Best Wellness Resorts

Founded in 1940, Rancho La Puerta is an icon in the wellness destination world. “The Ranch,” as it is affectionately called by regulars, is located on tree-shaded grounds just past the Mexican border in Tecate, Baja California. Guests at this all-inclusive resort stay in earth-toned studios, haciendas, and villas with separate bedrooms and sitting areas. 

While a stay at the Ranch isn’t cheap, the resort’s menu of activities alone will make it worth your while. Guests can access nearly a dozen gyms on the property, plus outdoor recreation like swimming pools and tennis and pickleball courts. There are also workshops for meditation, nutrition, arts and crafts, and more.

Spa treatments are just as extensive, from massages and facials to energy healings like reiki, acupuncture, and reflexology. The resort’s dining hall provides tasty, plant-forward meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and Bazar del Sol serves coffee beverages and wine from the nearby Guadalupe Valley. There’s even a juice bar located poolside. 

Enveloped by the Talamanca Mountains, Hacienda AltaGracia in Costa Rica is an ethereal wellness sanctuary born out of a partnership between the Auberge resort and THE WELL, an upmarket holistic wellness center founded in New York City. From this space, guests can enjoy immersive East-meets-West experiences, including an herbal river bath in a heated, stone-lined pool filled with water from the Calientillo River. All treatments begin at the Casa de Agua, with a range of showers, an aromatherapy steam room, a sauna, and a tranquility pool. An herbal exfoliation and local clay treatment are also included.

The resort’s one- and two-bedroom casitas are strewn with cozy ceramic and paper touches. They’re all situated above the resort’s coffee farm, equine stables, and the rainforest beyond. Bookings for Hacienda AltaGracia are inclusive of meals, non-alcoholic beverages, daily adventure and wellness programming (like aerial yoga and rainforest bathing), and land transfers between the airport and resort.

Originally developed as a diving destination, the present-day town of Akumal is located between Cancun and Tulum in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The all-inclusive Akumal Bay Beach & Wellness Resort is considered one of the oldest resorts in the area, but it underwent a complete renovation in 2014. The property now includes multiple cabana-lined swimming pools, buffet dining, and several restaurants, including an Italian spot and a steakhouse. And onsite bars ensure guests are never too far from a beer or cocktail. 

Each of the 300-plus suites offers at least a partial ocean view, while a full-service spa and daily yoga, pilates, and cycling classes help guests energize and unwind. Penthouse rooms offer unobstructed ocean views, though they can be a challenge for travelers with mobility challenges. 

The upscale resort also draws guests hoping to catch a glimpse of sea turtles while snorkeling. Akumal Bay Beach & Wellness Resort received certification in 2022 by Travelife for its sustainable business practices in environmental, social, and cultural categories.

If you’re looking for the ideal accommodation for families in Hawaii, look no further than The Lodge at Kukui’ula. The property boasts sophisticated vacation bungalows, cottages, and four-bedroom villas outfitted with lava rock outdoor showers. Vacation rental bookings include access to resort-style amenities, including a spa, fitness center, and meditation garden.

Soak up the Hawaiian sun at the beach-entry family pool area, or practice your swings at the golf course and tennis courts. You can also rent a bike to ride to the property’s 10-acre farm, where you can forage for tropical fruits, or embark on a hike to explore nearby waterfalls.

While The Lodge does have sit-down restaurant dining options, all accommodations come with full gourmet kitchens with enough covered lanai space to eat outdoors.

With only 20 rooms, Aro Ha’s retreat programs in New Zealand immerse guests in themed commitments to reprogram body and mind. From the lodge’s pristine and picturesque location in Glenorchy, just outside of adventure capital Queenstown, guests can begin their retreat with sunrise yoga and a plant-based meal, followed by immersive nature experiences and breathwork. 

Meals with produce grown from its own gardens and herbal tea are included in your stay. And there’s no need to set an alarm, as Aro Ha staff will wake guests to the resonant chime of a Tibetan bowl. 

Note: When booking, remember that Aro Ha’s location in the Southern hemisphere means seasons are the opposite of those in the United States—for example, the U.S. summer is New Zealand’s winter.

Nestled within Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, Civana Wellness Resort & Spa attracts locals and travelers alike. In addition to 176 guest rooms and suites with private patios or balconies, CIVANA offers two regionally-inspired restaurants and a salon. It’s also home to the Chopra Health Retreat. 

Guests can participate in more than 70 weekly mindfulness and movement classes, including wall yoga, breathwork, and TRX total body conditioning. For a fee, you can access specialty classes like aerial yoga, as well as guided off-property hikes. The onsite spa features a hydrotherapy circuit of alternating hot and cold temps and varying water pressure, from the hold/cold wading pool to an invigorating cold deluge shower—all of which claim to increase circulation and encourage relaxation. Treatments, from facials to massages, can be enhanced with sound bowl healing or a scalp and hair massage treatment.

Perched atop the last handful of floors in a skyscraper in a Tokyo business district, Aman Tokyo is an oasis of calm. Its sleek, serene vibe is par for the course with Aman properties, yet its Tokyo location makes it one of the few located in an urban center. Greet each morning with heated granite bathroom floors, and say goodnight to the Tokyo skyline from room beds that face the windows.

The resort’s wellness offerings span two floors and include a heated indoor pool with panoramic city views, a spa with traditional Japanese baths and steam rooms, plus multiple treatment rooms. There’s also a private Pilates studio and a fitness center with TechnoGym and LifeTime cardio and strength equipment. The spa treatments are rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, placing special importance on the healing power of herbs. For dining options, you can savor flavors of southern Italy at Arva, and nibble on sushi at Musahi. Outside, the nearby Otemachi forest is home to 13 bird species and over 30 butterfly species, and it’s great for quiet walks. The Imperial Palace gardens are also close by.

At Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments showcase the proximity of the sun and the Atlantic Ocean. Located in North Beach, the resort boasts a 70,000-square-foot spa and fitness facility, which is reportedly the largest wellness center in South Florida. Each apartment features floor-to-ceiling windows and a kitchenette that includes dishes, silverware, a dishwasher, and a Nespresso machine. Additionally, in-room washers and dryers allow guests to clean their workout attire after exercise sessions. 

At the wellness facility, guests can indulge in the hydrotherapy circuit, which includes an essential oil-scented steam room, a Finnish sauna, a storm room, and an herbal laconium (where herbs warmed by heated stone waft through a ceramic-tiled room). The facility’s suite of high-tech, “touchless” wellness therapies includes a technology-enabled meditation pod and a saltwater “float” bath. A team of wellness experts and practitioners can address a variety of concerns, from respiratory and circulation challenges to personal and relationship development.

The beachfront resort offers indoor and outdoor dining options, including contemporary Mediterranean fare, a poolside salad and sandwich spot, and a chic café serving coffee and pastries.