Located in downtown Miami with breathtaking views of the city’s skyline, Miami Beach, Fisher Island, Key Biscayne, and Biscayne Bay, Kimpton’s EPIC Hotel offers the style of a cosmopolitan boutique hotel with all the amenities of a resort. The hotel and its up-and-coming surrounding area offer myriad activities in which guests may partake. Visitors can enjoy the hotel’s close proximity to Brickell Avenue’s financial district, the Design District’s art galleries, various museums and performing arts venues, and South Beach’s nightlife. They can also indulge in the many luxe amenities at the Green Seal-certified hotel, such as the 13,752-square-foot pool deck located on the 16th floor, the delicious Area 31 restaurant, and the 12,000-square-foot Exhale Mind Body Spa.
The spa, which opened in January and is situated on the 15th and 16th floors of the hotel, boasts 14 treatment rooms; a gym; a Wellbar mobile beauty kiosk, which offers signature express treatments, as well as nail, waxing, and brow services; a retail area; and a co-ed quiet lounge with a hammam detox chamber. “Exhale is a wellness experience that allows for transformation through three different disciplines—fitness, spa, and wellness counseling,” says spa director Danielle Terranova.
From facials, massage, and nail therapies to various fitness classes, nutrition sessions, and acupuncture services, Exhale’s menu provides the same results-oriented and relaxing services spa-goers have come to love and expect at Exhale locations nationwide. “Exhale’s entire list of therapies and classes have one common intention—to be transformational,” says Terranova. “Our skincare offerings are a blend of holistic care with advanced technology, our massage therapies are relaxing but also therapeutic, and our Core Fusion classes are strengthening but also rehabilitative. Each therapy and each offering is designed to transform the lives of our guests.”
Among the more popular services at this Miami hot spot are Power Body Detox ($185, 60 minutes), which utilizes Ionithermie’s technology with targeted electrical stimulation to reduce the appearance of cellulite and improve and smooth skin texture while it slims, tones, and firms the body; Deep Flow Massage ($140, 60 minutes), which utilizes flowing techniques to open locked muscles and free energy blockages for a tension-relieving experience; and the Power ($280, 60 minutes) facial, which is a deep exfoliation treatment targeting dehydration and sun damage and includes the use of a non-ablative laser to tighten skin and leave it looking young and healthy.
Fitness classes are also in demand, such as Core Fusion, which takes place in a studio with city and bay views. It combines the disciplines of core conditioning, Pilates, the Lotte Berk Method, and yoga to produce lean muscles, a flexible body, and a sense of peace and relaxation. The spa also recently introduced Core Personal Training, which includes training and guidance in a gym environment and incorporates Core Fusion and other programs designed around cardiovascular equipment.
Whether guests visit the spa for a full day of transformative services or are looking for a quick manicure or pedicure before hitting the town, Exhale welcomes all. “We do not tell our guests that they have to spend a week at Exhale to achieve wellness, nor do we tell them they have to dedicate an hour,” says Terranova. “We have made wellness a personal enterprise by offering a comprehensive and diverse wellness experience. We cater to those who want to commit to the exploration of their practice with our retreats as well as to those who may only have 15 minutes for an express manicure at our Wellbar.” It’s because of these reasons and more that Exhale’s clientele is so diverse. While 60 percent of spa guests are female, the spa also attracts a large percentage of men—and dogs. Kimpton, a pet-friendly hotel, encourages owners to treat their dogs to the spa’s Canine Wellness Program, which includes services such as Dog Massage ($75) and Doga ($75), which is a 30-minute session that incorporates meditation,
massage (for the dog), and yoga (for the human).
The spa is open to both locals and hotel guests and can accommodate approximately 170 spa-goers a day. To serve these guests and ensure efficiency, 55 full-time and 15 part-time employees work at the spa. These employees strive to satisfy the individual needs of every guest. “At Exhale, our biggest challenge is educating our guests about all of the different opportunities available to them, because there are so many ways for us to partner with them on their journey,” says Terranova. Regardless of the chosen service, spa-goers can expect an experience that is truly magical.
EXHALE MIND BODY SPA
(Miami)
OWNER: Exhale Enterprises
SPA DIRECTOR: Danielle Terranova
OPENED: January 2010
CLIENT BASE
60% female, 40% male
SPACE
15,000 square feet 14 treatment rooms
OFFERINGS
acupuncture, aromatherapy, body treatments, couples’ treatments, cupping, energy work, eyelash and brow tinting, facials, fitness, guided meditation, hammam, hand and foot treatments, LED therapy, massage, nailcare, nutrition consultation, outdoor treatments, Pilates, prenatal services, Qigong, reflexology, waxing, yoga
MOST EXPENSIVE OFFERING
Magic ($380, 90 minutes) facial, which utilizes high-energy sound waves
SIGNATURE SERVICE
Power Body Detox ($185, 60 minutes)
PRODUCT LINES
302, Actifirm, ANSR, Astara, Glisodin, IS Clinical, Kahina, Nufree, Shaffali Skin Rituals, Sircuit Cosmeceuticals, SpaRitual
EQUIPMENT
Ageless Esthetics, Clarisonic, Epione Coolbeam, Ionithermie