Add Luxury
Since your trip is going to be a weekend one, you’ll be able to make room in the budget to include a little (or a lot) of luxury over a short period of time. Now, luxury looks different to different people: for some, it may be the luxury of complete peace and quiet in a remote cabin on a mountain. For some, it may look like Egyptian cotton sheets and room service delivered under a gleaming silver cloche. For others, it may look like choosing to charter private plane flights to enjoy calm, privacy and comfort rather than going with a commercial flight or booking a literal glam squad to make everyone up before a big night out. What luxury means in the context of your weekend is up to you, but adding whatever that may be to a short weekend trip will make the little time you have available feel much longer than it is in a good way.
Protect Your Energy
This one may be tougher for many people to manage, especially if they have a people-pleasing streak in them, but it is one of the most important aspects of planning a glam getaway that actually works. Protecting your energy and that of the people you do want on your trip begins with not over-inviting out of “friendship guilt”. Invite your besties and leave it at that—not everyone is “come on a trip with us this weekend” close, and that's ok. Next, don’t overpack your itinerary. Yes, choose fun things to do, but not so many that they cease to be fun! On a similar note, avoid any “maybe we should…too, since we’ll already be nearby!” moments. Stick to your “soft” plan (more on that later) that allows enough time for everything and some recharge time to boot. Lastly, have everyone mute any and all work notifications for the weekend: this is your time, not your boss’s!
Select the Perfect Destination
Since your time is short, choose one sublime stay instead of jumping between a few places over the weekend. Choose your one boutique stay (boutique is always best!) with your preferences and itinerary in mind. If you want to spend time in a spa over the weekend, choose a hotel that has an in-house spa. Is it hot? Choose a hotel with a pool. Is it snowy or cold? Choose a hotel with access to ski slopes or an indoor pool/ hot tub. Looking forward to nature excursions? Choose a hotel with city opulence, but that is located near a national park. Maximise your time by ensuring that your stay not only has the vibe, restaurants and other amenities that you like but also that it's close enough to all the things that you want to do to avoid long drives and wasted hours.
Pick Anchor Experiences
Now, about that soft schedule we mentioned earlier. When time is of the essence, playing fast and loose with your schedule is not advisable. That said, you don't want to schedule yourself so rigidly that there's no room to breathe or stop to smell the roses, so to speak. Choose 2 to 3 anchor experiences to “anchor” your weekend. Again, this will vary according to your group’s preferences, but a good mix could be something like
Around those, leave yourselves a time buffer for
Glamour cannot be rushed; it takes its own time!
One day outing to the place/venue of your preference
One elevated dinner or brunch
One wellness event or experience
Around those, leave yourselves a time buffer for
Taking photos and videos, cos if there are no pics, it didn't happen!
Having a glass of champagne while you get ready
Having a mini lie-in in the morning
Glamour cannot be rushed; it takes its own time!
Curate Your Weekend Wardrobe
Overpacking is the bane of every glamorous traveller's life. While you may be thinking “I want options”, what you’re actually doing is making your life more difficult and taking time away from your enjoyable weekend. Avoid decision fatigue and worrying so much about how you look that you don't have a good time, and pack smart.
Pack two outfits per day: one for being in public and one for being “at home” (walking around the hotel).
Pack one “going out” look for a nice dinner or clubbing.
Pack one backup look, just in case.
Pack one pair of pyjamas.
Pack 3 pairs of shoes: one for outdoors/ walking, one for your “going out” look, and one pair of sandals or boots as the weather requires.
The Most Important Thing
All this planning ahead of time will allow you to relax, enjoy yourself and just be in the moment on your trip. Make the best use of the time you have: laugh, dance, nibble, rest and play with your glam gal (or guy) pals all weekend, and you’ll be immeasurably happy that you planned it all in advance.
No comments