Heading to Miami for some soul, sunshine and me-time? Digital detox is one of the hottest wellness trends right now and we need opportunities to recharge
Heading to Miami for some soul, sunshine and me-time? Digital detox is one of the hottest wellness trends right now and we need opportunities to recharge
When was the last time you didn’t check your email for 24 hours? Do you find yourself obsessively reading meaningless social media throughout the day? Suffering from neck issues, shorter attention span or poor sleep? You could be experiencing a modern meltdown caused by tech dependency – the perfect excuse to unplug and take a digital detox.
Miami is an unexpected destination for urban wellness. With its year-round sunny weather, great beaches, historical art deco architecture plus food, art and culture, highlights of the city also include healthy hotels, exceptional spas and fitness.
Mina Gough, Director of Spa at The Standard Miami says, “People in Miami love to spa, no matter how busy their lives are. They not only fit in feel-good and spa time – they love and live their lives.”
Miamians seem passionate about health on all levels. On any given day, you’ll spot Latinos, bohemians, cyclists, joggers and yogis taking advantage of Miami’s indoor and outdoor well-being offerings – glowing with positive vibrations.
And forget about 80-hour working weeks. Miamians have got their work-life balance sorted and dedicate quality time to outdoor life and fitness.
SLEEP WELL…
Metropolitan by Como, Miami beach
The Metropolitan by COMO is our pick for a luxury health-focused hotel in town. Situated on South Beach, it features the Asian- inspired COMO Shambhala Urban Escape spa and Chef Amanda Gale’s signature COMO Shambhala Cuisine. Clear your mind with nourishing Indian Head Massages, guided meditations and complimentary yoga, and boost your immune system with wellness juices and smoothies. Rooms are 1920s style designed with marble and chrome and hints of playful pastel pink and sea-foam greens. Spa-wise, expect the absolute best. COMO is renowned for their high-calibre intuitive healers. http://www.comohotels.com
The Miami beach edition
Alternatively, splurge on a room at The Miami Beach Edition where boutique hotelier, Ian Shraeger (co-creator of Studio 54) has created the ultimate in sexy beach chic and legendary nightlife. Positioned as the next generation urban resort, the lobby features a pool table in addition to ice-skating rink, chic nightclub and bowling alley on the lower floor. Rooms are sleek white glass boxes. In terms of wellness, there’s yoga, gourmet mini-bars, Le Labo bath amenities, high-tech fitness, Asian bodywork, infrared saunas, express oxygen facials and sleep experiences. http://www.editionhotels.com
Surfcomber hotel, a Kimpton hotel and Thompson Miami beach
Looking for something more bohemian? The Surfcomber on South Beach offers a cool and playful vibe as does the Thompson, an art deco boutique hotel featuring communal outdoor settings and striped cabanas around the ocean-facing pool. Wellness- wise, there’s 24/7 fun activities such as beach yoga, beach ball tournaments, bike tours and mixology classes in the cabanas.
RISE & SHINE…
Grab your matt and head to Miami Beach to stretch your limbs in the morning sun. Third Street Beach Yoga hosts complimentary yoga twice-daily 365 days a year! Alternatively, the One Yoga Foundation offers free yoga in several parks across Miami as their mission is to make yoga available to everyone. Looking for something more upscale? Rooftop yoga is an integral part of the guest experience at The Metropolitan by COMO while beach yoga can be experienced at hotels including Surfcomber and The Setai. Big night out Miami- style? Breathe deeply and fully during a Hangover Yoga class at the Edition – a gentle way to recuperate after over indulging.
If yoga is not your thing, try the Core-fusion Barre class at the Exhale Spa situated at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel – these classes are addictive! Opening soon down the road is a New York-style SoulCycle spinning studio.
Prefer water to land? Take a surf or stand-up paddleboard lesson at SoBe Surf School or rent a kayak, kiteboard or windsurf where there’s nothing but serene silence and sea breezes.
What other city in the world provides complimentary sunscreen for its sun-worshippers? Sponsored by Mount Sinai Medical Center, there are 50 dispensers placed throughout the city including various beaches, parks and pools.
REFUEL…
With Miami’s weather hot and humid year-round and temperatures soaring up to 27 degrees Celsius during the summer, little wonder there’s fresh coconut stalls galore along the boardwalk to keep hydrated. Alternatively, drop by the Metropolitan by COMO and replenish on therapeutic wellness juices or dairy-free muscle milk. Feeling puckish? They offer the best healthy breakfast in town that’s all organic, raw and vegan. Another great option is celebrity chef Tom Colicchio’s Beachcraft restaurant that is all about seasonal sensibility and local pristine ingredients including antibiotic-free meats offered in a natural green surrounds.
UNWIND IN STYLE
The Setai Miami beach
The Setai, Miami’s most Asian-inspired hotel and considered the most digitally ‘plugged-in’ features electric car charging stations, in-room Nest controls and a hotel-wide service app that allows you to order from the restaurant while enjoying the beach. Escape to the spa and detach from devices with The Setai Ceremony, a sublime two-hour ritual comprising a well-executed massage infused with Thai stretches and a facial enhanced with a Vietnamese Ridoki beauty tool – designed to help you get back in tune. Spa Director Laura De La Rosa says, “We help guests physically unwind from the digital buzz of the outside world and enter into a serene place of Asian tradition and relaxation.” Other wellness highlights include beachside morning yoga and vegan and vegetarian cuisine options – with a focus on local and sustainably sourced ingredients.
READY TO RECHARGE AGAIN?
Take advantage of the six-mile long Miami Beach Walk and run, powerwalk or cycle. Indeed, Miami’s bike scene has accelerated in the past few years. There’s a great sharing solar-powered Citi Bike system that provides a joyful way to explore the city. So passionate are Miamians about fitness that, on some days, streets are closed off so that bicyclists, pedestrians and rollerbladers can explore downtown in a fun, safe way. Groups like Emerge Miami have even begun Miami’s first weekly bicycle happy hour!
Splurge on Tata Harper Facials, a favourite amongst celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Julianne Moore. These farm- to-table facials are on the menu at several spas including the Thompson and The Standard. What makes this facial stand out is that Tata, a Cuban-born entrepreneur, makes all products on her 1,200-acre farm near Vermont.
The standard spa, Miami beach
If spas are your thing, why not go all out and make a day of it and immerse yourself at The Standard Miami, our pick for the best in wellness and holistic offerings. Positioned as a Spa Hotel (a spa with hotel rooms added on), the vibe here is playful and sexy. ‘It’s all in the Mind’ treatment is our choice for digital downtime. During this session, you are encouraged to free up space in your mind as therapists work on releasing restrictions in your neck, scalp and jaw area. This is complemented by a holosync, a revolutionary audio track that induces brain wave patterns of deep meditation.
Guests are also encouraged to disconnect from their devices in the indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy playground that features a host of water therapies from an infinity salt water pool, Turkish hammam, steam rooms and roman waterfalls to an outdoor fire pit and mud lounge overlooking the water. All this plus an eclectic menu of integrative experiences including Full Moon Group Acupuncture, Astrology sessions, yoga, DIY meditation, workshops and urban retreats. Fun treatments include ‘Life & Soul Chakra Classes’ and ‘How to be vibrant & sexy’. All this plus the upmarket motel-style rooms come with organic bath amenities, as well as healthy mini-bars stocked with healthy treats. There’s also an on-site juice bar, and the spa is open until midnight on weekends. http://www.standardhotels.com
Forget Rooftop bars, it’s all about rooftop spas in Miami. The Metropolitan by COMO boasts the town’s only rooftop hydrotherapy bathing facility with panoramic views over the Atlantic Ocean. They offer complimentary yoga on the terrace. And at the Thompson, whose spa is situated on the 10th floor, you’ll spot healthy souls stretching themselves like cats in the morning sun.
The Miami beach edition
Time for a powernap, so head to the lush spa at The Edition. Powernap is a cutting-edge therapy that incorporates a massage alongside Binaural micro-current technology that stimulates the brain to induce deep sleep, mimicking the effects of a four-hour nap in just 20 minutes. After a night of living it up, this is definitely one to fast track recovery. The spa also offers a host of express treatments tailored to de-stressing and refreshing in a short space of time. http://www.editionhotels.com
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS…
Get swept up in the vibrant atmosphere of the Art Basel festival held every December where more than 200 galleries showcase the best in contemporary and modern art. As well, you can also view outdoor modern installations and sculptures by the beach and parks.
If running is your thing, be sure to check out the ING Miami Marathon, the biggest event of the year with more than 25,000 participants.
Swim Miami is a Nike-sponsored event held in April that offers the challenge to compete in four different swims between 10- and 800-metres long. Come July and it’s Miami Spa Month where, for two months, you can indulge in amazing spa and healing treatments for as low as US$99. Workplace wellness is thriving in Miami; and each year, employees participate in the annual Mercedes-Benz Corporate Race that is known as the largest office party in town, to boost fitness and raise funds for various charities.
URBAN RETREATS…
Mandarin oriental, Miami
Need to be downtown? Check into the Mandarin Oriental, Miami for uber luxury. The spa is spread over three floors and offers Asian-influenced therapies, as well as pilates and yoga.
Jeremy McCarthy, Group Director of Spa says, “Spas are one of the few places in modern society where we put our technology away in a locker and spend some time in silence. We have become too sedentary, so our minds need rest as we are processing more information than ever before.” http://www.mandarinoriental.com
Epic hotel Miami
Another wellness-infused hotel option is the EPIC that is regarded for their wellness attributes, including complimentary yoga. There are healthy treats in the mini-bars and complimentary cold-pressed organic Juicera shots for guests. The Exhale Spa is legendary for high-energy fitness class menu – great mixes of core-fusion, cardio-core and power yoga, to name a few. http://www.epichotel.com
Pritikin longevity center and spa
Need deeper downtime? Check into the renowned Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa and embark on a one- or two-week wellness programme. The destination retreat offers deluxe accommodation, a full spectrum of high and low intensity fitness options, health workshops and cooking classes with nutrition centres to their overall philosophy. http://www.pritikin.com
