The urge to throw your phone into the ocean has never been stronger. At least, that is how this summer feels. We are collectively exhausted by the constant buzz in our pockets, the endless scrolling, and the pressure to document every single moment for an audience of acquaintances. The real luxury right now is simply being hard to reach.

Taking an actual analog summer means trading a digital feed for a real conversation, eating a meal without photographing it first, and remembering what it feels like to just exist in a place without a screen between you and the world.

Travel remains one of the easiest ways to step outside the daily scroll. When you fill your days with live music, hands-on workshops, and cultural events, you simply forget to check your email. If you are ready to log off, these Independent Collection Hotels & Resorts are hosting the exact kind of experiences that make the digital world fade into the background.

Table of Contents 1. Monterey Bay, California 2. Cape Cod, Massachusetts 3. Boston, Massachusetts 4. Santa Monica, California 5. Annapolis, Maryland 6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 7. Frederick, Maryland

Monterey Bay, California

If you need a few days where the only schedule you follow is the tide, the coast is the best place to clear your head. Out at The Sanctuary Beach Resort, the Analog Summer Series encourages guests to trade screens for sunsets, music, and conversation. The resort’s summer programming focuses on hands-on experiences designed to slow the pace and reconnect guests with the world around them.

You can spend an afternoon learning the repetition of knotting techniques in a macramé beach tote workshop or spend an hour repurposing discarded oyster shells from Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette into gilded keepsakes during a bi-weekly decoupage workshop. 

Midweek evenings revolve around nostalgic Wednesday night performances from local musician Adam Astrup, who plays acoustic 90s unplugged sets on the Salt Wood patio to transport everyone back to an era of cassette tapes and face-to-face connection.

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Across the country on the East Coast, Sea Crest Beach Resort leans into pure nostalgia with its Summer of Memories package. The oceanfront resort sits right along the white sands of Old Silver Beach in North Falmouth, where days naturally revolve around the water.

You can start your morning with breakfast by the sand, spend the afternoon poolside, or grab a scoop from Captain Scoops ice cream parlor between adventures. 

The resort’s live Summer Music Series runs throughout the season, providing a steady soundtrack to your stay. For dinner, you can sit down for locally inspired New England dishes at The Lantern Room or head outside for their traditional Shore Dinners. It is a classic, messy, hands-on meal of local seafood where you can focus entirely on the conversation across the table.

Boston, Massachusetts 

Beacon Hill is one of those neighborhoods where getting slightly lost is part of the experience. The Whitney Hotel captures this neighborhood energy with The Whitney Social Cart, a bespoke bicycle cart parked in the courtyard and out on Charles Street serving up a rotating menu of small bites and drinks. 

Steps away, you can sit al fresco in the courtyard and order from Peregrine in Bloom, a seasonal, garden-driven cocktail menu at Peregrine featuring fresh infusions inspired by the surrounding neighborhood.

Down on the waterfront, the Boston Harbor Hotel has expanded its Summer in the City series into a multi-experience harbor destination. Live jazz, soul, and blues drift from the harbor barge stage while the surrounding wharf comes alive with a Trillium Brewing Co. beer garden and Aperitivo at Dandelion’s Sangria & Spritz Bar.

Guests naturally move between the patio at Rowes Wharf Sea Grille, a glass of wine or oysters by the water, and the harbor’s edge as the sun goes down. The setting becomes especially striking during the return of Sail Boston, when the city’s tall ships glide directly past the wharf.

Santa Monica, California 

On the opposite coast, Santa Monica offers a different kind of quiet. The Ambrose feels like a residential sanctuary hidden in plain sight. You can grab a book from their library, spend a slow morning hanging out in the courtyard, or take one of their beach cruisers down to the coast. If you want to head a bit further out, their housecar will drop you off anywhere within a three-mile radius. 

You can also use the hotel’s Neighborhood Passkey program to unlock local perks like a dedicated booking experience at The Haven, a boutique Pilates reformer studio down on Arizona Avenue that provides Ambrose guests with a seamless workout and complimentary grip socks.

Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis has plenty of reasons to linger along the waterfront this summer, right outside the doors of the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel. July marks a massive double debut for the local food scene, starting with Marmo. The Italian chophouse and wine bar brings handmade pastas, prime steaks, and fresh seafood to a two-story waterfront space featuring a terrace bar overlooking the harbor.

Right on the dock, Armada offers a sharper, high-energy contrast. The waterfront cantina focuses on authentic Mexican street food paired with an extensive selection of artisanal tequilas and agave spirits perfect for outdoor dockside seating.

While you are in town, you can flash your room key through the hotel’s Neighborhood Passkey program to unlock perks at local spots around the harbor. It gets you a complimentary drink on a Schooner Woodwind public sailing cruise right off the dock, a discount on gemstones at Annapolis Crystals, and special access to several other local shops and boutiques nearby.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In Philadelphia, the summer carries a distinct energy as the city marks its 250th anniversary. The Rittenhouse has created a few unique ways to experience the history without feeling like you are on a standard tourist trek. The Mary Cassatt Tea Room is hosting LiberTea, an afternoon tea service with blends inspired by the actual herbal teas colonists brewed during the Revolutionary War boycott. You can spend an afternoon trying “The Boycott,” which mixes spearmint and rose petals, or ordering “The 13,” a complex Manhattan that nods to George Washington’s favorite Cherry Bounce recipe.

To completely shake off work stress, The Rittenhouse Spa & Club is running a Colonial Calm ritual through September 7. The treatment pairs a massage using a lavender and chamomile body soufflé with a quiet afternoon by the pool with a Stars & Spritz cocktail.

Frederick, Maryland

If your version of unwinding involves mindful movement, local art, and small-town exploration, Visitation Hotel offers an easy weekend reset in the heart of Frederick, Maryland.

You can start with a Saturday morning yoga flow in partnership with Yogamour before diving into the town’s Community Market and In The Streets festival. 

The property also functions as a neighborhood gallery hub, hosting Meet the Makers art showcases where you can meet regional painters over a champagne toast. The hotel is leaning heavily into the nation’s 250th anniversary with a summer lineup of interactive Revolutionary War history tours.

For dinner, you can head straight to the hotel’s onsite Wye Oak Tavern, where celebrity chefs Bryan and Michael Voltaggio serve up a menu rooted in Mid-Atlantic flavors.

This summer, don’t just take time off. Take your attention back. Find an event worth planning a trip around and step back into the real world. From local neighborhood festivals to major seasonal events, see what else is happening across our destinations this summer.