THE BODYHOLIDAY BEACHSIDE HIDEAWAY IN ST LUCIA IS THE PERFECT PLACE TO SWITCH OFF AND UNWIND, SAYS LIZ CONNOR
AS FAR as A-list wellness resorts go, BodyHoliday in the Caribbean has quite the pedigree.
The original St Lucian sanctuary has been bringing zen to its wellheeled clients for the past 30 years, playing host to celebrities like Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman.
Built into a secluded beachfringed hillside near the popular Rodney Bay, the privately owned all-inclusive resort enjoys yearround sunshine.
And with a world-class spa, golf academy and water sports centre on site, there’s an equal amount of adventure and indulgence to soothe stress. Think of it like the ultimate wellness playground you’ll never want to leave.
Not your average resort
It’s easy to be sniffy about all-inclusives, but BodyHoliday doesn’t feel like your regular resort where you’re fighting tooth and nail with other guests for space.
It has just 155 rooms in total, which range from simple but comfort-friendly garden rooms, to luxury oceanfront views with squishy king-sized beds and sweeping balcony views out to the Cariblue Bay, where you can lazily watch fisherman bringing in the day’s catch.
If you’re looking to splash the cash and want to make like the wellness elite, check into one of BodyHoliday’s sprawling Junior Suites set in a split-level villa (there are three in total) further up the hillside. What you enjoy in privacy, you pay for in a thigh burn though: you’ll need to hike your way up a
Liz pictured number of meandering wooden steps to get to and from the resort.
A 360-degree wellness experience
One thing to know about BodyHoliday is that they focus on treating guests using a blend of Eastern and Western philosophies.
The Barnard family, who own the property, believe wellness has four pillars: diet, exercise, restorative beauty and relaxation. As such, you’ll find everything from a stateof-the-art, CrossFit-style gym, to a purpose-built ‘Ayurvedic’ pavilion in the wellness centre. (In case you’re not up on your wellness trends, Ayurveda is an ancient Indian healing system which promotes balance between the body and mind by using holistic practices.)
The all-inclusive rate generously includes a daily 50-minute spa treatment, so I started each morning with a soothing massage, facial, body scrub, body wrap or a hydrotherapy treatment. Their abhyanga massages are particularly fantastic – a therapist slathers your body in hot oil and massages any knots and tightness from tension areas.
There are additional treatments you can pay extra for too, including reiki, osteopathy, acupuncture, Thai massage and hypnotherapy, and on-site, you’ll also find a specialised skin clinic with Skinceuticals and Thalgo treatments, nail, hair and make-up services, and an infra-red sauna.
The option to set your ideal holiday pace is definitely one of the resort’s main draws, if like me, you hate having to do admin. Ahead of your stay, simply log-on to the BodyHoliday website and choose your treatments and activities. A handy tablet in each room shows your daily itinerary.
One of the more interesting offerings at the resort is the BodyScience clinic, a high-tech concept that uses a combination of DNA testing, 3-D heart-mapping, iridology and Ayurvedic techniques to help you feel your best.
Analysing an array of personal data and diagnostics, the in-house doctors use your results to suggest a bespoke health programme that’s tailored to your needs, whether that’s a specialised diet, nutritional supplements, body treatments, or meditation and yoga. (Prices start from about £2,060, additional to the price of a stay.)