Wellness retreats and spa getaways in New York City and upstate New York
The picturesque Manhattan skyline and sunsets are visible from QC NY, a spa on Governors Island in Manhattan. Credit: QC New York
The hustle and bustle of life can be overwhelming and a self-care getaway may be the trick to boosting your mood and increasing your energy. Imagine a spa trip with all the fixings: a tranquil location near water or in the mountains, a relaxing massage and a yoga class to end the day. Travelers can venture to Manhattan and upstate New York for some R&R equipped with scenic views and plenty of self-care treatments.
“Being able to enjoy our spa services and then walk directly outside to our waterfront and relax with the clean air regardless of the season is something you won't find in a more metropolitan area,” says Chaille Ronning, spa director at The Sagamore Resort, in upstate Warren County on Green Island. “Our guests often rave about the picturesque views year round.”
Another relaxing island in the Empire State to visit requires a ferry trip, and once you're there, you'll feel very far from the New York City rush. “We wanted to create a year-round oasis away from the city where guests could come and take a deep breath,” says Andrea Quadrio-Curzio, CEO of QC Spa of Wonders. The QC NY SPA is in New York Harbor and visitors can see the iconic lower Manhattan skyline, Brooklyn and the Statue of Liberty from the resort.
If you're looking for a long weekend getaway, there are also secluded spas isolated by pastoral placement rather than aquatic acreage in upstate New York. “Wildflower Farms is intended to be an antidote to urban life,” says general manager Tom Donovan. Less than a two-hour drive from Manhattan, the resort features a 9-acre farm and is a short distance to the Shawangunk Mountains for those looking to explore nature. Another hour north in Greene County, a visit to Piaule Catskill—known as a “landscape hotel,” due to its scenic surroundings—provides stunning views of the peaks on which the region is famed. The hotel's cofounder Nolan McHugh notes that the area has a "majestic presence that has drawn tourists to the area long before we were around.”
Whether you're looking to book a day trip or overnight stay, here are relaxing spa destinations that will help recharge your mind, body and soul:
On an island
The Sagamore Resort
110 Sagamore Rd., Bolton Landing
The exterior of The Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing, New York Credit: Opal Collection / The Sagamore Resort
Spa services offered at this resort include facials, scrubs, wraps and massages, as well as the option to mellow out in the steam room or the sauna. The Sagamore spa also added The Salt & Sound Lounge in 2023, where clients can receive halotherapy, a treatment that uses micro-particles of salt with the intention of detoxing the respiratory system and absorbing allergens, as well as treating eczema and psoriasis. Body treatments and facials start at $190 for 60 minutes, massages start at $85 for 30 minutes; prices vary based on the duration of session and types of treatment.
If you're staying the night, the resort has restaurants onsite, a heated outdoor pool and an indoor pool—both with views of Lake George. Acoustic guitar winter events are held on Fridays and Saturdays from 7 to 9 p.m. around a bonfire, where guests can snack on S'mores. There’s also an indoor recreation center that hosts family nights and games like basketball, Foosball and Ping-Pong. Off the grounds, patrons can go skiing or tubing and during the warmer months, guests can try white water rafting, horseback riding and waterskiing. Guided 180-minute hikes (starting at $200 for 1-4 people) can be arranged on one of three trails that range in difficulty; hourlong yoga classes start at $145 (for 1-3 people). Rooms start at $212 for a one-night stay.
More info 518-644-9400, opalcollection.com
QC NY
112 Andes Rd., Governors Island
This sauna is one of the wellness services available at QC NY, a spa located on Governors Island in Manhattan. Credit: QC New York
Only accessible via ferry (govisland.com), the service runs daily every half-hour from the Battery Maritime Building (10 South St., Manhattan) from 7 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. weekdays, until 9:15 p.m. weekends; the last ferry back to Manhattan leaves at 11 p.m. daily. Ferry tickets are $4.
Once at the resort, guests will find outdoor pools with views of the lower Manhattan skyline. Guests can access them via heated walkways and tunnels, and robes are kept on warming racks. During summer, there are pools to cool off and patrons can also stroll the spa’s gardens. There’s a café serving food and drink including warm beverages and cocktails, beer and wine. There is also a sauna that looks out at the city vista. Steam rooms and infrared beds are on hand for relaxation, as are foot baths, Vichy showers and massage packages. Three-hour spa sessions (and “sunset” sessions that begin at 5 p.m.) start at $98, five-hour sessions start at $124, all-day sessions with no time limits start at $158. Massages for one start at $100, couples $200.
More info 646-402-9647, qcny.com
On a farm
Wildflower Farms
2702 Main St., Gardiner
This pool is part of the amenities from which to experience within the Thistle spa at the Wildflower Farms resort in Gardiner, New York Credit: Auberge Resorts Collection
The spa at Wildflower, named Thistle, is where patrons can receive treatments in one of six rooms, or in its dry sauna, its indoor saltwater pool or its outdoor hot tubs. Bodywork (starting at $205) and facials ($235-$365) are available, as are a body scrub ($195-$275), massages and its “Recovery Remedy,” where air compression therapy and lymphatic leg treatment is intended to alleviate leg pain while acupressure massage is applied to the head, neck and hands. Beyond the spa, guests can receive a sound bath ($300), reiki (starting at $125), astrology readings (starting at $125 for 30 minutes), guided nutritional IV therapy sessions ($175 per guest; minimum of four guests) and the “Shawangunk Wellness Revival,” a guided private session designed to discover and disperse stress and muscle tension via chakra balancing, acupuncture and cupping among other methods ($300). Wildflower offers personal training and yoga plus 3 miles of hiking trails and a 3,500-square-foot fitness center. Cabins, suites and cottages are ready for those seeking to stay (nightly rates start at $1,000), and those making a trip of it can try things like feeding resident chickens in the morning (daily; free), making your own apple cider doughnuts (Thursdays and Sundays through March; $155), check out live music (Fridays; free), or take a botanical mixology class (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays; $95). The venue’s Clay New American restaurant serves breakfast and dinner daily; lunch on weekdays and brunch on weekends.
More info 855-472-3188, aubergeresorts.com
In the mountains
Piaule Catskill
333 Mossy Hill Rd., Catskill
This indoor pool is available for guests at Piaule, a hotel in Catskill, New York Credit: Sean Davidson
Dip in the heated pool, take a mineral plunge or relax in the steam room and sauna, which is only open to overnight guests. Massage sessions are available (starting at $250), as are yoga and movement classes ($40). Guests can also try sound baths ($50) and reiki ($200) or try forest bathing ($40-$50), a mindful, walking experience through a wooded area. Guests can stay in cabins that look out onto the landscape or have dinner in Piaule’s restaurant. Nightly rates start at $434.
More info 518-719-1919, piaule.com
