Resorts and Retreats Awards 2026 | 21 The travel market in 2026 is defined by a rising demand for experience-led travel, with travellers increasingly seeking unique and meaningful experiences rather than traditional stays. This is particularly true for couples who value personal connections over material goods and wish to spend meaningful time together whilst away. Couples seeking such experiences needn’t look further than Meraki Escape, a private couples’ wilderness retreat offering experiential stays in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We heard more from Dana Antonuccio, CoCreator of Meraki Escape, below. Best Private Couples’ Wilderness Retreat 2026 – North Carolina & LUXlife Secluded Getaway Excellence Award 2026 immersive nature-based activities such as its foraging-to-table dining experience and “wild” cocktail classes. Each experience is delivered by an experienced team operating around the retreat’s core values of intentional hospitality, attention to detail, and creating an exceptional experience for couples. Because every experience at Meraki Escape is highly personalised and private, the team is highly skilled in communication, consistency, attention to detail, and thoughtful execution. “We take pride in creating experiences that feel personalised, elevated, and deeply meaningful,” Dana shared. “We work closely with our team and local partners to ensure that every guest interaction reflects the romantic and intentional experience that defines Meraki Escape.” Every aspect of Meraki Escape has been thoughtfully designed to give couples an immersive experience that allows them to reconnect meaningfully with one another against the beautiful backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Successfully creating an intimate oasis of serenity centred around romance, connection, and elevated hospitality, Meraki Escapes has truly earned its reputation as North Carolina’s Best Private Couples’ Wilderness Retreat 2026 alongside the LUXlife Secluded Getaway Excellence Award 2026. Looking to the future, Meraki Escape has observed a growing demand for more intentional and experience-driven travel, particularly among couples. Over the next two years, the retreat intends to meet this demand by expanding its accommodations with two additional luxury cabins. This expansion will also include a covered pavilion and restroom facilities installed near the Forestsong Waterfall to further enhance its private couples’ experiences. “Beyond the physical expansion of the property, we also plan to continue developing new curated experiences, wellness offerings, and romantic retreats,” Dana concluded. “As Meraki Escape grows, our focus will remain on continuously refining and elevating the guest experience while preserving the privacy and intentional hospitality that define our retreat.” “’Meraki’ means doing something with soul, love, and passion, and that philosophy is at the heart of everything we do.” Contact: Dana Antonuccio Company: Meraki Escape Web Address: www.merakiescape.com eraki Escape offers a luxury wilderness retreat experience designed exclusively for couples. The adults-only retreat blends secluded lodging, spa, wellness, nature immersion, and curated experiences into a deeply romantic escape. It typically serves couples seeking a romantic escape, whether on a romantic retreat, celebrating anniversaries, birthdays, elopements, and honeymoons, or simply spending quality time together. Looking for deeply intentional, experience-driven stays, these couples value privacy, tranquillity, and connecting meaningfully while immersed in nature. Meraki Escape focuses on exclusivity and highly curated experiences, with every wellness session, spa treatment, dining experience, and activity offered privately – either in-cabin or at one of its secluded waterfall locations – with no shared spaces. To help deliver the signature Meraki Escape experience, the team works in close collaboration with a network of more than 20 local partners, including chefs, wellness practitioners, artists, guides, and concierge providers. Not only does this provide each guest with an immersive, comprehensive stay, it also plays a key role in supporting experiential tourism and strengthening Transylvania County’s hospitality ecosystem. These partnerships provide couples with the opportunity to enhance their stay at Meraki Escape. Guests can experience a private couples’ massage by the Forestsong Waterfall, private chef-prepared dining experiences, guided wellness sessions, creative workshops, and M “Meraki Escape was created to help couples slow down, reconnect, and fall in love all over again through meaningful experiences here in the Blue Ridge Mountains.” Meraki Escape
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