Oscar Season Travel: High-End Hotels Beckon Members Of The Biz

As we round the bend into year three of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s impossible to pin down how travel will shape up as we venture into awards season. What’s clear: we all need a break. Especially so post-Oscars. So whether it’s a weekend jaunt by car or a faraway excursion via private jet, these luxury resorts are there to satiate your wanderlust needs. No matter what the future holds.

Dunton Hot Springs

More from Variety

Dunton, Colo.

“Emily in Paris” star Lily Collins got hitched to helmer Charlie McDowell at this ultra-luxe resort this past September, and it’s easy to see why. Nestled in the San Juan Mountains of the majestic Colorado Rockies, Dunton Hot Springs is a remote escape marrying the rustic elements of an 1800s frontier town with the lavish romance of restored log cabins fitted with wood-burning stoves and artifacts plucked from the olden days of the Wild West. (The property’s Well House cabin comes complete with its own private hot spring and cold plunge.) This time of year, Dunton looks like a winter wonderland sprung to life, a blanket of sun-speckled snow spread wide across the resort, with ample access to outdoor activities such as cross-country skiing, ice climbing, dog sledding and snowshoeing.

Web: Duntondestinations.com

Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort

Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The 50th anniversary of the happiest place on earth kicked off in October, and what better way to celebrate the magical legacy of Walt Disney than a trip to the Four Seasons Resort Orlando, a five diamond rated resort located on the theme park’s property and offering a bounty of amenities such as a lazy river, 18-hole golf course, wellness spa and six restaurants. The resort recently underwent a makeover, adding to its already well-established appeal for celebrities, pro athletes and members of the Hollywood elite. Resort standouts: a nine-bedroom Royal Suite, a four-bedroom Presidential Suite and a 21-room top floor available to book for about $80,000 per night. There’s even a program to “schoolcation” one’s kids so nobody needs to miss math or science classes while on vacation. Want to hone one’s chocolate-making skills? Book a class with the resort’s executive pastry chef Rabii Saber, a 2019 James Beard Award semifinalist.

Web: Fourseasons.com/orlando

Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas

The Venetian Resort

Las Vegas, Nev.

Sure, people head to Vegas to bet it all on red — but there’s so much more to this famed desert oasis than slot machines and roulette tables. These two resorts offer something for everyone — especially those in search of gastronomical fare rivaling authentic cuisine from Italy itself. Brera Osteria, located in the heart of the Venetian’s St. Mark’s Square, offers a menu of savory homemade pastas, oven-baked bread and olive oil and mozzarella that melts in your mouth. For those aching to unwind in a Vegas resort that doesn’t feel Vegas-y, you can do no better than the five-star Four Seasons. There’s no on-site casino, the atmosphere is tranquil and upscale and the pool is quiet and family-friendly. The resort’s Veranda Bar features modern American cuisine and seasonal desserts and the best iced tea with lemon you could ever hope to find.

Web: Fourseasons.com/lasvegas

Venetianlasvegas.com

The David Kempinski

Tel Aviv, Israel

Whether you’ve binged “Hit and Run” or “Fauda,” TV series created and filmed in Israel have put this Mediterranean nation on the map in a whole new way. Which is why the Kempinski group’s first property in Israel, a five-star, 34-story hotel perched on the beaches of Tel Aviv, is sure to elevate hospitality standards. Set to open in February, the David Kempinski boasts 250 rooms, most of them with sea views, a three-floor penthouse, a luxury spa and a top-floor private lounge and pool reserved for the hotel’s suite-category guests. After a refreshing dip in the Mediterranean or the hotel’s outdoor infinity pool, guests can kick back at the Common Bar, a whisky and cigar lounge with views of the sprawling blue-green sea.

Web: Kempinski.com/en/tel-aviv/the-david-kempinski-tel-aviv

The Langham Huntington

Pasadena, Calif.

A famed suburban enclave just a hop, skip and jump from downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood — and home to intellectual powerhouses CalTech and NASA Jet Propulsion Lab — Pasadena has drawn the likes of celebrity homeowners such as Meryl Streep and Kristin Wiig. Get a taste of Pasadena’s historic charm at this landmark five-star luxury hotel, complete with a heated, saline outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts and Chuan Spa, which consists of 12 treatment rooms, including a couple’s suite and a VIP suite. Perfect for a weekend getaway or extended stays, the Langham offers a selection of elegantly decorated rooms, suites and cottages and several on-site restaurants serving up a range of delectable victuals, from California bistro-style fare to Australian wagyu steaks. Need a dose of serenity? Stroll through the resort’s Japanese gardens, abloom with colorful plants and flowers.

Web: Langhamhotels.com/en/the-langham/pasadena

Lotte Hotel Seattle

Seattle, Wash.

Designed by French industrial designer Philippe Starck, this 189-room downtown Seattle property, with its floor-to-ceiling windows offering sweeping views of Elliot Bay, melds luxury, style and sophistication. An easy 15-minute walk from the city’s famous Pike Place Market, this modern glass skyscraper, which opened its doors this past summer, is a choice spot for anyone in the biz searching for a Pacific Northwest escape. Do not miss dinner at Lotte’s 16th floor Charlotte Restaurant & Lounge. Order from a bevy of fresh fish — popular dishes include the wild king salmon and Kanpachi tartare — and top it off with the persimmon souffle for dessert. And since Seattle is known for its rain, cozy up after a day of touring with a visit to the hotel’s spa. Ask for the Liquid Surgery Red Carpet Treatment or the MDR Liquid Surgery Facial. Using ingredients imbued with shea butter, hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, you will emerge from your treatment feeling like a movie star.

Web: Lottehotelseattle.com

The Newbury

Boston, Mass.

Whether you’re a producer or actor in town to film a movie or you’ve scored tickets to a Bruins or Red Sox game, this boutique Back Bay property overlooking the Boston Public Garden boasts deluxe touches in the way of marble bathrooms, wood-burning fireplaces and a private library and fitness center. The hotel also features original artwork by illustrator Veronica Lawlor and custom-designed furnishings by interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud. Contessa, the Newbury’s glass-enclosed rooftop restaurant, offers signature Northern Italian cuisine in a sun-soaked space. For those craving a more casual atmosphere, pick a window seat at the hotel’s Street Bar. From the thick cut challah French toast to the spicy pink lobster chowder to the aptly named Harvard (a stirred cognac cocktail), this lobby-level eatery lay at the intersection of contemporary design and classic New England warmth.

Web: Thenewburyboston.com

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort

Carlsbad, Calif.

This five-star coastal resort situated on more than 200 acres recently completed a $50 million renovation on its guest rooms, suites and eateries. A roughly 50-minute drive from San Diego and an hour-and-a-half road trip from L.A., this Carlsbad retreat is the perfect location for a rejuvenating weekend jaunt. Wellness seekers can indulge themselves at the property’s VeraVia spa, while the more adventurous minded can book a session with wakeboarding icon Shawn Watson or SoCal surfing guru Chris Clark. End your day with a sumptuous dinner at the resort’s Ember & Rye steakhouse.

Web: Parkhyattaviara.com

Under Canvas Grand Canyon

Valle, Ariz.

Under Canvas puts the glamour in glamping. Spread across 160 acres of piñon and juniper forest a short 25-minute drive from the South Rim entrance to Grand Canyon National Park, Under Canvas (operating April 14-Oct. 24, 2022) offers safari-inspired lodging under the Arizona stars. Canvas tents, which can fit up to four guests depending on which one you book, are furnished with beds and nightstands from West Elm. An onsite restaurant features seasonal foods and beverages and activities ranging from Bingo to live acoustic music to campfire s’mores and sunrise yoga create a familial, upscale hippie vibe. The property is also pet-friendly, so Fido will be pleased.

Web: Undercanvas.com/camps/grand-canyon

VOMO Island Fiji

This island paradise recently hosted actor Rebel Wilson, who starred in Fiji’s “Open for Happiness” campaign. And what could be happier than a luxe tropical resort surrounded by the glassy, azure waters of the South Pacific? Private beachfront accommodations abound on this 255-acre property, where you can while away your days snorkeling, fishing or swimming to your heart’s delight. Whether it’s a picnic on the sand featuring fresh seafood and salads or a gourmet dinner at Reef, where VOMO’s executive chef Michael Fosbender cooks up world-class cuisine, you will go neither hungry nor bored at this heavenly vacation oasis.

Web: vomofiji.com

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.