The Broadmoor
While Hollywood has taken it upon itself to alter the start of its summer season from Memorial Day to Cinco de Mayo, most others with a pinch of patience still consider the late May holiday as the unofficial start to outdoor fun. Many high-end properties around the nation are using May 26 as the kick-off, too. Read on for details on six hotel events that should have little trouble getting you in the mood for flip-flops and crop tops.
May is barbecue month. (Simmer over that delicious factoid for a second.) Muse, the signature restaurant at the Four-Star hotel, is commemorating the all-important occasion by serving its Pigs & Pinot menu all month. Chef de cuisine Brandon Stevens, a Mississippi native, calls his roster of dishes a tribute to his Southern heritage. And once you sample items such as fried pork skins and sassafras-glazed heritage pig, you’ll see why. As for the “pinot” part of the culinary celebration, Muse has an impressive selection of reds from California and France for you to pair with your pork.
Turnberry Isle Miami
If all the clamoring coming from South Beach has turned you off, make the detour over to sunny Aventura (about eight miles from Collins Avenue) for a relaxing weekend of remembrance at this Forbes Travel Guide Recommended retreat. With 300 acres of manicured landscape, PGA Tour-quality golf and family-friendly luxury, a vacation here would be complete even if special events weren’t on the docket. That Turnberry Isle Miami has live music, non-stop kids’ activities and a serious barbecue spread slated over Memorial Day weekend as well just goes to show how excited the property is about the start to summer.
Though Halloween and New Year’s Eve are traditionally considered the holidays where Vegas really parties, the city is making a strong play to add Memorial Day to the list. MGM Grand, for example, is putting together all-out bashes over the holiday weekend. Some of these day-to-night affairs will happen at the recently renovated Wet Republic, and they’ll feature the DJing talents of Steve Aoki, Afrojack, Nervo, Calvin Harris and others. Many of these names will also lug their turntables over to Hakkasan for a separate five-day jam of dance, electronic and hip-hop tunes that will surely get Sin City’s summer off with a bang.
While Atlanta is proud of homegrown names like Jennifer Nettles, Outkast and Gladys Knight, it wants the world to know that it has an affinity for soulful horn sections as well. The Atlanta Jazz Festival certainly does its part to express how dear the genre is to the city with a monthlong celebration of concerts and workshops. The beloved event’s 37th edition will hit its high note at Piedmont Park over Memorial Day weekend (May 23-25) with performances that range from local acts (Willie Ziavino and the C.O.T. Band) to global headliners (Roy Hargrove Quintet). Now, you won’t quite be able to hear these sounds from your suite at Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta — you’ll have to make the five-minute drive for that — but you will certainly be able to spoil your other senses by seeing 19 floors of relaxed elegance and feasting on contemporary American cuisine at the Four-Star restaurant Park 75.
The Ranch at Rock Creek
If you’ve always wondered what it would feel like to put on a pair of leather boots and step back into the American West, when cowboys herded steer and wranglers raced around barrels, round up the family for Big Weekend in Big Sky Country (through May 27) at this Five-Star Montana ranch. While everyone in your pack will appreciate the all-inclusive property’s access to fly-fishing and horseback riding, they’ll never forget the weekend’s Wild & Western Rodeo Show and the special dinner and dance that will feature wood-fired steaks, local craft beers and a live performance from Johnny Cash tribute band The Cold Hard Cash Show.
This fun Colorado Springs getaway has a knack for making every day feel pretty special, so it comes as little surprise that May’s biggest day would get some extra love around the 3,000-acre playland. Reserve the Memorial Day package and you’ll not only score classic accommodations for three or four nights at the Five-Star hotel, but you’ll get goodies such as a daily bicycle rental, a one-hour horseback ride and access to The Broadmoor’s movie theater. One other treat in the deal is a $200 dining credit that can be used for a good time at the casual Golden Bee, a more formal meal at Summit or food at one of the property’s other establishments, such as Five-Star Penrose Room.
Photos Courtesy of The Broadmoor, Turnberry Isle Miami and The Ranch at Rock Creek
