Words: Josh Lee
If, at this point of the year, you’re already feeling battered by the onslaught of project deadlines, the weight of the relentless tasks list is feeling heavy, and the skin is looking a little weathered from the stress (and, most likely, the unforgiving city conditions), you may want to consider a flight to Lošinj, the ‘healing island’ in Croatia’s west that’s renowned for its splendid quality of air and 2,600 hours of sunshine a year. Dubrovnik is the draw card for the Game of Thrones die-hards, and Split has the lovely remains of Diocletian’s Palace, but Lošinj possesses the power to help travellers find a new lust for life.
For more than a century, the destination’s purifying sea air – an amalgamation of factors related to climate, local flora and the island's removal from polluted climes – has attracted those with respiratory and lung issues, and, these days, it’s a true pull for frequent flyers looking for a mind-and-body reset and the chance to experience the soft, botanical fragrances of myrtle, sage and rosemary that whirl around the air. Hotel Bellevue, a contemporary high-end stay that pokes its head out of a thick stretch of vegetation, is one of the island’s marquee stays, its waterside location and pared-down scheme creating an easygoing setting for the wellness seekers, its spa facilities a cocoon for those hoping to be swaddled for days on end.
The gentle tone continues into the atrium, an airy space with natural finishes – the terrazzo-style flooring is a particular highlight – and glass walls that let the daylight flood in and hit the neutral tones of marl greys, light browns and white. Within guest rooms, the modern fit-outs are kept as fuss-free as possible, so as to let emphasis and attention remain firmly on the scenery outside, whether of the sea or the parkland. Options within the broad range begin with the Superior Atrium, complete with a French balcony; then move up to the Bellevue Suite, which is set up with a whirlpool and a vantage point over Čikat bay and the waters; and finish with the 185sq m Presidential Suite, a sizeable accommodation that can host eight, so is perfect if your friends and family wish to detox, too.
But, of course, the true magnet to these shores, as the Viennese aristocracy once knew, is the opportunity to rejuvenate. At Hotel Bellevue, the spa offerings – ‘a complete ecosystem of wellness’, as it’s billed – are extensive and singular, and comprise typical hallmarks of a leader in the field: seven treatment rooms, a pair of couple’s suites complete with private sauna and steam area, three chronotherapy waterbeds, a cryosauna, and a heated indoor seawater pool and Jacuzzi.
Of the treatment programme, highlights include: the Venus Legacy, which targets the reduction of dark circles, cellulite and stretch marks; Ultherapy, a session that focuses on facial lifting and tightening; and the Cryo-Glow, one of the spa’s classic programmes whose use of botanicals and steel ‘ice’ wands soothes inflammation, reduces puffiness and tightens pores in order to leave your complexion feeling as smooth as a Stevie Wonder track.
Additionally, for a true holistic approach, you may also want to consider the Sea-Tox, a comprehensive detox programme that makes use of ‘detoxifying foods, movement-driven activities and targeted spa treatments’, all of which is enhanced by cutting-edge medical tech and available in a trio of packages – a Mini (three days), a Classic (seven days) and an Advanced (14 days).
More sedate activity comes in the form of lounging in the outdoor seawater pool, complete with sunbeds and a spa garden, and for those who’ve been on their feet non-stop for the past three months, or need some soothing after having spent too much time hitting the keyboard, there are pedicure and manicure lounges on site, too.
Then, further antidotes to the body’s strains arrive in the form of Matsunoki, the hotel’s Japanese restaurant overseen by Orhan Cakiroglu, a chef with Nobu and Zuma pedigree, and, who here, draws upon the local larder to create wonderful maki, nigiri and myriad other staples of the sushi counter. To help it all down is a bevy of whiskys by the likes of The Yamazaki and Hibiki, and there’s also a great wine programme that zones in on native drops, as well as Old and New World bottles. Though it may seem a little counterintuitive to dabble in a glass or two, we argue that indulgence can often be the best remedy of all.
- Hotel Bellevue, Čikat 9, 51550 Mali Lošinj, Croatia, losinj-hotels.com
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