A stay at a wellness retreat in Hawaii challenged my beliefs about recovery, longevity, and whether trendy wellness treatments are worth it.
What is a Hilton Head wellness retreat really like?
Senior consumer travel reporter Eve Chen explores Hilton Head Health’s wellness retreat in South Carolina.
- Our Kauai wellness retreat offers scientifically-backed treatments such as cryotherapy and intravenous fluids.
- These retreats aim to help guests activate long-term lifestyle changes and combat burnout.
- Travelers are increasingly prioritizing their health, and interest in healthy travel is on the rise.
KAUAI, Hawaii — I was about to step into a cryotherapy room at minus 140 degrees Fahrenheit and the tension was high. For reference, the naturally coldest place on Earth is the uninhabited highlands of the East Antarctic Plateau, where temperatures can drop as low as -133.6 degrees.
I was instructed to put on goggles, boots, gloves, gaiters, and tuck all my hair into a beanie. Otherwise, your hair will become stiff. I also removed all jewelry to avoid frostbite.
The freezing cold immediately enveloped me. I stood there in shock, still in my shorts and tank top, as frost circulated in the chamber. It was like standing in a high tech but small broom closet. After holding out for about two minutes, I jumped into the safety of my fluffy robe.
Short-term exposure to extreme cold may seem strange to some, but it’s a fast-growing recovery method for athletes, and there’s some scientific evidence to suggest it reduces inflammation and muscle soreness. A 2023 study of 41 participants found that four cryotherapy sessions were effective in treating chronic lower back pain.
My cryotherapy session was part of a new wellness retreat offered at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, a sustainable luxury resort and flagship property of the 1 Hotel brand along Kauai’s beautiful North Shore. These trips are about more than just going to the hotel spa or gym. These are aimed at jump-starting your health journey towards long-term lifestyle changes.
“We often have guests take a break from the hustle and bustle, but they don’t know how to take a break,” says Punahele Kuali’i, Spa Director at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay. “I’m the same way…sometimes I don’t know how to turn off, but when I do, I can really understand the relaxation part and practice different kinds of wellness strategies and go home.”
Launched in April, the four-night retreat aims to energize guests through evidence-based wellness therapies and tailored itineraries inspired by Kauai’s natural beauty. The island is therapeutic in its own right, and some say the land takes advantage of that by calling itself a “natural health reserve.” It’s hard to argue with that when you look out over the ocean, flanked by lush mountain ranges with waterfalls cascading down.
According to KAYAK’s 2026 Trends Report, #wellnesstravel on TikTok has increased by 150% as more travelers prioritize their travel wellness in an age of burnout and doomscrolling. The report found that 66% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents said their top reason for traveling was a “mental reset,” and 37% said they wanted a spa or wellness treatment.
Find out what it’s like to experience a wellness retreat in Hawaii.
What is a Personalized Wellness Retreat?
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay offers four types of wellness retreats, each designed to help guests achieve different health goals and based on four factors: Ahi, or fire for activation. Wai, or water for renewal. And makani or Wind are options to build your own.
Ahi Retreat caught my eye for its focus on improving vitality. I consider myself an active person who surfs almost every day, but I also struggle with chronic sleep deprivation and resilience. So learning how to free up energy and take better care of my body seemed appealing.
Each retreat begins with a pre-departure phone call with the spa manager to discuss my personal goals and preferences. From there, the resort creates an itinerary of traditional spa treatments, science-backed therapies like cryotherapy, mindfulness experiences like meditation sessions, and fitness coaching.
As soon as I arrived, I jumped into a DEXA scan to get a snapshot of my starting point in body composition. I learned not only about my body fat and muscle, but also about health factors that I don’t usually pay attention to, such as bone density, which is important for longevity because bones weaken with age. You can also perform a VO2 Max test to know your aerobic fitness and endurance.
During my stay, I checked in with 1 Hotel’s wellness team daily, whether it was the spa director or the body architect who is a certified personal trainer, to discuss how I was feeling after each day. It was customized to my own goals and routines, like how to improve my surfing balance or how to incorporate meditation for better sleep.
This kind of deep customization is what travelers are looking for. In Booking.com’s 2026 travel forecast, 71% of travelers said they would be interested in body movement analysis and personalized exercise routines to improve their health and combat jet lag.
The resort’s Bamford Wellness Spa, located in every hotel, was the anchor to my retreat. I also went for a few sessions at hotel partner Vitality Kauai, a locally owned on-site medical spa, and Anatomy, a well-equipped fitness center.
Do wellness treatments really work?
During the retreat, I experienced touchless therapy four times with the premise of recharging my body. To find out how effective it is, I spoke with Dr. Anu Navani, chief physician at California longevity clinic Rave Health Institute, and Dr. Leslie Copeland, a board-certified internist specializing in health and longevity medicine.
1. Intravenous therapy
I sat for about 40 minutes while a mixture of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium and vitamin B12, flowed into my arms to hydrate and energize. A 2025 academic review found that IV therapy has some advantages in absorption over oral supplements, especially when there is a true deficiency and when administered properly. If you’re dehydrated or jet-lagged and need a boost of energy, Dr. Copeland says intravenous therapy may be helpful in the short term, but it depends on what’s injected to suit your needs. Immediately after, I felt more balanced and had the best sleep of the trip that night.
2. Contrast therapy
The hotel has two private rooms for contrast therapy, which alternate between an infrared sauna and a cold plunge. Navani says blood vessels open with heat and close with cold, creating a “vascular pumping effect” that can aid lymph drainage, reduce muscle inflammation, and improve circulation and blood flow. Dr. Copeland also provided positive feedback on contrast therapy, noting that cold plunges are more effective than cryotherapy at lowering body temperature. “The contrast is great, especially the recovery muscle effects if you’ve done a big workout or something like tendonitis,” she says. That day, I was feeling sore after pushing myself at the gym, but the pain immediately subsided. A 2024 scientific review found that contrast therapy has some benefits but limited evidence and may cause side effects in people with pre-existing heart disease.
3. Cryotherapy chamber
Navani says standing in extreme cold for a few minutes can cause blood vessels to constrict, which can help reduce inflammation and pain. A 2024 review of 28 randomized controlled trials said it’s unclear whether cryotherapy is more effective than ice baths, although some small studies have shown some benefits. Afterwards, I felt even more energized, probably due to the release of endorphins. Dr. Navani added that people with high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease may not be able to tolerate the extreme cold of cryotherapy.
4. Hyperbaric chamber
Instead of breathing 21% oxygen in normal air, they were given nearly 100% oxygen through a nasal cannula while sitting in a spaceship-like pod for about 45 minutes. I felt oppressed, like I was on an airplane. Dr. Navani cautioned that changes in barometric pressure can be uncomfortable if you have sinus congestion or a cold. A 2021 scientific review found that ingesting pure oxygen helps in tissue regeneration and controlling inflammatory responses. It is used to help patients heal wounds and other conditions such as autoimmune diseases. “All tissues need oxygen,” Dr. Copeland says. “We’re not breathing 100% oxygen, so going from 80% to 100% dramatically increases our ability to repair. New blood vessels are stimulated, collagen production is stimulated, healing time is accelerated, and inflammation is reduced.” A single session can help you recover after a long flight or intense workout, but you’ll get the most benefit from regular visits, she adds. My session left me a little tired, but the rest of the day felt calm.
My itinerary was based on the idea that vitamins would be better absorbed, and I stacked treatments to maximize effectiveness, with IV therapy before my hyperbaric oxygen chamber session. However, Dr. Copeland said the order of treatment may not make much of a difference in maximizing efficacy.
Both doctors also emphasized that everyone responds differently to treatment, so it’s important to let them know in advance if you have any complications.
Are wellness retreats worth it? Honest opinion
Although my results weren’t dramatic, I noticed an improvement in my mood and post-workout recovery during the retreat, and I returned home feeling overall recharged and pampered. Dr. Navani approved the treatment set up for me as everything was focused on reducing inflammation and increasing relaxation.
“So these mostly help with the body’s natural recovery and adaptation mechanisms,” she said. “They help rejuvenate you.”
For me, trying these four treatments for the first time was also a good introduction to see if they fit into my lifestyle back home. “I think if we can guide our guests to try new things outside of their comfort zone, it takes it to a whole different level,” Kualii said.
Besides the science-focused therapy, we had other relaxing experiences to round out the recovery portion of the retreat. At the spa, we performed an intuitive herbal ritual. This was a massage enriched with local products such as macadamia nut oil and heated noni leaves, a tropical plant used by Pacific Islanders for its antioxidant properties. I also received a one-on-one guided breathing meditation to calm my mind.
To make your health journey easy, the resort offers a variety of health-focused meals and beverages, including a smoothie bar, fresh local fruit in the morning, and low-alcohol cocktails. (Of course, we still have desserts and pastries.)
The biggest change for me was a mental one. I had never traveled with just my health in mind before, so it was refreshing to focus on myself. The retreat made me think more deeply about what it means to be healthy, not just about working out, but also about longevity, mobility, and mindfulness. I don’t know if I’ll ever step into a -140 degree cryotherapy chamber again, but this retreat opened my mind to a broader perspective on what it means to take care of myself, and I’m excited to continue my journey.
This article has been updated to update the headline.
The reporter for this article received access to this event from 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.
Kathleen Wong is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY. She is the author of The Conscious Traveler Hawai’i and is based in Hawaii.
