SUNSHINE STATE OF MIND

Embrace South Florida’s serenity at these five oceanfront properties, where wellness is an integral part of the greater resort experience.
by Paul Rubio
A luxurious spa room with a stunning, large marble hammam or Turkish bath in the center. The hammam is surrounded by marble benches and illuminated by warm, soft lighting.

Faena Hotel Miami Beach

Alan Faena’s larger-than-life Faena Hotel Miami Beach is a dazzling celebration of Miami’s bold personality and penchant for Art Deco, Latin influences, and ultra-luxury. In fabulous Faena fashion, the hotel forgoes a traditional spa for the far grander Tierra Santa Healing House, a 22,000-square-foot sanctuary bejeweled in South American indigenous beadwork and eye-catching art while grounded in extended body-healing rituals and treatments developed by shamans.

Unlike anything else, the 110-minute Tree of Life Vibrations treatment is an immersive, meta-experience that incorporates aromatherapy, sound therapy, hot stone massage, and custom hand massage while working steadily through the body’s symbolic “Tree of Life.” The spine forms the trunk, the lower back the roots, and the upper shoulders and neck the branches. As with all body treatments at the spa, a thoughtful selection of ingredient-driven, organic hand-blended oils, butters, resins, and poultices are used throughout the Tree of Life Vibrations journey.

Après spa, linger in the massive coed hammam—it’s one of the largest on the East Coast—and enjoy coed hydrotherapeutic amenities, including an herbal steam room, Scandinavian sauna, ice parlor, and tepidarium, featuring heated stone beds. Rounding out the experience is a station for retrieving fresh palo santo soap carved from a massive soap wheel. faena.com

A woman receiving a calming massage and Himalayan sound bowl meditation at the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale Spa.

Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Fort Lauderdale

Opened in 2022, Four Seasons brings a new level of oceanside excellence to Fort Lauderdale, the reigning yachting capital of the world and affectionately known as the “Venice of America.” Mastering a sense of place, the hotel honors the city’s nautical heritage, from its curvaceous skyscraper exterior (modeled after an ocean liner) to the polished, walnut wood–trim furnishings and pale linen walls inside.

The property’s oceanic inspiration extends to The Spa, where treatments reflect the movement of water. The 90-minute Signature Ebb & Flow Massage combines the tones of Himalayan sound bowl meditation, the fluid, long strokes of Swedish massage, and stretches of Thai massage to collectively evoke the rhythms of the tides. Choose a scrub and wrap from the Waves menu and the treatment will be performed on a cutting-edge, heated Spa Dream aqua bed by LEMI, enhanced with chromotherapy. After, reawaken in the multisensory Vichy shower and then linger in the aromatherapy essence steam room or Himalayan salt–wall sauna, before returning to a poolside, ocean-facing lounger. fourseasons.com

A serene and spacious room with cream-colored walls featuring wooden furnishings,. In the center is a massage bed with off-white linens. The image exudes calmness and relaxation, inviting viewers to imagine a luxurious spa experience.

1 Hotel South Beach

This carbon-neutral, nature-inspired hotel weaves an organic, eco-conscious slant throughout, from the living lobby walls (artistically strewn with moss) to the recycled pine headboards in the guest rooms to 1 Beach Club, a swoon-worthy, feet-in-the-sand lounge channeling Tulum vibes. Incorporating this theme into the spa, the property tapped organic skincare line pioneer and expert Carole Bamford to open the first US outpost of her wildly popular, British-born Bamford Wellness Spa.

Anticipate a comprehensive calm upon entry, synthesizing a heavenly, white-on-wood aesthetic, the scent of cedar, and the dueling soundtracks of trickling fountains and delicate spa music. Choose from a range of detoxifying facials and full-body massages, the highlight of which is the 95-minute Bamford Signature Treatment, combining Shiatsu, Meridian, and Swedish massage elements, scalp to toe. Continue nurturing your body through fitness with the on-site SoulCycle studio, state-of-the-art Anatomy Gym, and extensive daily programming (including metabolic meltdown, Pilates framework, and restore yoga classes, all available complimentary to guests). Round out the experience with beach-conscious eats, picking up fresh produce from the on-site fruit stand and enjoying plant-based cuisine at café Plnthouse. 1hotels.com

A person lying on a spa table with a white towel covering their body and a therapist is performing a facial treatment. The therapist is applying a white cream to the person's face. The background shows a luxurious spa room with neutral colors and dim lighting.

The Setai, Miami Beach

A respite from the raging pulse of South Beach, this effortlessly elegant resort surfaces as the ultimate oasis of calm, underscored by a soothing Asian-influenced design (meditation pond included); clean-lined, understated interiors; a trio of climate-controlled infinity pools; a full-service beach club (on a delightfully quiet swath); and Valmont for The Spa at The Setai, Miami Beach.

The spa specializes in fortifying a radiant, seaside afterglow through its signature facials employing the Valmont skincare line. The Hydration of the Bisses, for example, revitalizes and plumps the epidermis, combining a facial massage that targets the lymphatic system and the application of specific cosmetic and anti-aging products. Body treatments awaken and invigorate, too, none more so than the 90-minute Alpine Vitality, an extraordinary deep-tissue journey using trigger point therapy, stretching, and other healing techniques. Each of the spa’s seven treatment rooms are intentionally located on floor three of the wellness complex and face east, so as to deliver dramatic views of the resort’s feng shui pool area with ocean blues in the distance. thesetaihotel.com

A luxurious indoor hot tub shaped as an octagon in a spacious calming atmosphere.

The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort

On the heels of its 10th anniversary, the most coveted address within the exclusive town of Bal Harbour is again making waves thanks to the introduction of The St. Regis Spa, the world’s first branded St. Regis spa. Slated to replace select Remède Spas at St. Regis properties globally, the change brings an all-new menu of luxury treatments and services, featuring products from Sothys Paris and Omorovicza Budapest.

While traditional massages and facials are available, standout treatments are found within Caroline’s Collection, experiences inspired by—and fit for—socialite Mrs. Caroline Astor, wife to John Jacob Astor IV, who founded the original St. Regis Hotel in New York City in 1904. Try the 90-minute 24-karat Gold Wrap, which entails a full-body exfoliation using a golden sugar scrub, a gentle scalp massage, a cleansing mask, and a hydro massage, collectively resulting in a rejuvenated mind and more radiant skin. Alternatively, enjoy the Flawless Garden Rose, a floral-forward scrub and massage using flower oil. It’s worth allotting extra time to enjoy the other treasures housed within the 14,000-square-foot spa, namely the vast, marble-cloaked hydrotherapy circuit inclusive of aromatic steam rooms, Finnish saunas, and hot and cold rain showers. stregisbalharbour.com