Aesthetically, it’s one of the most spectacular places I’ve seen. It’s so chic, so cool, but so different
– Inge Theron

After a soft opening earlier this year, the Tierra Santa Healing House spa at the Faena Hotel in Miami Beach is fully open, with shaman-inspired treatments and natural ingredients from the Amazon in its South American-themed spa.

“Everybody’s been looking east and west for concepts and philosophies, and we finally looked south – there’s so much to pull from,” Vivianne Garcia-Tunon, spa and wellness director at Tierra Santa told Spa Opportunities.

Unique treatments at the 22,000sq ft spa include the Sacred Warrior, which uses warmed herbal poultices and lapis lazuli from Chile to release tension. The resort also offers the Palo Santo & Sound Bowls, which includes an hour of sound therapy with bowls from Eastern Vibrations, combined with an hour of light massage featuring Palo Santo wood that is used in South American purification ceremonies.

Based in Mexico, Shaman Carlos Gomez helped develop the treatments, and is on-site once a quarter for one-on-one healing rituals designed to reenergise the body, evoke spirits and energy, or repair trauma from childhood. The sessions with Gomez cost US$400 for two hours.

“Guests have been very fascinated by the shaman and the treatments we’ve put together,” said Garcia-Tunon.

Tierra Santa’s own product line is also inspired by South American healing traditions, and includes Sacred Body Oils with ingredients sourced from South America, including Amazonian white clay, muds from Peru and the Amazon River, and maca from the Andes Mountains.

The spa also includes preventative wellness and medical care from leading health collaborators, including gut health expert Dr Matthew Cooper – aka Dr Enzyme – and cardio vascular specialist Dr Juan Rivera.

Dr Cooper is on-site at the spa three days a week. His treatment of the digestive system is led by a team of nutritionists and includes advanced blood work, stress and cardio assessment.

Local residents are also able to access Dr Rivera’s concierge service, which includes advanced labs, echocardiogram, stress testing, studies to look at occult arterial plaque, circulation studies, screening for arterial aneurysm, EKG, endothelial function testing, fatty liver screenings and a complete physical.

Designed by spa consultant Inge Theron in conjunction with Design for Leisure, the spa also features 13 treatment rooms – including two advanced beauty and healing rooms with treatments from Biologique Recherche.

“Aesthetically, it’s one of the most spectacular places I’ve seen – and I’ve seen a lot,” Theron told Spa Opportunities. “It’s so chic, so cool, but so different.”

The spa includes Kensington massage tables from Living Earth Crafts, as well as the Quartz sand table from Gharieni, equipment from Spa Equip, and T-Y Linens.

An extensive unisex wet spa offers guests a journey through a sequence of temperature changes designed to promote relaxation and detoxification, including the Waterfall, a range of therapeutic showers.

The wet spa also includes a hammam with a communal area and intimate cubicles, an herbal steam room with aromatherapy detoxification, two wet scrub rooms, a multi-tiered sauna carved from solid oak, a Chill Room with an ice fountain and a tepidarium.

Fitness facilities include a studio with Technogym equipment as well as a 1,000sq ft yoga studio. A salon offers a range of beauty services, including manicures, pedicures and makeup, with Rossano Ferretti offering in-house hair consultation.

A spa boutique offers unique finds from South America as well as signature Tierra Santa lotions, oils, clothing and gifts.

Design is key at the Tierra Santa Healing House, with interiors by Academy Award-winning costume designer Catherine Martin, who collaborated with artists Juan Gatti and Manuel Ameztoy to create the bright, airy space. Colourful, playful floral murals from Gatti combine with paper art installations from Ameztoy, and treatment rooms feature outdoor terraces with views of Miami Beach.

“Art permeates everything, even in the spa,” said Theron.

Garcia-Tunon reports that about 70 per cent of spa bookings are from hotel guests, that the spa has been “extremely busy,” and that guests “absolutely love the design of the spa.”

Alan Faena and Len Balvatnik opened the Faena Hotel in November 2015, and it is the first phase of openings in a larger Faena District Miami Beach, which is designed as an entire new neighbourhood with art and culture at its core.

Formerly the historic Saxony Hotel, the Faena includes 169 bedrooms and 13 penthouses designed by Faena, along with film director Baz Luhrmann and Martin.

‘Great Gatsby meets Buenos Aires’ at Baz Luhrmann-designed SoBe Art Deco gem