And just like that, summer 2022, is unofficially coming to an end. Labor Day weekend may be just around the corner, but it's not too late to plan that last-minute getaway to close the book on the season. Yes, travel, especially flying, has been nightmarish this year but with careful planning, some patience, and a little bit of luck, you can toast the end of summer from several postcard-perfect destinations, both domestic and—for the adventurous—international. Below, our top picks for Labor Day Weekend 2022.
The Berkshires, Massachusetts
Thanks to a new Amtrak route from New York City that launched this summer, this idyllic region in western Massachusetts has become easier to reach. A number of chic boutique hotels have sprouted up in the Berkshires in recent years and the latest to join them is the Life House, a buzzy brand of thoughtfully designed properties with locations in Nantucket, Miami, and Denver. Located in the storybook town of Lenox, this new location pays homage to the original '70s-era lodge it is built in, layered with subtle design nods celebrating the region's 19th-century literary history (note: the secretary-style writing desks in the rooms). And it's a perfect home base from which to explore some of the Berkshires' greatest hits, from Edith Wharton's the Mount to the Norman Rockwell museum.
Read Reviews Life House Berkshires
Vail, Colorado
The charms of ski towns in the summer are innumerable. Gorgeous vistas, warm weather, an abundance of hiking trails, the list goes on. Now is a great time to get a final taste of summer in the mountains before temperatures start to drop. Daredevil and relaxation seeker alike will find plenty to do in Vail, where the former can zip line, rock climb, bungee trampoline and mountain bike while the latter does yoga, forages for mushrooms, and takes full advantage of the spa the new Hythe, a Luxury Collection property that opened last winter.
Read Reviews The Hythe Vail
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the epitome of a great American city—and one that truly comes alive in the summer. Stunning architecture, tons of parks, water all around, a fabulous dining scene (put Esme, Alinea, and Ralph Lauren's restaurant on your list), and blue chip art (an Insta of Anish Kapoor's giant bean is obligatory, as is a visit to the Art Institute) all contribute to the Windy City's good vibes. As for where to stay, the Park Hyatt just completed a $60 million renovation, which refreshed guest rooms, added dozens of suites, and upgraded the spa, to name a few. Be sure to make a reservation for its restaurant, NoMI, which boasts an artful new menu and panoramic views of the Water Tower and Lake Michigan.
Read Reviews Park Hyatt Chicago
St. Michaels, Maryland
This tony Chesapeake Bay hamlet—the well-heeled Washingtonian's version of the Hamptons–is about as classically American as it gets. And the Inn at Perry Cabin is the mother ship (the place was built by a War of 1812 veteran, which really gives it that extra layer of patriotic sheen). Sailboats, Hinckley yachts, Adirondack chairs overlooking the Miles River, heaps of fresh Maryland crab, clambakes, golf, tennis—the hotel has it all. Plus, do you need any more of a reason to escape D.C.'s famously muggy summer season for one last waterfront hurrah?
Read Reviews Inn at Perry Cabin
The Ozarks, Missouri
Netflix's dark hit drama Ozark may not have done it any justice but Missouri's sprawling Ozarks region—the Midwesterner's Hamptons, if you will—is a picturesque summer playground with glistening lakes, a Tiger Woods-designed golf course, and plenty of trails for hiking and horseback riding. Celebrate the end of the season at the Big Cedar Lodge, a wilderness resort built by billionaire Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, who is often referred to as the "Walt Disney of the Outdoors." And for good reason: there are five swimming pools and six hot tubs, lodging options from cabins to cottages to glamping tents, five golf courses, an 18,000-square-foot spa where treatment rooms each have their own fireplace, a 10,000-acre wildlife preserv, and a custom 65-foot luxury yacht for private cocktail cruises on the lake.
Read Reviews Big Cedar Lodge
Santa Fe, New Mexico
With rich Native American history, strong Spanish influences, and a vibrant arts scene, from the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum to Canyon Road, a stretch of art galleries featuring a diverse selection (think: Fernando Botero sculptures, handwoven Navajo rugs), you can't go wrong with Santa Fe. A trip to the city is worth it alone just to check out the Bishop's Lodge, a legendary 150-year-old landmark that Auberge Resorts recently restored into a luxurious property sitting on 317 acres bordering the Santa Fe National Forest. It beautifully pays homage to the city's Southwestern heritage with activities like sunrise horseback riding and alfresco art classes.
Read Reviews Bishop's Lodge, Auberge Resorts Collection
Cappadocia, Turkey
The magical allure of sunrise hot air balloon rides might be Cappadocia's main draw but this central region of Turkey is as renowned for its otherworldly volcanic formations and panoramic valleys as it is for its viticulture. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that Turkey's wine roots go back as far as 8,500 BC, making it the earliest wine culture in the world. There are hundreds of vineyards scattered throughout the country but here you get the best of both worlds: fine vino with a side of UNESCO-worthy sightseeing. Make stops for tastings at Turasan Vineyards and Kocabag, and don't miss Cappadocia's greatest hits, like Mustafapaşa and Uçhisar villages, the Göreme Open Air Museum (a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring churches cut into volcanic rock during the Middle Ages), and the Red Valley. As for home base? The 51-key Argos in Cappadocia, which seamlessly blends into its location's precious landscape.
Read Reviews Argos in Cappadocia
Santa Barbara, California
Not feeling adventurous enough for a weekend jaunt to the south of France? Head to Santa Barbara instead, a city whose geographic location (and just a two-hour drive from Los Angeles) creates a uniquely Mediterranean climate, thereby earning its nickname: the American Riviera. Plus, you'll get pretty Spanish-Colonial architecture, proximity to wine country (the Santa Ynez Valley), and plenty of luxurious hotels to choose from, such as the El Encanto, with its sweeping, unparalleled views that stretch out to the Pacific, and San Ysidro Ranch, where Jackie and JFK famously spent their honeymoon. It's not hard to see why so many celebrities—Oprah, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle—love to take refuge in Santa Barbara and its environs.
Read Reviews El Encanto, a Belmond Hotel
Read Reviews San Ysidro Ranch
The French Riviera
Now if you are feeling adventurous enough for a weekend jaunt to France, there is no place more fabulously legendary than the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, the crown jewel of the Côte d'Azur. You'll be joining a glittery guest list that once included names like Picasso, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Kennedy. As for activities, simply luxuriate in swanning down the Grande Allée every morning to claim your perch by the infinity pool overlooking the sea. Or maybe take advantage of the hotel's own bespoke yacht to get more deeply acquainted with the Mediterranean and its many hidden gems. Champagne included, naturally.
Read Reviews Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc
Chatham, Massachusetts
Cape Cod is a quintessential American retreat—and Chatham is arguably its most charming hamlet. The grandest dame in town is the Chatham Bars Inn, which was originally founded in 1914 as a hunting lodge for wealthy Bostonians. Today, its 217 rooms are sprawled out among 30 buildings on 25 acres, all the more making you feel like you're vacationing on the compound of a great American dynasty. Plenty of activities are available to fill up a long weekend, such as whale watching, fishing, sailing, tennis, and golf. Or rent a private beach cabana and get lost in a summer read. The on-site 8-acre farm provides fresh ingredients for the hotel's cuisine, which can be enjoyed from one of its many outdoor dining spaces.
Read Reviews Chatham Bars Inn
Quebec City, Canada
To get the quaint European village vibes without the long overseas flight, head up to historic Quebec City, one of the oldest cities in North America. Think: cobblestone streets, charming boutiques, French colonial architecture, and the grand Notre-Dame Cathedral, all situated within the 400-year-old walled center (which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Stay at the family-owned Auberge Saint-Antoine, a 95-room Relais & Châteaux in the heart of the Old Port and right on the edge of the St. Lawrence River, which also happens to sit on top of a major archaeological site—hundreds of artifacts from the French and British colonial regimes, dating back to 1608, are on display throughout the hotel.
Read Reviews Auberge Saint-Antoine
Sonoma County, California
With a stellar food scene to accompany its established wine scene, Sonoma County has quickly caught up to its glitzier sister Napa in recent years. What's more, here you'll get a decidedly more local vibe, though if you want the ultra-manicured experience, Napa Valley is an easy drive away. Great dining is ever-thriving—and growing. Favorites like SingleThread, Barndiva, and Valette have recently been joined by the Matheson, an ambitious tri-level farm-to-table establishment from chef Dustin Valette (of Valette) and Little Saint, a plant-based restaurant courtesy of the team behind SingleThread. As for where to stay, the cool kid in town is the Montage Healdsburg, situated on more than 200 acres of vineyards and chock full of amenities, like an 11,500-square-foot spa.
Read Reviews Montage Healdsburg
Hampshire, England
The picturesque English countryside makes for an especially relaxing and meditative way to bid adieu to summer. Stay at Heckfield Place, a sprawling converted 18th-century Georgian manor that sits on 438 acres of woods, meadows, gardens, lakes, and farmland. The hotel's Market Garden received 100% biodynamic certification last year, becoming the first property in the country to do so, and its organic farm supplies everything from the decorative flower arrangements to the root-to-table menu. In other words, it's all pure bucolic bliss. Plus, proximity to Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey) certainly adds to its many charms.
Read Reviews Heckfield Place
Savannah, Georgia
Head to Savannah if you're looking for an enchanting little getaway. The first thing many people think of when they hear the mention of this historic spot is the Spanish moss that lines the city's cobblestone streets and all those idyllic mansions. Imagine spending three days meandering through charming alleys and indulging in delicious Lowcountry cuisine. Alleviate food comas at the ultra-chic Perry Lane, a Luxury Collection Hotel. Located in the center of the historic district, the hotel is adorned with an expansive art collection curated by Savannah socialite Adelaide Harcourt and, perhaps most crucial for a Southern summer, boasts a rooftop pool.
Read Reviews Perry Lane Hotel, Luxury Collection
Newport, Rhode Island
The incredibly opulent Gilded Age mansions—the Breakers, the Elms, Marble House—are reason enough to spend a weekend in this tony Rhode Island town. You can stay in your own version of a historic property at the aptly named Vanderbilt, an Auberge Resort. The restored mansion actually did belong to a Vanderbilt, Alfred Gwynne, who built it in 1909. Today, the 33-room hotel has two pools, a great art collection, light-filled rooms, and a rooftop bar with expansive views of the sailboats bobbing in Narragansett Bay.
Read Reviews The Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection
Zurich, Switzerland
In the mood for an art-filled getaway in Europe? Skip on over to Zurich, where for one night only (September 3), several of the city's institutions and museums—including the Archaeological Collection at the University of Zurich; the Fraumünster church, which contains stained glass windows created by Chagall; the National Museum; Pavillon Le Corbusier, the last building designed by the master architect; even the zoo and botanical garden—remain open all night long. Also not to be missed: the new Niki de Saint Phalle retrospective at the Kunsthaus, Switzerland's largest art museum. When the whirlwind tour of it all ends at 2am, retire to the plush confines of La Réserve Eden au Lac. Nestled right along the edge of the water, its well-appointed Philippe Starck-designed rooms will do wonders for your jet lag.
Read Reviews La Réserve Eden au Lac
Big Sur, California
America has no shortage of stunning coastlines, but none are quite as powerful as Big Sur. Just driving down this cliff-hugging stretch of Highway 1 is an experience in itself but the state park also has a wealth of trails and hikes to explore. Stay at the Ventana Big Sur, which occupies 160 acres of lush flora and where all of the rooms have private outdoor space. For a true home away from home feel, book the standalone Cottage House, which is equipped with an outdoor tub, hammocks, and a fireplace. Or, if you prefer to be more at one with the surroundings, opt for the glamping option and stay in a luxe tent surrounded by towering redwoods. Whatever you choose, there's really no bad vantage point from which to soak in all of Big Sur's edge-of-the-world glory.
Read Reviews Ventana Big Sur
Chebeague Island, Maine
For quintessential New England vibes with a real feeling of being disconnected from it all, the answer is Chebeague Island, located in Maine's Casco Bay. Because it's just a 25 minute ferry ride from Portland, you can get the best of both worlds, taking advantage of the city's vibrant culinary scene (Eventide, Street and Co, and Central Provisions are musts) before retreating to the storybook 21-room Chebeague Island Inn, which has held court from high up on a hill since the 1880s. Cue the myriad picture-perfect, end-of-summer activities to partake in while you're here: tennis, golf, fishing, lawn games, bike rides to the beach, games on the wraparound porch, bonfires... Need we say more?
Read Reviews Chebeague Island Inn
New York, New York
Any New Yorker will tell you that the city shines on summer holiday weekends because it's blissfully empty, what with everyone clamoring for the Hamptons. Why not use this as an opportunity to revisit Manhattan's tried and true classics—and even discover a few new gems? First, you book a room at the month-old Aman, a serene temple of ultra-refined luxury in the historic Crown Building. Then spend your time shopping up a storm at Bergdorf's—it's right across the street, after all—catching the last of the Matisse show at the MoMA, and taking many a leisurely stroll through Central Park. A pre-dinner martini is a must at the iconic Bemelmans, before you head downtown to Tribeca for a fantastic seafood feast at Holywater, one of summer's buzziest new restaurants.
Bermuda
Less than a two-hour flight from NYC, Bermuda's longtime tagline has been that it's faster to get here than to the Hamptons. Those pink sand beaches and colorful houses, the temperate weather and laidback island charm—all need very little convincing. And here's more of an incentive to visit now: to stay at the St. Regis, which opened only a year ago on a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the historic town of St. George's. A weekend of golf, pool, spa, and digging your toes into the silky sands of St. Catherine's Beach—what better way is there to bid adieu to summer and be fully recharged in time for fall?
Read Reviews St. Regis Bermuda
Leena Kim is an editor at Town & Country, where she covers travel, jewelry, education, weddings, and culture.
