From Aspen to Cabo, Resorts Lure Families With Learning-Focused Programs

With most public and private school campuses in L.A. County closed for in-person instruction and nary a hint of when they will reopen, many luxury hotels are offering learning-focused packages geared toward families longing for a change of scenery. These programs offer everything from staff to supervise kids during virtual school hours to supplemental courses.

“Many of our clients are seizing this opportunity to explore a new destination, and these customized hotel offerings, including personalized instruction coupled with adventure programming, are designed to revitalize everyone in the family,” says Jack Ezon, founder of luxury travel agency Embark Beyond.

Montage Hotels and Resorts launched Montage Academy (starting at $175 a day) at some of its properties, including Deer Valley and Laguna Beach, where students may enroll in full learning days with virtual tutoring through Tutor.com and take on-site classes in woodworking, yoga and conservation.

Auberge Resorts Collection is luring families with its Remote With Auberge program (from $195 a day) featuring nanny services, tutoring with Advantage Testing and holistic horse care at Saving Gracie, the resident equine rescue at Utah’s The Lodge at Blue Sky.

Aspen’s The Gant, a resort enclave of privately owned condos, offers child care and tutoring services through the concierge, and such learning experiences as birding sessions with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (experience fees from $120). Also in Aspen, the Residences at The Little Nell caters to working parents with rooms featuring a desk, computer, printer and views of the Rockies. It offers assistance with arranging child care and private tutoring along with fly-fishing outings (you can request revered guide John Dietsch, lead supervisor on A River Runs Through It) and stargazing with an astronomy expert. (Adventure experiences start at $527.)

Families yearning for a beachfront setting in Mexico can enroll kids in Spanish-language and cultural immersion classes (from $150 per class) while staying in a multi-bedroom casita at Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal. Beyond the blackboard indeed.

This story first appeared in the Oct. 21 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.