It's no secret that there are a lot of us who don't want to let our carefully curated health and fitness routines slip while we're traveling. But on the other hand, the last thing any of us wants to do is run on a treadmill inside a hotel gym—regardless of the view.
Lucky for us, from Tucson to Tuscany, the world of luxury travel is on a health kick. Many of our hotel and resort partners have created custom trail maps, distinctive hiking trails, curated biking routes and local guides that provide one-of-a-kind, creative, thoughtful, healthy activity options that showcase their destination’s sense of place while giving guests a fun and engaging way to stay healthy and active.
Skylark set out to find the best of the best. Here are our favorite custom-made guides and curated routes from the top properties around the globe. We'll see you on the trail!
We get it—thinking about Spring Break right now, when holiday travel has barely begun, seems bizarre. But we guarantee that once you spend a few days escaping the early-winter blues, you’ll start thinking about your next sun-soaked getaway—and you’ll be glad if those March plans were already in place. That’s why we’ve identified a few places that, if you book now, will bring that enviable combo of higher temperatures and lower rates. Whether your Spring Break involves kids or not, here are a few places to consider.
Hurricanes Irma, Jose and Maria wreaked havoc on the Caribbean and Florida, and many of the top resorts in the region remain closed (see our updated list for the latest status). One indirect result is that other sun-and-sand destinations are busier than ever, as travelers whose plans were thwarted by the storm are now looking to book elsewhere.
That’s especially true for the weeks around Christmas and New Year’s, always the most popular time of year to visit the tropics. If you haven’t made plans for a holiday trip, NOW is the time to do it! Our list of places that remain unaffected by the hurricanes is below, along with information on availability for the “Festive” season.
As Florida and the Caribbean recover from the one-two punch of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, we want to keep our members up to date on the status of our many hotel partners. The list below represents the latest reports we have received, but information is subject to change. If you have questions about a specific property, please get in touch.
We will keep updating this post as news continues to come in.
When the air gets crisp and the leaves start to turn, point your bow towards Nantucket. Why visit the Little Grey Lady in the fall? The weather on the island during September and October is on the pleasant side of perfect—and because school’s started and the crowds have gone home, the beach is close to being all yours.
September 1 is a day every travel agent has circled on their calendars. That’s because it’s the day deposits are usually due for holiday bookings—and the day that many people change their minds and cancel their plans. That means a whole lot of space opens up tomorrow. This year, why not give yourself an early Christmas gift and book your holiday vacation far in advance. It saves you an enormous amount of money and grief—and you can actually get what you want.
Over the course of two decades, Miraval, the wellness retreat outside Tucson, Arizona, has become synonymous with mindfulness. It’s the place to go when you want to eat better, breathe better, feel better. And while that’s true, the resort, located on 400 acres of cactus and canyonland in the remote foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, may not be quite what you expect. We broke down the preconceptions:
When was the last time you were impressed by a mint on the pillow? Yeah, we can’t remember either. Not that we’re complaining: High-end hotels have been engaged in something of an amenities arms race for years, with guests ending up the winners. We’ve all come to expect—and usually receive—niceties like flat-screen TVs, crisp duvets, multiple charging ports and high-end bath products. That’s why we’ve created the Skylark Originals: a list of innovative amenities that show a spark of creativity or thoughtfulness, and special experiences that bring a destination to life in a new way. Along the way, we also discovered airlines, airports, and apps that made us feel like V-VIP’s, so we included those, too. Hats off to them and the other travel providers that are Making Amenities Great Again!
“The time has come,” the Walrus said to the Carpenter in Lewis Carroll’s famous rhyme, as they prepared to dig into a small fleet of innocent, unsuspecting oysters. But to us, it’s never _not _a good time to feast on a platter of freshly shucked marine morsels, especially when we’re on or near the shore. So, just in time for National Oyster Day, August 5, here are some of our favorite spots to slurp.