Still Want To Socially Distance On Vacation? Here Are 8 Spacious Resorts That Make Privacy Easy

As the country learns to live with Covid, Americans are packing their suitcases, again. However, many travelers, especially families with unvaccinated children, still want properties that make it easy to socially distance. Demand for wide-open spaces, private amenities like pools and kitchens, and contactless check-in to help travelers avoid lobbies, remains high. Here are eight resorts that make socially-distanced travel easy this fall and winter.

Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum, Washington

Located 80 scenic miles outside of Seattle and nestled on the sunny side of the Cascade Mountains is Suncadia Resort. This 6,400-acre all season property provides guests with an incredible mountain escape with plenty of opportunity for outdoor adventure and wide open spaces. Fall highlights include a plethora of Pacific Northwest recreation such as hiking, bike rentals, golfing, river floats, fly fishing, ATV tours, horseback riding, even axe throwing and archery. Suncadia also rents homes for guests looking to have more space and isolate further. Most recently, Suncadia implemented Wellness in the Wilderness, wellness experiences taken to the great outdoors. This programming allows guests to fully embrace nature while taking care of themselves mentally and physically. Sessions include rise and shine morning meditation among the trees, healing meditation while taking in the views of the Cascade Mountains, and hiking, full body circuits, family nature walks, gardening and more. 

The Green O, Greenough, Montana

From the Lipson family, known for introducing glamping to the West via beloved The Resort at Paws Up, comes The Green O. This hyper-modern interpretation of the great American dude ranch debuted during summer 2020. Welcoming adults only, The Green O sits on a 37,000-acre bison and cattle ranch outside of Missoula, Montana in the Blackfoot River Valley. That’s more than enough space to socially distance. Twelve one-bedroom cabins dubbed “hauses” (tree, round, green, and light haus to connote a distinct aesthetic), are scattered throughout the towering pine forest site. The 2-story tree hauses sitting 23 feet in the air. Round hauses feature a unique curved design. Green hauses provide complete forest immersion. Light hauses featured bump out windows for starry night viewing. Each haus boasts a fireplace, floor-to-ceiling views, a hot tub, and deck, as well as a private Lexus SUV to explore the property. Green O guests dine exclusively at restaurant Social Haus on seasonal, fire-cooked meals though have access to the same spa and activities as guests of Paws Up. With winter coming, that includes snowshoeing, snowmobiling, dog sledding and even horseback riding.

tommie Austin, Austin, TX

Slated to open in fall 2021 and built for the spirited adventurer, tommie Austin is a new urban hotel experience located in the heart of downtown Austin’s vibrant music and entertainment district. Designed to encourage interaction as an epicenter for creativity, the hotel features 193 all king bed guest rooms and offers the efficiency and flexibility of select service, while tapping into the amenities of the dynamic locale. Imparting an infectious sense of adventure onto guests, tommie Austin celebrates individuality throughout every aspect of the modern reimagining of the hotel experience. Built for functionality with contactless check-in kiosk and mobile guest room entry, the hotel boasts a youthful all-day coffee shop and wine bar as an alternative to a traditional hotel lobby, inviting guests to effortlessly mix and mingle in the heartbeat of Austin. Nightly rates start at $199.

Montage Healdsburg, Healdsburg, CA

Montage Healdsburg made its public debut in January 2021 with a unique sense of place: a transformative hideaway where the renowned hospitality of Montage meets the authentic charm and scenic beauty of Northern California wine country. The 258-acre resort provides a perfectly situated launching pad to discover the best of the region, from iconic wineries to legendary culinary establishments. On social distancing, Montage fortunately was already pandemically prepared by design. Set among historic groves, 130 luxurious bungalow-style guestrooms and suites blend contemporary influence with environmentally conscious design, paying homage to the land. Guestrooms are situated along the hillsides, not on top of each other like many other hotels, and the resort does not feature elevators as they are not needed based on the design. Furthermore, there are a variety of open air experiences and outdoor activities for guests to enjoy safely, from archery to pickle ball and bocce ball, cycling, on-property nature trails for hiking and running, yoga in the vineyard and more.

Hana-Maui Resort, Hana, Maui, Hawaii

Located in the legendary town of Hāna on the eastern tip of Maui, Hāna Maui Resort is a lush 66-acre Hawaiian retreat set above Hāna Bay overlooking the Pacific Ocean offering an authentic Hawaiian retreat with vast rolling green hills and ocean views. Property highlights include expansive accommodations ranging from ocean bungalows to family suites, an open-air restaurant, Hāna Ranch Restaurant, spa & wellness offerings, two pools and immersive outdoor-oriented adventure/ cultural experiences like horseback riding, lava tube exploration, waterfall repelling and more. The resort debuted its Plane to Paradise package, featuring convenient access to/from Hana via a private, 10-Seat Cessna aircraft inclusive of sights of dramatic sea cliffs, plunging waterfalls, lush rainforest and magnificent arches and caves. Cutting travel time from 2.5 hours to just 14 minutes, the Plane to Paradise seamlessly transports guests to this far-flung paradise and one of the most isolated destinations within the state. 

Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas, East Cape, Los Cabos, Mexico 

Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos offers an oasis with its open-air public spaces including the lobby and all dining venues, a low-lying architectural footprint with no need for shared elevators or hallways, six pools and a two-mile swimmable beach that allows for excessive space to spread out and relax. All guest rooms offer views of the Sea of Cortez and expansive private terraces ideal for hotel room workouts or private lounging. In addition, all first-floor guest rooms include private plunge pools to help guests further isolate if desired. Secluded from the tourist corridor, the East Cape is rich in nature and ripe with wide-open-space adventures from hikes to hidden waterfalls and endless desert dune off-roading, to snorkeling in one of the most biologically diverse bodies of water in the world, or setting sail out of the Resort’s private marina.  

Four Seasons Resort Hualālai, Big Island, HI 

Set on 865 acres along the picturesque Kona-Kohala coast within Hualālai Resort, the 249-room Four Seasons Resort Hualālai welcomes guests to an exclusive, oceanfront oasis. An idyllic waterfront retreat, the resort is surrounded by white-sand beaches, black-lava landscapes and the dazzling blue ocean of the Big Island’s North Kona coast. Latest news? The resort recently debuted a transformed look following a $100+ million renovation, contemporizing its aesthetic while holding onto the essence of Hualālai’s authentic Hawaiian architecture and design. A perfect socially distance getaway, the resort’s layout features two-story bungalows spread throughout the Resort’s eight acres with the absence of elevators. This allows for a variety of open-air space and the liberty to host a multitude of on-property activities and experiences spanning seven pools and five dining options, all with outdoor seating. 

Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, MX

Nestled in Mexico’s Riviera Maya is Mayakoba. Four luxury hotels – Andaz Mayakoba, Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Fairmont Mayakoba and Rosewood Mayakoba – sit on this 620-acre destination, surrounded by the natural beauty of lagoons, jungle, tranquil waters and a sugar sand beach, each featuring distinct personalities and amenities. The destination is carefully designed to enhance the beauty of the native landscape, and praises its connection to nature, culinary excellence, notion of wellbeing, cultural & sports activities. A passionate team of architects, biologists, geologists and engineers continue to protect life and beauty on the property by maintaining its ecosystem of endemic species. Mayakoba can be explored by boat, kayak, bicycle, or on foot and social distancing is easy for guests with an abundance of outdoor activities available, including a 3-mile-long nature trail; a championship golf course that hosts a PGA TOUR event; excursions through the new Mayakoba Dive and Water Sports Center; and the recently-debuted Mayakoba Dive School. Guests can cruise through the waterways via boat among more than 300 species of birds and native wildlife.