Where to Host That Long-awaited Reunion

What they say about Paris is also true of Playa del Carmen—it’s always a good idea. At Andaz Mayakoba, everybody’s kept happy, from the Naum Wellness & Spa with its concoct-your-own scrubs and oils to the Kimbo Kids Club where cenote excursions and piñata making are complimentary. A 6,475-square-foot Three Bedroom Presidential Villa with Private Pool is the perfect living arrangement with two floors, three bedrooms and a big terrace.

An all-inclusive ranch makes for an ace-high reunion, even if none of your folks fancy themselves cowpokes. The Ranch at Rock Creek is well setup for it. Book out all three accommodations in the historic barn for groups up to 15—and tack on a homesteader wagon for a glamping experience. There are also six luxury homes with occupancies ranging from six to 12. On the lengthy activities list is fly fishing, archery, hiking and, of course, horseback riding.

Known for the warm chocolate chip cookies handed out at 3 p.m. every day, Beaver Creek Resort does family getaways especially well, and that doesn’t just go for ski season. In the summer, the Adventure Center will set your group up for all kinds of activities, from miniature golf at the base to high mountain hiking with professional guides. Or let Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort & Spa do all the reunion planning. Get in an afternoon of whitewater rafting, hot air balloon ride, or maybe just posting up at the outdoor pool before a catered outdoor dinner with your loved ones.

Built with 10,000 red cedar logs, Fairmont Chateau Montebello is considered the largest log cabin in the world, although with five wings it’s definitely more than a cabin. Come summer, they host family-style barbecues on their terrace overlooking the Ottawa River. If the weather turns, take it inside around the huge Lobby Lounge fireplace made of river stones. From its namesake golf course to a long list of resort activities including canoeing and tennis, nobody’s getting bored here.

You or someone you know has probably sat through a Kodak carousel slideshow of vacation images at some point and chances are that destination was Hawaii. It’s a perennial friends and family favorite for good reason—far but not too far away, sun, sand, surf. With spacious two, three and four bedroom villas, Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort right on Mokapu Beach makes an ideal home base. If you really want to throw down, plan a special outdoor dinner and dance on their Laule’a  2 lawn with a natural stage overlooking the ocean.

Whether some of the reunion crew wants to party while others are keen to just relax, 7Pines has all inclinations covered. A whitewashed seaside oasis set apart on Ibiza’s west side, the resort accommodates adults and families, with pools for each and a kids’ club, with party hub San Antonio just a 17-minute drive away. Everyone can come together at the chill Cone Club terrace’s Sunset Ritual where a live DJ plays, or splurge on a private yacht experience—they have two, one for day use and another for overnight jaunts for up to eight guests.

Only 20 minutes from the airport yet ensconced in greenery, Madrid’s Rosewood Villa Magna makes an easy, breezy, energizing escape for you and the loved ones you’ve missed. A former residence that retains that lavish residential vibe, the hotel has plenty of spaces for celebrating—from a large garden to Penthouse terraces—take Anglada House and adjacent rooms to create a private penthouse set-up for everyone. Steps from Calle Serrano, there’s also all its shops, restaurants and nightlife to dip into.

“We’ll never be royals,” to borrow from Lorde, but that doesn’t mean the fam can’t pretend they are by throwing a reunion in a Renaissance-era castle. The size of the Castel Hoertenberg—just 24 rooms—makes it great for a buyout so you don’t have to share with anyone else. Plan to host a special dinner in the restaurant tucked within the atmospheric old dungeons. In Bolzano, a city that’s both easy to reach yet off the beaten path, the crew can venture out to explore the surrounding wine road, home to some of the world’s best pinot noir, and nearby hiking and biking trails.

Make it a chic and artistic meet-up in Florence, Italy. Steps from some of the country’s best shops, restaurants and museums is the Brunelleschi Hotel. A historical landmark itself housed within the Byzantine Pagliazza Tower dated back to the 6th century. Dine at two Michelin-star Santa Elisabetta on the first floor or plan a completely private experience in Liberty Hall with its pretty painted windows. Interconnecting rooms can be arranged, as well as tours of its own museum of Roman and Renaissance antiquities onsite.

The French don’t make you guess what’s on offer in Corsica with the nickname, the Island of Beauty. To be more specific, stone villages clung to mountains, plunging cliffs, deep gorges, sandy beaches, secret coves and turquoise waters. Adding to that beauty is Casadelmar. The 31-room boutique property on the bay of Porto-Vecchio includes a 2,600-square-foot private villa with pool that makes for a perfect and highly photogenic spot for a small friend or family reunion.

The French Alps aren’t just a winter thing. With 12 rooms and suites that fit up to 22 people, snag the whole Zannier Le Chalet for your group. After coffee and catch-ups curled up in the big, comfy couches, head out on adventures together. There’s hiking, climbing, paragliding, rafting or, for the more laidback, helicopter tours of the Mont Blanc range and sailing on Geneva lake. Talk about a trip to remember.