8 Unforgettable Locations for a Destination Bachelor Party
Ah, the bachelor party. A legendary concept. For some, it’s a last hurrah before you start married life. For others, it’s just a fun way to mark a special occasion.
The best bachelor parties reflect the grooms themselves: who they are, what they like to do with their free time, and maybe even some of their long-coveted bucket list items. Whether that means relaxing on a beach or hitting every brewery and distillery your crew can find, there’s plenty to do with your friends before the big wedding.
Just as there’s a lid for every pot, there’s a perfect bachelor party location for everyone. Here are eight locations for an unforgettable destination bachelor party.
The Wynn | Las Vegas, NV
You can’t talk about bachelor parties without talking about Las Vegas. It’s the archetypal bachelor party destination for a reason: all-night parties and gambling on the strip, fabled night clubs with tableaux straight out of a movie, legal public drinking, and so much more. Drive supercars in the desert. Go skydiving. Take a poolside nap in the desert sun (sunscreen recommended). Just whatever you do, don’t forget your accountabilibuddy.
When you head to Vegas, do yourself a favor and stay at the Wynn, a five-star hotel for a one-star price. It has all the trappings of a typical experience on the strip: two nightclubs (Tryst, which has an indoor waterfall and an enormous dance floor, and Blush, which has a more loungey vibe), a casino, a buffet, and several pools. What sets this place apart, however, are three things: a barbershop where you can get a classic straight razor shave before hitting the town; a SoulCycle studio, so you can get your sweat on; and the only 18-hole golf course on the strip.
Cost: $ | Rooms from $149
Hotel Place d’Armes | Montréal, Canada
For a taste of Europe without the cost of getting there, head to Montréal. From the legendary nightlife to historic Old Montréal on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, this city is the place to go if you and your buddies are looking for cultural adventures and wild nights out. Sports-loving friends have plenty of events to choose from. The Canadian Grand Prix on the Formula 1 circuit is a wild party all weekend long. If you can brave the cold, catch the 24-time Stanley Cup champion Canadiens in one of the NHL’s most raucous arena settings.
Whatever your activity of choice, stay at the Hotel Place d’Armes, located in the heart of Old Montréal among old world cobblestone streets and plazas. It’s a swanky but affordable old-world hotel that boasts both a French brasserie and an izakaya, and, if you visit in the summer, a killer terrace bar with a world-class view.
You can walk to breweries, bars, and clubs; eat poutine at “default joint” La Banquise; hitch to any number of sprawling parks to enjoy hiking, kayaking, and even, if you’re willing to take a 45-minute drive, sunning on a nice beach. Enjoy a ride on the jet boat (pre-alcohol, for the sake of your stomach), and then wander the city to your heart’s content.
Cost: $$ | Rooms from $223
Lago Mar Beach Resort & Club | Fort Lauderdale, FL
If you’re into outdoor activities, head to ground zero for sporty bachelor parties: Fort Lauderdale. Located less than an hour north of Miami, Fort Lauderdale is one of the sport fishing capitals of the U.S. and the perfect location for parties looking to get outside. Depending on the time of year you go, you can fish for grouper, amberjack, snapper, and so much more.
For the ultimate outdoors experience, stay at the Lago Mar Beach Resort & Club, located a stone’s throw from the marina where most charter boats depart from. On the grounds, they have volleyball, basketball, and a putting green. The concierge will even schedule everything from a private charter to an airboat adventure in the Everglades to a day on the golf course of your choice.
And of course, if your crew is looking for some nighttime fun, it’s a quick drive or water taxi to all the bars and restaurants downtown.
Cost: $$$ | Rooms from $338
Blue Moon Rising Cabins | Deep Creek Lake, MD
If you’re looking for a more laid-back vibe to your bachelor weekend, you can’t go wrong spending a few days on a lakefront. A few hours west of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Deep Creek Lake is a sprawling expanse of freshwater fun, with bars and restaurants dotting the lakeside and plenty of activities to keep you and your friends entertained.
Stay at Blue Moon Rising Cabins, an eco-friendly resort in McHenry (arguably, where most of the action is) with individual cabins dotting the grounds, and get the ultimate, elevated, outdoorsy experience. Located just up the hill from the lake, Blue Moon Rising Cabins is close to the Aquatic Center, where you can rent all manner of watercraft, including jet skis. That means you and your buds screaming up and down the lake, cutting through the soft waves for as long as you can handle.
While at the lake, you can take a private pontoon tour and turn it into a bar crawl, stopping by all the lakeside bars and restaurants your little heart (or liver) can handle. Then head to the Wisp Resort—home to decent skiing in the winter—and enjoy live music and a beer on their lawn, or try your hand at their ropes course.
Cost: $$ | Rooms from $199
Holston House | Nashville, TN
While it’s best known for its bachelorette parties, don’t sleep on Nashville when it comes to a fun bachelor weekend, especially if your crew is made up of live music junkies. While out on the town, you could trip face first into a live music venue, where artists play anything from bluegrass and honky-tonk to punk.
Make sure to stay at Holston House, a centrally located boutique hotel only steps from Broadway and all the bars and restaurants in the Gulch, and a quick walk to Music Row. The hotel itself has a rooftop pool with a skyline view and decent bites, and southern fusion restaurant TENN. Plus, it’s dog-friendly, which means when you’re coming and going from your accommodations, you just might meet the four-legged pal of your dreams.
Take a whiskey tour, either self-guided or through Tennessee Whiskey Tours. Eat as much hot chicken as your stomach can handle, and then eat a little more. Then finally wrap up the weekend by racing your friends at the indoor go-kart track.
Cost: $$ | Rooms from $152
Hotel Mazarin | New Orleans, LA
New Orleans is made up of magic, jazz, and revelry in the face of struggle, which is perhaps why it has become an increasingly popular bachelor party destination. There’s no shortage of activities, no matter your speed: live music, ghost hunts, or just wandering down Bourbon Street sipping on dangerously delicious hurricanes.
Post up at Hotel Mazarin, located in the beautiful, historic French Quarter. They’re home to a speakeasy-esque bar called 21st Amendment that has live music, and a wine bar, Patrick’s Bar Vin, which will make you feel sophisticated. More importantly, they’re located only two blocks from the Museum of Death, one street over from the famed Bourbon Street, and a streetcar ride away from Mid City and Uptown.
Do yourselves a favor and check out Carousel Bar in Hotel Monteleone, which is literally a carousel, revolving around the top of the building. Then spend a day watching gators and airboating around the swamp.
Cost: $ | Rooms from $109
Casa Velas | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Situated on the border of Nayarit and Jalisco (yes, that Jalisco, the one where tequila comes from), Puerto Vallarta sits smack in the middle of Banderas Bay, an atypically calm, half-moon of water protected from the usually choppy Pacific. Puerto Vallarta is what you make it, whether you’re seeking beachy relaxation, high-octane adventure, endless nights of dancing and drinking, or outdoor exploration.
For the ultimate experience, stay at Casa Velas, an adults-only resort on the north end of the city, near the marina. It’s out of the fray of downtown and the hotel zone, where the beaches are chock-full of tchotchke-hawkers. You’ll be privy to a private beach, a golf course on the grounds, and access to Tau Beach Club.
While in Puerto Vallarta, feel free to paddle board, kayak, or snorkel at the Marietas Islands, an archipelago chock-full of marine life. Take a day trip to coffee country in the mountains to the east and hike through the jungle. Then when you’re ready to get wild, head to the zona romántica in the heart of Puerto Vallarta and trip face-first into any number of bars and clubs. If low-key drinking is more your style, there are plenty of beer bars and local breweries, including Los Muertos Brewing and Cervecería Unión.
Cost: $$$$ | Rooms from $450
Tryst Beachfront Hotel | San Juan, Puerto Rico
You can’t go wrong with a destination bachelor party to the Island of Enchantment. The Tryst Beachfront Hotel in San Juan is the perfect headquarters for all of your activities. Step out onto the sand for a day of relaxation on a Caribbean, white-sand beach. Venture into Old San Juan for live music and tours of the colonial Spanish forts that protected the island hundreds of years ago.
If you really want to stay in style, splurge for a penthouse with an ocean view. It’s the ideal place to sleep off the effects of a rum tour.
Cost: $ | Rooms from $143
So there you have it. Next time you get asked to be a best man and deliver the most insane bachelor party, you have eight destinations to recommend. And if you want to make it cost-effective and convenient for everyone in your party, work with MLA2Travels. They’ll chat with you to find out preferences, and then build the perfect trip. All you have to do is have a good time.