Everett Potter's Travel Report

Miraval Resort & Spa, a mecca for celebrity guests in Tucson, Arozona

By Well + Good NYC

Whether they’re looking to get into action-hero shape or recovering from a grueling publicity tour, celebrities often need some red-carpet relaxation away from the flashing bulbs of the paparazzi.

But when time and money is no object—but perhaps privacy and a discrete detox are—where do you go? We found out.

From a resort owned by Hugh Jackman on the Gold Coast of Australia to a boot camp high above the Santa Monica Mountains, we’ve sourced hot, healthy getaways  for if your name appears on Page 6 — or just in the White Pages.

  Alexia Brue (left) is co-founder of Well+Good NYC. She was a contributing editor at Luxury SpaFinder and Spa magazines and is the author of Cathedrals of the Flesh: My Search for the Perfect Bath (Bloomsbury).  Melisse Gelula is co-founder of Well+Good NYC. She is the former editor-in-chief of SpaFinderLifestyle.com, spa beauty editor at Luxury SpaFinder Magazine, and travel editor at Fodor’s Travel Publications.

10 Amazing Spring Wellness Escapes

By Well + Good NYC

Spring cleaning shouldn’t just apply to your closet.

Most of us like to step into the warmer months by shedding the heaviness of winter—through detoxing our diets, ramping up our workout schedules, and revisiting our spiritual or happiness goals. And what better way to get all of that done than an escape that recharges your wellness batteries and fitness goals—and delivers a mega-dose of sunshine?

We found ten amazing escapes—from Miami Beach to Marrakech—that will make you forget the sting of 20-degree wind and will recharge your health (and outlook) for spring. Read more here …

   Alexia Brue (left) is co-founder of Well+Good NYC. She was a contributing editor at Luxury SpaFinder and Spa magazines and is the author of Cathedrals of the Flesh: My Search for the Perfect Bath (Bloomsbury).  Melisse Gelula is co-founder of Well+Good NYC. She is the former editor-in-chief of SpaFinderLifestyle.com, spa beauty editor at Luxury SpaFinder Magazine, and travel editor at Fodor’s Travel Publications.

Exhale in Miami

By Well + Good NYC

Despite its intended purpose, lots of people across the country will not be spending Presidents’ Day weekend reflecting on the achievements of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Instead, they’ll be doing yoga. In really gorgeous places.

For reasons unbeknownst to us, Presidents’ Day weekend has become a happening time for fabulous yoga getaways—from nailing Navasana in Nicaragua to shaking chakras in Miami. And with the holiday, you won’t have to use as many vacation days.

Here are five incredible Presidents’ Day yoga retreats you’ll want to book right now…

 Alexia Brue (left) is co-founder of Well+Good NYC. She was a contributing editor at Luxury SpaFinder and Spa magazines and is the author of Cathedrals of the Flesh: My Search for the Perfect Bath (Bloomsbury).  Melisse Gelula is co-founder of Well+Good NYC. She is the former editor-in-chief of SpaFinderLifestyle.com, spa beauty editor at Luxury SpaFinder Magazine, and travel editor at Fodor’s Travel Publications.

By Well + Good NYC

On Erica Gragg’s Escape to Shape fitness vacations, you’ll want to pay attention to the bell. It will ring when it’s time to go stand-up paddleboarding, to eat quinoa-stuffed roasted red peppers with cashew cream, and to meditate. No, it’s not automated. If you peek out your room’s window, you’ll see Gragg’s red hair blowing behind her as she rushes past, shaking the tiny bell in her hand.

Gragg’s level of hands-on attention and careful curation has allowed Escape to Shape, which launched in 2006, to become the go-to roving fitness vacation for successful, urban women (and some men). The company started with three destinations and now hosts about a dozen six-night trips each year, from Colombia to Croatia to Cambodia.

Read more at Well + Good NYC …

  Alexia Brue (left) is co-founder of Well+Good NYC. She was a contributing editor at Luxury SpaFinder and Spa magazines and is the author of Cathedrals of the Flesh: My Search for the Perfect Bath (Bloomsbury).  Melisse Gelula is co-founder of Well+Good NYC. She is the former editor-in-chief of SpaFinderLifestyle.com, spa beauty editor at Luxury SpaFinder Magazine, and travel editor at Fodor’s Travel Publications.

Richard Gere’s Bedford Post Inn, Bedford, New York.

By Melisse Gelula and Alexia Brue

This Relais & Châteaux inn gets most of its buzz for its famous owners—Bedford residents Richard Gere and his wife, Carey Lowell—and Martha Stewart–endorsed farm-to-table restaurants, but it wins our hearts for its outstanding yoga.

The classes—at least two each day, in styles ranging from vinyasa and Anusara-inspired to Kundalini to Iyengar—aren’t some hotel afterthought that might take awkward place with you as the only student. They’re taught by seasoned, well-credentialed instructors and geared toward the local community, meaning classes have regular members and positive group energy. And the sun-splashed barn where they’re held is far more uplifting than most of the studios where New Yorkers consent to practice.

Read more at Well + Good NYC …

  Alexia Brue (left) is co-founder of Well+Good. She was a contributing editor at Luxury SpaFinder and Spa magazines and is the author of Cathedrals of the Flesh: My Search for the Perfect Bath (Bloomsbury). She has an MA in arts & culture journalism from the Columbia School of Journalism and has written for the New York Times Magazine, Vogue, and Conde Nast Traveler among others. Alexia has appeared on the Travel Channel, NPR’s All Things Considered, BBC Radio, and more. Melisse Gelula is co-founder of Well+Good. She is the former editor-in-chief of SpaFinderLifestyle.com, spa beauty editor at Luxury SpaFinder Magazine, and travel editor at Fodor’s Travel Publications. She has an MA in English Literature from the University of Toronto and has completed six years of training as a psychoanalyst. Melisse has written for such publications as Departures, Martha Stewart Living, Organic Spa, and Budget Travel and has been featured as an industry expert in the New York Times and on CNN.com, the Travel Channel, E! News, and more.

Mohonk Mountain House

By Melisse Gelula and Alexia Brue

Considering that diet books, programs, and products are a several billion dollar industry, it’s impressive to see a spa shirking all that for a program called Never Diet Again.

The program is the brainchild of Nina Smilely, who has a Phd in psychology and is the author of The Three Minute Meditator.

Its premise? Replace the food-deprivation mindset with a mindfulness one.

By using self-awareness—instead of self-criticism—when it comes to hunger, and teaching “skillful action” in place of mindless scarfing, the two-night program deals with what goes in your mouth by looking at what’s going on in your head.

The program’s offered at Mohonk Mountain House, the historic spa resort in New Paltz, New York (where Smiley’s also the marketing director). Read more at Well + Good NYC …

Alexia Brue (left) is co-founder of Well+Good. She was a contributing editor at Luxury SpaFinder and Spa magazines and is the author of Cathedrals of the Flesh: My Search for the Perfect Bath (Bloomsbury). She has an MA in arts & culture journalism from the Columbia School of Journalism and has written for the New York Times Magazine, Vogue, and Conde Nast Traveler among others. Alexia has appeared on the Travel Channel, NPR’s All Things Considered, BBC Radio, and more. Melisse Gelula is co-founder of Well+Good. She is the former editor-in-chief of SpaFinderLifestyle.com, spa beauty editor at Luxury SpaFinder Magazine, and travel editor at Fodor’s Travel Publications. She has an MA in English Literature from the University of Toronto and has completed six years of training as a psychoanalyst. Melisse has written for such publications as Departures, Martha Stewart Living, Organic Spa, and Budget Travel and has been featured as an industry expert in the New York Times and on CNN.com, the Travel Channel, E! News, and more.

Yoga Works Soho

By Melisse Gelula and Alexia Brue

Let’s just come out and say it: Pretty yoga studios matter.

Sure, it’s really all about inner reflection, but when a space feels sacred, so does your practice.

Design details, after all—like the amount of light in a room or a deep, warm wall color—are vibe inducing, easily soothing the mind or energizing the spirit.

We rounded up the nine most beautiful yoga studios in the city, from Brooklyn to the Upper West Side, many of which sprang up (recession-be-damned) in just the past year.

Read more at Well + Good NYC

Alexia Brue (left) is co-founder of Well+Good. She was a contributing editor at Luxury SpaFinder and Spa magazines and is the author of Cathedrals of the Flesh: My Search for the Perfect Bath (Bloomsbury). She has an MA in arts & culture journalism from the Columbia School of Journalism and has written for the New York Times Magazine, Vogue, and Conde Nast Traveler among others. Alexia has appeared on the Travel Channel, NPR’s All Things Considered, BBC Radio, and more. Melisse Gelula is co-founder of Well+Good. She is the former editor-in-chief of SpaFinderLifestyle.com, spa beauty editor at Luxury SpaFinder Magazine, and travel editor at Fodor’s Travel Publications. She has an MA in English Literature from the University of Toronto and has completed six years of training as a psychoanalyst. Melisse has written for such publications as Departures, Martha Stewart Living, Organic Spa, and Budget Travel and has been featured as an industry expert in the New York Times and on CNN.com, the Travel Channel, E! News, and more.