Six destinations for a spirited January

Evening pickleball, glacial ice plunges and mocktails galore are just some of the ways hotels are wooing travellers for Dry January

- AMY THOMAS

A RELATIVELY NEW decision has become part of the travel calculus: to drink or not to drink. According to a recent Gallup poll, 54% of Americans say they consume alcohol, down from 64% 10 years ago. That is the lowest level since Gallup began tracking alcohol consumption in 1939.

The decision to abstain is an even more pronounced one at the start of the year, thanks to Dry January, a movement in which participants give up drinking for the month. The popular sobriety challenge started over a decade ago in Britain and has picked up steam in the United States in recent years.

The decrease in drinking is affecting the hospitality industry. "We definitely see an uptick in mocktail sales and just general inquiries about what the offerings are," said Adam Lewis, the general manager of Grand Hyatt Vail in Colorado. "It's really about providing a variety." Given that drinking — on the slopes, at the pool, or at the hotel bar — is for many people a staple while on holiday, forgoing the ritual leaves time for other activities. Here are six hotels that have devised alternatives to drinking, from snowshoeing to aerial stretching; from making mocktails to simply sipping them.

Cervo Mountain Resort in Zermatt, Switzerland

In the shadow of the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland, Cervo Mountain Resort offers a design-forward Alpine retreat for adventure and wellness aficionados. The 54 rooms and suites spread across seven lodges are light-filled, with neutral-coloured linens, Hästens beds and natural oak wood floors. There are an additional five apartments at a lodge farther down the mountain for larger groups.