It’s been a crazy, unsettling year (and counting), so a little self-care might be the physical and mental reprieve you need. And if you’re willing to take the necessary precautions and do the required testing, a wellness escape to a tropical island for some rest, relaxation and pampering could be a winter or early spring morale booster. Plus, many resorts are now offering COVID-19 rapid Antigen and PCR tests on-property, making it easy to do the pre-departure testing the United States now requires for entry.
Wellness means different things to different people, from clean eating and spa detoxing to time spent on favorite pastimes such as golf, hiking, yoga or meditation, so here are 15 options in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, Hawaii and beyond to consider. Even if you’re not ready to travel just yet, peruse these inviting options as you daydream about a post-vaccination trip later in the year.
Caribbean
Aman Resorts: Amanera, a resort in the Dominican Republic featuring 25 private casitas, has two unique wellness experiences: Healing Through Lunar Forces, three or five-day programs designed to attune participants to how the forces of the moon and its different phases impact physical and emotional healing; and a three-night Holistic Immune Support Retreat that mixes herbal medicinal remedies, nature walks, yoga and meditation.
Amanyara, which offers private villas set between a marine national park and a nature reserve on Providenciales in Turks & Caicos, is inviting guests to work with the resort’s staff to design their own Wellness Immersions, with spa services performed inside the villa and a bespoke dining menu created by a personal cook.
Belmond Cap Juluca: In a program curated by Naya Traveler, wellness-seekers can escape to Anguilla on a tailor-made “bubble” journey designed with nature immersion, social distancing and deep connection in mind. The island is only welcoming pre-approved visitors and Naya Traveler suggests a stay at 108-room Belmond Cap Juluca, where fresh cuisine, a gorgeous white-sand beach, on-property golf and menu of locally-sourced spa treatments at the Arawak Spa await.
COMO Parrot Cay: This resort set on a private island near Providenciales in Turks & Caicos, which offers 45 rooms and suites plus private beach houses and villas, has wellness in its DNA. But two new offerings add compelling extras: The Be Active retreat combines COMO Parrot Cay’s award-winning offerings, such as yoga, Pilates, meditation and signature body therapies, with island activities like cycling and snorkeling, while the two-hour Wellness for Women package (available across the COMO Hotels & Resorts portfolio) is designed to relax and revive via bespoke meditation, massage and yoga.
Body Holiday St. Lucia: With the launch of four new wellness programs in response to the pandemic, BodyHoliday St. Lucia (which features a Wellness Center with 33 treatment rooms) is making it easier to guests to focus on their unique goals. The programs are: Wellness Rehabilitation, a 360-degree journey centered on the four pillars of well-being (relaxation, fitness, holistic nutrition and restoration); Boost Your Immunity, focused on prevention and optimal well-being; COVID Convalescence, designed for those recovering from the lingering effects of mild infection; and Corporate Well-Being, geared to corporate executives suffering from stress-related burnout.
Round Hill Hotel & Villas: The Mind and Body Wellness Package at elegant and historic Round Hill Hotel & Villas in Montego Bay, Jamaica offers adults a soothing respite from real life with two yoga classes, one 50-minute wellness massage per adult, daily breakfast, a private garden tour and more with a three-night minimum stay.
St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort: For an easy getaway (no testing required on the return to the U.S. mainland), the 139-room St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort near the El Yunque Rainforest in Puerto Rico, has a two-day Detox Retreat at its Iridium Spa that focuses on daily guided workouts, spa treatments, replenishing meals and nutritional coaching. Or book a stay and simply enjoy in-room services or couple’s treatments.
Hawaii
Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection: In addition to the spiritual power and rejuvenation inherent to its location on the sacred land of Kalāhuipuaʻa on Hawaii Island’s Kohala Coast, 334-room Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection is offering something that will make some wellness-seekers incredibly happy: unlimited golf at the resort’s North and South courses (plus daily breakfast with a three-night minimum stay). Mauna Lani also features open-air restaurants, royal fishponds and an array of nature-based activities ranging from outrigger canoe paddling to whale watching.
Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort: Since its re-opening in November 2020, Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, located in Maui’s beautifully manicured Wailea resort area, has been offering “The Grand Life,” a series of experiences focused on health, wellness and happiness. There’s a Wellness Ambassador to ensure a stress-free trip and Spa Grande (Hawaii’s largest spa) has a half-day Hawaiian Healing Escape treatment using traditional practices and massage therapies with herbal plants to soothe and distress. Other therapies are designed to boost immunity and deeply cleanse the face and body. Rounding out the offerings are spiritual healing sessions and nutrition sessions inspire intuitive eating.
Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort: Designed for anyone with time and funds to spare who’s looking for a serious detox from the stresses of daily life, the Sensei Sabbatical, a 30-day extended stay at 24-acre, adults-only Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort, is the ultimate wellness retreat. The program comes with a personally assigned Sensei Guide, a trained expert in the Sensei Way with a post-graduate health degree who will work with the guest throughout their stay to craft a customized itinerary.
Mexico and Central America
Rosewood Resorts: A number of Rosewood properties around the world are offering a Journey to Resilience wellness retreat through March 31, 2021, including two Mexico properties: Rosewood Mayakoba in Riviera Maya and Las Ventanas Al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort in Los Cabos. The Mayakoba retreat package is a four-day immersive program with a “personalized combination of guided rituals and activities to uncover and cultivate your own unique brand of positivism.” The Las Ventanas retreat package includes healthy breakfast and lunch for two, yoga and guided meditation, massages, nutritional counseling and more.
Rancho Pacifico: The Wellness Package at Rancho Pacifico, an adults-only Costa Rica eco-resort featuring luxury villas, rainforest treehouses and modern suites, offers a reconnection to nature and self via “forest bathing” and therapies designed to foster personal well-being. Featuring morning smoothies made with superfoods, three private yoga classes for two, a rejuvenating aromatherapy massage for two and complimentary hiking and fitness center access, the package can be added to any length stay.
Tierra Magnifica: For a quick-yet-restorative getaway amid the soothing nature of Nosaros, Costa Rica, the Wellness Package at Tierra Magnifica pretty much has it all: a four-night stay in an oceanview suite with custom-crafted meals, personalized facial and body treatments, daily yoga classes, a meditation session, two half-day eco-tours, a cooking class and daily beach club access. The property is know for its amazing sunsets and howler monkeys, too.
Maldives
COMO Maalifushi, the Maldives: Deep Tissue massage? Check. Marine Algae Therapy and Sundari Intensive Healing Facial? Of course. But how about a Whale Shark Night Snorkel as the ultimate way to unwind and distress? Cool! Of course you’ll need to fly half way around the world to the Maldives and do the required pre-arrival testing, but at COMO Maalifushi on the secluded Thaa Atoll you can spy on these gentle giants (from November through late April) from the boat or join them beneath the surface for a unique snorkeling experience.
