7 Must-Try Wellness Experiences in Miami For the Zen-Loving Crew – Thrillist
Miami may know how to blast the music loud and keep the champagne flowing, but it also knows how to detox and reset like nobody’s business. Ahead, we’ve rounded up some of the most noteworthy (and, of course, fabulous) experiences for wellness hounds in Miami. These luxurious retreats are perfect for those friend groups or partner pairs who are looking for a healthy dose of mind-body relaxation. Humble suggestion: Send this to all your your bachelorette-party-planning friends. Who said you have to come home to hangovers?
Over at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami in secluded Brickell Key guests can take the New Moon Meditation Class, a monthly meditation class guided by sound healing expert, Andrea Mihalik. There, guests of the hotel will tap into their inner serenity (it’s there, we promise) with a medley of soothing sounds and healing vibrations. While there, be sure to check out the property’s Yoga on the Weekends offerings and melt stress away at the luxurious spa. And no trip here is complete without spending some time in the spa’s steam room. Sweat now, thank us later.
South Beach in Miami may be all about nightlife and fun, but it turns out, you can find some relaxing energy, too. At The Setai, Miami Beach’s Spa at The Setai your group is in for an oceanfront treat. With seven oversize treatment rooms all having waterfront views, you can check into an epic pampering session making use of exclusive Valmont spa products. Choose from hot stone massages, deep tissue massages, facials, and more.
We’re big fans of The Luminosity of Ice Facial. The treatment employs facial reflexology and is said to smooth and soften your skin (reflexology is a type of massage where the therapist applies pressure to specific points on the feet, ears, and, hands that are said to correlate to various regions of the body). Another fun idea? Book manicures and pedicures with your whole posse. Divvy up the final tab with Zelle® to make reimbursing whoever reserved and paid for the treatments seamless.
Sometimes, the best way to shed a bad mood or simply boost your already positive vibes is to sweat it out. At Carillon Miami Wellness Resort in North Beach, you can break a sweat at the spa’s infrared sauna, on the two-story indoor rock wall, or take one of the 75+ group fitness classes per week. Every day you’re bound to find a new favorite activity at what bills itself as the largest spa on the eastern seaboard clocking in at 70,000 square-feet. The team here is composed of spa professionals and board-certified physicians to ensure you benefit from diverse treatment modalities like halotherapy (salt therapy), a salt float bath (lazing in a bath with Epsom salt), and cryotherapy (cold therapy). There’s also the Somadome, a high-tech meditation pod that uses color, sound, and energy therapy to get you to a blissed out state, the Prism Light Pod for red-light therapies, and V.E.M.I., which stands for Vibroacoustic Electro Magnetic And Infrared Therapy.
Located on Belle Isle, The Standard Spa, Miami Beach is here for all your holistic healing H2O aficionados. Here, the main pool area boasts an infinity pool, arctic plunge pool, Roman waterfall hot tub, and mud baths to ensure you get all that cold-hot-circuit goodness you crave. While a guest of the resort, we also recommend rallying your friends for an early wake-up call one day to try sunrise yoga, and to check out a cacao ceremony, too. The 4,500-square-foot spa is also home to a Turkish Hammam, cold room, a cedar-clad cocoon sauna, so good luck leaving Magic City without feeling like a whole new you. Bonus: At Café Standard the world is your açai bowl (and the smoothies with add-ins like ashwagandha, spirulina, and chia seeds are pretty darn good.)
In South Beach, these epic get-togethers take place once per month on the last Saturday of the month on the roof of Moxy South Beach (save for in December when these soirées will team up with an art gallery group during Art Basel). Expect a mix of health coaching activities, heart-pumping workouts, and to make a new friend or two. Sponsors run the gamut from Chlorophyll Water and Barebells USA to Thrive Societe and Miami FitWear, so expect cool swag, to boot.
Head on over to 8700 NW 36th Street and you’ll be met with a new, 38,000-square-foot fitness center owned by former Major League Baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez, his fifth such club to date. There’s truly something for every kind of group fitness enthusiast here — cycle, yoga, TRX(r), Piyo, and signature UFC GYM programming such as Circuit Breaker and Muscle Makeover. Or, take a whirl at MMA-inspired group fitness classes such as Boxing and Kickboxing Conditioning. Jet-lagged? Head on over to the designated recovery area with treatment modalities like cryotherapy, Normatec, HydroMassage, and red light therapy. And for those who just prefer to stick to their regular lifting routine when they travel, there’s a weight room with free weights and Olympic lift platforms, tons of cardio and functional equipment, and a functional training area with indoor turf.
At K’alma Spa at Hotel Victor South Beach, reinvigorate your spirit with a walk down a pathway surrounded by healing crystals for all the magical energy. At the end of the walkway, you’ll arrive at a Turkish-style hammam, sauna, meditation room, and library lounge. Or, you’ll head to one of the crystal-themed spa suites (the amethyst and Chrysocolla rooms are our personal favorites) for aromatherapy messages, a Pisco sour rub, a Kashamarka gold mask, and other divine menu choices, many of which are created by Peruvian healers.