Cabana Confab: 5 Spots to Relax Like the A-List

Here are a few tempting opportunities for travelers to experience classic cabana living in destinations from Martha’s Vineyard to the Florida beach to the California and the Arizona desert. And for a fun twist, we’ve included a decidedly untraditional take on the cabana concept in the Adirondack Mountains. (Hint: we think you’ll lean to like it.)

Summer guests of the historic Harbor View Hotel (Edgartown, Mass.) can lounge Vineyard-style in a sleek cabana stocked with two lounge chairs, towels, Harbor View Hotel logoed hats, bottles of Fiji water, and a fruit platter. Cabanas are strategically set near the poolside bar, North 41, enabling an easy transition from a dip in the pool to a signature cocktail or casual bite from the bar menu. Insider tip: The North 41 Blood Mary, made with St. Georges Green Chili Vodka, pickled seasonal veggies and an Old Bay rim, is a guest favorite. Cabanas are available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and cost $175 for the day. They can be reserved by calling the front desk.

Not for shrinking violets, the cabanas at the all-suite Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa (Riviera Beach, Fla.) are a rich cherry red. They front the resort’s heated infinity edge pool, with views of the ocean and palm trees swaying in the breeze, and feature a day bed, three lounge chairs, towels, a flat-screen TV, and a mini fridge stocked with sodas, water and fruit. A dedicated server is on hand to take orders for tropical cocktails and snacks. Cabanas are priced at $150 per day Monday through Thursday and $200 per day Friday through Sunday and on holidays. Advance reservations are required and can be made through the resort’s concierge.

Palm fringed and surrounded by a stunning desert mountain view, the infinity pool is prime real estate at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa (Paradise Valley, Ariz.). Luxury cabanas beckon with shade and privacy and come complete with a twin chaise longue, television, and mini-fridge stocked with fruit and the guest’s choice of soda or juice, plus a private outdoor lounge seating area ($200 per day, $100 per half day). Food and beverage service is available for an additional charge. For larger groups, The Cove provides lounge seating sheltered by a large umbrella, with guests’ choice of two pitchers of an infinity cocktail ($400 for six guests per day, plus $40 per additional guest).

Replace the canvas-draped cabana with one constructed of logs, move it from the pool to the Adirondack woodlands, think starry nights instead of sunny days, and you’ve got The Whiteface Lodge’s Outdoor Lean-Tos. Sheltered on three sides, with the fourth open to majestic mountain and sky views, these two spacious, hand-crafted structures surround guests in rustic luxury. Each is furnished with comfortable seating, warm blankets and a fire pit, but the best part is a menu of cigars, cognacs, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from which guests can order via a dedicated phone line connected to concierge services. Access to the lean-tos is provided as a complimentary resort amenity for guests.

The hidden SoCal retreat known for its tranquil spa, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, has introduced signature poolside cabanas with Kopari, the La Jolla-based national beauty brand. Kopari has dramatically transformed the summer-ready cabanas at the palm tree lined pool deck into a one-of-a-kind outdoor spa experience that has already become a popular hangout or day-cation for those seeking a quick and relaxing getaway just a couple hours from Los Angeles. Kopari’s products, loved by supermodels like Karlie Kloss and Rosie Huntington Whitley and beauty bloggers like Marianna Hewitt, are made from 100% organic coconut oil, and each fully-equipped cabana comes with a sampling of its products along with several other goodies including:

• Two Kopari Multi-tasking Mini Kits
• Two Signature Kopari Beach Towels
• The choice of a two-poolside mini spa service (Kopari Hydrating Hand Treatment, Kopari Hydrating Foot Treatment, Kopari Nourishing Coconut Hair & Scalp Treatment)
• One Kopari Coconut Rose Toner on Ice
• Bottle of Rosé
• Mini Fridge equipped with Organic Coconut Water, Suja Juices & Evian Water.

The cost is $325 and includes all of the above, plus the cabana for a full day for two people — additional people can be added at an additional cost.