Source: vogue.com
Welcome to the third iteration of Vogue’s global spa guide, a compendium of the 100 best spas in the world, compiled based on first-person reviews and careful editing. This year, we’ve renewed our focus on establishments that have established a reputation for exceptional care of body and mind, though there is a great variety in the list. Whatever you are seeking when it comes to wellness, there is something here for you.
Why go here?
As the oldest and lushest of the Hawaiian islands—a breathtaking 552 square miles, with verdant mountainous jungle in the middle and beaches covering close to half of its shorelines—Kauaʻi tends to attract travelers keen on spending the majority of their time outdoors: hiking, beaching, exploring. The only problem? Sometimes all of that outdoors time takes a toll. The relatively new 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay (it opened in 2023 after an extensive renovation) aims to elevate the hospitality game on the island, with a deeply considered wellness program to match.
What’s the vibe?
The 252-room property takes advantage of its setting (on a cliff, overlooking the idyllic Hanalei Bay on the island’s North Shore) with lush green spaces and lots of warm-toned wood. The 18,000-square-foot spa abuts a courtyard garden that is riotous with native greenery and has all of the essentials you’d expect (e.g. steam, sauna, and massage rooms) as well as spaces dedicated to biohacking classics like contrast therapy, hyperbaric chambers, IV drips, and sensory deprivation floats. Treatments inspired by the island use specifically formulated products made from native medicinal plants and other natural and organic ingredients.
The history?
The Bamford Spa is the product of a collaboration between organic pioneer Carole Bamford (who founded her lifestyle and wellness brand at her home in the Cotswolds in 2004, and has been championing an organic lifestyle well before it was a label in every supermarket). The result is a balancing act between high-tech innovation (all that biohacking!) and down-to-earth classics like massages and facials, using the best ingredients the island has to offer.
This spring, the spa launched wellness retreats, which are organized into four different elements/categories: earth (honua, for those seeking adventure and fitness). Water (wai, for those looking to reset and recharge), fire (ahi, for those looking to energize), and wind (makani, for those looking to choose their own adventure). Each retreat has a four-night minimum and offers a daily check-in with a wellness coach. Programming differs depending on the level of intensity that the participant is looking for (water, for example, is more restive than earth or fire), but all of the programs are designed to function alongside a typical resort stay, rather than a more immersive retreat, meaning you still have time to lounge by the pool or have dinner with your family.
What should you try? What’s new for 2026?
The body treatments are the move here. The menu is a blend of the typical Bamford Spa offerings (like full-body massages with hot and cold stones, to invigorating effect) with the traditional Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massages. My favorite is the Intuitive Herbal Ritual, in which a masseuse uses Kauaʻi Farmacy’s Comfrey Noni Serum and includes the soothing application of hot noni leaves to the body.
There is a 10,000-square-foot fitness center a floor below the spa, with state-of-the-art 24/7 cardio equipment and strength training, group classes, and personal athletic performance training. I had an exceptional private pilates class informed by my instructor’s background in somatic body work, and a private training session with a coach whose input guided much of the rest of the stay.
There is also a new IV suite operated by Vitality Kauaʻi with medical interventions ranging from vitamin infusions and injectables to Botox, filler, and microneedling with PRF, for those looking for a more significant result from their week away.
Bamford Wellness Spa at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay
Address: 5520 Ka Haku Rd, Princeville, HI 96722
Visit: 1hotels.com
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