Top Car Hotels Every Enthusiast Should Experience
If you are a car enthusiast there is no doubt you’ve had to stay at a hotel while attending an out of town car meet, event or race. But what if your hotel stay was part of the experience?
These five hotels here in the US are the ultimate stays for car enthusiasts. More than just a hotel near a great drive or a car event, we are talking about the hotel being for part of the attraction. These are a few of our favorites and they are bad ass.
The Daytona, Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel – Daytona Beach, Florida
One of the most iconic race tracks in America has also built itself into an entire destination. Even when there isn’t a race at Daytona Motor Speedway this area has built itself into a year round mecca for car and racing enthusiasts. There are attractions, driving experiences and museums on the campus. So it stands to reason that eventually hotels would be built nearby. But this is no ordinary Marriott or Hilton.
The Daytona is a car enthusiasts dream. From the minute you walk into the lobby cars, motorcycles and racing are everywhere. Even the restaurant features motorcycles and Daytona badging on the walls and in-between the seats. Premium rooms offer views of the track and the surrounding restaurants.
Gateway Canyons Resort and Spa – Gateway, Colorado
What do you get when you mixed natural beauty of the mountains of western Colorado with a car lovers paradise? You get the Gateway Canyon’s Resort and Spa. A truly amazing resort with everything you’d expect from western Colorado: great views, luxury accommodations and pampering spa.
However, what puts this hotel on our list is that its made for car lovers. It features an onsite car museum, the Gateway Auto Museum. Capturing over 100 years of automotive history and part of the private Hendrick collection. Needless to say you won’t find to many hotels like this.
While you don’t have to stay at the resort in order to visit the museum, we’d definitely recommend it. Gateway Canyons is near some great off-roading experiences. If you flew to Colorado and don’t have a vehicle to go off roading with, not to worry the resort can help arrange tour on side by sides or Jeeps.
In addition to the museum and off-roading excursions, there is a hiking, ranch, sports shooting and winery tours.
Kimpton Overland Hotel – Atlanta, GA
If you build a luxury hotel next to the Porsche Experience Center it’s a safe bet you are going to wind up on this list. And Kimpton did. However, the Kimpton Overland Hotel is such much more than just next door at the Porsche Experience Center. It’s a complete part of the experience.
The Kimpton Overland Hotel is clearly the a Porsche lovers dream. Located literally next door, you can walk to the Porsche Experience Center which is located in Porsche’s North American HQ. In addition premium rooms with views of the Porsche Experience Center track, the Kimpton Pool Deck and Bar also overlook PEC.
The Porsche North American Headquarters also features a Porsche Museum, Porsche Simulators, a Porsche store and a Porsche classic car restoration center. The PEC Porsche store is the only place in the US you can get Porsche Design and Porsche classic retail items in a single location.
Both the Porsche Experience Center and the Kimpton Overland are located right next to the worlds busiest airport in Atlanta. So whether you are looking over the balcony at PEC or out the window of your track view room you’ll also enjoy the endless view of plans taking off and landing. You know, if you are into that sort of thing.
In addition to all of this there is a Porsche Design store right in the lobby of the hotel. And all of the hotels courtesy vehicles are Porsches as well. Of course you’ll also see some amazing cars in the parking lot of the hotel and PEC as well.
Detroit Marriott At The Renaissance Center – Detroit, MI
The Detroit Marriott At The Renaissance Center is the second hotel that is co-located within a car manufactures headquarters. This one happens to be GM. So if your thing is Corvettes and Camaro’s and classic American cars you’ll love this hotel.
Also, the Detriot Marriott is also an amazing hotel even outside of it’s car centric nature. It’s the tallest hotel in the US and among the tallest hotels in the world. This means amazing views of Detroit, Windsor Canada and the surrounding area from as much as 750 feet.
For car lovers though the best part is GM World. Part of GM’s headquarters, GM World features a display a current and classic GM cars. In addition to the GM World display there are numerous shops selling classic and modern GM merchandise. There is even a store that features items such as bags, purses and clothes made of the parts of old cars.
The Lodge At VIR – Danville, VA
A luxury hotel and villas that are literally on a race track? For a car enthusiast or racing fan it may not get much better than that. The hotel and villas are attached to the iconic Virginia International Raceway.
Lodging at VIR is technically broken up into three different types of accommodations. They are:
- The Lodge at VIR
- Pit Lane Rooms
- The Villas at South Bend
The Lodge features 27 rooms that feel much like a traditional hotel room. Views of the race track from the balcony are impressive.
Pit Lane rooms are just as they sound. 18 rooms that feel much like a traditional hotel room right on pit lane. Walk out onto a shared balcony and overlook all of the action on the track.
The Villas At South Bend are a collection of seven 2 level townhomes that include a garage and private balcony that overlooks the essess at VIR.
VIR lodging is available during most events at VIR, even if you are not participating. But we wouldn’t recommend coming all the way to VIR just to watch. VIR offers dozens of ways to get on track with your own car or others.
