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For 2024, travelers are turning their sights to the skies. We’re not talking about road-tripping to see a solar eclipse; rather, the predominant travel trend this season is centered on aligning your trip with the stars in the astrology sense. One such example? Grand Wailea’s Kilolani Spa in Maui, Hawaii, which offers luxury wellness treatments that evolve with the current cycle of the moon.
Coming on the heels of post-pandemic ‘revenge travel’ trends, zodiac-inspired travel is the latest movement globetrotters are tapping into to plan a getaway. On TikTok, the Astrocartography trend — which entails transposing your birth chart to destinations that jibe with your ruling planets — has amassed over 15 million posts. Just this year, we’ve also seen astrology app Sanctuary team up with boutique hotels to offer zodiac-themed activations like celestial cocktail menus and tarot card readings. Maui’s Grand Wailea Hotel was one step ahead of the trend when it opened its $55 million Kilolani Spa in February 2024.
Created in collaboration with spa consultancy TLEE Spas + Wellness, the concept behind the spa is inspired by its namesake Kilolani, which refers to ancient Hawaiian stargazers who used the moon to guide various aspects of daily life. Rather than a set spa menu, Kilolani Spa customizes treatments that are in lockstep with the lunar phase at the time of your visit. Custom oils and bodywork rituals are selected to support the energy of the current phase, providing you with a heightened sense of grounding and harmony — and isn’t that what we all want out of a vacation?
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Set on a lush, beachfront alcove on the southwest coast of Maui, the 50,000-square-foot Kilolani Spa (the largest in the state of Hawaii) features 40 treatment rooms, Hydrotherapy Gardens, a meditation lounge, and the only Hammam in the Aloha State.
Renowned luxury interior design atelier Tihany Designs worked with Grand Wailea to make Kilolani Spa an ode to Hawaii’s natural beauty. The Kilolani Spa has a distinct open-air design: Many treatment rooms face the ocean, the outdoor baths are ensconced in local foliage, and the treatments themselves incorporate native botanicals and signature products hand-crafted on Maui.
To further connect spa guests with Hawaiian culture, many of the offerings at Kilolani Spa draw on practices that locals have passed down through generations. For an intensive treatment that fully roots you in the restorative locale, the 120-minute Helu Pō Ritual highlights native botanical remedies, bodywork, and mindfulness practices for a mind-body retreat. For a more traditional treatment that still offers local flavor, the Lomilomi Massage is inspired by the ocean itself, with slow and steady bodywork that mimics the ocean’s rolling waves. Tired travelers will relish in the ‘Awa Deep Tissue Massage, which entails deep tissue therapy and Hawaiian plant medicine for an energizing, stress-melting experience. And for the astrology obsessed, the 180-minute Unwind the Soul Healing & Astrology Reading includes an in-depth birth chart reading.
Kilolani Spa combines these ancient rituals with modern-day technology. The Haute Tailored Signature Facial includes LED light therapy for firming and brightening benefits, plus a microcurrent session that delivers lifting, sculpting benefits.
All visitors will want to carve out time to relax in Kilolani Spa’s expansive Hydrotherapy Gardens, where you can roam and indulge in steam rooms, waterfall showers, outdoor saunas, a saltwater flotation therapy pool, and cold plunge tubs at your leisure (one hour of access is included with a booked spa service; guests can also book a two-hour day pass for $125).
You don’t have to be an astrophile to appreciate a treatment at the Kilolani Spa — this luxury destination is an oasis inside an oasis that serves relaxation on a silver platter. The cherry on top? You’ll leave with more than just buttery-soft skin and a quiet mind, as the rituals and setting give guests a deeper understanding of Hawaiian culture and a sense of connectivity to the grounds you’re exploring.
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Meet the Author
Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for Footwear News and WWD, where she writes and edits beauty, fashion and lifestyle stories. She has over eight years of experience as a writer and editor for national media outlets including Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She keeps her finger on the pulse of all things related to beauty and wellness, as well as the latest shopping trends and clothing brands. Sullivan regularly reports on luxury spa treatments and beauty rituals.
