The recently reopened Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection (www.aubergeresorts.com/altagracia) is a remote wellness destination nestled on 180 acres in the Talamanca Mountains of southern Costa Rica. The property boasts more than 20,000 square feet of amenities, including 50 hacienda-style casitas, a coffee farm, three pools, equine stables, five restaurants and an organic vegetable garden. It’s located adjacent to a Blue Zone and blends Eastern and Western therapies for a truly holistic well-being experience, from meditation to forest hikes to bird watching.
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NEED TO KNOW
The recently reopened Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection (www.aubergeresorts.com/altagracia) is a remote wellness destination nestled on 180 acres in the Talamanca Mountains of southern Costa Rica. The property boasts more than 20,000 square feet of amenities, including 50 hacienda-style casitas, a coffee farm, three pools, equine stables, five restaurants and an organic vegetable garden. It’s located adjacent to a Blue Zone and blends Eastern and Western therapies for a truly holistic well-being experience, from meditation to forest hikes to bird watching.
THE WELL at Hacienda AltaGracia provides treatments and programming that help guests relax and recharge by connecting with nature. With eight treatment rooms, a hydrotherapy tub, thermal suite, outdoor mindful movement classes and a healing garden, the spa allows guests access to the heated tepidarium, vitality and heated jet pool, aromatherapy steam room, sauna and recovery areas during their visit.
The goal of THE WELL is to help guests reconnect to Pachamama, or Mother Earth. The health coaches on staff perform a complimentary virtual consultation prior to guests’ arrival, so that their stay can be best tailored to their needs. The therapies offered are the best place to start, and guests can take advantage of additional health coaching and workshops, seasonal retreats and daily movement classes like aerial yoga, qigong and forest bathing.
BUSINESS SAVVY
Management aims to draw guests in with unique experiences and offerings, says Emily Johnson, director of wellness and programming at Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection. “We are highlighting THE WELL at Hacienda AltaGracia as a one-of-a-kind holistic destination and remote escape where guests can truly disconnect, recharge and commune with Pachamama. Inspired by the surrounding natural wonders, we pay homage to the land of Costa Rica and its indigenous healing traditions through our transformative wellness experiences,” she explains. “For example, all of our treatments begin with a purifying ritual that includes an herbal exfoliation, an application of a local clay treatment and house-made coffee butter using beans from farms in the region. One of our signature treatments, Maderoterapia, uses a massage technique that originates from Latin America utilizing tools that are harvested from trees—the belief being that the tools transmit the Earth’s healing vibrations. It’s these unique cultural offerings we hope will make an impact on guests and encourage their return.”
When it comes to staff, the property employs a lot of locals who are happy to return to work, says Johnson. “Many of our team members are local to the area and they’re so excited that the re-opening of the property has given them a reason to come back home. They all exude so much pride in location and embody the beauty in their warm, kind personalities.”
To keep those quality employees happy and fulfilled, management has plans to ensure that the team members’ health and well-being is also looked after. They have an outdoor rancho designated as a place for the team to relax and re-center, with beautiful plants from their surroundings, Costa Rican knit hammocks and wooden swings for seating. “We also offer opportunities for language immersion with English lessons, in addition to a selection of wellness experiences, such as Embody Yoga and our signature Release Burning Ceremony, to support our team members on their personal health journeys,” adds Johnson. “We provide a robust menu of vegetable-forward dishes at our team member dining space, Granito Restaurant, which was designed for sharing not only delicious meals but also connection and conversation across departments.”
SIGNATURE SERVICES
Every wellness experience begins with a ritual in Casa de Agua, a glass-walled hydrotherapy center where guests can relax and be purified using hand-harvested, plant-based Costa Rican clays, loofahs and oils—all activated by heat and steam. The space’s swimming pool, experiential showers, steam rooms and saunas prepare everyone for a renewing wellness experience.
THE WELL provides a range of holistic treatments, such as the Craniosacral Facial, integrative energy healing and the aforementioned Maderoterapia, a massage with wooden tools that balances energy and improves lymph flow. Guests can also enjoy the industry’s latest technologies, such as LED therapy, lymph boots and infrared cabins.
THE WELL River Bath (240 min./$1,050 for two people) is a standout menu offering designed to promote healing and well-being by bathing the senses in the sounds, vibrations and textures of nature. The experience starts with a meditation by the river, followed by a healing 60-minute herbal bath that warms up the muscles and detoxes the body. Finally, guests enjoy a 90-minute therapeutic riverside massage, in which the therapists apply wild bergamot to the spine, scalp, hands and feet to encourage deep relaxation.
