Photo Credit: Six Senses Vana
RECHARGE AND RESET AT THESE LUXURIOUS WELLNESS RESORTS.
SENSEI PORCUPINE CREEK
Photo Credit: Tanveer Badal
Sensei, a leading global wellness brand developed by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and scientist Dr. David Agus, has come to Southern California and, with it, has launched its newest well-being program focused on sleep and stress management called Rest and Recovery. The program is designed to help guests develop practices to return to a mind-body equilibrium, create space for introspection, and develop a way to manage everyday stress. In this structured five-day program, guests will work with a personalized “Sensei guide” and a team of experienced practitioners to analyze their current physical and mental state, learn stress management techniques, and reframe their perceptions of their personal movement, nourishment, and rest practices. Using historical and real-time data captured by a complimentary Whoop 4.0 band, each guest will be analyzed using key biomarkers of rest and recovery, including sleep quality, heart rate variability, blood pressure, and heart rate recovery. And to be honest, Ellison and Agus couldn’t have picked a better place to focus on recovery: at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains near Palm Springs, this former private estate offers it all, including luxurious accommodations, spa gardens, golf and tennis facilities, and Sensei by Nobu dining for guests of the resort.
42765 Dunes View Road, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
MII AMO
Photo Credit: Mii Amo
After a two-year closure, Sedona’s award-winning destination spa Mii Amo has finally reopened, debuting a $40 million renovation and expansion. There’s something magical about Sedona, in general, and Mii Amo’s location, nestled at the base of Boynton Canyon among imposing red rocks, in particular. It’s the perfect place to find full healing of the mind, body, and soul. There’s certainly more, now than ever before, to love: the spa has increased to 42,000 square feet of space, inclusive of a new sensory garden; there’s a new restaurant, Hummingbird; a two-story movement and fitness studio; a reflexology path; and redesigned and enhanced public spaces, including a dedicated consultation wing. The expansion also includes 16 fully renovated casitas in addition to seven new casita rooms and suites, for a total of 23 guest rooms, all of which are a blend of earth-colored concrete, wood, adobe brick, and stucco as a foil to the natural landscape; a new minimum treatment length of 75 minutes; new outdoor features, such as a labyrinth, hammock grove, and yoga lawn, all with views of the surrounding red rock walls and formations; a refreshed pool and pool deck; and a new 10-night “Journey” alongside the traditional three-, four- and seven-night Journey offerings, which include accommodations, food and beverage, daily treatments, access to all facilities, and more than 50 weekly activities, such as hikes, fitness classes, lectures, and workshops. Guests of both Mii Amo and its neighboring big sister, Enchantment, have access to a 400-mile trail network as well as the spa, which has every mystical healing treatment imaginable, including chakra balancing, cupping, dosha wraps, hypnosis, energy clearing, reiki, past-life regression, aura photography, and the sublime “Reading of the Moment” — a combination of tarot, palmistry, numerology, and pendulum reading that absolutely changed this particular writer’s life.
525 Boynton Canyon Road, Sedona, AZ 86336
HILTON HEAD HEALTH
Photo Credit: Hilton Head Health
Some health resorts are all about weight loss, while others are all about yoga. At Hilton Head Health, located on the beautiful and picturesque island of Hilton Head, South Carolina, a stay is focused on giving guests a much-needed reset — whatever that personally looks like. The facility itself is nestled inside the 800-acre Shipyard seaside community, close to the beach with miles of walking and bike paths, nature tours, golf, and kayaking. It’s the perfect place to revitalize your life, whether that be through weight loss, fitness, or mindfulness. Its ReNew program is actually tailored to escaping stress and delivering long-lasting wellness for the mind, body, and soul, starting the moment you arrive with a life-balance assessment to help formulate goals and strategies for improving overall health and wellness and addressing any blockages (the kind we impose on ourselves). The program also includes a spa service, self-care workshops and presentations, and access to fitness classes, wellness lectures, yoga, and more. Meals are tailored to your needs; and curated offerings, like a health screening that measures weight, body measurements, body mass index, resting heart rate, resting blood pressure, and lipids (fasting glucose, HDL, LDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides), and a metabolic assessment are also included.
14 Valencia Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
THE ORIGINAL FX MAYR
Photo Credit: The Original FX Mayr
The Original FX Mayr is an OG authority in the wellness space, giving just as good today as it did when it opened its doors in 1976 on the shores of Lake Wörthersee as the first-ever residential clinic to offer the famous Mayr “cure” – a system of health prevention based on the premise that giving the digestive system a break allows the body to profoundly heal itself elsewhere. More than 45 years later, its legend is still living on, but with a whole fresh, updated look and progressive new approach. Gone are the days of the sparse and unforgiving regime with an interior to match. Now, FX Mayr is all about beauty: a cream dream outfitted with blankets, flowers, and candles. Silent dining and mindful chewing are still encouraged, but now, guests are served a menu of delicious seasonal, regionally sourced, and beautifully presented food (though mini portions and mild Epsom salts ensure results). The Original FX Mayr offers a 360-degree approach to health, with exercise as a focus. Daily guided hikes and cold-water swims in the lake are part of the program (including an accompanying Finnish sauna and samarium afterward), as are therapies from shiatsu to reflexology and emotional coaching sessions. The full program includes a Mayr lab diagnostics blood test; a 3D body scan and movement check; metabolic analysis; a medical abdominal treatment; detox and classic massages; lymph drainage; an alkaline detox bath; and three hay flower detox wraps.
9082 Maria Wörth, Austria
GOLDEN DOOR
Photo Credit: Tanveer Badal
Golden Door, located just outside of San Diego in San Marcos, California, has long been recognized globally as a pioneer in wellness, and now, it’s unveiling a brand-new look thanks to a multimillion-dollar renovation that includes a complete overhaul of the pools and bathhouse — adding private dressing rooms, new tile and flooring, a new Jacuzzi, a soaking tub, a wet room with a seven-hose Vichy shower, a LightStim LED experience room, a visual healing space, a steam room, and a sauna — as well as updates and enhancements to the gyms and all 40 guest rooms. Its ethos stays the same: a true Japanese aesthetic, inspired by a traditional ryokan, which now hovers between the inherent rustic nature of the traditional bathhouse and a more refined space. Accommodations keep that zen feeling alive: all have their own garden deck or patio, supplied clothing (you don’t need to pack a thing!), and skin care products in an onsen-like space, a perfect place to unwind in between the many hours of fitness and adventure programming, mindfulness workshops, spa treatments, nutrition classes, and pain empowerment training. Plus, did I mention that daily in-room massages and facials are included? No? Well, they are, and they’re glorious.
777 Deer Springs Road, San Marcos, CA 92069
CARILLON MIAMI WELLNESS RESORT
Photo Credit: CARILLON MIAMI WELLNESS RESORT
Could there be a more beautiful location for a wellness retreat than the white-sand shores of Miami Beach? Consider that a rhetorical question. Carillon Miami Wellness Resort isn’t just a gorgeous spot to let the healing begin, though — it’s innovative as all get-out. Carillon is home to the largest spa on the Eastern Seaboard (70,000 square feet), with a one-of-a-kind touchless wellness division — essential in this post-COVID world — that addresses a range of health and wellness concerns, from anti-aging, muscle recovery, and PTSD to stress management and more. Its Biostation introduces guests to cutting-edge therapies that prevent and reverse the impacts of aging on the body, such as hormone replacement therapy for men and women, nutrient therapy, and human growth hormone and peptide therapy. There’s a holistic center, led by Dr. Irina Logman, which offers a personalized and integrative approach to traditional Chinese medicine, inclusive of acupuncture, cupping, and gua sha. The completely innovative Energy Science center, led by Julie Kramer, uses SoundBiotics, microcurrency, electromagnetic frequency, and light spectrum therapy, as well as molecular hydrogen and oxygen inhalation to determine what imbalances are in your body. And in case you’re in shock at the plethora of offerings, I’m not done yet. Carillon also offers mindset transformation, energy healing, and over 75 fitness classes, with options such as yoga, Pilates, indoor rock climbing, cycling, TRX strength, and kinesis, as well as a two-story fitness center on site. As if that weren’t enough, its primary restaurant, Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt, with its fusion of French and Asian cuisine, was just awarded its first Michelin star this year.
6801 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33141
THE RANCH ITALY AT PALAZZO FIUGGI
Photo Credit: RANCH ITALY AT PALAZZO FIUGGI
The Ranch Malibu, a SoCal-based wellness retreat, featuring acclaimed, results-oriented fitness and wellness programs, is has now brought a five-day version of its signature week-long program to Italy. This abbreviated format is designed to help guests jumpstart a path toward better health while delivering physical results, mental clarity, and medical insight over a long-weekend stay in the exquisite Italian countryside at Palazzo Fiuggi, a new medical wellness retreat just 50 minutes from Rome. The Ranch Italy 4.0 features the same active daily schedule and diagnostic testing as The Ranch Italy’s eight-day program. From Thursday to Monday, 25 guests will experience a four-hour morning mountain hike, nap time, afternoon strength and core training classes, restorative yoga, and a daily massage; diagnostic testing, a blood panel, and a medical consultation are all part of the program, as well. The active schedule is complemented by a plant-based menu. When you depart, you’ll leave with muscle gain, loss of fat and inches, stress reduction, and mental clarity, which is just as priceless as it sounds.
Via dei Villini, 34, 03014 Fiuggi FR, Italy
CLINIQUE LA PRAIRIE
Photo Credit: CLINIQUE LA PRAIRIE
Clinique La Prairie, located in Montreux on the shores of Lac Léman, surrounded by the majestic Swiss Alps, is the ultimate place to get your well-being on — and a convenient one, too, given that the resort is an hour’s drive from Geneva Airport and linked to both Milan and Paris by high-speed train. Founded in 1931 by Dr. Paul Niehans, a pioneer in the development of cell therapy, Clinique La Prairie has established an international reputation as a renowned medical clinic and wellness destination. As such, it might be easier to state what isn’t on offer, but that’s not how I operate, so, here I go. Most of the available programs are five or six nights long but can go as long as 14 days. All are planned and created by specialists, with preventative medicine at their core. Based on the clinic’s holistic approach to health care, each program combines medical consultations with nutrition plans, well-being, and relaxation treatments. Its signature program is the Master Detox, which includes DNA testing, complete screenings, and innovative treatments, all tailored to precise DNA and health profiles. Offerings here, as I mentioned, are entirely comprehensive: there are stem cell-based face-lift and anti-aging treatments; aesthetic medicine and surgery; on-demand aesthetics using lasers (photo-rejuvenation, vascular, ablative, and hair removal), injections (mesotherapy, body mesotherapy, platelet-rich plasma, hyaluronic acid, and neurorelaxants/botulinum protein), CoolSculpting, tensor threads, peels, and focused ultrasounds; and holistic beauty. The resort also uses alternative medicine, including acupuncture, dietetics, hypnosis, a medical analysis laboratory, physiotherapy, and sophrology; advanced epigenetic assessments thanks to a collaboration with Genknowme; medical consultations in the spaces of internal medicine, cardiology, diabetology, and endocrinology, among others; and nutritionists — guests are even given a “precise nutrition” diet plan. It’s beyond.
Rue du Lac 142, 1815 Clarens, Switzerland
LANSERHOF SYLT
Photo Credit: LANSERHOF SYLT
Lanserhof is a name that has become synonymous with health and wellness, which is why I was so excited to see that the brand had opened a new property in Germany. The latest Lanserhof is located on the famous and very exclusive North Sea island of Sylt, directly by the Wadden Sea. A highlight of the new location is its free-standing, circular staircase over five floors, which helps to form the atrium at the heart of the new health resort. This is a truly magical environment, remote and ethereal, a true escape. Yet, its offerings are the same as its predecessors, consistently showcasing the entire medical service portfolio of Lanserhof. To give you an idea of what that looks like, most packages include several medical examinations; abdominal treatments; lab work with a bioimpedance analysis; blood pressure, lactate, and metabolic checks; a heart rate variability check; reflexology massages; detox drainage; and more. Offered therapies include naturopathy, infusion therapy, interval hypoxia-hyperoxia therapy, pain therapy, cryotherapy, nutrition counseling, craniosacral therapy, and shiatsu. A plethora of detox treatments, such as liver cleansing, are also available.
Am Lanserhof 1-8, 25992 List/Sylt, Germany
ZULAL WELLNESS RESORT BY CHIVA-SOM
Photo Credit: ZULAL WELLNESS RESORT BY CHIVA-SOM
Chiva-Som, located near Bangkok, Thailand, has long been considered one of the best wellness resorts in the world. And its new offering, Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, in the World Cup hot spot of Qatar, absolutely follows suit. Zulal has the distinction of being the first full-immersion wellness destination resort in Qatar and the largest in the region. As at Chiva-Som, Zulal — or “purified water” — is firmly rooted in the local culture, conceived and inspired by the integration of natural elements of land and sea while indelibly interweaving the distinctive Qatari landscape through natural materials such as gravel and sand, earth tones accented by blue hues, and traditional wood. Pathways are engraved with Sidr leaves, from a tree known for its valuable healing properties and effectiveness in relieving anxiety. And that’s the baseline of what you’ll discover here. The resort is the world’s first center for traditional Arabic and Islamic medicine, a system of healing drawn from Islamic medicinal historians and herbalists that is integrated into dedicated programs that last from three nights to 14, all of which place an emphasis on improving diet and nutrition, promoting daily physical activity and stress resistance, enhancing sleep quality, and engaging in joyful activities. There are inspired treatments aplenty, such as traditional Qatari hamiz, a deeply relaxing massage using circular strokes with tadleek oil infused with medicinal herbs and hot stones to re-energize the body; Hijama therapy (cupping therapy); a slimming body mask of camel milk that delivers heat to enhance the metabolic rate while detoxifying the skin; and a range of Arabic spa rituals at the resort’s extensive hammam facilities. Get lost in the extensive facilities, which include two VIP treatment villas; a collection of treatment rooms that include physiotherapy and Ayurvedic rooms; nutritional consultation rooms; steam rooms; skin analysis and aesthetic treatment spaces; fitness pavilions with both a yoga and Pilates studio; a wealth of thermal facilities, including two hammams, two salt caves, two arctic rooms, and four steam rooms; four indoor and two outdoor swimming pools; and a variety of restaurants.
Building No. 100, Street 319, Zone 79, Al Ruwais, Qatar
SIX SENSES VANA
Photo Credit: Six Senses Vana
Six Senses Vana made its grand debut this past January in the Himalayan foothills just outside of Dehradun, close to Rishikesh, the birthplace of yoga. It is the first dedicated wellness resort for the storied Six Senses brand — an interesting dichotomy of modern meets ancient, fusing together current techniques and technologies with ancient wellness practices and therapies. The magic here lies in the way the resort is able to fuse these elements together. Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a crimson dot placed on their forehead and given kurta pajamas to wear — truly taking all materialistic tendencies off the table — and they are able to simply focus on healing. Those who come can choose to book a typical stay or focus on something more specific, such as sleep treatments and therapies that include yoga Nidra, holistic massages, and night-time soporific drinks; detox; weight management; Ayurveda, via treatments delivered by doctors and therapists to heal imbalances in the body’s doshas; and Tibetan medicine, being that Six Senses Vana is one of the few places in the world where Sowa Rigpa, which traces back to the eighth century, is offered. Other innovative offerings include a wellness screening, Watsu, Raag therapy, and an Alchemy Bar where you can even make your own spa products based on your dosha type. You’ll leave the resort with a red string bracelet, which is both a blessing as well as a reminder of your Ayurvedic journey that you can carry with you forever.
Mussoorie Road, Uttarakhand, India 248001
