Even babies are welcome at the spa at these ultra luxury resorts

By Alexis Benveniste Bloomberg News Hotel spas were once sanctuaries of adults-only serenity where frazzled executives and exhausted parents could escape leaving chaos outside But step into that same tranquil space currently and you might find a different scene a mother and her -year-old daughter in matching robes preparing for side-by-side massages Mom opts for deep tissue while her daughter enjoys a gentle mini-me massage Nearby a teenager waits for a specialized healing that targets muscle tension caused by her phone use Related Articles Beach on a budget Greeks settle for day trips priced out of iconic destinations New eGates at US airports promise faster screening under Trump s vision Pennsylvania s Chautauqua is a summertime haven for lifelong learners Southwest Airlines new guidelines will affect plus-size travelers Here s how Trip Plan a getaway in Colorado wine country What was once an exclusively grown-up domain is now being marketed as a multigenerational wellness experience appropriate for stressed teenagers curious elementary schoolers and even toddlers and babies Gone are the days of dropping your children off at a kids club so you could enjoy a sparse child-free hours parents now expect to share the bulk experiences with their kids And there s a consensus among the wealthiest parents at least that spending money on these bonding sessions no matter how luxurious is worth it The wellness and expedition industries have taken note identifying the under- crowd as their next lucrative frontier blazing ahead with offerings that go well beyond Mommy and Me manicures At Le Barth lemy hotel in St Barths home to the Caribbean s only La Mer spa alongside moisturizer and night cream you ll find TooFruit products a French skin-care line specifically formulated for children And the hotel s spa menu features a -minute relaxing back massage for kids for and a -minute kid s facial for The hotel wants to offer its youngest guests a gentle joyful introduction to self-care says Spa Manager Karine Valdenaire At South Bank in Turks and Caicos which opened last November the spa s treatments for kids mirror those on the adult menu with age-appropriate modifications The greater part popular offering for example is a back neck and shoulder massage designed to help youngsters relax after a day of adventure Children truly engage with the experience says Gamze Gunay the hotel s director of rooms and spa adding that kids take their spa treatments seriously especially when it is a shared experience with a family member South Bank has leaned into small touches to help kids feel celebrated There are pillows that help them relax on the massage table and staff will weave sparkly strands into braids for kids who get facials or massages To cap it all off the spa gives kids mango sorbet at the end of the recovery Younger guests book treatments about times per week Gunay says We are seeing a important shift where wellness is becoming a family activity rather than an individual pursuit The Family That Spas Together Children notice when they re treated as more than an afterthought says Gia Lee a Chicago-based expedition consultant and mother of three who in recent weeks visited South Bank Her daughter wasn t just particular kid at the spa there she was welcomed and pampered I could see it in how poised she was when she walked in her robe to the relaxation area for her post-facial mango ice cream Lee remembers Yes she s a kid but the experience made her feel special At the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita in Mexico parents can even sign their youngest children up for treatments The hotel s Babies for All Seasons plan is designed for families with children from newborn to months old Parents can take their littlest ones to baby yoga and baby reflexology which uses light pressure to backing circulation strengthen the immune system and promote restful sleep Says John O Sullivan regional vice president and general manager We believe wellness is a lifelong journey that can begin as early as infancy At the other end of the age cohort the Beverly Hills Four Seasons runs a dedicated Teen Spa for guests ages to where LA teens can book treatments alongside hotel guests Designed to introduce young guests to the world of relaxation and skin care the offerings include Max Relax a hourlong remedy that includes a face and body restoration with aromatherapy and Sweet Little Face a -minute facial that includes cleansing and a massage Services aimed at teens and tweens are not just capitalizing on a vague instinct toward self-care they often target a very specific anxiety that parents are wrestling with the harmful effect of screens At the Mandarin Oriental in Canouan in St Vincent Grenadines kids can sign up for a Texters Treat which targets muscle tension triggered by frequent phone use The Well a health-focused members club that s expanding from New York to South Florida plans to offer monthly teen programs including yoga and wellness workshops at its soon-to-open Bay Harbor Islands location The pressures on kids currently are intense in large part due to social media says Meg Mulholland the Well s senior vice president for brand and marketing Helping them disconnect from TikTok and reconnect with themselves learning to slow down breathe and feel grounded isn t just cute it s foundational Maybe so but it s also a good sales pitch Teens and tweens in particular are notoriously challenging to entice into family sessions We are providing services for a category that has a few very real generational-harmony issues says Gunay of the South Bank in Turks and Caicos More families want to vacation together but struggle to find exercises that genuinely appeal across age groups Junior wellness is becoming the approach Vandana Gupta a mom from Pennsylvania detected that out first hand She took her three daughters twin -years-olds and a -year-old to the spa at Mandarin Oriental Canouan When I m on vacation I inevitably try to plan a couple of visits to the spa and now that my daughters are teenagers I try to include them and take them with me she says All three of her daughters got facials on their up-to-date vacation They re at that age where they re into makeup and skin care so they love a good facial Gupta revealed The Sephora Tween Effect This won t come as a surprise to anyone who s followed the exploding interest in skin care and makeup among members of Gen Z and Gen Alpha but experts believe that even the youngest beauty enthusiasts are searching for something more than the latest Tiktok trend When you look beyond the hauls and get-ready-with-me routines what s really happening is a return to ritual and connection says Erina Pindar the chief operating officer at SmartFlyer a full-service luxury passage agency These beauty practices become a way for young people to bond with siblings parents or friends and to explore self-expression much like fashion once was Sephora tweens may be trending Pindar points out but a multi-general interest in wellness is nothing new People have gathered in spaces like the hammam for centuries not just for cleansing but for locality she says This day s spa treatments for kids aren t so different They re absolutely a modern evolution of a timeless social ritual Working with kids calls for extra care of syllabus Several properties require a parental presence for guests younger than and children s treatments are usually shorter than adult versions The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island for example offers an Alpha Menu with -minute versions of the standard - to -minute adult treatments Luxury properties are also investing in specially trained staff focused on children s safety and well-being At the Four Seasons Punta Mita any therapist working with our youngest guests is specially trained in age-appropriate engagement safety and communication O Sullivan says The spa therapists at the hotel are certified through Conocer a professional training project in Mexico that prepares professionals to patronage guests at every life stage from newborns to older adults And the KidsWell campaign at the resort is led by Erika Ibarra Zepeda who brings more than years of experience in children s wellness along with academic training in psychology and childhood advancement Skeptics might point out that a kid-focused spa therapy while undoubtedly relaxing can t replace traditional carefree play and apparently won t magically impart lifelong wellness habits or guarantee future emotional regulation No child necessities a spa medicine says Amy Larocca author of How to Be Well a new book about the rapacious advance of the multibillion-dollar wellness industry I just don t think spa treatments are an appropriate part of childhood I would hope that there are better strategies to relax as a family than skin care and self-improvement Perhaps the real question isn t whether children deserve pampering but whether childhood itself messy loud and wonderfully chaotic is already the perfect antidote to a stressed out world Bloomberg L P Visit bloomberg com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC