Welcome to the second iteration of Vogue’s global spa guide, an index of the 100 best spas in the world, built from the expertise of our global editors and trusted contributors. There is a lot to choose from in the world of wellness, and no matter how far you’re planning to travel—from a subway ride to a trans-Atlantic flight—we want to make sure it’s worth the journey. Whatever your path, let us be your guide.
Why go here?
Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection has a little bit of everything. It’s remote enough to make you feel as though you’ve escaped the hustle and bustle, but integrated into some of the more cutting-edge beauty and wellness treatments. The programming is meant to suit wellness wonks and adventure junkies alike, featuring retreat classics (like yoga and meditation) and outdoorsy thrills (like tree climbing and horseback riding), as well as more spiritual pursuits. There’s something for the whole family to do: If you’re kiddos’ idea of “wellness” involves hiking in the Talamanca Mountains or swinging from the handcrafted on-site ropes course, that can happen here too.
Set on 180 tropical acres, the resort features 50 “casitas” thoughtfully envisioned by New York–based interiors guru Nina Gotlieb. The landscape, however, is a major feature in and of itself, and something of an adventure to access. Travelers fly into San José and take a small prop plane about 90 miles south to the fecund province of Pérez Zeledón. From the property’s airstrip—a grassy field where wild horses run free—it is just a short drive to the villas nestled amid the rolling hills.
Photo: Courtesy of Hacienda Alta Gracia
What’s the vibe?
Wellness is at the center of this resort. Every trip to Hacienda AltaGracia begins before arrival with a complimentary “wellness consult” to help you plan your visit. Accommodation includes some basic features: restorative movement classes (yoga, but also breath work and classes devoted to the “mind-spine” connection) and access to the hydrotherapy areas. The 20,000-square-foot spa mixes a gently Brutalist aesthetic with soothing botanicals. A glass wall atrium surrounds the pool, where moss-like plants drip from planters suspended from the rafters; and a brushed concrete platform for yoga has open walls, views of the Talamanca hills, and a golden straw-thatched roof.
Photo: Courtesy of Hacienda Alta Gracia
What’s the history?
Originally launched in 2021 in collaboration with New York City–based spa The Well, the spa at Hacienda AltaGracia has recently undergone a transformation, rebranded as Casa de Agua, Wellbeing by Auberge. As part of the transition, the first Estée Lauder Skin Longevity Institute in the Americas has opened on-site. Longevity, it seems, is no longer just a matter of sleep hygiene and biohacking—it’s coming for your skin as well. (With its proximity to Costa Rica’s blue zone, Hacienda AltaGracia has perhaps a better claim to expertise on this matter than others.)
Photo: Courtesy of Hacienda Alta Gracia
What should you try?
The treatments offered at Hacienda AltaGracia incorporate the traditions of the country, citing “the power of Pachahama” (that’s “mother earth” in the indigenous language of the Andes—never mind that the Andes don’t exactly run through Costa Rica). The offerings run the gamut, from herbal exfoliations to clay treatment infused with local flowers, to hydrotherapy rituals that take advantage of the surrounding landscape. Need your aura cleansed? Try an in-river bath to firmly orient your restoration in the rhythms of nature.
With the opening of Estée Lauder’s first Skin Longevity Institute in the Americas, there are several Re-Nutriv facial treatments exclusive to Hacienda AltaGracia, combining age-reversing technology and advanced skin diagnostics with high-touch rituals. It’s all a step far beyond your standard skin spa facial, and worth trying.
Photo: Courtesy of Hacienda Alta Gracia
How environmentally friendly is it?
Hacienda AltaGracia’s sustainability efforts extend from the standard (no plastic, reusable hand towels instead of paper ones) to the more locally minded—see, for example, the upside-down tree sculpture executed by local artist Daniela Monge of Entre Nudos that centers the entire resort’s nature-minded viewpoints. Local materials (and talent) are used throughout the resort, in fact. Retail displays are made from locally sourced wood stumps, and the clay sinks at Casa de Agua were made by a local ceramicist.
What else do we need to know?
Aestheticians like the renowned Crystal Greene (an Estée Lauder ambassador) will visit as part of the residency program, so be sure to check who might be taking appointments while you’re there. You might also be able to see Manjit Devgun, for instance, a mind coach and mindful movement practitioner who offers sessions focused on energetic healing modalities, breath work, and mindful movement.
Who can go here?
Casa de Agua at Hacienda AltaGracia is open to hotel guests who are over 16 years old.
Read the full article here
