These 15 oceanfront oases, from Maui to the Maldives, employ local ingredients and age-old techniques to offer an array of services that are guaranteed to detox and de-stress. By Lisa Rogak
Peter Island Resort & Spa
At Peter Island Resort & Spa, the largest private island in the British Virgin Islands, the Ayurvedic beachside spa and five fine-sugar beaches would be enough for many people. But Peter Island goes even further with its luxurious ultra-private spa suites for couples, which feature private verandas, roomy deep-plunge hydrotherapy tubs, a Swiss shower, and two state-of-the-art treatment tables. Whether you choose the suites or the main treatment rooms, the Caribbean Kur Odyssey provides a standard that integrates every healing and rejuvenating treatment for your entire body—exfoliation, mask, wrap, scalp massage, hydrotherapy, and full-body massage—while using healthful thermal waters, algae, essential oils, and herbs every step of the way. peterisland.com
Hermitage Bay
Dorissima color rituals are the treatments of choice at Hermitage Bay on Antigua, where each hot-stone massage, body wrap, and full-body exfoliation corresponds to one of the body’s eight chakras. With the throat chakra treatment, for example, a therapist uses a formula of specific herbs to coax toxins from the body and facilitate clear expression. Hermitage Bay also offers a choice of Goldmund Facial Treatments, which use the exclusive Algae Marine product line. Each facial procedure includes a peel, light massage, and mask. While the mask sets, the therapist will direct an indigo light at your “third eye” chakra to help boost your natural intuition and release negative thoughts. You’ll also get a holistic foot massage. Bonus: most treatments can be performed in the privacy of your room. hermitagebay.com
Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows
The spa at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows draws on the mysterious and stunning history and mythology that is Hawaii, from the spa’s architecture to its treatments and services. When entering the spa, it’s like walking right into a traditional Hawaiian village, with thatched treatment huts, a meditation pavilion, and a watsu pool. At one of two natural open-air lava saunas, heated Ili Ili stones warm your feet while you massage smoothing black volcanic clay into your skin. Unique to Mauna Lani is the lomi lomi hula massage, during which a skilled masseuse essentially performs a hula on your body with her hands while Hawaiian music plays in the background. maunalani.com
Maroma Resort & Spa
Kinan is the Mayan word for the healing energy of the sun and is closely related to the Asian concept of chi. Absolutely every aspect of the Kinan Spa at the Maroma Resort is designed to help realign your energy;?buildings, treatment rooms, and even waterfalls have been designed with an eye toward fostering kinan. The treatment rooms point east to west, with massage beds facing the east and a relaxation room focused north in an arrangement that helps keep guests grounded. The Mayan Mud Bar offers a choice of four different healing muds: Mayan clay hydrates and purifies, black mud helps reduce inflammation and speed healing, red mud helps soothe sore muscles, and green mud serves as an astringent. Maroma also offers guests use of the Mayan Temazcal, which is similar to a Native American sweat lodge, with ancient rituals, chants, and meditation. maromahotel.com
The Reefs Hotel & Club
At La Serena Spa, the top-rated spa in Bermuda, many treatments and services sound like they should be served up in a hollowed-out coconut alongside the massage table: the Exotic Lime & Ginger Salt Glow and Exotic Coconut Polish & Milk Ritual Wrap top the menu. La Serena takes hot-stone massage one step further by using actual lava stones, while the lava shell foot massage uses shells and oils and reflexology to relax and stimulate trigger points. The Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap helps you relax and detox with a two-hour treatment that goes over the top: two wraps, three massages, and a secret formula of algae and marine plants. If you want something a little longer lasting, microdermabrasion and non-surgical facelift are also offered. thereefs.com
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa
All treatments at Spa Moana combine the traditional Hawaiian values of lokahi (unity), maluhia (peace), ikaika (strength), and ma’ema’e (purity) with absolute luxury and lots of pampering. Choose from a menu of spa treatments such as the Pacific Island Renewal, Volcanic Detox Wrap, or the vitamin C facial. The signature treatment at Spa Moana is Pele’s Volcanic Clay Wrap, during which a therapist will melt away stress and muscle tension with warm lava stones and volcanic clay while detoxifying, moisturizing, and restoring essential minerals to the body. Whatever you choose, don’t miss the chance for a session with a practitioner of lomi lomi, a traditional Hawaiian massage practice typically passed down from one kahuna—the traditional Keeper of Secrets on any Hawaiian island—to the next. hyattregencymaui.com
Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa
The Organic Rainforest Facial at St. LuciaÂ’s most luxurious spa combines organically grown herbs, fruits, and vegetables with pure water straight from a nearby hot spring. While the herbs do their stuff, youÂ’ll luxuriate even longer with a moisturizing hand treatment and foot massage. You might feel so relaxed that youÂ’ll fall asleep in the sun. If you do, donÂ’t worry: Kai Mer comes to the rescue with its Soleil Sauve (Saved from the Sun) Wrap, during which the body is slathered with a generous dose of aloe vera, freshly picked from the spaÂ’s own garden just moments before your treatment. coconutbayresortandspa.com
Jamaica Inn
In the language of the native Taino tribe of Jamaica, KiYara means “the sacred place of the earth spirits.” The KiYara Ocean Spa at the Jamaica Inn applies this philosophy in all of its body and healing treatments. The spa’s thatched-roof huts are perched cliffside and overlook the ocean—one actually juts out over the sea—nestled beside groves of fragrant native greenery and flowers. KiYara’s treatments draw on local herbal traditions and principles of Chinese medicine and use generous quantities of plants and herbs that grow wild on the island. The spa’s signature treat-ment, the KiYara Body Ritual, consists of three steps—a scrub, mask, and finishing—and you are invited to mix and match from the list of scrubs and masques. Choose a detoxifying or hydrating scrub followed by either a cooling or decongesting mask and finishing. kiyaraspa.com
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Miami
Each signature spa treatment at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami has been painstakingly researched and developed in consultation with specialists in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as master aromatherapists. The signature full-body massage is a relaxing ritual that combines the powerful chi-enhancing effects of a Chinese meridian massage with the personally therapeutic benefits of custom-blended essential oils. Treatments and essential oil selections are personalized for each guest so that, by the end of a session, the body, mind, and spirit are perfectly aligned. The highest floor of the Mandarin Oriental Miami also features six stunning VIP spa suites with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook a sparkling blue Biscayne Bay. mandarinoriental.com/miami
Montage Laguna Beach
The signature treatment at Spa Montage at the Montage Laguna Beach is called the Art of Spa, in which a variety of water therapies and temperatures is applied to the entire body. Your first stop is the steam room, where you’ll stimulate circulation and purge toxins from the body. Next: the cold plunge to stabilize your system. Spa staffers suggest repeating the cycle three times to guarantee the best sleep of your life. If you’re ready for something more, try the Surrender Balancing Retreat, a four-day all-inclusive program in which a spa therapist, fitness trainer, and coach will help plan the next stage of your emotional and physical life, gently engaging you while you indulge in group fitness classes, personal life coaching, and healthy-cooking classes, all eased along by four days of customized spa treatments. spamontage.com/lagunabeach
Rosewood Little Dix Bay
YouÂ’ll feel on top of the world at Sense, A Rosewood Spa, at Rosewood Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. Indeed, a two-tier infinity pool at the spa perches on the cliffÂ’s edge. Here, the Seaside Sedation Massage lives up to its name: just try to stay awake during the full-body Swedish massage and a mix of relaxing bodywork techniques. Partake of the Sedation Massage upon first arriving at the resort as a way to jumpstart your vacation. After youÂ’re suitably relaxed, try the spaÂ’s Virgin Gorda Goat Milk & Honey Wrap, during which a freshly prepared body mask of Virgin Gorda honey, goat milk, and bananas is applied to the body. YouÂ’ll be on island time in no time. littledixbay.com
Conrad Maldives Resort & Spa Rangali Island
Choose from not one but two spas at this ultra-luxurious tropical resort: the Spa Retreat perches on stilts above the earth, while the treatment rooms at the OverWater Spa feature glass floors through which you can look directly down onto the coral reef while enjoying a relaxing massage. Conrad Maldives Rangali Island features Dorissima color ritual treatments, as well as Siddhartha body treatments, which are personally designed for couples with a variety of complementary massages, baths, and body wraps. No one is left out here: thereÂ’s even an ice cream spa menu for kids. Facials, massages, and pedicures for the young set come in a variety of flavors, from Peaches and Cream to Strawberry Fields. conradmaldives.com
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples
At the end of a particularly relaxing massage, one might resent having to hop off the table when a long nap feels more in order. If you fit this description, you might enjoy the Drift to Sleep treatment at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples. At first, it looks like most other multi-treatment spa offerings: it starts with a lavender body scrub, followed by an aromatic milk bath, then a relaxing body massage. But instead of stumbling off the table, bleary eyed and yawning, there’s a radical shift: the final step of the treatment is a 30-minute power nap. Should you need more restoration, the hotel’s Bath Butler will help customize a bath ritual for you, along with a matching herbal tea. ritzcarlton.com
Four Seasons Resort -Â The Biltmore Santa Barbara
True to its name, the signature spa treatment here—Four Seasons in One—fuses winter, spring, summer, and fall into one alternately soothing and invigorating session with a peppermint body scrub, an aromatic body wrap, and Thai and scalp massages. However, given that the Biltmore is in the middle of Santa Barbara Wine Country, oenophiles may want to take advantage of the spa’s three-hour wine-themed treatment. First, slip into a relaxing bath of jasmine and red wine while you sip grapeseed tea. Next up is a warm rosehip-and-olive body wrap followed by a full-body massage with grapeseed oil. Once you’re upright, you’ll be served a special selection of cheese paired with a glass of local wine. For the ultimate experience, choose one of the spa suites, which feature fireplaces. fourseasons.com/santabarbara
Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora
The Kahaia spa suite at the Four Seasons Bora Bora is designed for couples with the utmost in privacy and luxury. YouÂ’ll gaze on the stunning views of nearby Mount Otemanua and be surrounded by stellar vistas of the hibiscus-rich valleys and lagoons below. The Kahaia Haven signature treatment starts with a skin-smoothing cleansing treatment followed by a naturally exfoliating body scrub that combines Tahitian black pearl powder and native vanilla. Next up, a soothing and stress-relieving massage. The Kahaia Haven winds down with a relaxing Osea facial performed with lotions rich in organic algae extracts. fourseasons.com/borabora