Belinda Lindsey’s spa treatments, featured on the third season of the HBO series The White Lotus, kicked up plenty of envy among viewers—dampened by the hail of gunfire foreshadowed during the opening episode.
No matter, wellness tourism is on the rise, with an annual growth of over 16%, according to the Global Wellness Institute. Hotels have capitalized on this trend, which is no longer a niche market for the affluent. A diverse group of travelers choose destinations with wellness as their main purpose or incorporate such experiences into trips.
The White Lotus spa scenes are predictably lux, serenely set around a lagoon dotted with blooming lotuses and edged with lush foliage. The location? Anantara Mai Khao Phuket, with the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui serving as the White Lotus hotel for other scenes.
The experience can be replicated in almost any country, with variations matched to regions. The Global Wellness Institute lists mountain yoga retreats in North America, rainforest spas in Costa Rica, Moroccan thermal hammams, Egyptian sand baths, safari spas and surf and yoga retreats in Australia.
You can easily duplicate Belinda’s blissful spa sessions via these White Lotus-worthy wellness retreats, all without a shocking season finale.
An Ultra-Lux Glamping Experience
The adults-only Naviva, a Four Seasons Resort in Punta Mita, Mexico, is an all-inclusive glamping destination—set in a jungle edging the Pacific Ocean. Fifteen luxury tents are tucked away within 48 acres of jungle. The word “tent” is a misnomer, as the lodgings easily rival a modest Upper West Side apartment in New York City.
“Wellbeing is deeply personal,” says Eduardo Sampere, the resort’s general manager. “Everything at Naviva is designed to help reconnect with yourself.” He adds that services are rooted in “the wisdom of nature and tradition.”
A stay includes a 90-minute wellness journey that covers the pampering basics. Add-ons include a gemstone facial to balance and energize skin. Included are amethyst, obsidian, pyrite, fire opal, amber, jade and quartz. The 60-minute treatment finishes with 30 minutes of chill time in a lush spa garden. From $308 per person.
A marine collagen facial boosts collagen via botanical peptides and pearl extracts sourced from the adjacent Pacific. Sixty minutes, with a post soak in a wooden tub. From $308 per person.
Turn up the heat with a Temazcal, or sweat lodge ceremony. A gratitude-themed ceremony is complimentary and includes a grounding meditation and flower ceremony. Devotion and “rebirth” ceremonies are priced at $673 each, with an ice bath topping off the journey to reset the nervous system.
Along with other treatments, Naviva offers spa pod retreats that last five hours and cost $1,566. The “Creativity Retreat” includes a copal cleansing ritual, massage, Naturaleza body scrub, gemstone facial, art therapy and lunch.
A Resort Built By A Billionaire Is Staffed With Top Talent
Tech billionaire Larry Ellison and Dr. David Agus co-founded Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort in 2018. Ellison’s considerable capital investment shows. Located in the secluded highlands of Lanai, the resort’s minimalist aesthetics easily blend with the surroundings. “The Sensei Way,” the resort’s wellness philosophy, focuses on three paths: “Move, Nourish and Rest.”
Wellness experiences are highly personalized, with guests paired with “Sensei Guides,” a bevy of highly trained and certified health practitioners. “Mindset Guide” Jim Cahill helps guests improve mind-body connections. A former Scripps Research Institute brain researcher, Cahill holds a graduate degree in mind-body medicine.
“I delight in balancing innovative and traditional mind-brain health technologies to address long-felt needs in mental health care,” states Cahill in his profile.
The resort’s exercise physiology guide Edwardo Williams tailors movement sessions to each guest. He’s especially interested in managing pain and limitations, enabling greater freedom of movement. Williams has trained top Olympic athletes. He also draws on his past as a professional football and track and field athlete.
Nutrition guide Danielle Hildreth and mindset guide Lydia Moran, complete the resort’s team.
“We’re not looking at the latest fads or craze, we’re focused on science and technology,” says Michelle Whipple, the resort’s retreat director. “We empower guests to learn how to truly read and understand their health data to better serve them in the future.”
The resort offers two Sensei experiences—one inspires greater lifestyle changes and the other is a curated sampler of services. The “Discover Sensei Experiences” has a two-night minimum stay and includes a $450 per night wellness credit for consultations, spa and salon services and island excursions. The “Guided Wellness Experience” has a three-night minimum stay and includes a $150 nightly spa credit. Rates for the packages begin at $1,340 per night for single occupancy and $1,727 for double.
A Hiking Retreat In The Cook Pine Forests
A five-night wellness hiking retreat is slated for June 2-7, 2025—traversing the surrounding misty Cook pine forests and coastal trails. The Cook pines are native to New Caledonia, planted for their superb ability to gather moisture from clouds, dripping it off needles to replenish the island’s groundwater supplies. Overall, the island is the most rustic in the chain, with an unspoiled authentic feel. The hiking retreat is inclusive of spa treatments, consultations and classes. Rates start at $9,440, single, and $13,870, double.
Spa experiences at the resort are extensive, with 20 bodywork offerings to start the list. Along with the basics, there’s a marine wrap, shiatsu massage, table and floor Thai massage and for expectant mothers: Hapai Aquatic Bodywork. The session is done while floating in a pool to leverage buoyancy. The result: a decompressed spine and relaxed muscles.
The resort’s sculpture garden rivals those found in museums. Featured is Columbian artist Fernando Botero whose “Boterismo” style depicts exaggerated and inflated figures. The resort is full of famed works, including Jeff Koons’ “Aphrodite” (2016–2021), a slender mirror-polished stainless steel statue found in the great hall.
Wellness Resorts In Norway, Croatia And Mexico
To round out the Four Seasons Mexico and Lanai pairing, check out these other top wellness resort destinations:
Up Norway curates a 15-day wellness journey through Gothenburg, Bergen and Copenhagen. Included are excursions to saunas, arctic dips and slow-travel transport. Of note: a two-night stay at Ästad vineyard in rural Sweden. The property has a Michelin-starred restaurant and an underwater sauna.
Hotel Bellevue Dubrovnik in Croatia is located cliffside with wall windows framing the seemingly endless Adriatic sea. The five-star boutique hotel is just around the bay from the city’s 6th-century old town. The spa is vast at 500 square meters (5,381 square feet). The spa sanctuary includes a Jacuzzi, steam bath, Finnish sauna, a hot and cold stone pebble treatment for feet, and theme showers. The best overall mind-body treatment, however, might be to sit back in a rattan chair and take in the otherworldly sea views.
Chileno Bay Resort & Residences is a recent addition to the world’s standout wellness destinations; it opened in 2023. The property edges the shores of Los Cabos, Mexico in a protected bay with coral reefs, tropical fish and sea turtles. A team of revolving experts and practitioners guide guests, among them: former Broadway dancer and celebrity trainer Amanda Kloots, who leads her signature “Ak!” body class. Among the wellness offerings are an aromatherapy steam room, cold plunge, Himalayan salt room, an ice bar and a full menu of signature treatments.