Resolutions to be healthy and toxin-free are about as common as Congressional debates. But if holiday parties and stress over fiscal matters left you longing for a change of pace, consider taking a break at a destination spa where the focus is on renewal as well as stress management.
Wellness programs are the trend at most American spas. Only at a destination spa, these promises are taken seriously. And you enjoy the camaraderie of being with people who have similar goals: renew body and soul.
Going solo? Choose a tranquil stay tailored to your needs. A week at Golden Door or Rancho La Puerta can be packed with activity from dawn to dusk, or peaceful. Add a taste of Britain at a country manor like Champneys or Chewton Glen.
Here are some off-the-beaten-track places to do it your way:
Parrot Cay by COMO, Turks & Caicos
Bruce Willis and Donna Karan are regulars at Christina Ong’s private island in the British West Indies. Yoga weeks with Rodney Yee now alternate with Ayurvedic retreats led by a resident specialist in the ancient Hindu healing regimen. Stay in a beach cottage staffed by your own butler (our two-bedroom spread was owned by Keith Richard) or stylish lodge rooms. Try an Indonesian massage, purifying facial, and Dead Sea mud wrap while enjoying balmy Atlantic breezes. Programs for three, five, and seven nights, from $2,592 include lodging and specified detox treatments. www.comohotels.com
Champneys at Tring, England
Learn how the Brits maintain beauty and health regimens. Tanya Wheway teaches her five-element ritual to get each day off to a great start. The new Fab@50+ program in January (20th to 25th) and February (3rd to 8th) includes a health check or nutrition consultation, treatments, indoor aquatics, full board. It’s not Downton Abbey but this former Rothschild estate is staffed with specialists in well-being. www.champneys.com
Chewton Glen, Hampshire, England
Detox in a grand country manor near Southampton. Stay in new Tree House suites set on stilts in a wooded valley apart from the main hotel. Enjoy treatments and spa facilities that are among Britain’s most posh. Experience the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) with all-inclusive five-day program, from $4,400 (approximate). www.chewtonglen.com
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