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5 spas worth getting on an airplane to visit
Sure, there are some amazing spas out there, but are they actually worth getting on a plane to visit? Here are a few which actually ARE worth getting on a long airplane ride to experience first-hand.
1. Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Dorado, Puerto Rico, US
The exquisite spa at Dorado Beach rests on 5 acres and includes herb gardens, outdoor relaxation areas, spa ingredients using local plants, a purification garden with waterfall showers and steam pavilions, a treehouse for a truly special massage, and more. The spa is reason enough to visit this resort!
2. Mii Amo and Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona, US
Stay at either Mii Amo or Enchantment Resort and enjoy the spa at Mii Amo. This spa is considered by some to be one of the best spas in the US not only for its traditional spa treatments and high level of service, but also for its nods to and respect for the region. The spa incorporates unique, Native American-inspired physical and spiritual treatments; has treatment rooms utilizing adobe materials; and is set amidst the beautiful red rocks of Sedona.
When you’re not at the spa, you can enjoy hiking, a day-trip to the Grand Canyon, and delicious food. Some of clients have commented to me after their Enchantment Resort stays and Mii Amo spa visits … “Enchantment Resort was GREAT. The Traditional Thai massage and the deep tissue massage that we got [at Mii Amo] were great.” “Incredible hotel in such a cool location. Tough to imagine going to Sedona and not staying there. Far enough away from town but not too far. Very close to incredible hiking trails too. Allows you to easily hit the trails before they get too packed.” “Mii amo for breakfast was our every morning spot! Incredible menu with healthy options. Loved their coffees, smoothies, and juices too.” “Enchantment was AMAZING! It was a gorgeous resort with tons of activities and great food. We loved our dinner Thursday night at Che Ah Chi and enjoyed afternoon drinks on the outdoor patio View 180 Saturday afternoon.”
3. Amanoi, Vinh Hy, Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam
Immensely committed to wellness, Amanoi provides a full program to focus on helping you with your yoga techniques, nutrition plan, fitness regime, and relaxation. You can even arrange to stay in a suite dedicated to this. Their Spa Suite comes with its own, private, treatment room and includes various wellness treatments along with specialists dedicated to helping you in the privacy of your suite on a daily basis. Add the gorgeous pools, mosquito-free weather, and exceptional food, and you may never want to leave.
4. Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort, Soufrière, Saint Lucia
Have a massage in the oh so serene Rainforest Spa. Listening to an infinite stream and whistling birds just outside of your treehouse treatment room will lull you into a calm. Hot tip: ask to have a steam in their stone room (what I like to call a steam cave) before/after your treatment.
5. UNICO 20°87° Hotel, Riviera Maya, Mexico
With unlimited spa treatments (from a select but varied list and excluding service fee), you can’t go wrong. I had a 50-minute relaxation massage, a 130-minute massage-scrub-wrap-facial combo, a 90-minute volcanic stone massage, AND hydrotherapy before each session all in just one stay … and they were all fantastic and complimentary! You will undoubtedly feel like butter after a stay here!
Tisha Neufville is a Luxury Travel Advisor and Founder of Neufville Travel. Neufville Travel is an independent affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso member.
If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.
1. Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Dorado, Puerto Rico, US
The exquisite spa at Dorado Beach rests on 5 acres and includes herb gardens, outdoor relaxation areas, spa ingredients using local plants, a purification garden with waterfall showers and steam pavilions, a treehouse for a truly special massage, and more. The spa is reason enough to visit this resort!
2. Mii Amo and Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona, US
Stay at either Mii Amo or Enchantment Resort and enjoy the spa at Mii Amo. This spa is considered by some to be one of the best spas in the US not only for its traditional spa treatments and high level of service, but also for its nods to and respect for the region. The spa incorporates unique, Native American-inspired physical and spiritual treatments; has treatment rooms utilizing adobe materials; and is set amidst the beautiful red rocks of Sedona.
When you’re not at the spa, you can enjoy hiking, a day-trip to the Grand Canyon, and delicious food. Some of clients have commented to me after their Enchantment Resort stays and Mii Amo spa visits … “Enchantment Resort was GREAT. The Traditional Thai massage and the deep tissue massage that we got [at Mii Amo] were great.” “Incredible hotel in such a cool location. Tough to imagine going to Sedona and not staying there. Far enough away from town but not too far. Very close to incredible hiking trails too. Allows you to easily hit the trails before they get too packed.” “Mii amo for breakfast was our every morning spot! Incredible menu with healthy options. Loved their coffees, smoothies, and juices too.” “Enchantment was AMAZING! It was a gorgeous resort with tons of activities and great food. We loved our dinner Thursday night at Che Ah Chi and enjoyed afternoon drinks on the outdoor patio View 180 Saturday afternoon.”
3. Amanoi, Vinh Hy, Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam
Immensely committed to wellness, Amanoi provides a full program to focus on helping you with your yoga techniques, nutrition plan, fitness regime, and relaxation. You can even arrange to stay in a suite dedicated to this. Their Spa Suite comes with its own, private, treatment room and includes various wellness treatments along with specialists dedicated to helping you in the privacy of your suite on a daily basis. Add the gorgeous pools, mosquito-free weather, and exceptional food, and you may never want to leave.
4. Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort, Soufrière, Saint Lucia
Have a massage in the oh so serene Rainforest Spa. Listening to an infinite stream and whistling birds just outside of your treehouse treatment room will lull you into a calm. Hot tip: ask to have a steam in their stone room (what I like to call a steam cave) before/after your treatment.
5. UNICO 20°87° Hotel, Riviera Maya, Mexico
With unlimited spa treatments (from a select but varied list and excluding service fee), you can’t go wrong. I had a 50-minute relaxation massage, a 130-minute massage-scrub-wrap-facial combo, a 90-minute volcanic stone massage, AND hydrotherapy before each session all in just one stay … and they were all fantastic and complimentary! You will undoubtedly feel like butter after a stay here!
Tisha Neufville is a Luxury Travel Advisor and Founder of Neufville Travel. Neufville Travel is an independent affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso member.
If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.
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UNICO on Mexico’s Mayan Riviera really appeals to me. I’ve heard great things about that Yucatan coastline. Those treatments are longer than most spas offer. Interesting idea that you feel like “butter” at the end of it. I’m quite a taut person, in fact one masseuse said that I was the stiffest client that she had ever worked with so I really need some treatments that get me utterly loose, relaxed and flexible.
If you do head to the Mayan Riviera then you’ve got to go to Chichen Itza as well. You just can not go to the Yucatan Peninsula and not visit this ginormous lost city. I would have thought that it must be listed as one of the wonders of the world. Though it’s quite a way inland and it always seems a lot hotter there than on the coast. So with all the walking on a vast site it can be a very tiring day. If you go to Chichen Itza you need to book a lot of treatments for the day after to rehydrate and re construct your body. Chichen is an astounding experience but all those hours on the bus come at a cost.
That is a classic picture of Dorada Beach. Infinity pool where you can hardly tell where pool meets sea meets sky. Of course the pools empty, not a single ripple on it. Of course it could be me in that picture just about to dive in. Absolute classic tempting holiday photography. Love it!
Thanks for your comments everyone! Nick, my apologies for the confusion … that first photo is actually a photo from one of the villa pools at Amanoi in Vietnam. They have many rooms/villas with views like this; so if you love this view, you can’t go wrong with a holiday there.
5 spas worth getting on a plane for? I’d crawl across continents on my hands and knees to spend a blissful week at any of these dream spas.
Oh wow, what an incredible backdrop the Enchantment Resort has of the mountains, that’s amazing! The Amanoi also sounds really relaxing, and I wouldn’t have really thought of Vietnam for spa breaks. I would be so happy to go to any of these right now, as soon as possible. And preferably with a one way ticket so I could stay forever!
These spas show how world wide the Wellness industry is on the up and standards keep on rising. I’m finding that there are now so many treatments on offer that it takes a lot of choosing. Gone are the days when you could turn up at a spa and see what you fancied. Nowadays I start doing my research before I fly as there are so many options to select from.
I’m guessing from the names that most of the comments are from the fairer sex and there seems to be something of a huge assumption that it is largely the ladies who enjoy a spa. I have enjoyed a lot of the treatments that I have tried and I tend to join my wife when when she travels to s spare. Just putting out a shout that some of us men are big spa fans too.
What’s not to like about a luxury spa even if you are a macho man?
I just don’t get it that most men don’t go for pampering? What’s wrong with looking after yourself and relaxing with some massages and treatments? Let’s face it many of us men have long commutes sandwiching long hours at our desks or tough physical work.
We’ve earned our spa days or spa weeks.
Dan – I’m glad you raised the point.
Well, spas for men are NOT AT ALL uncommon.
The stigmatization of spas to be a female-oriented
recreational and fitness centre is yet another story. However, to think that men can’t access or enjoy these services is totally unfair. I am a regular customer of Canyon Ranch whose history can be easily traced back as far as 1970s. In fact, the over-whelming response they recieved from their male clientle led them to spread their business even further and open branches in various locations including Lenox, Tucson, Massachusetts, Arizona and multiple beaches, hotels and cruise ships in Florida.
It’s always worth getting on a plane to head for a spa. And these are all such luxury spas that I’d drop everything, pack my bag and head off to these spas at a moments notice.
Spending time at a spa is such a great escape from my chaotic life at home and at work. It’s just so good to stop, to breathe and to be pampered for a week or so.
Yes, brother the myth of spas to be female centres for weight loss and relaxation still exists in a lot of places globally which is why many spas are dominated by the female consumers only. In such a scenario, it’s a pleasure to see spas like Sundara Inn & Spa in Wisconsin Dells surpassing all gender barriers. It has also been rated amongst the Top Five Destination Spas in the Travel and Leisure Mag. The best part is, the environment of the spa is equally welcoming for men (with its no-pink rule). Everything, from the decor to furnishings, ambience and architecture have been carefully curated keeping in mind the male cliente (and I am saying this with my first-hand experience). Make sure to get their awesome Men’s Vitalizing Massage and Purely for Men Facial if you ever decide to go there for some perfect Me-time. Plus, golfing and hiking nearby is the icing on the cake.
Also, (haven’t tried myself though, but) I have heard a lot about the Hilton Head Health which is run by Michael Tompkins who is also the President of the International Spa Association.
Some of my friends are beginning to tire of flying – the security and the waiting about are getting them down more than the flight itself.
I agree that flying can be a bit of a chore but I very much agree with the title about “worth flying for”.
A lot of people underestimate how important the flying is in our travel. When you show
that passport you are checking out of your old life, into a new one, even if it is just temporary.
Flying is the barrier between leaving work and settling into a new start.
I never would have thought there would be a luxury spa in the heart of Arizona like that, right next to the red rocks as though it’s part of the landscape. That’s amazing. It makes for a very novel spa break when you can say you had a native American inspired treatment followed by a hike around the Grand Canyon!