A very windy day in late December, but special for me, that of my birthday. The three of us, Michele, Otto and I celebrate it at the Posia Luxury Retreat & SPA in San Foca in Salento. Outside, the sea screams and bleaches, to make an important quote … But then, having passed through the glass door, we are enveloped in a relaxing, elegant and peaceful atmosphere.
All the poetry of Posia
Everything, including wind and clouds, remains outside when you enter the refined hall of the Posia Luxury Retreat, an oasis of quiet and well-being, between minimalism and refinement, where guests enjoy elegant, but without ostentation, relaxing and muffled, but above all capable of conveying a deep sense of balance, freshness and harmony.
The brothers Giuseppe and Emanuele Piconese, the owners, together with the general manager Raniero Lomartire, were inspired by this philosophy, which already emerges in the name posia which refers to the nearby and famous Grotta della Poesia defined as one of the ten most beautiful natural pools in the world and to the Greek name of the grotto which means freshwater spring.
Twenty-three rooms divided between the first and second floors and all overlooking the large patio, a spa with waterways, massage cabins, sauna, relaxation areas, a gourmet restaurant offering revisited local cuisine, a green bar with a scenographic vertical wall that changes colors with the changing seasons.
Every single detail of the project tends to dialogue with the white surface of the walls, under the vault where the light, filtered by the transparent dome, draws rooms in the balance between ascetic minimalism and authentic refinement, declined in shades of blue and green.
Everywhere the setting is relaxing with a total look that involves furniture and accessories, but also coordinated for the bed, bathroom products and SPA kit with bathrobe, flip flops and bag with towel. Essential in the furnishings and fully domoticized, the rooms have spacious bathrooms, designed as real private wellness areas.
Almost a small scale reproduction of the spa. Where Mirko welcomes us by receiving us in the perfumed penumbra of these environments where the first inviting call is that of the heated swimming pool divided from the outside by a glass wall so that the feeling is that you can swim without limits to the waterfall on the wall.
On the left there is the area where you can completely relax in the Turkish bath with chromotherapy and aromatherapy, emotional chromotherapy shower with cold mist, tropical and rain rain, Finnish shower and the cabana with king size double bed on which to lie down and enjoy an herbal tea.
The sauna with a wide waterfall view deserves a special mention: the glass and steel wall that lets in the light and the green makes it airy and bright, making the warm stay on the blond wooden benches very pleasant.
On the right, however, the path continues insinuating itself into an area in which they wanted to recreate a real Ayurvedic laboratory, with herbal teas, essential oils, bags with medical herbs for PindaSweda and an original “Dhroni Massage Table” for Shirodhara. Here, thanks to the expert therapists specialized in Ayurveda, you can get back to peace with the whole world!
Mirko explained that everything begins with a consultation to identify the imbalance of the Doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), and then proceeds to the choice of the best treatment: from the massage with Tibetan bells to the yoga sessions up to the Shirodara, a gentle pouring of oils medical on the forehead, which stimulates the “Third Eye” or “Last Chakra”, therefore the entire nervous system, for deep meditation.
We plan to try the experience the next time we do not miss a swim in the infinity pool suspended between sky and sea, which we found “agitated” by the strong wind that did not however prevent us from admiring the breathtaking view that you can enjoy it up to the horizon and on the clear profile of the Albanian mountains.
Even those who are not guests of the hotel can enjoy this area but book it for a private event or for a romantic dinner or simply for an aperitif or a dip with daily admission.
The large and bright bar space is also open to everyone and at any time of the day, from breakfasts to aperitifs and is perfect for events and private parties. While the Lounge Room is ideal for business lunches and small parties, an exclusive private room that can accommodate up to 18 guests.
In addition to the one on the roof, the Posia has a beautiful semi-Olympic outdoor swimming pool, with water treated with salt sterilizers and windproof bulkheads. The sky pool, located on the first floor, is equipped with sun beds, umbrellas and lounge area with sofas to alternate intense training in the water and relaxation by the pool. In the height of summer, guests can enjoy sea and sun baths at the Mora Mora Beach Club, the Posia Luxury Retreat & SPA bathhouse.
We spent our winter stay between an aperitif and a drink at The Green Bar where the green vertical wall-garden communicates with those windows of the Aura Restaurant, also open to those who do not stay in the resort, and with the sea in front of the across the street.
And before resting in our cozy room, we enjoyed our dinner, pampered by chefs and maîtres who took care of us only, offering us a menu based on fish. With the final surprise of the dessert to celebrate my birthday!
But the holiday at Posia is not just relaxation: those who do not want to give up taking care of their physical fitness have a fitness area and a fully equipped gym. It is also a Bike Hotel, bicycle-friendly structure, ideal for hosting cyclists and professional cyclists and as a starting point for longer trips or short walks to discover San Foca and its surroundings with bikes suitable for every need: city bike , mountain bikes, professional racing bicycles. Another flagship, of which they are very proud, is the specialized workshop for professional maintenance and repairs, complete with an area equipped for washing bikes: a unique feature in the panorama of the Apulian hotel industry.
And soon it will be available to guests who, like us, are accompanied by their four legs, a dog sitter service and a space entirely dedicated to the cleaning and well-being of the furry, with a bathtub with hand shower to eliminate traces of sand and salt and a professional hairdryer for the drying of the hair.
Posia | Luxury Retreat & Spa
Lungomare Giacomo Matteotti, 157 – San Foca (LE)
Info: Tel: +39 0832 881300
www.posia.it – info@posia.it
