Although spa experts say your body still feels the results of the treatment long after, deep-sleeping through a 50-to-80-minute massage can still feel like a very expensive nap.
For those looking for a Zen-like experience without completely drifting off to the other side, you can’t go wrong with one of SE Spa at Grand Velas Los Cabos’ signature treatments, the Blue Agave Candle Massage – which is sure to immediately bring you back to the present when la-la land is beckoning.
During a recent trip to the high-end, all-inclusive Grand Velas Los Cabos, we decided to try it out.
Hot, goopy wax is occasionally applied to different areas of the body throughout the treatment and rubbed in shortly after.
Now, it’s not scolding, burn-your-hand-on-the-iron hot, but more like when someone in your home runs the faucet in the middle of a regulated shower, and the water becomes disproportionally hot when you don’t expect it. It feels good for a second or two, but you can’t take an entire shower like that.
Well, that was exactly how our masseuse, Martha, performed the treatment.
She didn’t let the wax sit for longer than a second before she began aggressively rubbing it in. And just when this portion of the treatment starts to make the eyes a bit heavy, she pours another small line of heated wax on a new body part, jolting you back into the moment.
Blue agave is the plant from which the resort’s tequila is made. The Blue Agave Candle Massage is one of Grand Velas Los Cabos’ treatments that has been on the menu since the spa opened in early 2017 and is one of the most requested treatments.
We recommend it for both spa veterans and newcomers looking for a neat twist on the traditional, deep-tissue massage. The Blue Agave Candle Massage is $236 for a 50-minute massage and $342 for an 80-minute massage.
But for spa-lovers looking for one of Grand Velas Los Cabos’ newest treatments, we recommend the Mole Experience, which first debuted on the menu in June.
This 80-minute treatment starts with a body exfoliation from natural ingredients like peanuts, almonds and sesame seeds, traditionally used in mole recipes, to prep the body.
Then, a masque of mole and cocoa is applied to the body before finishing with a hair treatment that aims to increase the shine and natural silkiness of one’s hair.
We were told the suggested tip amount for a masseuse is 20 percent.
The two-level, 35,000 square-foot SE Spa at Grand Velas Los Cabos has 16 treatment rooms, some with a water view.
Included in any treatment of 50 minutes or more is a seven-step “water journey” that features a eucalyptus-scented steam room with chromotherapy, a polar pool, an aromatherapy sensory shower, a sauna, a Jacuzzi and multi-sensory pool. However, guests can also book the hydrotherapy experience on its own for $70.
The central pool features several hydro elements, such as powerful massaging faucets for the neck and back, and bubble beds, carved-stone chaises with jets set just underneath the surface of the water on which guests recline.
And far as large as the pool is, we still recommend exploring every inch as faucets and jets can shoot out from the most unexpected places. This is like a waterpark for health and wellness fans.
A “spa valet” provides personalized direction to make sure guests get the most out of the hydrotherapy experience — such as how to alternate the various hot and cold rooms and pools, and how long to linger in them.
Upon completion of the journey, guests recline on heated loungers with warm neck pillows, cool scented towels and cucumbers on the eyes to ensure the body is fully relaxed for a treatment.
Grand Velas’ Other Spas
Se Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya
The $15 Million SE Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya first opened in 2009 and encompasses nearly 90,000-square feet, plus a 40,000 square-foot Water Lounge with pools warmed by solar panels.
Inspired by the jungle and natural water pools of the Yucatan Peninsula, the facility includes a wooden bridge that overlooks the Water Lounge below and leads to the 40 spa treatment rooms, marking the transition from public to private spa-going areas.
Specialty spa treatment rooms include a suite for couples with a double Jacuzzi tub and another with a small pool for Jansu water-massage treatments. All rooms are generously sized and have floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as natural light.
Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit
The 16,500 square-foot Se Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit includes 20 treatment rooms, more than 30 spa treatments, a modern gym and a beauty salon.
The spa experience begins for guests with the “Hydrotherapy Ritual,” which includes a revitalizing shower, herbal steam and Sauna, a dip in the two-temperature lagoon, time in the Jacuzzi and a final multi-jet Swiss shower.
