Thanks to Ozempic, it’s OK to say “weight loss” again. For years, wellness resorts had shied away from the overt promotion of pound-shedding programming when body positivity was trending. Now, they are capitalizing on the renewed public interest in getting thin.
For the last 48 years, the wellness resort Hilton Head Health in South Carolina has offered programs focused on weight loss through dietary changes and exercise. But recently, it began to overhaul all of its language to explicitly cater to a clientele with weight-loss goals, a spokesperson for the resort told The Post. It’s not alone. Carillon Miami Wellness Resort is asking guests to “skip Ozempic” and check out its “innovative wellness” offerings, holistic nutrition plans and non-invasive weight-loss treatments.
Here’s a look at five resorts that aren’t afraid to help guests drop pounds, lose fat, whittle waistlines and tighten tushes — no prescription peptides required.
Weigh to go
One of Hilton Head Health’s most rigorous packages, LoseWell, is a four-week program starting at $18,660. Program director David Chesworth said it’s “very immersive, very hands-on, very structured.”
It involves an orientation, including weight and measurement recordings, workshops, group workouts, sessions with fitness coaches, a Pilates reformer session, weekly counseling with a wellness counselor and two one-on-one sessions with a dietician.
Although only 12% of guests opt for the month-long program, Chesworth says most guests arrive at the South Carolina health destination “looking to lose 10 to 20 pounds.” Their JumpStart program is a popular choice designed to give guests “tools and strategies” they can implement at home as they work toward their target weight.
Slim pickins
At Lily of the Valley, a luxury wellness resort in southern France dedicated to weight loss, you are permitted to enjoy exactly one glass of wine per day (the daily libation approved by Jacques Fricker, the five-star resort’s consultant nutritionist).
Laura Durozey, the wellness manager at the resort’s Shape Club, said the wine comes with “luxurious menus, compatible with weight loss goals.” It’s part of the “French way of losing weight,” said Durozey, adding that there’s “no intimidating fasting here” or medical approaches. Indeed, the Saint-Tropez wellness destination, which opened in 2019, promotes all things health and wellbeing — “the French way.”
Four-day programs (Serenity for optimal weight; Intensive or Sport for weight loss) start at $2,700 and go up to $8,700 for the full 14-day program. Guests lose an average of 10.5 pounds over a seven-day stay. They “love losing weight” thanks to a variety of treatments, fitness coaching and daily wellness monitoring by dietitians and nutritionists.
Iberian husky
The latest wellness offering at Pine Cliffs Resort in Portugal’s Algarve region is intended to help you develop a new attitude toward weight loss.
The management program includes fitness assessments with a personal trainer, nutrition consultations (with a plan for continuing at home), a detox kit, lymphatic drainage massages and a slimming massage. Group fitness classes and personal training sessions round out the new programming and start at around $2,000 for seven nights.
Maria Dorey, the regional director of the Serenity Spa responsible for developing all of the resort’s retreats, said the new programming is a result of guest feedback and “the trends and innovations in the market.” The resort’s multidisciplinary team of spa therapists, personal trainers and nutritionists will also work with you on an individual level to help you achieve your goals.
Shrink Lanka
When Santani Wellness Kandy opened in 2016, weight-loss programming was a top priority. But the Sri Lankan resort’s approach to pounding away pounds isn’t all about exercise. It uses ayurvedic and Western spa treatments to induce detox, burn fat and increase metabolic rate without breaking a big sweat.
In addition to customized meals and herbal medications to help speed up the metabolism, panchakarma therapies — purgation and enemas to cleanse the residual toxins — are included; strenuous workouts and hard dietary restrictions are not.
The weight management program, run by Dr. Nimesha Dissanayake (starting at $4,590 for five nights, the minimum), is designed around guests’ individual body types and goals, and works by correcting digestive and excretory systems.
Qatar pounder
Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som claims to be the Middle East’s “first full immersion wellbeing resort.”
Its Natural Slimming retreat (three- to 14-day stays, starting at $1,100 per night) in Qatar teaches you how to manage your weight over the long term through personalized fitness and nutrition plans. Losing weight at a healthy rate is the goal.
In lieu of a traditional minibar, rooms are outfitted with a wellness fridge containing dates, nuts and berries. Meals are cooked fresh and “portions are modest but visually appealing,” said Juliana Habchi, Zulal’s senior nutritionist. Naturally, no alcohol is served at the resort.
