Air travel around the world is taking tentative first steps to ramp up daily flights again, but understandably, many would-be passengers continue to be wary of commercial airline travel.
Some elite hotels, however, may have found a workaround in packages that include private flights with the stay.
With many resorts eager to make up for lost revenue during the early months of the pandemic, it’s little surprise that top-tier properties are finding creative ways to entice affluent travelers.
Of course, flying privately does not eliminate all risks.
Travelers arriving from areas with high Covid-19 infection rates – like the United States – have more than just their own health and safety to consider.
But, for people with the means and gumption to forge ahead with travel, chartering a private plane is certainly one way to arrive.
“We have seen an increase of 75% in the amount of inquiries coming in from around the world compared to this time last year,” says Air Charter Service CEO Justin Bowman of private plane bookings.
“With the new realities of traveling, consumers are more concerned with privacy, safety and hygiene, and flexibility [is] at the top of their list.”
For those who also include luxury in their list, read on for six properties who are rolling out a high-flying, red carpet.
Caldera House, Wyoming
This eight-suite hotel and alpine club in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, reopened on June 25 with a new package that allows guests unprecedented access to the beautiful, remote surroundings.
Caldera House partnered with Indagare to create a four-night experience that showcases some of the American West’s most stunning landscapes and animals, all with socially distanced luxury.
The package starts with round-trip private charter flights to the hotel, which is located in charming Teton Village. Once guests arrive at the resort, they can choose from either a two- or four-bedroom suite. Regardless of size, the kitchen can be fully stocked upon arrival.
Daily activities include spending a morning in Grand Teton National Park to scout for wildlife, a tour of Jackson Hole’s geological history, and horseback riding at Diamond Cross Ranch, where views encompass incredible vistas of the Teton Range.
The oversized suites are a welcome – and private – respite at the end of the day. Amenities include soaking tubs, patios with fire pits, dining rooms and even home theaters. Spa services, like a 90-minute deep tissue massage, can even be arranged en-suite.
Caldera House, 3275 Village Dr, Teton Village, WY 83025; (307) 200-4220
Four Seasons Resort Lanai, Hawaii
For travelers comfortable with a potential quarantine in the tropical paradise (Hawaii’s mandatory 14-day quarantine for arriving passengers is to remain in place until September 1), a stay at the tony Four Seasons Lanai may be one of the best options around.
The resort, located on one of the most unspoiled Hawaiian Islands, is currently including private air transfers on Lanai Air from Honolulu to the hotel for all bookings made by August 31 (for arrival by January 4). In addition, the hotel is also partnering with luxury travel agencies like Protravel International to secure private jets for their clients arriving to Honolulu, making the entire journey both seamless and secure.
As soon as guests land, they’ll be greeted by a hotel representative, who will ferry them by Tesla or Mercedes to the resort.
Once there, relaxation is paramount: Guests can choose to relax in the sun next to the lagoon-style pools, wander through the colorful botanical gardens, or get a pineapple-scented Lanai Tai scrub at the on-site Hawanawana spa.
For the more adventurous, however, there’s a Jack Nicklaus-signature golf course built around natural gorges, two tennis courts, and an archery and shooting range.
But it would also be quite tempting just to listen to the waves from your bedroom. For the ultimate in privacy, book the Alii Royal Suite. At nearly 4,000 square feet, it’s bigger than most houses and includes a media room, a library, and three oversized balconies that look out over the ocean.
Four Seasons Resort Lanai, 1 Manele Bay Rd, Lanai City, HI 96763; (808) 565-2000
The Lake House on Canandaigua, New York
While the Catskills and the Hudson Valley have been the recent darlings of New York state, a new luxury hotel in the Finger Lakes is poised to put the idyllic region on everyone’s bucket list.
When it opens on August 14, the Lake House will boast 125 guest rooms and suites, a boardwalk for water sports, and the first international standalone spa from guru Alexandra Soveral.
In keeping with the natural beauty of its surrounds, the hotel is also very eco-friendly, relying on geothermal power and placing water bottle refilling stations around the grounds. And the rooms, decorated in breezy whites and tans, feature custom-blended Soveral toiletries, handmade furniture by Fitzhugh Karol, and spa-quality Waterworks rain showerheads.
Of course, getting there by car can be a long journey from New York City or the surrounding area, and that’s if you have a vehicle.
In order to shorten the travel time, the hotel will be able to assist guests with booking private seaplanes from the East River in Manhattan straight to the hotel on Lake Canandaigua.
The Lake House on Canandaigua, 770 S Main St, Canandaigua, NY 14424; (585) 394-7800
The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas
There are many definitions of luxury, but one of them is certainly letting someone else do all the work. That’s exactly the goal of this Bahamian resort’s Jet to Villa package, where those lucky enough to experience it pretty much only need to pack their bags.
The journey begins when a town car picks up guests at their home and delivers them to a NetJets private plane. Upon touchdown at the Nassau airport, another waiting car delivers them to the hotel, where their private butler is waiting to escort them to their beachfront villa residence.
For a true home-away-from-home experience, guests can book a three- or four-bedroom villa, which includes a private infinity-edge pool, outdoor lounges and a full kitchen.
But don’t worry, there’s no obligation to cook: catering is easily ordered from on-site DUNE restaurant, created by famed chef Jean-Georges Vongeritchen.
Visitors should note, however, that to enter the Bahamas, they must present proof of a negative Covid-19 test from no more than 10 days prior. As of July 13, the country is in Phase 3, which allowed for the reopening of attractions, excursions and tours to visitors.
The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, One Ocean Drive Paradise Island Nassau N.P, Bahamas; +1 242-363-2501
SHA Wellness Clinic, Spain
One of the most well-known well-being clinics in the world, this property in Spain is not letting the pandemic prevent it from teaching guests its healthy-living ways.
For their most-used international routes – London, Paris, Moscow, and New York – the hotel can help arrange private jets (either shared with other guests or fully private), and then upon arrival, a waiting car will transport travelers to the cliffs of the Mediterranean Sea where the property is located.
Once there, wellness visits can be as short as four days, or as long as 14, but the overall goal is to “recover general well-being and disconnect in an ideal environment.”
The team of on-site professionals works with guests to do everything from creating a personalized meal plan to consulting on Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments.
And, of course, the spa services here are unparalleled: During their stay, guests might experience underwater massage, cryotherapy sessions, enzyme facial treatments, and an entire hydrotherapy circuit of different baths. You might need two weeks just to test them all out.
Currently, travel to Spain is restricted from the USA, but Europeans and citizens from approved countries are allowed entry.
SHA Wellness Clinic, Carrer del Verderol, 5, 03581 L’Albir, Alicante, Spain; +34 966 81 11 99
Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, Mexico
This hotel, located at the southernmost tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, is already incredibly remote: the only way to access it is through the privately owned Dos Mares tunnel.
But their new package, in partnership with Schubach Aviation, makes arriving there an even safer affair. The Private Passport to Pedregal includes round-trip private transfers from anywhere in the US to Cabo San Lucas’s International Airport, as well as private terminal and customs clearance upon arrival.
The seven-night package also includes a stay in a two-bedroom ocean-view suite, which features a private plunge pool, a personal concierge, butler service, and – most fun – chips, guacamole and Mexican beer delivered to your room daily.
The hotel can also arrange for nearby off-site activities like a sunrise standup paddle board session at the famed Land’s End, 4x4 excursions into the Sierra de la Laguna mountains, and swimming with 40-foot-long whale sharks.
Baja California Sur reopened to travelers on June 15, but note that a temperature check and completing a health screening questionnaire are required upon airport arrival. Cases of COVID-19 are also on the rise, even though the country remains open to visitors; exercise caution and follow safety procedures if you plan to travel there.
Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, Camino del Mar 1, Pedregal, 23455 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico; +52 624 163 4300