It’s Monday, which means we’re having to dredge up the motivation to feel good about abandoning poolside adventures for the stale air of the office. To help you feel less bummed about the weekend’s end, we’ve rounded up a few trips favored by the 1% to which you can aspire as you clock in the next few hours. From France to the Maldives, these high-dollar vacations are the reason we’re making it through the workweek.
Jade Mountain, St. Lucia
Our most well-traveled (and well-heeled) friends all say the one place we need to go before we die is Jade Mountain. Flights from New York to St. Lucia aren't expensive (less than $400), which is great news for those aspiring to this resort, as rooms—complete with breathtaking mountain views—will cost you between $1,500 and $4,000 a night. Though it is a phenomenal piece of architecture in what is inarguably paradise, we're most struck by its spa package called Alchemy of Two, the description of which reads, "The treatment begins with a play on the roles of giving and receiving in the relationship as the participants relax in a hot tub containing Body Bliss Elixir Male and Elixir Female Oils, sharing a variety of delicious treats and poetry. This is followed by a synchronous massage with Tantra Vibrational Oil as the couple lies side by side. The journey concludes as the man is anointed with Elixir Male and the woman with Elixir Female on specific energy gateways on the body." The 1% sure know how to spice up their love lives in ways unimaginable to the rest of us, and it costs only $595 (+ the room per night and flights) to do so.
Check out Jade Mountain here.
Amangiri, Canyon Point, Utah
Our forever girl crush, blogger Geri Hirsch, recently went to Amangiri, and we have never been so jealous. It's another of those resorts about which everyone we know is abuzz, located in middle-of-nowhere Utah with rooms running between $2K and $9K a night. Its centerpiece feature is its swimming hole, which won the Smith Hotel Award for Best Pool in 2015 and is built around an impressive rock formation. If peace is what you're after, you'll find few places better suited to that effort—if the bill doesn't cause you to end your stay with a stroke.
Check out Amangiri here.
Eden Rock, St. Barth's
At first glance, Eden Rock might not look quite as impressive as, say, Jade Mountain; however, the stunning property has something the St. Lucia resort doesn't—an extreme abundance of celebrity clientele, most of whom descend on the resort around the holidays. It also happens to be owned by Pippa Middleton's in-laws. One of the suites, known as the Villa Rockstar, includes a recording studio that's home to the console John Lennon used to record "Imagine." Because, obviously. Rooms are relatively cheap compared with some of the other resorts on this list, but only if you go in the off-season. Try booking around Christmas and NYE, and the rates jump upwards of $4,500 and are available only by request.
Check out Eden Rock here.
Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes, France
The Hotel du Cap is actually a 19th-century mansion located on the Cote d'Azur (the French Riviera). It's where the who's who of Hollywood stay during the Cannes Film Festival, including Kendall Jenner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Ratajkowski and Katy Perry. It's so bling-bling that up until 2006, it was a cash-only hotel, which meant its patrons had to bring thousands in cash. Allegedly, F. Scott Fitzgerald based the hotel in Tender Is The Night on the Hotel du Cap, where rooms are impossible to get in prime season if you're not on the A-list but can actually border on the affordable at around $660 per night when it's quiet in the area.
Check out the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc here.
One & Only Palmilla, Los Cabos, Mexico
Jen Aniston loves this Mexican resort, and she's not the only one on the A-list who does—it's been a haven for celebrities since it first opened in 1950. After Hurricane Odile in 2014, it was renovated to include a gorgeous spa and a new restaurant, Jean Georges Vongerichten's Seared, which joins the resort's other restaurants—Suviche (where sushi is caught fresh or flown in fresh daily) and Agua by Larbi—as reason enough to visit. Don't expect to pay less than $2K a night, with many rooms costing upwards of $10K per night. If you're feeling especially flush, try the 10,000-square-foot Villa Cortez, which includes a private infinity pool, screening theater, personal gym, four bedrooms and 24-hour butler service. It's $22K. Per night.
Check out the One & Only Palmilla here.
Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, California
Living in Los Angeles as we do, we know so many people who've gotten engaged at Post Ranch Inn, a fact that has left us wondering … where did all these people get their monies? Rooms at the Big Sur resort are not cheap (upwards of $1K per night), and feature cliffside or ocean views, hot tubs, total privacy and a ban on all children. We'd consider the price tag to be inclusive of what we're calling "accommodations-induced amnesia," as the Inn's otherworldly location (devoid of TVs, to boot) will make you totally forget you live in a world of Scaramuccis and such.
Check out the Post Ranch Inn here.
Four Seasons Resort, Landaa, Giraavaru, Maldives
We named the Maldives one of our top places to visit in 2017, as it's said to be headed underwater within our lifetime. This Four Seasons resort is located on a UNESCO World Biosphere reserve, with 103 villas located on stilts above a lagoon, eight restaurants and a three-acre spa. We're fairly certain if you looked up paradise in the dictionary, a picture of this resort would surface, and for the privilege of enjoying it you'll only need to pay a couple thousand dollars a night or, for some of the most luxurious properties, price-upon-request-level fees (read: not happening).
Check out the Four Seasons Resort Maldives here.
