The Best Hotel Amenity Might Be a Boat

HAP Weekly

The Best Hotel Amenity Might Be a Boat

Inside hospitality’s latest must-book experience, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Tuscan soirée, and the boutique hotel we can’t stop thinking about.

Our Top Reads This Week

Letter From Dan

Hey (HAP)ers!

My prayers were answered, and the weather is finally beautiful here in NYC—for a week at least, before it becomes unbearably hot. I’ve been making the most of these perfect early summer temperatures with strolls around the West Village (and stops for ice cream!), martini happy hours in outdoor patios, and last week, a special voyage on The Mark Hotel’s century-old, 70-foot Herreshoff Sailboat around New York harbor.

It’s always been funny to me how we become entirely different people the minute we step onto a boat. Boarding a waterborne vessel feels like an instant lifestyle upgrade, and therefore provides an immediate mood booster. Aside from the seasick amongst us—my sympathy goes out to you all—we’re more glamorous, more debonair, and generally more pleasant on the water. Think about it, we never gleefully wave at passersby from a car or a bus. Perhaps that’s why so many hotels like The Mark have invested in experiences that allow guests to lean into the seafaring vibe by wearing nautical attire, and enjoy the rush of sailing for a couple of hours. More on this in my article below.

Also this week, first mate Ruby Gregg brings our news report from lands afar, and we're introducing a brand-new segment called “The Boutique Hotel We’re Obsessed With”—because, well, we have many to share. Keep reading for all this and more, and if you can, get yourselves out on the water this summer!

Love, D x

- Dan Howarth, HAP Weekly Newsletter Editor

Feature

Hotels Declare: Anchors Away!

From century-old sailboats to classic lake steamers, more luxury hotels are offering memorable guest experiences aboard their branded vessels.

Ominous dark clouds gathered and a few raindrops fell as I boarded The Mark Hotel’s sailboat at Chelsea Piers. But I needn’t have worried—the breeze quickly swept away the bad weather, and it turned into a beautiful evening on the Hudson River. Even before the giant sail emblazoned with the Upper East Side hotel’s logo was deftly unfurled, the crew had begun popping bottles of Taittinger and passing around caviar blinis, tuna sashimi on crispy rice, caprese skewers, and more treats prepared below deck by a chef from The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges.

Both the champagne and snacks continued to flow as we sailed toward the Statue of Liberty, behind which a dazzling orange glow cast her in silhouette. Our group of 25 lined the decks and lounged on cushioned benches, all ducking and laughing when the captain blew his bugle (yes, seriously!) to announce the boom’s jibe across the boat. We all snapped windswept photos with the Manhattan skyline in the background as Enya’s Orinoco Flow drifted melodically through the air, then watched in delight as an almost-full moon slowly rose behind the Financial District’s skyscrapers. Just over two hours later, we were back at the piers, diligently (and tipsily) disembarking, all in agreement that this was one of those perfect New York City evenings.

The Mark Sailboat is one of a growing number of waterborne experiences offered by luxury hotels, both across the US and farther afield. From chic speedboats that whisk guests of Passalacqua and Grand Hotel Tremezzo across Lake Como, to gourmet picnic cruises from Beau-Rivage Palace and The Charleston Place, to catamarans that allow guests at The Surin Phuket or Sugar Beach in St Lucia to watch the sunset from the water—there’s now a whole fleet of nautical options for luxury travelers. (Not to mention the tidal wave of ultra-luxury yachts launched by big-name hospitality groups—though we’ll revisit that topic another time.)

Feature Continued

The point is, there’s clearly high demand for the high seas, and hotels that aren’t even located directly on the water, like The Mark, are smart to offer both ticketed voyages ($640 per ticket + tax) and private charters. It’s the charm of the boats themselves, as much as the level of service onboard, that elevates these experiences. Anyone can hire a speedboat or book a catamaran. But The Mark’s Herreshoff sailboat, built in 1921 and restored before relaunching in 2017, is one of the last of its kind still in existence. Meanwhile, Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s classic Venetian boats, Ruy and Batt, epitomize “la dolce vita” sul lago, while Le Montreux, Beau-Rivage Palace’s 100-year-old steamer, transports guests back to the Belle Époque era for dinner.

I highly recommend experiences like these, as they often become the most memorable moments of a trip—or simply offer the perfect excuse to see your own city from a different, more buoyant perspective.

Ruby Gregg

What I Pitched To My Editor-In-Chief

Hotel Spotlight

The Boutique Hotel We're Obsessed With

Tucked into the quiet village of Cansaulim, a 15-minute walk from the beach, The Postcard Cuelim is a six-bedroom hotel in the former home of Goan nationalist Dr. Tristão de Bragança Cunha. The Portuguese heritage shows—there's a historic chapel on the property, and the interiors lean into old-world detail without feeling stuffy. Days here are unhurried: a swim in the outdoor pool, a book from the library, badminton on the lawn. The kitchen serves Goan coastal cooking around the clock, and the staff will arrange surf lessons, cycle tours, or a trip to the nearby bird sanctuary.

Read the full hotel review, written by HAP Editor-In-Chief Brandon Berkson.

Editor's Note

Want more Hotels Above Par?

Book your next stay via our HAP Collection (or just explore it for major travel inspo at no cost).

Subscribe to HAP CEO Brandon Berkson’s personal weekly Substack, Hotel Espresso

Get our exclusive print-edition HAP Newspaper

Brandon Berkson, Hotels Above Par