Best Spa in Mexico: The Water Ceremony Grand Velas SE Spa

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I recently visited Grand Velas Riviera Maya, the most spectacular luxury all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen. TripAdvisor has honored Grand Velas Riviera Maya among the “10 Best All-Inclusive Hotels in the World”. After a visit, I agree wholeheartedly. This is the most beautiful luxury all-inclusive resort I’ve visited (anywhere).

Everything about Grand Velas Riviera Maya is stellar. The service is excellent. The restaurants offer a wide variety of experiences including a specialty haute-cuisine option. The grounds and pools are pristine. The white sand beach is dotted with palm trees and absolutely gorgeous. They also offer a 24-hour concierge service for every guest.

Grand Velas Riviera Maya is hospitality at it’s finest. Upon arrival, I was greeted with a glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne and escorted to a lovely seating area to be checked into my room. From the moment I arrived, it was a first-class experience.

While I loved everything about Grand Velas Riviera Maya, it’s the world-class spa I can’t stop dreaming about.

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SE Spa is a huge, 42-room space and is one of Mexico’s largest spas. SE Spa is not only first class, but it offers a hydrothermal journey like no other. In fact, SE Spa by Grand Velas Riviera Maya won the “Best Spa in Mexico” for delivering the “best” experience for both body and soul.

The Hydrotherapy Water Ceremony Experience

The hour-long Water Journey is a relaxation ritual built around the use of the seven custom-designed amenities that include a clay room, circular glass-tile-lined steam room with a fiber-optic “starlight” ceiling, ice room with a floor-to-ceiling window, and hot-and-cold experience showers. A central infinity pool with massaging faucets throughout and carved-stone chaises with jets set just underneath the surface of the water top off the experience.

The spa is separated into two identical spaces; one for women and one for men.

The water ceremony begins by checking into the spa and being escorted to the women’s spa and changing room where I put on my bathing suit. I was then introduced to my spa valet who explained the entire ceremony and guided me through the experience. She took me from one therapy to another, all the while providing me with chilled water and towels when needed and instructions for each step.

Water represents transformation, as it purifies, clarifies and renews our being; this source of life provides wellness in each particle as we experience the Water Ceremony.

Water Ceremony: Step by Step

For most of the below steps, I could choose to stay in each room for three to 10 minutes. Each of the therapy rooms has unique and healing aromatherapy.

1. Sauna with lavender aromatherapy.

2. Color Therapy Steam Room with eucalyptus oil and a ceiling of stars to provide the benefits of color therapy.

3. Sensation Shower – alternating hot and cold water treatment. This is a bi-thermal shower along with an ice fountain with mint essence to balance the body’s temperature. It is a traditional detoxifying therapy that works in contrast to the dry heat of the sauna.

4. Clay Room with cinnamon aromatherapy where I was slathered from head to toe in a healing clay treatment.

5. Ice room with lemongrass aromatherapy.

The Water Journey help activates your metabolism.

For the next steps in the journey; the plunge pools, jacuzzi and pool therapies can be used as long as desired.

6. The Sensation Pool: This is a huge pool with jets that massage your shoulders and also has a bubbling bed station for seriuos relaxation.

7. Sensory Pebble walkway. The path on the left is hot and the path on the right is very cold. This stimulates your feet and legs.

8. Cascades & Jets Powerful water to massage the neck and back.

9. Bubble Beds These are carved-stone chaises with jets set just underneath the surface for a bubbly relaxing therapy.

10. Jacuzzi

11. Hot Tub & Cold Plunge pool a dip into hot and then cold water helps to bring the blood to the surface and then back to your organs. A very healthy way to end the ‘official therapy’.

12. Relax on a Lounge Chair My spa valet brought me a robe, towels, and water. Then I melted into a lounge chair for some additional relaxation.

13. Vitamin C or lavender shower. Before heading to the changing room, I was offered a final shower with healing vitamin C or relaxing lavendar.

14. Feeling extremely pampered!

It’s no surprise that SE Spa was named in the Forbes Travel Guide list of, “The World’s Most Luxurious Spas”. This list is just 30 spas from 6 countries.

The hydrotherapy ceremony is included when you book a treatment of 50 minutes or more. Spa guests have access to a relaxation area along with a hydrotherapy circuit that includes a clay room, an ice room, and an experience pool, all infused with aromatic essences. If you are not having other spa treatments, you can enjoy the water ceremony for $80.

If you are having spa treatments, you might find yourself in this gorgeous room!

About Velas Resorts: Velas Resorts feature five spectacular luxury resorts, including Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, Velas Vallarta Suites Resort, Casa Velas in Puerto Vallarta and Grand Velas Riviera Maya in Playa del Carmen. With contemporary luxury accommodations, world-class spas, gourmet restaurants, and gorgeous landscapes, they each offer an indefinable hospitality experience.

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