March is Women’s History Month – a time to (extra) celebrate the accomplishments of our leading ladies. From tours through wine country to dedicated suites, here are inspiring destinations to visit that pay homage to female powerhouses, plus a shoutout to our favorite fearless females.

Female-Focused Suites

Portofino, Italy

Celebrating the iconic 1950s era that defined Portofino’s glamorous past, Splendido Mare, a Belmond property dedicated the penthouse suite to Ava Gardner, as a nod to her stay at the guest house while filming Barefoot Contessa in 1954. Following its complete renovation 2021, the redesigned suite spans the entire top floor of the seaside retreat and features subtle references to the actress in the décor: original vintage photographs of Ava in the artwork selection and coffee table books that relate to her.

Nantucket, MA

Throughout the 1800s, Nantucket was home to more history-making women than anywhere else in the country. At the time, American women could not vote, own property or access higher education. Whaling, the island’s isolated location and Quakerism all played a role in championing women’s rights. As a nod to the island’s history-making females, for suites at the Jared Coffin House, a former whaling merchant’s home, were named after an influential woman from Nantucket. Anna Gardner was instrumental in calling an anti-slavery meeting in 1841 during which Frederick Douglass gave his first speech as an abolitionist speaker. Lucretia Coffin Mott participated in the country’s first meeting about women’s rights in 1848. Maria Mitchell is the first professional female astronomer who opened her own school in 1835 that was desegregated, a controversial move at the time. Mary Coffin Starbuck is recognized for bringing Quakerism to Nantucket in the early 1700s and she ran a trading post that served as the island’s commercial center. The Jared Coffin House is open year-round. Rates start at $145 per night.

Scotland

The Fife Arms, the 19th century hunting lodge in Braemaer Scotland owned by art industry power couple Iwan and Manuela Wirth (of Hauser and Wirth), is inspired by Queen Victoria. The property is just up the road from Balmoral Castle, the residence of the Royal Family. Queen Victoria put Braemar on the map when she purchased Balmoral in 1852 and pioneered fresh air holidays in the destination. Rooms and suites are inspired by some of Braemar’s most noble visitors, including Queen Victoria herself as well as poets Nan Shepard and Marion Angus, Doctor Elsie Inglis, fashion magazine editor Frances Farquharson, and Princesses Louise and Frances Dolgorouki. Each room is a celebration of their involvement in the expansion of Braemar as a destination for visitors around the world.

Women-Led Experiences

Napa Valley, CA

Visit Napa Valley in partnership with West Wine Tours offers the “Women in Wine Country” tasting tour. The privately guided experience brings groups of up to six guests through the vines of Napa Valley in an Instagram-worthy vintage Volkswagen bus. The journey includes three wineries with women winemakers at the helm. Stops include St. Clair Brown Winery & Brewery by Elaine St. Clair, who is the only woman in the U.S. to hold the commercial title of both winemaker and brewer; and Fantesca Estate & Winery by Heidi Barrett, who is known as “The First Lady of Wine” and is behind California’s most notable cult wines, such as Screaming Eagle. The final stop is Crocker & Starr, owned by founding winemaker, Pam Starr. With a career spanning four decades, she is celebrated for her Sauvignon Blanc and sustainable farming practices. Each stop will include a tasting experience and guests may even get a behind-the-scenes sneak peek with the winemakers themselves. Private transportation for up to six guests, including a driver and lunch costs $650 per bus. Tasting experiences are an additional $240 per person. For more information, visit: https://www.westwinetours.com

Scotland

The Fife Arms in the Scottish Highlands recently lifted the veil on a new whisky bar, Bertie’s. The bar offers 365 whiskies from Scotland and around the world, curated by flavor profile: Fragrant, Fruity, Rich and Smoky. Whisky Ambassador Katy Fennema leads experiences such as flights, tastings, and tours of local distilleries. Fennema is also a consultant for the Edinburgh Whisky Academy. Fun fact: women now account for 30-40% of consumers of whisky.

Who Runs the World? Girls!

Tessa Hempson… is the marine scientist and program manager behind andBeyond’s Ocean Without Borders project in East Africa. Tessa has spent her career exploring and studying oceans around the world, having worked as a helicopter underwater evacuation instructor for the Australian Defense Force; a conservation manager for the Sustainable Seas Trust (SST); and a researcher on the Aldabra Atoll World Heritage Site in the Seychelles. Guests of andBeyond’s three island lodges in Mozambique and Zanzibar can join Tessa in conservation experiences like fish tagging, measuring and monitoring reef systems in the Indian Ocean.

Florence Kuyper …is an expedition leader and naturalist guide on PONANT’s new Le Commandant Charcot. A self-proclaimed polar fanatic, she spends much of the year in 24-hour daylight, splitting her time between navigating the icy waters in the Arctic and Antarctica. But she’s not averse to a bit of heat. She also once crossed the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, walking almost 800 miles alongside a camel caravan. In addition to leading almost 100 expeditions to the poles, Kuyper also spent five months as a base leader in Port Lockroy, a British station on the Antarctic peninsula. Guests can join her on expeditions that explore Peter I Island - where fewer people have visited than the moon, and Charcot Island - located in the Southern Ocean, which is covered in ice for most of the year making it difficult to reach and practically unexplored.

Bernie Gallagher…is Chairman of The Doyle Collection, the family-owned, Irish hotel group with properties in Dublin, London, Cork, Bristol, and Washington, DC. In additional to being meticulously detail-orientated in the running of each hotel, she is passionate about supporting and uplifting women. She spearheads the group’s annual initiative to support women in business by offering complimentary professional headshots in each of their city locations. Often securing a professional profile shot often falls to the wayside. The Doyle Collection is inviting women to book a slot with a professional female photographer, who will ensure they are comfortable within the stylish hotel surroundings, and each will receive a digital headshot that can be used as a valuable marketing tool – whether it be for website, social media, LinkedIn profiles or press outreach. (In Washington, DC, this will take place on March 8 at The Dupont Circle hotel.)

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