New year, new you. That’s the motto, right? January is the month when we set our intentions for the year. Be it drinking less, making it to the gym more often, eating healthier or doing a digital detox, this is the time when wellness takes center stage.
Combining your passion for travel with new health goals is certainly a more enticing way to begin your new-me journey than signing up for a new gym membership or a 1,500-calorie-a-day meal plan.
From infrared, vibrating sound bath tables in Miami to a bespoke immersive experience in a Costa Rica Blue Zone to toning and detoxing while staying in an overwater bungalow in French Polynesia, these properties are running January wellness packages designed to reset your mind, body and spirit and help you keep those 2024 New Year’s resolutions.
Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort, French Polynesia
If staying in an overwater bungalow in French Polynesia is on your 2024 bucket list, you can combine it with a wellness escape at the Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort. I love this property because it offers a luxury overwater bungalow experience that isn’t (quite) as expensive as the lavish properties on neighboring Bora Bora.
Moorea, where this Sofitel is located, has the same gorgeous turquoise lagoon with sublime snorkeling and diving, and it’s easier to reach — just an eight-hour flight from Los Angeles to Papeete in Tahiti and then a 30-minute ferry ride to paradise (rather than another flight).
The resort also offers some of Moorea’s biggest overwater bungalows on one of the island’s prettiest beaches. Each of the bungalows features polished wood floors, French-meets-Polynesian design and decor, and glass floor panels in the living room to watch the marine life below. The decks have direct access to the lagoon, as well as an outdoor Jacuzzi to induce relaxation. If you want to save some cash, the beachfront bungalows also have access to the same lagoon, just on foot instead of via a ladder.
This January, Sofitel Moorea is running two signature Wellness Escapes from its Le Jardin Spa that incorporate natural ingredients grown on-site. The first package is a 160-minute spa experience that focuses on toning and detoxing. It includes an aromatic orange-vanilla salt bath, foot reflexology with lymphatic drainage, an invigorating orange scrub and an 80-minute activating and toning massage at the end.
If you want to focus on your skin, then check out the Skin Protection Treatment package. The 140-minute experience includes a facial, an aromatic green tea salt bath, a scalp massage and a hair mask, all culminating with a relaxing massage using unrefined coconut oil.
Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Of all the resorts in the Mayakoba development on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, the Banyan Tree is my favorite. I love the Asian design flourishes, including a pagoda-style lobby and a pond filled with water lilies. Located on an idyllic stretch of white sand lapped by turquoise waters, the property is backed by lush mangrove forests, giving it a tranquil ambience that’s perfect for an unplugged wellness getaway.
The resort is starting off the year with a Ways of Well package that combines a peaceful stay in a Wellbeing Sanctuary Pool Villa with spa treatments and well-being experiences, such as sun salutations and stretching classes, to help travelers reconnect with themselves, others and nature. The package, which requires a minimum three-night stay in the villa, includes a daily healthy breakfast, an afternoon nutrition platter, yoga, meditation and a 60-minute Sleep Essentials massage for two.
The Banyan Tree’s Wellbeing Sanctuary Villas also come with private, heated swimming pools and outdoor soaking tubs. They have elegant Thai-inspired wellness amenities like a singing bowl to induce a sense of harmony. The on-site restaurants are also excellent, especially the signature Thai restaurant.
Carillon Miami Wellness Resort
If your intention is to sleep better in 2024, head to the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort in Florida this January for a four-night Sleep Well Retreat.
The resort partnered with bespoke mattress company Bryte to launch the four-night package that includes a stay in a one-bedroom apartment with one of Bryte’s high-tech Balance Smart Beds, which can be adjusted to your own preferred level of firmness. I had the chance to experience this package just before the holidays. I’ll admit that I arrived pretty skeptical about the bed’s game-changing attributes but left more refreshed than I’ve felt all year.
The package also includes the Sleep Well Circuit of wellness treatments that use electromagnetic, vibroacoustic and infrared therapies to aid relaxation, help set intentions and increase energy flow.
I was again dubious when I climbed onto the Vemi table — one of the wellness treatments in the circuit — but, sure enough, I was transported into a deep meditative state thanks to a sound bath performed in conjunction with full-body vibrations and infrared heat.
The Carillon also has a fabulous location right on North Beach, complete with sun loungers and food and beverage service for guests. The Sleep Well Retreat package is just one of several packages the resort is offering through January.
If you are looking for a more intensive new year reboot, the Carillon is also running a Renew You Full Day Retreat with bespoke eight-hour experiences that include guided reflections, meditation, a cacao ceremony, conscious breathing work, intentional goal setting and sound healing. You don’t need to be a guest at the resort to book this retreat either.
Hotel Nantipa, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
Located on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, one of the world’s five Blue Zones (global longevity hot spots with the highest known number of centenarians), Hotel Nantipa is a luxury, boutique, beachfront resort offering an ultra-personalized Blue Wellness package this January.
The lifestyle package is designed as an immersive experience that explores natural ways of enhancing physical health, minimizing stress and eating a superfood-fueled diet, which can all be continued at home.
The three-night package is tailored to each guest’s needs, depending on their preferred area of focus. A sample itinerary might include accommodations, yoga and meditation each morning, a private surf lesson, a hike to the Montezuma waterfall, volunteering at a local nonprofit, daily sunset cocktails, a private sunset dinner on the beach and spa treatments each day.
Chic accommodation options span spacious suites, bungalows and villas, all designed to blend with the natural landscape. Ninta Beachfront Bungalows feature outdoor plunge pools, hammocks, indoor-outdoor showers and floor-to-ceiling windows that frame stunning ocean views. It’s the perfect place to channel those “pura vida” vibes and feel revived amid wild green foliage and the hypnotic sounds of the sea.
Das Edelweiss Salzburg Mountain Resort, Grossarl, Austria
Das Edelweiss is one of my favorite spa and wellness resorts I visited in 2023. Located in the tiny mountain village of Grossarl, about an hour’s drive south of Salzburg, the scenery here looks straight out of “The Sound of Music,” with snowcapped mountains and forested hills sloping into lush green valleys.
Austria’s scenery alone can soothe your soul, but when you factor in the state-of-the-art spa and wellness center, you’re guaranteed the ultimate rejuvenation experience at this resort, which is now in its third generation of family ownership.
Covering multiple floors, the wellness center’s rooftop, adults-only spa is home to an infinity pool with breathtaking mountain views, several saunas, steam rooms, relaxation areas and a gym. The resort also offers a wide range of wellness treatments, from traditional massages to innovative therapies such as the “Vitality Lounge,” a space that combines sound, light and color therapy to promote relaxation and balance.
The resort’s culinary offerings are also a highlight, with an emphasis on locally sourced, organic ingredients. The breakfast buffet is a feast for the senses, featuring a wide range of breads, pastries, cheeses, fruits, yogurts, juices and more. For dinner, guests can choose from a variety of options, including a four-course gourmet menu, a fondue evening or a traditional Austrian dinner.
Whether you’re looking to unwind with a massage, relax in the sauna or indulge in a gourmet meal, Das Edelweiss Salzburg Mountain Resort offers the perfect escape for those seeking a wellness retreat in the heart of the Austrian Alps.
In conclusion, starting the new year with a wellness-focused trip can be a great way to kickstart your health goals and set yourself up for success. Whether you choose to indulge in a luxury overwater bungalow in French Polynesia, immerse yourself in a Blue Zone experience in Costa Rica, or relax and rejuvenate at a wellness resort in Mexico or Austria, these properties offer a range of packages and amenities designed to reset your mind, body, and spirit. So why not make your new year’s resolution a memorable and transformative wellness journey?