The St. Regis Aspen Resort
Photo Courtesy of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
There’s a tendency for all of us to stay home and hibernate during the cold months of the year, but a better option — one that’s always readily available — is to make like a mallard duck and escape for the winter. Whether you want to experience the wonders of pure gold on display in Macau this December or spend a warm January in Florida, Forbes Travel Guide has seven escapes definitely worth taking right now.
The St. Regis Aspen Resort
Refresh and revive on the snowcapped mountaintops with this Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star resort’s Mountaintop Reboot Program. Debuting in January — just in time to check off your New Year’s resolution to make fitness a priority — the program, along with some fresh air and a bit of altitude, will whip you into shape with a three-day itinerary tailored to your needs. The package includes a guided snowshoe hike with a naturalist; three hours of private consultation with the resort’s nutritionist and personal trainer (plus, receive a customized nutrition and fitness plan to take home); a private cooking class with resort executive chef David Viviano; and a customized one-hour facial at the Four-Star Remède Spa Aspen.
Seeing Gold at Galaxy Hotel, Photo Courtesy of Antony@A2 STUDIO
Galaxy Hotel and StarWorld Hotel
The old saying goes, “All that glitters is not gold.” This December, you can authenticate that claim or refute it altogether during the Pure Gold winter celebration, running at Macau’s Four-Star Galaxy Hotel and StarWorld Hotel. The festivities include fabulous gold-themed amenities (Goldtraum 22-karat sparkling wine), entertainment, dining and more. Gaze in wonder at the gold maple leaf bullion coin, the largest of its kind in the world, that’s valued at $5.15 million. Gold Entertainment will come in the form of dancing, ballet and martial arts displays, while Pure Gold Gastronomy features golden desserts across the two properties. While any room will give you access to these public events, should you need a private getaway, book a Golden Dreams Suite at Galaxy Hotel, which comes with Galaxy gold chocolate, gold flake sparkling wine, dinner for two at Four-Star Terrazza, a gold reflexology treatment and one-way limousine transfer.
Hyatt Union Square New York
There’s never a bad time for a getaway to the Big Apple. But this winter, in between world-class shopping on Fifth Avenue or catching a Broadway show, the Hyatt Union Square is putting a twist on the popular tourist season with its “The Winner Is” package. Every guest who books the deal will be handed an envelope upon check-in that includes A-list prizes such as room upgrades or a bottle of wine. Additionally, when your stay coincides with an actual awards telecast — for example, the People’s Choice Awards air on January 7, the Golden Globes come on January 11 and The Academy Awards broadcast on February 22 — prizes, such as a $20 minibar credit and free cocktails, will be given to overnight guests who get the highest percentage of accurate guesses. On Oscar night, one grand prize, a free night stay at the hotel, will be given to one person who predicts the winners of all of the top categories.
The Gasparilla Inn & Club
For fun in the sun without leaving the country this winter, escape to this Boca Grande, Florida winner, where sunny skies and 75-degree temperatures prove the norm in mid-December. The antebellum charm of the main inn and surrounding cottages, as well as the newly built three- to four-bedroom estate homes, provide the backdrop for a leisurely winter escapade that could consist of activities like sport fishing, tennis or croquet. From January 9-11, fine dining will be added to the roster when The Gasparilla Inn celebrates its annual Food & Wine Weekend, when you can participate in chefs’ demonstrations, sip on world-class wines and experience a master chef’s dinner.
Castle Hotel’s Thann Sanctuary Spa, Photo Courtesy of Castle Hotel & Spa
Castle Hotel & Spa
Just 25 miles north of New York City, Castle Hotel & Spa beckons with rooms doused in Old-World charm, a creative French dining experience at Equus and a relaxing, Thai-inspired Thann Sanctuary Spa. Book the Ultimate Feast of the Senses package for a whirlwind weekend escape that starts via helicopter ride with a scenic sky tour along Midtown Manhattan and the Hudson. Spend your evenings in a luxury suite, wake up to breakfast for two and indulge in yet another gastronomic adventure, this one starting with a wine cellar tour and hors d’ouevres followed by a five-course dinner. Then, allow yourself to be swept away with a traditional Thai massage or Thann Sanctuary massage in the VIP Suite.
Boston Harbor Hotel
Located on the historic Rowes Wharf Harbor, Boston Harbor Hotel welcomes guests to arrive by land or sea. Once you make it to the Five-Star Boston beauty, the ideal way to take respite from the cold is with the Indoor Winter Camping package. With this promotion, the family can take a spin around the Rotunda Rink with skating passes for two adults and two children. Come nighttime, you and yours can cozy up with hot cocoa and chocolate cake while watching a complimentary movie in bed.
Inn at Lost Creek
There’s a reason why Tom Cruise built a home in Telluride. The natural beauty is impossible to ignore. Surrounded by the San Juan Mountains and national forests, the Colorado city is a stunning location, all the more romantic when it is enveloped in snow during the winter months. If love is in the air with all the precipitation, book the Romantic Honeymoon at the Inn getaway and plan to spend time canoodling in front of the fire with your significant other. Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries upon arrival, an intimate wine tasting for two in the Siam’s Talay private dining room and a reservation for the rooftop hot tub only help in creating an amorous mood around the property.