For more information, call 325-8000.
BY BOBBY COMMAND
WEST HAWAII TODAY
bcommand@westhawaiitoday.com
A new spa experience, grounded in island healing practices, is soon to be revealed.
When it does in December, healing qualities of native plants and minerals will be custom blended and incorporated into signature treatments, and soon after will be complemented by pretreatment spa rituals in a new garden, new couples hale (thatched structures) with private plunge pool and new pre- and post-relaxation area.
The $7 million expansion of the Spa at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai will build upon the success of the facility, which gained national acclaim following its inception in 1996. To continue its success, six years later, a 2,000-square-foot strengthening gym and 24-foot high outdoor climbing wall were added.
“It’s now time to re-invent ourselves and create an experience that truly defines who we are,” said Hualalai Resort’s Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President William Anderson.
The spa offers a comprehensive menu of experiences, with massage therapies that range from Hawaiian lomilomi and Thai massage to Swedish, reiki and acupressure. Hualalai Spa brings the “outside in,” allowing nature to play a role in the wellness process. Outdoor hale nestle up to trickling lava rock water features. A new feature to be revealed is the Waiea (Water of Life) Garden.
Rich culture, land and integration of past and current healing practices of Hawaii serve as the inspiration for the apothecary at Hualalai Spa. Trained staff members will help the guest determine blends according to the guest’s physical characteristics, preferences for nature-based scents and desired benefits — physical and spiritual.
More than 20 Hawaiian ingredients, such as mamaki (small native tree), alaea (red earth), awapuhi (ginger), niu (coconut), and other Hawaiian essences and essential oils will be featured.
New spa director Karen Cosgrove will head the re-launch of the facility, which was guided by kupuna and wellness practitioners who shared their wisdom to give the spa experience a sense of place.
“Four Seasons as a company recognizes the need for an uncompromising spa experience as part of our guests’ stay,” said Four Seasons General Manager Robert Whitfield, “people deserve to remove themselves from ‘usual’ and plunge into the ‘extraordinary.'”
Adding their expertise were Sylvia Sepielli, president of SPAd, or Sylvia Planning And design of Sedona, Ariz.; Hawaii Island designer Sig Zane; and Michelle Garcia, president and founder of Pure and True, who created a new signature spa line, Pure and True Organic Beauty. The architect is Rob Iopa, of WCIT Architects (Watanabe, Chun, Iopa, Takaki) Honolulu, and the interior designer Babey Moulton Jue and Booth, or BaMo, of San Francisco.
For more information, call 325-8000.