Education is wasted on the young. Harumph. But take a look at the upside: you’ve got the rest of your life to make up for those early years as a ingrate. And why not start learning while you’re on vacation? Taking home a new skill (Sailing! Cooking! Painting!) sure beats a snow globe.
Our favorite hotel extracurriculars:
YOGA & PILATES
Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain
Scottsdale, Arizona
You know you’re on the path to bliss when you make a reservation at a place with the word “sanctuary” in the name. This Arizona resort offers quite a fitness program, with three different kinds of yoga, as well as Pilates classes (mat and Reformer). Private lessons are also available from their staff of certified personal trainers.
SAILING
Bitter End Yacht Club
Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands
The Bitter End Sailing School’s keelboat certification program is not for those travelers who shy away from structure. Classes take place over a five-day period, culminating in a (gulp) final exam. But if there’s a place to learn to sail, this is it: the club’s top-notch facilities and credentialed staff are unparalleled. Of course, if you’re looking for less commitment, shorter primers — such as intros to boardsailing and windsurfing — are offered as well.
ART
Sundance Resort
Provo, Utah
As you would imagine of a hotel from Robert Redford, the Sundance Resort has quite a creative spirit, and we’re not just taking about dream catchers strewn about. This is the kind of resort with its own art studio, dubbed the “Art Shack,” where you can take workshops in jewelry-making, ceramics, watercolor and printmaking. Or, if you’d prefer to hang out on the sidelines, watch as master glassblowers from Guadalajara, Mexico transform hot molten balls of discarded glass into fine art.
COOKING
Cavallo Point Lodge
Sausalito, California
It’s no secret that northern California is an epicurean’s paradise, and Cavallo Point’s cooking school would be the place to get your gourmet on. Sausalito is just on the other site of the Golden Gate Bridge, which means you’ve got both Marin’s farm country and the San Francisco’s famous farmers market at the Ferry Building practically within arm’s reach. Cavallo Point is also LEED certified, so you can expect modern, light-filled facilities. Spending a day in the kitchen will be anything but a chore.
SCUBA DIVING
Soneva Fushi by Six Senses
Baa Atoll, Maldvies
It’s hard to think of a hobby that takes a person to more spectacular settings than scuba diving. (And don’t even try to suggest golf; we’ll take the Maldives over Augusta any day.) If you find yourself looking to earn PADI certification, Soneva’s dive school has a weeklong course in which you can sample the thirty nearby dive sites.
FLOWER ARRANGING
Anatara Hua Hin
Hua Hin, Thailand
In Thailand, the art of creating floral garlands dates back more than 800 years. At Anantara, you can learn how to craft your own phuang malai, using sweet-smelling jasmine and marigold. If you’re looking for more Thai tradition, there are also classes in fruit carving, Thai boxing and cooking.
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