New York City is a Mecca for all things wellness. The birthplace of some of the world’s hottest fitness trends, noted for its specialty spa treatments, a sanctuary for nutrition buffs—with so many choices, it can be hard to choose the best fit for your wellness travel needs.

We went into the heart of the city to explore the latest in fitness, wellness, and health options available for the traveler dedicated to maintaining her healthy lifestyle while on the go. What we discovered will inspire your next girlfriend getaway to epic new heights.

I invited my best friend to the city for a weekend away. She has two young children at home, and it’s been almost four years since she’s done any pampered self-care, so a weekend in the city to take care of “us” was in order.

We arrive in Midtown and check into The Benjamin Hotel. Originally established in 1927 as the Hotel Beverly, this 29-floor beaux-arts building is considered to be one of the most recognized works by famed architect Emery Roth. In 1997 the Denihan Hospitality Group purchased the hotel and it was named The Benjamin in honor of the family-owned company’s founder, Benjamin Denihan, Sr.

The hotel has recently gone through a three-year, top-to-bottom overhaul renovation totaling $10 million, I feel like I have stepped into a luxurious home away from home. I am greeted with care and special attention. The employees don’t just treat me like a guest; they smile to welcome me into the family.

I check into my room, the balcony suite. Located on the hotel’s top floor, this 820- square-foot room feels like a sanctuary for my soul. The oversized windows invite lots of natural light into its tall, expansive rooms. My friend and I enjoy lunch on the balcony, the 45-square-foot outdoor space that gives us breathtaking views of the Manhattan Skyline. We can even see the East River.

My suite has a separate living room complete with a queen sleeper sofa, plus the kitchenettes feature a Snack Box with selections curated by Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, Snack Box evolves the concept of a hotel mini bar. One of the reasons I wanted to stay here is because of the healthy snack options in the room. The goodies feature farm-fresh and organic ingredients. including Kookaburra Licorice (black), Tate’s Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies, Bobbysue’s Nuts! Bearded Brothers Colossal Coconut Mango, North Fork Potato Chips (original, barbeque and salt & vinegar), Emmy’s Macaroons, Kings County Jerky Co., Mast Brothers Chocolate with Sea Salt Bar, and Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups.

After lunch we both partake in a power nap. We are both a little jet lagged and want to rest up for our adventurous evening in the city. The Benjamin offers a unique experience for serious nappers, which I am. I look into the “Rest and Renew” package. It includes a complimentary sleep mask (perfect to pair with a selection from the hotel’s 10-choice pillow menu) plus an aromatherapy head massage and turndown service.

The Benjamin Hotel has made sleep part of its wellness routine, because adequate rest improves alertness, productivity, memory, and mood. The Rest and Renew program is headed by sleep medicine expert Rebecca Robbins, the full program offerings include in-room pampering and spa treatments, work-down and wake-up calls. Plus the signature pillow service, which includes a pillow menu to suit guest preferences, along with sleep masks, earplugs, blackout curtains, white-noise machines, and a lullaby music library.

After 20 minutes we awake feeling recharged and ready for our SIN Workouts, a curated, exclusive fitness regime catered to each guest’s fitness goals and desires. Before I arrived at the hotel I had a consultation with my own fitness concierge, Vanessa Martin, the CEO of SIN Workouts. She asked about my fitness needs. I told her I love yoga and spinning. She said I would love Soul Cycle and signed me up for one of the city’s most popular fitness crazes.

Soul Cycle, I arrive at the Soul Cycle studio located on East 63rd Street, just a 10-minute walk from The Benjamin Hotel. My instructor, Amanda Max, walks in with full-of-life energy and boundless excitement.. She has effortless enthusiasm as she yells out, “Welcome 5:30, let’s SOOOOOOOOOUL CYCLE.” The music pumps in and she starts to bounce around on stage. The lights go out and disco ball reflections bounce off the walls. I have found myself in a dance club on a bike. My ideal combination. The candles in the front add to the ambiance of adrenalin-pumped spin goers. Everyone around me is a regular— they are pumping the pedals religiously and with full abandonment. We are only five minutes into the workout and I am dripping buckets of sweat. I love every moment of this workout. It is intense, encouraging, it invites full participation, which caters to self-care. “I am committed to myself, I am worthy of my desires.” I repeat this mantra while spinning my heart out. After 45 minutes I feel like I’ve just spooned my way to the moon and back. An out-of-body experience, for I saw glimpses of my fit ideal self. This workout will inspire you to be healthier and happier. If I lived in NYC, I would be a regular for sure.

I embrace a sweaty hug from the instructor at the end of class. We high-five in celebration of life and pursuit of our goals. Life is what you make it, and it is entirely too short to do anything your soul does not want. We nod in appreciation for the journey as both of us have left our corporate jobs to find happiness in the wellness industry. A new sister for life, I set out back into the city feeling renewed.

The Benjamin offers two levels of SIN Workout sessions, the SINNER ($75) and SINNER ELITE ($175). Both services include a full consultation with a SIN fitness concierge and one workout. The SINNER ELITE option affords the opportunity to have your SIN representative meet you at your workout and take the class with you.

To balance out my trip I head to New York City’s premier luxury spa at The Surrey Cornelia Spa on the Upper East Side. Upon arrival I am escorted over to the Somadome, the world’s most high-tech meditation modality experience available. The Cornelia Spa is the first spa on the East Coast to introduce this technology. Somadome is a cocoon-shaped pod that users slip into for a 20-minute stress reduction session. She asks what I would like to focus on: mental clarity, relaxation, manifesting? My eyes light up as I say I would love to do manifesting. As I enter the pod I put my headphones on and am whisked away into an enchanting experience for my soul. It is a healing experience for my soul. I feel more balanced and present after my 20-minute session. After a bite of crystalized ginger and citrus-infused water I head into my personal spa suite. I emerge feeling reenergized after my Purist Detoxification Treatment. (Link to Cornela Spa article)

To continue my wellness weekend, I check into a new hotel to experience more pampered perfection. Arriving at the Fifty NYC, Manhattan’s Midtown East is noted as an area of convenience. It is full of top attractions and iconic landmarks including Grand Central Terminal, the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center, and The Museum of Modern Art, also known as MoMA.

Hotel Fifty NYC is for the modern professional. Just off a $19 million, top-to-bottom redesign, the Fifty NYC is a smart, artistically appointed hotel that is understated. City chic hotel features exquisite rooms that make you feel as though you are in a New York City apartment. Each contains curated furniture and special little touches, from the bookends to pillows, as well as carefully selected artwork featuring local New York artists in each room. Giant hand-painted murals cover the bathroom wall, inviting conversation and inner reflection.

The hotel is lavishly covered with interesting textures, rich woods, classic lines, and contemporary elements that all blend to create an artfully residential space. I feel more like I am visiting a hip friend’s personal space than a hotel. Fifty NYC has mastered the trendy home away from home feel. Each room is equipped with wellness snacks, from fresh avocados, rice cakes, organic nuts, and grapes.

Want to go:

The Benjamin http://www.thebenjamin.com/

Hotel Fifty http://www.affinia.com/fifty

Cornelia Spa http://www.corneliaspaatthesurrey.com

SIN Workouts http://sinworkouts.com/#about

By Shannon Kaiser

Photos courtesy of Affina Hospitality, The Benjamin Hotel and The Surrey

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