28 globaltravelerusa.com MARCH 2019
ISLAND BLISS
Indulge in a pampering paradise for two at The Spa at Ko‘a Kea in Hawai‘i. BY PATRICIA VANIKIOTIS
spas
THE TUCKED-AWAY LOCATION of the Koʻa Kea Hotel & Resort
on the island of Kauaʻi proves a most appealing feature to couples
seeking a quiet, romantic Hawaiʻian interlude. It also presented a bit
of a challenge to my husband and me as we sought the entrance to
its drive off the lushly landscaped boulevard which parallels Poʻipū
Beach on the island’s sunny south shore. Armed with precise direc-
tions and using our vehicle’s navigation feature, we still managed to
drive right past before reversing our course and spotting an incon-
spicuous sign tucked among the foliage. The grounds and buildings
of two large resorts flanked the winding road which ended at the
circular drive in front of Koʻa Kea’s main building.
As we entered the lobby, the floor-to-ceiling windows drew our
gaze out over the saltwater pool, the palm-studded lawn and fire
pits to the ocean just a few hundred feet away. Koʻa Kea boasts the
closest hotel accommodations to the water on Kauaʻi, offering im-
mediate access to water sports and stunning sunset views.
The property opened in 2009 and has garnered numerous “most
romantic” and “best hotel” awards from a host of travel publications
and organizations. Its name, meaning “white coral” in Hawaiʻian,
honors the goddess representing spiritual power and new life. Fitting,
as Koʻa Kea was built on the site of the former Poʻipū Beach Hotel,destroyed by devastating Hurricane Iniki in 1992. We anticipated it
boded well for our upcoming couple’s treatment at the spa, too, as
we looked forward to a little rejuvenation after several full days of
touring the island.
We stayed at another property on Kauaʻi but were drawn to
The Spa at Koʻa Kea for its focus on the use of natural, indigenous
ingredients in its treatments. The Garden Isle provides the seaweed,
pineapple, guava, coconut and a plethora of other botanicals as
well as the famous Kauaʻi red clay and red sea salt which inform the
scrubs, wraps, facials, and hair and skin treatments on the spa menu.
While featuring just five treatment rooms, the spa offers an impres-
sive selection of massages, body treatments and facials, individu-
ally or in packages. In addition to the locally sourced, indigenous
botanicals of Mālie Organics, the spa highlights Kerstin Florian
products as well.
We made our way to the second-floor spa where Brandy, the spa
concierge, greeted us and had us fill out the spa paperwork before
she introduced us to our therapists, Jenny and Machiko. They es-
corted us to the couple’s suite, its pale walls, dark wood accents and
dim lighting creating a calm ambience. Once Harry and I settled on
our tables, neroli oil was placed in an infuser beneath us, offering aRELAXATION AND
ROMANCE:
Resort aerial view
PHOTO: © KO’A KEA HOTEL
& RESORT AT PO‘IPŪ BEACH