What’s new in the world of spa and wellbeing? A lot. Here’s what caught my eye most recently.
Expedition Spas Expand with Silver Endeavour
Silversea has revealed a new collection of 25 voyages for its highly anticipated expedition vessel, Silver Endeavour—the world’s most advanced luxury expedition ship. From May 2023 through March 2024, guests will journey to 116 of the planet’s most beautiful and remote cold-weather destinations across Northern Europe, the Arctic, and Antarctica, including 24 maiden calls for Silversea. Ensuring the cruise line’s trademark level of comfort, Silver Endeavour will welcome guests in some of the most spacious and elegant venues in expedition cruising, including an expansive Otium Spa & Beauty Salon. Among the largest spas in expedition cruising, the Otium Spa aboard Silver Endeavour will deliver moments of relaxation through Silversea’s signature wellness program, Otium—inspired by the ancient Roman lifestyle and built on the principles of indulgence, pleasure, and pampering. The spa has three treatment rooms, a relaxation area, and separate thermal areas for men and women—both of which feature saunas, steam rooms, and showers—and incredible views in nearly every space, allowing guests to enjoy unwinding without ever losing sight of the destination.
An Ultimate Fitness Retreat at Las Catalinas
Since its inception, Las Catalinas has become an ideal destination for training, rejuvenation, wellness, healing and recovery, and outdoor adventure. With 42 kilometers of world-class, single-track trails that feature stunning views of the coastline and valley vistas, Las Catalinas is the most prominent mountain biking destination in the American tropics. After a two-year hiatus from in-person sporting and outdoor recreation events, the seaside, car-free town of Las Catalinas in Guanacaste, Costa Rica recently announced the town will host two upcoming major sporting and fitness events and competitions. Join surf legend and innovator Laird Hamilton and former professional athlete Gabby Reece and the XPT Team on a three-day ultimate fitness adventure at Las Catalinas on October 11 to 13, 2022. Further ahead in the winter months, Las Catalinas is excited to bring back their annual Tri Las Catalinas, an off-road, multi-sport triathlon on February 18, 2023. For those looking to reset their fitness, elevate their training or learn cutting-edge techniques to improve their sport and life performance, the XPT Experience Costa Rica is ideal for all fitness levels. Guests will learn each pillar of the XPT lifestyle through performance breathing, underwater workouts, gym training, nature workouts, ice-heat sessions, recovery work, advisor lectures, and XPT lifestyle education. The October retreat is scheduled for the 11th to13th.
A Month of Curated Wellness at Spa Imagine
Tafer Hotels & Resorts have dedicated the month of October to curated wellness retreat experiences at their all-inclusive resorts in Cancun, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta. With a focus on embracing self-care, the holistic options include meditation and purification classes, ecstatic dance workshops, full-moon yoga, massage workshops, healthy gourmet cuisine, and cultural offerings—to name but a few. Why a month of specialized wellness programming versus a day or a week? “It encourages people in a nice way, to get into wellness,” shares Giselle Sedinger Lopez, Spa & Wellness Manager, Spa Imagine at Garza Blanca Resort & Spa Cancun. “We try to make this event fun, exciting, and adapted for all kinds of tastes and passions to capture all our guests with at least one activity and introduce the world of wellness into their lives in a friendly way. We offer them experiences that contribute something good in their lives physically, mentally, and emotionally and hope that when they return home, they seek to continue doing so.”
Many of the resorts’ guests travel only for this event and commit to October wellness as a fundamental part of their lives, explains Giselle. “That makes us feel full and complete because we work hard all year long on this program to offer guests something different every year. If I can assure you of one thing, it is that October Wellness is an event in which we as leaders put all our hearts, effort, passion, and above all, a lot of love. This event would have no impact if it was not done with true good intention from the heart.”
A Blissful Hideaway at Cosme
“Although it was a base of tourism in the 1960’s, this once-sleepy Cycladic island didn’t even have proper hotels until very recently,” shares Andria Mitsakos, CEO of AMPR and founder of Anthologist. “Those in the know are moving from Mykonos to Paros now that hotel offerings are improving. Just this year, Cosme, the sister hotel to Parilio (the island’s first five-star option) and a member of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, opened its doors.” Set in the serene whitewashed village of Naoussa—the jewel of Paros—with the clear-blu Aegean at its feet, Cosme embraces the energy of the sea and reciprocates the joyful pulse of the town. The architecture by ID Laboratorium, reflects the shapes of the surroundings, including the iconic half-moon pool that mirrors the bay and the meandering pathways that recall Naoussa—inspiring chance encounters and opening up possibilities.Nestled within the 40-room property is Elios, a spa named for the Greek god of the sun. At Cosme you’ll also find Anthologist, Andria’s lovingly curated boutique that celebrates Greek artisanal craft—jewelry, ceramics, textiles, scarves, and leather accessories peppered with other finds from Andria’s global wanderings.
New Zen Garden & Organic Offerings at Hotel Matilda
Set in the heart of San Miguel de Allende, Hotel Matilda recently unveiled new wellness offerings at its award-winning spa, complete with Apothecary Concierge. Herbal medicine is an ancient tradition in Mexico, and the Apothecary Concierge works with each guest to personalize products with artisanal ingredients. New to the property is the recently completed Zen Garden from Cosmydor, Galia Yoffe, and Spa Matilda, which incorporates all four elements (air, earth, fire, water) to create an ideal atmosphere to clear your mind, connect with yourself and disconnect from the world. In addition to the Zen Garden, Spa Matilda is also excited to welcome Cosmydor—this is the first time the brand has entered North America. Founded in Paris in 1877, Cosmydor has offered sustainable and natural products since its beginnings—an organic certification, absence of plastic packaging, and a zero-carbon footprint. Hot-spring seekers will be pleased to know that just outside of the hotel walls, one can find thermal, alkaline, sulfur, and freshwater springs. Dating back to Aztec times, these waters are thought to have anti-aging and healing properties.
Mary Bemis
Mary Bemis is Founder & Editorial Director of InsidersGuidetoSpas.com. An advocate for all things spa, Mary forged a vocabulary for spa reportage that is widely used by those who cover the issues today. Recently honored as a Top 30 Influential Voice Transforming Wellness by Medika Life, Mary is an inaugural honoree of Folio’s Top Women in Media Award. Her spa media roots run deep—in 1997, she launched American Spa magazine, in 2007, she co-founded Organic Spa magazine, and in between serving on the ISPA and NYSPA Board of Directors, she was on the launch teams of Luxury SpaFinder and New Beauty magazines. Named a "Wonder Woman of Wellness" by American Spa magazine, Mary was honored by the International Spa Association with the distinguished ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award. She is a special advisor to the non-profit Global Wellness Day.
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