By Abigail Cattell
If you’re in need of some serious pampering and want to rediscover your equilibrium, head to the Caribbean for some perfect, spa-centric hotels. Here are some of our favourite relaxing hotels which offer not just spas, but treatments for your inner well-being too.
Best for…FREE Pampering
The all-inclusive package at Grenada ’s La Source resort includes one pampering spa treatment each day, so it’s perfect for soul searching without any financial stresses. La Source is all about escaping the hustle and bustle of every day life and rediscovering the vital connection between mind and body. Here you’ll be able to put together the pieces of your frazzled psyche and tune in to a more relaxed pace of life. As they say: ‘Amazing things happen when you introduce your body to your mind…’! Learn the principles of yoga, t’ai chi or meditation in just a week or two and you can use them to keep calm after your holiday is over. The other nice belief at La Source is that pleasure is a great way to achieve body-mind harmony. So to that aim there’s an award-winning chef who presides over the four restaurants giving your tastebuds a sensory treat as well!
Top treatment: Try the Arawak intensive head massage, which includes the upper back, shoulders and neck. It’ll leave you relaxed and revitalised.
Best for…Solo Pampering
‘Give us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind’ says St Lucia’s The BodyHoliday at LeSport. While this spectacular beachfront resort has an award-winning spa, it’s not just pampering and relaxation on offer. There are myriad treatments that seek to rebalance your yin and yang as well. To them, it’s all about total mind and body rejuvenation. And if you’re travelling on your own, you’ll be delighted to know that LeSport is well known among its loyal single visitors for not charging a single supplement. Another bonus is the fact that you get one treatment every day, thrown into the all-inclusive price, which means you won’t feel stressed about the cost of treatments either.
Top treatment: The daily t’ai chi, yoga or meditation sessions are ideal for relaxing the mind; the full body massage can’t be beaten to release muscular tension and toxin build up.
Best for…Romantic Pampering
Acquaint yourselves with Jamaica’s unspoilt south coast on a romantic sojourn to Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa. The resort sits within a 500-acre nature reserve overlooking a magnificent two-mile stretch of white sand beach, both of which give your surroundings a peaceful air and help you re-connect with nature. But it’s the treatments on offer at the Red Lane® Spa which will soothe your soul. There’s a selection of wraps that use locally sourced products like Ortanique oranges, sugar cane, coffee and seaweed to leave you feeling calm and pampered. You can also enjoy a special massage session ‘a deux’ where you learn how to massage each other
Top treatment: The Wrap Sody is a 50-minute wrap treatment using volcanic ash, seaweed from the island, mixed with essential oils to eliminate body toxins which can stress you out.
Best for…Sumptuous Pampering
Luxurious Spice Island Beach Resort perches alongside Grenada’s best beach, Grand Anse, and is perfect for intimate pampering in stylish surrounds. All the 64 rooms are suites; spacious, airy rooms interspersed with lush, tropical foliage. Each has a furnished terrace on which to lounge, and whirlpool baths in which to wallow. Janissa’s Spa, tucked away behind tropical gardens, is designed by one of America’s top architects and there’s a calming reflection pool and relaxation lounge to welcome you in. All the products use local herbs and spices to great effect in their treatments. Oliver’s Restaurant serves gourmet international and local cuisine to ensure all your senses are treated.
Top treatment: During an hour-long Reiki massage you’ll discover how this ancient art of healing works to promote a feeling of total calm with minimal massage pressure. Prepare to discover your inner serenity!
In need of some serious pampering? Check out our latest Caribbean spa deals now!
Abigail Cattell is a freelance travel journalist who has written for Wanderlust, The Guardian, ASOS Magazine and TTG Luxury.