Looking for a dreamy holistic retreat? Lumeria Maui is off the tourist trail, and sure to soothe your soul. This intimate hotel brings the romance and traditional architecture of Upcountry Maui together with all you’d expect from a health-minded yoga getaway to create a soothing sanctuary. 

Confession: I’m allergic to New Age. I think it’s a side-effect of my years working in the natural foods industry, attending massage school, and living in Berkeley, California. Not, to quote “Seinfeld,” that there’s anything wrong with that. Mindful living is important, and alternative modalities and lifestyles are increasing in popularity. Even the global tourism industry has been impacted by the craving for wellness, and holistic retreats and spas—many of which draw inspiration from various indigenous cultures—are one of the industries’ fastest-growing segments.

When I heard about Lumeria Maui, an intimate, 24-room, luxury holistic retreat that opened in March, 2012, I was intrigued. The property is located on the 1910 Fred Baldwin estate (a prominent sugar cane and ranching family who still live in the area). The estate was built to house retired cane executives and plantation workers, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. My obsession with interior design and all things Hawaiian made the decision to visit Lumeria an easy one.

Lumeria Maui owner and operator Xorin Balbes, a renowned architectural conservator and designer, renovated the six-acre property in 2011, creating what he refers to as a “SoulSpace.” The result is a stunning redesign of the original Craftsman building, using reclaimed and sustainable materials. The exterior and key elements have been left intact, while the interiors have a tasteful neoclassical and Asian-influenced aesthetic.

Image: Lumeria Maui

Explains Balbes, “I’ve always found it to be important to hold on to history through architecture. Considering the property was originally a convalescent center, I thought it was important to save and restore the original structures and the history they represent. As the oldest wooden structures on Maui, the buildings really exude a feeling of a bygone era of ‘old Hawaii,’ which I felt would be amazing to share with travelers from around the world.”

Lumeria’s location outside the sleepy paniolo (cowboy) town of Makawao, in Upcountry Maui, was also a big selling point for me, as the region is one of my favorite spots on earth. While less than seven miles from the North Shore’s bustling former sugar mill town of Paia and world-class windsurfing of Ho’okipa Beach, Upcountry might as well be a different planet.

Historically a cattle ranching region, Upcountry is still very much paniolo country. The landscape is one of lush pasture and forest, grazing livestock, and rolling hills, situated on the flanks of Haleakala volcano. Makawao is just up the road from Lumeria, with its handful of great restaurants, galleries, boutiques, and historic structures. Lumeria lies smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, unobtrusively located behind wooden gates off the main road, Baldwin Avenue. While B&B’s are popular, Lumeria is the only “hotel” in Upcountry.

Image: belindah-Thank You!-150.000 Views Now

Upcountry is a peaceful place; the main noise pollution comes in the form of tradewinds rustling the eucalyptus, guava, and Norfolk Island pine trees. While there’s a laidback sort of tourism here, there aren’t herds of people to “ruin” the vibe. Yet, Lumeria is a sanctuary-within-a-sanctuary. Here, you’re sheltered from the everyday annoyances like shrilling devices (While the property does have Wifi and iPod docking in every room, there are no phones or TV and cell service is spotty) and traffic.

Image: Lumeria Maui

Lumeria offers classes, programs, and retreats in yoga and meditation, often taught by world-renowned instructors (daily yoga and meditation are included with all reservations). There’s a small yoga studio next to the restaurant, and a larger, appealingly airy stand-alone studio. A black-bottom lap pool and Jacuzzi overlook Haleakala’s western slope, while a nearby pine grove is strung with hammocks that invite snoozing.

Rooms are individually designed, and full of light, making good use of the lofty original ceilings. All feature river rock-tiled, rain-head showers (with Aveda amenities; yay). My four-poster King Bed was luxurious and draped in a duvet (Upcountry nights can get chilly); a cozy daybed provided a separate space to read and daydream. One caveat: the walls are thin: Between the amorous couple next door and a bickering family two rooms down, I endured a couple of late nights.

The design of the Baldwin home is such that it forms a U-shape, with a covered porch running the length of the interior. The porch overlooks an immaculately-groomed grass courtyard bordered by tropical flowers and other vegetation. Inside the main entrance are a plush, lavishly furnished-and-decorated library and sitting room stocked with books, art, and magnificent chunks of crystal and geode.

Image: Lumeria Maui

While I’m not a big fan of yoga because I  find it too sedentary (I realize the irony of this statement; I’m exactly the kind of stressed-out person who could benefit most from the discipline), I got into the spirit of things and spent a day taking classes. Given the deplorable state of my downward dog, I expected to be the laughing stock of my Anusara class. Surprise: not only did it kick my butt, but the instructor and fellow students were kind, and helped me refine various poses. Inspired, I took a Yoga Nidra class, which is when I hit my tolerance level for alternative modalities.

Ultimately, Lumeria Maui is designed to appeal to guests seeking a genuinely holistic, experiential retreat. If that’s not your thing (and you find being offered colon hydrotherapy within minutes of arrival off-putting, which I most certainly do), you’ll likely be weirded out by the drinking the Kool-Aid vibe. If you can look past that intensity, you’ll enjoy the property for its aesthetic charms, solitude, and enchanting location.

Lumeria offers weekly classes from visiting shamans, Hawaiian cultural educators, and botanical experts. You can also book traditional lomi-lomi massage or partake of the Lumeria Glow Cleanse program, which includes a “state-of-the-art juice and broth” regimen. The small, on-site restaurant serves tasty dinners made with locally-sourced produce when possible (advance reservations required); a no-frills Continental breakfast is included.

Lumeria can also help facilitate booking outside activities like horseback riding (Makawao’s lovely Piiholo Ranch is owned and operated by members of the Baldwin family), farm tours, stand-up paddleboarding, and wind- and kitesurfing.

My stay at Lumeria was sponsored by the Maui Visitors Bureau, but all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Top Image: Simply Stella, Flickr

Related on EcoSalon:

Sustainable Aloha at Maui’s Organic Lavender Farm

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Follow Your Bliss to Esalen

The post Old Hawaii’s Hidden Holistic Retreat: Lumeria Maui appeared first on EcoSalon.

Lodging that’s both stylish and socially responsible.

Here in the United States, the hotel industry has an enormous environmental footprint, equalling 5 billion square feet of space, 5 million hotel rooms, and $4 billion in annual energy use, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. That’s a whole lot of impact, particularly when you consider that the vast majority of properties operate with little to no regard for the environment.

But little by little, the tide is changing, and hotels are coming to realize that operating sustainably doesn’t just affect the environment – it also affects their bottom line. On average, hotels that incorporate green principles use an average of 26 percent less energy and 30 percent less indoor water, and they generate 33 percent less energy and 50-75 percent less solid waste.

The gold standard of the sustainable hospitality industry is the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification program, which encompasses stages from certified to Platinum. The application process is rigorous, and as of October 2011, only 122 hotels worldwide had made the cut. Here are some of our favorites.

(above) Bardessono, Yountville, California, USA

ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru, India

The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Kandalama Hotel, Dambulla, Sri Lanka

The Hotel Wilshire, Los Angeles, California, USA

JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio, Texas, USA

Posada de Mike Rapu, Easter Island, Chile

Sandpearl Resort, Clearwater Beach, Florida, USA

Portola Hotel & Spa, Monterey, California, USA

The Park Hotel, Hyderabad, India

Proximity Hotel, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, California, USA

The Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

The W, San Francisco, California, USA

Tambo del Inka, Urubamba, Peru

Sheraton Incheon, Incheon, South Korea

Hostal Empúries, l’Escala, Spain

The Element Times Square, New York, New York, USA

Ulagalla Resort, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Kimpton Hotel Palomar, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

The Davenport Hotel, Spokane, Washington, USA

Crosby Street Hotel, New York, New York, USA

Bintan Lagoon Resort, Bintan, Indonesia

The Allison Inn and Spa, Newberg, Oregon, USA

Parkview Green, Beijing, China

SEE ALSO:

30 Photos of the World’s Most Uniquely Designed Buildings

25 Photos of Urban Green Spaces

40 Photos from Flea Markets Around the World

View more photo collections here. 

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The CityFlatsHotel in downtown Holland, Michigan offers guests an eco-friendly experience without compromising style or luxury.

As the first hotel in the Midwest to receive LEED Gold Certification, the CityFlatsHotel in Holland, Michigan boasts sweeping views of downtown and Lake Macatawa, a small body of water that leads to the magnificent beaches of Lake Michigan. No two rooms are alike at CityFlatsHotel, making each of the 56 eco-friendly suites a unique experience.

The CityFlatsHotel was designed and manufactured with carefully selected green materials and technologies. For example, to save energy, curtains are lined with a black-out fabric, the countertops are made from recycled glass and concrete, and instead of carpeting, cork flooring tiles are used. Additionally, large windows throughout the hotel maximize natural lighting, while master switches turn off all lighting when a guest leaves the guestroom. Occupancy sensors power down the heating and cooling system when it is not needed.

CityVū Bistro on the fifth floor keeps it local, as it’s considered among the best among foodies here. Fresh locally-sourced ingredients contribute to a creative and healthy menu (fryers and frozen foods won’t be found anywhere near their kitchen).

If you go: Take note of the locally made CityDrem mattresses as well as the sheets, blankets, towels and duvet covers. They’ve been so popular that guests can now buy them for their own homes. Rates start at $149USD per night.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: CityFlatsHotel in Holland, Michigan appeared first on EcoSalon.

Guests at the Hotel Sezz in St. Tropez can indulge guilt-free while taking in warm, ocean breezes.

Known for its glamor, St. Tropez is a destination where the rich and famous play. And while luxurious yachts and private jets are many times the main transportation to and from this resort town in the French Riviera, the Hotel Sezz is one hotel that is making a difference.

Hotel Sezz was built with a mission of being an elegant structure while incorporating international ecological building practices. Incorporating the hotel into its natural surroundings was an important goal of its builders, and they saved nearly every tree on the site. The restaurant and bar (that’s, the Dom Pérignon bar), are constructed from local sandstone in pale grey, embossed cement and panels of aged, stained wood. The spa at Hotel Sezz incorporates materials that are typical of Provençal style and spa products are all derived from plants so guests can indulge guilt-free.

Built of “light and air,” the Hotel Sezz is said to be a unique yet most luxurious addition to St. Tropez, where guests can “smell and feel salt water and warm breezes from their beds and baths.”

If you go: St. Tropez is an amazing city so guests are encouraged to borrow bikes from the hotel to pedal to the beach and around town. Rates start at approximately $650.00 per night USD.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Hotel Sezz, St. Tropez, France appeared first on EcoSalon.

The Bay of Fires is a Tasmanian getaway with miles of breathtaking views.

Located high on a hilltop overlooking the sea in Northeast Tasmania, Australia, lies the Bay of Fires, a small, intimate lodge that accommodates just 20 guests. Surrounded by Mount William National Park, the area is home to a wide range of flora and a large population of eastern grey kangaroos, echidnas, brush-tail possums, wombats, wallabies and Tasmanian devils. Because Bay of Fires is the only building on 12 miles of land, guests can enjoy views of the pristine, white beaches for as far as they can see.

The Bay of Fires was built on delicate land, so the lodge has no choice but to be as eco-conscious as possible. All building materials (which consist of Tasmanian hardwood and plantation pine), were lifted in by helicopter and then hand-carried to the site while other eco-aspects include roof water collection, grey water treatment systems, composting toilets and energy-efficient solar power. The accommodations are simple, yet comfortable, with delicious meals prepared with fresh produce accompanied by Tasmanian wines. We love the two long timber and glass pavilions that allow for guests to be connected with the landscape while maximizing views.

Also make sure to check out the yoga retreats and the many walks offered by Bay of Fires. Prices starting at about $2,100 USD.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Bay of Fires, Tasmania, Australia appeared first on EcoSalon.