Luxe Guys' Trips for Every Kind of Occasion

On 50 miles of California coast, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay—an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property—is the San Francisco Bay Area’s only oceanfront resort. For the ultimate guys’ escape, book the 2,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Suite. It has the best ocean views on property, sleeps up to six guests, and comes with a butler’s kitchen. For golf fans, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay has an Ocean Course and an Old Course—Arnold Palmer was one of the original designers of the Old Course, which features an oceanside 18th hole. Your group can rent bikes or tennis gear on property and pedal along the Coastal Trail or rally on the property’s six tennis courts. Spend an afternoon with your closest friends on the Ocean Terrace, ordering Dungeness or King crab and oysters from the raw bar paired with local California beers and wine. And a gentleman’s only retreat certainly doesn’t mean the hotel spa is off limits—quite the contrary. Book a massage or a seasonal treatment off the Secret Spa Menu. Even the guys less interested in springing for a treatment can use the spa facilities—including the sauna, steam room, and whirlpools—as resort guests.

For the soccer (ahem, football) fans, a London trip will of course mean taking in a Champions’ League game. Alternately, you could plan a London trip in July for a Wimbledon bachelor party, which is perhaps the ultimate luxe gentlemen’s trip. Because London has it all, the guys’ trip can instead be about the city’s food, art, atmosphere, and pubs. The itinerary can avoid British sporting events entirely—how about a bros outing to the Tate Modern instead? Because real men want to see the forthcoming, retrospective Dora Maar exhibit. Follow up the Tate Modern with a trip to Borough Market, and you’ve got a perfect day in Londontown. Book individual rooms for each member of your party at the Belmond Cadogan London—another American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property.

If you’re looking to throw a bachelor party Vegas-style, minus the Vegas trip, consider heading to the whiskey capital instead: Dublin. Start by booking suites at The Alex, a luxury boutique hotel in Dublin’s city center, including the Alex suite for the bachelor you’re gathering to celebrate. All the suites include access to the Executive Lounge, where you guys can regroup while enjoying a few (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) drinks. For a whiskey tasting experience in the heart of Dublin, head to Teeling Whiskey Distillery. Located in Liberties, Teeling is Dublin’s first new distillery in 125 years. Opt for the Distillery Select Tasting for your whole group, which includes a guided tour and tasting distillery-exclusive batches, as well as their small batch and other flagship whiskeys. Finally, make sure to have a classic pub day while in Dublin with the boys. Hop from The Long Hall, a 250-year-old institution, to a chipper for some fish-and-chip sustenance, to Toners Pub.

Find some of the low-key best rhythm and blues in the U.S. in the Windy City. Staying at The Blackstone on Chicago’s Michigan Ave, your group can visit the premier blues club, Buddy Guy’s Legends, known for influencing guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. If you’re putting the bachelor party together and don’t want to do all the logistical heavy lifting, book the Blackstone hotel’s Out and About package, which comes with complimentary welcome drinks, 50% off cover at Buddy Guy’s Legends, late checkout, and an upgrade to a Lake Michigan or Grant Park-facing room. For a memorable dinner in Chi-town, book Acadia, the two Michelin-starred fine dining destination in South Loop. Chef Ryan McCaskey serves a 10-course tasting menu that will wow your entire group.

Vail, Colorado has 5,317 skiable acres—so you should have plenty of space to keep your crew happy. The legendary back bowls of Vail are for the adventurous bachelor, with steep cliffs, fast turns, and unadulterated backcountry beauty. Buy lift tickets in advance for Vail Ski Resort. Or if your friends are avid skiers, plan ahead and buy the Epic Pass, which gives passholders unlimited access to Vail and 35 other resorts in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Ski-in/ski-out at the Grand Hyatt Vail, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property, where you can book the Talisa Suite with one king bed and two queens, a dining table for eight, a gas fireplace, and three private 70-square-foot balconies.

Visit Budapest for a gentlemen’s European architecture tour. The Budapest architectural focus is primarily art nouveau. If you’re orchestrating the tour for your closest friends, you’ll want to start at the House of Hungarian Art Nouveau and the Museum of Applied Arts. The latter is designed by Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos and largely influenced by Hungarian folk art. Book your crew into Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection—an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property—which has a rooftop garden with 360-degree views of the city open year-round. Right next to St. Stephen’s Basilica, the boutique hotel hosts breakfast every morning and wine and cheese every afternoon. For some lively bachelor party nightlife while in Budapest, head to the 7th District, stopping into Mazel Tov and visiting the bars along Gozsdu Passage.