Envision a week at your favorite spa. Days stretch lazily from one to the next, filled with massages, long walks, yoga and the occasional cooking class. But the “all wellness, all the time” mentality of big name destinations such as Canyon Ranch, Miraval and Rancho La Puerta isn’t for everyone. For many, a vacation involves more than just fun and fitness — it combines fine dining, luxurious accommodations, spectacular surroundings and a varied array of activities that suit both the wellness seeker as well as their traveling companions.
Therefore, we’ve rounded up five of our favorite luxury hotels and resorts offering special wellness packages or programming. These properties allow travelers to indulge in all of their passions in addition to spending as much time relaxing, sightseeing or spa-ing as they choose. And that, in our minds, is a true luxury escape.
The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and The Omni Homestead Resort
While Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona fits the mold of a destination spa, the brand also offers its Canyon Ranch SpaClubs, which are ideal if you’re seeking a less restrictive environment. Call it “Canyon Ranch Lite,” if you will. At Las Vegas’ Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and Virginia’s The Omni Homestead Resort, you’ll find a selection of the brand’s most famous services, spa cuisine, personal training and signature water-based Aquavana relaxation areas. At The Omni Homestead Resort, book the Spa Renewal package, featuring a $400 spa credit per room, per night. In Sin City, opt for the Canyon Ranch SpaClub package, which offers a $250 credit per suite, per two-night stay, and a $15 credit at Canyon Ranch Grill.
A recent $30 million renovation to San Diego’s Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa invested heavily on wellness and relaxation. Spread out in the massive guest suites and villas (starting at about 900 square feet) at the soon to be rated property, or head for a cocktail at The Pony Room, which serves handcrafted libations such as the Jessica Rabbit made with local and fresh ingredients (rye whiskey, fresh ginger, honey and fresh squeezed lemon juice). Then, head to the spa, where signature treatments such as The Sublime ritual marry unique ingredients (sun-dried white and pink clays and French Spirulina) and results-oriented products (Andiroba Oil). A highlight? The partially open-air Serenity Yoga Pavilion where the instructor leads classes from a floating dock. Upcoming retreats include a Sunshine & Serenity Yoga Retreat (2014 dates have yet to be announced) and a Performance Cycling Retreat (January 23-29, 2014).
Many travelers usually head to Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands for a pure week of indulgence, but Rosewood’s new fitness and yoga retreats offer the perfect blend of relaxation and exercise. Offered each spring and fall, the five-day, four-night retreats include a three-day wellness program with two fitness classes per day, breakfast and dinner daily from healthy menus, one 60-minute massage per person, per stay, a healthy cooking class with take-home recipes, fitness equipment and a welcome amenity. Take in workouts such as 21st Century Core Training and kettlebell sessions before refueling with locally sourced dishes (think hydroponic cucumber ceviche and local mahi mahi in coconut-lime pumpkin broth) while leaving plenty of time for relaxation on your room’s private terrace, many of which offer up to 25-mile views. Roundtrip transfers from the Tortola or Virgin Gorda airports are also included.
A tranquil sanctuary tucked within the red Sedona-hued stones of Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, the soon to be rated resort’s signature spa, Well & Being at Willow Stream Spa, is much more than just a place to enjoy a massage or facial. The 44,000-square-foot facility offers a wide variety of services, seasonal treatments, activities and retreats ranging from fitness coaching to nutritional guidance and doctor-guided medical evaluations. Treat existing conditions via personal consultations with medical physicians, personal trainers and skincare experts, or begin to develop a preventative routine. Through the month of January, the resort is also giving you the chance to meet with an exercise physiologist or nutritionist for a 60-minute consultation about your 2014 health goals at a discounted rate.
Starting last fall, Fontainebleau Miami Beach kicked off a series of health and wellness initiatives that make your trip to South Beach about much more than just the pool party scene. Done in partnership with the hotel’s Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Lapis The Spa at Fontainebleau, offerings include a twice-weekly 90-minute yoga class with a live DJ for hotel guests and onsite workout sessions from popular fitness brand Barry’s Bootcamp. January specials include Time Well Spent, which provides a complimentary 15-minute Faciliated stretch when two 60-minute personal training sessions are purchased, and Leave Your Pain Behind, a 50-minute pain relief massage and mineral soak. Of course, we’d suggest that a weekend at this luxurious hotel is a wellness experience in and of itself. Lounge on marble chaises by the pool, relax in eucalyptus steam baths and swim leisurely in mineral pools.
Photos Courtesy of Fontainebleau Miami Beach and VFM Leonardo
