We travel for a myriad of reasons – to decompress, to sightsee, to connect with that version of ourselves we tamp down to survive the hustle and bustle. As more and more of us ready our passports, pack our bags, and turn on the vacation email alerts to simply unplug to the tune of $1 trillion dollars, it’s essentially in pursuit of wellness for body and mind. Whether to hot springs, white sand beaches, or desert getaways, unplugging is more than just a digital detox. It’s a way to iron out the kinks and knots, reset our fitness goals and purify from head to toe in pursuit of the glow that only holistic wellness can provide.
Instead of flights to Iceland, Tulum, or Tahiti, that same reset of posture, complexion and spirit can be had at a landmark NYC destination known for luxury 5-star accommodations just a few blocks from home at the Ila Only Spa, housed in the Lotte New York Palace, the jewel of Madison Avenue.
Founded in 1881 during New York City’s Gilded Age as the Villard Houses, the Lotte New York Palace has dedicated a massive wing of its historic Beaux Art structure to wellness, beauty, and spa treatments with the first US outpost of the famed Ila Only Spa from the lush English countryside.
Under the direction of Immuncologie Skincare founder Karen Ballou, Ila Only Spa invites guests to design a complete immersion into holistic beauty and wellness through a myriad of expert consultations, head-to-toe beauty treatments, including Collagen Bar facials, and hair and nail services using only organic farm-grown ingredients. To fully destress and nurture the mind-body connection, the destination spa offers Yoga classes, Pilates and personal training sessions, and full-body red light therapy.
To inaugurate the opening of this destination-worthy luxury oasis, Ila Only Spa is hosting the Blue Zones Retreat. For a week in early November, from Nov 4-6 and Nov 7-9, under the curation of Wellness and Hospitality expert Céline Vadam, the Blue Zones Retreat offers guests a full menu of body and breathwork, plant-based menus, and facials evocative of the regions where inhabitants live their best, healthiest, and longest lives – Okinawa, Japan and Sardinia, Italy.
Under the guidance of a wide range of wellness gurus, in addition to Karen Ballou, Lotte New York Palace and Ila Only Spa guests can customize a Blue Zone itinerary of wellness, fitness, spa activities, and facials using Immunocologie Skincare.
Experts in Skin Care, Nutrition, Yoga, Pilates, and even Feng Shui will help Blue Zone participants customize an experience to best approximate the lifestyle markers that make the Blue Zones iconic and legendary in the pursuit of longevity and wellness high above the fray of Manhattan’s frenetic pace.
