Where to stay during cherry blossom season
Spring is on the horizon, and with it, the truly stunning spectacle of cherry blossom season.
If you’ve been watching the bloom calendars and planning on traveling to see the delicate flowers, it’s high time to get your hotel reservations sorted out, especially since this year’s forecast predicts peak blooms will be March 23-26.
Luckily there are myriad properties in top cherry blossom viewing locations with “bloom and bed” packages and deals around the globe to tint your stay pink.
From the iconic festivals of Japan to the picturesque streets of Washington, D.C., these hotels make sure you have a front-row seat to witness nature’s rosy seasonal spectacle firsthand.
Related: The best places in the world to see cherry blossoms
North America
Washington, DC
Pendry Washington DC – The Wharf
This trendy hotel in the Wharf entertainment district is not only in the middle of a bevy of restaurants and shops along the water, but, come spring, it’s also right in the center of Bloomaroo, the Wharf’s celebration of all things cherry blossoms on March 23.
Even if you’re not here for that particular party, this modern D.C. hotel serves as the perfect home base for exploring all that the city’s cherry blossom season has to offer, with a location right on the Potomac River within a quick walk to the Tidal Basin.
Their Picnic & Petals package includes an e-bike rental and a packed picnic for two so you can dine under the blossoms. Rooms start at $515 per night for the package during Bloomaroo, or $478 for a double room without the extra perks.
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Related: The best Washington, DC, hotels to stay in when visiting the US capital
InterContinental Washington D.C. The Wharf
If you’re looking for chic luxury at the Wharf, this hotel with floor-to-ceiling windows and views of the cherry blossom-framed Jefferson Memorial is a top pick.
It’s elegant, but with a friendly vibe, and its rooftop pool is a big draw in warmer weather. Rates start at $542 for the Springtime Bloom package (although we couldn’t get the promotion to work for Bloomaroo), which includes a Kodak camera, bike rentals, cocktails and breakfast; regular rates start from $371 per night, or 61,000 IHG One Rewards points.
The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Tucked into a cozy corner of Georgetown, the Ritz is in a historic industrial building, an interesting juxtaposition to the Federal-style architecture of the neighborhood.
The hotel has a number of special spring flower offerings, including a relaxing cherry blossom spa treatment at The Ritz-Carlton Spa and cherry blossom-infused cocktails and desserts at The Living Room lounge.
The Cherry Blossom Offer includes perks such as a cherry blossom-themed arrival amenity, complimentary valet parking, breakfast for two and complimentary bicycle rentals, so you can get out and see the trees.
Rates start from $755 per night for the package; regular rates from $595 or 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
Another Georgetown option, the lavish Rosewood faces the C&O Canal, which you can see from the hotel’s rooftop infinity pool, and has a mix of rooms, suites and townhouse accommodations.
The location is perfect for hopping over to Dumbarton Oaks, a 10-acre historic site where you’ll get a much less crowded cherry blossom viewing experience than the Mall.
If you’re looking to splurge with some friends or family, there’s an over-the-top cherry blossom package that includes a two-night stay in the hotel’s Royal Suite for up to eight people, pink Champagne, cherry blossom ice cream, a multicourse meal at Cut Restaurant, professional photos with the blossoms and a private tour of the city, all for “just” $20,000.
Regular room rates, by comparison, start at $510 in March.
For a central location and a top luxury experience, it’s hard to beat this relative newcomer to the Washington luxury hotel scene. And the property takes the annual blooming of the cherry blossoms season seriously, with a floral art installation that includes more than 1,000 silk flowers that cast a rosy glow across the soaring lobby. The property’s Estuary restaurant also gets in the cherry blossom game with pink-hued cocktails and a multicourse menu.
The Conrad really rolls out the pink carpet with its big-ticket Cherry Blossom Celebration Package that includes a “cherry blossom concierge,” dinner at Estuary, a one-hour photography session, a gourmet picnic basket and then some really blingy inclusions — David Yurman his-and-her rose gold jewelry and a $1,000 private shopping experience — which somewhat explain the $8,000-per-night price tag.
Regular rooms, however, start at $422 per night, or 80,000 Hilton Honors points.
The Morrow Washington DC, Curio Collection by Hilton
For a high-end hotel experience (Champagne vending machine, anyone?) at a great value, check in to this hotel in the trendy Union Station neighborhood.
This is a high-rise neighborhood, so you won’t spot any blooms from your sleek room, but the hotel does offer a Petals & Picnic package to help you get out and see the cotton candy treetops. It includes a packed picnic for up to four guests, a LoveShackFancy blossom blanket for you to keep, plus this package comes with a nice bonus: A portion of all bookings will be donated to the nonprofit Girls on the Run DC.
Package rate from $369 per night; regular room rates from $290 or 60,000 Hilton Honors points.
Macon, Georgia
Hotel Forty Five, Macon, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
The new boutique 95-room hotel is right in the middle of all the pink party happenings in Macon, a city with 350,000 cherry trees.
Check out the pink wave from the Hightales Rooftop Bar, then head to the Loom Restaurant for a special cherry blossom-themed dinner (and keep an eye out for pink pancakes at brunch, too).
Double room rates start at $216 or 39,000 Marriott Bonvoy points a night during cherry blossom season.
San Francisco
Located in the heart of San Francisco’s iconic Japantown neighborhood — the largest and oldest surviving Japantown of its kind in the U.S. — this hotel works hard to infuse a Japanese style into its crisp, minimalist design and features special perks like free sake happy hours.
For the neighborhood’s Cherry Blossom Festival (April 13-21), the hotel offers special treats as well as the Zeitaku (extravagance) Package: three nights in the hotel’s King Corner Spa suite, an omakase dining experience for two at Oma San Francisco Station, a Shiatsu massage and facial treatment at Kabuki Springs & Spa, a private helicopter tour of San Francisco, and two kimono robes, for $5,000.
Regular rates during this time start at $269 per night, or 39,000 IHG reward points.
Also in Japantown, the Hotel Kabuki, a JdV by Hyatt property, features 1930s and 1940s Japanese-style pop art.
You can bookend cherry blossom festivities with Southeast Asian specialties at Nari and then retreat to the hotel’s meditation garden. As a Category 5 Hyatt property, award rates in April range between 17,000 and 23,000 World of Hyatt points per night, or $338 cash.
Related: The best places to see cherry blossoms around the US this spring
Japan
Millions of visitors arrive in Japan for cherry blossom viewing (hanami) during the height of the season. Due to this, not many hotels offer special deals, but many offer special “sakura” themed foods, drinks and spa treatments.
Tokyo
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi
In Japan, viewing the cherry blossom (or sakura) has its own ritual of “hanami,” slowing down to appreciate the start of spring and the transient nature of the blooms.
The small, elegant Four Seasons is the perfect spot to immerse yourself in this ritual; it’s just a short walk to the pink cloud of trees at Kokyo Gaien National Garden.
The hotel has a number of seasonal specials, including a Flower Afternoon Tea, dishes like sakura pudding and a number of special spa treatments, too.
Rates start at $1,200 during sakura season.
Kyoto
Roku Kyoto, LXR Hotels & Resorts
Nestled in the hills of northern Kyoto, Roku Kyoto is a relaxing retreat that makes you feel as though you’re deep in the countryside. It also puts you right in the heart of the blooms for the hanami experience away from the crowds.
Wander the romantic walkways, stopping at the property’s gorgeous gardens, then participate in a traditional tea ceremony, washi and porcelain making, all under the gorgeous blooming petals.
Room prices start at $536 during sakura season, or 110,000 Hilton Honors points.
Related: Hilton’s latest luxury outpost in Japan: A review of Roku Kyoto, LXR Hotels & Resorts
Europe
London
Set across three Victorian red-brick townhouses, staying here feels like you’ve landed in a particularly posh private home. The property is located right on Cadogan Gardens, where sakura fill the skyline every spring.
Book one of the Garden Suites and you’ll have not only a view of but direct access to Cadogan Gardens for an exclusive hanami experience. Stop into the ground floor lounge where the large bay windows allow even more bloom views while you sample the spring menu.
Doubles with breakfast from $292 per night.
Paris
Hotel du Louvre, part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
Tucked between the Louvre and the Jardin du Palais-Royal, you’ll have cherry blossom views no matter which way you turn when you walk out the door. And restaurant Brasserie du Louvre — Bocuse offers views of the garden and street while you dine on seasonal classic French dishes, a perfect accompaniment to the pink petals. A double room in mid-April with breakfast starts at $565 per night. This is a Hyatt Category 7 property, with point redemptions available for mid-April starting at 30,000 points per night.
Related: The best hotels in Paris
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