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2023 is an excellent time for the discerning, health-conscious traveller. We’re always keeping our fingers on the pulse when it comes to wellness tourism and let’s just say, if you’ve still not got your summer vacay plans locked in, we’re going to give you some major inspo to help get you started. 

When discussing the idea of embracing wellness on your sacred holiday (because they really are sacred!), there needn’t be compromises on that feeling of luxury, indulgence and relaxation. While there are certainly some magnificent wellness-centric destinations out there that have every clinician on standby to give your mind and body a complete overhaul, you can totally do “wellness travel” without it feeling like a strict boot camp. The selection of heavenly wellness getaways we’re sharing with you below enable you to really “indulge” in wellness, giving you the ability to enjoy everything that one loves about holidays… the food, the scenery, the mental reset, the nature, the lie-ins, the cocktails but ALSO, simultaneously putting that emphasis on nourishing the body. There are a myriad of ways to do just that and here are some of our suggestions for some truly luxe wellness destinations…

For the spiritual beauty lover… 

One&Only Mandarina in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, has announced a weekend dedicated to wellness in collaboration with beauty guru Tata Harper for the Tata Harper Wellness & Beauty Weekend Retreat from 9 to 11 June 2023. The weekend will coincide with Global Wellness Day (10 June) and aims to give guests a full sensory experience spanning meditation workshops, a beauty masterclass hosted by Tara herself,  plus access to One&Only’s in-house spiritual healers, incorporating ancient practices inspired by local traditions. 

Other highlights include custom nature-inspired spa treatments by One&Only’s award-winning spa team; a Mindful Multisensory Experience – a group session for stimulating and activating the senses through meditative sound baths, aromatherapy, breathwork and vocal sounds; plus Alchemical Breathwork leading guests to breathe and move their bodies through a range of pranayama practices. The weekend promises to offer healing experiences whilst also leaving guests feeling rejuvenated through treatments that focus on skin health, including Tara Harper’s renowned facials.

For the mindful traveller…

Raffles Hotels & Resorts has recently launched Retreat by Raffles, an exciting new concept for immersive well-being available in select locations across the luxury brand. To kick off this exciting new global initiative, the signature retreat program will debut at Raffles Singapore – the brand’s namesake and original flagship hotel – and at Raffles Bali, which joined the portfolio in 2021, offering guests truly one-of-kind experiences at both urban and resort destinations.  Further retreats will be announced at Raffles properties worldwide throughout 2023.

Each retreat, be it on an Indonesian island or secreted in the urban heart of a city, is a sumptuous sojourn characterised by a distinctive weave of elements: spa treatments and rituals for rejuvenation, wellness cuisine with a nutritional focus, cultural or community connection and mindful movement in nature, the greatest healer of all. Personalised and co-created with prestigious wellness partners and expert practitioners, a Retreat by Raffles embraces advanced beauty, deep health and emotional well-being. All itineraries will be coordinated alongside the guest’s personal well-being butler, available 24 hours a day; Raffles is famed worldwide for its outstanding butler service, and the well-being-specific butlers will offer the same level of expertise and deep knowledge of the destination as their counterparts. One we’re eyeing up is their “Parisian Wellcation” at their stunning Le Royal Monceau which includes a luxurious pillow menu, in-room fitness equipment, generous spa time and a whole host of wellness workshops!

For the self-care staycation-er…

Herb House, Lime Wood’s award-winning spa, has partnered with Mindfulness and Beyond, the heart-centred wellbeing methodology focused on mental, emotional and spiritual wellness, to launch the first UK-based retreat and workshops this summer. Mindfulness and Beyond co-founders, Rajesh Ramani and Smitha Jayakumar, will be hosting the three-day retreat from 6th – 8th June and a one-day workshop on the 9th June. 

Combining knowledge from their extensive experience and careers in the wellness sphere, including renowned wellness resort Kamalaya, Mindfulness and Beyond co-founders, Rajesh Ramani and Smitha Jayakumar, blend ancient teachings and traditional practices from Eastern philosophy with modern Western psychology techniques to connect people to their true potential. An internationally sought-after mentor, teacher and retreat facilitator, Rajesh’s approach to wellness is influenced by his background as a banker-turned-monk and three decades of mindfulness and Eastern philosophical training. Smitha, whose journey began as a monk in the Hindu tradition for 10 years, spent a decade as Life Enhancement Mentor with Kamalaya Wellness, guiding people through life change, relationship enhancement, emotional balance and self-acceptance.

Bringing their philosophy to the UK for the first time, guests are invited to restore the body-mind-heart connection, regulate the nervous system and rediscover the peace of balance with Rajesh and Smitha whilst immersed in the relaxing and restorative environment of Lime Wood. 

For the jet-setting fitness aficionado…

With Dubai’s fast-evolving landscape, it’s no surprise there’s another new kid on the dessert block and this one we’re extra excited about. From Kerzner International (the people behind One&Only) comes new kid in town, SIRO, Dubai, the company’s very first fitness destination. SIRO will work with a collective of elite athletes to develop programmes that enable guests to train, move and recover like some of the world’s top athletes. Ambassadors include: Newly announced Ramla Ali, Olympic British-Somalian Boxer, for boxing programmes Adam Peaty, Gold Medallist, for swimming programmes and AC Milan Football Club for football fitness programmes (created by the expert ACM health experts, dieticians and PTs).

Recognising a gap in the market, SIRO will deliver a bold new immersive hospitality experience with tailored programs and treatments developed by specialists in fitness, mental health, nutrition and sleep. It has been built for the increasing audience who pick their holidays around their sport/training SIRO One Za’abeel is the first step on SIRO’s journey to becoming an entirely new kind of global lifestyle-driven brand.

For the wellness-minded nature lover…

It’s been highly anticipated but finally, Heckfield Place softly launched The Bothy by Wildsmith this April – welcoming house guests to embrace slow time and reconnect with nature’s pace while discovering the healing power of the great outdoors. 

Home to generations of estate gardeners, The Bothy by Wildsmith is nestled beyond a secret door of the House’s original walled garden and boasts views across the Hampshire countryside. The new 17,000 sq ft space dedicated to nurturing health and wellbeing is fully connected to its natural environment and will be the brand home for high-performance skincare brand, Wildsmith Skin. It will feature six treatment rooms, the 18 m x 6 m Waters, outdoor hydrotherapies, healing thermal experiences, three-movement spaces and the Sun Room – an indoor/outdoor space fuelled by the epicurean alchemy of Culinary Director Skye Gyngell with a small, thoughtful plant-based menu. 

Each treatment journey by Wildsmith Skin will be intrinsically linked to the estate and led by one of Heckfield Place’s Master Practitioners or widely experienced resident therapists. Eschewing run-of-the-mill regimens, the intentionally curated treatment menu has been designed to empower therapists to connect with each guest and align treatments to their body, emotions and needs. The concise selection of therapies will be guided by the universal principles of circadian rhythm to support recovery, healing and balance and to reconnect with the cadence of the natural world. The Bothy’s concept of integrated wellbeing will extend to the outdoors too, with guests offered physical journeys exploring the grounds including Woodland Movement, Farm Fit, Forest Bathing and Cold Wild Water Immersion Therapy.

For the urban wellness enthusiast…

Drawing its name from the Sanskrit-derived word for ‘peace’, Aman now offers 34 exceptional resorts and hotels around the world. The brand’s most recent opening is Aman New York, which has epitomised Aman’s expanded wellness philosophy with its growing reputation as a centre for longevity. The very definition of an urban sanctuary with over 25,000 square feet of space, Aman New York’s unmatched facilities range from a 3,000-square-foot Fitness Centre and double-capacity Cryotherapy Chamber to a 65-foot heated swimming pool flanked by firepits. They also include two luxurious private Spa Houses. Temples of wellness providing half- and full-day retreats like nowhere else in Manhattan, each features a marble Hammam steam room or a wood-clad Banya sauna, as well as a double treatment room, a spacious living area with fireplace and a large outdoor terrace with a hot bath and cold-plunge pool – canopied for year-round use. 

Serving as a wellspring for enhanced wellbeing beyond its physical boundaries, it is Aman New York’s bespoke Wellness Solutions and Wellness Immersion Programmes that truly set it apart. In the spa’s Functional and Integrative Medicine examination and therapy rooms, Harvard-trained physician Dr. Robert Graham, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners and other in-house specialists assess individuals via body composition analysis methods such as Bioimpedance screening. They then assist in the creation of tailored, multi-disciplinary plans of varying duration designed to achieve any wellness goal – be it rehabilitating an injury, working towards a marathon, or reducing stress. These customised programmes draw on the latest research to enable peak performance and a whole new level of personal wellbeing.

For the reformer devotee…

There’s a new destination to get your Pilates fix this summer! Five-star Spanish lifestyle resort Camiral Golf & Wellness welcomes a host of brand-new, results-driven wellness experiences at the resort’s newly opened 1,000m² Wellness Centre, including a new, fully equipped Reformer Pilates Studio! Equipped with state-of-the-art apparatus from Spanish-founded Pilates brand ARREGON®, this new space will enable guests to target individual athletic needs while improving core strength, postural alignment and muscle balance with a series of tailored programmes. 

From traditional Reformers to Cadillacs supporting greater variability of movements, the studio is home to a wide scope of specialised machinery, such as Ladder Barrels to activate core muscles, Wunda Chairs for full body workouts and Arm Chairs to accelerate muscle recovery. The studio has been designed by Marie Earle, Pilates consultant at the resort and internationally-renowned master teacher boasting over 26 years of experience. Having previously owned a successful boutique studio in New York City for almost a decade, Maria – based in Barcelona since 2010 – has selected a team of experts led by Pilates instructor and Hypopressive expert Rocio Gil de Sagredo to work alongside guests at the resort to address a broad spectrum of needs, from general wellness to athletic performance and injury recovery, in a variety of formats. 

Offering tailored 1:1 sessions, duet and trio training, Pilates classes utilise a circuit training format in which guests focus on their form, alignment and breathing. Group mat classes are also available to build muscle group strength, balance, mobility, and spinal articulation, serving as an effective adjunct to other training guests may be pursuing.

For the discerning spa goer…

7Pines Resort Sardinia is a luxury beachfront property surrounded by 15 hectares of untouched coastline and nature reserve in Baja Sardinia overlooking the archipelago of La Maddalena, a stone’s throw away from Costa Smeralda. Opened in August 2022, it’s already fast becoming a hot destination for wellness lovers.

New for 2023, an 800 square metre sanctuary of wellness and relaxation, the Pure Seven Spa is officially open to guests, offering a series of tailormade relaxing, rebalancing and reinvigorating treatments using local and natural ingredients.

Inspired by the prevailing winds that blow on the Gallura coast, the spa team have also designed three bespoke Sardinian rituals; Maistràli (Mistral), Liànti (Levant) and Punènti (West wind). At the Pure Seven Spa, guests can also enjoy a complimentary healthy drink or herbal tea, including at the Spazio Pool.

The spa’s fitness centre is a sanctuary for guests seeking more active pursuits, offering state-of-the-art gym equipment including LifeFitness cardio machines, multi-adjustable benches, dumbbells and strength machines. For a positive and uplifting start to the day, guests can also choose from indoor and outdoor yoga classes, Pilates, and meditation sessions to help re-energise the mind, body and soul.


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