Make It Happen: Last-Minute Labor Day Weekend Ideas

The countdown is on to Labor Day!

Damn. Where did summer go?

It's not too late to make plans for the last romp of the season. Whether you're on the east, west, or smack in the middle, we found a little something for everyone. All hotels have rooms available. Don't wait! Just book, pack, and go. And tell them Fathom sent you.

WEST SIDE

Calistoga Ranch, Napa Valley, CA
Vibe: Romantic bungalows, incredible bedding, and, of course, wine.
What's On: Lots of pampering. You have to get ready for September, after all. Choose from an aloe deep hydration treatment, $250 for 90 minutes, or the mandarin brown sugar polish and massage at $275 for 90 minutes. Drop by The Lakehouse lounge for dinner.
Rates: From $1,195 on Friday, $3,750 on Saturday, and $1,375 on Sunday.

Carneros Inn & Spa, Napa Valley, CA
Vibe: Cozy private cottages, secluded patios, and breathtaking vineyard views from the infinity pool.
What's On: Start the day with breakfast at the Boon Fly Café, take in a spa treatment in the afternoon, and end with a classic Cali dinner at Farm restaurant.
Rates: Rooms start at $675/night.

The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas, NV
Vibe: Striking design and drop-dead-chic rooms with terraces overlooking the Bellagio fountains.
What's On: Vesper Bar makes for fun people watching with great cocktails. Catch a dive-in movie at the Boulevard Pool on Monday night. And there's plenty more to do off The Strip.
Rates: Studios from $226/night, Premium Rooms from $523/night.

Scenes from last year's Oyster Fest. Photo: Courtesy of Ajax Tavern

The Little Nell, Aspen, CO
Vibe: Comfortable and rich but never fussy, located right by the foot of the Aspen Gondola. Expect exceptional service.
What's On: Ajax Tavern is hosting the 2nd Annual Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival and BBQ on Monday night. Shuck to your heart's delight with all-you-can-eat fresh oysters, but leave room for roasted pork and lamb and cold beer and wine.
Rates: The Little Nell has limited availability starting from $625/night. Tickets for Oyster Fest are $75.

EAST SIDE

Fontainebleau, Miami Beach, FL
Vibe: Historically and today, a playground for the kind of glitz, glamour, and fun that only Miami can deliver.
What's On: Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams are performing as part of the BleauLive performance series on Sunday. The Labor Day weekend package gives you access to the show, a two-hour open bar, access to the daytime pool party on Saturday, and the poolside lounge throughout the weekend.
Rates: The Labor Day weekend package starts at $369/night. Upgrade to the VIP package for junior suite rooms and a meet and greet with Pharrell and Robin before the show.

Photo: Courtesy of The Liberty Hotel

The Liberty Hotel, Boston, MA
Vibe: Incorporated elements from its prison past, like the 90-foot-high rotunda and catwalks linking public spaces, now add to the industrial chic design.
What's On: Start breakfast at Clink, then take an afternoon stroll through Boston Common. At night, head underground to local favorite Alibi bar.
Rates: From $299/night with a two-night minimum.

The Rittenhouse, Philadelphia, PA
Vibe: Iconic. The rooms are massive, as are the thread counts on the sheets.
What's On: The Barnes Foundation package gives you VIP tickets to The Barnes Foundation for soaking in some post-impressionist art. End the weekend with a drink at the Library Bar or Sunday brunch at Lacroix.
Rates: No rooms till Sunday and Monday, the Barnes Foundation Package starts at $399/night and is a two-night minimum.

Photo: Courtesy of Bedford Post Inn

Bedford Post Inn, Bedford, NY
Vibe: Laid-back sophistication at an intimate eight-room cottage in the middle of nowhere.
What's On: They're throwing a Labor Day BBQ bash on Sunday night, serving everything you'd ever want to eat at a summer cookout. If you can't make Sunday night, try to score a table at one of their in-house restaurants, Farmhouse or The Barn.
Rates: There are no more rooms available, but a dinner is certainly worth the trip. The three-course BBQ party is going for $55 per person, call +1-914-234-7800 to reserve a spot.
More on Fathom: Follow Bedford Post's chef around Westchester County.

STAY IN NEW YORK

We know a lot of you are in the New York City area. If you can't leave town, the city won't disappoint. Plus, you get the luxury of enjoying it without the crowds who have fled the city.

Staycation in Manhattan
What's On: We're all for a shacking up at the new Paul Vega-designed Hyatt Union Square New York, the boutique hotel that doesn't look like any Hyatt we've seen in the United States. Loft-style rooms are chic and spacious, or for a splurge, book one of the two presidential suites. The in-house restaurant, Fourth, the latest from the team behind Tocqueville and 15 East, serves terrific food in a striking setting (dig that bed frame sculpture). When you venture out, head to Sons of Essex on the Lower East Side. Chef Chris Coleman is roasting a whole Berkshire pig for the neighborhood and serving up comfort-food sides and local draft beers.
Rates: Hyatt Hotel, starting from $299/night. $30 for the complete Labor Day meal at Sons of Essex.

Oysters in Brooklyn
What's On: Head to Brooklyn for the annual Maison Premiere Labor Day Party on Monday starting at 2 p.m. for endless west and east coast oysters, live music, chef's specials, and a full bar, including a few new absinthe cocktails.
Rates: Entrance is free. The full dinner menu will be available from 5 p.m. through midnight. First come, first served!
More on Fathom: Meet local native Joshua Boissy of Maison Premiere

Time-travel with the bike carousels at Fête Paradiso. Photo: Courtesy of Fête Paradiso

Family Fun on Governors Island
What's On: Hop on a ferry to the island for vintage carnival rides and carousels at Fête Paradiso. Try the 19th-century bicycle carousel, hang with Jo Baker and Charlie Chaplin at the Music Hall Ball Guzzler, and head to the beer garden for a French dinner from New York's own Le Gamin. The NYC Unicycle Festival will be on from noon to 5 p.m. at the South Battery Parking Lot over the weekend.
Rates: Entrance to Fête Paradiso is free; rides and games cost $3 each. Check the ferry schedule ahead of time.

Happy last week of summer, folks. Make it count.

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