Not all vacations needs to be wellness-oriented. Sometimes long indulgent dinners and two-hour naps on the beach are all the ‘wellness’ our souls need. That said, wellness has it’s place when we plan on breaking out of our daily routines and experiencing something truly out of the ordinary.
From the jungles of Costa Rica to a high-tech Hawaiian health spa, these wellness resorts offer a wide range of luxurious vacation experiences that would make any health nut’s head spin…
5 Wellness Resorts That Will Blow Your Mind
Photo: Oliver Pilcher for Auberge
THE WELL at Hacienda AltaGracia, costa rica | One of the buzziest wellness destinations of the last five years, Hacienda AltaGracia is a remote escape across 180 acres in the Costa Rican rainforest. Surrounded by the Talamanca Mountains, the property’s claim to fame is a stunning pool and spa that has been well-documented by the Instagram set. With a huge menu of wellness offerings by THE WELL, not only can guests enjoy all the outdoor adventures that Costa Rica has to offer, but they can pair them with luxe spa experiences and deeply restorative holistic rituals, from craniosacral therapy to custom facials.
Highlights: Mind-body spa treatments in the nearby Calientillo River. Personalized wellness consults with resident health coach, Lauren Ferioli.
Sensei lanai | Four Seasons Lanai is already heaven on earth (read our review here!), but they’ve recently taken their wellness offerings on the island to all new heights with Sensei Lanai.
Founded by tech pioneer and co-founder of Oracle, Larry Ellison, and world-leading physician and scientist, Dr. David Agus, Sensei was born through the loss of the pair’s close friend and motivated by a shared purpose “to help people live longer, healthier lives.”
Luxury is the name of the game here, but guests are invited to dive as deep as they’d like into the property’s personalized, technology-guided therapies. And there’s a Nobu on property. Sensei collaborated with Nobu on a custom menu designed with optimal health in mind (shown above).
Sensei makes for a dreamy tropical vacation or the ideal sabbatical. If escaping a hectic lifestyle is your goal, Sensei imagines itself as a destination for complete restoration.
Highlights: Custom wellness programs that utilize a curation of wellness pros, technology and personalized medicine to key in on optimized health. 
Cala de Mar, ixtapa, mexico | (Shown at top) Perched on the cliffs of Ixtapa, Mexico, Cala de Mar is an intimate little resort with a big reputation. Voted #1 Best Resort Hotel in Mexico by Travel + Leisure and included in the World’s Best Awards in 2020, Cala de Mar draws the kind of crowd that values their wellness rituals as much as they do a good mezcal margarita.
Each of the thatch-roofed suites is nestled into the cliffside property with open-air access and its own pool. If you ever feel the need to leave your room—which is a big maybe!—the property’s spa, oceanside yoga deck, mezcal bar, restaurants and pool provide guests with plenty of options. The modern, but earthy design of the resort make this a design lover’s paradise.
Highlights: The indoor-outdoor spa here is actual heaven with locally-inspired treatments like the Amuzgo Herbal Massage with a dried herb and flower poultice to reduce mind-body tension.
Origins Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica | Each of the one-bedroom luxury lodges at Origins Lodge have ‘living’ roofs, private plunge pools and outdoor fireplaces. Set into 111 acres of lush rainforest jungle, Origins offers everything you want from a grounding experience in Costa Rica, but with plenty of little luxuries . Plant-based meals are served under the direction of Michelin-starred chef Jean-Luc L’Hourre with organic ingredients from their own garden and surrounding farms. While visiting guests can hike to waterfalls, head out on medicinal plant tours and enjoy the properties’ world-class spa.
Highlights: Daily yoga in their outdoor studio surrounded on all sides by the Costa Rican jungle!
Jade Mountain Resort, St. Lucia | The owner of Jade Mountain is fixated on the unique powers of – you guessed it – jade. The entire property is a marvel, studded with some of the most unique sustainable architectural details we’ve ever seen. Open air rooms feature private pools with bucket list views of both the Piti and Gros Piton mountains in the Caribbean Sea.
Jade Mountain is the only hotel in St. Lucia that grows its own cacao and guests can visit their stunning tropical farm to make their own chocolates. Our EIC had the pleasure of visiting a few years back and shared about the unique tropical cacao farm visit HERE!
Highlights: The rooftop restaurant with bucket list views of the island’s iconic mountains.
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