After six exhilarating, exhausting months touring with Now That’s What I Call a Musical, my mind was racing, my body ached, and sleep had become elusive. When invited to Croatia’s Maslina Resort on Hvar for their “Disconnect to Reconnect” retreat, I accepted faster than you can say “lights, camera, action.”
What followed transcended a mere getaway, it was a soul-deep reset.
Mindful Luxury in Secluded Splendour
Nestled in a secluded bay near Stari Grad, Maslina embodies mindful luxury – the kind that doesn’t trumpet its elegance but offers it gracefully, like chilled Pošip served with lavender-scented Mediterranean breezes.
Arriving by private speedboat from Split felt cinematic – minus the espionage, plus champagne and a welcoming crew. The staff were unfailingly gracious, sharing stories whilst maintaining elegant discretion. After settling into my Panoramic Suite, complete with chic lounge area and vintage-inspired travel trunk wardrobe, I was invited to a sunset seaside dinner.
The Panoramic Suite at Maslina Resort offers absolute comfort in an open-plan layout featuring a panoramic sea-view loggia, chic lounge area, and vintage-inspired travel trunk wardrobe.
That evening, watching the sun transform my white wine into liquid gold, I felt utterly satiated. Four divine courses showcased local products cooked to perfection, paired with stunning Croatian wines and concluded with dessert featuring a luminescent red starfish that could have been painted by Turner himself.
The Pharomatiq Wellness Experience
The following morning brought my first encounter with Maslina’s Pharomatiq Wellness Spa, the retreat’s beating heart. The name cleverly blends ‘Pharos’ (Stari Grad’s ancient name) with ‘aromatiq’, nodding to Hvar’s healing flora.
The consultation felt more like warm conversation than health audit. The retreat centres around four intentions: Purify, Serenity, Vitality, and Longevity. I chose Serenity – and found it in an unconventional way.
Beginning with breathing exercises, I then faced the cold plunge pool that “revitalises your body, sharpens your focus and elevates your mood.” After thirteen minutes (yes, thirteen!), I emerged body-tingling and mind-clear, transitioning to the adjacent hot spa pool for one of the most serene experiences I’ve encountered.
Island Adventures and Unexpected Luxuries
Revitalised, I embarked on a half-day e-bike tour. The electric assistance whisked me hilltop-high within an hour to unparalleled views and a secret sea-view lunch location – Maslina excels at unexpected luxury. Fresh seabass, prepared several ways, was so expertly crafted I questioned whether each course featured different fish entirely.
Transformative sound healing session at Maslina’s Pharomatiq Wellness Spa, using traditional singing bowls and therapeutic instruments to guide guests through a meditative journey of wellness and inner peace.
The day culminated with guided meditation alongside Damien, whose dulcet tones and hand pan drum lulled me into the deep meditative sleep I’d always sought. The “Disconnect to Reconnect” retreat isn’t bootcamp, there are no rules or whistles, just gentle invitation to silence digital noise, exhale London, and inhale Dalmatia.
Healing Herbs and Ancient Wisdom
Day three brought herbal healing with Marija, possibly the most knowledgeable herbalist I’ve encountered. Maslina’s gardens cultivate countless medicinal herbs, from familiar cooking staples like thyme and sage to Hvar’s wild plants including Immortelle, the ‘everlasting flower’. Hvar rightfully claims the title of Croatia’s ‘healing island’, its land nurturing herbs used for centuries for regenerative powers.
Evening’s sunset sound healing session in the Pharomatiq Wellness Garden again featured Damien’s masterful guidance. Despite my best intentions to remain conscious, I drifted peacefully away.
Reconnection and Revelation
The following morning’s “Reconnecting You” workshop at Maslinica Bay’s Beach Tent proved transformative. This masterful combination of stretching, yoga, meditation and mindfulness was nothing short of wonderful. Emotions flowed freely, forgotten memories surfaced, and I awakened with genuine happiness and pride in who I am – mother, actress, friend. I was okay.
My subsequent spa treatment – a two-hour signature massage with immortelle-infused oil – transported me into waking dreams. I emerged floating on lavender clouds.
Golden hour dining at Maslina Resort’s waterfront terrace, where Mediterranean flavors meet the pristine beauty of Hvar’s coastline in an intimate setting overlooking the Adriatic Sea.
That evening at Terra Restaurant, I savoured silky green pea soup with wild fennel, grilled fresh fish atop marinated vegetables, and lavender sorbet that whispered rather than shouted. The staff moved like well-choreographed performers, each graceful and warm. Maslina honours the Mediterranean diet with intention: food as medicine, mealtimes as ritual.
Returning Whole
On my final morning, I knew I needed one last sea swim before returning to reality via speedboat to Split. Walking gently into warm, calm waters, I floated, doing nothing, thinking nothing. No podcasts, emails, or Instagram scrolling – just birdsong and distant rock splashes. Perhaps for the first time in years, I heard my own thoughts clearly. They weren’t frantic, they were kind.
Disconnection isn’t about escaping life, it’s about returning more whole. Maslina’s retreat doesn’t prescribe; it encourages. It provides space to remember that breath, body, and peace are sacred.
Maslina Resort has two custom-built 13.2-metre Colnago Marine speedboats for guest transfers and excursions. They were designed by Colnago Marine and an accommodate 12 guests plus a captain and crew.
Boarding the Split-bound boat, I didn’t check my phone. I didn’t need to. I felt restored, returning to London lighter – not in weight, but spirit. Though the world’s noise resumed, I carried Hvar’s quiet wisdom within.
To anyone spinning too fast, performing too much, or longing to hear their own heart again: let Maslina hold you. Unplug. Float. Reconnect. Sometimes, the greatest luxury isn’t what you do – it’s what you allow yourself to feel.
The “Disconnect to Reconnect” retreat runs year-round. Find out more about the wellness offer at Maslina Resort, HERE.
Author: Nina Wadia
Lead photo: Nikola Radovani
If you are interested in luxury spa experiences, you may enjoy learning about Longevity Programmes at Medi-Spa Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay in Morocco, the Okavango Awakening Wellness Retreat at Nxamaseri Island Lodge in Botswana, or the summer of wellness programmes at Bürgenstock Resort & Spa, Switzerland.
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