the kiddos stomp through wet, muddy backyard grass in cold March temps when they can hunt for pastel eggs on the pink sand beach at this family-friendly Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Bermuda resort?
Elbow Beach Bermuda, Photo Courtesy of Elbow Beach Bermuda
Elbow Beach goes all out the last weekend this month with activities galore: egg coloring, an egg hunt, a meet and greet with the Easter Bunny, kite flying, a bang-up brunch and even a Sunday morning sunrise service. To really treat your family, book one of the whitewashed oceanfront suites or cottages so you can leisurely lounge on your private terrace after a big day of activities.
Capella Washington, D.C., Georgetown
If you’ve ever longed for a grown-up Easter egg hunt with prizes to match, head to D.C. on March 13 or 20 and follow this new boutique property’s social media feeds (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). Capella will hide one golden egg on each of these days.
Your mission: Follow the social media clues to hunt down the egg located somewhere in the city. And your prize? It could be dinner created by the hotel’s noted chef, Frank Ruta, or a free stay at another luxe Capella outpost (locations include Ixtapa, Singapore and St. Lucia). After your hunt, celebrate any findings with a signature cocktail at Capella’s fine whiskey watering hole, The Rye Bar.
The Langham, Chicago
Chicago’s newest Five-Star hotel is on a roll, and there appears to be no end in sight. Expect a stellar Easter brunch at its second-floor Travelle Kitchen + Bar. For starters, there will be a live jazz band playing, so you know the atmosphere will be a bit more swanky than a typical midday meal. The eats will be both sophisticated (Alaskan snow crab, seared ahi tuna) and kid-approved (Belgian waffles spiked with sugar, cheeseburger sliders).
Travelle Kitchen + Bar, Photo Courtesy of Langham Hotels &Resorts
Additionally, parents can relax for a bit — head straight to the bloody mary bar or take in the fantastic city views through floor-to-ceiling windows — while kids are entertained by a magician, a balloon animal artist and, of course, the Easter Bunny himself.
The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
If you’re sold on a tropical Easter weekend with all the bells and whistles, consider staying at this Four-Star resort in the Cayman Islands. For the holiday weekend, the luxury address will host a series of impressive events, from a March 25 and 26 Easter Tea featuring Peter Rabbit, storytelling and fresh pastries, to an Easter cupcake culinary demonstration by executive pastry chef Melissa Logan.
But the main event is, as you’d expect, Easter brunch at the hotel’s Seven restaurant; it’ll be a lavish spread within an English garden setting. Kids get to watch the film Hop, interact with the Easter Bunny and then head to the Great Lawn for an epic egg hunt.
If you want to take advantage of the gorgeous Seven Mile Beach setting, book an Easter Weekend Family Cabana Dinner where you and loved ones can feast alfresco. The hotel makes it easy to keep the party going with a March 28 beach barbecue jumping with live entertainment, family-focused activities and marshmallow roasting.
The Peninsula Chicago’s Festive Lobby, Photo Courtesy of The Peninsula Hotels
The Peninsula Chicago
Follow the crowd to one of the Windy City’s most extravagant Easter affairs. This Five-Star stunner on Michigan Avenue expects more than 600 guests this year (both locals and tourists know this is one special event). To accommodate all those who want to partake in the effusive brunch in The Lobby and Avenues Ballroom, there will be three seating times and an egg hunt corresponding to each one.
You can also expect live music, the Easter Bunny, a magician and Children’s Lounge loaded with things for tykes to do while parents indulge in culinary delights such as foie gras, sweetbread sausage, an oyster bar and duck confit arancini. (The children’s menu has all the usual favorites, too.) The sweets selection sounds simply overwhelming, with macarons, tarts, cupcakes and housemade white chocolate bark standing out on the menu.
