A typical day at your normal wellness retreat might include some hydrotherapy, a spa lunch and a little meditation time on your yoga mat. But what if you could roll all those experiences into your next hotel stay? Rent a villa for a night at East Clare Golf Village near Bodyke in County Clare, Ireland, or the Falls Resort in Chilliwack, British Columbia, in Canada and you can do all that and then some, since these are the world's only two hotels using the integrated holistic Japanese Nikken system (
nikken.com). The "wellness villas" have specially purified and filtered water for showering, drinking and cooking. Purified and ionized air circulates through the rooms (and even in your car courtesy of a portable Hepa filter). A double-adjustable air-chamber bed, bedding that incorporates antibacterial bamboo, and strategic use of magnets and tourmaline all contribute to a sound sleep by triggering the body's natural healing process. The next morning, your breakfast will be cooked on patented cookware designed to reduce the free radicals produced in food. And lest you be fearful of leaving these healthy environs behind, you can rest easy since it's all available to take home.
—Charlene Rooke