Even in ordinary times, people go to wellness resorts to kickstart healthier habits, unwind and receive attentive care. In this era of heightened anxiety due to COVID-19, guests increasingly seek natural beauty, thoughtful hospitality, nutritious food, fitness opportunities, and body and beauty treatments. Canyon Ranch Lenox also offers an extensive team of experts who provide a wide range of health, wellness and spiritual-care services designed to address personal needs.
After eight months largely confined at home, I hesitated about venturing out but was curious how a leading integrative health destination manages COVID-19 safety. Canyon Ranch follows state regulations, guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, and protocols developed with its own medical team led by Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, former U.S. Surgeon General.
Two factors influenced my decision to visit: trust in Canyon Ranch’s reputation—built over 40 years across properties in Las Vegas, Lenox and Tucson—and confidence that guests choosing holistic retreats prioritize their health and adhere to safety protocols. That trust proved well-placed.
I drove from my Long Island home to Lenox, Massachusetts, taking the lightly traveled Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry. Lenox is a scenic two-hour drive from Bridgeport or Boston and about three hours from Manhattan. With a “be prepared” mindset, I packed water, masks, gloves, a clear plastic shield, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and snacks.
PHOTO: © CANYON RANCH LENOX
Wealthy Bostonians and New Yorkers built Gilded Age cottages here in the beautiful Berkshire foothills, including Bellefontaine, which Canyon Ranch established as its East Coast base in 1989. The 1897 mansion, with its wood-paneled library and design echoes of the Petit Trianon, is the centerpiece of the three-building retreat. The mansion’s upper level houses the Health and Healing Center, while the ground floor offers a library, lounges, the casual CR Rebel café and the gracious, windowed Canyon Ranch Grill. To increase safety and space, many dining tables have been removed across the three airy rooms.
A six-foot-wide, ventilated, temperature-controlled glass corridor connects the mansion to the 126-room inn and to the 100,000-square-foot Spa and Sports Facility. That complex—which includes an upper-level running track—offers an impressive range of fitness and sports amenities, a boutique, a nail salon, a full spa and indoor and outdoor pools. Signup sheets are posted for activities including popular, physically distanced outdoor sports such as snowshoeing and cross-country and downhill skiing.
Regarding COVID-19 measures, Canyon Ranch communicates with guests before arrival and schedules pre-visit conversations with program advisors. On arrival, temperature checks are conducted at the gate. Guests use self-parking while bell staff handle luggage and provide transport to and from the lot. Paperwork and a sealed pen await at the front desk, protected by Plexiglas; additional barriers are placed at the Host Station and Program Advising desk. A sealed door signals that rooms are ready, and privacy signs prevent entry. Masks are required for all guests and staff. Activities run with reduced capacity and usually require advance reservations, and visible signage reinforces physical distancing.
I arrived in time for lunch and decided to dine in the room; the dining room felt comfortable with well-spaced tables, a light number of guests and a staff that follows strict precautions, including disinfecting tables and chairs after each use. Evening dining requires timed reservations to maintain spacing.
After nine months without a facial, manicure-pedicure or haircut, I booked treatments that first afternoon. Katie gave an excellent massage and another therapist, also named Katie, provided a hydrating facial. Room service arrived that night in a sealed paper bag placed on a plastic tray; the presentation was simple, and the food was excellent.
Executive Chef Dan Hardy’s menu elevates familiar dishes and adds Mediterranean and Asian-inspired options. I appreciated his healthful approach to comfort foods—crab cakes, pancakes, turkey pot pie—and inventive dishes like an eggplant tower with mozzarella, grilled vegetable panini, filet of beef, apricot-mustard salmon, and beet-and-orange salad on a dollop of yogurt. There were also satisfying quinoa, pearl couscous and bean salads, plus house-baked cookies. After not dining out since February 2020, enjoying meals prepared by the resort felt like a special treat.
The resort’s sense of space was noticeable throughout because Canyon Ranch limits occupancy to around 40 percent; I visited midweek, which made the property even quieter. Many classes and presentations were small: I was the only attendee at a Chinese medicine lecture and a yoga class; one of three at an after-dinner cabaret where a clear screen separated the performer from the audience; four participants at a chef’s knife-skills demo; and three to five attendees at medical talks. Smaller group sizes enhanced both learning and safety.
What stands out about Canyon Ranch is the breadth of opportunities to explore personal wellness—educational sessions, fitness experiences and individualized care—delivered in an environment that felt consistently safe, attentive and restorative.