Words by Shari Mycek with Becca Hensley, Katie McElveen, Ann Abel, Jake Emen, and Kathryn Romeyn. Each wellness resort is being equally honored in no particular order.
Wellness resorts are far from new. The Greeks and Romans, of course, carved the way with their Asclepian temples and thermal bath complexes. In 19th-century Europe, entire towns were built around spas. Think: Baden-Baden, Germany; Vichy, France; and Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic. A century later, a more medicalized form of wellness emerged: Swiss “sanitariums” (for rest cures); German Kneipp hydrotherapy centers; and Japanese onsen ryokan. And by the 1960s in the U.S., yoga, meditation, and Eastern philosophy were being embraced, and the first destination spas were already quietly taking root — hello Rancho La Puerta, Canyon Ranch, and Golden Door, still among our favorites.
The 2000s saw the integration of wellness into hotels and resorts — i.e., five-star spas with hydrotherapy circuits, medical-wellness hybrids like SHA Wellness Clinic, luxury jungle and desert retreats in places like Bali, Thailand, Mexico, and Costa Rica, and the growth of personalized program-based stays (detox, fitness, longevity). Now the resort-wellness world continues to evolve via new partnerships and programs focusing on longevity, cryotherapy and cold-water therapy, nature immersions, and culinary wellness.
Following are some of the very best wellness resorts our editorial team experienced this year.
FORESTIS, Brixen, Italy
Family-owned, intimate, and gorgeous, FORESTIS is set in the stunning landscapes of the Dolomites. Its founders have rooted the experience in being connected with nature. The windows of the suites are at eye level with the tops of the forest trees, and natural materials play a starring role in the interior design. The spa takes inspiration from the ancient wisdom of the Celts, who at one time lived among these mountains. That manifests as treatments that incorporate mountain pine, spruce, larch, and Swiss stone pine. Don’t miss the signature tree circle ceremony, which is based on the findings of Celtic druids. To start, guests intuitively choose the wood that best resonates with them, and then therapists use a wooden stick to ease muscle tension.
Sensei at Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Mexico
Open only since March (2025), Sensei at Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve marks the wellness brand’s first international partnership. Co-founded by Oracle’s Larry Ellison and David Agus, M.D., a prominent physician and leading biomedical researcher, Sensei — based on the concept “Move, Nourish, Rest” — is currently offered in California (Porcupine Creek) and Hawaii (Four Seasons Lānaʻi). All of the Sensei signatures are in place at Zadún — the personalized fitness instruction, spa treatments, mindful eating, and nutrition consults. But with distinctly Mexican touches. Our editor sweated it out in an authentic temazcal ceremony conducted by a local shaman, was pummeled and massaged with warm poultices filled with Mexican herbs, and bathed in sound with a trained opera singer.
Kagi Maldives
Everything surprised us about Kagi Maldives, a speck of a resort (just 50 overwater villas) set smack dab in the middle of the Indian Ocean. From the moment we touched down on the floating platform in the sea (where the seaplane landed to unload guests) to the Baani Spa (which means “ocean swell” in the local Dhivehi language), designed by a prominent Japanese architect to look like a curvy wave, we were enthralled. Full disclosure: while we originally came for the resort (the overwater bungalows, snorkeling, and swimming off the laddered deck of our villa), we stayed — and would return again and again — for the spa. Treatments include lymphatic and abdominal massage, Balinese and Thai modalities, sound healing, meditation, and sunrise/sunset yoga (in the water).
Hotel Manapany, St. Barth
St. Barth is not typically thought of as a wellness sanctuary. But Hotel Manapany, a five-star, eco-luxe resort (and part of B. Signature Hotels & Resorts), changes that perception. Since 2019, the sea-facing hotel in Anse des Cayes has been hosting longtime resident Diana Bourel’s Summer Yoga Challenge. The program offers 25 classes per week and runs for a full month (though guests can come for just a few days). Offerings include morning and evening yoga, aqua yoga (in the sea), Zen yoga, sound baths, workshops, and once a week, a candlelight evening meditation in the tiny white Anglican church in Gustavia. Afternoons are reserved for an Iyenger-style yoga class and spa treatments. Tip: book anything — massage or facial — with Laura.
Borgo Santo Pietro, Tuscany, Italy
Yes. This unparagoned hideaway near Siena has three well-deserved Michelin keys and a highly touted soil-to-plate Michelin-starred restaurant. Yes, it shows up on every list for its unmatched, intimate grandeur, gastronomy, cosseting Tuscan ambiance, stunning 22 suites, and bespoke concierge-planned activities. It even has alpacas. But, Borgo Santo Pietro’s most lofty and profound raison d’etre is the gift of wellbeing. The dream-come-to-life of naturopath and former fashion designer Jeanette Throttrup and her engineer husband Claus, Borgo Santo Pietro encompasses 300 acres of sacred landscape stitched with olive groves, orchards, vineyards, gardens, a dairy, and an impressive herb farm. From that bounty comes Seed to Skin, its housemade skincare line, made in a laboratory on site. Try science-backed products (which offer visible results) on property as amenities in your suite or in transformative treatments at the spa.
Bürgenstock Resort, Switzerland
This cliff-hugging resort looks down at shimmering Lake Lucerne. A mountainside Swiss village, complete with flower-flecked meadows and bell-wearing cows, the retreat comprises various restaurants, hotels, and spas. A favorite of Audrey Hepburn back in the day, the splendorous retreat offers unpretentious authenticity, original structures such as the church where Hepburn married, newly built houses, and classic Swiss village architecture. As a tour de force wellness mecca, it stands out for its Mateo Thun-designed Waldhotel, which addresses longer term transformative programs such as detox, as well as supported options for medical recovery. Steps away, Bürgenstock Hotel’s outstanding Alpine Spa, a 107,000-square-foot sanctum of saunas, pools, wellness nooks, and treatment areas offers rituals that run the gamut from facials by 111Skin to body rituals by Dr. Burgener and Kos Paris. Its famous infinity pool hovers above the lake, constituting a wellness adventure in itself. Guests of any of the resort’s hotels have access to the spa and pool.
Mii Amo, Sedona, Arizona
Just being in Sedona, one of the most mystical places on earth, can pivot you toward change. But Mii Amo, with just 23 suites wedged into the region’s otherworldly red rocks and on the edge of its legendary vortex, hurls you — luxuriously and earnestly —into absolute bliss. The extraordinary destination spa expertly harnesses the powers of the storied location. Mii Amo offers guests curative jaunts known as “journeys,” personalized, all-inclusive three, four, seven, or 10-day experiences that niggle change through energetic treatments, body rituals, fitness classes, meditation, workshops, clean food, stargazing, and so much more. Guests can set intentions, check in with a goal, or simply discover their dream as it unfolds in this over-the-top sanctuary of renewal and reinvention.
The Retreat Costa Rica, Atenas
Whatever your wellness goals, you’ll meet them in style at The Retreat, a 25-room oasis set on a sloping green mountain within Costa Rica’s Blue Zone. Choose one of the eight goal-centered programs or curate your own journey; either way, you’ll discover breezy and tranquil living spaces. The new 1,200-square-foot Santosha Lofts have soul-stirring views from floor-to-ceiling windows, while the just-opened wellness club features a meditative yoga shala, a pool overlooking the valley, and a lushly planted terrace where three restaurants offer everything from green juice and quinoa salad to oysters, vintage Champagne, and modern interpretations of the region’s traditional foodways. Make a point each day to turn yourself over to the therapists at the indoor-outdoor spa, where hundreds of treatments await.
Ananda in the Himalayas, Narenda Nagar, India
Two decades after its founding, Ananda in the Himalayas is still the leader in combining Ayurvedic rigor with sumptuous comfort. The destination spa occupies a Maharaja’s palace estate in the foothills of the Himalayas, near the holy town Rishikesh, where the Beatles met the Maharishi and where pilgrims gather nightly to float tiny bonfires down the Ganges in the Aarti ceremony. After a more lenient period several years ago, the spa returned to its roots and its rigor, guiding guests toward wellness programs ranging from generalist offerings like Ayurvedic Rejuvenation and Yogic Detox to more specific protocols focused on topics like menopause and sleep. A team of Ayurvedic doctors, yoga masters, nutritionists, and spa cuisine chefs keeps everyone on track.
Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary, Thailand
Thailand is no stranger to wellness spas and resorts. But Kamalaya stands out for its excellent mix of Eastern and Western approaches and for its balanced program that doesn’t feel like deprivation or work. The facilities go a long way toward that: resort-like rooms with beautiful teak wood, locally inspired art, and private terraces with sea or garden views. The 800-foot-long white sand beach is secluded and serene, set up with sun loungers, a hammock, and flat swing. As for the wellness, a roster of visiting practitioners joins an impressive team of full-time professionals, who guide guests through personalized journeys focused on fitness, detox, metabolic balance, women’s health, sleep enhancement, and more.
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
The Tierra Mar Spa at the Four Seasons Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol is a best-in-class offering with just about everything under the sun that you could dream up and wish for in a wellness getaway. It’s an enormous facility that incorporates elegant locker room lounges and a full spectrum of sauna and steam experiences. There are also abundant, tranquil outdoor spaces in well-manicured gardens and myriad quiet, little sitting nooks. Select from a wide array of body treatments, facials, and salon and beauty services, along with authentic and holistic rituals building on traditional wellness wisdom honed over the centuries. Why not go ahead and make an all-day reservation for one of the impressive treatment villas, including private outdoor Jacuzzi tubs within a walled-in courtyard, or continue the R&R with a poolside cabana rental.
Euphoria Retreat, Mystras, Greece
Euphoria, a destination wellness resort in Greece’s Peloponnese coast, was on last year’s Very Best List. It deserves a repeat appearance because it lives up to its name. At the core of the program is a mix of Western, ancient Greek, and Chinese wellness approaches, such as in-depth biomarker readings and Five Element Theory, a cornerstone of Eastern medicine. These are complemented by beautiful accommodations that are layered with patterns and inspired by the iconography of the Byzantine era, as well as some rooms in a lovingly restored mansion that dates from the 1830s. The restaurant serves fully customized menus (based on those biomarker readings) that draw on the Mediterranean diet and emphasize balance over deprivation.
Amanyara, Turks & Caicos
Amanyara in Turks & Caicos is recognized as one of the worldwide leaders in the wellness space, thanks in part to an ongoing mission to continue innovating with immersive new programs. That includes a signature, multi-night detoxification experience designed by none other than Novak Djokovic, Aman’s global wellness ambassador. The initiative includes everything from massages and beach yoga to soothing water shiatsu and pilates, each selected by the all-time tennis great with a specific intention. Djokovic also personally hosted a mobility and recovery retreat at the property. This is in addition to a full range of inventive and unique treatments offered across its vast spa and fitness areas.
COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali, Indonesia
The sublimely peaceful and verdant 22-acre wellness resort COMO Shambhala Estate doubled down on its commitments when it reopened a transformed Ojas Wellness Centre (in 2025), celebrating its 20th anniversary. Wildly intentional, hyper-personalized wellness paths and packages have always been part of the all-encompassing ethos at this pioneering retreat, where there’s an entire comprehensive menu dedicated to vegetarian, anti-inflammatory eating (lactose-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free) offered alongside the already deliciously wholesome menus at Kudus House and Glow. But they’re even more appealing now, with the addition of a slew of advanced facilities including a private ice bath, hyperbaric oxygen chamber, and hydrotherapy colonic. The treatments range from Ayurveda and acupuncture to traditional Indonesian massage, forming an essential part of each day. They’re balanced with yoga, Pilates, and hikes through the mossy grounds — especially the path leading to the sacred water temple and the riverside pools known as Cedar Water Garden.
Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda, Gargnano, Italy
High above the peaceful water of Lake Garda, eye level with layered peaks disappearing into the blue sky, this legendary resort harnesses the healing power of water and sound. Here, bathrobes are an all-day thing, welcomed at breakfast on the rooftop and allowing patrons to always be ready for a Chinese medicine meets Western science treatment, swim, steam, sauna, or dip in one of the wonderfully adults-only hydrotherapy pools. In this lemon-scented region, there’s no need to forgo fabulous wines and food (see the out-of-this-world fine dining at Gramen) even while undergoing meaningful therapies and sessions that invoke real change, not to mention a deep dose of revitalization. For even more bliss, there are Sky Pool Villas that are an entire world in and of themselves.
Aman Nai Lert Bangkok, Thailand
It may not be obvious that an Aman hotel in the midst of bustling Bangkok could double as a wellness resort, but Aman Spa & Wellness ticks all the boxes, including a pervasive sense of calm and bliss that carry from the lovely seven-acre park below to the 82-foot infinity pool on the ninth floor, with a leafy heritage tree poking its canopy through an elliptical opening, and into each generous suite. The offerings include the Medical Wellness by Certitude Clinic on an entire floor and the Pilates studios, fitness center, spa, hydrotherapy, treatment rooms, and cryotherapy. Ethereal environs, quite literally, with hand-painted clouds on the walls and a swirl of delicate porcelain blooms, only enhance it all — anti-aging facials and a Claypot Compress massage using an oil inspired by the Buddhist principles of Brahmavihārā — and make it more enticing to spend entire days in the cocoon.
Feature image, courtesy of Kagi Maldives
