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Hotel Domestique Offers a True Wellness Escape Close to Home
“Are you here for major muscle work or to relax and destress?” my massage therapist asked as she set up the table in Colombiere, a second-floor king-size room at Hotel Domestique with Blue Ridge Mountain views.
“Yes?” I answered, because the truth was, I did need the deep tissue work and also the relaxation benefit.
She took the note and went to work with intermittent moderate pressure and rhythmic strokes. The 50 minutes flew by as I dozed off by the end. After gathering myself and donning my in-room robe and slippers, I headed straight for the infrared sauna in the ground-floor wellness room. The advice was to take advantage of the post-massage heat and drink at least an entire bottle of water. The 116-degree heat was a comfort as I sat in deliberate silence. No phone, no music, only the crinkle of the water bottle I snagged from the beverage fridge.
That intentional silence would find me again the following morning: first, during private yoga instruction, which revealed my need to breathe more deeply in my busy life; and secondly as I stood on a secluded bald at the top of the Persimmon Ridge hiking trail. A slight breeze tickled the remaining leaves, birds circled above, and my own heavy breathing from the steep ascent and Hotel Domestique’s cycling and hiking guide, Waylon Bigsby, broke the silence by saying, “You can’t even hear the Wi-Fi.”
That simple aside sums up the goal for the upcoming March 13–16 Hincapie Wellness Retreat, a four-day all-inclusive retreat in Travelers Rest, designed to rejuvenate the mind, body, and spirit through guided fitness, expert-led wellness seminars, mindfulness practices, and gourmet nutrition. The goal? Intentional disconnection and relief from whatever stressors are afflicting visitors.
The combination of the secluded property minutes from some of the best hiking and cycling routes in the Upstate, on-site Restaurant 17 that prioritizes local ingredients, and the wellness community curated by hotel co-founder and cyclist George Hincapie has created what general manager Eric Poovey says is an organic structure for wellness retreats.
“We looked at who we are and who our guests are and what we’re good at,” Poovey says.
The retreat provides a holistic approach to well-being led by fitness experts, nutritionists, and wellness practitioners with customizable itineraries blending scenic cycling, yoga, meditation, and recovery—all set amid boutique accommodations with healthy chef-prepared cuisine, plus intimate fireside discussions each day.
While the cadence of individual sessions is customizable, the package includes three nights of luxury accommodations; all meals from executive chef Haydn Shaak and access to the guest snack pantry; daily yoga, Pilates, cycling, hiking, and stretching sessions; one personalized massage therapy session; and nutrition consulting and wellness seminars.
Guests can further amend their programming by taking advantage of the on-site hot tub and wellness room with a variety of equipment options, including a Wahoo Fitness Smart Bike, a Nordictrack Treadmill, Nordictrack with iFit bike, iFit Mirror, and Torque weight equipment including dumbbells, slam balls, kettlebells, battle rope, resistance bands, exercise balls, mats, TRX bands, and even a cold plunge.
“We don’t want this to be painful,” Poovey shares. “We want this to feel good so guests will want to come back.”
Mission accomplished. Leg muscles burning and lungs full of mountain air, I was already plotting my next escape as I hit the road home.
