Tennessee

High up in the Great Smoky Mountains on 5,200 acres, Blackberry Mountain (the equally luxurious and rustic sister property to the Blackberry Farm resort) has incredible hiking, next-level fitness, relaxing sound baths, cozy fireside meditation, forest yoga, and more, but leave at least a day on your itinerary just for the gorgeous Nest spa. It’s the first ever Joanna Czech-certified spa in the U.S.—you can get Czech’s famous 80-minute Method facial which includes an incredible sculpting and lifting facial massage, exfoliation, extractions, and Czech’s serums, creams, and masks plus modalities like microcurrent, cryotherapy, radio frequency, and/or microneedling. Each facial finishes with rejuvenating LED light therapy and each esthetician is hands-on trained by Czech herself (Czech also does residencies)—amazing.

Set in the historic countryside of Franklin, just minutes from Nashville, Southall combines ancient therapies, the newest in tech, and a warm, personalized approach. They use only clean products, like Naturopathica and Seed to Skin, and they incorporate ingredients grown on their farm (just outside) into the treatments. A team of expert estheticians analyzes your skin to create a custom experience, no matter what your skin issue. And steam and sauna sessions—and/or dips in the mineral pool overlooking Lake Mishkin and the farm’s medicinal garden—are included with any service.

Located 21 stories above bustling downtown Nashville in the Joseph Hotel, the Rose Spa is all bleached oak, high ceilings, and neutral tones. We love the Touch of Luxe facial, which begins with a neck-and-shoulder massage with rose, birch rosemary, and mint oils, followed by a scalp massage that leads into a serious exfoliation, and ends with a firming lymphatic massage with rose quartz.

The Optimist has great seafood: Go for sprawling plates of oysters, shrimp, ceviche, fish dip, and lobster. On Fridays and Saturdays, the patio opens up for frozen cocktails and snack-sized raw bar dishes.

Chef Sean Brock’s the Continental is inspired by the history of glitzy hotel restaurants. Which informs the menu, which centers on classic luxury dishes: foie gras, lobster bisque, strip steak—you get it.

Zeitgeist hosts some of the city’s coolest contemporary art exhibitions.

Inside chef Sean Brock’s Continental, the Vesper Club offers one signature experience: an hour-long tasting menu of caviar and martinis.

The Fox has an extensive and inventive cocktail menu. Which could be intimidating, sure, but the bartenders here are pros: If you’re not sure what to pick, mention what you like in a drink—fruity, spicy, smoky?—and they’ll shake up something you’ll love.

Santo is great for date night—expect excellent service and perfect plates of beets, brothy mussels, and beef tartare.

By day, Roze Pony serves cortados, soufflé pancakes, and excellent sandwiches. In the evenings, order cocktails at the bar along with a plate of risotto or roast chicken and panzanella.