The Best Racecourse Venues and Hotels around the World
All true racing aficionados know that nothing compares to actually being at a race. 3D television is all well and good, and it must be said that these days the coverage is phenomenal; but it can never quite put across the atmosphere of the racecourse itself when it’s just bursting with excitement and every spectator, rider, horse, man, woman and child is full of adrenalin!
The inevitable question then is… which racecourses are the best, and perhaps just as importantly (though often overlooked), which neighbouring hotels offer the best stay? After all, if you’re travelling a long way, you want the hotel to match the standard of the course and the hospitality to be equally high in the hotel room as it is at the race itself.
Well in the UK, a very noteworthy course and hotel pairing is Ascot and Coworth Park. Part of the Dorchester Collection, Coworth Park is an exquisite hotel that goes in for traditional English style with a modern twist. At roughly 2.8 miles from Ascot Racecourse, the handsome white hotel building stands proudly at the end of beautiful lawns. Inside, the décor is the kind that really makes an impact. In fact it’s the sort of hotel stay that will inspire you when you return home to inject a little more grandeur into your own abode with investments such as a luxurious super king bed frame and beautiful art works.
Across the Atlantic, the Kentucky Derby is perhaps the most well-known of America’s races. As the climax of the Kentucky Derby Festival, held at Churchill Downs, it’s always a race to get very excited about. A stay at The Brown Hotel is a fantastic way to do this one. At 3 miles from the course it isn’t the closest of the bunch, but the quality of the hotel more than makes up for this. Fast closing in on a century of Louisville hospitality, The Brown Hotel never fails to impress with its elegant interiors and all-American charm.
Finally we look to Dubai, which boasts the world’s first five-star trackside hotel. The Meydan Racecourse, which plays host to the prestigious Dubai World Cup, has attached to it the Meydan Hotel. This hotel is as glamorous as one would imagine a top Dubai venue to be, with the emphasis here being very much on luxury. No expense has been spared to provide an amazing experience for the visitor. This is really no surprise given that the Dubai World Cup can officially call itself “the world’s richest horse race” and the typical spectator will expect nothing but the best. The dining at the Meydan Hotel is also world-class, with seven options to cater for all tastes, including those in need of some calming fare after a hard day at the races!
So there you have it- the low-down on the best racecourse and hotel pairings on offer. You see… there’s a reason that horse-racing and hospitality go hand in hand.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.