December 23, 2020 | Lifestyle
A selection of “workation” offers from luxury resorts around the world take remote office options to the next level. 
Out of the Blue, an overwater dining destination at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives, includes a chef’s table experience, a sushi counter and more.
The past several months have been challenging—to say the least. But one positive change to come out of an unprecedented year has been the shift to more flexible working conditions. Instead of a long commute to and from a crowded workplace, many of us have been plugging away from the home office or the dining room table. Now, some of the world’s most coveted vacation spots, including the Maldives, Turks and Caicos and the Irish countryside are offering long-term stays, making it possible to take virtual meetings from a beach, a boat or even a castle. “If microvacations were born from a lack of time, extended stays are the answer to a strained work-life balance brought about by incessant Zooming,” says Misty Belles of luxury travel adviser network Virtuoso. Why work from home when you can work from paradise?
A luxuriously appointed executive state room at Dromoland Castle in County Clare, Ireland
Step back in time to live like royalty at Dromoland Castle, the magnificent 16th century seat of the O’Brien clan, who were direct descendants of Irish King Brian Boru. The luxurious surrounds blend old-world elegance with modern conveniences and include gardens imagined by the same designer as the gardens of Versailles, an 18-hole golf course and more. Book the Grania O’Brien Suite—a two-bedroom apartment with its own kitchen, fireplace, private terrace and alfresco space—for an ultraplush place to live and work from this winter. Included in the monthly cost are a slew of amenities: unlimited laundry, daily breakfast, 24/7 IT support for setting up and maintaining a home office, and a personal host. Thirty-night stays from approximately $34,200
A beach hut at GoldenEye offers a safe and peaceful work environment and pristine ocean views.
At GoldenEye in Jamaica, guests can book a stay at James Bond author Ian Fleming’s former home.
Inspiration is up for grabs in Oracabessa, a quiet fishing village in Jamaica that’s attracted notable creatives over the years. Currently owned by Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, GoldenEye—a collection of beach villas, lagoon cottages and beach huts set on a lush, pristine landscape with a lagoon and secluded beaches—served as Ian Fleming’s home and is the site where he wrote all 14 James Bond novels. Guests booking a 30-night-plus stay on the 52-acre estate will receive a reduced rate along with unlimited laundry service and daily breakfast. Also available to book is the author’s original five-bedroom home, where his writing desk still remains. Thirty-night stays from $12,156
Beach Enclave Turks and Caicos’ new long-term stay package includes accommodations at a decked-out private villa similar to the residences seen at the highly anticipated Beach Enclave Grace Bay (shown here), debuting in late 2020.
Shimmering turquoise water, white sand beaches and a safe, socially distanced live-work environment beckon with Beach Enclave Turks and Caicos’ new long-term stay package. In addition to booking luxuriously appointed 1-acre villas in private, gated communities at Long Bay, North Shore and Grace Bay Beach (opening this winter), professionally minded services such as a personal assistant and a full-time nanny for families are also available to help make the transition from a pre-COVID workplace to a remote workplace easy. Other perks include a $2,500 resort credit per month, a personal butler, concierge services, daily breakfast, housekeeping, group yoga and more. Thirty-night stays from $75,000
Free diving with a whale shark at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives is just one exciting activity on offer at the gorgeous resort.
Venture farther afield to the Maldives for a remote office experience at one of the earth’s most exotic escapes. Located in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Soneva Fushi contains 71 private villas, including recently revealed 6,286-square-foot one-bedroom and 9,224-square-foot two-bedroom retreats—the largest one- and two-bedroom overwater villas in the world. The latter include waterslides that lead directly to the ocean, roomy outdoor bathrooms and master bedrooms with retractable roofs. The resort’s new workation offer ensures guests have access to things like high-speed internet and daily yoga and meditation, along with off-the-charts work-and-play experiences like Soneva in Aqua, a two-cabin yacht that comes with an onboard library and a desert island picnic excursion; the Castaway Office on the sandbank with a picnic lunch weekly; and more. Kids stay occupied with private tutoring through Oppidan Education, a U.K.-based tutoring company, and a variety of learning-inspired activities administered by the resort’s marine biologists, astronomers and permaculture specialists. Fourteen-night stays from $13,650; 30-night stays from $22,500
BEACH ENCLAVE PHOTO COURTESY OF: BEACH ENCLAVE TURKS and CAICOS; SONEVA FUSHI PHOTO COURTESY OF SONEVA FUSHI; DROMOLAND PHOTO COURTESY OF Dromoland; Bookshelf photo courtesy of ISLAND OUTPOST; First photo COURTESY OF SONEVA FUSHI
