Zoom school gets an upgrade at these ten hotels.
This article was originally posted to Virtuoso.com
Virtual school may not be everyone’s ideal situation, but it does present a rare opportunity – for those families who feel comfortable – to visit places when they were previously off-limits because of school schedules. Recognizing this opportunity to be more than just a vacation destination, hotels and resorts are reinventing their offerings to turn guest rooms and kids’ clubs into remote schools and offices. Demand for remote-learning options is trending up, says Jack Ezon, a Virtuoso agency executive: “We’re seeing a tremendous increase in requests from clients hoping to take advantage of this opportunity and looking to move into a destination for one, two, three, or even six months.”
If recess on Vail Mountain or Spanish lessons with native speakers on Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit sound like a dream, these Virtuoso properties have a curriculum for you.
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita
In Mexico, Four Seasons’ new Knowledge for All Seasons program brings a five-star learning experience to the lush Pacific coast. Guests can expect 24/7 tech support, a poolside Screen Doctor who cleans laptop screens and hands out lap pads for poolside learning, study buddies, dedicated study cabanas, and Mexican cultural “extracurricular” experiences. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $100 dining credit.
Take Zoom calls from your suite’s private balcony at Eden Roc Cap Cana.
Eden Roc Cap Cana
This 60-room Dominican Republic resort’s new Family Staycation experience (for travelers looking to stay for at least 30 nights) includes accommodations in a two-bedroom beachfront suite, plus unlimited Spanish and piano lessons for kids. Eden Roc’s other age-appropriate downtime diversions include beach volleyball games, kayaking excursions, and cooking classes. Virtuoso travelers receive private round-trip airport transfers, breakfast daily, a complimentary 30-minute massage for two, and a $100 dining credit.
The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch
At this luxe Rocky Mountain Ritz-Carlton outpost, P.E. gets a mountaintop upgrade via daily hikes led by the 180-room resort’s resident naturalist. Come winter, guests will have their own dedicated gondola for easy ski in/ski out access to nearby Beaver Creek – lunchtime run, anyone? For extended stays, settle in at one the resort’s private residences, which vary in size from one to four bedrooms and come equipped with full kitchens and access to all hotel amenities. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $100 resort credit.
Zip-lining in Belize’s Maya Mountains near Turtle Inn.
Turtle Inn
Students age 6-18 will spend three-to-four hours “in class” every day at this 25-room oceanfront retreat in Belize. The immersive, locally inspired experiences are part of the “Coppola Curriculums” offered at all the Coppola Family properties around the globe. At Turtle Inn – which will reopen on November 1 – the lesson plan includes Spanish and Maya history classes; birding, fishing, and scuba diving excursions; and tortilla-making sessions. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $100 activity credit.
The Lodge at Blue Sky
Auberge Resorts partnered with education-counseling company Advantage Testing to create customized tutoring and remote-learning support programs for school-age guests at its hotels and resorts around the globe, including at Utah’s 46-room Lodge at Blue Sky. Once Zoom school is complete, families can fill in the remaining hours with some horseback riding, fishing, or hiking. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $100 hotel credit.
Montage Resorts
All of Montage’s properties in the U.S. and Mexico (including Deer Valley, Palmetto Bluff, Laguna Beach, and Los Cabos) have recently introduced Montage Academy programming, which includes weekday access to an all-day monitored study hall with snacks and lunch included. (Trust us: These are no cafeteria-style meals.) Working parents will love the tech support from Montage’s IT Support Team, as well as the post-Zoom-marathon stretching and movement sessions at Spa Montage. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and other resort and dining credits – check with a Virtuoso advisor for details.
Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal
Families can turn Los Cabos into their new remote school and work outpost at one of the 115-room resort’s luxe villas, complete with three bedrooms, a full kitchen, a private plunge pool, and dedicated butler service. The resort’s Spanish Baja Cultural Immersion program is a great extracurricular, offering guests a deep dive into Baja culture with customized private itineraries and Spanish language lessons for all ages. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $150 resort credit.
Contact me, your Virtuoso Travel Advisor to plan your next trip!