The Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, an oceanfront spa resort affiliated with The Leading Hotels of the World, recently added new touchless wellness equipment to its array of high-tech experiences. I had the chance to sample a few of the numerous new modalities, during a two-hour-plus Wellness Circuit when I revisited this past March.
An Oceanview Suite at The Carillon Miami
Upon arrival, I recalled the first time I experienced The Carillon, in 2019, and stayed in one of the resort’s spacious ocean-view apartments and participated in some of the many fitness classes offered. (On this recent visit, I noticed that the daily movement schedule posted next to the elevator offered twelve activities, between 8:00 in the morning to 5:00in the evening.)
Starting the Wellness Circuit
Having already elected to try the Detoxification & Optimal Weight Circuit, from the list of menu options, I rode up to reception to start my day at the multi-level spa facility. Arnaldo, who shepherded me through the circuit, was aware that the experience had previously been personalized to account for my claustrophobia. He made sure that the infrared pod he chose for me was the Prism Light Pod, in which I was able to fully relax, because the top stayed partially open. I was also content to lie passively on both water beds: the Wave by Wellsystem offered a pleasant thirty-minute head-to-toe bubble massage; the heated Gharieni model included soothing sound therapy through earphones.
High-Tech Healing
When my spa guru introduced me to the power of the BioCharger—which claims to deliver healing energy frequencies—he held an elongated light bulb in his hands, which lit up as soon as he turned on the mechanism. During that session, I sensed the kind of tingling that sometimes accompanies a micro-current facial.
At one point, I admired the Somadome pod, “the world’s first technology enabled meditation pod combining color, sound, and energy therapies to create the physical space to experience the benefits of meditation,” but did not go inside a bubble with a closed lid.
Personal Preferences & Final Touchless Treatments
The cryotherapy chamber
Did I happen to mention my aversion to cold? I’ve tried cryotherapy in the past, but it’s a never-again experience for me. So, I also avoided a full range of options, which are claimed to be beneficial. For the final meditative experience, I happily lounged in the relaxing Himalayan Salt Chamber and breathed deeply to take advantage of the promise of better breathing, healthier skin, and stress relief.
My schedule included a break with enough time to take a short stroll on the Miami Beach Boardwalk, a shrub-lined, nine-mile pedestrian oceanfront promenade. Then, I lunched on the poolside patio at The Strand restaurant, where I ate a beautiful, healthful, deconstructed crabmeat and avocado salad. (The more intimate restaurant—Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt—opens for dinner only and holds a rare-for-Miami, Michelin star.)
Traditional Spa Time
Back at the locker room, as I readied for what I love best—a traditional touchy-feely massage and a hydrating facial—I remembered that on my first experience, years earlier, I arrived early to take advantage of the Thermal Hydrotherapy Circuit, a comprehensive series of hot and cold experiences that activate circulation. Here, it includes tropical rain showers, an herbal laconium hammam, a sauna, a foot bath, a crystal steam room, an igloo, Finnish sauna, and a vitality tub with jets. Marvelous!
On this occasion, I changed into a robe and went directly to the relaxation room to wait for the masseuse. Danielle custom tailored the treatment by adding lymphatic drainage techniques to tackle a travel-related issue: my ankles swell on flights and stay puffy, probably from so many salt-saturated, restaurant meals while I’m traveling.
A Facial with Substance
Next, my esthetician, Kim, custom designed The Carillon Seaside facial to address my specific skin needs. She chose hydrating products from Comfort Zone to nourish my sensitive, dry, and aging skin. The service started with the inhalation of Tranquility oil, which blends sweet orange, rose, and cedarwood and continues with an Essential Scrub exfoliant. The protocol includes a non-acid Essential peel with pineapple/bromelain; a soothing face massage; and, a Renight mask. Kim checked my pores and removed some impurities—an essential procedure that is missing from many spa facials these days—before ending with deep moisturizers: Lift eye cream, Hydramemory serum, and Sublime fluid moisturizer.
Post-Treatment Reflections
The thermal foot bath at the spa
Afterwards, in the relaxation room, I took a few moments to rest on a lounge outfitted with a radiant-heated Zenergy healing pad. Then, I dressed and went up to the rooftop pool, admiring the expansive view and wishing I could spend a full week at The Carillon and could try some of the medical wellness options. (Hypnosis to reduce claustrophobia would be welcomed.)
I can’t pinpoint which one of the modalities stimulated my body, or if it was the fusion of them all that provoked the change, but I can attest that, together, they made a difference: my body started to detoxify and continued to for a couple of days.
“Come as you are. Leave as you’ve never been.” The Carillon motto was true for me.
Irvina Lew
Irvina Lew is an award-winning freelance contributor to a variety of travel books, lifestyle magazines, and websites. As a dedicated spa aficionado, the Long Island, New York native has been introducing readers to the world’s best spa venues and experiences for decades. Readers can find many of her published pieces posted on her website: irvinalew.com and by following @sipsupstayspa. Her newest book, Forays in France: A Flavorful Memoir features alluring spas in France and Monaco; some are described at foraysinfrance.com.