Wellness Within | Hawaii’s Best Spa

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Kauai is the most northern island in the Hawaiian chain. Known as the garden island, it is draped in emerald mountains, tropical rainforests and cascading waterfalls. I traveled there with my son, Spencer, for a week of wellness in the perfect environment for restoration, renewal and relaxation.

When we landed, our desert-parched skin was immediately treated to the high humidity of the islands. It felt like the air itself was the first part of our wellness experience.

Our destination was 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay Resort on the island’s northern side, about an hour from Lihue airport. I knew this was the perfect trip for this mother-son duo as we are committed to healthy living, eating an organic diet, and delighting in the latest bio hacks. While he is 22, and I am well, his mother, we’re both focused daily on turning back the hands of time. We’re a little obsessed.

Upon arrival, the modern, biophilic design of the resort impressed us both. The entrance focuses on bringing the outdoors in with an open-air lobby and large windows that give way to the dramatic view of Hanalei Bay and its majestic, mountainous coastline, which was our view from every vantage point of the resort for the entire trip.

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Spoiler alert! We loved this trip! I could easily declare this my very favorite resort. I wouldn’t be alone, Condé Nast Traveler added 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay Resort to its Gold List this year (the only Hawaiian resort to be named to the list.) Spencer declared it totally “dialed in…” which is a high praise in wellness hacker lingo.

The resort is a mission-driven, sustainable resort founded on the idea that those who travel the world should also care about it. That philosophy was consistent throughout our week.

Our hotel room had a purified water bottle filler with refillable bottles. The spa uses products found on the island. The organic, locally sourced juices are sourced from a beloved local purveyor, Kauai Juice Company. A sign in our room invited us to donate our gently used clothing upon departure.

Some of the local wellness experiences include joining a team for beach clean-up and spending time at a pet rescue shelter.

This was more than just a pretty resort; the goal was to significantly impact us. And it did.

The rooms are beautiful, with an organic feel and local art on the walls. Let’s not forget the best part: the stunning view. An AD100 award-winning designer, Nicole Hollis was the bright mind behind these bohemian chic interiors.

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The design theme is organic textures, with puka lava rock in the showers and basalt flooring with natural jute rugs. Handwoven lighting, reclaimed wood ceilings, and woven willow wall features ground the space. Handmade furnishings from reclaimed teak elevate the Kauai vibe.

Moments into settling into our room, a wellness sage named Josh stopped by to bring us treats, as he called them. I was expecting strawberries, but instead, he revealed a cart with leg compression pants, an infrared mat, a percussion massager, healing crystals, a weighted blanket, a noise machine and a meditation cushion, all to be used as in-room amenities.

With a complete itinerary of fitness, spa and no-touch therapies, our week was nicely stacked up with our favorite things. The fitness center is enormous, and it has everything. I shared with a friend that it almost looked like someone with an unlimited budget outfitted the gym with everything they could invest in. From weights and machines to Peloton bikes and a BMI scale, there was more equipment to keep us working out once if not twice a day.

Multi-day journeys are created to accomplish specific wellness goals. The resort calls it Within Wellbeing, which embodies complete wellness journeys supported by expert practitioners, including board-certified physicians. Organic pioneer Carole Bamford founded Bamford Wellness Spa.

Our journey included a private yoga class taught by Kinsey, who applied gentle pressure to deepen our moves. We used canvas straps to deepen the stretches we practiced. The stretch felt so amazing we ordered the bands when we got home.

Mikkel Vang

We did a private meditation class on a waff– a donut-like inflatable designed to help with balance–. It gave the feeling of weightlessness. While on the waff, we focused on Wim Hof breathing, sound bath healing and silent meditation.

I was so calm that I eventually felt I didn’t need to breathe. We learned the benefits of nose breathing and breathing in cycles. Kevin, the instructor, is a true expert and inspired me to think differently about meditation.

I enjoyed the intuitive herbal ritual in the spa, which utilized noni leaves on my back to melt away tension. The products used came from Kauai Farmacy, which is made with comfrey and noni plants to encourage circulation and detoxification. The service started with a foot bath and ended with a light facial. Hopefully, every cell of my body soaked up the mineral-rich goodness of the treatment.

During that time, Spencer experienced the rainbow chakra mat, a no-touch service that detoxifies the body with heated crystals, far infrared, negative ions, photon lights and PEMF. He shared that he felt grounded and calm from the treatment.

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Other options include a sunlight infrared sauna, soma dome meditation pod, ocean float tank and the pièce de résistance: a four-person hyperbaric oxygen therapy pod, where you breathe in 100-percent pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. I’ve wanted to do this for so long but have been concerned about claustrophobia in smaller chambers. No problem here! Cryo and cold plunge therapies are coming soon; we missed them on this trip.

The spa has two pools, both offering majestic ocean views: a quieter day-bed environment surrounding a negative-edge pool and a bustling pool with a sandbox restaurant for casual bites and beach drinks. We had a private cabana on the beach with pillows, shade and a front-row seat to the ocean’s splendor.

All this working out and wellness can create an appetite. We dined daily at 1 Kitchen, founded on plant-forward, hyper-local and sustainably sourced cuisine from the island and its surrounding waters. The menu features the best ingredients from Kauai’s farmers, ranchers, fishers, and growers.

1 Kitchen’s evolving wine list is one of the island’s largest, featuring more than 165 labels highlighting organic and biodynamic vineyards, plus zero-waste cocktails made with local rum and spirits. Daily brunch sustained us until dinner, with a stop at the organic juice bar, Neighbors, each day for a snack. The juices come in glass containers, which matters very much to me.

One evening, we had sushi at Welina Terrace. The breathtaking views of Mount Makana at sunset and live music made for a total Insta moment. As expected, the sushi was exceptionally fresh and delicious. I can’t stop thinking about the truffle Hamachi roll while Spencer indulged in the Wagyu Tataki.

A trip is only complete with shopping. The resort shops were well-curated with beautiful products, swimwear and workout attire. We shopped before we departed. What can I say? 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is my new favorite resort. It fits my vibe. The staff became like friends, and we truly felt cared for.

We look forward to returning soon.