in October 2005
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Smart Traveler: The Kids Stay Home
Text by Margaret Loftus Photograph Courtesy of Sundara Inn & Spa
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Kids under 18 are not permitted at the Sundara Inn & Spa in Wisconsin Dells. |
In an era of toting our children wherever we roam, adults-only resorts are gaining favor. A backlash to kid concierges and "Coketails?"
 ou'll find them doing cannonballs in the infinity pools of luxe resorts, riding elephants in Chiang Mai, and taking tea on the Queen Mary 2. Today's kids get around. Where the occasional jaunt to Disney World would have once sufficed, 21st-century parents seem to know no bounds when it comes to toting the tots along on vacation.
But consider these recent debuts where kids are verboten: Sundara Inn, an oasis in the middle of the water parks of kiddie playland Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin; Pacifica Holistic Retreat in Cabo San Lucas, developed by Pueblo Bonito Hotels in response to guest feedback; and the British P&O Cruises's sleek liner Arcadia, which plies the fjords of Norway and the waters of the Caribbean. "A lot of the new hot places are more adult-oriented," says Tim Zagat, founder of Zagat guides. (He's not referring to hedonistic swinger clubs but the sophisticated lodgings that cater to grown-up tastes.) He notes that the number of properties listed under the "Children Not Recommended" section of Zagat's 2005 hotel guide soared from 20 in 2001 to 63 in the 2005 edition.
In an era when the little darlings are welcome just about everywhere, could a backlash be imminent?
If so, it's about time, observes Dan Dobrowolski, owner of Canoe Bay, a resort in Chetek, Wisconsin. "We're in a part of the world where everything is geared toward children. Adults are people too," he says, with their own rights to sit by the pool undisturbed by a game of Marco Polo. He says the feedback on his resort's policy has been positive. "It mostly runs along the lines of, 'Thank God there's someplace we can go.'"
Among the grateful guests who frequent Canoe Bay are Elissa and Dan Elliott. The Minnesota couple have nothing against children (they are, in fact, in the process of adopting a child), but Elissa, a former high-school biology teacher, says it's tough to wind down in the company of rambunctious tweens.
It wasn't that long ago that the only hotel pool you were likely to see kids cavorting in was the one at the Howard Johnson's. Generally, Mom and Dad saved the big-ticket vacations for themselves. But sometime in the 1990s, that all changed. Hotels rolled out the kid-friendly programs—from teddy bear teas to driving lessons on miniature Range Rovers—in part to attract working parents, many with money to burn but lacking time with their kids.
While children still travel with their parents, according to the Travel Industry Association, more households are taking multiple short trips—carving out time for parents to vacation by themselves. And traveling without the wee ones is a notion more parents are learning to appreciate, says George Goeggel, managing partner of Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley, which strongly discourages guests from bringing children. "It's very rejuvenating," says the father of three, "and I think that makes you a better parent." Adds Chekitan Dev, a professor at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, "If you make a conscious decision to be away from your children, the last thing you want is someone else's child bothering you."
Of course, parents on furlough aren't the only ones driving the trend. Dev points out that the childless market alone is robust enough to support adults-only spots. Enrique Gandara of Pueblo Bonito Hotels says Pacifica is not only geared toward couples but to the increasing number of female friends traveling together. Perhaps the biggest factor of all is the aging population. "Baby boomers are now becoming empty nesters," notes Dev. "They're done raising their kids and don't necessarily want to raise anybody else's."
As boomers retire in greater numbers, the pendulum will no doubt continue to swing toward the adults-only niche, though don't expect the family travel market to disappear.
After raising five kids, Dee and Susan Webb were in need of some downtime. They took their first trip to Bucuti Beach Resort in Aruba in 1998 and have returned every year since. Says Dee, "We love our kids and grandkids but need this break once a year to recharge."
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