When the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1, 2022, those perennial New Year’s resolutions—to eat better, exercise more, improve sleep quality and lessen the stresses of daily life—will once again be front-and-center in our collective brain. And with the global pandemic about to enter its third year of anxiety-inducing disruption, finding a soothing, safe place to responsibly escape to for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation feels more necessary than ever.
This winter, an array of resorts in the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico, Costa Rica and Florida are offering wellness experiences designed to soothe and refresh both the body and the mind. Here’s a sampling.
BodyHoliday, St. Lucia
Always a destination for sun-seekers eager for a wellness-themed escape, BodyHoliday on St. Lucia has introduced a lineup of innovative programs to help guests recalibrate the mind, body and spirit. These new offerings include a Wellness Rehabilitation Program, a journey designed for travelers seeking restoration and rehabilitation via immersion in the four pillars of wellbeing: relaxation, fitness, holistic nutrition and restoration.
Dedicated practitioners tailor each participant’s wellness path to their unique goals using activities and treatments that include Pilates, tai chi, Ayurvedic treatments, chanting and Bhutanese healing and osteopathy. Another option is the 5-day Boost Your Immunity Program, which focuses on prevention by identifying opportunities to boost immunity via mental wellbeing, nutrition and fitness.
For travelers in post-infection recovery mode, BodyHoliday also offers a COVID Convalescence Program, a non-medical 5-day program that targets and strengthens the respiratory system to aid recovery and boost general respiratory health. There are several consultations throughout the duration of the program and therapies range from meditation, yoga and Reiki to Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD), hypnotherapy and osteopathy.
Couples Retreat at Rendezvous, St. Lucia
Couples seeking time alone to reconnect without family and work-related stresses interfering can head to couples-only boutique resort Rendezvous, located on the white sands of Malabar Beach in St. Lucia, where making up for “stolen time” by rekindling and rejuvenating personal relationships is the property’s focus.
Wellness at the resort comes in all forms—eating well at French-fusion restaurant The Trysting Place (one of three on property), relaxing with a couple’s massage at the Spa in the Water Garden, or enjoying a snorkeling or sailing adventure.
Energetic Re-Mastery at La Samanna, St. Martin
The La Samanna Spa, a hillside oasis at the recently reopened La Samanna: A Belmond Hotel, which is set along secluded Baie Longue Beach on St. Martin, has introduced Energetic Re-Mastery, a program designed to holistically support overall wellbeing by taking a multifaceted approach to wellness.
Led by resident energy healer and 20-year wellness veteren Christine Caruso, each course is tailored to individual needs as she helps clients tap into their potential through mindfulness and healing techniques. Guided sessions include Kundalini meditation to awaken inner energy, Point of Origin meditation to re-engage the divine spark, and the Sacred Stone Activation (an ancient Peruvian tradition of meditative practice).
The La Samanna Spa, set within a Mediterranean-inspired garden, offers open-air treatment rooms featuring a private Zen garden and outdoor shower. In-villa experiences are also available for guests, including sunrise yoga flows, reiki and evening meditation.
Complimentary Pilates, Yoga and Meditation at Hermitage Bay, Antigua
For an inspiring location to practice mindfulness, consider luxury all-inclusive Hermitage Bay in Antigua, which offers complimentary morning Pilates, yoga and meditation classes on its spa deck, all designed to reduce stress, boost energy and help guests feel at peace with their surroundings. Private sessions are also available (for a fee) for guests looking to delve deeper into wellness and self-care.
In addition, the 30-suite property’s Garden Spa offers treatments from Dorissima based on the seven chakras and focused on empowerment, enlivenment, confidence, calming, balancing, intuition and spirit.
Infuz IV Therapy at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, Nassau, Bahamas
Conveniently located in Nassau in the Bahamas, the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar features an oceanfront ESPA Spa (the Caribbean’s first and only) that is offering new Infuz IV Therapy treatments that provide heightened mental and physical vitality via a selection of hydrating vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants customized to meet various needs.
Also on the menu: tranquil oceanfront massages and unique flamingo yoga classes. For the ultimate in relaxation, guests can book a spacious multi-bedroom suite in The Reserve, the resort’s hotel-within-a-hotel concept with a private entrance and 24/7 butler service.
New Wellness Suites at Melia Orlando Celebration, Orlando, Florida
Melia Orlando Celebration has added 10 Stay Well by Delos Suites to its 289 rooms, in partnership with global wellness leader Delos. Each suite features products selected as a result of scientific research designed to help improve air quality, sleep patterns, mindfulness and energy levels, along with a refined cleaning protocol.
Highlights include a welcome and guided meditation from wellness pioneer Dr. Deepak Chopra, mood-enhancing aromatherapy, dawn simulation to wake you gradually and gently, air purification, subtle night lighting that offers illumination without disrupting sleep and a soundscape machine that has been found to have a restorative effect.
Bathrooms feature a shower infuser that reduces chlorine to leave hair and skin feeling softer and smoother. Guests staying in a Stay Well by Delos suite can also enjoy access to award-winning online programs that encourage health and well-being from the Cleveland Clinic.
Treetop Yoga at Club Med Miches, Playa Esmeralda, Dominican Republic
Located on Playa Esmeralda in the undiscovered and low-key region of Michès in the Dominican Republic, Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda offers a luxury wellness experience that’s also an all-inclusive vacation. The eco-chic property, opened January 2020 and reopened June 2021, is the first in the region and features an array of wellness experiences, such as treetop yoga in an airy elevated palapa, oceanfront spa treatments and sunset horseback rides along a white sand beach.
Guests who book a room in the adults-exclusive Emerald Jungle village can also slip away into the nearby Zen Oasis, a tropical hideaway ideal for relaxation and featuring a naturally-filtered Zen pool, swim-up wellness bar and cozy hammocks.
Well-being Sanctuary at Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Guests at Banyan Tree resorts, including the Banyan Tree Mayakoba in Riviera Maya, Mexico, will have a new way to experience wellness: the Wellbeing Sanctuary, which allows them to design and combine a leisure vacation with wellbeing elements in a flexible and open way.
Every wellbeing journey begins with a personalized assessment based on 8 pillars—physical activity, dietary awareness, cultivate the mind, harmony with nature, sustained practices, bonding & connection, learning and development, sleep and rest. Guests embark on a personal journey to find balance, build resilience and gain deeper self-knowledge through connecting with oneself, and with others and nature.
Sanctuary stays, which begin in January at Banyan Tree Mayakoba, include a 64-point wellness assessment given by a dedicated wellbeing host, daily access to wellbeing activities like ocean breath meditation by the sea, pre-sleep bath and body rituals and nutritious chef-made meals prepared with locally sourced ingredients and more.
Hibiscus Package at Palm Island Resort, The Grenadines
Getting away from it all is truly possible at Palm Island Resort, a tranquil 135-acre private island enclave (no children under 16 are allowed) located on the southern tip of the Grenadines, which features just 41 suites and three spacious villas along with two restaurants and five white-sand beaches.
Wellness is the focus at the resort’s Spa, which uses ingredients harvested right from the island and offers the signature Hibiscus Package (150 minutes for $230 per person or $450 per couple). The treatment uses hibiscus, known as “the Botox of the Caribbean,” and starts with a Hibiscus oil bath to calm and relax, a rejuvenating scrub and wrap, followed by a relaxing massage concluding with a Hibiscus facial to smooth, brighten and firm the skin.
Antigua and The Sea at Hammock Cove, Antigua
Spa-goers seeking locally-inspired experiences can head to Hammock Cove, an all-inclusive boutique property set amid the dramatic coastline of Devil’s Bridge National Park in Antigua and featuring 42 villas with private plunge pools, two restaurants offering an elevated gastronomic experience and a Tranquility Spa: Body and Soul with amenities that include a cold plunge pool, sauna, water-facing yoga shala, a Cybex Fitness Centre and a range of therapeutic treatments.
The signature spa experience is Antigua & The Sea ($380 per person), a 2.5-hour treatment inspired by the island itself and featuring a re-mineralizing sea salt body scrub blended with pure tropical papaya and pineapple fruit extracts, followed by a hydrating and anti-aging body wrap, then a Myoxy-Caviar facial mask for intense moisture and dramatic skin repair.
Organic Irie Spa Experience at S Hotel Jamaica, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Wellness can also mean a getaway to a property with a lively beachfront vibe that inspires joy and revelry. The 120-room S Hotel Jamaica on Montego Bay’s famed Doctor’s Cave Beach is known for its forward-thinking design and buzzing pool scene (including the Instagram-worthy Sky Deck with glass enclosed pool).
But guests seeking to unwind can also book the hotel’s Organic Irie Spa Experience, which includes two massages, access to the three therapeutic plunge pools, two rum punch cocktails, and a Jamaican dinner for two.
Welcome to Well-Being Package at the Sonesta Ocean Point Resort and Sonesta Maho Bay Beach Resort Casino & Spa, St. Maarten
Whether a guest opts to stay at the 130-room all-inclusive, adults-only Sonesta Ocean Point Resort or the all-inclusive, family-friendly 420-room Sonesta Maho Beach Resort Casino & Spa, with a stay of five nights or more they can book the Welcome to Wellbeing Package, which includes spa extras and savings up to 45 percent off rates.
The package features healing elixirs and vitality drinks, SunFit Body + Lifestyle fitness classes, massages, discount on Serenity Spa treatments, healthy menu recommendations and in-room wellness amenities.
Panchakarma Detox Program at Finca Victoria, Vieques
For a rejuvenation centered on detoxifying, Finca Victoria, an eco-sustainable resort and Ayurvedic retreat set on three acres in the mountains of Vieques, features just 11 eclectically-designed accommodations, all surrounding a reception area, lounge, apothecary, boutique, art gallery, dining venue and sweet water pool in an open-air communal space.
Personalized Ayurvedic consultations and individual treatments are offered, and the deep- cleansing Panchakarma detox program (at an additional cost) helps release toxins, restore digestive energies and boost metabolism. Under the guidance of certified Ayurvedic practitioners, the program is designed to awaken the body’s capacity for renewal and self-regulation. The Ayurvedic kitchen uses produce from its edible garden and there is also an Ayurvedic herbal pharmacy, Ayurvedic cooking classes and daily herbology classes along with complimentary vegan breakfast and daily morning yoga.
Ocean View Wellness Rooms at Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Los Cabos, Mexico
Located just 30 minutes from San Jose Del Cabo International Airport, Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection is a contemporary resort set on one of Los Cabos’ most coveted swimming beaches. Among the resort’s 60 rooms are five Ocean View Wellness rooms, designed for the fitness-minded guest and featuring a private terrace with stationary bike and sweeping ocean views, daily wellness drinks, 20 percent off spa treatments and complimentary access to communal spa facilities.
Guests can also enjoy the inventive Latin cuisine at the signature open-air restaurant COMAL and chill in true Baja style at TnT, a toes-in-the-sand taco and tequila bar.
CORE by Chak Fitness at Las Catalinas, Costa Rica
Travelers looking to kick their 2022 fitness routine into high gear can consider a visit to Las Catalinas , an intimate seaside enclave located on Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Coast. The town is home to several boutique hotels, including the stylish and atmospheric Santarena Hotel, and a new outdoor beachfront gym: CORE by ChakFitness.
A week of personal training and unlimited gym/class access—including a personalized take-home program designed by Chak—is $400. CORE/Chak is also offering a special two-for-one for friends and couples training simultaneously through May.
