Conca Dei Marini, Italy – Reported by Coleman Bentley for Elite Traveler, the private jet lifestyle magazine
It is said what was once old will eventually become new again and the Monastero Santa Rosa, the Amalfi Coast’s newest ultra-luxe hotel, stands as daily evidence of that fact. Chiseled into a cliffside above the Bay of Salerno, the Monastero Santa Rosa has created a dialog between past and present with its new cutting-edge spa built into the original structure of a 17th century monastery.
Ornate vaulted ceilings and ancient stone walls blend with contemporary architecture and warm lighting to shed tired branded-spa trends; escorting you into the past via a series of thermal rooms designed to replicate true Italian spa tradition. This is the Thermal Suite, a succession of calming monastic environments that have been re-purposed for uninhibited coastal relaxation. Each space has taken on a new contemporary identity. There’s the rock sauna, the crushed ice fountain, and the hydro-pool; even a vaulted Tepidarium where you can stand with one foot in ancient Italy and the other in pomegranate-infused foot spas.
The Treatment Suite, an expansive 861-foot spa-within-a-spa, builds on New Monastero’s re-imagining of the past with modern amenities such as steam room, manicure/pedicure relaxation lounge, and a private Treatment Garden. At Monastero Santa Rosa, however, new facilities are balanced by ancient medicine, in this case Santa Maria Novella products that draw upon the 14th century techniques of Italian monastic herbalists known for their reliance on the regenerative power of local flowers. The Candle Massage and Polline Hydration treatments follow in these footsteps, the former utilizing an iris and bitter orange scrub to prepare skin for wax made from plant oils and emollient butter, the latter employing a pollen-and-extra-virgin-olive-oil-crafted cream to infuse luster into your complexion.
Topping it all off are the soothing Santa Maria Novella aromas that permeate the grounds. Hints of lemon and bergamot combine with lavender and a rare pomegranate fragrance originally created for Catherine di Medici, transporting you from the Amalfi cliffsides to an altogether different age.
60-minute treatments begin at $150. Email bookings to spa@monasterosantarosa or visit
www.monasterosantarosa.com
Related
Content from our partners
