With tension around the upcoming presidential election thick in the air, most of us are vacillating somewhere between slightly uneasy and borderline insane. Which can only mean one thing: it’s time to book a vacation. A conflict-free, easy-on-the-soul, aesthetically pleasing, utopian vacation.
In the spirit of such unapologetic escapism, we’ve curated a few hotel stays to help you regulate, celebrate, or commiserate post-November 5, no matter what the outcome. Just find the mood that best suits your state of mind, grab your favorite cashmere wrap, throw in a few juicy novels, a couple of happy gummies, and get the hell out of town.
If your nerves are shot, and you’re fiending for a proper vacation, and you have very high standards, and kids, you know it’s hard to find that sweet spot—where sophisticated hotel’ing and kiddo-satisfaction co-exist. Until now. The Estates at Vidanta Riviera Maya is essentially a staffed luxury condo in the jungle, minutes from the beach, that comes with a butler, the option of a private chef, your own private plunge pools, VIP access to restaurants and beach clubs, and most importantly (for parents!) highly-vetted babysitting staff on call, and an enormous kids club called Joy Squad. Another parental pinch-me option lies a little further south at Banyan Tree Mayakoba, a sublime escape for families where kids can spend hours immersed at The Rangers Club making piñatas, taking Mexican cooking classes, and learning golf with the pros. Kids stay busy while parents stay chill.
With a ridiculously chic cliffside pool overlooking the hypnotic turquoise sea, The Rock House Turks Caicos, one of the Leading Hotels of the World, is the place to be for unwinding with high-end, boutique-y, Caribbean vibes. To be fair, all the Leading Hotels of the World will take very good care of you no matter what your current condition is, but this hotel gem is particularly chill, dreamy, and drama-free.
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Check into this artist’s studio, or something equally indulgent—but a bit more spacious—at the regal and moody The Fife Arms in Scotland where whisky is religion. The stunning highland destination is also giving serious Henry Muck of Industry energy, if you’re into that—and who isn’t?
You might not naturally associate Beverly Hills with purity and balance, but at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, happiness and health can easily be accessed, implemented, and locked into your life for good. At this consistently upbeat and upscale LA hotspot—where celebrity sightings are as frequent as Champagne pours—there are several programs in place to simply help guests in any way they can. In particular, to help their guests start feeling better emotionally, physically, and/or spiritually. Their new and improved spa menu includes an epic “Destress Surrender Massage,” which does exactly that; plus, the hotel is also home to Immortelle, an elevated healthcare group that offers impossible access to therapies and treatments all focussed—intensely—on “life optimization.” Yes. Please.
If you can’t feel good in Hawaii, the problem is probably you. However, at the stunningly pretty and genuinely reinvigorating 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay in Kauai, a protected natural wonder, there’s a legit Within Wellbeing program, which has customizable four- and seven-day wellness journeys in conjunction with the beloved Bamford Wellness Spa. Their god-sent healers use Native Hawaiian medicinal plants and other unique and organic touches to nourish the mind, body, and soul. The true meaning of bliss exists here. Get it.
Located above the village of Mystras on Greece’s lesser-known Peloponnese peninsula, Euphoria Retreat is a holistic spa that blends cutting-edge science with ancient Greek wisdom. Owned by Athens-born Marina Efraimoglou—once the first chairwoman of a Greek bank, whose own personal story of transformation powers the vision here—the award-winning spa fully lives up to its name.
Book a suite at the iconic Ritz-Carlton Central Park that comes with the Club Lounge—this means a free abundance of food, drinks, cocktails, and private club-like service for your entire stay. At the hotel’s La Prairie Spa, there’s a spa service (for 120 minutes!) where two therapists work on you. When you’re done living like an Upper East Side socialite with caviar problems, take a sharp left turn, download All Fours, and walk around CPS listening to Miranda July and not the current news. By the way, if you’re exclusively a downtown girl, follow the exact same instructions but do so at the damn-sexy Hotel Chelsea, where you’ll find the best hotel massage in town courtesy of the spa’s lead massage therapist, Silvia.
Sonoma wine country, which can sometimes feel too touristy, is remarkably relaxed during the fall and winter where you’ll find cozier, quieter, and most urgently—tipsier—vibes. At Montage Healdsburg specifically, you’ll find all the heart-warming comfort, nurture, and relaxation you’re looking for. No one exudes warm, generous hospitality like the Montage brand… and this property in particular really nails it. As far as wine, let the grapes do the heavy lifting. You can drink the hotel’s own delicious and new private wine label, Surveyor, while sitting beside the world’s most aspirational fire pits. Or, you can explore all the other vineyards that lovely Sonoma and Napa have to offer.
In recent years, East Coast skiers have been making their way to Windham Mountain in the Catskills, but only this year, with Windham Mountain Club (WMC)—emphasis on the word club—is there a way to visit, and shred, like a VIP. Members are guaranteed the best ski instructors, the best mountain food in Upstate New York, excellent spa options, several Italian Alps-inspired après-ski scenes, bougie and communal events, and exclusive, year-round, luxury amenities for private club members—all just a few hours north of New York City, where an Aspen-level ski culture has never existed before.
Get yourself to Jamaica—and more specifically, the very special Bluefields Bay Villas, a collection of six all-inclusive villas, situated on the cinematic coastline overlooking the ocean. Each villa—some designed for romance, some built for families, some perfect for friends—comes with sweeping views, private pools, and best of all, a dedicated butler, housekeeper, and chef. You can even buy out all the villas if that’s how you roll. One other excellent perk? Bluefields Bay guests can move through airport customs speedily with VIP entrance—because after everything we’ve all been through, you won’t want to wait another second to put your feet in the sand and exhale.