Add Some Adventure to Your Workation

If the idea of mixing work and vacation into a “workation” makes you think of being cooped up in a tiny hotel room over your computer, you’ve got the wrong idea. A workation done right can—and should—provide a refreshing change of scenery to help boost your productivity, plus plenty of non-work-related stimulation to disconnect and recharge when you’re not on the clock.

It may sound counterintuitive, but a workation can be more productive while also providing a much-needed break. It’s just a matter of finding the right place to stay.

Heading out to a remote mountain cottage in Colorado to focus sounds like the beginning of The Shining, but there’s no risk of cabin fever at Taylor River Lodge. This is the quintessential American wilderness experience—with the convenient addition of Wi-Fi—so you can continue working with a backdrop of forest trees, running rivers, and the Rocky Mountains. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are taken care of, so your free time is spent enjoying the outdoors instead of cooking and menu planning.

And enjoy the outdoors you will. With dangling carrots like scenic hikes, river rafting, and fishing excursions awaiting you, there’s more than enough motivation to get work done. Don’t worry about having to entertain family members that tag along; they’ll have plenty of activities to keep busy while you buckle down.

You don’t need to worry about working through your daylight hours during a summer workation at Deplar Farm. Thanks to Iceland’s midnight sun, there’s plenty of sunshine to enjoy no matter how late you work. Few countries pack so much natural splendor into such a small area, so you’ll want all the extra time to can get for hiking the fjords, sea kayaking, horseback riding, and more.

All of the rooms come with breathtaking views, but choose a suite with a lofted lounge to use as your designated workspace. On-site saunas and hot tubs are the perfect way to wind down after a day of work, while the polar plunge may be just what you need to wake up your body and mind before a focus session.

The Bahamas sounds like the ultimate vacation, but these Caribbean islands can be even more productive than the office with the right workspace (Enter Bahama House). The 11-room property is located on Harbour Island, small enough to ride a bike around and away from the resorty distractions of Nassau. Some suites come with rattan desks, but there are also plenty of colorfully casual work nooks around the hotel on the upper terrace or at the pool lounge.

Family members can hang by the pool, explore the island’s downtown, or head out for a paddleboarding excursion so you have the quiet time you need. Once you shut your laptop, join them for an afternoon of bonefishing or a sunset cruise. You can even partake in a remote office happy hour from the on-site Tiki Bar.

Just 30 minutes away from the Taylor River Lodge, the Scarp Ridge Lodge offers a similar Wild West ambiance—the building was once a frontier-era saloon—but located in the heart of the Crested Butte mountains. A suite with a lofted office is the perfect hideaway for video calls or focus time, but there are also shared areas around the lodge to mix it up and avoid tedium.

Outside of working hours, enjoy immediate access to forested hikes, world-class biking trails, or the downtown music and food scene. Each day is truly a create-your-own adventure, and you’ll be provided personalized itineraries that flex with your work schedule.

Chat with an Origin travel curator today to see how you can feel more productive at work while also enjoying an unforgettable trip.