Check out these hotels for stellar stays during the Perseid meteor shower
Star light, star bright — do you know what hotels are the best places to see the upcoming Perseid meteor shower at night?
There's always a twinkle in our eye when booking our next vacation, and later this month (and throughout August), the skies in the northern hemisphere will be twinkling as well.
The Perseid meteor shower is considered one of the best of the year due to its long streaks of light and color and its bountiful shooting stars. You can expect to see as many as 100 meteors an hour at the peak in mid-August. The best time to see them is in the pre-dawn hours (though NASA notes you'll usually start to see the show as early as 10 p.m.).
Viewing this stellar show from a major city isn't ideal because of the light pollution. So, we found the best hotels to see the Perseids later this summer. Here are a few of our favorites, from luxe lakeside retreats to all-inclusive resorts.
Whiteface Lodge: Lake Placid, New York
Nestled among the forests, hiking trails, canyons and waterways of the Adirondack Mountains is the upscale Whiteface Lodge. It's a rustic retreat featuring log cabin-style suites with views of the mountains or forests and crackling fireplaces.
Whiteface Lodge also features a nightly campfire and s'mores service that will keep you well-fed while you lounge in an Adirondack chair waiting for the meteor shower to display across the night sky.
Rates start at $745 per night for stays during the meteor shower.
Skamania Lodge: Stevenson, Washington
Head to the Pacific Northwest to be one with nature and the skies at Skamania Lodge on the Oregon and Washington border. The hotel features treehouse accommodations perched amid the Douglas fir trees of the Columbia River Gorge — an ideal retreat far away from city lights and perfect for stargazing.
Treehouse amenities include two complimentary s'mores kits, a large Yeti cooler filled with ice (because a Perseids show pairs well with a chilled glass of Sancerre) and plenty of board games to kill time before the meteors really start to pop in the very late hours of the evening.
Treehouse rates start at $749 per night for a stay during the meteor shower.
Chebeague Island Inn: Casco Bay, Maine
Head northeast of Portland, Maine, to this tranquil spot (only accessible by boat) off the coast for stunning views of Casco Bay and of the Perseid meteor shower later this summer.
The historic inn features bright, luxurious guest rooms and suites (we prefer the ocean-view rooms) with nightly turndown service. While the rooms are a comfortable retreat, so is the Chebeague Island Inn's wraparound porch with Adirondack chairs and cocktail service.
During the peak stretch of the Perseid meteor shower from Aug. 11 to 15, the inn will offer a special Meteor Menu on the patio and upper lawn that includes "the finest local Maine grilled oysters, grilled monkfish skewers, smoked salmon roe-topped deviled eggs, and more to pre-game the star-studded night."
The inn will also offer s'mores kits to make by the outdoor fire. Or, you can take a bottle of wine to the lawn, where picnic blankets will be available for viewing the stars.
Rates start at $269 per night for a stay during the meteor shower.
The Lake House on Canandaigua: Upstate New York
There's something romantic about summer nights spent on the lake, and it gets even more serene at The Lake House on Canandaigua in New York's Finger Lakes region. The luxury resort features sailboat rides, swimming, and modern rooms and suites with lake views.
While you might be looking to stargaze, consider pampering yourself at the resort's Willowbrook Spa. At night, kick back on the docks to watch the meteor showers shoot across the sky over Lake Canandaigua.
The hotel is also part of the I Prefer Hotel Rewards program that recently received a revamp.
Rates start at $446 for a stay during the meteor shower.
Castle Hotel & Spa: New York City area
New Yorkers aren't out of luck when it comes to viewing the Perseids just because of all the light in "the city that never sleeps."
Take a short drive or train ride to Westchester County for a stay at Castle Hotel & Spa overlooking the Hudson River (an idyllic spot to see the meteor shower reflect off the water). Guests can also explore the hotel's landscaped grounds while basking in the starlight.
Rates start at $311 per night for a stay during the meteor shower.
Sandals Dunn's River: Jamaica
Travelers might flock to Jamaica's new Sandals Dunn's River to check out the all-inclusive resort brand's new Coyaba Sky Villa Swim-up Rondoval Suites.
These suites come with more than pool proximity, though. They include private open-air rooftops with telescopes guests can use to see the surrounding Ocho Rios skyscape.
Guests who book a stay in one of the suites for travel this month onward will also receive their own stargazing concierge who can arrange experiences for couples to enjoy on the rooftop, such as moonlit cocktail hours and a wine-and-cheese night.
The stargazing concierge can also help guests identify constellations and meteor activity. You'll even receive a customized star map of your personal stargazing experience in Jamaica, courtesy of The Night Sky.
The Coyaba Sky Villa Swim-up Rondoval Suites start at $1,900 per night per couple.
Hutton Brickyards: Upstate New York
Come for the luxurious cabins at Hutton Brickyards and posh accommodations at this riverfront retreat upstate, and stick around for the delectable dishes served under the shooting stars. You'll have your pick of a stay in a modern, high-end cabin by the water or cozy, bright guest rooms in a stately mansion at this sprawling 73-acre property. There are plenty of activities to keep you preoccupied, from archery to birdwatching or cocktails and dinner at the waterfront River Pavilion restaurant. But the special treat this summer is the hotel's "Picnic Under Perseid" package, which includes a picnic basket with two individual bottles of sparkling rosé, macarons, chocolate-covered strawberries, local mission figs and chocolates from the nearby Catskill Chocolate Company. The picnic basket also includes binoculars and a blanket for your private meteor shower viewing party.
Rates start at $229 per night during the meteor shower (plus $85 for the picnic package).
Gleneagles: Scotland
The 850-acre Gleneagles estate is synonymous with Scottish sporting estate luxury and is usually somewhere on every golfers wish list of courses to play on. Gleneagles usually attracts travelers looking for cozy accommodations to bask in the surrounding mountains and greenery — plus indulge in the resort's numerous restaurants and renowned Spa at Gleneagles. But later this summer the expansive grounds at Gleneagles become the perfect spot to gaze at the Perseids as they shoot across the Scottish sky. The resort's remote location (about 40 miles northwest of Edinburgh) and limited light pollution mean you'll be able to see an abundance of meteors from the hotel's front lawn.
Rates start at 595 British pounds ($780) per night during the meteor shower.
Alila Ventana Big Sur: Big Sur, California
Alila Ventana Big Sur is about as aspirational as it gets for Hyatt resorts in North America, and you'll find many TPGers saying it's their favorite place to cash in their World of Hyatt points for an award stay. It's easy to feel secluded here, as there are only 59 guest rooms and suites (plus 15 tented cabins for glamping) spread across 150 acres in this resort about two-and-a-half hours south of San Francisco. That seclusion makes Alila Ventana Big Sur the perfect place to catch the Perseids on the West Coast.
Rates start at $2,000 or 50,000 World of Hyatt points per night during the meteor shower.
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa: Hawaii
The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa is a World of Hyatt (and TPG) favorite with its waterfront slice of paradise on Ka'anapali Beach. Friendly employees, renovated guest rooms and tons of amenities like the Marilyn Monroe Spa (diamonds and massage are a best friend to everyone, we say) make this a must-visit when you plan a trip to Hawaii. But the resort's stargazing program is of particular importance this summer amid the Perseids. The Hyatt Regency Maui team notes the resort's position enables guests to see 80 constellations in the sky throughout the year via the resort's Tour of the Stars program. The program features a "Great White" HD telescope nine stories up on a remote part of the hotel, and there's even a Romance Tour (reservations required) that features sparkling wine and chocolate-dipped strawberries served alongside your stargazing.
Rates start at $584 or 39,000 World of Hyatt points per night during the meteor shower.
The Point: Saranac Lake, New York
The Point is an intimate, all-inclusive resort in a quiet stretch of the Adirondacks on New York's Upper Saranac Lake. Seclusion is felt throughout the property, which only features 11 guest rooms and limited cell service. Don't even think about sending a work Slack while here. You're supposed to be relaxing!
The Gilded Age meets summer camp here, as you'll find opulent log mansions here ("Roughing it" doesn't have to mean staying in a cabin, dear.) alongside decadent cuisine served in the resort's Great Hall. Summer is also the perfect time for boating on the lake, badminton, hiking and fishing. Of course, during the Perseids, it's a great time to watch the meteor shower on the lake from one of the resort's boats.
Rates start at $2,250 during the meteor shower.
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