The Crane Residential Resort’s ever improving lifestyle offering doesn’t just raise the bar, it changes the game entirely. With splendid décor, attention to detail, and a staff that practically pirouettes to please guests, The Crane is indubitably the best hotel in the Caribbean to nourish your body and soul. A wellness agenda is not hard to stick to here, as meals are cooked to order and can be altered with less oil or butter in preparation - a far cry from cake and bacon laden buffets. For those in search of a more mindful and healthy escape, this is your perfect day at The Crane.
6 a.m. Wake to sunrise meditation on your private terrace. Savour it, The Crane offers an island pace to revel in. Squeeze half a lemon into 8 ounces of water to alkalize your body for the rest of the day. This boosts your immunity and metabolism. Barbados offers pure drinking water and was the first Caribbean island to have piped water.
6:15 a.m. Enjoy private self-practice Vinyasa yoga on the cliffside lawn. Then drink in a quiet hour of the resort's stunning oversized jacuzzi, enchantingly set in the coral stone remnants of one of the hotel's original structures.
7 a.m. A breakfast of steamed flying fish on a bed of couscous, lemongrass tea and coconut water. The service is impeccable, allowing you to focus on eating mindfully.
10 a.m. Splash in the foam and fizzle of the island’s surf at its wildest. Burn calories and have a blast before the sun burns the beach at high noon. This particular part of this island is a natural choice for the wellness traveller as generations have flocked here to "take the cure" in the bracing, health-giving sea-air.
11 a.m. Some of the best things you can do at The Crane are free. Like exfoliating your body's rough spots with the distinctive pink sand on The Crane Beach. Unlike any beach you've seen before, a handful of sand here reveals strawberries-and-cream hued coral dust so fine it feels like cake batter.
12 noon Hit the lively Crane Village for lunch at D’Onofrio’s Trattoria. Have them make you a pizza with all your favourite veggies. The vibe is relaxed, friendly and social.
3:30 p.m. Sorbet break! Guests love the Village's specialty cafe ice cream shop. As a residential resort, The Crane is accustomed to catering to long staying guests, offering more amenities relevant to daily happiness than any other resort on the island. And what would an island wellness break be without an indulgent scoop of low fat sorbet?
4 p.m. The spa is housed in the Historic Residences, giving treatment suites a sense of timeless colonial grandeur. The best prescription for chapped and chafing skin is The Crane Refresher, the spa's premiere restorative facial. It begins with a frangipani cleansing milk to maintain the physiological balance of skin tissue and encourage suppleness. Next, the skin is infused with a veil of collagen, cellular complexes, vitamins and natural oils to brighten, plump and minimize the appearance of fine lines. The soufflé texture of the mango buttercream is what spa dreams are made of.
7.30 p.m. If you fancy Zagat rated sashimi, you'll want to hit Zen for the best spicy tuna and seared kobe beef in the region. The panoramic view over Crane Beach is nothing short of spectacular. The Crane initially earns its stars on sultry looks alone, touted as “one of the top ten beaches of the world” and “one of the top 50 must-see places”. But after a few nights, the service takes center stage as you begin to see your personal preferences being honoured without having to say a word.
9 p.m. An after dinner digestif at Bar 1887 may be in order. Enjoy sophisticated cocktails and company with residents and holiday makers alike. Or head back to your suite to sip peacefully on herbals and then let the sumptuous in-suite spa jacuzzi take you to a bubbly planet. The ebullient pampered feeling while inside your room, lifts your spirits and keeps you there. The atmosphere here promotes introspection, yet it’s social at the same time... do as you wish, it's all about you.