A glamorous tented camp in northern Thailand set on a rescued elephant sanctuary. Marlon Brando’s own island in Tahiti. A former summer hideaway for the Rockefeller family poised on a lake in upstate New York. A chic eco-hotel in Peru set amid the high-altitude Sacred Valley. A cliff hung romantic retreat in Big Sur, shaded by ancient redwoods. A safari lodge in Kenya where Out of Africa was filmed. A ranch in Montana with contemporary treehouse suites beneath the big sky.
What could possibly connect these alluring upscale destinations? Are you sitting down? Each one offers all-inclusive pricing, freeing you from worrying about pesky details during your stay, proffering tons of complimentary things to do, promising first-class food and drink and guaranteeing five-star service, shelter and amenities. While all-inclusives at this tier can’t be called inexpensive, travelers will experience abundance and pampering and will return home sated, refreshed and bursting with treasured memories. Ready to go? Here are 12 of our favorites.
Photos provided courtesy of each venue.
The Green O, Montana
Secluded in a meadow-y alcove beneath a canopy of trees like a hidden elves’ village, diminutive the green o, by the founders of upscale dude ranch The Resort at Paws Up, is the sort of place that makes guests want to wax poetic a la John Muir (the father of the our national park system), rephrasing his words to fit the mood of this unique hideaway and its 12 design-forward, fairytale-like accommodations. “The green o is calling and I must go,” you’ll likely say (with apologies to Muir) to the surrounding forest, hearing your voice echo through 37,000 acres of Montana wilderness that comprise the Paws Up enclave. Eco-conscious and standalone, the suites (called hauses) take on different shapes, each fusing with nature via large windows that bring in the view. With its own restaurant, the green o invites guests to partake of a vast array of activities from horseback riding to snow shoeing to art classes in season. The Green O, thegreeno.com.
The Brando, Tahiti
Marlon Brando fell in love at first sight with the small atoll of Tetiaroa. For him, it had an almost medicinal calming effect—something that he wanted to share first with a handful of his Hollywood peers, then later with the public at large. Envisioned to honor the land and keep it unspoiled, the still undeveloped paradise celebrates the pursuit of stillness, the majesty of raw nature and the glory of Tahitian culture. Woven into secluded nooks amongst the pandanus and coconut trees, just 35 thatched beachfront villas beckon, each authentically—but comfortably—appointed. LEED Platinum certified and carbon neutral, The Brando leads the way to embrace sustainability using solar power, seawater air-conditioning, organic pest control and gardening, as well as a variety of other renewable power methodologies. Spend days at your private pool, enjoying water sports in the ocean, taking custom boat tours or learning about Polynesian culture—among other options. Grab a bar stool at Bob’s Bar, Marlon’s original tiki beach bar, to sip a Dirty Old Bob, Marlon’s favorite cocktail. The Brando, thebrando.com.
AmaWaterways, Around the World
Most people expect a cruise to contain both a gluttony of included items, as well as a final bill sticker shock of trickery of extras. Some cruises do the bare minimum in the most base level way. Not so with AmaWaterways, which puts the “p” in posh cruising. A luxury river cruise line exalted for its top-of-class curated experience throughout Europe, Asia and Africa, Ama offers itineraries as electrifying as sails on the Nile River to view the pyramids and sphinx, safari river cruises down the Chobe River in Africa, or wine and music themed trips on Europe’s Danube. Locally inspired meals, on board experts (think genealogists and sommeliers) and unforgettable off ship outings seal the deal. AmaWaterways, amawaterways.com.
The Point, New York
Truffled popcorn or hot, just baked chocolate chip cookies at midnight? Happy Hour on a jaunty boat cruise in summer? Champagne bars hidden in corners, closets—even atop an icy lake? Tuxedos at night worn in rooms where the Rockefeller family dined with their friends the Astors and Vanderbilts in similar attire? That’s the vibe at The Point, North America’s first Relais and Châteaux hotel. Positioned lakefront on mirror-like Upper Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks, this summer home of the Rockefeller clan was built as a Great Camp. With a quixotic log mansion and 11 distinct guest rooms knitted into four original buildings, including a boathouse, The Point specializes in conjuring and replicating that 19th-century sensibility of “roughing it” with the helpful padding of unfettered opulence. Make like a Jazz Age reveler and enjoy combating the outdoors with ice skates or hiking boots in season, but always with a drink in your hand. Since 2016, The Point has been owned and thoughtfully cared for and beautifully enhanced under the ownership of Pierre Lapeyre, Jr., a long-time New Orleans family, and his wife, Laurie who now reside in New York. The Point, New York, thepointresort.com.
Alila Ventana Big Sur, California
The television series Mad Men’s finale put Big Sur into the vernacular for a new generation of travelers. But, the region’s been a draw for eons—long before Esalen tinkered with hippie-inspired light seeking and heart opening. Just ask the 600-year-old giant redwood trees that thrive along this rugged Atlantic coastline in northern California. They’re the true prize of renowned Highway 1. Centuries old, stretching to the sky, the trees have been watching over this forest-scape for hundreds of years. Recreated on the grounds of a bygone, laid-back hotel for Hollywood glitterati, wedged into the redwood forest, Alila Ventana Big Sur upped the opulent ante. They’ve turned the former retreat into an adults-only transformative bolthole, one of North America’s most gratifying hotels. Stay for the gastronomic fare, the plethora of activities from nature hikes to astrology readings to meditation, the spa, the onsen pools, and the mindfully curated suites—each equipped with notable amenities, such as rugged walking sticks, binoculars, and pens made from fallen tree branches. Alila Ventana Big Sur, ventanabigsur.com.
Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, Thailand
Remotely located in northern Thailand on the Ruak River within a bamboo jungle, fringed by tea fields, Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle feels dreamily exotic and fanciful. On a rescued elephant sanctuary, it conveys travelers to an almost storybook sphere of rugged luxury. Kitted out with artifacts and furnishings that reflect both the region and the imagined era of foregone explorers, the suites coddle with immense soaking tubs, overstuffed chairs, telescopes, Turkish fabrics, local artwork, lavish beds and antique accoutrements. You’ll arrive to the resort by boat, then be led through the purposefully rambling property, a joy of winding pathways and bridges, including an Indiana Jones-reminiscent suspension bridge that swings over a ravine. A pool and spa tempt, but you’ll relish time with the elephants—feeding them, caring for them and connecting. Imbibe at the Burma Bar, whimsically adorned with vintage flourishes, and sporting outstanding vistas. Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, fourseasons.com/goldentriangle/.
Grand Velas Los Cabos
Sometimes you just want a margarita—in Mexico! But you’ve heard about those Mexican all-inclusives: hard beds, broken air conditioning, generic food and watered-down drinks. Enter a whole other type of all-inclusive in Mexico: Grand Velas Los Cabos—rated Forbes 5-star, the first and only all-inclusive resort in Mexico to receive such prestigious acclaim. The brainchild of Mexican jet setters who wanted to create an all-inclusive that was worthy of their peerless expectations and high standards, the Grand Velas brand, with several hotels across Mexico, continues to impress across the board. On the Baja Peninsula, this stunning hotel struts its stuff on a blue flag beach between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. Check in begins with a glass of Veuve Clicquot and the love only gets stronger throughout your stay. From plunge pools to a restaurant helmed by a Michelin starred chef to a slew of complimentary activities, butlers and a colossal, yet tranquil spa, this resort lives out Calderón de La Barca’s quote: La Vida Es Sueño: Life is a Dream. Grand Velas Los Cabos, loscabos.grandvelas.com.
Guana Island, British Virgin Islands
Easily possible fodder for something written by Robert Louis Stevenson, this treasure of an island encompasses 850 acres of paradise with space for only 32 guests to share the largesse—including seven pristine beaches. Like a most enchanted shipwreck fantasy, accented by lavish touches of course, the island feels uninhabited, with honor bars tempting day drinking and kayaks urging you to work off lunch. Invisible staff scurry in at just the right time to refresh, renew and retool—as needed. Honoring a long-held drinks before dinner tradition, Guana invites all guests to mingle before dinner, sharing tidbits about their day and perhaps making friends for life. Brimming with hiking trails edged with an astonishing array of plant life for such a small island, Guana also screens films at night at an outdoor movie theater. Enjoy knowing that Guana Island reigns as a sustainable eden with an organic farm and orchard, a rigorous wildlife conservation program and a commitment to eco-conscious tourism. Guana Island, guana.com.
Sheldon Chalet, Alaska
Many people only see Alaska from the porthole of a cruise ship—or maybe on an off-ship outing. At Sheldon Chalet, which straddles a private 4.99-acre nunatak {glacier rock outcropping}, located in Denali National Park, you can do so much more than look at the scenery. You’ll immerse in it to drink up this microcosm of Alaska, a state known as “The Last Frontier.” With space for only up to ten guests in five bedrooms, this true sanctum from urbanity can only be reached by air. Conceived for adventurers, the diminutive lodge comes complete with chef, concierge, guides and gear. You’ll trek a glacier, gaze at the aurora borealis, rappel of the mountain, build igloos, rock climb and much more. Sheldon Chalet, sheldonchalet.com.
Angama Safari Camp in the Maasai Mara, Kenya
Most travelers to Kenya’s Maasai Mara find their safari adventure life changing. Whether its the wildlife, the wide-open spaces, the ancient gravitas of the terrain, the edginess of being so far away from real life, the sundowners or the camaraderie, the safari experience speaks deeply to the soul. At Angama Mara, a family- owned, award-winning safari lodge, travelers have two choices. Stay in the original outpost, a refuge of rustic elegance on a hill overlooking the Maasai Mara (the spot where a portion of Out of Africa was filmed), in spacious lodge suites. Or, glamp at the resort’s new sole-use tented camp, situated further afield in a lesser trammelled part of the Mara Triangle. Ideal for larger groups traveling together, such as friends or families, the Angama Safari Camp comprises four tents, capable of sleeping up to eight guests. Deep in the heart of the savannah wilderness, guests will activate all their senses becoming one with beat of the land. At both inclusive Angama Mara and Angama Safari Camp children are welcome and days are customized to your desires. Angama Safari Camp, angama.com/stay/angama-safari-camp/.
Mohonk Mountain House, New York
Farms, vineyards, orchards, woods, and lost-in-time villages compose the calendar photo perfect pastiche of the Hudson Valley. Mohonk Mountain House, founded (and still family owned and operated) by the Smiley family since 1869, has been the region’s storied refuge for urban dwellers in search of sylvan pastures —as it were—since. A sprawling retreat that manages, nevertheless, to feel like a home, the Victorian chateau-like hotel anchors amid 40,000-acres of nature and fresh air. Its historic ambiance—rocking chairs, porches, fireplaces—soothes and its state-of-the-art modernity satisfies (think refreshing farm-to-table meals and a geo-thermal powered spa). Attractive to families for its myriad activities (fishing, archery, tomahawk throwing, yoga, spa, tennis, abundant hiking trains and more) and laid-back attitude towards children (“Let kids be kids!”) the hotel also excels in the romance category. Mohonk Mountain House, mohonk.com.
Explora Sacred Valley, Peru
Gambol through quinoa fields, struggle up steep inclines, rest beneath eucalyptus trees, pet a llama and celebrate atop mountain peaks in Peru’s Sacred Valley, seeing the ancient homeland of the Inca like a true slow traveler. Setting itself apart, Explora Sacred Valley offers more than 50 complimentary, expertly guided, small group hikes, bike (and e-bike) rides and cultural activities each day. You might call this their secret sauce. Conceived for guests of all levels (all that’s required is curiosity and ambition), the activities run the gamut from easy to difficult, incorporating a bevy of interests and off the beaten track experiences. Each evening, guests meet with a dedicated staff member to customize the next day’s itinerary during a happy hour where they share their day. A friendly retreat, situated in bucolic surroundings amid Inca ruins, Explora features pampering amenities in the suites—from soaking tubs to dreamy beds. Don’t miss a meal at the farm-to-plate restaurant helmed by acclaimed Michelin starred Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez. Explora Sacred Valley, explora.com.