Transcend into a State of Zen

Architects reserved the best views at Rosewood Little Dix Bay (rosewoodhotels.com) for the Caribbean resort’s Sense Spa. Set atop the highest point on property, the eight-treatment-room oasis imparts the feeling of ascension as you enter, rising to another level of existence—literally. Because at the top of the stone steps, just beyond the tranquil pool surrounded by palms, there it is: not a view but the view, the sparkling turquoise of the Sir Francis Drake Channel cradled in the embrace of one of the British Virgin Islands’ most coveted coves.

That feeling of transcendence hits fast, but it’s not fleeting. Even the most high-strung of guests go from Type A to Type B here, forced to instantly unwind to the sounds of cascading water and rustling palm leaves. Treatment rooms are tucked away in jungle-filled nooks, each with its own private balcony for taking in the breezes and panoramas. Rosewood’s Sense is known for luxurious treatments, and you’ll find plenty of them here—including antiaging facials from French-Japanese skincare brand EviDenS de Beauté—but the most long-lasting wellness moments come from locally inspired rituals such as the Baths Journey, using the healing waters of Virgin Gorda’s famed Baths, and the Lost Remedies treatments, which draw from traditional island healing methods (like body wraps using relaxing jumbie tree leaves).

The state of zen continues long after you’ve landed back on solid ground, descending the stairs back to the 81-room resort, which, fresh off a renovation (initiated by 2017’s Hurricane Irma and extended during the pandemic lockdowns), has modernized and preserved in perfect balance. Newly updated are the guest rooms, including the iconic Tree House Suites, now featuring light woods, indigo textiles, and vintage beach photography. The new farm is worth a visit for a primer on the organic ingredients peppered throughout the menus at the spa and three restaurants—and for the chance to make friends with a few resident goats, chickens, or turtles. (More obvious forms of wellness include tennis, yoga, and a session with a private trainer at the fitness center.) What isn’t new, however, is the broad stretch of golden sand Laurance S. Rockefeller once called “wilderness beach.” And today, same as ever, it still delightfully is.