A day at the spa? Sure, if that’s what your client wants, but today’s path to a true wellness vacation also embraces outdoor activities, local rituals and restorative accommodations. These eight resorts in Mexico lead the way.
Wellness Sanctuaries
Wellness-focused accommodations are taking the hotel industry by storm, with guestrooms now equipped with workout equipment and mini-fridges stocked with healthy options. Moon Palace Cancun’s Wellness Suites (moonpalacecancun.com), for instance, feature an Awe sports kit with yoga mat, dumbbells and jump rope, and natural juices in the minibar, herbal teas along with complimentary morning fruit and juice served on the balcony are available for each guest as part of their AWE-inclusive package throughout their stay. Other in-room amenities include a pillow menu, aromatherapy room diffuser, smelling salts and soaps with 100 percent natural essences, and there’s direct access from the room terrace to a private pool (for Wellness Suite guests only) where guests can enjoy personal training for activities such as aqua spinning.
At Chileno Bay Resort & Residences (aubergeresorts.com/chilenobay), part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, the Ocean View Wellness Rooms debuted recently. Each of the five accommodations in this Los Cabos resort features a Watt Bike, citrus juicer, chilled eye masks, aromatherapy kit, yoga mat, a pair of Mala and Mantra Bracelets, and Oka B’ Sandals. Upon arrival, guests receive a welcome amenity of their choosing—perhaps a cold pressed juice or superfood smoothie—and each day of their stay, they get two complimentary fitness classes. They also have access to 20 percent off all spa treatments and unlimited use of the spa facilities. Come nighttime, there’s a “Great Sleep and Gratitude” turndown tray, and each of the rooms sits within steps of the resort’s Auberge Spa and features floor-to-ceiling windows and oceanview terrace.
Immersive Retreats
Disconnecting from daily routine and connecting with the local spirit of a destination is an invaluable component of a wellness getaway. Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya (zoetryresorts.com) offers a way for clients to do just that via its traditional, renewing Temazcal ritual, performed on-site. Led by an intercessor, or healer, the hour-long ritual begins with a blessing from the intercessor, and one by one, guests enter the Temazcal structure, sitting in a circle for the healing ceremony. The shelter is filled with hot stones and the intercessor guides participants through the spiritual ritual, involving aromas, herbal steams, sounds and sensations. The Temazcal ceremony is part of the resort’s Endless Privileges inclusions, accessible to all guests at no additional cost.
The Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen’s Cenote Spa (hyatt.com) also creates an experience that allows guests the opportunity to immerse themselves in the destination’s local traditions. Here, the intimate Cenote Spa combines water and mangroves naturally throughout eight treatment rooms and specialty facilities—there are two double suites, hydrotherapy stations, a eucalyptus steam room, fiber optic chromotherapy showers and an 82-ft. lap pool. “Our award-winning Cenote Spa,” says the resort’s general manager Leandro Livschitz, “resembles the natural healing pools found around the Riviera Maya and personifies a sanctuary where wellness-conscious travelers can find a variety of experiences for the mind, body and spirit.” The spa just debuted the Cenote Relaxing Massage, a full body relaxing experience that features key therapeutic techniques and elements such as emblematic hot stone massage in focused areas, ancient reflexology pressure points on feet, activating leg brush and a facial tension release massage.
At Puerto Vallarta’s Casa Velas (hotelcasavelas.com) guests can bring meditation into their vacation with new spa labyrinths and meditation pods. The four new labyrinths are based on the four natural elements, and allow for mindful meditation reflection. And located in the resort’s stunning botanical gardens are several meditation pods for introspection. Guests can complement these mindful moments with stays in one of the two Wellness Suites, featuring a plethora of fitness and wellness amenities, and let them know the resort will soon be debuting a guided Wellness Wednesday program, which includes a labyrinth ritual and Spa Atelier workshops.
Located in Cancun on an ancient base station for Mayan astronomers, NIZUC Resort & Spa (nizuc.com) just debuted three mindful treatments based on Mayan practices. The Mindful Massage is a full body massage with special attention to the metamorphic zones on the feet to rebalance, while the Mindful Facial includes nourishing products rubbed along the skin with a warm poultice sculpt to tone the facial contours. Do recommend the Couple’s Mindful Journey, featuring a guided breathing visualization followed by the aforementioned treatments and a healthy spa lunch.
One of the most unique spa experiences in Mexico takes place at Haven Riviera Cancun (havenresorts.com). The resort’s MySenses Spa offers a quantum healing experience and bioengineering analysis, the latter of which is ideal for wellness-focused guests staying at the resort seven to nine days. So, for example, guests can get their biofeedback scan on the first day of their stay then apply the findings during their vacation and continue the regimen at home. The spa menu, too, is unique due to the fusion of treatments, including a Regenerative Experience that blends Japanese shiatsu with a Hawaiian lomi-nui ceremony to expand and bring together the connection between mind, body and spirit.
Active Pursuits
For many, of course, a wellness vacation isn’t true to its core if it does not include some fitness activity. At Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa and TRS Coral Hotel (palladiumhotelgroup.com), the unique Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre fits the bill for tennis enthusiasts. Created by tennis superstar Rafa Nadal and his technical team, the center allows participants at all levels to enjoy professional tennis instruction through a variety of program offerings, including private or group classes. It features eight illuminated clay tennis courts; a soccer field; a paddle tennis court; a gym for warm-ups, stretching and basic workouts; a premium sports shop with stringing service available; and a bar/cafeteria, complete with TVs to watch tennis and other sports. After hitting the court, guests can head over to the resort’s 51,000-sq.-ft. Zentropia Spa & Wellness Center, which features an “ice cabin” and sensation shower, among other facilities.
