Schoolcation Ideas: The Best Family Hotels and Resorts for Learning in Luxury

Back-to-school has taken on an entirely new meaning this year for many families. While a record number of students are home from their classrooms due to the pandemic, their parents are also juggling working remotely. It’s a transition, to say the least, but the ability to work and attend classes from any location might be the silver lining for families who long to travel.

Now that kids can connect online with their teachers from just about anywhere, families are no longer locked into restrictive school calendars. It didn’t take hotels and resorts around the world long to catch on — so along with helping parents navigate the challenges of remote learning, properties are working to provide bright spots in a school year filled with many uncertainties. As a bonus, the properties below in the Virtuoso luxury hotel consortium offer exclusive perks that our Family Travel Advisors can access. Need booking help? Reach out!

The Best Family Hotels and Resorts for Remote Learning

Montage Hotels & Resorts, California, Mexico, Utah and South Carolina

Designed for kids ages 6 through 17, Montage Hotels & Resorts has launched Montage Academy at four of its five properties: Montage Laguna Beach, Montage Deer Valley, Montage Palmetto Bluff and Montage Los Cabos. Parents of high schoolers will appreciate offerings like an all-day monitored study hall and SAT/ACT test prep from The Princeton Review.

The Montage Academy package also includes:

• High-speed Internet and access to Montage’s IT support team
• 24/7 access to instant virtual tutoring on 180+ subjects through Tutor.com, a service of The Princeton Review
• Daily healthy snacks and lunch
• Movement breaks sponsored by Spa Montage
• One elective per day, including P.E., art, history and life sciences

Virtuoso Amenities 

• Montage Laguna Beach: Welcome amenity; $60 daily breakfast credit per bedroom at The Loft or room service; $100 USD Spa Services credit to be utilized during stay
• Montage Deer Valley:  Daily breakfast credit up to $60 USD per bedroom, per night; $100 USD equivalent Spa Services credit
• Montage Palmetto Bluff: $60 USD daily breakfast credit per bedroom, served in restaurant and in-room dining; $100 USD resort or hotel credit to be utilized during stay
• Montage Los Cabos: Welcome amenity; daily $70 USD breakfast credit per bedroom, available in the restaurant or through in-room dining; $100 USD equivalent resort or hotel credit to be utilized during stay. For bookings in Specialty Suites, guests will also receive complimentary one-way airport transfers (for up to four guests).

Auberge Resorts Collection

Remote with Auberge is being offered around the world, at each of the 19 properties in the Auberge Resorts Collection. All hotel and resort locations are working with Advantage Testing to provide both in-person and virtual tutoring services.

• Students work in their suite or residence
• Complimentary webinars on standardized testing and college admission are offered for parents and high school-age kids
• Parents can take advantage of adult education courses ranging from Latin American avant-garde art to statistics, and computer science
• Every Auberge Resorts Collection location is offering extra-urricular classes tied to their location – think hula dancing on the Big Island at Mauna Lani and Mexican art history classes in Los Cabos

Virtuoso Amenities

• All Auberge Resorts properties: Daily continental breakfast for two guests per bedroom; $100 USD food and beverage credit, to be utilized during stay

Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Mexico

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are well known for quality kid-friendly offerings at their properties around the world. Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita recently unveiled its Knowledge for All Seasons program. In addition to pool and beach cabanas decked out with Wi-Fi, headphones, lap pads and portable chargers, the program supports remote learning in a number of ways:

• 24/7 tech hotline
• Study buddies are available to help with schoolwork and sit in on classes to provide additional supervision
• Private tutoring can be arranged
• An assortment of classes about Mexico’s history, including cuisine, culture and Spanish lessons
• After-school outdoor activities like tennis, surfing and golf

Virtuoso Amenities

Daily continental breakfast for two guests per bedroom, served in restaurant; $100 USD equivalent food and beverage credit to be utilized during stay

Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World, Florida

The luxury brand’s Orlando location is offering supervised study sessions that look, in a sense, like a traditional school day. Students can attend for a half day or full day.

• 9am-12pm supervised learning in a classroom setting with no more than six children
• 1pm-2pm optional enrichment classes, including arts and crafts and physical education
• 2pm-3pm additional schoolwork time

Virtuoso Amenities

• Continental breakfast daily for two guests per bedroom; $100 USD spa, tennis, golf or retail credit to be utilized during stay

The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee, Greensboro, Georgia

Another brand that’s well respected for its family-friendly programming, Ritz-Carlton properties are helping families with kids ages 5 to 12 balance learning with opportunities to relax and have fun. The Ritz Kids Study Buddy program at The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee is customizable.

• A counselor reaches out to families before arrival to get information about their remote learning schedule
• A personal syllabus is designed to ensure virtual learning is followed, and the Ritz Kids Study Buddy will provide mentorship and assistance
• Kids receive a personalized tackle box upon arrival with variety of age-level school supplies
• Enrichment activities like fishing, nature walks and arts and crafts provide needed screen time breaks.
• One Study Buddy is provided per family or travel pod
• The program can be booked as a half or full day

Virtuoso Amenities

• Daily full breakfast for two guests per bedroom; $100 USD resort or hotel credit, to be utilized during stay

The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida

It could be the ultimate field trip. The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, has partnered with Florida’s The Reef Institute to offer a 5-day, 4-night program designed to get kids excited about marine biology and ecology. The Remote Learning Field Trip: Barrier Island Ecology package focuses on the barrier island that the resort calls home. Instructor-led nature programming is designed to complement students’ earth-science classes.

In addition to supplies like nets and microscopes, the program includes:

• Native dune exploration
• Kayaking and boat excursions to sample and study water systems
• Learning about migratory species habits of whales and sea turtles
• Onsite classrooms with high-speed Wi-Fi for kids to connect to their school coursework
• Daily breakfast, lunch,and snacks

Virtuoso Amenities

• Full breakfast daily for two guests per bedroom; $100 USD Spa Services credit, to be utilized during stay

Eden Roc Cap Cana, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

For families interested in an extended stay experience, Eden Roc Cap Cana is offering both a 20- and 30-day Family Staycation program. Along with full board and free Wi-Fi, it includes unlimited Spanish and piano lessons.

In addition, Family Staycation offerings include:

• Round-trip transfers to and from the Punta Cana International Airport
• In-room office setup
• Bike tours
• Kayaking
• Pizza cooking class and watermelon carving

Virtuoso Amenities

• Daily continental breakfast (served in restaurant); complimentary 30-minute massage for up to two per stay; $100 USD equivalent food and beverage credit to be utilized during stay; complimentary round-trip private airport transfers

Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, California

Back-to-school isn’t so bad when the beach is your backdrop. Southern California’s Monarch Beach Resort is helping families juggle screen time with plenty of opportunities to get out and soak up some vitamin D. In addition to a golf course, three pools and beach access, the property offers complimentary bicycles and fitness classes.

The Edu-Cations package includes:

• A personal dedicated study room fully equipped with high-speed internet, standup desk, seating area, printer/scanner, restroom and private terrace
• One hour of online, on-demand K-12 homework help in all subjects, powered by Tutor.com, a service of The Princeton Review
• $100 daily resort credit
• Onsite Coastal Education Enrichment Center and activities for all ages, including exhibits and content from the Surf Heritage and Culture Center, Ocean Institute and more

Virtuoso Amenities

• Daily full breakfast for two guests per bedroom in AVEO Table + Bar or via room service; $100 USD resort credit, to be utilized during stay

Great Wolf Lodges, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas

The Howl ‘N Learn program is launching at five Great Wolf Lodge locations across the United States. Each property has dedicated an area – called Wiley’s Schoolhouse — specifically for kids to focus on remote learning.

• Starting September 21, Wiley’s Schoolhouse will be open Monday through Thursday for 3-hour sessions
• Kids should be self-sufficient, but staff will provide supervision and technical support
• Recess breaks with kid-friendly yoga, craft projects and character visits are included

Kona Kai Resort & Spa, San Diego, California

Located on San Diego’s Shelter Island, Kona Kai Resort & Spa has introduced School at the Pool to provide families with a “break from the day-to-day.” Kona Kai boasts an abundance of outdoor space, including a private beach, as well as two pools. Views of both Point Loma and the Kona Kai Marina sweeten the virtual classroom experience.

The School at the Pool package features the following perks:

• Two-hour cabana rental complete with healthy fruit, snacks and bottled water (limited availability and 48-hour advance booking required)
• “Resort Recess” with two complimentary ice cream cones for kids
• Two kids’ lunches in onsite Vessel Restaurant + Bar
• S’mores kit for the hotel’s private beach overlooking the Kona Kai Marina
• A+ Student – when kids 12 and under earn a perfect score on three or more tests, they are rewarded with free dessert

The Kona Kai Resort & Spa is part of Noble House Hotels & Resorts. Its sister property, The Portofino Hotel & Marina in Redondo Beach, is offering a similar Seaside Students package that includes:

• Two water activities for “ocean recess”
• Complimentary bike rentals
• Two kids’ to-go breakfasts at onsite BALEENkitchen
• A+ Student – when kids 12 and under earn a perfect score on three or more tests, they are rewarded with free dessert

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn, Sonoma, California

The stress of online schooling melts away when recess includes soaking in a soothing geothermal pool. The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn School & Pool package earns top marks from parents looking for a family-friendly escape to wine country. Package benefits include:

• Guaranteed late (after-school) checkout, 4pm
• 10% discount off all food and beverages, including wine and alcohol
• On-property tech support
• Complimentary use of Fairmont bikes
• Complimentary Fairmont Fit Gear lending program (P.E. clothes)
• Local field trip suggestions, including Jack London State Park and Mission San Francisco Solano

Virtuoso Amenities

• Daily full breakfast for two guests per bedroom, in restaurant or via room service; $100 USD resort or hotel credit to be utilized during stay

The Embark World Academy

A joint effort of luxury hotels from around the world, The Embark World Academy offers a unique lineup of live, virtual classes. Courses typically run eight to 12 weeks, meeting once or twice a week.

• No travel or hotel stay is required; students anywhere in the world can enroll
• Each class is sponsored by a luxury hotel and taught by in-house staff or local experts
• Offerings include a conservation and biology class taught by safari guide Juan Pinto from the Royal Malewane in Kruger National Park in South Africa; a marine biology and sustainability course conducted by staff at Soneva, Maldives; and an etiquette class taught by the pros at The Plaza New York

Relevant Links:

Browse all vetted, family-friendly hotels and resorts on Ciao Bambino

Best U.S. hotels and resorts for a multigenerational family vacation

10 hotels and resorts ready to welcome families for summer 2020

Editor’s Note: Photos courtesy of the respective properties pictured.