Four Seasons Hualalai’s Decadent Nighttime Spa Experience

This harried new mother recently learned about the next-level amount of rest and relaxation possible when taking over an entire spa after hours. The private Nighttime Spa Experience at Four Seasons Hualalai on the island of Hawaii, occurring after hours with all amenities and locker rooms reserved as part of the treatment, turns the Spa Hualalai into a private, romantic couples oasis. Underneath the Big Island night sky and surrounded by the noise of palms swaying all around, it’s one of Hawaii’s most luxurious and restorative spa experiences for weary parents, and anyone else who needs an evening of spa decadence.

After a brief welcome, guests are walked to the now-private locker room to change (into bathing suits or nothing, nobody else is around), and shown to the outdoor spa relaxation area. Walking outside to the now-private relaxation area, complete with a small, meditative river called the Waiea River is a breathtaking moment. The whirlpool, cold plunge, steam room and sauna that are normally divided into men’s and women’s sections during the day become an extension of the couples’ hale in which massages will eventually take place. An au natural contrast therapy experience underneath the moonlight and surrounded by lush gardens is the type of decadent fun that the children staying at Hualalai seem to be having all day. It feels almost like sneaking into the spa after hours for a dip, but with a full spa team ready to whisk you away for massages at just the right time.

After around 45 minutes of luxuriating in the relaxation area, which goes by in the blink of an eye when dipping between the hot tub, cold shower and steam/sauna for reinvigorating contrast therapy, the massage therapists retrieve guests from the area for a short walk to the Waiea Couples Room for side-by-side 50-minute Lomi Lomi massages surrounded by candles and more of that palm-swaying music.

Therapists at Spa Hualalai are some of the longest tenured on the Big Island, and the massage itself with its long strokes and intuitive approach soothes mind and body. This experience marked my own first couples massage post-baby, though the massage can be swapped for a facial or body wrap depending on preference. The 50 minutes was the perfect amount of time to work out everything that ached and being able to truly relax. Following the treatment, the outdoor garden within the relaxation area turns into a candle-lit after-hours happy hour for two, complete with sparkling wine and an assortment of Hawaiian fruits and chocolates. While there is no time limit on how long a massaged and relaxed couple can linger, I eventually felt so thoroughly rejuvenated and moved by the magic of the experience that I couldn’t wait to turn on my phone, peek at the baby through the monitor (also under the eye of a wonderful local nanny for the evening) and ready for another busy day of chasing her around the beautiful grounds. The new Nighttime Spa Experience is now available year-round and prices start at $960 for two.