AKA Hotels + Hotel Residences, specializing in luxury long-stay residences and has relaunched of its experiential program Live It! Spanning nine cities and featuring curated activities, AKA has partnered with tastemakers and local brands to offer experiences that highlight the community and cultural aspects of travel including design, art, wellness, and food.

“As AKA continues to evolve, we are breathing new life into the Live It! program by collaborating with new tastemakers within our communities. Our goal is to provide one-of-a-kind experiences that immerse our guests in the destinations they visit, whether they stay with AKA for a few days, weeks, or longer,” explains Larry Korman, CEO of AKA. “We initially conceived this program to encourage and inspire residents to immerse themselves in local destinations and enrich their lives while away from home. Whether it’s sailing tours in Boston, or distinctive culinary adventures such as a blind wine tasting experience in Miami, we strive to offer enjoyable options for every guest to authentically embrace the spirit of our cities and maximize their time away from home.”

Originally created in 2010, AKA’s  Live It! program offers specially curated opportunities for guests to tour and experience new cities, pursue unexplored passions, and develop new skills to create  enriching memories during their stay at an AKA property. Ranging from culinary arts, cultural excursions, fitness tours, and more, Live It! varies across the brand’s  properties and is tailored to each destination to help guests fuel their ambitions and encourage guests to make the most of their time away from home.

Select highlights of the program include:

Culinary Arts

·      North End Food Tours: At Hotel AKA Boston Common and Hotel AKA Back Bay, guests can experience culinary delights like never before, with Secret Food Tours. During this gastronomic journey through the heart of the city, guests will be led on a three-and-a-half-hour journey with six stops by their knowledgeable guide who will leave you with a deeper connection to the city’s flavors and history.

·      Blind Wine Tasting Experience: Guests staying at Hotel AKA Brickell can opt in for a Blind Wine tasting experience with Blake Micheletto, Adrift Mare’s Head Sommelier. Guests will learn to taste like a pro and uncover the secrets Master Sommeliers use to accurately identify wines based solely on taste.

Fitness + Wellness

· Shamanic Healing Herbal Massage Experience: Relax and rejuvenate at Hotel AKA Brickell with the Shamanic Healing Herbal Massage Treatment from Leaf Spa which combines shamanic practices, a massage, and herbal remedies to restore balance and vitality. Guests embark on a healing journey through a shamanic reading, followed by a cleansing ritual and more to promote rejuvenation, emotional release, and full mind and body relaxation.  

·      On-Demand Lullaby: For guests struggling to sleep, AKA Rittenhouse Square and University City offer a unique self-care tool for better sleep + stress reduction with private sound therapy treatments led by Sound Therapy Practitioner Luna Maye.  Working together with Luna, residents can discover how this cellular massage of sound can be the key to a great night’s sleep alongside lasting effects of stress reduction + increased inspiration.

Sustainability

·      LA’s Surfrider Foundation: For guests exploring the West Coast at AKA Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, AKA has partnered with the Surfrider Foundation Los Angeles, allowing guests to immerse themselves into powerful activist work by joining a group or going solo and experiencing Surfrider’s Beach in a Box program, where volunteers can organize their own beach cleanup to help save the planet.

Art, Design & Culture

·      Luxury Beach Experiences with Bliss Beach: Enjoy the perfect beach day with Bliss Beach, whether it’s a photo-worthy Beach Picnic waiting on the sand for an unforgettable brunch, lunch or a sunset dinner, or kicking your feet up in the famous Safari Room – a living room built just for you with a shade canopy, sling chairs, daybeds and more. Residents can enhance their experience even more by learning how to style a cheese and charcuterie board with TYSM, creating stunning seasonal flower arrangements with Viola Floral, or mastering the art of sandcastle building – all exclusive to AKA guests.

·      Torpedo Factory Tour: Guests visiting Old Town Alexandria can take advantage of a private tour of Torpedo Factory Art Center, an iconic establishment which now hosts the nation’s largest collection of working artists’ open studios under one roof.

·      All Access Fotografiska Experience: NYC guests can explore the arts in a stunning six-story Renaissance Revival landmark, Fotografiska, which features a rotating gallery of “mind-expanding photography” spanning five floors and consists of exclusive unveilings and immersive events. The intimate experience also includes welcome cocktails and priority reservations at Bar Veronika or Fotografiska’s tucked away speakeasy, Chapel Bar.

A full list of Live It! experiences can be found here: https://www.stayaka.com/live-it.