Three full-service resorts that the ladies will love
When it’s time for you and your best friends to treat yourselves to a girl’s trip, there are some special requirements. You’ll need a beach, a spa, some memorable culinary experiences and some choice recreational and retail activities to fill the days. These three resorts deliver all of that and a lot more. So, ladies pack your bags and get ready to make some shared memories.
St. Regis Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico
Natural spaces and personal attention are the themes at this five- diamond resort. The 500-acre grounds take in forests, marshes, lakes, a coconut plantation, mangrove lagoons and two miles of beach. You’ll feel like you are on a private island as you follow tree-canopied roads that wind through the property, and wander footpaths flanked by heliconias, ferns and philodendron. You and the girls can enjoy yoga, kayaking, nature walks, bicycling, paddle boarding and maybe even a round of golf at the Robert Trent Jones Jr. course.
Rooms at the St. Regis Bahia Beach are surrounded by freshwater ponds, coastal lagoons, and towering palm trees that were once part of a coconut plantation. Photo: Debbie Snow
When it’s time to unwind and relax, the on-site Remède Spa will transport you to another world. Set apart from the rest of the resort, it’s a serene retreat where patrons are immersed in a setting of gardens and reflection pools. Once you enter this den of pampering and tranquilly, you’ll want to spend a full day and order lunch off the spa menu. A floating pathway delivers guests to individually massage villas, which feature picture windows that welcome views of the garden. Signature treatments focus on indigenous influences and organic local products like coconut and sugarcane.
At the St. Regis Bahia Beach, the secluded water garden at the Remède Spa provides patrons with a quiet and private place for relaxation and meditation. Photo: Debbie Snow
Body Holiday, St. Lucia
A visit to this enclave of holistic wellness will leave you and your BFF relaxed, rejuvenated and, just maybe, down a couple of pounds. The resort’s all-inclusive plan goes beyond food, drink and entertainment to include a wealth of activities aimed at enhancing health and well-being. Body Holiday’s pitch is: “ Give us your body for a week, we’ll give you back your mind.” Healthy cuisine is a big part of it, and though meals are included, you won’t find hedonistic, belt-stretching buffets. Instead, you will be provided with fresh and savory dishes individually tailored to your body type and wellness goals.
On the grounds of Body Holiday, walking paths lead guests through the Zen water garden to reach the meditation temple. An adjacent pavilion is the site of daily Tai Chi practice. Photo: Debbie Snow
Also included with each stay are daily spa treatments that range from massage to aromatherapy, reflexology or hydrotherapy. Guests are encouraged to sample a range of complimentary land and water sports. The challenge is to see how many activities you pack in to a week. If you like tennis, you can play everyday. If archery is your newfound sport, classes are offered. Daily schedules include more than a dozen classes and sports activities to sign up from golf, fencing, snorkeling, water skiing, windsurfing and sailing. Tai Chi, yoga and Pilates are offered to round out the day. It’s sort of like summer health camp, but for adults.
The spa complex at St. Lucia’s Body Holiday resort includes 33 treatment rooms, providing therapies that include massage, reflexology, aromatherapy and energy work. Photo: Debbie Snow
Fairmont Southampton, Bermuda
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to have it all, and that’s exactly what the two of you will get at this grand dame of Bermuda resorts. No other property on the island offers a similar combination of amenities, beach access and sprawling landscaped grounds. There’s an on-site championship golf course, 10 dining venues to choose from and a private pink beach that’s just a quick shuttle ride from the room. Once there you can spend time snorkeling, swimming, paddling or just settling into a chaise lounge at the beach club, where attendants stand ready to fulfill any request.
The pool deck at the Fairmont Southampton surrounded by lush landscaping and furnished with plenty of umbrella shaded chaise lounges. Photo: Debbie Snow
No girlfriend getaway would be memorable without some spa time. The Fairmont Willow Stream Spa offers enough to fill a day with both pampering and fitness activities to help justify that desert indulgence at dinner. Start the day with a yoga class, followed by a work out in the state-of-the-art fitness center. Move on to the sauna or steam room, then take a few laps in the 18-meter indoor pool, which is keep at a comfy 82 degrees. Now, it’s time for energy restoration. The Willow Stream specializes in treatments that focus on finding and recharging your natural energy while pulling in local traditions. Afterward, you can wind down with an aloe wrap to nourish your skin from the previous day of sun. Tomorrow, you can hop the ferry over to Hamilton for shopping and afternoon tea at the sister property, Hamilton Princess.
Comfy robes, a refreshing cup of herbal tea and a relaxing private space help friends enjoy a relaxing post spa moment at Bermuda’s Fairmont Southampton resort. Photo: Debbie Snow
