Catering to a wide range of ages, interests and activity levels, resorts provide a luxurious base of operations for your vacation and makes it easy for guests to design their own itineraries without having to hop a tour bus or even leave the property. Spa today, kayaking tomorrow, soaking up the sun or sitting in the cool shade each afternoon: It’s all available at these one-stop resorts, some of which offer all-inclusive packages.
Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa
Unwind at this Vero Beach resort on Florida’s east coast where one of the main attractions is a stretch of pristine beach a where you can curl up under a blue-and-white umbrella or palm tree. Extend the tranquility with head-to-toe services at the on-site C|Spa before pleasing the palette with locally sourced seafood and Cuban specialties in The Wave Kitchen overlooking the pool and beach. When you’re ready to move, hop on a paddleboard, boogieboard or kayak, or sign up for a wildlife tour to one of the area’s several nature preserves. Beyond the resort, explore Vero Beach’s art galleries, antique shops, outlets, farmers market and dog park.
Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa. $298 and up. 3244 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach, Florida. 772-562-9919, costadeste.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Windy Hill Farm and Preserve
Go back to nature in luxurious style at this 650-acre East Tennessee resort in Loudon County. Check into the recently opened lodge or settle into one of the nine private cabins with decks and floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the 100-year-old oak trees and Tennessee River. Quail hunting is a favorite activity, along with mountain biking, archery, axe throwing, kayaking, clay shooting and fishing. This working farm offers tours of its animals, beehives and gardens. Chef Ben Warwick harvests the farm’s produce for many of the ingredients served at breakfast, lunch and four-course dinners, included with each stay. Create your own garden-to-table dishes with a one-hour cooking class. Each evening winds down with firepits, board games and live music under the stars. Windy Hill Farm and Preserve. $499 and up. Breck Ellison Road, Loudon, Tennessee. 865-657-1700, windyhillfarmtn.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort
Since 1935, the King and Prince has been synonymous with gracious seaside vacationing. Today, as part of the National Register of Historic Places, guests can step back in time to enjoy many of the same attractions that laid the foundation for the resort: tennis, swimming in one of the three pools or golfing at the resort’s renowned course that winds through woods and salt marshes. Staying at the only island resort with direct beach access puts guests within a stroll of the Atlantic coastline. Rooms, suites and villas are outfitted with the latest amenities while keeping the influence of the original Mediterranean architecture. Seaside dining at Echo restaurant is infused with Georgia influences, from peach sangria to wild shrimp and other local catches. Beyond the resort, 17.5-square-mile St. Simons is ideal for biking, exploring wildlife habitats, fishing and visiting the iconic lighthouse.
King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort. $229 and up. 201 Arnold Road, St. Simons Island. 912-638-3631, kingandprince.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Lake Austin Spa Resort
Refocus on healthy living with a visit to Lake Austin Spa Resort in the Texas hill country, where the activities are designed to jumpstart or rejuvenate a commitment to being your best self. The daily calendar is crammed with yoga classes, floating meditation and gemstone treatments as well as time to get out on the lake with paddleboards, hydrobikes, rowing shells and kayaks. The Lake House spa features saunas, steam rooms, pools, hot tubs and cozy niches for savoring the serenity. Sign on for yoga, balance or strength sessions on the floating Boga mats in the pool or boards on the lake. Keep the momentum going at mealtime as the kitchen turns out healthy options such as beet salads, pan roasted salmon and organic roast turkey from locally sourced purveyors and the on-site organic garden. Meals and most activities are included in the stay.
Lake Austin Spa Resort. $595 and up. 1705 S. Quinlan Park Road, Austin, Texas. 800-847-5637, lakeaustin.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Stonewall Resort
Nestled among the 1,900 acres of Stonewall State Park, the Stonewall Resort in West Virginia offers an attractively priced getaway for families and groups. Prices begin at $139 per night for accommodations that include rooms in the rustic lodge, saltbox-style cottages and spacious lakeside houses with two to four bedrooms. Some lodge rooms are outfitted with kitchenettes; cottages and houses include fully equipped kitchens, living rooms, dining areas and laundry facilities. Guests can eat at the resort’s casual TJ Muskies Bar or the Stillwaters Restaurant, known for bountiful buffets each weekend and weeknight themes that focus on specific cuisines such as Italian or Appalachian. Along with a heated pool, hot tubs, fitness center, steam room, sauna, spa, coffee bar and patio fire pit, a main attraction is the 2,600-acre lake surrounded by 13 miles of hiking trails.
Stonewall Resort. $139 and up. 940 Resort Drive, Roanoke, West Virginia. 304-269-7400, stonewallresort.com
Credit: Photo by Rob O'Neal
Credit: Photo by Rob O'Neal
Sunset Key Cottages
A getaway to a luxury resort can be highly romantic, but put that resort on its own 27-acre island, and romance moves into the realm of magical. After a short ferry ride from Key West, visitors will find that experience in one of the Sunset Key Cottages, 40 private abodes with porches offering panoramic views of blue waters, white beaches and gardens of orchids, bougainvillea and palm trees. Each cottage has a kitchen, and the resort staff will take your supply order before arrival so you can focus on sharing a couple’s massage on the beach, curling up in a cozy hammock or taking a solitary stroll along the water. Fishing from the pier, tennis, volleyball and swimming are other pastimes. If cooking isn’t on your romantic list, head to Latitudes restaurant where the menu is based on locally sourced fish and seasonal fruits and produce.
Sunset Key Cottages. $1,159 and up. 245 Front St., Key West, Florida. 855-995-9799, opalcollection.com
Credit: Armando Del Vecchio
Credit: Armando Del Vecchio
Corcovado Wilderness Lodge
The journey to this eco-friendly resort in Costa Rica starts with a boat ride from Drake Bay Airport that passes through wetlands rife with birds, monkeys, crocodiles and dolphins. The resort itself, with just 30 accommodations, is surrounded by a pristine rainforest and 250,000 acres of the Corcovado National Park, part of the unspoiled Osa Peninsula that National Geographic has dubbed one of the most biologically intense places on the planet. The natural setting is supported by the resort’s eco-friendly policies and its partnership with Innoceana, a nonprofit marine conservation group. Guests can contribute to the area’s sustainability by tracking turtle and whale migrations, collecting water quality data and diving to explore the health of a coral reef.
Corcovado Wilderness Lodge. $439 and up. Puntarenas Province, Drake Bay, Costa Rica. 888-896-6097, scphotel.com/corcovado
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Hideaway at Royalton Saint Lucia
Leave the wallet in the room while staying at the Royalton’s adult-only, all-inclusive resort in St. Lucia. Whether it’s drinks in a beachfront cabana, fine dining in one of nine restaurants or taking a fitness class, it’s all part of the Hideaway experience. Check into one of 166 suites, many featuring in-room spa tubs and swim-up patios. Situated on a private cove, the resort boasts spectacular sunsets, an ideal end to a day of water sports, spa treatments or just lazing under a palm tree.
Hideaway at Royalton Saint Lucia. $552 and up. Gros Islet, 0, St. Lucia. +1 758-731-1000, royaltonresorts.com/resorts/hideaway-st-lucia
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Priedlhof
Rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit at Priedlhof, a luxury wellness escape tucked between the blue lakes and tall peaks of Italy’s Dolomites mountains in South Tyrol. The lush scenery provides the backdrop to the 71-room resort where guests can opt for nine different retreats led by holistic wellness experts and doctors. Among the amenities are 10 pools and whirlpools, two gyms, saunas, Turkish baths, outdoor massage lounges, a yoga pavilion and a med spa. Meals also play into the healthy mindset, featuring herbs from the kitchen garden, jams made with fruit from the resort’s orchards, honey from the on-site bee farm and wines from grapes grown on South Tyrol’s hillsides.
Preidlhof. $232 and up. San Zeno 13, 39025, Naturno BZ, South Tyrol, Italy. +39 0473 666 252, preidlhof.it
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita
Water is the star at this 52-acre resort 45 minutes from Puerto Vallarta. The casitas and villas put the blue Pacific waters just outside the windows, along with options such as full kitchens and movie theaters. Guests can also enjoy the water with a six-hour sail on the resort’s private yacht, a dive into the infinity pool or a balance exercise on floating yoga boards at the full-service spa. Beyond the beach lie tennis courts, a golf course and the flora and fauna of a natural jungle.
Four Seasons Resort Puna Mita. $1,160 and up. Punta Mita, Bahia de Banderas, Nayarit, 63734, Mexico. +52 329 291 600, fourseasons.com/puntamita
About the Author
