Seeking The Full Monty of pampering spa treatments? It doesn’t get any better than Spa Kea Lani, located at the Fairmont Kea Lani Resort in Wailea, Maui. This serene 4,000-sq.-ft. sanctuary offers many lovely and healing treatments, many of them consisting of secrets of healers that have been passed down from generation to generation.
The most popular treatment is the 50- or 80-minute iconic Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, which is considered the “hula dance” of massage, as therapists use traditional Hawaiian forearm strokes. This massage is one of the bestsellers at Spa Kea Lani, says spa director Lennette Clark. “It’s a step up from Swedish.” Ms. Clark is also enamored of the hot stone massage and the rituals that surround acquisition of the stones. “They collect the stones during the full moon, and then they are returned to La Perouse Bay after one year in the same place they were found, to bring new life back into the stones.”
Spa Kea Lani also offers Ala Lani made-in-Maui products and treatments. For example, there’s the “Heavenly Scent” that includes a body scrub, application of body butter, and a massage with lavender-vanilla or ginger-lime lotions. Another option is the “Hawaiian Bliss” — a treatment that was formulated with locally grown Hawaiian herbs from Ala Lani. This posh pampering features a salt scrub with noni and Kava Kava; an aloe bath containing pineapple and lemongrass; and finally a lomi lomi massage featuring coconut, macadamia nut and kukui nut oils infused with herbs. That’s the sweet smell of spa success!
On my trip to Spa Kea Lani, I had the “Beyond Botox” facial ($175 for 50 minutes) that treated my skin to a wealth of B. Kamins products. It started with a Clarisonic cleansing that provides microstimulation to the complexion; a quick-peel; steam and extraction; facial massage; application of B. Kamins’ famous Bio-Maple and eye gel; and for the finish, application of the Bio-Maple Therapeutic Anti-Aging Wrinkle Lift. At this point, my facialist also gave me a relaxing head and hand massage. I’ll tell you this – not only was this treatment itself fabulous, so were the surroundings. I lay on a comfortable spa bed, swathed in a luxurious, warm, plush down comforter – something that you rarely experience at other spas.
Each of the spa’s massage rooms features state-of-the-art hydraulic massage tables, and above, a softly lit domed ceiling, which helps to recreate the feeling of laying on your back on a warm summer day, watching the clouds float by. There’s a hydrotherapy room that bubbles away aches and pains, in an oversized bathtub. A couples room encourages lovers and good friends to receive their massages in tandem. And couples can sneak away to Hale Ne’ehope, an outdoor spa cabana.
Back inside, the spa’s retail section offers great products from Lucy B., Ola, Skinceuticals and Jane Iredale. What I’m especially crazy about is the Lifestyle Cuisine that all Fairmont properties offer – OMG – be still my beating heart! You’ll find fare especially for – are you ready? – Healthy Heart; Diabetes; Vegan; Macrobiotic; Gluten-free and Raw diets. I know of no other hotel brand that caters to its guests the way that Fairmont does here. The selections are extensive – I’m in love with the soba noodles with Asian vegetables (Heart-Healthy) and the vegan flourless chocolate cake. You can even get this fare at the Fairmont Kea Lani’s signature restaurant KO. Here you will find inimitable recipes that have been handed down from generations of plantation workers. I’m still dreaming about the shrimp served with a lavender honey sauce that is sourced locally.
Stay tuned – soon to be arriving at all Fairmont properties, as a guest-room amenity — is Rose 31 from New York boutique perfumer Le Labo. Originally developed for men, this fragrance caused a sensation when it debuted in 2006. Now a new scent experience awaits in every Fairmont room. Starting in 2012, guests at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts worldwide will enjoy shampoo, conditioner, body bar soap, shower gel and body lotion scented with the signature Rose 31 fragrance. Rose 31 alternates feminine and masculine with the ambiguity of the Centifolia rose, picked up by a chorus of warm, spicy and woodsy notes such as cumin, olibanum, cedar and a touch of amber. What can I say — the time is always ripe to visit the Fairmont Kea Lani.
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