"Whether you love it or hate it, the term "skillcation" is set to be the travel portmanteau you'll be hearing a lot more of in 2026. Gone are the days of hedonistic excess on vacation; we're all about bettering ourselves in the new year. According to Hilton's 2026 Trends Report, 72% of travelers expressed a desire to take time off to explore a personal passion, skill, or hobby."
"Hotels are tapping into this growing consumer desire, offering their guests exclusive classes, workshops, and local experiences that work to highlight a better sense of place—whether that means mastering the art of falconry on Sea Island, Georgia, or casting fly rods around the waters of Cape Cod. From Vermont to Utah, here are eight hotels across the US leaning into the "skillcation" trend."
"Alila Ventana Big Sur is all about highlighting the surrounding Pacific waters and redwood forests of California's Central Coast. The Alila Experience program is filled with workshops integrated with nature, such as the " Sundown Sessions," a social listening experience that introduces guests to music inspired by the California coast, or a hydrosol class where you can learn about botanical distillation using foraged plants from Big Sur. There's also a course on knife handle-making, which makes use of locally sourced wood from the property."
Hotels are increasingly offering skill-focused vacations with on-site classes, workshops, and local experiences that teach hobbies and crafts. Seventy-two percent of travelers expressed a desire to take time off to explore a personal passion, skill, or hobby. Examples include falconry on Sea Island and fly-rod casting around Cape Cod, alongside activities such as fly fishing, archery, pottery, and glassblowing. Alila Ventana Big Sur provides nature-integrated workshops like Sundown Sessions, hydrosol botanical distillation, and knife handle-making using locally sourced wood. Sundance Mountain Resort offers jewelry, pottery, soap, perfume, and phone photography courses.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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