FROM CONTEMPORARY CLUB LOUNGES WITH FREE FLOWING WHISKEY TO A COWBOY-APPROVED RANCH IN THE WILD AMERICAN WEST, THESE AMENITY-STACKED RESORTS PROVIDE THE ULTIMATE RETREAT FOR THE MODERN GLOBETROTTING MAN WITH HIGH TASTE

BY AMBER GIBSON

FOUR SEASONS RESORT AND RESIDENCES
Napa Valley

Wine connoisseurs will love staying at the only resort in Napa Valley with a working winery on site, and you can book a tour of the organic vineyard or simply swing by for a glass. Four Seasons also offers exclusive experiences for guests like a barrel wine tasting and private tour at Chappellet’s iconic pyramid winery. The 85 guestrooms and suites are spread across more than 22 acres, so even in peak season, the resort feels serene.

All rooms have electric fireplaces, deep soaking tubs, and spacious furnished patios overlooking the vineyards. Petrified Calistoga wood is used to make dramatic headboards and wooden side tables in the walk-in shower. Enjoy breakfast on your terrace or watch the sunrise from the heated pools. Groups can book a private residence with up to four bedrooms for more privacy.

For the horsepower hungry, the resort offers a Dream Drive experience that kicks off with a chauffeured ride to The Barn – Napa Valley Car Club’s private clubhouse and playground for automotive devotees. From there, thrill-seekers take the wheel of an elite supercar – think McLaren, Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Aston Martin – and join a guided 50-mile rally along Napa’s most beautiful backroads, where vineyards blur as engines growl. The day winds down back at The Barn over refreshments and road stories, before your chauffeur returns you to the resort. End the day with a unique tasting menu experience at Michelin-starred Auro, where chef Rogelio Garcia adds a touch of his Mexican heritage to the contemporary California menu with dishes like blue and gold corn tetela filled with Rancho Gordo ayocote beans. Book one of two Chefs’ Tables set inside the kitchen for a front-row view of the complex choreography required to create a meal of this caliber.

Rates start at $870. fourseasons.com/napavalley

THE RANCH AT ROCK CREEK
Montana

A Wild West wonderland for aspiring cowboys, The Ranch at Rock Creek delivers the ultimate in rugged luxury across 6,600 acres of Montana wilderness on the outskirts of Philipsburg. Most guests spend as much time as possible outdoors, embodying the spirit of American pioneers on backcountry trails, but there’s also a private movie theater, karaoke, poker table, billiards, and four lanes of bowling in case of inclement weather.

Year-round activities include horseback riding, sporting clay shooting, archery, hiking, biking, and fly fishing. Fishing guides here are renowned for their intimate understanding of the native trout species and their feeding patterns. In winter, there’s also snowshoeing, ice skating, and cross-country skiing on the property, and a complimentary ski concierge offers gear rental and transport to nearby Discovery Ski Area for downhill skiing and snowboarding with virtually no lift lines and 67 trails.

After a full day on the slopes, enjoy an après-ski tasting of Montana craft beers, whiskeys, and excellent cocktails before a hearty dinner from the wood-fired grill.

Nine rooms are located in the granite lodge, appointed with rich leather furniture, historic black and white photographs, and animal skin rugs. There are also canvas, wood, and stone glamping cabins with heated floors, or groups of up to 13 guests can stay in the loft and stables of a remodeled 19th-century barn. Rates start at $2,300 for a lodge room, inclusive of all meals, alcoholic beverages, airport transfers, and privately guided activities. theranchatrockcreek.com

GRAND HYATT KAUAI RESORT & SPA
HAWAII

Kauai is known as Hawaii’s most adventurous and outdoorsy island, famous for its many waterfalls, ambitious hikes, and world-class snorkeling. There’s so much for nature-loving friends to explore, and Grand Hyatt is an ideal oceanfront home base on Kauai’s sunny southern shore. All 605 guestrooms have private lanais and Chromecast streaming, with tennis and pickleball courts on property. Kick back in brand new bungalow-style luxury wood cabanas and enjoy frozen cocktails, shaved ice, poke bowls, and grass-fed burgers while catching up and reminiscing.

The resort is home to Poipu Bay Golf Course, an 18-hole championship course spanning 210 acres of coastal terrain with views of Kauai’s emerald mountains. With 85 bunkers and five water hazards, the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed course is as challenging as it is beautiful, and has hosted several PGA Tour events. Grand Hyatt guests receive exclusive access to special “Stay & Play” offers, which include special tee-time rates and unlimited golf packages.

A veteran concierge team can recommend plenty of off-site adventures too, and the best local outfitters. From ziplining and e-bike tours to surfing lessons, fishing charters, aerial helicopter tours, and snorkeling along the Napali Coast, there are so many ways to discover the Garden Island. Consider adopting a shelter pup from the Kauai Humane Society for the day to take on a hike or relax on the beach. Rates start at $700, with Grand Club access for an additional $175 per night. grandhyattkauai.com

ATLANTIS THE ROYAL
DUBAI

This urban beach oasis is a modern architectural marvel situated on Dubai’s most prestigious real estate: the outer crescent of The Palm. Winter is high season here, with reliably warm and sunny weather, perfect for spending the day at the rooftop infinity sky pool and bar, Cloud 22. The colorful Mediterranean playground courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana draws a stylish international crowd for prime people-watching. Snag an air-conditioned cabana with a private plunge pool for the group and enjoy cocktails, live DJs, and panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf. It’s far more sophisticated than any Las Vegas day club.

Rooms here are exquisitely designed with water motifs and all of the amenities you might have forgotten at home. Book a Royal Club room for access to one of the most impressive club lounges you’ve ever seen, with free-flowing champagne and whiskey, plus unlimited freshly shaved truffles and caviar. The evening hors d’oeuvres spread is so extravagant it could easily be a full dinner.

Many of the resort’s restaurants have locations in the United States, including Nobu with the brand’s debut beach club, Estiatorio Milos, La Mar by Gastón Acurio, and recently opened Carbone. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is premier fine dining, with 1,600 labels and one of the largest and most prestigious wine collections in the region. Skilled sommeliers will help you select the perfect bottle to pair with unforgettable signature dishes like “meat fruit” a foie gras and mandarin orange jelly parfait. Rates start at $468 for guestrooms, while suites ring in at $1,112-plus per night. atlantis.com/atlantis-the-royal