The Turnberry Isle Miami
A Turn for Wellness
The Turnberry Isle Miami resort, with its country club pedigree, is just 25 minutes from South Beach, and epitomizes refined luxury amidst a sea of flashier counterparts. Situated on 300-acres of verdant tropical gardens in Aventura just off Golden Beach, it features two 18-hole PGA championship golf courses, the only lagoonstyle pool of its kind in South Florida, private poolside cabanas, and a world-class marina yacht club on the Intracoastal Waterway. No wonder it is regularly featured in the “World’s Best Resorts” lists.
I had the pleasure spending a day of indulgence at Turnberry Isle’s Âme Spa & Wellness Collective. Meaning “soul” in French, Âme is a 25,000 sq. ft, state-of-the-art facility offering cutting-edge European spa technology and unique treatments curated by the Gharieni Group in Germany. Along with spa stalwarts such as massages and facials, there are also fitness classes, a full service salon, and a cosmetic medical practice.
Natural light streams in from 40 ft. floor-toceiling windows in the spa atrium, and a striking Nautilus shell-shaped spiral staircase connects the spa’s three floors. To maximize the effects of their spa treatments, guests are suggested to first prepare their bodies by undergoing a rotation through Âme’s signature “Wellness Circuit”. I started off in the enveloping warmth of the eucalyptus steam room before heading to the Aroma, Chroma and Music Therapy Steam room which features color and sound therapies. With alternating pink, green and blue lights, this shower experience utilizes various jet streams to simulate a tropical rain forest complete with sounds of rolling thunder and warm jet sprays before being transporting you to the tundra with sprays of refreshing cold mists of water. I emerge blissfully energized before entering the Himalayan Salt room. The heated walls of this room are comprised of blocks of Himalayan crystal salt - a pure natural product formed over 200 million years ago and rich in beneficial trace minerals and elements. Studies have shown that heated Himalayan salt crystals have therapeutic benefits by emitting naturallyoccurring negative ions. These offset the positive ions caused by the electric magnetic frequencies emitted from our computers and cell phones. Cumulative exposure to EMFs are said to cause fatigue and stress.
Breathing in the salt air is said to purify the lungs and skin and I lounged for 20 minutes in the warm orange glow of the Salt Room before heading over to the Swiss Shower. Stemming from European hydrotherapy traditions, multiple jets of water with different pressures aimed at multiple body zones got my circulation flowing and eased the tension from my muscles.
Deciding on which of the unique spa treatments to choose was no easy task. Should I go for the Tibetan Singing Bowls sound therapy, the Ayurvedic herbal detoxification, or perhaps the ultra-luxurious Diamond Rose Ritual with Damask rose oil and diamond dust to polish the body?
As an avid spa-aficionado, I typically seek out the most unusual and innovative treatments on offer. The popular Alisselle Amethyst Himalayan Massage by Gharieni fits the bill featuring a massage bed that resembles a sand box, but in this case, filled with a mixture of fine quartz sand and high-quality Baltic amber beads. I’m told that the ancient Egyptians enjoyed lying in the hot desert sand and the resulting warmth provided physical and mental relaxation as well as having a purifying effect.
I gingerly lay down on the cotton sheet covering the warm sand bed and was amazed by how comfortable it is. I’m told that the quartzsand mix produces negative ionized air which boosts your immune system, energizes the body and reduces overall stress. I felt all my tension literally melt away as my masseuse expertly knead my muscles with crystal-filled muslin bags and aromatherapy oils.
For those looking for long-term health and wellness solutions, the Âme spa features an extensive program with board-certified, medical practitioners of Eastern and Western disciplines. Along with nutritional consultations, their Center of Integrative Medicine and Holistic Rejuvenations offers homeopathic and supplement prescriptions, as well as personalized lifestyle coaching. With so a comprehensive program developed towards well-being, it’s easy to see why the Âme, philosophy is “Wellness is the ultimate luxury”.
19999 West Country Club Drive, Aventura, Florida 33180
TEL855-201-8027
AMEWELLNESS.COM