Exhale Spa Review - Miami, FL

Known for hot beaches, luxury accommodations, nightlife for celebrities and diverse cultures, Miami is the place for fun. The city hosts many food and music festivals, major sporting events, concerts and is the "cruise capital of the world". In 2009, Miami was ranked as the richest city in the United States and the world's fifth-richest city*and home to many of the rich and famous, so there is a great concentration of luxury spa accommodations available for even the most discerning traveler.

With views of Biscayne Bay in downtown Miami, the Exhale Spa at the dramatic Epic hotel, is a spa getaway in the heart of the urban jungle. Epic tower has a 414-room cosmopolitan boutique hotel, 340 deluxe condominiums, and the amenities of a resort to create a luxury, holistic, cyber-chic oasis for guests and residents. The Exhale Spa offers body fitness, well being retail apothecary, yoga studios, a beauty bar and 14 therapy rooms (2 which are couple's rooms) for a full-body and mind luxurious spa experience.

My husband and I were looking for a day together away from the world after welcoming twins to our family in July. We live south of Miami and decided to take a day trip to the spa to find some relaxation and sanity. We found Exhale Spa online through a simple search. The Miami spa is one of 17 Exhale spas across the country ranging from the northeast in Boston, Ma. to the coastal west in Santa Monica, Ca. Exhale Spa outlines their goal as "merging the paths of mind and body well being and fulfilling the need for an experience that improves and transforms lives in one environment."

We booked the treatment that morning and we had no trouble finding a time that was convenient. We chose the couple's "Fusion Massage" with two female massage therapists. The massage was a 60-minute massage that was a Swedish-based therapy using specific rhythmic massage movements and potent herbal and aromatherapy oils. The cost for this treatment was $260, which is average for a 60-minute massage in the Miami area.

It was a little tricky to find the hotel through the winding roads of downtown Miami, but when we arrived the valet opened my door and all I could feel was the relaxation of a beautiful breeze off of Biscayne Bay. We entered the ultra-luxurious, modern lobby adorned with marble and wood accents, and felt the escape of another world.

After we found our way to the spa through the rich surroundings of the lobby, we entered through an orange welcoming area with gifts and supplies for the spa-goer. It wasn't the most welcoming area and I certainly didn't immediately feel like I was in a spa, more like a gift shop. The reception area is on this level along with the mind body classrooms. The massage services, steam room and lounge were in the lower level.

The locker rooms were very clean, the showers were very nice and there was a woman's only sauna in the locker room. The lockers were only half height which was a bit awkward, especially because I was assigned a lower locker and I would've preferred to have a full-height locker. I changed and put on my robe and sandals and went into the lounge area.

The lounge area was quiet and dark, very calming. They had hot water for tea and cold water to drink, but no snacks and the only magazines were those that others seemed to have left behind. The music was nice, very zen but the area was small. I felt like I was infringing on the space of my neighbor while I waited for my treatment. I would've really enjoyed more of a view to the ocean and a bit more space to really take this area over the top.

The massage was very nice, just what we both needed. We were in a completely different world. The room for the massage was large and the music was calming. The massage therapists were very accommodating and asked us individually if we had any areas to concentrate on and where we might have extra stress. They were gentle and firm all at the same time. I nearly fell asleep many times and after the hour was over, I wanted more! I should have booked a longer massage. They were very professional, very kind and the highlight of the experience was the massage.

After we finished our massage, we decided to spend some time in the steam room. This is a great way to extend your relaxation through the calming effect of the warm air. We were able to relax together in the co-ed area of the steam room and really enjoyed the amazing light therapy and music they had during the experience.

Currently the hotel and spa have a package called the Spa and Fitness package including breakfast credits, spa discounts and a hosted evening wine reception.

More Information:
Exhale Downtown Miami
270 Biscayne Boulevard Way
Miami, FL 33131
https://www.exhalespa.com/locations/miami/downtown-miami