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Time for renewal

February 01, 2010 | Online Travel

The trend for travel in 2010 is toward more discreet luxury, with a focus on the "transforcation" holiday, where travelers improve or change, writes The Wall Street Journal.

There are many paths to self-improvement, and not all are arduous. The spa, or beauty clinic, has long occupied a place in this lexicon. “Taking the waters” at smart spas has for centuries been a fashionable form of leisure and the popularity of detox-center holidays continues apace. The following review of a health clinic in Switzerland illustrates how to enjoy physical transformation in discreet luxury.

The philosophy at the 15th-century Il Convento di Santa Maria di Constantinopoli in Apulia, southern Italy, the hotel owned by Alistair and Athena McAlpine, is that transforcation is about limiting technology while maximizing luxury. “The guests are treated as visiting friends, and with only eight rooms the atmosphere is relaxed and informal,” says Lady McAlpine. “We don’t have Wi-Fi, TVs or phones in the bedrooms and we find people appreciate the difference it makes to the quality of their stay and their mental attitude.”

Get the full story at The Wall Street Journal

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