Wait, was there a hot one?
Aside from serenading surfer girls ages 16 to 65, the Beach Boys — Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Alan Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks — used the 54th annual music awards show to announce the first dates of their 50th anniversary tour starting this spring. Exciting for some… Considering this is the first time these folks will have played together since 1985, those of you interested in seeing them — let’s face it, this may be the last chance to these guys play live — would do well to buy tickets and book rooms before all the little old ladies from Pasadena snatch them all up.
April 27 – New Orleans, LA (Jazz Fest)
The Bourbon Orleans Hotel is one of the top French Quarter properties, with its traditional wrap-around balconies along the exterior on Orleans Street, just one short block from boozy, crazy Bourbon Street. The interior courtyard features a sizable pool and is fairly charming — and a better idea, since the rooms on the street can get noisy at night, one peril of a central location in this party prone city.
For something equally charming but petite and not quite so central, the St. James Hotel is rife with “Caribbean” flair, and only a few blocks from Canal Street. Or if you’re feeling like splurging and staying a little off the beaten track in the French Quarter, Soniat House is one of the best hotels in all of New Orleans — and oozing old world charm.
May 12 — Uncasville, CT (Mohegan Sun Arena)
The obvious and only place to stay in Uncasville is, clearly, Mohegan Sun. After indulging in some Good Vibrations, you can gamble, drink, and probably indulge in a plethora of unmentionable activities to your heart’s content.
Aug. 3 — Berlin, Germany (O2 World)
Oh, hey
The Hotel Q is an award-winning design location found in the middle of Charlottenberg in the heart of what was the West side of the city, and it’s hands-down sexy. The neon red glow of the hallways gives a 22nd century bordello effect, while some of the minimalist rooms — decorated with simple lines and tones of red, white, and chestnut — have bathtubs literally attached to the beds. The basement hosts a Japanese spa, which is both unisex and nude (because that’s how the Germans roll).
For a few more Euros — okay more than a few — Rocco Forte’s Hotel de Rom is the city’s best lodging, and extremely central. The glut of five star rooms in Berlin means that you can stay at this, the city’s top hotel, for as little as $250/night.
Aug. 4 — Stuttgart, Germany (Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle)
Oh, poor Stuttgart, it’s really the stinker on this list — which may mean it’s the easiest place to get a room. What’s to do in Stuttgart other than the concert…not much. But there’s always the Mercedes Museum.
Anyway, where to stay? The Zauberlehrling (literally, the sorcerer’s apprentice) is a small, high-concept design property with a different theme in every room — a newish concept in Stuttgart. The ‘Chalet Suite,’ features lots of antlers and slate tiles; the ‘Paddington’ room has heavy, elegant wooden furniture and a clawfoot tub; while ‘Mondschau’ has vaguely African touches, like woven lamps and curtains, and a skylight where “silvery streaks of moonlight flicker across your pillow.” Makes Stuttgart almost seem appealing as a vacation. Almost.
Related: Buy Tickets for the Beach Boys Tour
