Top 10 workations – home is where the laptop is

Imagine signing off that last Zoom call at 3pm and walking out the door to the golf club, a surf lesson, a poolside bar where a cocktail with your name on it awaits. Imagine no more. 

The rise of remote working means you can now take advantage of the hotels, resorts and destinations luring remote workers with practical but playful remote working packages that give new and exciting meaning to WFH. Think an office with an ocean view.

These packages, programs, visas and villages fuse function (work) with frivolity (play) and offer safe (Covid-free), convenient and work-friendly environments along with five-star perks and the chance to tick off bucket list entries, have out-of-this-world experiences, learn new skills, and even be part of a community.  

From Mexico to Mauritius to Madeira, and from two weeks up to one year, we spotlight the top 10 workation packages to take advantage of in 2022. 

1 Four Seasons Punta Mitya, Mexico

Complimentary lap pads and iPads provided poolside, a roaming Screen Doctor to keep tech clean, 24/7 tech hotline, and pool or beachside work/study cabanas outfitted with WiFi, TV monitors and energising snacks are all part of the Knowledge for all Seasons Programme at Four Seasons Punta Mita in Mexico – designed for families who want to work and study together. Extracurricular learning includes surf sessions and Spanish lessons for kids and sea foraging and cocktail making for adults. Or shake off the workday with a float in the lazy river, or zipline through the tropical rainforest. 

2 Sun Resorts, Mauritius

There are work perks aplenty at five-star Sun Resorts, Mauritius, whose long-stay family-focused package (up to a year) offers dedicated business suites and co-working spaces (courtesy of co-working specialist The Hive) strategically nestled in the coconut groves. Feeling sociable? A members’ club delivers coffee networking in the morning and cocktails at night, while a dedicated concierge takes the stress out of daily chores. And once you shut up shop for the weekend, there are reefs and rainforests to explore and world-class golf courses to master. 

3 The Nautilus, Maldives

Top of the perks goes to The Nautilus, Maldives, a workation package of up to 21 days where you can work in a luxury office in your beach house (think ocean-view desk, complete computer setup, private PA and continuous rollout of refreshments) or atop the resort’s secluded sandbank for a few hours each day. It comes with a desk, shaded sun canopy and portable high-speed WiFi – a scene sure to create a stir on any Zoom call. 

4 Boardwalk, Aruba

Who wouldn’t want to work from the ‘happiest island in the world’? Boutique hotel Boardwalk in Aruba has a 21-day stay minimum workcation program where you can work from a hammock, in a private seating area along the pool or request desk extensions for use at a reserved beach hut. 

5 Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai, UAE

Work remotely, from a minimum of 31 days up to a year, from the five-star Emirates Towers in the heart of Dubai. The Discover Remote Work Package gives access to a co-working lounge and Biz Pod centre with full secretarial support. There are breakfast-only, half-board and full-board options and you get discounts to the hotel’s many outlets including Michelin-starred Hakkasan and London favourite, The Ivy. There’s an oxygen bar to keep buzzing, a flotation pool to relax, a karaoke bar to have fun, and access to the hotel’s sister property’s pristine private beach. 

6 Desa Potato Head, Bali, Indonesia

With a business travel visa, you can now stay up to six months in Bali and at creative village Desa Potato Head reside here on a workation package from one week up to six months. Designed to reshape how people experience hospitality, this beachfront village and hotel embraces community living, with spaces dedicated to sustainability, cultural immersion and the arts. Long-term residents enjoy all-inclusive access to beachside co-working spaces, and stay in rooms with ocean views and adjoining offices. There’s a doctor on call 24/7. 

7 Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane, London, UK

Want to stay in the heart of London? Four Seasons’ 30-day-plus Extend Your Stay package delivers a number of perks curated to provide optimum work-life balance – from airport transportation and personal concierge to a personalised culinary and wellness plan and twice-weekly fitness sessions. In-room espresso machines and 24-hour business services will ensure productivity. 

8 Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome, Paris, France

Promising a stay where you can be ‘pampered and productive’, Hyatt’s The Great Relocate package has a minimum 29-night stay and can be taken in more than 125 destinations throughout 2022, from Zanzibar to Venice. Why not try the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome? Centrally located, just a stone’s throw from the legendary Place Vendome, and super-chic, the hotel delivers Michelin-starred gastronomy, 24/7 secretarial support, complimentary laptops and a technology concierge. Pack your work, family, even your pets.  

9 Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa, Seychelles

The workation package, for 10-plus nights, at Hilton Seychelles delivers high-speed internet, meeting rooms and a library for when you really need to focus. Stay in a tree-house style residence with a huge terrace offering panoramic views to top even the swankiest of corner offices. Pre-work, enjoy floating breakfasts from the privacy of your own pool, and post-work, take part in a host of free activities from snorkelling to kayaking. 

10 Ponta do Sol, Madeira

Finally, there’s the world’s first digital nomad village, in Madeira, launched last July. Designed as a place to mingle, work and network, the village has already attracted more than 500 entrepreneurs, developers, lawyers, writers and consultants staying from a minimum one month up to three months. The village delivers access to co-working space, Slack, strong WiFi, a hosting team to facilitate your stay and exclusive daily events, talks and workshops. The village is located in the coastal town of Ponta do Sol, credited with being Madeira’s cultural hub and boasting breath-taking beaches, great dining and good hiking trails. Expect to see the concept replicated throughout Portugal in 2022.