Ahh, the Ihilani. It’s a sweepingly romantic, incredibly luxurious resort and spa on the west coast of Oahu — far away from the maddening crowds of Honolulu and Waikiki. The JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina Resort & Spa completed a fabulous spa renovation this past month, and now it’s even more lovely than before. This may be due to the pending grand opening of a child-focused Disney resort next door, but the folks at the Ihilani Ko Olina wisely reorganized the luxury resort for weddings, honeymoons, anniversaries, and any other excuse for a romantic Hawaii vacation. Nowhere is this more evidenced than in the brand new destination spa at the JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina. The Ihilani Spa provides such a complete experience that spa lovers will be planning Hawaii vacations purely around a day here.

Yes, the building housing the Ihilani Spa is easy to get to from the resort’s main building; it’s right across a pathway. There is a 24-hour fitness room and dedicated elevator also in this building, but it’s unmistakably a spa area. The relaxation lounges familiar sights in spas, are large enough that post-treatment guests can spend some time quietly talking with friends without disturbing those who choose to spend some time alone with their thoughts. The foot bath, lap and plunge pools, steam room and therapy baths all flow organically to each other in a cohesive way, and spa attendants are unobtrusively available in case a guest gets lost (not likely).  The decor also organically flows with the rest of the JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina Resort & Spa, with high-end but relaxed Hawaiian designs that impart a feeling of welcome. The spirit of aloha runs throughout the resort and spa.

While there are a full array of salon services for nails and hair, I concentrated on the spa services during my visit. There are several 50- and 80-minute facials to choose from, along with one special  “Heavenly Splendor” facial that treats a weary face to 110 minutes of pampering and nourishing. The wide range of massage offerings include Swedish, Shiatsu, Hot Rock massages and Reflexology. The massages are almost all 50-minutes of body therapy; since I could only pick one, I chose the lomilomi. Lomilomi is a traditional Hawaiian massage with Polynesian influences, using both gentle touches and more vigorous kneading to relieve tension. Did it work? Oh my, yes. I felt like jelly afterwords, and spent around 20 minutes in the women’s relaxation lounge afterwards, sipping lightly flavored, cool water and enjoying the post-massage sensation of complete relaxation.

The opening of this new spa building at the JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina Resort & Spa is big news indeed for spa lovers. The Ihilani Spa is worthy of “destination spa” status, and a pampering vacation in Oahu would only be better with a day or half day spent here.

As is common in the travel industry, the author received a complimentary stay and spa treatment during her visit. Photos courtesy the JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina Resort & Sps.