Master Classes: Adventures in Expert-Led Learning

December 11, 2024 by Hidden Doorways

A great hotel offers comfort. An exceptional one offers transformation. At these 12 remarkable properties, world-class experts are turning visitors into apprentices—teaching everything from traditional Khmer cooking in Cambodia to riding the legendary waves of Waikiki.

Legendary Clay Pigeon Shooting at Heckfield Place

Just when you thought a Georgian country house and estate set in the heart of high-end Hampshire couldn’t get any more British, award-winning Heckfield Place serves up a collection of rich experiences to take guest stays to the next level. A favorite has to be its iconic Clay Pigeon Shoot with the best in the game – Dylan Williams. The man who established the world-famous Royal Berkshire Shooting School with decades of tutelage behind him, Dylan’s special partnership with Heckfield Place gives guests a chauffeured experience around the sprawling grounds and woodlands and two hours of shooting time with the man himself. Heralded high society magazine Tatler recently recognized him as one of the best private shooting instructors in the whole of the UK, so rifle play doesn’t get much better than this.

Dine Like Royalty with Nordic Luxury

As travel curators across Scandinavia, Nordic Luxury reveals the region’s most extraordinary treasures. Among their masterful offerings, the Flora Danica experience stands apart. Guided by an expert whose passion brings Royal Copenhagen to life, guests are immersed in the world of refined porcelain craftsmanship that has graced royal tables for centuries. During this intimate masterclass, travelers uncover the captivating stories behind the Danish Royal Family’s dinner services, past and present, each with its own unique legacy. The experience culminates in a carefully curated feast where reimagined Danish classics are served on the historically significant dinnerware they’ve just discovered. This rare glimpse into Copenhagen’s regal heritage transforms a simple meal into an unforgettable immersion in Denmark’s most cherished traditions.

Live Like a Local at The Brando

Guests of The Brando can weave, sing, strum and cook with generous guides who exchange stories from their past and present to share a window into the beauty of French Polynesian culture. Some are classes, kept short and sweet, like the 30-minute Polynesian ancestral dance class on the sacred Tetiaroa shores or the tie-dyeing of the traditional Polynesian sarong – the pareu. Or ask The Brando’s team of specialists to curate a custom experience that starts with a meditation walk and ends with fireside storytelling to delve deeper into the mysteries of its atoll.

Do as the Scots Do at The Fife Arms

Now to Scotland, where the boutique and very beautiful The Fife Arms hotel has curated an anthology of experiences to unlock the many hidden treasures of its rugged landscape. Hop into its classic Land Rover Defender off-roader to rumble through the Invercauld Estate to ruined villages with incredible mountain vistas; wild swim in nearby lochs and lakes; join a sketching class with a professional artist to draw heather-clad hills together; head out into the night with a certified astronomer to one of the best places in the world to stargaze (the Cairngorms National Park holds the prestigious status of ‘International Dark Sky Park’); or be seriously Scottish and design your own tartan with one of its celebrated textile designers. They don’t call them ‘unforgettable experiences’ for nothing.

Like Honey to a Bee at Southall

Southall Farm & Inn in Tennessee does more than appreciate bees. They practically honor them and invite guests to do the same via multiple seasonal beekeeping and honey experiences. Hop in an off-road cart with a beekeeper and buzz around the farm together to learn about the vital role pollinators play in and outside of the farm, or go by foot by booking onto its Bees & Honey Walk for a gentle introduction to beekeeping; throw on a beekeeping suit and enjoy a guided apiary tour, tasting fresh honey as guests go; get crafty and join in on a beeswax candle-making course; or take things up a gear by learning its Southall’s exclusive Tequila & Honey experience – not to bee missed!

Surf and Then Some at Halekulani

Say Hawaii and think of surfing? Us too. At Halekulani, their team of true watermen have surfed the world and together have more than 65 years of water sport experience. Any guest at the hotel can tap into its Art of Surfing program. Open to novices and ocean sport enthusiasts alike, they’ll craft an authentic adventure for everyone taking surf and paddle skills to the next level. Not only that, it’s a Hawaiian immersion experience too where attendees learn more about the birthplace of surf, moon phases and their effects on the waves and then catch wave after wave on a board that’s been hand-shaped exclusively for Waikiki.

Game, Set, Match at Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne

So, your client has touched down on Switzerland’s Lake Lucerne with Alpine valleys rolling as far as their eye can see. While the call of the double spa and wellness center no doubt beckons and the big wide world outside, one other activity to definitely take note of here is the LUX Tennis experience at the Diamond Domes. Not only do visitors have access to the latest and most elite kit imaginable, but to coaches Hana Sisirak and Julien Evrard who have trained players of all skill levels from around the globe. Ask them to help refine any technical aspects of your client’s play and they’ll do just that, tailoring every element of their class to the nth degree. Better still, book onto one of its LUX Tennis Star Events to get to know the training secrets of LUX Tennis Ambassadors like Martina Hingis and David Ferrer. Their friends won’t know what hit them (literally) when they return home and hit the courts.

Not Your Average Cooking Classes at Shinta Mani

Cambodia’s calling is many things: wildlife, sure, but its cuisine is up there too with many a local delicacy to blow even the most well-traveled and taste minded. At the five-star nature retreat Shinta Mani Wild, traditional Khmer cooking with its complex aromas and intriguing textures is there to nourish guests morning, noon and night. Here, jungle cooking classes begin with forest foraging for edible sour leaves, wild cardamom and even red ants before zip-lining over to the other side of the river to forage further. The adventure culminates with hands-on cooking over a charcoal stove in a rustic sala designed to replicate a Cambodian villager’s kitchen. Meanwhile at sister property Shinta Mani Angkor in Siem Reap, guests begin at the old local market (known as Psa Chas) with the executive chef, learning about iconic Khmer ingredients from kaffir lime leaves to lemongrass and galangal. The class then moves to Kroya by Chef Chanrith restaurant, where guests create heaven-sent dishes like mango salad with grilled river prawns, traditional Cambodian steamed fish amok in banana cups, and sticky rice dumplings for dessert.

A Cook in the Making at Brush Creek Ranch

There might be more than 30,000 acres to lose oneself in at Wyoming’s Brush Creek Ranch, but one experience that involves very few footsteps is its food and farm-centered offering. Immersive itineraries that cover pasta-making, hydroponic gardening, cheesemaking, scratch baking or even mixology for the bartender-inspired guest are all part and parcel of Brush Creek’s program of Epicurean Retreats. For the sweet-toothed, book onto the Chocolatier’s workshop with its Executive Pastry Chef and the art of truffle-making and tempering even the richest of chocolate (Elvesia 74% Grand Cru Dark Chocolate Couverture no less) will be yours. Or what about a double expert experience with its Wagyu & Whiskey offering where guests learn about the history of American Wagyu Cattle, preparing and cooking with its magnificently marbled beef and then pairing it with whiskey from its award-winning distillery with much to taste along the way.

Home-Cooking with a Greek Granny at Gundari

More on the foodie front, but what better cuisine to master than the flavor gladiators that are the Greeks? With raw and rugged luxury resort Gundari, guests can cook traditional Greek recipes with Irene – the legendary Yia Yia of Folegandros. Her restaurant on this lesser-known island first opened its doors in 1952 and time has stood still here ever since. From locals to former presidents, Irene’s feeds the souls of all but it’s only through Gundari where travelers can get hands-on with her homestyle cooking. And when their hard work is done, an open invitation to stay and feast with a glass of local wine is the ultimate prize.

A Naturalist’s Paradise at Pikaia Lodge

Let’s briefly set the scene. Pikaia Lodge is on Santa Cruz Island in the center of the Galapagos archipelago. A UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site with a marine reserve that’s one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World and the second largest protected marine reserve, after the Australian Great Barrier Reef, it’s fair to say nature abounds here. As such, one of its greatest guest experiences is with a naturalist guide to share the intricate details of the Galapagos’ unique ecosystems. Experts in wildlife, ecology and geology, those who choose this experience gain in-depth insights into the fascinating flora, fauna, and volcanic landscapes that define the islands. A profound understanding and appreciation of the natural world? What more could one wish for?