A mother-daughter spa day at Joali Being in the Maldives. JOALI BEING Once upon a time, a kids spa treatment meant glitter nail polish, a side braid and maybe a cucumber slice perched optimistically on a 9-year-old’s forehead. Now, at some of the world’s fanciest resorts, it can mean a sleep-enhancing massage, a mango body scrub, crystal bowl sound therapy or an acne facial tailored for tween skin.
When Mom or Dad heads to the spa on vacation, in other words, the kids no longer have to be left behind. Elite resorts around the world are increasingly courting younger guests with surprisingly sophisticated wellness menus, some of them designed for children as young as 3.
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“The conversation is moving away from surface-level pampering toward deeper understanding,” says Dr. Anand Prayaga, director of spa at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, who realized in the process of creating the property’s new Urja Naturopathy Island that “if we want to truly create a healthy future generation, physically, emotionally and intellectually, we must begin earlier. Childhood is not just a preparation phase, it is the foundation.” For those aged 12 to 17, the resort’s new naturopathy program includes not only water massage, but also kids yoga, mud therapy and an iris assessment that reveals well-being insights.
Guests arriving at Urja Naturopathy Island at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa. Four Seasons Habits formed in childhood tend to stay for life, Prayaga says. And while finding stillness can be challenging for a kid in their daily life, introducing it on vacation helps make it more accessible. Prayaga also says children are often more open than adults to abstract concepts such as frequency or vibrational balance.
Watered-down and superficial therapies for kids are being replaced by truly holistic ones as well. “We often hear phrases like, ‘I feel quiet inside,’ or ‘I’m sleepy but happy,’” says Joali Being well-being trainer Josephine Njenga of young guests’ reactions to a spa therapy. “In their simple, honest language, this reflects something quite profound: a sense of nervous system regulation and inner balance.” In response to demand, Joali Being, a dedicated well-being island in the Maldives, moved from adults-only to welcoming kids in December 2023. Sessions for kids age 4 and up center on the resort’s four pillars of wellness: mind, microbiome, skin and energy. Think sound healing, herbarium workshops, refreshing facials and light, grounding bodywork sessions that introduce pressure points and the restoration of natural energy flow.
To Njenga, “well-being, especially for children, should feel uplifting and fun rather than instructional.” Treatments at the resort are designed to “gently support the flow of chi — vital energy — helping children regulate, settle and feel more balanced within their own bodies,” she adds. Instead of replicating miniature adult treatments, says Njenga, “we are planting seeds, introducing healthy rituals early and reinforcing the idea that rest, restoration and mindful movement are natural rhythms of life, not indulgences.”
Last year, Joali Being guests included actress and entrepreneur Shay Mitchell, who recently co-founded rini, a skin-care line geared specifically toward kids. Mitchell drew online backlash for the brand, which sells face masks that are “fun and suitable for kids 4+ through the tween years!” according to the company website. After critics complained that rini pushes adult beauty standards onto kids, Mitchell defended rini’s toddler-safe sheet masks as a fun way to create a shared moment with her daughters and enable them to take part in one of her self-care practices.
Relaxation moment at Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, where the KidsWell program is designed to foster focus and self-awareness and connection with nature. Four Seasons At luxury resorts, many spas promote treatments for kids as something to experience with family. And, understandably, many appointments for younger guests require a parent to be present.
Many are performed side by side, such as the Counting Sheep journey at Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa in the U.K. The experience incorporates Oskia skin care in a harmonious, sleep-enhancing ritual concentrated on the face, back, shoulders and scalp for children 8 and older. Parents and progeny can also enjoy the Daphne Massage and Little Glow facial together at Cape Sounio on the Athens Riviera. Sauna culture is a family affair at Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti, where the water circuit includes a steam bath, plus indoor and outdoor pools. And at Bangkok’s RXV Wellness Village, the Wellness Foundation for Kids Programme is an age-appropriate way for 6-year-olds and up to move their bodies, connect to their emotions, try hydrotherapy and develop self-regulation skills as their parents go through their own integrative health retreat.
Foot treatment for kids at Four Seasons Hotel Firenze. Four Seasons Wellness destinations like Miraval Berkshires — which traditionally have been adults only — are finding increased interest in occasional dedicated family weeks that welcome littles ages 5ve and up. On the Costa Mujeres north of Cancún, longevity clinic SHA Mexico recently introduced a comprehensive young adult wellness program that starts at age 12. And Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita (where Mandy Moore and family stayed in 2025) offers interactive classes guided by spa professionals, such as Baby & Me Reflexology, which teaches parents how to administer gentle foot therapy to their newborns for improved sleep and well-being.
Of course, as generation alpha gets older, spas are offering them treatments tailored specifically to their age and needs. Teen-specific treatments include the deep-cleansing Sprout Facial for evolving skin at Tennessee’s Blackberry Farm; the acne-focused Keeping Up Appearances facial and an upper body massage called Texters’ Treat at Canouan Estate; the Florenteen’s Facial at Four Seasons Hotel Firenze featuring natural products from Santa Maria Novella apothecary; and the rebalancing Explorers Facial face massage at Italy’s Castiglion del Bosco, A Rosewood Hotel.
At Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa near Bath, England, there’s a Soothing Jade Gua Sha Facial, while at Arizona Biltmore the poolside self-care haven Tierra Luna Cabana offers glow-boosting LED therapy, after-sun skin repair treatments, and a blend bar where teens can make their own body scrub or crystal-infused rollerball. And at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, offerings at “The Teen Spa” include the “Sweet Little Face” cleansing and facial massage and the 60-minute Max Relax full-body massage with choice of aromatherapy or a facial. Therapists are specially trained in working with younger guests.
“Children and teenagers are showing curiosity that goes beyond purely physical treatments,” says Kuda Huraa’s Prayaga. “They ask about emotions, about energy, about concepts such as frequency and vibration.” This curiosity is a good sign, he says, adding, “In a world that will only grow more demanding, the ability to pause, breathe and realign may be one of the most valuable skills they develop.”
This story appears in The Hollywood Reporter’s 2026 Travel Issue. Click here to read more.
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