When Upper East Siders Adelle and Robert Rathe boarded a flight to Saint Martin in mid-January, they left behind a typically cold New York day. By the time they return from their resort getaway in mid-April, the trees in Central Park will have started to bloom.
The Rathes are hardly the first weather-worn Northeasterners to trade puffy coats and slushy sidewalks for bathing suits and white sand. And although they once considered buying property on the Caribbean island they’ve fallen for over the decades, they’ve found something even better to splurge on: about 90 consecutive nights at Belmond La Samanna, a luxury resort that reopened in December after a $25 million renovation.
“A lot of our friends wonder what we pay,” Adelle jokes. “I tell them they can find out by calling the hotel.” (Run math based on the hotel’s starting rate of $545 per night, though, and the pair is likely looking at a deep-five-figure bill—minimum—before adding any food, drinks, or activities.)
This twist on the snowbird lifestyle—which trades seasonal vacation homes for no-expenses-spared resort stays—is becoming increasingly popular among the retirement jet set, according to industry insiders.
“Those who choose luxury resorts over real estate purchases such as a condo or home do so not only for the five-star pampering and attentive service, but also the flexibility of choice,” says Tara Hyland, a Virtuoso-affiliated travel adviser who has booked several such stays for clients. “Of course, spas, yoga classes, fitness programs, water sports, golf, tennis, and restaurants make resorts even more attractive.”
Better Than a Vacation Home
Although choosing a resort over real estate means you’re not tied down to any one destination, many long-term hotel guests return to the same place year after year. The Rathes, for instance, have spent nearly every winter at La Samanna since 2001.
In such cases, a resort can start to feel like a proper vacation home—albeit with less upkeep, more amenities, and one annual payment, instead of 12. “Owning a house is a responsibility. The security, the constant work—you’re a slave to it,” says Adelle, who is retired, speaking from the resort while a polar vortex pummeled her Manhattan home. “Here I’m 150 feet from the water, and I can get anything I want in five minutes.”
Others, such as Judy Wyatt, who have just started to dip their toes in the (blue) waters of hotel living, are already seeing comparative benefits over second homeownership.
Newly retired and determined not to spend the colder months in Ohio, Wyatt booked a cottage for five weeks at Sea Island, a resort in coastal Georgia, with Luke, her 11-year-old golden retriever, and Annie Mae, her one-year-old cat. In addition to regular beach strolls with the pup, she took full advantage of the on-site activities such as cooking demos, a “hawk walk” with a professional falconer, and spa appointments—all things that would have been difficult to arrange outside a resort environment.