Thanks to Ozempic, the word “weight loss” is back in the air. For years, wellness resorts steered clear of overtly advertising weight-loss programs during the age of body positivity, but now they’re cashing in on a renewed interest in the subject.
For the past 48 years, Hilton Head Health, a wellness resort in South Carolina, has offered programs focused on weight loss through dietary changes and exercise. But the resort recently began overhauling all of its language to more clearly cater to its customer base whose goals are to lose weight, a resort spokesperson told The Washington Post. And it’s not alone: Carillon Miami Wellness Resort is urging guests to “ditch the Ozempic” and try the resort’s “innovative wellness” services, which include holistic nutrition plans and non-invasive weight-loss treatments.
Here are five resorts willing to help guests lose weight, shed fat, slim their waists and firm their butts — no prescription peptides required.
Weigh it and take it home
One of Hilton Head Health’s most rigorous packages, LoseWell, is a four-week program that starts at $18,660. Program director David Chesworth said the program is “very immersive, very hands-on, very structured.”
The program includes an orientation with weight and body tracking, workshops, group workouts, a session with a fitness coach, a Pilates reformer session, weekly consultations with a wellness counselor and two individual sessions with a nutritionist.
While only 12 percent of guests choose the one-month program, Chesworth said most guests “come to South Carolina Health looking to lose 10 to 20 pounds.”The Jumpstart program is a popular program designed to give guests “tools and strategies” to implement at home as they work toward their weight goal.
Few options
At Lily of the Valley, a luxury wellness resort in the south of France specialising in weight loss, guests are permitted to enjoy just one glass of wine a day (this daily drink is approved by the five-star resort’s consultant nutritionist, Jack Fricker).
Laura Durozay, wellness manager for the resort’s Shape Club, said the wine accompanies “an indulgent menu that pairs well with weight-loss goals.” Durozay said it’s part of the “French way of losing weight,” adding, “There’s no intimidating fasting or medical approach here.” Indeed, the St. Tropez wellness resort, which opened in 2019, promotes the “French way” in all things health and wellness.
Four-day programs (Serenity for Optimal Weight, Intensive or Sport for Weight Loss) start at $2,700 and go up to $8,700 for the full 14-day program. Guests lose an average of 10.5 pounds over their seven-day stay. With a variety of treatments, fitness coaching and daily health monitoring by dieticians and nutritionists, guests “have fun losing weight.”
Iberian Husky
The latest wellness offering at Pine Cliffs Resort in Portugal’s Algarve region will help you adopt a new attitude towards weight loss.
The managed program includes a fitness assessment by a personal trainer, nutritional consultation (with a plan to continue at home), detox kit, lymphatic drainage massage, and slimming massage. Group fitness classes and personal training sessions are also included in the new program, with rates starting at about $2,000 for a seven-night stay.
Maria Dray, regional director for Serenity Spa, who is responsible for the development of all the resort’s retreats, said the new program is the result of guest feedback and “market trends and innovation.”The resort’s multidisciplinary team of spa therapists, personal trainers and nutritionists are also available to provide individual support to help guests reach their goals.
Shrink Lunker
When Santani Wellness Kandy opened in 2016, a weight-loss program was a top priority. But exercise isn’t the only way to lose weight at this Sri Lankan resort: It uses Ayurvedic and Western spa treatments to help detox, burn fat, and increase your metabolic rate without making you sweat profusely.
It includes a customized diet and herbal medicines to boost metabolism, as well as panchakarma therapy – cleanses and enemas to clear residual toxins – but it doesn’t involve strenuous exercise or strict dietary restrictions.
Run by Dr Nimesha Dissanayake, the Weight Management Programme (from $4,590 for a five-night minimum) is designed to suit each guest’s individual body type and goals, and works by regulating the digestive and elimination systems.
Qatar Pounder
Chiva-Som’s Zraal Wellness Resort claims to be the Middle East’s first “fully immersive wellbeing resort.”
At a Natural Slimming Retreat in Qatar (stays from three to 14 days, from $1,100 per night), you’ll learn how to manage your weight long-term through a personalized fitness and nutrition plan, with the goal being to lose weight at a healthy pace.
Instead of traditional minibars, rooms offer health-conscious refrigerators stocked with dates, nuts and berries. Meals are freshly prepared and “modest in portions but beautifully presented,” says Juliana Habchi, Zural’s senior nutritionist. Naturally, the resort does not serve alcohol.
