When it comes to summer travel, it’s all about basking in the glow of being back to the most sun-drenched season of all — and taking the time to savor all the little things in life while pausing to embrace each moment along the way. That might mean a rosé-all-day kind of stay along the Croatian coast or something as simple as playing a game of pétanque among locals in a Parisian park.
With those ideas and more, you’ll be covered when it comes to seductive stays for slowing down and savoring the good life this summer.
As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.
Soak in Summer Vibes All Year Long in The Maldives
No matter the month, summery vacation vibes are in the tropical air every day of the year at Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa, where a canvas of turquoise waters, talc-white beaches and swaying palms sets the scene for sunbathing, snorkeling and sampling rosé sorbet (a summertime treat from Le Scoop by Le Méridien).
Floor-to-ceiling windows and ocean-facing beds are among the in-room touches here, whether you’re sleeping in an overwater villa or a beach bungalow. There’s an adults-only pool and one for families, as well as the decadent Explore Spa.
But your favorite indulgence on the atoll might be reveling in the infinite shades of blue of the Indian Ocean, which is never more than a few steps away at any point during your stay. Enjoy it during cruises to see Maldivian dolphins at their feeding grounds, while taking scuba diving lessons on the reef, or in the midst of a dip from the resort’s private beach.
Embrace Golden Hour in Split, Croatia
There is something intoxicating about the clarity of the light along the Croatian coast, both when it spills golden across an ancient coastal city like Split or while filtering through the impossible blues of the Adriatic Sea.
Maximize your views all day long when you stay at Split’s only five-star hotel, Le Méridien Lav, Split, where tables at Spalatum Restaurant overlook the island-dotted coastline and a glass of rosé completes sunset’s pale hues.
For another epic daytime perch for soaking up the scenery and vitamin D, linger under a thatch umbrella right on the pebble beach at the hotel’s Gooshter Beach Club. It’s a favorite spot for sipping something rum-spiked from a coconut until the sunset golden hour does its thing.
Enjoy the Peaceful Side of Paris
Everyone waxes poetic about springtime in Paris, but summer in the city has its own appeal — especially when you know where to escape the crowds and focus on savoring the city’s simple pleasures.
Make Le Méridien’s first, and flagship, hotel — Le Méridien Etoile, in the 17th arrondissement — your pied-à-terre for exploring. Then skip the Jardin du Luxembourg in favor of packing a picnic lunch to enjoy at the hilltop Parc des Buttes-Chaumont instead, where grassy hillsides overlook the city and Parisians kick back and admire their city as they do best (passively yet passionately, that is).
Later in the afternoon, break out a bottle of rosé for a game of petanque at Place Dauphine at the tip of the Ile de la Cité, near the Pont Neuf.
Then retreat back to the hotel’s Jazz Club Etoile for dinner concerts with optional prix-fixe menus that feature a delectable starter, main course and dessert.
Toast Utah’s Outdoorsy Summer Living in Salt Lake City
Utah’s outdoorsy capital sheds its winter layers like they never existed when it’s time for summertime city fun in Salt Lake City and forays into the surrounding Wasatch Mountains.
When you check into Le Méridien Salt Lake City Downtown, you can choose your own adventure, whether that’s taking in an outdoor movie at the alfresco cinema that pops open (from mid-June into August) at Liberty Park or hiking the moderate Donut Falls Trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon just outside the city.
The hotel’s rooftop pool stays open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. for swimming under the night sky. But you may want to towel off to toast sunset with sips and shareable plates on the outdoor patio at the hotel’s 11th-floor rooftop bar, Van Ryder, with epic mountain views all around.
Make Some Summertime Magic in St. Louis
Missouri’s second-largest city takes the state’s spotlight for summertime urban fun as St. Louis’ parks fill with free festivals and events and locals bust out their picnic blankets to enjoy.
The annual Shakespeare in the Park event, with free performances throughout June at the city’s vast and verdant Forest Park, is a cherished summertime tradition on STL’s culture calendar. And outdoors junkies get their fixes paddling the Mississippi River to visit wild islands and biking lakefront loops at Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park.
Stay near Forest Park at Le Méridien St. Louis Clayton for midcentury modern vibes in the city’s sophisticated Clayton business district and enjoy smoked salmon canapes and a glass of rosé at Café La Vie, the hotel’s signature French restaurant.
Bask in Riverfront Summer Vibes in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is another Midwest city that really knows how to make the most of a beautiful summer day and evening, when parks and beer gardens everywhere fill with live music and revelry ensues.
Free concerts, festivals and performances take over the Columbus Commons and the riverfront Scioto Mile all summer long in Ohio’s capital town, too.
Right in the city’s lively Short North Arts District, an LGBTQ+-friendly community where galleries occupy converted warehouses and rooftop bars abound, Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph is the spot to savor the Columbus good life.
Handcrafted furnishings decorate the rooms, and light streams in through floor-to-ceiling windows, perfect for watching dusk settle over the city, cocktail courtesy of Soul at The Joseph in hand. Settle in for rest, exploration and repeat in one of the Midwest’s most surprising and up-and-coming cities.
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