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Welcome to the second iteration of Vogue’s global spa guide, an index of the 100 best spas in the world, built from the expertise of our global editors and trusted contributors. There is a lot to choose from in the world of wellness, and no matter how far you’re planning to travel—from a subway ride to a trans-Atlantic flight—we want to make sure it’s worth the journey. Whatever your path, let us be your guide.
Why go here?
In Hawaii, nearly everything was once done according to the lunar phases. “The moon has the power to move liquid, including the magma of volcanoes, the sap in the trees, and the water of the tides,” explains Kalei Uwekoolani, cultural programming director at the Grand Wailea Hotel in Maui. It was this celestial power—and the many island traditions that center around it—that inspired the hotel’s spa, Kilolani. Named after the ancient Hawaiian stargazers who studied the heavens in order to plant, navigate, and grow, nearly everything in the 50,000-square-foot wellness sanctuary is designed to help guests connect with nature’s rhythms—and their own. To that end, the entire treatment offering evolves every 10 days in accordance with the moon’s path across the sky and incorporates native botanicals and traditional indigenous healing practices for an experience that offers a true sense of place while also feeling completely personalized. In addition to the 40 state-of-the-art treatment rooms, the spa features an open-air relaxation lounge, two harmonic meditation rooms, a full-service salon, halotherapy-infused infrared saunas, sound healing with Hawaiian oli (chants), hydrotherapy gardens, and the only hammam on the islands. But the true star of the spa really is the moon—and all the ways in which it has historically influenced the Hawaiian way of life. “The lunar calendar offers so much,” Uwekoolani says. “At Kilolani, the old culture, art, and traditions come alive again.”
What’s the vibe?
The Grand Wailea has been around for over 30 years and is one of Maui’s most legendary large resorts. It’s the kind of place where there’s a little something for everyone: a lazy river and water slides for the kids; rows of glitzy shops; tropical gardens filled with palms; a swim-up grotto bar; multiple stylish restaurants to drink and dine. But the Kilolani Spa feels like a separate world entirely: Tucked within the intimate lower levels in a shaded corner of the resort, it’s softly modern, lushly serene, and delightfully chic. Upon entering the womb-like reception area clad in soft stone, you’re immediately enveloped in a pale mauve glow and led into a darkened alcove called “the portal.” There, you’re invited to set an intention in the traditional Hawaiian way, with water infused with salt gathered straight from the sea. In the cocoon-like changing area, an attendant waits with a beautifully patterned robe and instructions on how to use the co-ed hydrotherapy garden’s floatation pools, hot tubs, cold plunges, salt rooms, saunas, and massive hammam. You could easily spend hours rotating between them all, but then you’d miss out on what’s upstairs: an alfresco relaxation deck surrounded by waving palms and ocean views where you can wait for your lava rock massage, holistic facial, or honey-macadamia wrap.
The history?
The Grand Wailea is a Waldorf Astoria property and lives up to the iconic hotel group’s reputation for being best-in-class. But the 844-room resort—which is spread across 40 acres directly in front of Wailea Beach—has an intriguing history: Opened in 1991, it was the passion project of Japanese developer Takeshi Sekiguchi, who envisioned a luxury resort that would capture the magic of Maui’s water, light, sound, trees, flowers, and art. He wanted it to be romantic and feminine; he knew that “because women make the majority of travel decisions for the family, the resort should capture women’s hearts.” So, in addition to sprawling botanical gardens filled with edible fruit trees and a massive collection of flowers, he created saltwater lagoons and pools with waterfalls; he also adorned the hallways with a massive art collection and the central plaza with voluptuous sculptures by Botero. Around every corner, it seems there’s a whimsical touch imparted by Sekiguchi. One personal favorite? The giant slabs of rock imported straight from the base of Mount Fuji that were meticulously rearranged in their original position to surround a traditional Japanese koi pond.
What should you try?
Maybe it was the hours I spent in the sunny hydrotherapy gardens, meandering from cold plunge to flotation pool to eucalyptus-scented hammam. Or maybe it was the new-moon-inspired “release and let go” harmonic meditation I listened to while swaddled in a fuzzy blanket and laying in a softly vibrating chair. Whatever it was, my afternoon at the Kilolani spa induced a total state of bliss—so much so, that by the time my therapist called me for my scheduled Helu Pō ritual, I was pretty sure I couldn’t possibly become any more relaxed. I was wrong: My 120-minute treatment, which featured “native botanical remedies, intuitive body work, mindfulness, and holistic healing” aligned with the moon’s current ‘anuhulu’ or 10-day cycle can only be described as transcendent. Over the course of two hours, every inch of my body was scrubbed, massaged, stretched, and soothed with salt, plants, and fragrant oils. “This is amazing,” I whispered as my therapist performed a cranial sacral release on my skull and spine. “A journey to the moon,” she whispered back, a twinkle in her eye.
How environmentally friendly is it?
The Grand Wailea implements water-saving, solid-waste-reduction, and energy-saving measures that include no single-use plastic; more than 90% of the on-site food is sourced locally; cooking oil is recycled into biofuel; green waste is recycled into compost; and the majority of landscaping is native and drought-resistant.
What else do we need to know?
The opening of Kilolani Spa is just the start of Grand Wailea’s dedication to wellness programming. At the resort’s Loulu café, guests can find a curated selection of products from LA-based grocer Erewhon in addition to tasty treats like acai bowls and smoothies; at the on-site fitness center and movement studio, there’s a full schedule of daily classes ranging from cycling to beach yoga. The resort recently unveiled a whole new class of “wellness rooms” designed specifically with the health-focused traveler in mind. Located just steps away from the spa in a quiet ground-floor wing of the resort, the rooms will feature a nature-inspired aesthetic, grassy private yards, and a complete suite of mind-body amenities. Think: ALEN air purifiers, Technogym movement kits, yoga mats, Theraguns, Dyson hair dryers, white-noise sound machines, Tibetan singing bowls, healing crystals, and much more.
Who can go?
Kilolani Spa is open to guests of Grand Wailea as well as the public; guests must be over the age of 18. Guests under the age of 15 must be accompanied by a parent. Passes to the hydrotherapy garden can be purchased for $125. The spa also now offers membership.
Booking details for Kilolani Spa at Grand Wailea
Address: 3850 Wailea Alanui Dr, Wailea, HI 96753
Read more from Vogue’s Global Spa Guide.
