1. DESERT DREAMIN’
On a mission to redefine relaxation, Bab Al Shams Luxury Desert Resort has launched its three-day The Wellness Recharge programme. The retreat offers lavish spa experiences, yoga and mindfulness sessions, sound healing, massages and facials, and a private dinner in the surrounding dunes, with a private butler service just for you. There are also complimentary activities during your stay, such as a falconry experience or a classic Bab Al Shams camel ride. For a blissful getaway, stay in a Deluxe Suite, ideal for al fresco relaxation thanks to its private terrace and spellbinding views. Fuel your days with an Arabian feast at the open-air Al Hadheerah, sip sundowners at Anwa, or enjoy light bites at Pool Bar.
2. URBAN BENEFITS
If you’re in the mood for some bucolic respite this month, pack your bags for Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, a gorgeous resort right on the beach. Add to that its leafy enclave of The Pearl Spa and Wellness Jumeirah, and you’ve got yourself the perfect January staycation. The space has 10 treatment rooms, along with a stunning indoor pool and a fitness centre with bespoke therapies. For the ultimate treat, try the 150-minute The Pearl Spa Experience. It starts with an extensive foot massage, and continues with a full-body exfoliation, followed by a nourishing hair and body mask. You can also enjoy the hotel’s thermal facilities and indoor pool, too.
3. A ROYAL AWAKENING
When Atlantis The Royal opened early last year, it was the talk of the town and has remained so ever since. If you weren’t lucky enough to get an invite from Beyoncé on opening weekend, why not make it a one-year anniversary stay instead. Its New Year offer gives guests four nights for the price of three across all rooms and suites, as well as the incredible Signature Penthouses and coveted Sky Pool Villas. All you have to do is book before the end of January 2024 for a stay before January 6, 2025, and you too can dine with Heston, José or chef Nobu, tackle the rides at Aquaventure or simply kick back and relax at Awaken the Spa.
4. SPA AND ESCAPISM
Sometimes you just want to shut the world out and disappear into your own little cocoon for some RnR, and few places are better for that than the Bulgari Spa at Bulgari Resort Dubai. All 1,700 square metres of it are the ultimate eudemonic wellness experience, with its 25-metre indoor pool, hammam, and an iconic vitality pool inspired by the ancient Caracalla Roman baths. Book the thoroughly indulgent three-hour Royal Lulur Treatment, with exfolations, masks, facials and massages, then enjoy dinner at Il Ristorante - Niko Romito, before bedding down in a gorgeous garden suite.
5. BEST FOOT FORWARD
Talise Spa, one of Dubai’s leading wellness spaces, has an incredible line-up for the start of the year, to help anyone on a health kick to feel more balanced and re-energised. Spa-goers can now enjoy a range of face treatments by luxury skincare brand Swissline at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, such as the 90-minute Clinic Lémanic Sublime Youth Infusion de-ageing treatment. Or, over at Jumeirah Al Qasr, you can try the Satori Wellness Lounger by German wellness-tech brand, Gharieni, which is a vibroacoustic treatment proven to support better sleep and help combat stress and anxiety.
6. FEEL THE GOOD IN YOU
Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som in Qatar has announced its visiting consultant programme for this year. Body talk specialist Angie Tourani will be in residency until February 8, discussing digestive issues and sensory organ disorders, while Donato Panaccio brings his meditation and sound-healing skills to the resort from February 1 to March 1. For some holistic healing, Sirish Helen Shalini will be there from February 15 to March 5, and Javier De Prado, an osteo-Thai, craniosacral and visceral manipulation therapist, from March 4 to April 2.
7. CONNECTING WITH NATURE
One place designed to get you back on the path to wellness is Habitas AlUla in Saudi. This beautiful retreat nestled in the middle of the Ashar Valley has health and happiness written all over it. Thuraya Wellness space (named after a star constellation) is where one can go to restore and relax amidst the breathtaking valley walls, complete with an alchemy bar, spa treatment rooms, a fitness centre, outdoor wellness agora and a yoga studio. You can do everything from trampoline workouts, tabata and TRX to Tai Chi, breathwork and even a sound bath under the stars.
8. RELAX, UNWIND & SLEEP
If you’re on an eternal quest to sleep better in order to feel better, understanding the science behind sleep has huge benefits. MGallery The Retreat on Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, is running the first-of-its-kind ‘Sleep Retreat’ this month, in collaboration with Nurture 2 Sleep. The two-day programme on January 20 and 21 includes guidance from the Middle East’s top Sleep Expert Julie Mallon – a Gentle Sleep Coach and Sleep Consultant – around sleep education, stress management and healthy sleeping habits, as well as yoga nidra, meditation, soothing treatments, wellness therapies, nutritional guidance and low-intensity training. Promising a journey of rejuvenation for both sleep and overall well-being, this could be the dreamiest staycation of the month.