ISLAND CALM
Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts
The former estate of Italian fashion photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri has been transformed as an intimate resort under Hilton’s upscale LXR brand. The property fronts Anse Aux Poules Bleues, one of the Seychelles’ most breathtaking unions of sea, sand, and sun. Taking full advantage of the far-reaching vistas are 41 sea-facing suites and villas, three swimming pools, five bars and restaurants, and ANPE spa, which translates to “at peace” in Creole.
In keeping with LXR’s locavore ethos, ANPE uses Belliche products (from a woman-led, local microenterprise) made with local ingredients like coconut, cassava, banana, papaya, and aloe vera. Bath kimonos were designed by national treasures Michael and Alyssa Adams, whose art gallery is a stone’s throw away from the property. A signature treatment is the Lavi Anpe, a full-body massage using banana oil and warmed granite Seychelles stones plus a scalp and facial massage. For the couple who spas together, try the moonlight ritual, a 120-minute journey that begins with a body scrub in the steam room followed by side-by-side massages on desert sand massage tables. hilton.com
Naladhu Private Island Maldives
This exclusive islet some 30 minutes by boat from the Maldivian capital in the South Malé Atoll accommodates guests in 20 island-chic Houses, each flaunting over 3,200 square feet of space with sliding floor-to-ceiling glass doors leading to an immersive, indoor/outdoor living experience. All bedrooms and bathrooms open directly to a private infinity pool while a stone passageway leads to an outdoor fountain shower, cloaked in indigenous shrubbery.
Though Naladhu has its own fitness center and treatment room with a private bathing and changing area, the property works in tandem with neighbor Anantara Veli Maldives Resort to facilitate more comprehensive wellness programs. Cross an overwater footbridge from Naladhu to Veli to find Balance Wellness by Anantara, a complex with five treatment suites, a Moroccan hammam, a medical spa, a fitness center, and an outdoor CrossFit-style gym. Services range from traditional to Ayurvedic, IV therapies to holistic treatments. Alternatively, commit to a multiday wellness retreat, during which specialists will create a bespoke program that could include a naturopath, nutritionist in residence, personal trainer, and yoga and lifestyle coach. naladhu.com
Patina Maldives, Fari Islands
From the team at Capella Hotel Group arrives the upscale lifestyle brand Patina, which debuted this inaugural property at the close of 2021. Designed by Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan, the hyper-contemporary resort—and its surfeit of standalone, slatted rectangular structures—is strewn over vast acreage on and above the Fari Islands archipelago in the North Malé Atoll.
The resort’s priority of wellness is an integral component of the Patina concept, best evidenced in its cuisine and spa offerings. At the daily buffet breakfast, discover a complete grocers’ selection of fresh fruits and juices and a dedicated Ayurvedic elixir counter for added nutritional boosts. At Roots, a slow food concept set in the property’s herb garden, enjoy a multicourse vegan dinner derived from products grown on the island. Standouts might include a watermelon “tuna” tataki from Patina’s prolific melon crop plus a savory pumpkin sous vide. At the FLOW spa, treatment rooms lined with stone flooring and dressed in earth tones set the scene for innovative therapies, such as the Wonderful Watsu. During this water massage, prepare to float in a private heated pool as a therapist performs stretching, massage, and pressure point muscle release while submerged alongside you. patinahotels.com
