It’s so easy for me, like many moms, to get lost in my family’s needs even when on vacation. That’s not to say my family is demanding because they’re not. I couldn’t imagine traveling with anyone else but sometimes I could use a moment to myself. When in Maui, the Terme Hydrotherapy Circuit in the Grand Wailea’s Spa Grande offers the perfect escape.
When talking about a trip to the spa you’re probably thinking of a massage or maybe a facial and those are lovely. I enjoyed a classic 50-minute massage and the experience truly was blissful but the hour I experienced in the Terme Hydrotherapy Circuit an hour before my treatment was what really won me over.
As expected with anything associated with the Grand Wailea, a Woldorf Astoria resort, the facilities at the Spa Grande were indeed grand. The large chandelier hanging in the lobby set the stage for what waited beyond the doors.
Although the Spa Grandea is clothing optional (women only) I choose to wear my swimsuit for the hydrotherapy circuit. I changed and grabbed my towel and rubber soled sliders found in my locker. Don’t let the digital code lockers fool you, the Terme Hydrotherapy Circuit is like entering a roman bath with high ceilings, fountains and mosaic tiles.
Before starting the circuit I was invited into an antae room where I was sprayed with a warm shower, rubbed vigorously with an exfoliate bar and then showered off again. This service included in the hydrotherapy experience was a perfect way to prepare my body for the water circuit .
The Terme Hydrotherapy Circuit is divided into three main rooms. My first dip in the Western room was in the circular thermal tub followed by a cold plunge. There was also a dry sauna and a Eucalyptus steam room in the same area for guests to enjoy.
Moving into the Eastern room I found traditional hot and cold Furo baths along with handheld showers for rinsing. Throughout the circuit I was reminded to keep hydrated and the Spa Grand had both chilled water as well as iced peach tea available to sip while resting in a few lounge chairs.
After experiencing the Western and Eastern hot and cold pools I moved into the Hawaiian Island room, the area most of the spa guests seemed to gravitate toward. The main draw in this part of the spa was the 5 Hawaiian sea salt baths in their rainbow of colours. Each bath represented a different Hawaiian island by using natural elements from the island to soothe, rejuvenate and heal your body.
The bathes were pretty busy even when I visited first thing in the morning. I was on my own but the Spa Grande seemed to be a great experience for a group of friends or a bride’s wedding party. This did mean putting my introvert issues to the side and sharing the bathes with different ladies.
Additional Reading: Renew Yourself in Therapeutic Waters
Most of the spa layout and instructions the staff went over with me when I arrived were forgotten after my first hot soak experience except for one guideline: you must shower after each Hawaiian bath dip to avoid contaminating the other pools. There are a number of showers found in the three different spa rooms but the best experience has to be the jet showers in the Hawaiian Island room. The tube-like stall shoots jets of water at you from all directions at the temperature you desire. A few of us sitting in the bathes stifled a chuckle when we heard more than a few ladies let out a shriek of surprise on their first experience.
Sadly I didn’t get a chance to experience all five of the bathes in the Hawaiian room before I was called out for my massage appointment. I was given a robe and instructed to return to the locker area to disrobe from my wet suit and head up to the second floor, up the grand curved staircase in the Western spa room.
On the second floor you were invited to rest either inside in various high back chairs or outside on a veranda that overlooked the resort’s courtyard and ocean view. The outside lounge, shared by both men and women visiting the Spa Grande for treatments, was rather busy but my therapist called for me before I had a chance to sit. Not to worry, at the end of my treatment I had a chance to rehydrate with some chilled water in one of the outside loungers before heading back to the locker room to change for the rest of my day at the Grand Wailea resort.
Our family’s visit to the Grand Wailea Resort and Spa was brief but if I was staying longer or near by I could easily see myself visiting the Spa Grand everyday just for the Hydrotherapy Circuit, something you can book on its own. Enjoy your time visiting the island of Maui with your family but make sure to give yourself permission to recharge your own batteries. A visit to the Spa Grand Terme Hydrotherapy Circuit is the perfect destination.
Thanks to the folks at the Grand Wailea for organizing my visit to the Spa Grande in order to write this review. To respect the privacy of guests no photography is allowed in the spa area. All images our courtesy of the Grand Wailea. The thoughts and experiences are my own.