Still, we are yearning to escape as the world continues to rattle us with daily pandemic updates. Our clients are headed to Europe from September onward, private yachts and villas make the Journey feel significantly safer. I’m plotting Morocco, Madrid, and Paris in autumn. Benjamin will relish La Dolce Vita on an Italian Grand Tour – including two nights at the famed chef Massimo Bottura’s Casa Maria Luigia in the Emilian countryside. We connect in France for a Parisian Thanksgiving, how splendid is that?!
To satisfy the escape cravings, we are re-discovering boutique hotels in the wine country – there are lovely avenues for satisfying the urge to meander. Small towns near the vineyards offer downtown properties delivering a distinct advantage in summer heat. I favor weekday, rather than weekend escapes, my recent midweek stay at Hotel Healdsburg was a delightful reminder of why parking the car and walking everywhere is such a delight. We did mosey out of town a bit for a private wine tasting and scrumptious lunch, a driver assured no tipsy travelers traversing the trails!
Not far north of San Francisco, Hotel Healdsburg is in the heart of the Sonoma wine country. The Hotel has a spa, a lovely sixty-foot pool and Jacuzzi, flanked by sun-shaded chaise lounges, set in a garden of olive and fig trees, boxwood, hydrangea, and roses. A pool bar offers chilled drinks and dining service during the summer months. Shark Laps (swim as if sharks are trailing your toes), and avenue rambling will burn off the multiple meal calories! Check in, wander the idyllic town plaza for retail therapy, there are several delightful bookstores, with comfy chairs for flipping through the pages, such a treat! Try a new restaurant for lunch, mosey back for a snooze at the pool or in your comfy room. Hotel concierge can assist with outdoor activities: adventure through Sonoma County with a bike tour, hot air balloon ride, hike, horseback ride or with a canoe or kayak along the Russian River. Late afternoon, meander the boutiques or take a nearby hike, run through vineyards, and meet for cocktails at a cozy bar then discover another innovative foodie emporium – no driving required! Who said you can’t stay in town and luxuriate?! It’s small and intimate in the hamlet.
Hotel Healdsburg
Hotel Healdsburg
Hotel Healdsburg
Hotel Healdsburg
Hotel Healdsburg
Hotel Healdsburg
The Hotel is set on the edge of Healdsburg’s historic town plaza, enjoy some of the world’s finest vineyards, restaurants, and shops mere feet from front steps. Worth getting out of bed for: when we make your room reservations, happy to supply my list of favorite retail therapy boutiques! Also, we have an inside track with Blue Rock Vineyard and Winery for private lunch and tastings at the beautiful property. The Farmhouse Inn, 15 minutes away in Forestville is a favorite of Healdsburg foodies for its fresh seasonal ingredients. One of the most well-known restaurants ever, Single Thread Farms, is within walking distance. The numbers: 19 wine-tasting rooms, 26 restaurants, 60 shops and galleries all within walking distance! Including the only Hand Fan Museum in the country. Sip and skip responsibly!
Beautifully appointed guest rooms, clean stylistic interiors, surrounded by country gardens. All rooms feature to drown in, six-foot bathtubs, generous beds, French doors opening onto private balconies and oak floors covered with Tibetan rugs.
Dining is a highlight of the Hotel where guests can savor Sonoma County’s bounty of extraordinary wines and fresh seasonal ingredients at Super Chef Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen. Mosey downstairs to the complimentary breakfast bar for a yummy selection of fruits, pastries, house-made granola, and delicious black coffee.This is an occasion when I have enjoyed the pandemic mask protocols, caftan is always in my bag, mask up, don the big sunglasses and one won’t be recognized if you need coffee in bed, as I do before you present the party face! I must share that the hotel had the MOST gracious staff, when you travel with a gaggle of girls, you might imagine there are needs; one staff woman knew our desires before we asked, she was ready to stash or deliver every bag that appeared from a shopping foray, cases of wine – she was truly a gem!
We gathered on my vine covered balcony for a nightcap, you can count on balmy warm evenings in Healdsburg. Ring me for Hotel Healdsburg reservations, of course, they adore our clients!
Hotel Healdsburg is a member of Design Hotels. Succumb to the notion of pressing pause, park the car, stroll the charming little hamlets…it’s wonderful downtown!
To keep the body in good health is a duty otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. Buddha
Larry Ellison Ups the Spa Game in Lanai! Four Seasons and Sensei Retreats have formed a new partnership, a wellness company founded by Ellison and renowned oncologist and author David Angus. The Sensei philosophy is one that believes you meet your body where it’s at – that wellness is a journey and what you need now may be different than what you need in two years. For example, the Guides try to focus on developing routines and actions that are doable beyond your stay – this is not a ‘bootcamp’ – and the ability of the guides to connect with the practitioners and utilize the technology as they learn more about each guest really allows for a very tailored approach – maybe that manifests in a change in programming or simply a different way of looking at an aspect of one’s health – how the elements of rest, nourish and move are connected in ways one might not even consider!
Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort
Welcome to an ultra-all-inclusive wellness enclave on the secluded Hawaiian island of Lanai. Unmatched hospitality, reputable experts, natural beauty, luxury and choice combine to offer a completely customized experience. When Larry Ellison purchased the Island of Lanai in 2012 he had dreams of transforming the island and its old properties into a tropical haven, he has recently achieved both dreams. The authentic and charming Four Seasons Resort Lanai has wowed many of our clients and as of last fall, the new adults only wellness retreat opened. Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort is set in the interior of Lanai, surrounded by towering banyan and pine trees. I’m certain a heaping dose of tailored wellness would be welcome to all of us!
Always included is round-trip airfare from Honolulu on Lanai Air as well as private wellness consultations, spa treatments, unlimited fitness classes, yoga and meditation, dining by Nobu, and enriching island activities in pursuit of movement, nourishment and rest – all in a beautiful and luxurious Four Seasons setting.
Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort –
A new partnership with Sensei Retreats introduces a new concept in fully customizable, science-based programming for mind and body, including meals by Sensei by Nobu. Experience an ultra-all-inclusive wellness enclave on the secluded Hawaiian island of Lanai. Unmatched hospitality, reputable experts, luxury and choice combine to offer a completely customized experience and help you discover your greatest well-being.
An evidence-led approach to wellbeing focusses on three practices – movement, nourishment, and rest – which are connected and enriched by one another, helping guests get familiar and maintain a conversation with body and mind. These three practices are the basis for programming and integrating elements from all categories lead to a balance that is at the heart of the Sensei philosophy, as well as helping guests discover new patterns and experiences they can implement in their everyday lives on a consistent and ongoing basis.
Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort
From private spa hale to world-class cuisine, guest will enjoy a luxury of limitless choices including body treatments; personal training; group classes and lectures in yoga, meditation, fitness, nutrition, mindfulness, Hawaiian culture, art and enrichment, meditation and cultural immersion; and enriching activities on land and sea; all while experiencing the beauty of the secluded island of Lanai.
Customized programming by a Sensei Guide, each customized itinerary is prepared in advance in consultation with a dedicated Sensei Guide. Throughout, the experience is optimized utilizing technology – such as thermal body mapping and sleep analysis – along with coordinated input from the Sensei Guide and a team of on-site wellness practitioners to uncover opportunities for growth and enjoyment and adapt the program to individual guest needs.
At departure, guests leave with a review of learnings and suggestions to continue on a path of wellness once at home, including the option to check in with one’s Sensei Guide. This is a life enhancing program, not a one time visit spa and move on back into the rat race lifestyle!
Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort –
Don’t Miss Experiences: Two essential experiences at the Koele retreat are private guided sessions and Sensei featured experiences at the Spa. Guests have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Sensei Guides, many of whom have Masters degrees in their fields of practice, for guided sessions in topics such as nutrition, fitness, mindfulness, stress management and yoga. Every session is fully personalized according to each guest’s intentions with offerings from a private cooking lesson to a personal Vinyasa class focused on building core strength or refining a challenging pose. The sessions complement the 10 to 16 daily scheduled classes and lectures led by trained wellness staff and visiting experts. Three Sensei Featured Experiences showcase the key components of the philosophy, offered in the 1,000 square foot private hale. Private spa hale are designed as individual sanctuaries, with treatment areas, indoor/outdoor showers, infrared saunas, Japanese ofuro bathtubs, private plunge pools and lounge areas; two hale also include watsu pools.
“Move” is a
two-hour treatment focused on the importance of mobility and movement, and
features a segment on land or in a private pool where water shiatsu includes
floating, rocking, cradling and stretching with the help of a trained
therapist. “Rest” takes the
art of unwinding to a new level, beginning with a soothing, skin-nourishing
bath and continuing through breath work, face and scalp stimulation, and
finally, a transformative full body massage.
“Nourish” takes advantage of the Koele Retreat’s tropical
location outdoors among bamboo and banyan, with massage oils and body wrap
using local oils and extracts.
Dining at Sensei by Nobu Chef Nobu Matsuhisa has long been at the forefront of innovative cuisine grounded in Japanese sensibilities and clean ingredients. Guests of Sensei Lanai, will enjoy a wellness menu created by Chef Nobu and his team in close collaboration with Sensei’s nutritionists. On the Sensei by Nobu menu are such Nobu favorites as the world-renowned black cod with miso, as well as a new selection inspired by the bounty of the steps-away Sensei Farm Lanai, and the neighboring islands and waters of Hawaii.
Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort
A look at a program: for example, one’s day might begin with a simple yet carefully prepared breakfast bowl featuring seasonal fruits and berries, or a traditional Japanese breakfast of baked fish, omelette, miso soup and condiments. The lunch menu might include a fresh gazpacho with hydroponically farmed tomatoes, avocado and grilled shrimp from Kauai, while dinner choices range from fresh seafood and locally-raised meats to vegetarian options prepared in Chef Nobu’s signature style. Additional options also include the Koele Garden Bar, and private hale, poolside or 24/7 in-room dining is also available.
An island’s worth of recreational opportunities With 90,000 acres of nearly untouched wilderness ranging from pristine beaches to mountains, red lava cliffs and lush rainforests, Lanai is a playground for lovers of all things outdoors. Fresh air in pristine surroundings, sign me up, please!
At the Hotel’s sister property, the beachfront Four Seasons Resort Lanai, guests can avail of a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course as well as diving, snorkeling, fishing, sailing and other ocean-based water sports.
Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort
Beyond the two properties, Lanai City is a charming village within walking distance from Koele, highlighted by boutiques and galleries showcasing the creativity of island residents. Also near the Hotel, Lanai Ranch at Koele offers horseback riding, there’s the Lanai Archery and Shooting Range, and the Adventure Park has ziplines and rope challenge courses.
Sensei Guides can also arrange excursions further afield on
foot or in a 4×4 off road vehicle, with tips on where to find the prettiest
views, the secret beaches and the best spots for a picnic.
All the Details: retreat packages at the adults-only Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort include accommodations in 96 light-filled rooms and suites opening onto private balconies or lanai, newly decorated by Todd-Avery Lenahan of TAL-Studio, who also conceived the overall design of the Hotel.
Also included are flights from and to Honolulu aboard Lanai Air, and ground transportation to the Hotel as well as shuttles to Four Seasons Resort Lanai and Lanai City. The minimum stay is three nights while seven-night vacations are highly recommended to maximize the experience.
Truly an antidote to this current Covid-19 quarantine. Please be well and safe, we are here to help you design and curate the perfect Wellness Program when you emerge from your cocoon!
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