Dining Al Fresco: Hotel Wellness Picnics Perfect for Travelers Communing with Nature

31.07.2023 - 21:17 / forbes.com / Art

Picnics signal a return to a simpler life, when there was plenty of leisure time to spend lazing about in a bucolic, pastoral setting, stuffing yourself full of delightful food and drink in the sun-dappled company of family and friends.

Somehow even the most casual picnic feels luxurious. A picnic outing is a really pleasurable way for travelers to relax and soak in the flavor of a new destination. Perhaps that’s why so many hotels are now featuring picnics–in the park, on the beach, on an isolated sandbar, in an ancient forest. Or maybe it’s simply the knowledge that everything always tastes better al fresco. With a resurgence of wellness-seekers now looking for ways to spend more time outdoors, picnics are a lovely way to commune with nature and enjoy the benefits of the great outdoors.

Find a big-boughed shady tree or open a beach umbrella. Spread out a lightweight linen, hemp or cotton blanket; open your basket; grab a bottle of wine and plenty of water and enjoy the day outdoors in a new destination with a bountiful meal. Here are some of the more interesting hotel picnics on offer right now. Given the omnipresent heat of the summer, many will still be available well into the fall.

Yes, it’s hot in Texas, but so it is in much of the rest of the world this summer. Don’t let that stop you. After all, people enjoyed picnics well before air-conditioning.

The HALL Arts Hotel’s Picnic Package includes round-trip transportation to Dallas’ idyllic Klyde Warren Park in the Arts District nearby, with views of the Dallas skyline; a charcuterie board with a selection of local, artisanal cheeses; meats and vegetables, and a bottle of HALL Wines Sauvignon Blanc. Charcuterie boards are so popular this year, and for good reason. They are perfect for picnicking. Guests also enjoy complimentary hotel valet parking and late checkout (1 p.m.).

HALL Arts Hotel is the first hotel in the Dallas Arts District, developed by Craig and Kathryn Hall, co-proprietors of California’s award-winning HALL Wines.

The Hilton Americas-Houston Picnic in the Park package, in Discovery Green, a beloved Houston Park across the street from the hotel, is perfect for a staycation. Discover Green offers plenty of old trees that provide shade, and the Package includes a one-night stay, picnic blanket, charcuterie board with artisanal cheeses, meats and pickles; two water bottles and a box of chocolates. (If you’d like wine, it’s BYOB.)

The Hilton Americas-Houston, Houston’s largest hotel, is located in downtown Houston.With 1,207 guest rooms and over 90,000 square feet of meeting space, a beautiful indoor pool with views of the downtown skyline, a rooftop lounge and bar, restaurants, a full-service spa and fitness center, ot is connected to