Aerial view of The Ranch Hudson Valley, a historic site outside Manhattan with interiors by Steven Gambrel.
Photo: Courtesy of The Ranch
7 of the Most Stunning Wellness Retreats Around the World
From New York to California, Mexico to Greece, these opulent getaways lure health-focused travelers with resplendent setting and high-design suites
The quintessential wellness escape has radically evolved for the modern age. Gone are the days of spartan, ashram-inspired austerity; today’s destination sanctuaries seduce with unrestrained hedonism and futuristic scientism. From biohacking boutiques pampering the elite with data-driven vitality optimizations to desert botanical immersions shifting karmic prisms, this new vanguard of resorts cocoons the spirit in sumptuous spheres of hyper-personalized indulgence.
Visionary architects have manifested avant-garde spaces, sculpting organic warmth into clinical chic, while other bastions of betterment feature interiors dripping in warm, minimalist opulence, instantly transporting health-minded travelers from the stresses of modernity. For those jetsetters craving transformation, the 21st century path to wellness nirvana has arrived.
The Ranch Hudson Valley with its Steven Gambrel-designed interiors. Photo: Courtesy of The Ranch
Vigorous workouts are hosted in the stunning spaces that maintain their period-perfect details. Photo: Courtesy of The Ranch
1. The Ranch Hudson Valley | Sloatsburg, New York
The Ranch’s fabled Malibu wellness resort has manifested an East Coast outpost that marries old-world austerity and cashmere comfort. Located an hour from Manhattan inside a newly renovated 40,000-square-foot stone mansion built by J.P. Morgan for his daughter in 1902, the site retains its stunning patina amid designer Steven Gambrel’s nature-inspired refresh. The airy interior is swathed with neutral tones of white, gray, and beige. Carved ceilings soar over beds outfitted in Vivre Luxe linens (paired with Frette slippers, of course) while earth-toned pottery anchors the organic palette. But don’t be fooled by the serene setting. Like its Malibu flagship, Hudson Valley prescribes rigorous hikes, plant-based sustenance, and obsessive hydration—Hollywood’s punishing panacea. New York’s divergence, however? Brevity, with a three-to-four-night option ideal for the NYC crowd, as well as bonding exercises like gratitude-listing dinners that foster communal healing.
SHA Wellness Clinic, Mexico. Photo: Courtesy of SHA Wellness Clinic
2. SHA Wellness Clinic | Cancún, Mexico
Born from father and son Alfredo and Alejandro Parietti’s personal health journeys, SHA Mexico—the sophomore outpost after the Alicante, Spain original—fuses the power of ancient botanicals with futuristic preventative diagnostics. The striking compound, designed by Alejandro Escudero, artfully juxtaposes the clinical with organic chic. The architecture is distinctly modern while Sordo Madaleno’s interiors instill cozy sophistication with a warm, minimalist palette (think soft gray furnishings and pale wood trim). An infinity edge pool lapping the Caribbean provides the requisite resort indulgence. But behind the serenity lurks a sci-fi medical playground—a macrobiotic metamorphosis implementing cutting-edge neurohacking protocols. While the award-winning Spanish original was a pioneering well-being vanguard, this new Mayan Riviera resort extends the family’s future-forward vision to a tropical retreat perfectly situated for international elites craving holistic transformations.
Hammam at Euphoria Retreat in Mystras, Greece. Photo: Courtesy of Euphoria Retreat
3. Euphoria Retreat | Mystras, Greece
Euphoria Retreat, a holistic wellness destination spa nestled in the shadow of Mystras, a Byzantine landmark, is a testament to the power of architecture to enhance wellbeing. DecaArchitecture and Natalia Efraimoglou & Partners have carved this 32,300-square-foot sanctuary into the mountainside, creating a sensory journey through spaces of varying temperatures and humidity. From the terrazzo-like ambulatory to the Byzantine hammam, every detail is designed to engage the body and soul. The façades, clad in pale-red exposed concrete, blend seamlessly into the cypress forest, a nod to the architects’ clapboard formwork technique. Euphoria Retreat’s commitment to holistic wellbeing extends beyond its popular fitness-centric Spartan Spirit of Adventure program or the five-day Odysseus Journey with retreats like the Holistic Leadership program debuting this summer.
Mii Amo spa in Sedona, Arizona. Photo: Courtesy of Mii Amo
Mii Amo spa in Sedona, Arizona. Photo: Courtesy of Mii Amo
4. Mii Amo | Sedona, Arizona
Emerging from a $40 million renovation, Mii Amo flaunts gravitas befitting Sedona’s vortex-strewn splendor. The refresh nearly doubled the haute hideaway, which now comprises 23 casitas, a signature restaurant, and a endorphin-pumping fitness studio. Before guests arrive, they’re paired with a “journey guide” to curate an all-inclusive menu of folk remedies tailored to individual spirituality cravings with options as varied as eternal life discourses or ear candling for one’s third eye. Three daily gatherings at the culinary hub fuel the metaphysical quest, punctuated by juices and smoothies (the peyote variety requires an awkward supplement). Of course, spa rituals reign supreme, from the typical structure compression to more fringy offerings like hypnosis. Reverential whispers suggest Mii Amo indeed shifts kaleidoscopic karmic prisms. An eccentric haven coaxing the curious and luring luxury loyalists—the desert’s hidden gem commands energy and immense feels.
Outdoor pool at Miraval Berkshires. Photo: Courtesy of Miraval Berkshires
Yoga barn at Miraval Berkshires. Photo: Courtesy of Miraval Berkshires
5. Miraval Berkshires | Lennox, Massachusetts
An all-seasons idyll—particularly during autumnal foliage—Miraval Berkshires cocoons guests with its New England plaid refinement and phone zone concessions. Roaring fireplaces conjure cozy cottage vibes as butter-warmed robes swathe the soul in velveteen bliss. This elemental escape boasts an indoor-outdoor pool, a warm, womblike sanctuary to bob mindfully while inhaling crisp mountain air. “Luxury without lavishness” reigns, from equine art therapy to foraging for magical mushrooms. Try the decadent Obsidian & Sage Ritual—a mud-masking, dry-floating, obsidian-swiping ceremony yielding satin rebirth—and the blissful 80-minute scalp massage. Sustainability stars too, with locally sourced botanicals and on-site Bokashi composting transforming scraps to nutritive soil tea.
Meditation hall at Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill, New York. Photo: fredrika stjarne
Garden herbs at Shou Sugi Ban House. Photo: Courtesy of Shou Sugi Ban House
6. Shou Sugi Ban House | Water Mill, New York
This haute haven in The Hamptons debuted in 2019 as the region’s first Japanese-inspired minimalist ryokan fusing ancient healing arts with cutting-edge culinary craft. The airy interiors channel a Zen beach house aura, while the hydrotherapy circuit, tea barn, and transformative programming inject New Age energy. Created by a Noma alum and steeped in locavore philosophy, the plant-based cuisine centers on seasonal Hamptons harvests. But 2024 ushers in an inspirational alliance with author-auctioneer Lydia Fenet, whose “Claim Your Confidence” debut retreat melds empowerment talks with interactive workshops like networking auctioneering games and personal branding intensives. The getaway fuses Fenet’s motivational mastery with Shou Sugi Ban’s holistic offerings—spa journeys, communal bathing, and movement flow into self-actualization sessions.
Yoga Pavillion at Porcupine Creek in Rancho Mirage, California. Photo: Noah Webb
7. Porcupine Creek | Rancho Mirage, Caliornia
A rarified biohacking enclave for the Silicon Valley elite, tech pioneer Larry Ellison’s desert estate offers data-driven self-optimization through Sensei’s quantified “move, nourish, rest” paradigm. Guests are transported to a secluded paradise where each somatic whim is seamlessly anticipated, from AI-derived nutrigenomic menus to hyper-personalized movement prescriptions. The sprawling Porcupine Creek compound retains its stately residential grandeur amid manicured fairways and olive groves, with palatial villas overlooking the championship golf course, offering utmost privacy for those craving respite between metabolic recalibrations and circadian reprogramming. Here, pampering abounds—visitors can indulge in nourishing Nobu cuisine, individualized spa villas, and a cortège of experts attending to every biometric need. The 2024 debut of Sensei’s 5-day Rest & Recovery intensive represents the apogee of this hyper-personalized approach, where continuous biometric monitoring via WHOOP wearables enables expert guides to precisely optimize sleep, stress, heart variability, and cellular renewal.
Cover: Aerial view of The Ranch Hudson Valley, a historic site outside Manhattan with interiors by Steven Gambrel.
Photo: Courtesy of The Ranch
