clayoquot wilderness resort
For clients looking for glamorous camping—a.k.a. glamping—it would be hard to find a more pristine, conservation-conscious, and back-to-nature experience than Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, located in British Columbia’s Clayoquot Sound, embracing 740,000 acres of near-empty inlets and snowcapped peaks on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Open from mid-May to the end of September, the resort is accessible via a 45-minute private seaplane transfer from Vancouver International Airport or a 40-minute water taxi ride from Tofino.
A member of the luxury Mantis Collection hotel group as well as Relais & Chateaux, the Clayoquot offers an award-winning infrastructure of 20 upscale tent accommodations with fireplaces, North African rugs, antique dressers, wood-burning stoves and en-suite washroom. Separate tents house the dining area, library, lounge, and the Healing Grounds Spa.
Experiences in this wilderness playground seem boundless—hiking in river valleys, bear and whale watching, kayaking, fishing, ziplining, and speed boating out to sea to meet colonies of sea lions, pods of Pacific grey and humpback whales, as well as the occasional orca.
One of the resort’s most recent additions to its list of activities is Cloud Camp. For one night during their stay, guests are whisked up to 4,500 ft. above sea level by private helicopter, where they sleep in a luxury tent and dine under the stars, served by a private chef who creates a 5-course meal with wine pairings. This ultimate in glamping is priced at $2,000 pp dbl, children $520, based on adult dbl occupancy. The resort offers 3-, 4- and 7-night all-inclusive adventures; 3-night packages start at $3,800 pp dbl. (888) 333-5405; wildretreat.com
suncadia resort
One of the grandest of the all-season properties in Destination Hotels & Resorts’ “Mountain” experiences is Suncadia Resort, set on 6,400 acres on the sunny eastern slopes of the Cascades (90 miles from Seattle), alongside the sparkling Cle Elum River, amidst a pristine pine forest—80 percent of the property is designated open space.
The resort offers three lodging options: the 254-room Lodge at Suncadia with panoramic river and mountain views, the more intimate and elegant 14-room Inn at Suncadia, and vacation rental homes. Now that the ski and snowboarding season is over, the guest activity offering includes hiking and biking along 50 miles of trails, unlimited golf on two championship courses, fly-fishing, and treatments in the Glade Spring Spa. Consider the different experiences offered in the resort’s Discover the Pacific Northwest package, featuring two nights at the Lodge at Suncadia, breakfast for two in the Portals restaurant, a guided hike for two to the top of Manastash Ridge, and a morning birding adventure with a local expert. The lead price is $354 pp dbl. (866) 904-6300; suncadiaresort.com
the broadmoor
Located at the gateway to the Colorado Rocky Mountains, The Broadmoor spreads over 5,000 acres, with three championship golf courses, a spa, a nationally recognized tennis staff and program, and 19 restaurants.
Broadmoor’s “world of unique experiences” includes a special corner for a Colorado experience, the Ranch at Emerald Valley, sitting 8,200 ft. up and surrounded by 100,000 acres of the Pike National Forest. The Ranch has 10 luxury 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom mountain cabins appointed with gas fireplaces; guests dine in the Ranch’s main lodge and enjoy such activities as fly-fishing in the lakes, hiking scenic trails, and exploring the mountains on horseback. Starting this summer, the Ranch is introducing an authentic Western ranching experience: the Cattle Drive, welcoming guests to work alongside Colorado cowboys to move cattle across their summer pastures. Farther up the Rockies at 9,200 ft. is the resort’s newest Wilderness Experience, Cloud Camp, with a main 8,000-sq.-ft., timber and stone lodge with a wraparound deck offering panoramic views of the Pikes Peak. Guests stay in one of six rooms in the lodge or choose from 11 one- or two-bedrooms, each with its own porch. Room rates per night at these mountain lodges are all-inclusive, and range from $400 pp sharing to $4,500 for a 3-bedroom cabin.
(800) 755-5088; broadmoor.com
