Aficionados of luxury feel right at home in Bal Harbour, a tony Miami enclave replete with fine dining, high-end shopping, a thriving art scene, and more. Adding to the area’s elegant appeal is The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami, and its most recent addition, Exhale Bal Harbour. Both locals and visitors alike are flocking to the new waterfront oasis that offers a blissful blend of fitness and spa offerings.
Thanks to its location along the Intercoastal Waterway, picturesque views are hallmarks of the spa and adjoining 1,000-square-foot Mind Body Studio, as is the nod to the Zen aesthetic of the Exhale brand. “Exhale Bal Harbour has a light and airy feel, and we made sure to incorporate the water views in both our Zen lounge and therapy rooms, which embrace the beauty of nature and reflect this destination,” says Laura Benge, Exhale’s national spa director. “When we renovated the space, we infused Exhale elements and treasures throughout, such as the wood pathway leading to the Zen Lounge that serves as a grounding and balancing element to the entire look and feel of the space.”
This Zen aesthetic is found throughout the 10,000-square-foot spa, which features 10 treatment rooms, six of which boast water views. Other highlights include a hydrotherapy room; men’s and women’s relaxation areas with saunas, steam rooms, and changing facilities; a dedicated area for nail treatments; and the spacious coed Zen Lounge, which overlooks the Waterway.
Like at most of Exhale’s 29 locations, the Mind Body Studio is a major draw for clients, including both hotel guests and area residents. As such, the studio offers the brand’s signature Core Fusion, Barre, and Yoga classes, as well as a membership model that appeals to locals. A decidedly indigenous angle comes from the serene waterfront terrace, a meditative space with a natural soundtrack of crashing waves and rustling palms, as well as access to the beach and separate fitness center at the hotel for members.
Another native nod comes in the form of three signature services that are exclusive to the location and are inspired by Florida’s famed citrus crop and are “popular with hotel guests,” according to Benge. They are the Orange and Clove Body Scrub ($180, 60 minutes), a rejuvenating body treatment infused with a twist of citrus; the Super C Facial ($225, 60 minutes), a vitamin C-enriched service designed to impart a youthful glow; and the Flow Massage with Essential Citrus Oil ($165, 60 minutes), an anti-aging massage featuring calendula and sweet orange oil. Additionally, an antioxidant-rich Blood Orange Tea is the spa’s signature drink. Guests can also take advantage of some of the more energy-based and deep healing therapies for which Exhale has become known. No matter what they select, Benge says the well-trained team of 30 associates works hard to meet its clients’ overall desires, which are “to relax and restore.”
Exhale clients have also come to expect an extensive retail selection, and Bal Harbour is no exception. Among the most popular options, which are ideal for sporting at the ever-popular Core Fusion and Yoga classes, are the athleisure offerings from Alo Yoga, Anatomie, and the company’s private label line, Spiritual Gangster. “The Exhale guest at Bal Harbour has great taste,” says Benge. And it is this taste for fitness, fashion, and the finer things in life that breathe life into this exclusive new Exhale outpost.
Owner: Exhale
Spa Director: Lara Iglesias
Opened: February 2015
Client Base
60% female
40% male
Space
10,000 square feet;
1,000-square-foot Mind Body Studio; 10 treatment rooms
Products
Alo Yoga, Actifirm, Anatomie, Innovative Skincare, Sircuit Skin Cosmeceuticals, SpaRitual, Spiritual Gangster, Tata Harper
Equipment
MindBody, Sobel Westex, Universal Companies