With travel well and firmly back on the agenda, many travelers are looking for getaways where they can reconnect with old pals, celebrate friendships and create new memories. From picnics and bike rides in Tuscany to pool parties in Mexico with 22 of your closest friends, here are five options for those in search of where to spend their next “Friendcation”.
Bikes & Bites at Grand Universe Lucca, Italy
Located in the heart of Lucca—a city made famous by its historic walls and for being the hometown of a string of composers including Giacomo Puccini and Francesco Gemniniani—friends staying at this boutique Tuscan hotel are sure to work up an appetite should they opt for the Bike & Bites package. The deal offered by Grand Universe Lucca includes extended bicycle rentals to explore the city and a picnic basket filled with fine Tuscan wine, schiacciata (Tuscan stuffed sandwiches) and buccellato (a ring-shaped sweet bread). Bike rental is free for the first hour for hotel guests and €4 an hour thereafter or €20 a day (five hours and over). The picnic costs €25 per person. A single room in August starts at $252 a night and rooms with two single beds start at $350 per night.
For more information, visit granduniverselucca.com.
Stay & Play at Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club, Cape Cod
For friends who like to golf, the Stay & Play golf package at the Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club in Brewster on Cape Cod provides access to a private 18-hole course—the only Nicklaus Design golf course on Cape Cod. The deal also includes an overnight stay, a $25 per person voucher for the on-site eatery Linx Tavern, green fee of $130 per golfer, unlimited same-day play time, practice range accessibility, golf cart rental, yardage book, water, complimentary rentals and bag storage. Off the course, friends can enjoy the resort’s many amenities, including a private beach, five pools, nine tennis courts, multiple restaurants, spa, kayaking, paddleboarding, 26 miles of trails for biking and hiking and walking tours of local oyster beds. Packages are priced based on availability.
For more information, visit oceanedge.com.
The Crew in Aruba at Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino
Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino offers a host of friendcation-friendly activities in its The Crew in Aruba package designed to bring “the crew” together at this Caribbean getaway. The offer includes a premium ocean view room with two queen beds, a cabana at the adults-only H2Oasis pool, in-room snacks and local beer upon arrival, a UTV tour for four of the island’s desert side and have a nose around the San Nicolas arts district via a guided tour by Aruba Mural Tours. The deal is good for stays through Sept. 17, 2022. For pricing information and booking options, visit the website and use the code ES7 at checkout.
For more information, visit arubamarriott.com.
Inn with Art at Inn by the Sea, Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Inn by the Sea, a luxury resort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, is offering a package designed for art lovers. The Inn with Art package features two nights in one of the property’s one-bedroom accommodations, two tickets to the nearby Portland Museum of Art with an 18,000-strong collection of works by everyone from Warhol to Monet, a catalog from the museum, a $40 credit towards breakfast and $100 credit towards dinner at the inn’s Dine in Sea Glass which offers scenic ocean views. Just a F.Y.I., for non-arty friend groups, Inn by the Sea also offers other packages such as a day spent working and learning about sustainable fishing on an authentic Maine Lobster Boat during the winter season.
For more information, visit innbythesea.com. 
Rendezvous for 22 at Thompson Zihuatanejo, Mexico
For those who have lots of friends to catch up with and are looking for the ultimate pool party, the Rendezvous for 22 package at Mexico’s Thompson Zihuatanejo hotel on the Playa del Ropa might just be the ticket. The package, which can accommodate groups of up to 22 people, includes renting 11 of the property’s swim up suites arranged around a shared infinity pool. The deal includes customized welcome amenities in each room, the use of a self-service mimosa/margarita bar for 2 hours, light up pool floats, a DJ for 2 hours and drinks and nibbles. For pricing information and to book, call the hotel.
For more information, visit hyatt.com/hotel/mexico/thompson-zihuatanejo/zihth.
