The Best Family-Friendly Resort Getaways That Feel Like Summer Camp — From L.A. to the Maldives
From Theater Camp and Troop Beverly Hills to Wet Hot American Summer and Moonrise Kingdom, summer camp has long provided inspiration to Hollywood. There’s something about the sunny season tradition that stirs up happy memories and a sense of adventure for every age. But there’s nothing fancy about camp. Instead, this summer, quite a few high-end hotels are offering throwback experiences, activities and rituals (archery and s’mores, anyone?) but with a luxurious twist that is irresistible for both kids and adults. Here, a baker’s dozen of the best boltholes for a summer holiday featuring plenty of outdoorsy childlike wonder and the perfect amount of kitsch.
Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, California
The unadulterated excitement of summer camp inspired the inception of Camp Four Seasons Los Angeles, running June 20 through Sept. 2 and as official as it gets with a welcome care package, custom backpacks with logo-ed tie-dye shirts, hats and an illustrated field guide for young guests. By night there are glamping tents with starry ceilings and sweet treats in the hotel’s rooms or suites, while daytime exploits include scavenger hunts in the Doheny “campgrounds,” guitar-accompanied singalongs, poolside ice cream socials, and a recreation cabin with ping-pong, arts and crafts and classic board games. fourseasons.com, from $875/night; rooms also available through Tripadvisor and Booking.com.
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Camp Sarika at Amangiri, Canyon Point, Utah
The A-list loved Aman amid Utah’s surreal landscapes is also home to the 900-acre tented Camp Sarika, where until Sept. 15 families can decamp for three nights and days of paleontology tours, dreamcatcher or beading workshops, family yoga, Via Ferrata climbing and tramping through canyons. Each guest gets a special backpack with books and a water bottle, and there’s a professional photo session, too. With the Extend Your Journey, families can spend a complimentary fourth night at Amangiri for more hiking, spa and poolside hangouts. aman.com; from $6,650 for 3-night full-board Family Summer Camp in a One-Bedroom Pavilion (up to 4 people).
The Chatwal Lodge, White Lake, New York
This all-inclusive Catskills escape on 100-plus acres involves all the water activities a camper could dream of: from canoeing and paddleboarding to motorized boating and swimming, naturally, at Swinging Bridge Reservoir. Crafty fun includes birdhouse decorating, while there are also baking classes, archery, stargazing and ping-pong. After dark, guests of all ages can indulge in movie nights in the theater or s’mores and ghost stories at the fire pit. thechatwallodge.com, from $646/night; rooms also available through Tripadvisor and Booking.com.
The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Auberge Resorts Collection, Los Olivos, California
This year-old Auberge Resorts property in Los Olivos wine country is a greatest hit of historical landmarks as a former stagecoach stop and Prohibition hangout, and now its preserved 1900s cabins and equally charming rooms and suites are the perfect place to transport and try something new. The Yellowstone-worthy three-night Cowboy Camp ($950 for kids, $1,125 for adults) is a chance to immerse in ranch life while learning how to groom and ride horses and rope cattle. Less active “campers” can hike in the lush surrounds with gourmet snack boxes, ride e-bikes on country roads, practice watercolor painting with a local artist and roast s’mores from Adirondack chairs. aubergeresorts.com, from $852/night; rooms also available through Tripadvisor.
Joali Being, Bodufushi Island, Maldives
If the ocean and snorkels are more your speed than lakes and canoes, the biophilic wellbeing destination Joali Being’s inaugural B’KIDULT Summer Camp (until Aug. 31) is for you. Daily activities include the likes of sea turtle conservation with a turtle biologist, padel tennis, Muay Thai sessions, beach and reef cleanups, Coral Scientist classes and making recycled art. joali.com, from $2,700/night; rooms also available through Tripadvisor and Booking.com.
Ojai Valley Inn, Ojai, California
Fireside artisanal s’mores with views of the Topatopa Mountains, nostalgic vintage Game Night Baskets, family craft hours and scenic horseback riding. This bucolic resort’s Camp Oak, for kids, offers activities that celebrate the Chumash Native Americans, space, science experiments, crafts and even a camp classic, Color Wars. For aquatic fun there’s SUP, fishing and even surf lessons on offer. ojaivalleyinn.com, from $759/night; rooms also available through Tripadvisor and Booking.com.
Terramor Outdoor Resort, Bar Harbor, Maine
With a super-high rate of repeat guests, this luxury Bar Harbor resort is like a bougie (in a good way) summer camp, with cushy glamping tents beside Acadia National Park. Adults and kids have plentiful options for how to spend their time in a natural paradise with a camp-worthy lodge. There are onsite guided nature walks and storytelling, beekeeping classes and crafty artisan mornings, birdwatching and stargazing lectures. Of course, s’mores are a given. terramoroutdoorresort.com, from $550/night; rooms also available through Tripadvisor.
Montage Los Cabos, Cabos San Lucas, Mexico
At this five-star Los Cabos resort, camping is both authentic and elevated. For ultimate summer camp vibes, they offer a Dos Arroyos experience complete with plush amenities and a camping attendant. It’s not only about spotting shooting stars in the dark, clear skies around a campfire while munching s’mores and sleeping in a tent, but engaging in some favorite activities, chief among them archery, mountain biking and axe throwing. montage.com, from $900/night plus $395/person for Dos Arroyos experience; stays also available through Tripadvisor.
The Point Resort, Saranac Lake, New York
Originally an Adirondack Great Camp of William Avery Rockefeller II during the Gilded Age and now a Relais & Chateaux property, The Point Resort is a 75-acre playground that is quite literally a luxurious adult summer camp. There are no TVs and only limited Wi-Fi in the log mansions but unlimited premium wines and spirits are available 24/7. Guests have carte blanche access to the kitchen, bars, sports equipment for the lake (waterskiing, kayaks, fishing) and plenty of places to share tales with fellow travelers, play lawn games or tennis or join a themed black-tie dinner. thepointresort.com, from $2,650/night (all-inclusive).
Southall Farm & Inn, Franklin, Tennessee
Sitting on 325 idyllic, rolling acres of farmland is a place where childhood memories are made and also revisited, thanks to a rope and obstacle course, canoeing on the seven-acre Lake Mishkin, apiary tours with the resident beekeeper and hiking amid old-growth forest. Balance is easily achieved: think a morning of archery and axe throwing before an afternoon Southern honey tasting and orchard tour. southalltn.com, from $659/night.
Hotel del Coronado, Curio Collection by Hilton, Coronado, California
A campfire isn’t complete without a ghost story, and this oceanfront National Historic Landmark resort boasts not only its own resident ghost, Kate Morgan, but a Ghost Roast bonfire on the beach with s’mores. Beyond that, it’s California-style summer camp all the way, with Jamie O’Brien Surf Experience lessons in the waves, sailing outings and even a new retro-styled Roller Rink at The Del where cocktails and even Dippin’ Dots are served, for a truly old-school experience. hoteldel.com, from $511/night; rooms also available through Traveladvisor and Booking.com.
Beaverbrook, Surrey, United Kingdom
A stay at the 470-acre Beaverbrook in Surrey Hills, 20 minutes from London, is like an invitation to the good old days. Guests can even try fencing — hello, Parent Trap! — alongside badminton, tennis and croquet on grassy lawns. An adventure-ready outdoor area involves a teepee and obstacle courses, while there’s also a Bear Grylls Survival Academy designed to prep kids with serious wildlife skills. There are even bunk beds for kids who wish to fully commit. beaverbrook.co.uk, from $747/night.
Tourists, North Adams, Massachusetts
Laid-back yet oh-so cool, this rustic-chic riverside hotel in the Berkshires is a family-friendly escape in a sublime setting, by the Hoosic River. The property takes summer camp tropes to a new level: think a live music series dubbed ‘Sing For Your Slumber.’ There are naturally complimentary s’mores to make under the night sky, but daytime is even more thrilling, with waterfall meditation hikes, block printmaking, forest bathing, trail run and plunges, and Polaroid photography excursions. touristswelcome.com, from $299/night; rooms also available through Booking.com.
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