One of the Green O’s 12 secluded Tree Hauses, an elevated guest house that immerses travellers in nature and quiet solitude.Courtesy The Green O
There are people for whom alone time is something to avoid. And then there are those who grow giddy at the thought of it. I fall deeply into the second camp. Case in point: I recently read an article about how Outside magazine writer Tim Neville spent four days alone in complete darkness and isolation … and felt pangs of jealousy.
I was an introvert before it was pandemic cool. But in the years since the world has kicked back up to its maddening pace, I’ve found that my brain’s usually whispered calls for some quiet have become a deafening roar.
It’s what led me to planning a media visit at The Green O in Montana this spring. I’ll tuck away in The Tree Haus, one of 12 secluded adults-only homes that share 60 square miles, or 37,000 acres, of forest (roughly twice the size of Manhattan) with sister property Paws Up Ranch. But with a capacity of fewer than 300 guests between the two properties, each guest could easily get 100 acres to themselves. My friends and family asked to join me on this getaway. I declined.
Quiet luxury started as a trendy phrase used by the fashion industry to describe expensive designer clothing that wasn’t obnoxiously obvious. But the term now also speaks to expensive getaways that take travellers away from people and the noise associated with them.
Surveys suggest it’s a trend Canadians will love. Úna O’Leary, general manager, Canada at Virtuoso, a luxury travel adviser company, points to the in-house research that found Canadians cite “relaxation and disconnecting” as the reason they are most interested in travel this year. Likewise, she says Virtuoso advisers tell her that “quiet luxury and wellness-based trips are on the rise.”
According to Flight Centre Canada, of the 52 per cent of Canadian travellers planning solo trips, 58 per cent of them plan to focus on reflection and contemplation while 51 per cent are seeking self-discovery.
Diana Stobo, founder of The Retreat in Costa Rica, isn’t surprised by the increasing interest in this style of travel. The enclave has offered The Art of Resting since 2021, a minimum five-day getaway for people battling disrupted rest, anxiety and burnout, that is as much about choosing what you won’t do, as selecting from what is available (breathwork, yoga and cranial massage for example). The goal, she says, is to provide a comfortable space for people who are yearning to do as little as possible.
The Retreat, in Costa Rica, runs programs lasting five days or longer that help guests recover from burnout and anxiety.Courtesy The Retreat
“A lot of us just can’t let go. We need to transform that mentality,” she says, adding that often people feel guilty when they aren’t being productive. Her program encourages embracing “slow vacationing,” where guests are supported in their decision to be still, quiet or alone instead of running from one activity to the next.
“What we need to start doing is giving ourselves permission, because if we’re going to wait for someone else to do it, it’s not going to happen as quickly,” Stobo says, adding that rest activates the parasympathetic nervous system which lowers blood pressure, eases heart rates and helps with digestion. “It’s amazing how the body responds.”
Steve Hurst, managing director of Paws Up and Green O, agrees, noting that even guided experiences can be booked privately and that supporting (instead of directing) the guest is at the heart of the property’s approach.
“If you’re coming here to work on the first chapter of that book, we’ll deliver coffee and pastries to you every morning and make sure you have the right cocktail when you hit the slump,” he says. “If you want to go out and walk through the forest with your shoes off, we can tell you where the softest patch is.”
Quiet luxury does come at a cost. My Tree Haus is a two-storey home elevated 23 feet in the air. The floor-to-ceiling windows and 1,030 square feet of indoor living space is meant to make me feel like I’m “floating in the clouds.” And my dining options include meals prepared by James Beard-nominated chef Brandon Cunningham. Nights start at US$2,290 (about $3,155) for two adults – a price that might bring some would-be travellers falling back to earth. But hosts here, and at similar properties, argue that the spaces are worth their price in peace. (Rates at the other properties mentioned range from approximately US$400-$800 a night.)
Baptiste Caulonque, CEO of Pegasus Lodges says their collection of six luxury lodges serves a very specific type of traveller. Located in Indonesia, Oceania, Portugal and British Columbia, they offer a selection of upscale villa type accommodations. Still, he estimates that about two-thirds of his guests come alone for the quiet, and to be where there is more wildlife than people. “For us, ultimate luxury is space. And the space factor has always been built into our offerings,” says Caulonque.
Brian Gage agrees. He owns and runs Pegasus’s Nootka Wilderness Lodge – a floating fishing camp in British Columbia. He’s seen firsthand the humbling effects of a quiet vacation. “You definitely get caught up in the immediate environment that surrounds you, which is a good thing because that’s what makes us all reflect on what’s important to us,” he says. “It puts your life in perspective.”
Perspective, quiet and clarity are what I’m hoping to find in my house in the sky in Montana. Here’s also hoping that I find a way to bring them home.