Groundhog Day the Better Way

Unlike Bill Murray’s endlessly looping 1993 day, there are some we could live in forever. A few we wouldn't mind repeating would find us amongst the world's best vineyards, taking in breathtaking European architecture, or surrounded by an endless supply of utterly delectable foods.

With Groundhog Day just around the corner, Booking.com, the world leader in connecting travellers with the widest choice of places to stay, has rounded up some of the best passion-matching destinations if you had to spend the same day over and over and over... and over.

For the Food Fanatic

Surely there are worse places to wake up day after day than in one of the world’s most famously delicious food destinations. Lyon, France, renowned for its gastronomical offerings and elegant, renaissance-era architecture, would be any food-lovers dream locale should they find themselves living one single day over and over. Numerous bouchons serving full-flavoured, local dishes, not to mention some of the world’s best wine, cheese, and charcuterie, would keep even the most seasoned foodie happy and full. Guests of Villa Florentine, a former convent, can find themselves enjoying the gourmet French modern cuisine of Les Terrasses de Lyon, the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant. Breakfast boasts fresh local produce served in your choice of the breakfast room, guest’s hotel room, on the terrace or in the bar.

For the Nature Aficionado

Imagine waking up each day surrounded by the beautiful wilderness of the tropics. Tortuguero, Costa Rica, would make the ideal destination for a nature lover to live their own personal Groundhog Day. One of the world’s most visually stunning jungle reserves, Tortuguero’s biodiversity is rich with more than 400 trees species and more than 2000 types of plants. Marine turtles travel hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles to the region to lay their eggs on the beaches. Tortuguero is aptly named as it translates to "Region of Turtles". On a riverbank’s edge surrounded by jungle, Tortuga Lodge & Gardens has one of Booking.com’s best-rated locations in Tortuguero. The lodge’s staff can arrange visits to nearby turtle nesting locations when in season.

For the Sports Fan 

Rated the top destination by Booking.com travellers who love sports, Melbourne, Australia, holds up to its reputation. Avid sports watchers and participants alike would be in their glee spending an endless number of days surrounded by football, cricket, soccer, basketball, rugby and more. Serviced Apartments Melbourne - Platinum, just an eight-minute drive from Albert Park Golf Course, provides plenty of opportunities for guests to get their muscles moving with an on-site fitness center, rooftop heated pool, sauna and hot tub. Some of Melbourne’s most popular sports facilities all within a ten-minute drive include Melbourne Cricket Ground, Etihad Stadium, Rod Laver Arena, and Hisense Arena.

For the History Buff 

History devotees from around the world are well aware of Rome, Italy’s historical significance. Classical, Renaissance and Baroque architecture make the European Union’s fourth-most populous city a staple of those with an eye for the majestic. The Colosseum, the Catacombs, Piazza del Campidoglio by Michelangelo, and numerous more astounding works of ancient art, could keep a keen history lover occupied for ages. Located in Piazza Navona in the centre of Rome, Rhea Silvia Luxury Navona would make the perfect Groundhog Day headquarters with Sant'Agostino, The Pantheon, and Campo de' Fiori all less than 1,000 feet away. Cap off another day of archival adventure with a historical documentary on the guesthouse’s Netflix-equipped TV.

For the Wine Worshiper 

Famed epicure and gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin once said “A meal without wine is like a day without sun". Any true wine enthusiast can tell you that this is accurate just as they can tell you that an ample supply of good wine would be a must were they to find themselves living the same day again and again. World-leading wine destination Stellenbosch, South Africa, would make an ideal setting for those of the grape-loving variety. Marianne Wine Estate, tucked aside manicured vineyards, orchards and gardens, is an award-winning boutique winery that would surely keep even the most discerning wine connoisseur’s palate satisfied.