The Art of Wellness: 8 Spa-Worthy Homes for Health & Fitness

The Latin motto Mens sana in corpore sano, “a healthy mind in a healthy body,” can feel like an ever-retreating goal nowadays, a merciless injunction, given the stresses of 21st-century living. Hectic schedules, demanding workloads, and the pressures of everyday life can take their toll on body and mind.

In this Luxury Defined showcase, we present nine homes which integrate the amenities of gracious living with those of physical and spiritual well-being: Unleash those daily stressors on the lap pool or against the weights of the fitness center; uncoil those tensions in the hammam, the meditation room, or the yoga studio. 

Relax amid tranquil landscapes, bask in idyllic gardens groomed for serenity and meditation, or simply treat yourself to a good old-fashioned “steam and a shvitz.” Close your eyes and exhale: At last, you’re home. 

1. The Invisible House in Joshua Tree, California 

The Invisible House is, quite simply, unique. Boldly futuristic and fully sustainable, the glass-and-steel structure hides on 90 private acres at the edge of California’s Joshua Tree National Park, itself a desert locus for meditation. 

The home is the vision of architect Tomas Osinski and its owner, film producer Chris Hanley (known for American Psycho and The Virgin Suicides). 

The mirrored façade and minimalist, linear design create an almost seamless transition between the built and natural environment. The result is a house that “disappears” into the desert landscape. Inside, the reflective glass panels serve as floor-to-ceiling windows and doors bringing in the light and the views of the boulders and the desert flora and fauna. 

The home is environmentally conscious. A large portion of the structure is cantilevered above the rocks to protect the desert floor. Besides the private dirt road, nothing else was disturbed during construction. 

The floor plan extends to 6,000 square feet with four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a lounge, and an open plan living, kitchen, and dining space. The highlight is the 100-foot-long solar-heated freshwater pool with the Mojave Desert as the backdrop.  

2. Contemporary Villa in Tallinn, Estonia 

This luxurious turnkey residence has a scenic location in Pirita, a coastal enclave 15 minutes’ drive from the historic heart of the Estonian capital, Tallinn. 

Designed with health and wellness in mind, the home is accoutered with the very latest lifestyle amenities. The flowering gardens are an oasis of peace with a lap pool and Iglu sauna. There’s a wellness facility inside, too, with traditional Finnish and steam saunas; a relaxation lounge and gym. 

The main living room opens to a formal dining area and gourmet kitchen. A guest bedroom, powder room, laundry area, garage, and technical room are also on this level. The upper floor houses four bedrooms, including the primary suite with a spacious walk-in closet, en suite bathroom, and access to the roof terrace. 

Nature reserves, pine forests, the promenade, and Pirita Beach are all within a short walk.  

3. Point House on Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands 

Point House has a perfect beachfront setting on a secluded cove on the private island of Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos archipelago. The ultra-contemporary 7,000-square-foot villa by architect Cheong Yew Kuan offers unobstructed views of white sand beaches and turquoise seas. 

The main floor is anchored by the great room with its multiple seating spaces, a dining room large enough for a 12-foot-long table, and a fully equipped chef’s kitchen. 

Vast floor-to-ceiling windows and doors reveal the inviting waters of the pool, paved in unique lava stone from Bali, and turquoise seas beyond. A deck leads to a sequestered beach with powdered sugary sand.  

There are five luxurious bedrooms. Two are on the main floor, each with a limestone shower, sunken tub, and landscaped outdoor shower. A third en suite bedroom is on the first floor. A fourth en suite bedroom, in a loft overlooking the main living areas below, has a sea-view rooftop terrace. A shuttered indoor balcony provides privacy while inviting the flow of cooling ocean breezes. 

The fifth bedroom, in the property’s botanical gardens, could be reimagined as a guest or staff residence, or converted into an art studio or a gym. 

Point House’s serene location, next to a nature reserve, adds another layer of privacy. Residents enjoy access to COMO Shambhala Retreat, a five-star health and wellness resort. 

Related: Read How a Bespoke Home Gym Changes the Game

4. Modernist Mansion in Quinta Da Baroneza, São Paulo, Brazil 

The cool, clean lines and rooms of this vast white mansion open up on nearly 19,000 square feet of resort-style living spaces in Quinta da Baroneza, a gated resort community just an hour’s drive from São Paulo. 

Volumes of light and air dominate the commodious, treble-height great room, punctuated by full-height glass windows and doors and crowned by big clerestory windows all the way up to the eaves. 

A masterly, subtle color palette throughout the home phases from sere white (accented by warm wood and stone) to the cream tints of the chef’s kitchen, to the warm, intimate hues of the formal dining room and, upstairs, the six expansive bedrooms and bathrooms. 

For serious rest and relaxation, the mansion offers a heated swimming pool, two saunas, a Jacuzzi, fully kitted fitness room, barbecue space, pizza oven, and game room. 

The Quinta da Baroneza community also provides its own equestrian facilities, golf course, helipad, clubhouse, restaurants, spa, heated swimming pool, and medical center.  

5. Golf-Front Villa in Nueva Andalucía, Marbella, Spain 

This serene white villa occupies an exclusive private setting in the Real Club de Golf Las Brisas, a luxurious gated community in the heart of Marbella’s Golf Valley. 

The home’s resort-worthy grounds front the fairways of the club’s championship course, designed by Robert Trent Jones in 1969. The cool contemporary lines are punctuated with walls of glass to frame the views. At the rear, a forecourt paved with cobblestones adds an Old World touch. 

The open-concept floor plan offers nearly 6,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor living space across three floors. A double-height lounge invites elegant entertaining with living and dining areas and a gourmet kitchen. Beyond are two covered terraces with lounging and dining areas.  

A floating staircase rises to the private quarters. Downstairs is a spectacular spa complex with a mosaic-tiled indoor pool, sauna, and Turkish bath, and fitness room.

There’s also a movie theater, billiards room, and a private club-style bar with a glass-enclosed wine room. 

The spa-like amenities continue outside with a lap pool and summer kitchen facing the greens. 

6. Villa Shanti in Phang-Nga, Thailand 

Villa Shanti is an idyllic beachfront compound in Thailand’s beautiful Phang-Nga province. 

The property is composed of five contemporary salas, or Thai-style pavilions. Within are six elegant en suite bedrooms, a spacious “Great Room” for lounging and dining, a family room, and a vast contemporary kitchen. 

The indoor and outdoor living spaces balance rich teakwood with a crisp, white palette. Each pavilion connects to a series of corridors and walkways converging on an immense palm-lined tropical garden facing the Andaman sea. A broad veranda runs alongside the bedroom pavilions and “Great Room,” providing ample space for outdoor lounging and dining.  

At the center of the property is an 82-foot black-tiled infinity pool with breezy salas on either side. During the day, guests have the option of elegant alfresco dining in the poolside sala, or massage treatments in the beachfront relaxation sala. At night, a cascade of warm lighting sets the pool and lawns aglow.  

Related: Discover 5 Eco-Friendly Spas Around the World

7. Yoga Retreat in Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy

This enchanted escape is in the hills of the Maremma, a short distance from its ancient capital, Grosseto, and the Tuscan coast. 

Encompassing nearly 150 acres, the property currently serves as an organic farm, yoga retreat, event space, and successful agriturismo business.  

The residential annex includes the owners’ residence, two guest houses, two apartments, and a guest studio, offering a total of 16 bedrooms and 23 bathrooms. 

The dwellings are surrounded by parklike gardens leading down to the lake. At the water’s edge is an amphitheater built from local stone to stage musical and theatrical performances throughout the summer. 

The newly built wellness center is perfectly integrated into the environment. The 4,842-square-foot space includes an ozone-purified swimming pool, massage room, dressing rooms and bathrooms, and a yoga center with fitness and meditation rooms. It opens to a beautiful grassy terrace facing the Tuscan hills. 

The estate’s centuries-old oak forests, threaded by nature trails, hiking and biking paths, are a habitat for porcupine, hare, and deer. The organic vegetable garden, orchard produce, and greenhouse provide farm-to-table fare. The olive groves, on 10 acres of the estate, produce high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. 

8. Château de la Roche in Alpine, New Jersey 

Château de la Roche is a palatial French-inspired manor on two acres of gated grounds on a hilltop in an exclusive enclave of Alpine, New Jersey, just eight miles from New York City.  

Completed in 2017, the 25,700-square-foot chateau-style residence was constructed over four years in a collaboration of artisans led by architect Robert Zampolin, builder Ron Badalamenti, and interior decor by Interiors by Denise. 

There are four luxurious levels. The ground level is dedicated to leisure and entertainment and includes a fitness center, private spa, theater, pub, and 2,000-bottle wine cellar. 

The upstairs quarters, including the deluxe owner’s suite, are accessed by main and secondary staircases as well as by elevator. The finished fourth level could accommodate additional bedrooms or recreation space. 

The main floor features a dramatic great room, mahogany-panelled library, formal dining room, and huge gourmet kitchen with butler’s pantry. 

Anchoring the southernmost wing is a beautiful octagonal conservatory leading out to two acres of formal grounds with a gunite pool with spa and fountains, and a cabana with a bar, covered outdoor kitchen, and gazebo, vegetable and herb gardens.