Travel writing is still writing. Whatever I am writing about, I still have to craft a sparkling article that is informative but light, reads quickly but sticks. It cannot be prolix, nor repetitive. So what happens is that I, and my peers, tend to break out the thesaurus to avoid using the same words over and over again. For me, a hotel can also be a “space,” a “destination,” or a “property.” But very often, thanks to allegory and metaphor, “resort” and “retreat” get thrown in the mix, but when it comes down to brass tacks, a hotel, a resort, and a retreat are three different things.
“Hotel“
This is fairly straightforward, but there are a few key differences from “resort” and “retreat.” Think of a hotel as a standalone space, like a Hilton or Marriott. They can be imbedded directly into an urban setting and blend seamlessly with all the other buildings. But a hotel tends to begin and end with your room. Sure, there are some amenities like pools, spas, gyms, restaurants, and even butler services that make the stay everything from practical to opulent, but there is an understanding that at one point during your stay, you are going to go out and take in the local sights and flavors. In other words, no matter how spectacular a “hotel” is, it isn’t there to fill up your dance card. A good example of a hotel would be, say, the Plaza in New York City or the St. Regis in Paris. There are plenty of add-ons, from food to a small set of shops, but if you never left the property, it says to me you are either up to your eyeballs in business, a hermit, or doing something illegal…
“Resort“
In a resort, you could conceivably never leave the property and no one would bat an eye. Practically a small town, a resort is all but self-contained, and weaves a lot of local flare into itself (if in a slightly sanitized form). Not only do they include a hotel, spas, and restaurants, but also things like “cultural villages” and shopping venues bordering on a mall. There is a full list of activities that keeps one busy, and some resorts have wised up and included entertainment options for children and teens so the parents can have some alone-time. Resorts are genetically engineered to be everything for everybody, and there can be so much to do that you can feel like you are sprinting from one activity to another. Resorts can be inside a city, but are usually just outside so as to have an alluring balance of having room to sprawl, but with an urban center close by should the visitor want to go exploring. The Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki is the veritable definition of a resort. While not smack in the middle of downtown, the Hilton is still close enough that the Waikiki city center and all its Hawaiian charm are within close reach, but no one would blame you stayed on the property to check out the penguins at the on-site zoo(!), the shopping boutiques(!), the private beach(!) or the fireworks show(really !). The downside is that it can be a little difficult to unwind, since the FOMO peer-pressure of all activities, and the people doing them, is a pervasive, omnipresent buzz.
“Retreat“
The biggest difference between a resort and a retreat is that a retreat is so far away from anything else, once you are there, you are…well, there. There is nowhere else to go. A retreat really is where you run “to get away from it all.” That can be a little cabin that is super-isolated, or a large property…that is super-isolated. I came across the later in the form of the Qasr al-Sarab in the southern United Arab Emirates. This is no cabin; the sumptuous Sarab includes 40 rooms, 14 suites, 52 pool villas, and restaurants that will give you food-boners for decades. And thank the stars, because there is NOTHING ELSE FOR MILES. The Sarab rises like as if at the summons of a genie in the middle of one of the harshest deserts on the planet; there is no immediate “local flair” and indeed, there is no other game in town. To be fair, the Sarab embedded itself in massive, nobody-else-but-us eco-reserve, but that was as much to maintain the delicate desert environment as it was the splendid isolation. Sure, there are activities like camel rides and falconry shows, but the Sarab revolves around the therapeutic value of doing nothing. You can do nothing by the pool, on the dunes, or in your room. Far from the maddening crowd, time passes slowly at a retreat, The takeaway here is that for those who like the frenzy (hellooooo, Waikiki!), the Sarab can be like slamming the breaks so hard you go flying through of the windshield. If you are into instant gratification, or are traveling with easily-bored kids, a retreat may not be the best option, however luxurious it is.
IN CONCLUSION
Welcome to 2021: OF COURSE a vacation isn’t as easy as it sounds! And when subtly different terms are bandied around as if they are synonyms because of editorial standards, the picture doesn’t get any clearer. As the tourism industry continues to diversify and provide more options (all in the name of making things easier, if you can believe it), knowing exactly what you want from a destination and doing the prerequisite research goes a long way.
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