Summer's not over yet. And because The Ryder Hotel never does anything halfway, Little Palm is serving up a vacation-themed cocktail, Liquid Vacation -- a frozen pina colada for two, served with a complimentary Vacation Classic Sunscreen -- encouraging guests to slip into a vacation state of mind while protecting their skin from the rays. It's like SPF meets happy hour by the pool.
Charleston doesn't do seasons the way the rest of America does. While New Yorkers are digging out their fall wardrobes, The Ryder Hotel is doubling down on summer with a partnership that helps us hang onto the season even longer: a Sunscreen Concierge service with cult sunscreen brand Vacation. (Yes, you read that right. There's someone whose job is to remind you to reapply SPF).
The Sunscreen Concierge service targets cabana guests at the hotel's pool, where you'll receive curated menus of Vacation's Instagram-famous products -- think the viral Chardonnay Oil that sells out faster than Taylor Swift tickets, plus their After Sun Gel for when things go sideways. Staff provide gentle nudges every 90 minutes so you can focus on the more fun things like....ordering the next libation.
But the real star is Liquid Vacation, a collaboration cocktail served at Little Palm, the hotel's poolside bar that transforms from breezy daytime cafe to lively evening hotspot. Amanda Phelps, Area Director of Beverage at The Ryder Hotel, cuts straight to the point: "We decided on a pina colada for this partnership because it literally tastes like a liquid vacation," she says. "It's tropical, semi-sweet and frozen, perfect vibes when visiting our poolside and Charleston." Going beyond a regular pina colada, this version features a three-rum blend for perfect balance and house-made coconut cream.
Charleston's unpredictable climate means summer can stretch well into October, then randomly resurface in January. "One day Charleston is in the 40s and the next it's in the 60s -- but it's always a vacation at Little Palm,'" says Phelps. While the Vacation partnership runs through September, the bar program leans into these ever-changing temperatures with strategic year-round summer drinks like the Easy Breezy -- Ford's Gin, Pisco, white grape, passion fruit and cucumber -- vacation insurance in liquid form.
The heated pool reinforces this endless-summer philosophy: a pastel paradise featuring plush sun loungers and gingham parasols that feels more like a retro Miami pool party than downtown Charleston. The funky-shaped oasis, anchored by a vibrant tropical palm mural by local artists Headspace Murals, happens to be one of the only hotel pools in the downtown area.
Just as Vacation's sunscreens smell like nostalgic summer memories, The Ryder's Palm Blossom cocktail delivers olfactory time travel through Grey Goose Vodka, jasmine, apricot, grapefruit and lychee soda -- capturing summer's essence through scent alone.