Hotels Embracing the "Skillcation" Trend

Whether you love it or hate it, the term “skillcation” is set to be the travel portmanteau you’ll be hearing a lot more of in 2026. Gone are the days of hedonistic excess on vacation; we’re all about bettering ourselves in the new year. According to Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report, 72% of travelers expressed a desire to take time off to explore a personal passion, skill, or hobby. Hotels are tapping into this growing consumer desire, offering their guests exclusive classes, workshops, and local experiences that work to highlight a better sense of place—whether that means mastering the art of falconry on Sea Island, Georgia, or casting fly rods around the waters of Cape Cod. From Vermont to Utah, here are eight hotels across the US leaning into the “skillcation” trend.

Bronwyn Knight

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Alila Ventana Big Sur

Big Sur, California

With an emphasis on mindful disconnection, Alila Ventana Big Sur is all about highlighting the surrounding Pacific waters and redwood forests of California’s Central Coast. The Alila Experience program is filled with workshops integrated with nature, such as the “Sundown Sessions,” a social listening experience that introduces guests to music inspired by the California coast, or a hydrosol class where you can learn about botanical distillation using foraged plants from Big Sur. There’s also a course on knife handle-making, which makes use of locally sourced wood from the property.

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Sundance Mountain Resort

Sundance, Utah

When founding Sundance Mountain Resort, actor Robert Redford set out on a mission to combine the arts and the outdoors. Case in Point: the Art Studio & Gallery, where both day visitors and overnight guests can learn how to make jewelry, journals, prints, perfume, pottery, soap, and more. There’s even a phone photography course, which teaches students how to use the macro lens to capture flora and fauna. And if only just to watch, make sure you pay a visit to the Glassblowing Studio, to witness artisans creating hand-blown, recycled glass works of art—a mesmerizing spectacle.