RESET RETREATS

From ultra-luxurious wellness destinations to experiences that leverage the healing power of wildlife and nature, there is no shortage of places to recharge your batteries this summer

WORDS GEMMA GREENWOOD

It’s official: 2021 is the year of the great ‘travel reset’, where travellers get back on the road and go “slower, nearer and more mindfully” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. That was the consensus at the recent Global Wellness Summit where experts in the field predicted that all travel may become wellness travel as professional and personal lives merge and body and mind health becomes a number one priority for many. The Global Wellness Summit also highlighted how travellers are increasingly embracing the healing power of nature with 2020-driven practices such as social distancing and a preference for outdoor activities giving this trend a boost.

Even before the pandemic, hotels were enhancing their wellness offering but today, its omnipresent, with most brands, particularly in the luxury sector, offering wellness packages and retreats to help us alleviate the stress and strains of recent challenges. Here we review a few of the current options.

Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa

RIGHT: One&Only The Palm, Dubai BELOW: One&Only Portonovi, Montenegro BOTTOM: One&Only Mandarina, Mexico

One&Only wellness retreats For nearly two decades, One&Only has been a high-end wellness trailblazer. With properties located in destinations that naturally lend themselves to holistic time out and rejuvenation, the ultra-luxury resort brand has long recognised that transformative travel and investing in physical and mental health is important to guests.

The hotel group is currently promoting six wellness retreats that it says are “redefining wellbeing for global travellers”.

One&Only Desaru Coast in Malaysia is the first resort in the One&Only collection to introduce the Chenot Spa. Offering a holistic experience that extends beyond its walls, the spa combines the latest advances in Western research and scientific diagnostics with the best in Chinese and alternative medicines, resulting in a curated menu of research-led programmes. Focusing on the ‘whole self’ by truly understanding the individual needs of each guest, Chenot Spa curates its experiences around four pillars – Sport and Physical Activities, Emotional Wellbeing, Nutrition, and Aesthetics – all designed to work in synergy to reset and strengthen body and mind. At the recently opened

One&Only Portonovi

in Montenegro, guests can experience “industryleading, comprehensive wellness” alongside a vibrant and captivating Riviera-style lifestyle, in one destination. The resort is the first One&Only to offer Chenot Espace, a transformative journey of detoxing and resetting the body based on the renowned Chenot Method®, with tailored programmes and pioneering treatments scientifically designed to enhance guests’ vitality and optimum health, all year round.

Combining centuries of expertise in the quest for beautiful skin with sheer indulgence, the Guerlain Spa at One&Only The Palm in Dubai has designed three bespoke treatments exclusive to resort guests. Influenced by cutting-edge techniques from around the world, as well as time-honoured Arabian customs and ingredients only found in the Middle East, the treatments use Guerlain products to deliver “outstanding results”.

Isolated in a natural volcanic rock garden under the canopy of large Higuera trees, One&Only Spa at One&Only Mandarina in Mexico offers a range of treatments and spiritual experiences inspired by indigenous and pre-Hispanic culture, as well as the expansive natural wonders of Mandarina, guided by a principle of ‘oneness’ with nature and self. The consciously crafted wellness programme combines advanced therapies and personalised treatments to create a transformational spa experience that goes beyond traditional programmes.

Redefining ultra-luxury in the Indian Ocean, the One&Only Spa at One&Only Le Saint Géran, Mauritius offers tailored holistic experiences, ranging from pure relaxation time to unique wellness journeys. Signature treatments utilise indigenous techniques and include the ‘Mauritian Fusion’, a poultice treatment to soothe muscular aches and pains using a Mauritian herbal blend of neem, tulsi, moringa and lemongrass, and the ‘Chakra Balancing’, which aims to release deep-seated tension and blocked energy using local mint, citronella essence and volcanic hot stones.

The award-winning One&Only Spa at

One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives

offers a holistic programme of treatments, beauty, fitness and wellness. Harnessing rejuvenating therapies from East to West, therapists guide guests on a journey of wellness, combining ancient therapeutic rituals with modern-day research. To address a specific health concern or seek a higher level of overall wellbeing, bespoke journeys for restoration are available too. With programmes ranging from three to seven days, the ‘Reset in Residence’ Wellness Journeys begin with a personal lifestyle, fitness and nutrition consultation and target specific goal-orientated journeys, such as weight loss or anti-stress.

RIGHT: The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands BELOW: Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa

Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa Another Maldivian escape can be found on Thilamaafushi Island, with Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa, set to open in August, marking the debut of this established Europeaninspired brand by Marriott.

It promises wellness seekers an “authentic restoration and rejuvenation experience set amongst one of the most diverse and abundant habitats in the world”. Guests will be inspired to take a break from their busy schedule, slow down and embark on a journey of discovery; a chance to savour the good life. The idea is to become immersed in “moments around the island”, including the exclusive Explore Spa by Le Méridien, which involves strolling across the pannelled floors to reveal the magnetic energy of the Indian Ocean underneath.

After experiencing signature treatments, guests can visit the Waves Lifestyle Hub to express mindfulness through food, fitness and art; the Creative Arts Studio – a multi-sensory space to explore your inner artist; or The Greenhouse, ideal for green thumbs who want to know more about this sustainable state-of-the-art hydroponic farm model.

Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa is “wholly created for those seeking a one-of-a-kind travel experience”, providing the chance to achieve balance and be inspired by a property dedicated to “curating a holistic environment”. The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands The Ritz-Carlton has also made its Maldives debut. Launched in June, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands is located in an archipelago on the north-eastern tip of North Malé Atoll, just 45 minutes by boat from Velana International Airport. The resort is inviting guests to embrace the beru, or circle of island life, reflected in the resort’s circular design by the multiaward winning Kerry Hill Architects. With luxury wellness experiences a key offering, The Ritz-Carlton Spa has teamed up with renowned sustainable and holistic wellness brand Bamford to offer bespoke treatments using naturally sourced products. Its nine treatment rooms, including a spa suite with a relaxation room, are positioned on the turquoise lagoon. Cultural immersion for wellness is another element to this resort, with experiences focusing on Maldivian island life. They include adventures with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment Programme, which inspires guests to connect with nature and ocean life and to safeguard it for future generations. It includes a ‘Wonders of Water’ ocean mystery experience facilitated by a resident naturalists. There’s also a chance to take a boduberu drumming class, the heart of traditional Maldivian music and an integral part of island culture or for something more sedate, the resort’s resident expert on the sea, or Moodhu Edhuru, tells traditional tales of life on the Maldivian archipelagos while guests enjoy the mesmerising campfire at the Beach Shack.

Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts Another newbie, Mango House Seychelles, which opens this month (July), is home to ‘Anpe’, a wellness space that derives its name from the Creole word ‘at peace’. This spa aims to help guests disconnect, feel at home, and, of course, feel ‘at peace’, with personalised treatments that blend local traditions with western techniques, performed by Seychellois therapists. Created by local artisans, products and ingredients used are carefully selected to harness the power of local plants and natural resources with a focus on sustainability. Treatment rooms overlook the Indian Ocean. Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi Guests staying that this property can be among the first to try out the new elaborate Aqua Wellness Centre featuring a custom-built hydrotherapy pool, ice fountain, steam room and sauna. The pool is designed in zones, with each station of the pool targeting a different part of the body. The zones – which include jet bath, air jets, shower jets, and massage lounger – use varying levels of intensity and water temperature that aim to ease muscle tension, boost the immune system, increase blood circulation, speed up metabolism and improve deep sleep quality. Guests can enjoy a specially curated healthy lunch in the garden and a choice of massage, meditation or yoga sessions following the pool experience. With a capacity of two people, reservations for the hydrotherapy pool are required. There’s a wellness concierge on hand too who guides guests through their wellness journeys, including customised treatments and private sessions with experts in a range of disciplines, from holistic medicine to martial arts, crystal healing to ayurvedic doctors. Mantis Impact Experiences The healing power of nature through travel experiences cannot be underestimated, according to Paul Gardiner, CEO of Mantis, an Africanborn hospitality brand rooted in conservation and sustainable business practices. Speaking at May’s Arabian Travel Market virtual conference, Gardiner revealed how demand for its Mantis Impact Experiences – which offer travellers the opportunity to make a real impact on conservation and embark on transformative adventures in the wild – had rocketed as a result of the pandemic. Conscious travellers are looking to nature and responsible tourism for spiritual and mental wellbeing, knowing they are giving back to the destinations and communities they visit, he says.

With Mantis Impact Experiences, guests can find themselves behind the scenes at ongoing conservation programmes contributing to the protection of rare species, enrolling in a nature course, participating in wildlife operations, or even partaking in a tailored adventure expedition. Its described as “travel out of the ordinary, making lifelong memories through rare experiences”.

The first Mantis Impact offering is the Rhino Conservation Experience, with the first tour running from October 26 to 31 at the landmark Mantis Founders Lodge in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It will enable guests to take part in an unforgettable, hands-on safari experience, focused on rhino conservation as part of a five-night/six-day stay, with an evening of bush camping on offer too, for a real taste of the great outdoors.

CLOCKWISE FROM BELOW: Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi; Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts; Mantis Impact Experiences