A Healthy Star Opens in Palm Beach

Hotels don't open very frequently in exclusive Palm Beach, so when one does, we take notice. When that property is a Starwood Luxury Collection resort, expectations are especially high. The Resort at Singer Island, a 239-suite, beachfront property, is a ten-minute drive from the ritzy shops on Worth Avenue, but retail therapy should take a backseat to body therapy at the Resort's 8,500-square-foot SiSpa. Overseen by Christine Hays, a 22-year veteran of the spa industry who has previously served as spa director at the One and Only Ocean Club in the Bahamas, the Caves in Negril, and the Shore Club in Miami Beach, SiSpa features a menu of treatments inspired by oceans and seas around the world.

Guests can choose an Indian Ocean–themed Ayurvedic facial; Caribbean-flavored citrus wrap; a Mediterranean experience utilizing olive oil and volcanic mud; a seaweed treatment with a nod to the Sargasso Sea; or an Indonesian or Thai massage that pays tribute to the Bali Sea. Some of the principles and protocols at SiSpa are informed by a wellness journey Hays recently completed that took her to India and Tibet.

The spa is complemented by a state-of-the-art fitness center, but those who like to workout outside will gravitate to the resort's heated pool, or 325-acre MacArthur Beach State Park, where ranger-led kayaking tours are available (it's only 1.5 miles away). The resort, which boasts more-than-ample guest suites (starting at 800 square feet), ensures a stay of supreme comfort, pampering, and a commitment to healthy living—its accommodations and facilities are totally smoke-free. For more information visit www.starwoodhotels.com

—Drew Limsky

September/October 2007