Best Labor Day weekend hotel packages

At the urging of labor activists in the late 19th century, Congress declared a national holiday on the first Monday in September to celebrate the hard workers of the United States. Now, 130 years later, Labor Day has become more widely known as a three-day weekend celebration that officially ends summer. And it’s often seen as travelers’ last chance to hit the open road, hop on a plane or book a staycation at a nearby hotel to grab one last dose of sunny R&R before the kids go back to school, the days grow shorter and pumpkin spice season begins.

Related: Use points to book these vacation rentals for Labor Day weekend

According to Dana Studebaker, the vice president of marketing at online travel agency BeachBound Vacations, Labor Day weekend is also generally considered the least busy of the summer holidays, which is welcome after this year’s record-setting Fourth of July.

“Last year, Labor Day weekend saw 13% less reservations than the average summer weekend and there was a 24% drop in passenger traffic,” Studebaker says, adding that lower traffic and reservations “means travelers can enjoy a more low-key vacation with fewer crowds and usually lower costs.”

It also often leads hotels and resorts to offer specials and packages to entice guests wanting one last summer hurrah. If you’re one of those people, here are 10 Labor Day weekend hotel packages that will help you save money, get cool perks and/or participate in unique programming at a variety of hotels from California to Maine and down to Georgia and Florida.

A stay for superfans of ‘The Bear’: Thompson Denver

If binging the third season of “The Bear” on FX/Hulu has you wearing clogs in the kitchen, tape-labeling your ingredients or arguing the merits of microgreens over regular-sized lettuces, say “yes, chef!” to a trip to one of the Mile High City’s newest and sleekest hotels.

One of the selling points from day one of Thompson Denver was that chef Ludo Lefebvre would open his first French brasserie outside of Los Angeles there. Chez Maggy has become a delicious all-day gem, and with the Culinary Bootcamp Package, foodies can get even closer to the action as it sets up a short-term stage (pronounced “stazhje”) with the kitchen team. Slice, dice, gain the secrets behind Lefebvre’s lauded omelets, including his elevated take on the classic Denver, and maybe even pick up some French cooking terms. Later, a $300 credit will let you taste the fruits of your labor as well as that of the pros. It also comes with $50 for use at the lobby coffee bar and $150 for the social club upstairs. Take-home goodies include a Messermeister Kawashima chef knife.

When you’re done working for the weekend, the Thompson’s extremely central LoDo location means you are within minutes by foot, car or pedicab of most of the city’s main tourist attractions like Meow Wolf, breweries, stadiums, restaurants and the train station.

Rates at Thompson Denver start at $299 or 17,000-23,000 World of Hyatt points per night. The Culinary Bootcamp package starts at $2,000 and needs to be booked directly with the hotel by email. If Labor Day is a no-go, the promotion is supposed to last through December.

Related: The best Denver hotels to experience when staying in the Mile High City

Respite for first responders: Hawks Cay Resort

Sometimes bigger is better. Like when an East Coast megaresort makes an annual effort to honor firefighters, search-and-rescue personnel, law enforcement, nurses, doctors, active military members and veterans with a Heroes Salute Tribute Weekend over the three-day holiday.

Hawks Cay, a Florida Keys funstitution celebrating its 40th anniversary (there are deals marking that occasion too!), has packed the schedule with festivities, such as a dock party, bands, a 5K Run/Walk, a touch-a-truck event and a dinner that closes with a dramatic fireworks display over the Atlantic. There’s so much to do that guests might find it difficult to find time to hit the five pools, paddleboard in the saltwater lagoon, play tennis or ride bikes — all activities included with every visit.

These special guests are also thanked for their service and sacrifices with special rates starting at $175 and a whole host of extras, including a commemorative coin; comped beer, wine and well cocktails at four signature restaurants; and varying discounts on group snorkels and sunset catamaran cruises, scuba diving, craft classes, aquarium encounters, dockage fees, spa treatments and fishing charters.

If you’re not a first responder but have been eyeing some R&R in Hawks’ 7,000-square-foot spa and fitness center, it’s no problem. A Heroes Supporters 15% discount is available until Christmas to anyone who donates $5 or more to the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.

The per-night starting rate for Hawks Cay Resort is $279 or 87,000 I Prefer points.

Star sips on the Sunset Strip: The London West Hollywood

Sunshine lovers can have a legendary stay at this 226-room luxe landmark with a British bent on one of Los Angeles’ most famous streets thanks to a collaboration with John Legend. The London recently teamed up with the beloved singer to create a new alfresco dining experience. With its 110-seat screening room that regularly hosts premieres, a Vivienne Westwood-inspired bilevel penthouse, past culinary ties to Gordon Ramsey and a prime location within walking distance of storied rock clubs (including the Whisky a Go Go, The Roxy and The Viper Room), this property puts guests in the midst of the Hollywood action.

The setting for Legend and LVE at The London Rooftop, which has been extended into October, is magic. As the sun sets over the Santa Monica Mountains and the twinkling lights pop on in a wave from downtown and Hollywood all the way to Venice, diners pull up a chair poolside or under a cabana and read menus by the light of the fire pit. With an assist from Legend’s wife Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook, chef Anthony Keene created a three-course prix fixe meal made up of People’s Sexiest Man Alive 2019’s favorite bites, like short rib ravioli, fried chicken with hot honey butter, spicy miso pasta, and French onion soup. (You can also opt for a la carte house specialties from across the pond like a beef Wellington for two or English pea and morel risotto.) Each course and dish can be paired with a vintage from Legend’s new drinkable project, LVE Wines.

When the check comes, guests will only have to wait a short elevator ride until they return to their rooms and can put the $100 food-and-beverage credit that comes with booking the Endless Summer Escape toward the bill. The package also includes complimentary valet parking nightly and discounted room rates.

The starting room rate at The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills is $499 per night.

Party gras: The Eliza Jane

Between the booze, bayou tours, beads, brass bands, beignets, crawfish boils and steamboat rides on the mighty Mississippi, having a bad time in the Big Easy is actually pretty hard to do. This is especially true if you score a good deal on a cool boutique hotel steeped in local lore and steps away from the French Quarter like The Eliza Jane (featured on our list of the best hotels in New Orleans, of course).

To help travelers laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll) for less, the 196-room hotel — which was built into the bones of 10 historic warehouses that once held a gunpowder factory, the Peychaud Bitters distillery and the printing operations for The Daily Picayune — is running the Spring into Summer Package. It garners guests up to 15% off the best available rates, plus a tote bag and two to-go cocktails in souvenir cups from the lobby bar, The Press Room. Let the drinks kick off a day spent wandering the Garden District with Two Chicks Walking Tours and a night jamming at Preservation Hall or skulking around a spooky cemetery.

Labor Day weekend is the perfect time to cash in on the deal if you’re a drag die-hard, as that’s when New Orleans hosts its largest LGBTQ+ event of the year, Southern Decadence. Now in its 52nd year, what started as a going-away party thrown by a group of friends has grown into a citywide soiree filled with dance parties, drag shows, and a parade complete with grand marshals and an official song. Couvant, the hotel’s eatery, has partnered with local diva Eureka Starfish to throw a specialty ticketed brunch Sept. 1 in honor of the annual celebration. Starfish will DJ and perform throughout the event.

The starting room rate at The Eliza Jane is $160 per night. It can also be booked with between 17,000 and 23,000 World of Hyatt points.

Sea suite: Kimpton Mas Olas

Mexico is always a good idea — especially if your idea of paradise includes tacos, tequila and time spent soaking up the sun while listening to waves crash. If that dream itinerary also includes a design-forward resort that serves even more tacos and ceviche, chips and guac, chilaquiles, and a risotto made with cactus and fish caught one bay over, then have we got a recommendation for you.

Mas Olas is for people who dig all of the above along with the dry desert heat of Baja California and slightly more peaceful, intimate vibes than would be found farther down the beaten path in Los Cabos. The Baja Bliss Getaway package for two wraps all of that in a nice little bow. Guests will receive sparkling wine in their private accommodations on arrival; ocean-view, open-air breakfast at Centro; a rejuvenating yoga session; a $100 spa credit; and a $100 resort credit per stay.

When you aren’t eating, posing or getting kneaded, post up in an ocean cabana at one of the four pools or at the rooftop bar with a Tajin-rimmed cocktail, or learn to make a poultice or body balm in the apothecary. If that’s more public than you want to be and you have money or IHG points burning a hole in your pocket, reserve one of the villas at the sand’s edge. They boast private pools, stand-alone soaking tubs and one of the most beautiful outdoor showers in the game.

The starting room rate at Kimpton Mas Olas is $550 per night; IHG One Rewards members can stay for 87,500 points per night. The Baja Bliss package will run from $1,300-$1,700 per night on Labor Day weekend.

Brit(ish) buddymoon: The Deer Path Inn

A trip to jolly ol’ England would be smashing, but it’s a long way to go — and a whole lotta jet lag to deal with — when you only have three or four days to spare. Enter “dupe travel,” currently one of the hottest trends in the industry and solution to this particular type of travel dilemma, and The Deer Path Inn, a Tudor-esque country inn copycat that’s been perfecting United Kingdom cosplay in an affluent lakeside Chicago suburb for 95 years.

Beyond the hedgerows lives a stately world of beamed ceilings, leaded windows, oil paintings portraying hunting parties and heaths, stone fireplaces, and decorative collections of kilts and wellies run by a crackerjack team. Jars of shortbread and toffee will call as you meander the labyrinthian halls, but save room instead for the excellent fish-and-chips in the basement pub, inventive nonalcoholic and fully-loaded libations in the courtyard garden, and wine tasting in a secret lair. Spill tea during high tea. You’ll be sipping one of more than 20 varieties, including a house blend, and eating up the tiers and tiers of Instagram fodder on floral dishware. Offered three times a day, Wednesday through Saturday, the spread of tiny sandwiches, pretty cakes and scones with clotted cream seems like it will never end and is super fun to share with your BFF.

Tea time can extend after dark into a slumber party by booking the Literary Getaway package. Especially great if your room has a fireplace, it includes a trio of cocktails inspired by English literary legends, bedtime tea service for two, snacks, a lavender mocktail and a curated sleepy-time playlist. The independent Lake Forest Book Store down the street inquires ahead of time about your reading preferences and personally picks a surprise recommendation that gets to go home with you.

Starting rates at The Deer Path Inn are $369 per night. The Literary Getaway starts at $840 for two nights and two guests. It must be booked at least two weeks in advance of the arrival date, while Tea Time For Two requires only one week.

Wet hot American summer: W Nashville

For a Labor Day stay that’s guaranteed to be a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, grab a swimsuit and a cowboy hat and head to the flirty South to cash in on the Make A Splash Package at the W, a Marriott brand infamous for its Wet Decks, DJ sets and party vibes. The package includes a 33% discount off the rate listed at booking, a free third night if you book two in a suite, access every day of your stay to Nashville’s largest pool patio, and a $75 credit at The Shop. (The well-curated boutique has you covered whether you forgot the sunscreen or shades, want an on-trend souvenir, or need a sexy outfit to hit the honky-tonks on Broadway.)

This 286-room W outpost, located just south of downtown in the Gulch — a hip walkable neighborhood dotted with shops, concert venues, street art, breweries and restaurants — intends to live up to the brand and Music City’s reputation in honor of the holiday with an Italo Disco poolside cookout Sept. 2 featuring live music, Mediterranean menus, signature cocktails and aquatic shenanigans. The buffet will require separate tickets.

If you grow tired of whiskey tastings and jam sessions in the Living Room Lounge, there are unlimited entertainment options like bowling at Pinewood Social, touring the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum or the Ryman, or cavorting with mythical creatures at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens. (Sept. 1 is the last day to see the “Trolls: Save the Humans” exhibit by Denmark’s Thomas Dambo.)

Rates at W Nashville start at $309 or 80,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. Book the Make A Splash package using the promotional code ES7 online or by calling 615-379-9000.

Sporty Sin City sojourn: Fontainebleau Las Vegas

Pickleball has taken the nation by storm, and given that sports fans have flocked to Las Vegas for decades to watch professionals box, race, tackle, shoot, skate and swing, it was only a matter of time before paddlers like Ben Johns, Anna Leigh Waters, Olympic gold medalist Jack Sock and Wimbledon finalist Genie Bouchard descended on the desert to assert dink dominance. It makes poetic sense that the Strip’s newest resort resident, the 67-story, 3,644-room Fontainebleau, will put on the first Las Vegas Pickleball Cup from Aug. 27 to Sept. 1 in its 105,000 square-foot Royal Ballroom, aka the largest pillarless carpeted ballroom in North America.

Tickets start at $25 and a booking code to secure a special room rate for eventgoers will be given out at the time of purchase. Some pros will also hold camps if you want to improve your game. Or, if you think you can shake and bake with the best of them, sign up for the concurrent amateur tournament.

If you’d rather watch a movie than a match, the property screens family-friendly flicks at the 6-acre Oasis Pool Deck on Sundays all summer. The Oasis Cinema Club is free for guests to attend the dive-in but hot dogs, churro bites, paletas and three types of popcorn cost extra. Not to worry, you can apply the daily $50 food and beverage credit that comes with the Escape to Luxe package to your bill. (It can also be used at the Lapis Spa.) Booking this deal also secures up to 20% off a Gold- or Bleau-level room.

A night at Fontainebleau Las Vegas starts at $300. Escape to Luxe is available through Oct. 30. Sign up for the Fontainebleau Rewards program to earn cool perks, including discounts on future visits, suite upgrades and invitations to exclusive events.

Southern charm with a side of self-care: The Inn at Serenbe

Set on a 36-acre farm, The Inn at Serenbe feels light-years away from the hustle and bustle of Atlanta and the world’s busiest airport. One look at its grassy rolling hills, babbling creeks, tree-lined hiking and riding trails, walking labyrinth, canoeing lake, friendly barnyard menagerie, and crackling bonfires (of course, there are s’mores!) and your doom scrolling-induced anxiety and other pesky urban stresses will start to fade away.

The good life includes more than natural pursuits. Think wine tastings at the general store, full farm-to-table breakfasts, myriad wicker-clad patios, and porches made for sipping sweet tea and enjoying Friday night concerts (like the one being held on the veranda Aug. 31). Further amenities include butlers at an adults-only pool, and a chic spa where wellness comes in the form of reiki healing, manuka honey moisture-drench body therapy and warm bamboo massage. There’s even a 24-hour gym for those overachievers among us who like to work out on vacation.

All of that, plus a goat yoga session and farm tours, will be available during the holiday weekend, as will the Book Friday-Sunday and Get Labor Day Free deal. For $1,100, couples should opt for the more romantic Stargazing, Supper and S’mores experience, which moves from a five-course tasting menu to a fire pit with drinks and dessert and constellation peeping with the in-house expert, and includes breakfast in bed and mimosas for the big finish.

Rates at The Inn at Serenbe start at $400 per night. Contact guest services to book packages at 770-463-2610 or guestservices@serenbeinn.com.

Maine squeeze: Camden Harbour Inn

For more than a century, the Camden Harbour Inn, a Relais & Chateaux property since 2013, has been peddling quintessential New England escapes in all their rocky-shored, shellfish-heavy, boat-shoed glory.

This Labor Day weekend will be business as usual as the annual Windjammer Festival sails into town Aug. 30 and 31, bringing with it paddleboarding with pooches, live music, fireworks, lobster-hauling demos, a silent auction, a talent show, and, of course, a fleet of the namesake historic ships gliding atop the water. The inn, which feels far more sleek and contemporary on the inside than its many Victorian B&B counterparts, has put together a corresponding deal that includes bubbles and breakfast daily, a seven-course tasting dinner at its well-reviewed Natalie’s, a welcome gift and a lobster roll picnic. The cherry on top is it also comes with a late-afternoon sail aboard one of the namesake schooners.

For even more maritime nostalgia, consider the private Lighthouse Tour package. A spiffy vintage VW van retrieves guests and takes them to the Farnsworth Museum, a Port Clyde general store for Whoopie Pies, and three lighthouses, including the one with a cameo in “Forrest Gump” where a picnic lunch will be had. It also comes with room, daily breakfast and a less intense meal at the restaurant. Save room for goodies from the complimentary candy closet and in-room minibar.

Rates at Camden Harbour Inn start at $225 per night. The two-night Lighthouse package starts at $1,350 per person while the Windjammer Festival package starts at $1,296. Both are based on double occupancy.

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