The Well Opens in Cabo
Since The Well first opened in Manhattan back in 2019 as a members-only wellness club (in the wake of the pandemic, its doors have opened to all), it has become known for its pitch-perfect, luxurious-yet-unintimidating approach to holistic health. Founders Kane Sarhan, Rebecca Parekh and Sarrah Hallock partnered with Auberge Resorts Collection to launch The Well, Mayflower Inn, a serene country retreat in Connecticut, and The Well at Hacienda AltaGracia, a remote haven in the mountains of Costa Rica, deftly executing the concept’s first two expansions outside the city so that they maintain the character and mission of the original while also offering something completely unique (and worth traveling for). And now, they’ve done it again.
The Well Chileno Bay at Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection opened in January in Los Cabos, a place historically associated more with hedonism—there’s a tequila bar at the airport’s baggage claim–than wellbeing. The tides are turning, in Cabo as they are nearly everywhere else, and The Well is once again leading the way. Chileno Bay is a swanky, secluded resort with one of the only truly swimmable beaches in the Los Cabos area. The waters of the Sea of Cortez are clear and gentle; there is a thriving coral reef just in front of the hotel flush with darting, colorful fish; migrating whales flip their tails in the distance and pelicans swoop overhead. It’s a restful, beautiful spot, and The Well team drew inspiration from the location’s natural splendor as well as from the healing traditions of Baja California when developing the space and the treatments.
New York-based interior designer Nina Gotlieb, who also partnered with The Well for both its Mayflower and Hacienda AltaGracia locations, sought to use only locally-sourced materials–including Parota wood, travertine, selenite, and palm leaves—and incorporated elements of fire and water, reflective of Baja’s desert and sea, throughout. The Nap Garden & Reflexology Pool area, in particular, is a stunner. A circular central pool, fed by three spouts of melodiously gushing water, is pebbled with stones to activate reflexology points on the feet, and the way that the daylight falls on the enclosed area makes you feel as though you are wading in a sundial—the connection to the energy of water, air, earth and light, is immediate. That’s the very special trick that The Well always manages to pull off: what could feel hokey—every visit at Chileno Bay starts with a meditation and a sage-burning energy cleanse enacted while you stand inside a vibrating singing bowl—feels purposeful. The Bath House, which every guest proceeds to after that moment-of-mindfulness initiation, is a green-tiled, verdant outdoor space where you can dip in and out of a heated thalassotherapy pool, salt sauna, steam room, and cold plunge. By the time you’ve done a circuit or two, you are blissed out, brimming with gratitude (how could you not be?), and prepped for whatever treatment is to follow.
When I visited in February, I tried two of the signature treatments: The Method and Celestial Bathing. The Method was, hands down, one of the best bodywork experiences I’ve ever had, 120 minutes of heaven involving lymphatic drainage, gentle exfoliation, intuitive massage, and a targeted skin-firming session with a LYMA laser. Celestial Bathing is a nighttime therapy that takes place in the Bath House’s pool by candlelight, and although it can be likened to other treatments such as Watsu that involve guided movements in water, it is truly unique. My buoyancy assisted with flotation straps on my ankles, the therapist gently swirled my body to and fro in the water like a used-car-lot balloon. “You are a beautiful baby,” she cooed, and told me that if I relaxed enough, I might see the colors of my own aura. I did not, but I did see the glimmering stars above Cabo as I lay on a massage bed afterward while she combed a mask through my hair. I drifted back to my room afterwards feeling as though I had regressed to the womb and recaptured, in an ineffable way, some kind of long ungraspable peace.
For those with dedicated transformation in mind, there will be set programs such as the four-day The Well Reset, designed by Frank Lipman, MD, as well as focused retreats and visiting masters to further enlighten holistic health devotees. But as a modern and forward-thinking alternative to a hotel spa, The Well at Chileno Bay also simply acts as a nice respite—and perhaps an aha moment—for those who come to Cabo primarily for tequila-quaffing and sun worshipping. Right now, it still feels like a secret. It won’t for long.
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