Funjetters know that it’s possible to indulge on vacation while still maintaining—or improving your wellness routine. Here are five resorts we think deserve the gold medal for healthiest stay—providing everything from hypoallergenic pillows and heart-healthy food to innovative fitness programs and coaching. As for avoiding the ice cream machine at the buffet? That’s up to you.
Jewel Paradise Cove Resort & Spa on Jamaica’s north coast was designed with health and fitness theme. The menus at the resort’s seven restaurants are filled with heart healthy options, fresh fruit and fresh-caught seafood. There are daily yoga, aquacise and spinning classes, and a Fit Trail® with strategically placed workout stations spans the entire property to give your morning jog a little extra oomph. And “all-inclusive” at this adults-only resort includes a bunch of great activities that would cost you more at many other resorts. With complimentary greens fees at the championship Runaway Bay Golf Club and complimentary daily scuba diving, there’s no excuse not to be active.
Hard Rock Hotels & Resorts. How does a resort dedicated to the excesses of rock and roll get on a list of healthiest resorts? Their amazing Body Rock® Fitness Center, a space filled with state of the art equipment and a schedule filled with classes in everything from kickboxing to Zumba. Hard Rock’s all-inclusive resorts in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Punta Cana also host high-energy “fit trips” by My Destination Wellness, where you can train on the beach with athletes like MMA professional Anthony Pettis.
My Destination Wellness also hosts wellness retreats at the adults-only El Dorado Royale Spa Resorts, by Karisma, including El Dorado Royale in Riviera Maya, frequently named one the top luxury resorts in the world. Along with daily workouts in spectacular natural surroundings, you’ll get individualized coaching from My Destination Wellness founder and personal trainer David Pritchard. Combined with Karisma’s Gourmet Inclusive® experience, a stay here will not only do wonders for your health, but will strengthen your spirit as well. After your workout, enjoy fresh cuisine made with produce grown in their on-site greenhouse, and indulge a range of refreshing spa treatments at Naay Spa.
Westin Hotels & Resorts have one of the most comprehensive wellness programs we’ve ever seen. It includes familiar amenities like Heavenly® Spa and Heavenly® Bed but also newer additional like WestinWORKOUT®, RunWESTIN℠ and the SuperFoodsRx™ program. In 2014, Men’s Health magazine named WestinWORKOUT Fitness Studios the best hotel fitness program. Don’t have room to pack your workout gear? No problem. Take advantage of Westin’s New Balance® Gear Lending Program and have running shoes and clean workout clothes delivered to your room. Resorts like the Westin Maui Resort & Spa provides local running route maps, and others, like the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa even have their own Running Concierge. At all of Westin’s resorts, you can fuel your body with delicious SuperFoodsRx™ dishes packed with nutrients and energy (you can find some recipes here), along with an Eat Well Menu for Kids.
The restaurants at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts like The Fairmont Hamilton Princess in Bermuda offer a variety of fresh and nutritionally-balanced menu items. More importantly, their Lifestyle Cuisine Plus program caters to guests with specific diet-dependent conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and Celiac disease, as well as unique dietary preferences including, macrobiotic, raw and vegan diets. Similar to Westin, the Fairmont Fit program provides guests with Reebok workout gear during their stay. You can also request a yoga mat and stretching band—and even a fully-loaded MP3 player to get you moving. The Fairmont Hamilton Princess’ fitness center is open 24 hours a day, and overlooks the hotel’s beautiful gardens. And golfers, take note: Bermuda boasts the world’s highest concentration of golf courses per square mile, with seven courses draped over just 21 square miles.
How do you like to stay healthy while on vacation?
