Travel can and should be about exploring your passions, and what sparks more passion and emotion than the thrill of seeing a favorite sports team clinch a victory or a tireless competitor cross a finish line?
According to UN Tourism, sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing travel industry sectors. The United Nations estimates this type of travel — where tourists travel to watch or participate in a specific sporting event — will grow an estimated 17.5% by 2030.
Megawatt events such as the Olympics and the World Cup can catalyze major infrastructure development, while even smaller events can promote social and environmental action and expose visitors to authentic local experiences.
This summer, major sporting events are happening worldwide, from high-stakes horse races and soccer matches to car races and sailing regattas. Because of all the buzz, amazing hotels are offering packages and experiences that give guests a front-row seat to the action — and many still have availability for booking.
Here are the top hotels and packages to book for a sports-filled summer.
Belmont Stakes in Saratoga, New York
The oldest of the three Triple Crown events, the Belmont Stakes is one of the world’s most prestigious horse-racing events … and the most challenging. The grueling mile-and-a-half distance requires endurance and strategic thinking. While there will be no Triple Crown winner this year, as Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan failed to win the Preakness Stakes, too, the 2024 Belmont Stakes on June 8 at Saratoga Race Course in New York State will still be a thrill to witness, with the world’s top 3-year-old thoroughbreds vying for the win. The four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, from June 6 to 9, will include 24 stakes races with purses totaling over $10 million.
Where to stay: The Fort William Henry Hotel and Conference Center on picturesque Lake George is 23 miles away from Saratoga and offers the Belmont Package for a two-night stay between June 5 and 11. The package includes elegant accommodations, breakfast each morning, a $100 dinner credit for the Lakeside Restaurant & Lounge (one of three on-property restaurants) and a fire pit rental on the lake’s edge for up to six people. The Fort William Henry Hotel also has an indoor pool with a sauna and an Olympic-size outdoor pool.
The Belmont Package at the Fort William Henry Hotel and Conference Center starts at $340 per night with a two-night minimum.
Formula One Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal
A fixture in Canada since 1961, the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix is one of the country’s most beloved sporting events. The race, 70 laps of the 2,709-mile Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, takes place June 9, but June 6 marks the start of three days of competition and parties in Montreal. The leafy track and challenging course make for good viewing, and the event also officially kicks off the summer season in this beautiful Canadian city.
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Where to stay: The 950-room Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, which sits in downtown Montreal near top attractions like the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal, offers a luxurious place to rest and recharge between the excitement of the Grand Prix.
Overnight rates at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth start at $985 per night during Formula One Canadian Grand Prix dates.
The Japan Open Golf Championship in Nikko, Japan
In 2025, Nikko Country Club, a renowned 18-hole course in the Oku-Nikko highlands, will host The Japan Open Golf Championship, the country’s largest national tournament. Golf lovers looking for an international sporting experience this summer can compete at this scenic course with mountain and river views through a package with The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko.
The inaugural Nikko Golf Day on June 17 will include a full-day golf competition for prizes, as well as complimentary stays and benefits at The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko and other Marriott hotels in Japan and elsewhere.
Where to stay: The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko’s special overnight package includes the entry fee for the golf competition, hotel room and board, a welcome reception and other amenities. The resort will help guests mindfully prepare for the competition with a spa and authentic Japanese onsen. After a restful night’s sleep and a filling breakfast, players who book the all-inclusive package will be driven to the Nikko Country Club in a private bus.
The all-inclusive Nikko Golf Day 2024 package at The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko starts at $1,866 per room for single occupancy and $2,828 for double occupancy. Participants can also book a room for the event with Marriott Bonvoy points and then add on the golf event, welcome reception and lunch for $481. This rate does not include all meals and transportation.
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in Washington, DC
For the first time, the nation’s capital will serve as a host port and partner for the arduous Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. After more than 10 months at sea, the 11 teams are expected to arrive in Washington, D.C., on June 17. To celebrate, the city is debuting the Clipper Race Fleet Week event at the Wharf from June 21 to 23. Visitors can expect embassy cultural performances, yacht tours, live art, family activities and music. As crews prepare to leave D.C. on June 25, the Parade of Sail and fireworks will send competitors on the final leg of the journey across the Atlantic in high spirits.
Where to stay: Pendry Washington, D.C.— The Wharf is just steps from the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race finish and offers the Pendry Perfect package. Reserve two nights or more and get a daily hotel credit ($75 per guest room or $125 for suites) for dining, cocktails and spa services. You will also receive a complimentary view upgrade to immerse yourself in the beauty of the waterfront.
The Pendry Perfect package at Pendry Washington, D.C. — The Wharf starts at $445 per night with a two-night minimum.
Related: The best Washington, DC, hotels to stay in when visiting the US capital
US Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon, where Nike was founded and legendary runners have broken countless records, is hallowed ground for athletes, so it’s only fitting that the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials happen there from June 21 to 30. The event at state-of-the-art Hayward Field, reconstructed in 2020, feels like a miniature Olympics but without the hassle that sometimes comes with attending an Olympic event. Fun activities like concerts and interactive games occur in a small village outside the University of Oregon campus venue.
Where to stay: Graduate Eugene, just a few minutes from campus, embraces the history of TrackTown USA. The interior proudly sports the University of Oregon’s green and yellow colors and pays homage to the Pacific Northwest: In the guest rooms, you’ll find TrackTown embroidered pillows and floor-to-ceiling glass windows that showcase views of emerald green trees and mountains. There’s a wooden toy duck sculpture in the lobby, and the check-in desk has rows of glass-enclosed Nike sneakers. The hotel has availability during the Olympic trials, and the restaurant and bar, The Trophy Room, where you’ll notice a gallery wall featuring 140 vintage Nike posters, will be a hub of activity during the trials.
Stays at Graduate Eugene during the trials start at $732 per night with a two-night minimum.
Copa America and Austin FC matches in Austin
One of the longest-running and most prestigious international soccer tournaments, Copa America, is coming to Austin this summer for two matches at Q2 Stadium. On June 30, Venezuela will take on Jamaica, followed by Paraguay versus the winner of the Concacaf playoff on July 2. Austin FC, the Austin-based professional men’s soccer club that also plays at Q2 Stadium, has an exciting summer of soccer matches lined up, including a League Cup match against the Mexico City Pumas on July 26.
Where to stay: As the official hotel of Austin FC, the Fairmont Austin is welcoming soccer fans with its Verde Vacation Package, bookable through December. With this package, guests will enjoy 15% off the best available rate, complimentary self-parking for one vehicle per room and 10% off hotel dining. The Fairmont Austin’s rooftop pool with city skyline views has a partylike atmosphere thanks to its shaded cabanas and daybeds, refreshing cocktails and Latin fare from the rooftop restaurant Rules & Regs. The Broken Coconut Tiki pop-up is serving tropical cocktails and island-inspired bites.
The Verde Vacation Package starts at $248 per night.
A summer game at Fenway Park in Boston
America’s oldest baseball stadium, Fenway Park, is a bucket list destination for any baseball lover. The compact stadium, home of the Boston Red Sox, makes guests feel on top of the field and exudes personality and history. The Green Monster, a 37-foot-high left field wall, is one of the most beloved ballpark quirks in America, and the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood is fun to explore, as it’s home to shops, restaurants and cultural institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. The Red Sox summer schedule includes playing the Texas Rangers, the Seattle Mariners and fierce rivals, the New York Yankees.
Where to stay: Five minutes from Fenway, the stylish Hotel Commonwealth has signature Fenway Park and Baseball suites decorated with Red Sox baseball memorabilia. The hotel offers a variety of Red Sox packages, including the Red Sox Game Package, which covers an overnight stay in a spacious guest room, two Red Sox game tickets in the Grandstand section and a personalized message on the scoreboard during the game in its rate. The more luxurious Ultimate Play-Bucket List package includes accommodations in a luxury suite, two front-row game tickets, a VIP pregame tour with access to the warning track and the opportunity to view batting practice, a baseball signed by a Red Sox player, valet parking and a $100 gift card to the Red Sox Team Store.
The Red Sox Game Package starts at $499 per night, while the Ultimate Play-Bucket List package starts at $1,999 per night. Both must be booked directly through the reservations department at [email protected] or 617-532-5019.
2024 Pan-American Masters Games in Cleveland
The 2024 Pan-American Masters Games, an Olympic-style sports festival for athletes over 30, is held every four years in the Americas. The event, which will take place July 12 – 21, features 26 medal-contending sports, including track and field, tennis, basketball, pickleball and cycling. The event may be the largest international gathering in Northeast Ohio’s history, with 8,000 athletes from over 50 countries expected to attend.
Where to stay: Following a carefully planned $90 million restoration, Hotel Cleveland, the city’s oldest hotel, has been restored to its former grandeur and is celebrating its official reopening in June. Improvements at the hotel, which has hosted presidents, rock stars and sports legends, include an elegant new lobby, guest rooms with state-of-the-art workspaces and two new restaurants. A new member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, guests can use Marriott Bonvoy points to book a stay.
Rooms at Hotel Cleveland, Autograph Collection from July 12 start at $384 or 29,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
Paris Olympics in Paris
With all kinds of events (think: equestrian offerings at the Palace of Versailles to beach volleyball in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower) spread throughout the world’s most beautiful city, the Paris Olympics, which will take place from July 26 to Aug. 11, will be a feast for the eyes and a celebration of sports unlike any other. Other parts of the country — and even other parts of the world — will host various events, too, including sailing races in Marseille, France; soccer matches in Bordeaux, France; and surfing in Tahiti.
Where to stay: A hotel stay at a discount during the Paris Olympics? Mais, oui! CitizenM properties across the city still have availability for the two-week-long event. CitizenM’s spring sale kicks off June 13 with 20% to 25% off stays at all of the hotel group’s 34 properties from June 13 to Aug. 31, encompassing the dates of the Paris Olympics. The affordable boutique hotel brand has properties near the Paris Opera, the Champs-Elysees and the Gare de Lyon. CitizenM hotels offer amenities like rooftop bars, king-size beds with European cotton sheets and power showers.
Stays at CitizenM properties start around $326 per night during the Olympics. From June 13 to July 5, mycitizenM+ members can book stays through Aug. 31 at 25% off. For a limited time (from June 13 to July 5), new members can sign up for 25% off the annual mycitizenM+ membership, and nonmembers and members of CitizenM’s free membership can save 20% on bookings for the same stay dates.
US Open Tennis Championships in New York
Tennis tournaments are usually quiet, decorum-filled affairs, but the U.S. Open Tennis Championships in Queens from Aug. 26 to Sept. 8 features plenty of enthusiastic fans who eagerly pack the largest stadium in tennis. Arthur Ashe Stadium has a capacity of over 23,000, creating a more lively atmosphere than, say, Wimbledon. A major musical star also typically headlines the opening night ceremony.
Where to stay: Near Bryant Park in New York City, Park Terrace Hotel will celebrate the return of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships with events and a special package. The midtown hotel hosts a top-seeded player for a preview event on Wednesday, Aug. 21, and tennis enthusiasts can book Park Terrace Hotel’s U.S. Open package, which includes accommodations in a stylish urban sanctuary and complimentary post-stadium recap cocktails for two.
IHG is the official hotel sponsor of the U.S. Open for the sixth year, so if you’re an IHG loyalist, consider a stay at Hotel Indigo Flushing — LaGuardia, which still has room during the event and is only a five-minute drive to Arthur Ashe Stadium. IHG One Rewards loyalty members can bid on VIP experiences like behind-the-scenes tours and the chance to attend post-match conferences later this summer.
The U.S. Open package at Park Terrace Hotel starts at $305 per night for stays between Aug. 23 and Sept. 7. Bookings should be made by contacting [email protected].
Rates at Hotel Indigo Flushing — LaGuardia start at $365 or 71,000 points a night for a standard queen room.
2024 NFL season kickoff in Kansas City, Kansas
The Kansas City Chiefs’ quest for a third consecutive Super Bowl starts Sept. 5. The Chiefs will open the NFL season at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens. The Chiefs defeated the Ravens in Baltimore last season during the AFC Championship Game, so the Ravens will be looking to clean the slate. It’ll likely be another close game, though, as all the Chiefs stars will return, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, defensive tackle Chris Jones and head coach Andy Reid.
Where to stay: Courtyard Hotels is the official partner of the NFL, and two Kansas City properties still have availability for the kickoff game. Courtyard Kansas City Downtown/Convention Center overlooks the nightlife- and dining-centric Power and Light District, while Courtyard Kansas City Country Club Plaza, with mission and Spanish colonial architecture dating to 1925, is 7 miles from Arrowhead Stadium.
Courtyard Kansas City Downtown/Convention Center has rooms available from Sept. 5 to 7 for $267 per night of 65,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. On the same dates, Courtyard Kansas City Country Club Plaza is available starting from $205 per night or 72,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
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