Like all group travel, girlfriend getaways represent a profitable niche and such business is generally welcomed with open arms. There are, however, hotels, resorts and destinations that make an extra effort to appeal to this market. Here is a sampling of some of the latest offers, in the U.S. and beyond, for women traveling in numbers.
The Time New York Hotel’s new “Good Time IN” package is being marketed for girl’s nights, bachelorette parties, or any type of group. Highlights include accommodations in the 2,000-square-foot Triplex Penthouse Suite, cocktails at the hotel’s bar lounge, a mixology class led by Liquid Lab, dinner at Serafina (complete with plenty of wine and champagne), and an evening planned by The Time’s concierge team catering to the group’s preferences. Serafina is also on call with late-night pizza deliveries to guests’ rooms.
The following morning, the women will be treated to a themed brunch in-suite and receive gift bags upon departure, including goodies such as body butter and oils. The Good Time IN package starts at $5,900 per night.
Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District, a partnership of arts and entertainment organizations located along the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale, is offering a new “Girlfriends & Glamour Getaway” package. Included are Executive Tower accommodations at the Riverside Hotel on trendy Las Olas Boulevard, $30 food and beverage credit per room / per stay, an all-day water taxi pass, tickets to the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, welcome gift bag, and a savings book (valued at more than $300) from upscale The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale Mall.
Package prices start at $179 per room, per night, double occupancy (depending on availability and date selected). Up to four people may stay in one room; the third and fourth guests pay an additional $28 each. Prices are exclusive of taxes, gratuities, fees and other charges. The offer is available Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through October 1.
The Discover Morro Bay tourism bureau is pitching its quaint namesake fishing village — roughly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco — for girlfriend getaways, touting its bustling waterfront filled with restaurants, wine bars and boutiques. Suggested activities include a group brunch on the patio at Dorn’s Breakers Cafe, overlooking the Embarcadero; harbor cruise; candlelight yoga class; bicycling; and kayaking or standup paddleboarding on the bay. The variety of lodging options in town ranges from small, name-brand hotels (Best Western, Comfort Inn) and motels (Econolodge, Motel 6), to intimate inns and B&Bs, to beachfront vacation rentals.
Vegas Girls Night Out, a boutique concierge service designed exclusively for women by women, has 10 pre-designed packages. The most popular include “Thunderstorm Through Vegas”and “Girls Night Outback,” which both include tickets to the all-male Thunder Down Under review at Excalibur and VIP entry and drink packages at more than six clubs on the Las Vegas strip. “Gimme More” adds to all that a ticket to see Britney Spears live at Planet Hollywood. The “Glamour Girl” package offers a makeover complete with hair and makeup before a night out on the town.
Packages change occasionally depending on the demand and requested experiences. In addition to the packages, which are customizable to fit the needs of each group’s specific desires, accommodations and airport-hotel transfers can also be arranged. Agents can earn commission on sales of certain productions through Vegas Girls Night Out’s Affiliates and Referral programs. Applications are available on the company’s website.
Clustered along a secluded expanse of The Bahamas’ north coast, Kamalame Cay Private Island Resort & Residences is targeting girlfriend getaways, as well as groups of couples traveling together, family reunions and small wedding parties. Eight new, one-bedroom bungalows are in close proximity to one another yet offer privacy. Each has 660 square feet of indoor / outdoor space and 16-foot ceilings capped with cedar shingle roofs. The shoreline studios have private verandas just steps from white-sand beaches and are elevated to provide sunrise and sunset views.
Homey touches include whitewashed wood, linen curtains, and natural accents such as sea grass rugs. The bungalows all have king-size beds with Simmons Beauty rest mattresses and design accents from Ralph Lauren, Eli Tahari, Restoration Hardware and Anthropologie. The interior layouts include a wet bar, seating area, and private outdoor showers with Molton Brown bath amenities. The bungalows are tech-free, with no TV or Wi-Fi for guests. Wi-Fi is, however, available on the island in the lounge at Pineapple House for those who must get online.
Women who book the four-night BFF (Beach Friends Forever) Girls Getaway Package at Beaches Turks and Caicos are treated to a welcome cocktail party, jewelry and wine soiree, seaside yoga and meditation, beauty classes, Island Routes tour, beach bonfire party and more. Beaches Resorts also tosses in a $200 Red Lane Spa credit, a complimentary 5X7 photograph and Sanitas skincare kit. Packages start at $1,580 per person.
This August, Vista Celestial — a luxury boutique hotel on a deserted beach Costa Ballena beach on Costa Rica’s southern Pacific coast — is offering a “Power Women Playtime” package. Base price is $2,200 per person, with escalating reduction based on the number in the group. Bring four women, get 14 percent off the room rate; five women earn a 15 percent discount; six is good for 16 percent, etc., up to 10 women. Groups also get a $50 spa credit per person and complimentary morning yoga class or adventure / tour.
The vast property includes five private, Pacific Ocean-view luxury villas surrounded by jungle. Vista Celestial also provides farm-to-table dining.