Oprah put Miraval on the map when she endorsed its flagship Arizona desert destination—a pioneer among wellness resorts before wellness became cliché. Now East Coast Winfrey acolytes who have long dreamed of making a pilgrimage can experience a sliver of the magic at an outpost in woodsy Lenox, Massachusetts. Opened in 2020, Miraval Berkshires represents an expansion beyond the brand’s Arizona origins. It follows an Austin, Texas, offshoot that opened in 2019. While its desert predecessors offer posh four-star refuges, Miraval Berkshires is more cozily understated: “luxury without being too lavish,” according to Director of spa and wellbeing, Jacqueline Berry. And The Life in Balance Spa delivers on that standard, with a buffet of treatments so inventive and elaborately over-the-top, some are aptly called rituals. Try Vasudhara, a warm-water pool float accented by calming underwater sound vibrations or the Oprah-favorite Naga, a guided stretch-massage in which a standing masseuse grips silks dangling from the ceiling to create deep compressions with her feet.
Photo: Courtesy of Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection
The rambling, gambrel-roof inn is an icon of New England hospitality, and the spa is of equal repute, beloved by hotel guests and local residents alike. For the 20,000-square-foot wellness center, Auberge Resorts has partnered with the New York City spa The Well, known for marrying Eastern and Western modalities and making wellness an à la carte experience. At the Mayflower, this means treatments that extend beyond the traditional body and facial work to also include reiki, acupuncture, and Tarot readings. The idea is that your wellness experience does not start and end within the shingled walls but continues far beyond Litchfield County. The Well has worked hard to bring the spa outside: guided hikes, foraging classes, sound baths, summer fitness classes in the tented open-air pavilion, and their signature forest craniosacral therapy. While the overall vibe of the Mayflower is classic New England country with a shot of whimsy (classic chintz layered with striped dhurrie rugs and paper flowers), a more tranquil atmosphere resigns at the spa.
Photo: Courtesy of Sensei Lanai,A Four Seasons Resort
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