Wailea Spa Crawl
This pristine area known for its crescent shaped beaches has some of the best restaurants and hotels on the planet, so it’s no surprise the spas here are worth exploring as well. For years, the multicolored Hawaiian sea-salt pools and island-inspired treatments of the marble-appointed Spa Grande at the Grand Wailea stole the show. However, these days there are four more not to miss.
Ocean Potions
Starting at the top of the Wailea beach path is Fairmont Kea Lani’s Willow Stream Spa, named best hotel spa in Hawaii by readers of Travel + Leisure for both 2014 and 2015. Why? After a multimillion-dollar refresh, the Willow Stream Spa has all the latest treatments to satisfy the most worldly of spa-goers, including a few unique experiences apropos for the beach location. These include the Nalu Suite, with a state-of-the-art wave massage table; the Wailele suite, offering Vichy shower treatments with infrared technology; and the in-spa lounge, a full sensory experience with steam room, sauna and showers inspired by Maui rain. One definite crowd-pleaser is the soothing palolo (mud) bar, with a variety of mixtures and a heated tile booth where guests can lounge as the therapeutic mud does its healing.
Med Spa Offerings
Spa director Pat Makozak has been infusing the Four Seasons Spa in Maui with wellness opportunities for more than a decade. So it was a natural evolution for her and local nutritionist and chiropractic doctor Mark Emerson to create a “Wellness Your Way” program, which can turn a visit into a transformational experience. Treatments address the entire body, whether the approach is physical (i-Lipo cold-laser body contouring) or emotional (inner clarity sessions), aiming to get visitors on the right track, or back on track. In addition to 13 treatment rooms, the spa features three outdoor Hawaiian treatment hales overlooking Wailea Beach.
No Fluff
If you are willing to give up robes and elaborate steam showers in exchange for reduced cost, Olavine Spa in the Wailea Gateway Shopping Center is your spot. After 25 years of developing, opening and managing spas all over the world, Cecilia Hercik opened Olavine in 2013. The name is a combination of ola, meaning life and health in Hawaiian, and olivine, the sparkling green rocks called “Pele’s tears,” a lava mineral said to have properties of calmness, peacefulness and joy. Olavine also offers kids’ massage treatments as well as beauty services such as manicure and pedicure, waxing and hair styling, including a blowout for $45.
Signature Scent
While the treatments, rooms and amenities in the spa at Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort are on (or above) par with most spas in the state, what sets the Awili Spa and Salon apart is the apothecary experience, a unique twist on the Japanese tradition of omakase (which translates as “caring for oneself”). An apothecary consultant assists in blending a personal product for a spa or salon service, featuring local ingredients from Maui. Best part: the recipe is saved, so guests who bring the product home can reorder it once the relaxing effects of Maui have worn off. The oceanfacing manicure and pedicure stations aren’t bad either.
Waikiki Spa Crawl
Given the high-octane pace of Waikiki, a spa treatment there can bring many benefits, starting with sanity. Here are three different experiences sure to help you relax.
Personalized Decadence
With one of the most decadent spas in the state, the award-winning Kahala Resort and Spa has stepped up its game with individual suites for treatments. Each session starts with a hoomaka, a cleansing foot massage that sets a pampering tone for your very personalized experience.
Massage With a View
Moana Lani Spa a Westin Heavenly Spa, has more than 18,000 square feet, including two oceanfront suites with whirlpool tubs, private restrooms and breathtaking views of Waikiki Beach, as well as nine treatment rooms. Hawaiian touches include hoawe wooden bowls filled with alaea salt. Guests are invited to leave their worries behind as they enter; the salt is then tossed into the sea at the end of the day, along with whatever woes it might contain. Urban Island Flair
This article originally appeared in Marin Magazine’s print edition under the headline: “Find your Bliss“.
Mimi Towle has been the editor of Marin Magazine for over a decade. She lived with her family in Sycamore Park and Strawberry and thoroughly enjoyed raising two daughters in the mayhem of Marin’s youth sports; soccer, swim, volleyball, ballet, hip hop, gymnastics and many many hours spent at Miwok Stables. Her community involvements include volunteering at her daughter’s schools, coaching soccer and volleyball (glorified snack mom), being on the board of both Richardson Bay Audubon Center. Currently residing on a floating home in Sausalito, she enjoys all water activity, including learning how to steer a 6-person canoe for the Tamalpais Outrigger Canoe Club. Born and raised in Hawaii, her fondness for the islands has on occasion made its way into the pages of the magazine.
