There are wellness venues popping up all over the place – one of the newest developments is the planned GOCO RETREAT MOONSTONE, a 45-key resort that Ingo Schweder is working on in Bode, northern Norway. Healthy eating and longevity guru Dan Buettner similarly plans a BLUE ZONES resort in Southern Florida, and so on and so forth.
And then there are existing ‘normal’ hotels and resorts that push their wellness side. Supreme here is FOUR SEASONS LOS ANGELES AT BEVERLEY HILLS, run by GM David Wilkie, above. Sadly he cannot take 100% praise for bringing in the wellness force. This was conceived and put in place by his predecessor Michael Newcombe, who subsequently moved on to be corporate director spas and wellness. His legacy at his former hotel, however, is huge.
Arrive at Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills and you feel better immediately. Outside the main door, on Doheny, there’s a lifesize J. Seward Johnson sculpture of Marilyn, that famous pose with her circular skirt blowing up in the wind. Go inside, to a walkway lined with flowers, or seasonal decorations as appropriate. World-famous floral creator Jeff Leatham performs here, at his home base.
The entire fourth floor of this 285-room hotel says ‘wellness’. All fourth floor rooms are neutral, taupe spaces, with hardwood floors and wall-set Rabbit Air HEPA/UB units (New York-based Delos Living’s advanced air purification removes particles down to 0.007 microns, smaller than those of Covid-19). Bryte beds are monitored, separately either side, by fixed tablets, to show sleep patterns. Add light-emitting things, and Siri-like balls that play soft or loud waves on command. Ther are 10-kg weighted balls, yoga mats and yoga ‘tubes’. Suites, say #406, have Peloton bikes
Across from #406, #405 is a one-person Fitness suite, with another Pelaton, latest Technogym bike and jogger, and an aesthetically-beautiful banana-shaped Hydrow with electromagnetic drag mechanism. Similarly, #420 is Well Work – watch the video below. A high table with six right-height stools, a wall-set desk with remote keyboard and device holders, and a Coco Chanel biography, urge creativity (yes, you can ‘switch off’ if you must but connectivity is up to Hollywood mogul standard, everywhere).
Venture to the real world. At the end of the fourth floor corridor, the spa awaits. Take ten steps down to the bright nasturtium sunshades and five cabanas of the outside pool, where those moguls broker deals. See a whole world of decision-makers, too, at breakfast down on the ground floor, inside or outside at Culina, Ristorante or Caffè. Servers, impeccably discreet after years of performing with celebs, may suggest a CA Tonic and Elixir, perhaps Muscle Power, almond butter, banana, almond milk, cocoa nibs, honey. Stay local with an LA Omelet, egg white, baby kale, quinoa, avocado, and dairy-free mozzarella.
If you don’t feel better after all that you might as well give up, suggests Girlahead.
