Star light, star bright — do you know what hotels are the best places to see the upcoming Perseid meteor shower at night?
There’s always a twinkle in our eye when booking our next vacation, and later this month (and throughout August), the skies in the northern hemisphere will be twinkling as well.
The Perseid meteor shower is considered one of the best of the year due to its long streaks of light and color and its bountiful shooting stars. You can expect to see as many as 100 meteors an hour at the peak in mid-August. The best time to see them is in the pre-dawn hours (though NASA notes you’ll usually start to see the show as early as 10 p.m.).
Viewing this stellar show from a major city isn’t ideal because of the light pollution. So, we found the best hotels to see the Perseids later this summer. Here are a few of our favorites, from luxe lakeside retreats to all-inclusive resorts.
Whiteface Lodge: Lake Placid, New York
Nestled among the forests, hiking trails, canyons and waterways of the Adirondack Mountains is the upscale Whiteface Lodge. It’s a rustic retreat featuring log cabin-style suites with views of the mountains or forests and crackling fireplaces.
Whiteface Lodge also features a nightly campfire and s’mores service that will keep you well-fed while you lounge in an Adirondack chair waiting for the meteor shower to display across the night sky.
Rates start at $745 per night for stays during the meteor shower.
Skamania Lodge: Stevenson, Washington
Head to the Pacific Northwest to be one with nature and the skies at Skamania Lodge on the Oregon and Washington border. The hotel features treehouse accommodations perched amid the Douglas fir trees of the Columbia River Gorge — an ideal retreat far away from city lights and perfect for stargazing.
Treehouse amenities include two complimentary s’mores kits, a large Yeti cooler filled with ice (because a Perseids show pairs well with a chilled glass of Sancerre) and plenty of board games to kill time before the meteors really start to pop in the very late hours of the evening.
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Treehouse rates start at $749 per night for a stay during the meteor shower.
Chebeague Island Inn: Casco Bay, Maine
Head northeast of Portland, Maine, to this tranquil spot (only accessible by boat) off the coast for stunning views of Casco Bay and of the Perseid meteor shower later this summer.
The historic inn features bright, luxurious guest rooms and suites (we prefer the ocean-view rooms) with nightly turndown service. While the rooms are a comfortable retreat, so is the Chebeague Island Inn’s wraparound porch with Adirondack chairs and cocktail service.
During the peak stretch of the Perseid meteor shower from Aug. 11 to 15, the inn will offer a special Meteor Menu on the patio and upper lawn that includes “the finest local Maine grilled oysters, grilled monkfish skewers, smoked salmon roe-topped deviled eggs, and more to pre-game the star-studded night.”
The inn will also offer s’mores kits to make by the outdoor fire. Or, you can take a bottle of wine to the lawn, where picnic blankets will be available for viewing the stars.
Rates start at $269 per night for a stay during the meteor shower.
The Lake House on Canandaigua: Upstate New York
There’s something romantic about summer nights spent on the lake, and it gets even more serene at The Lake House on Canandaigua in New York’s Finger Lakes region. The luxury resort features sailboat rides, swimming, and modern rooms and suites with lake views.
While you might be looking to stargaze, consider pampering yourself at the resort’s Willowbrook Spa. At night, kick back on the docks to watch the meteor showers shoot across the sky over Lake Canandaigua.
The hotel is also part of the I Prefer Hotel Rewards program that recently received a revamp.
Rates start at $446 for a stay during the meteor shower.
Castle Hotel & Spa: New York City area
New Yorkers aren’t out of luck when it comes to viewing the Perseids just because of all the light in “the city that never sleeps.”
Take a short drive or train ride to Westchester County for a stay at Castle Hotel & Spa overlooking the Hudson River (an idyllic spot to see the meteor shower reflect off the water). Guests can also explore the hotel’s landscaped grounds while basking in the starlight.
Rates start at $311 per night for a stay during the meteor shower.
Sandals Dunn’s River: Jamaica
Travelers might flock to Jamaica’s new Sandals Dunn’s River to check out the all-inclusive resort brand’s new Coyaba Sky Villa Swim-up Rondoval Suites.
These suites come with more than pool proximity, though. They include private open-air rooftops with telescopes guests can use to see the surrounding Ocho Rios skyscape.
Guests who book a stay in one of the suites for travel this month onward will also receive their own stargazing concierge who can arrange experiences for couples to enjoy on the rooftop, such as moonlit cocktail hours and a wine-and-cheese night.
The stargazing concierge can also help guests identify constellations and meteor activity. You’ll even receive a customized star map of your personal stargazing experience in Jamaica, courtesy of The Night Sky.
The Coyaba Sky Villa Swim-up Rondoval Suites start at $1,900 per night per couple.
