The Essentials

Spa Palmera invites you to close your eyes, and breathe it all in.

Inside the 50,000-square-foot wellness oasis, guests will be transported to a majestic new world with just one breath, thanks to four specially crafted essential oils.

The spa, which recently received the coveted Forbes Travel Guide’s Five-Star Award, has created a series of essential oils that not only harness the health benefits of aromatherapy but also have the ability to infuse the grandeur of the Alhambra Palace, where the spa draws upon its design, architecture and overall inspiration. The essential oils are packed with powerful plant extracts that are customized to breathe in a positive outlook using nature itself.

With its unique connection to the Alhambra, the Spa Palmera team began researching how to further and strengthen the link. And then it dawned on them: scents. In the Alhambra gardens, flowers and herbs served as both marks of nature’s beauty and its remedies. The famous medicinal gardens are full of jasmine and Damascus rose, creating a soft wafting scent that is transportive and healing. A walk through the gardens has strollers feeling restored.

“We took that concept and incorporated it into the spa,” says Tatiana Reginello, senior spa operations manager, who spearheaded the research and development of the Spa Palmera essential oils. “The sense of smell is closely related to memories and emotions. Aromas can send your brain into action and alter your mood. In addition, more than our other senses, smell has the ability to bring us back to memories from years ago, from when we were babies and smelling grandmother’s cooking or a family vacation on the islands.”

Spa Palmera’s essential oils—in essence, plant extracts that capture the compounds that produce fragrance— come in four unique blends that are also infused with the healing power of gemstones within the bottle.

They include:

Amber and Pine: Scents known for increasing well-being. This oil is paired with an amethyst stone, which is said to awaken one’s sense of awareness, and helps to focus and improve memory.

Damascus Rose: Said to instill harmony and love. Its accompanying gemstone is rose quartz, the universal stone of love, which helps to purify and open one’s heart to new levels, enhance friendships, and give a feeling of peace.

Lemongrass and Yuzu: Believed to help with clarity, as well as give a boost of energy. It is paired with citrine, a gemstone known to balance emotions and give clarity while uplifting the mood.

Jasmine: An uplifting scent, jasmine is said to relieve stress and help reduce anxiety. This oil is paired with peridot stone, known as the stone of compassion, and is believed to balance one’s emotions and help instill creativity.

At the beginning of every treatment at Spa Palmera, guests receive an intake of the scent of their choosing. It’s the start of a journey into Spa Palmera, Reginello says.

“The response has been so great with these oils and gemstones,” she says. “Some guests choose different ones each time they come in for a treatment. There’s no right or wrong; it’s all about how you’re feeling at the moment. If you need to de-stress or have more clarity, you might choose one oil; if you need a jolt of energy, you might try a different one.”

At the end of each treatment, guests are gifted with a small bottle of the facial mist scented with the aroma used in the service, as a way to remember their experience at Spa Palmera. In addition, the spa’s retail boutique features the unique scents and gemstones. A roll-on perfume is available, as well as a body oil and mala meditation bead with the specific gemstones.

“If you are coming from out of town, you can take a bottle with you,” Reginello says. “When you apply it, it will remind you about The Boca Raton. Guests can carry this great memory with them.”