Travel Trend: Adults-Only Luxury Resort Vacations

THE PANDEMIC BROUGHT many families closer together, but even the tightest clans can squabble over Scrabble matches after one too many game nights. A surfeit of together-time is triggering a rise in demand for kid-free vacations, said Jack Ezon, founder of travel company Embark Beyond. Sixty-one percent of the summer trips that Embark Beyond booked this year were for adults only, compared with 48% in 2019. These grown-up escapes aren’t just for couples. Some are booked by groups of friends who want to travel together after many months of Zoom-only contact or individuals seeking solo sojourns. To help you plan your own immersion in maturity we’ve selected five resorts that offer decidedly grown-up diversions, from wining and dining to flopping down on a beach with a thick page-turner and uninterrupted nap time.

Sun, Sea, Spritz

One of the Amalfi coast’s most iconic hideaways, Il San Pietro (which welcomes ages 10 and up) is perched dramatically on a cliff edge. The rooms, carved into rocky hillsides, almost blend into the landscape, while the décor marries old-world elegance with Mediterranean chic. All 56 rooms open onto balconies with sea views. An elevator whisks guests down the cliff to the only private beach associated with a hotel in Positano. With an Aperol spritz in hand, stare at the sunset from the grand terrace. Its Michelin star Zass restaurant prepares local Mediterranean dishes like scampi tartare, with ingredients from its on-site organic gardens. From about $1150 a night, ilsanpietro.com

Big Sur’s Big Little Skies

The Post Ranch Inn stands 1,200 feet above the Pacific on the cliffs of Big Sur. Like the home at Green O, the inn’s 39 guest rooms bring to mind lavish treehouses, most built for two (no guests under age 18 allowed). The spa offers massages and private yoga and meditation classes. You can also book an astrology or shaman session. Or commune with the celestial spirits yourself by taking in the night sky—far from city lights, the hotel is a sublime place to stargaze. From approx. $1934 a night, postranchinn.com

Greek Squad

Canaves Oia Suites sit on top of a cliff on the Greek island of Santorini. A kid-free enclave (only ages 13 and up allowed) of Canaves Oia Resorts, the suites are housed in a whitewashed building facing the Santorini Caldera and the Aegean Sea. Verandas come with private pools and if you feel like mingling with the wider world, book a sailing tour or wander around the mazelike village of Oia admiring the Cycladic architecture. From about $1126 a night, canaves.com/canaves-oia-suites

A Glass Home on the Range

Dude ranches typically attract fidgety families but Montana’s Green O, a secluded part of the sprawling Paws Up Ranch, is a more grown-up approach to the great outdoors. Guests (ages 21 and up) stay in 12 sleekly modern, glass-walled homes. One of them, the Tree Haus, elevated at least 23 feet above ground, makes a sophisticated perch to spy on wildlife. Guests can indulge in spa treatments or more active pursuits, including fly-fishing and biking. From about $3787 a night, thegreeno.com

Bottle Up in Wine Country

South of France meets California at Napa Valley’s Auberge du Soleil resort, which only accepts guests age 16 and over. Sandstone-coloured buildings are set in groves of heritage olive and oak trees in the Rutherford hills, just off the winery-lined Silverado Trail. Fifty earth-tone rooms and suites offer cozy luxury, with gas fireplaces, soaking tubs and private terraces with valley or hillside views. Linger in the resort’s sculpture garden and dive into scallops and the extensive wine menu at the hotel’s Michelin-star restaurant. From approx $1690 a night, aubergeresorts.com

Well Versed

Need to shed some pandemic pounds or reboot your fitness routine? Sensei Lanai, a Four Seasons resort and wellness retreat on the Hawaiian island of Lanai, offers a range of personalized packages with different goals and tools. Sensei, which only permits guests age 16 and older, was founded by Oracle tech mogul Larry Ellison (owner of 98% of Lanai), with Dr. David Agus, a prominent cancer researcher. At the spa, slow down for meditation, or self-compassion sessions. Get active snorkelling, hiking or biking. At its Sensei by Nobu restaurant, the menu includes dishes created by the celebrity chef in collaboration with its nutritionists, such as desserts using monk fruit instead of sugar. Many ingredients are from an on-island sustainable farm. If your budget is especially vital, revitalize your life with its 30-day sabbatical program. Standard room rates from approx. $882 a night, fourseasons.com/sensei