Pickleball courts and fitness centers are as standard as room service in many luxury resorts. A growing number of properties are pushing past the expected, with amenities that include sandboarding ancient dunes in Wisconsin and piloting electric underwater scooters through coral reefs in the British Virgin Islands.

Skip the wrapping paper. The most thoughtful gift may be a well-timed escape that meets Mom exactly where she is.

Privacy has become the new high-stakes currency in global travel, fueling a shift toward ‘hushpitality’ that is projected to more than double the size of the luxury villa market by 2033. Leading this evolution, desert icons like The Phoenician are trading traditional occupancy for low-density, standalone residences that domesticate the resort experience.