5 Philly-Area Wellness Resorts Perfect for a Day Trip or Staycation
For when you’re strapped for time but need a mental health day … or an overnight stay
The spa at Aman New York / Photograph by Robert Rieger for Aman New York
The daily grind can wear you down, especially if you don’t carve out time for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. But recharging doesn’t necessarily involve taking days on days on days off. If you only have a few hours to spare or can get away for the night, consider traveling by foot, car, bike, bus, or train to these five wellness-focused hotels in the Philly area — from Center City to the Jersey Shore to Manhattan.
W Philadelphia
1439 Chestnut Street, Center City
The W Philadelphia’s menu of innovative wellness experiences is designed to help you feel good from the inside out, no matter your fancy. For me, one of the most eye-opening activities was a sound bath with Luna Maye, a local sound-therapy practitioner. Her sessions begin with a chat about the benefits of sound and frequency — including stress reduction and piqued curiosity — before you’re engulfed in the reverberations of crystal singing bowls, gongs and the like.
Maye is just one of the Philly-area wellness innovators the W partners with to support its guests. Another? The Lab, a concierge personal training company that offers one-on-one coaching at the hotel gym and guided runs through the city.
Luna Maye facilitating sound-bath meditation at W Philadelphia. / Photograph by Bre Furlong for Rory Creative/W Philadelphia
At AWAY Spa, choose from rejuvenating massages, custom facials, or nail, brow and wax services. I opted for the Sculpt Body treatment, which features a thermal Brazilian yellow clay mask with a detoxifying plankton extract, rehydrating body oil, and de-aging cream.
The hotel itself is super-swanky, with the ground-level Living Room constantly buzzing with DJ nights and ever-flowing cocktails and mocktails. Upstairs are 295 guest rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and decor that nods to Philly, plus six suites that feature ginormous tubs — for when you’re not making a splash at the Wet Deck, of course.
W Philadelphia is one of the top wellness-focused hotels in Philadelphia. / Photograph by Bre Furlong for Rory Creative/W Philadelphia
There, you can rent a private cabana in the heated year-round pool and bar area for a sun-soaked afternoon. Or sign up for morning Hydroga, a therapeutic pool yoga program led by The Lab’s Dave Hem, before you bid farewell — till next time, that is. Rooms from $329. —K.S.
Honey Hollow Farm
2799 Creamery Road, New Hope
Honey Hollow Farm in Bucks County / Photograph by Kristina D’Amico
There’s something special about Layla Broumand, a mother of three who wants to nurture everyone she meets. And she’s doing just that with pastoral pleasures at Honey Hollow Farm in Bucks County.
The 103-acre working farm has been in her husband Graham Phillips’s family for years, and it’s simply charming. A winding road leads past a 2,000-tree fruit orchard to a circa-1700s stone house where Broumand hosts her programming (and where you’ll stay if you’ve booked an overnight). The five bedrooms and four and a half baths mix modern creature comforts with historic details like original wood-beamed ceilings, and the cozy kitchen and dining area have been upgraded with state-of-the-art appliances.
The itinerary is customizable — you can sign up for a class, a day-long workshop or a multi-day retreat, or create your own. During my weekend visit this past summer, I practiced yoga in the garden along with a small group of women, led by Dig Yoga founder Sue Elkind; sipped on a lemon-and-lavender tea made by Broumand; and tried my hand at painting clouds under the direction of artist Kelly Money.
Photograph by Kristina D’Amico
The next morning was filled with a bit of everything thanks to a collab with SPA Pamper Parties, which offers in-home gatherings across the region — think DIY flower arranging and body-scrub concocting, chair massages, private sessions with psychic medium Julie Kraus, and a brunch prepared by Broumand.
And that’s where Broumand really shines — in the kitchen, via her Layla’s Table cooking experiences. One afternoon, we participated in a cooking demo to create sautéed wild mushrooms and a leek-and-potato soup thickened with cauliflower. As for brunch? Mocktails, a frittata, shakshuka and more.
At each meal, we all came together to share stories and learn about each other. And it was clear by the end that not only had we been nourished; we had prioritized self-care in unexpected, much-needed ways. Cooking experiences and workshops from $75; full-day retreats from $200; weekend stays from $1,800. —K.S.
Aman New York
730 5th Avenue, Manhattan
One of Aman New York’s suites. / Photograph courtesy of Aman New York
Few places can claim to be urban sanctuaries — unless they’re Aman New York, a 83-suite hotel in Manhattan’s Crown Building. Quiet luxury is everywhere here: The property has glass soundproofing throughout, the 14th-floor outdoor terrace/bar feels like a Zen garden with its reflecting pool and firepit, and the two restaurants are idyllic. (I’m still thinking about Arva’s artichokes with salsa verde and pecorino.)
The pièce de résistance? A three-story spa, complete with an integrative wellness center, a 3,000-square-foot gym, a two-person cryotherapy chamber, treatment rooms, an indoor swimming pool, and two private spa houses, with either a marble steam room or a wood sauna.
The banya at Aman New York’s spa / Photograph by Robert Rieger for Aman New York
During my personalized facial, my aesthetician, Joanne, gave my skin ultimate TLC with all-natural products like a moisturizing cream cleanser with aloe vera, plus an oxygen pump for reducing fine lines. Afterward, I felt revitalized and ready to re-enter the world with a sense of lasting peace. From $1,950 per night. —K.S.
Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia
1 North 19th Street, Center City
Photograph courtesy of Four Seasons Philadelphia
An elevator ride brimming with cityscape views transports you to the uppermost 12 floors of the Comcast Center, disconnecting you from the hustle and bustle at ground level and depositing you safely “above” the clouds.
If you only have a few hours to spare, the spa is a must — there are 700 pounds of calming crystals within its walls; massages and facials; nail and hair services fit for royalty; a sauna and steam room; a relaxation lounge you’ll never want to leave; and a state-of-the-art gym just steps away. The iconic infinity-edge pool is for hotel guests only — reason enough to splurge on a room.
Indulge in elevated bites and swanky cocktails at JG Skyhigh, all the seafood at Vernick Fish, or six courses of fine dining at Jean-Georges. And if it’s a truly special occasion, nightcap with the über-romantic Night Spa, where you get a private poolside couple’s massage plus bubbly, pastries, and roses from floral extraordinaire Jeff Leatham. Rooms from $650. —L.B.
The Reeds at Shelter Haven
9601 3rd Avenue, Stone Harbor
Photograph by Danielle Nowak/The Reeds
There’s a reason the Reeds is Oprah’s Shore hotel of choice. Now in its 10th year, the boutique resort in Stone Harbor — it’s just two blocks from the beach — boasts 58 rooms and suites that feel like mini coastal oases, plus five eateries with dishes that range from lobster spaghetti and raw-bar delights to pizza by the slice and fresh tacos (and margs!) that you can enjoy by the water.
Have a splash in the sundeck plunge pool or with complimentary water activities on the bay, or hit the soothing Salt Spa. While you can opt for a massage, facial, mani/pedi, haircut and color, or flotation therapy, you’d be remiss in not finding some R&R in the Himalayan salt lounge or with a mud treatment or scrub in the Turkish bath — the only one of its kind down the Shore. That all this seaside serenity is less than a two-hour drive away is a good — ahem, great — thing. Rooms from $458. —L.B.
Published as “Find Your Bliss: Day Trips & Staycations” in the 2024 issue of Be Well Philly.
