Na Ho'ola - Honolulu, USA

I recently had the pleasure of hitting the Hawaiian island of Oahu for some spa time at one of Waikiki Beach’s most popular hotels, the Hyatt Regency. The in-house Na Ho’ola “two-story, 10,000 square-foot resort spa offers deluxe facilities and a luxurious array of specialty services that evoke the essence of Waikiki Beach.” Their wide range of treatments encompasses full body treatments, massages, and facials. They cater to both men and women, along with offering couples treatments; however this is an adult only spa. On their easy and navigable website, one can find all of the amenities and can book through a simple phone call.

It is preferred that guests arrive twenty to thirty minutes early to utilize the relaxation lounge and sauna or fitness room on the third floor, but give yourself even more time because the elevator is somewhat hidden, creating an unfortunate maze feel. As I entered the lobby I was greeted and taken care of, however the lobby didn’t offer a clear differentiation between its shop and where to check in. Although it boasts a 10,000 square foot facility, it feels much smaller, save for the floor to ceiling windows facing the blue Pacific. Once given a locker for my belongings, I moseyed down to the locker room through another maze...and based on my prior statement about mazes I think you can gather that they aren’t apart of my relaxation process! This maze had you use the stairwell which had been painted in some interesting pastel green tones to mask the fact that it is where we would all be funneling if there actually was a fire...this part of Na Ho’ola is, in a word, unprofessional. The locker area was private and quiet though once I entered; it contributed to the fact that I was there to relax. The redeeming qualities of the spa ensued though as I discovered the staff to be extremely talented and accommodating. My massage was amazing, and let me just walk you through this my friends: I was greeted by my masseuse and shown to the treatment room. The bed was toasty warm and nearly perfect in comfort without being adjusted. He asked me what spots on my back to focus on besides the therapeutic massage itself, which was very well done. I had to fight to stay awake so I could properly write this review, that’s how relaxed I was! My only vice about the treatment room is that it was not intimate in space at all; also, the background music was a ukulele and acoustic loop that came around much too fast. After my massage I was free to lounge in the relaxation room for as long as I wanted...and I did. They had fabulous snacks and tea that were refreshing. There are also books, the day’s newspaper, and chairs facing out to the ocean to enjoy.

Overall, if you are staying at the Hyatt, this is worth a visit for an afternoon treatment. It will add to your relaxation and with the Hawaiian focus on ingredients, it will be special. I cannot tout this as a destination spa though, and would like to see newer awards than the 2006 and earlier ones they still reference.