My OSEA Spa Experience at Costa d’Este Beach Resort

It’s nearly 6:30 a.m. when I slide open the back door of my cabana suite at Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa in Vero Beach to my private patio on the first floor. Beyond the hedges of sea grapes, I can see the morning rays of pink, yellow, and orange filtering through the Florida sky. People are already walking along the quiet beach or perched on their balconies to watch the sun’s grand arrival. Hotel guests are gathering on mats for the resort’s daily beach yoga. I decide to ease into the morning with a foamy Cuban coffee and breakfast served al fresco on my patio. (The hotel is owned by music legends Emilio and Gloria Estefan and embraces the couple’s Miami-Cuban influence throughout, from its design to its food.) The rustle of the swaying palm trees and the serene sound of the sea remind me that this slower pace is the right decision, a welcome change from my usual routine of barreling full force into the day.

By nine, I make my way to the resort’s spa, where I slip into a plush robe and step inside their salt room to breathe in the salty air and prepare my mind and body for a day of pampering. Costa d’Este is one of five Benchmark Resorts & Hotels properties that are partnering with OSEA for exclusive facial and body treatments that benefit 4ocean. In case you haven’t heard of OSEA, the mother-daughter-owned brand was founded in Malibu, California in 1996 and is known for its clean beauty ethos and potent products infused with pure, nutrient-rich seaweed sourced from all over the world.

What drew me to the spa is their feel-good, do-good partnership. When guests book one of the OSEA Ocean Renewal treatments, Benchmark contributes $25 to the global ocean cleanup company, which helps them remove 25 pounds of plastic and trash from oceans, rivers, and coastlines.

My self-care morning begins with the 80-minute OSEA Ocean Renewal Body Ritual. After settling on the warm bed, the therapist grounds me with light, yet intentional craniosacral therapy-inspired touch points using OSEA’s Vagus Nerve Oil, and then begins gently exfoliating my entire body with fine mineral-rich sea salts, like pink Himalayan and red Hawaiian sea salts, diluted with Gigartina algae sustainably harvested from the waters of Patagonia. “The algae’s going to create a really saturated and hydrating base to everything,” the therapist tells me before removing the exfoliant and slathering on a firming body balm mask and wrapping me in a towel cocoon while she dreamily massages my scalp. Up next: she applies seaweed-infused oils, including passion fruit and açai, for more moisture and nourishment. While not a massage, her wave-like movements are enough to make me drift off for a few minutes. “Everything, including the movements, is meant to mimic the ocean,” the therapist says.

With my body feeling like whipped butter, the therapist begins the Ocean Renewal Facial, where seaweed is once again the star of the show. “We use the algae gel as the water for the facials,” she explains, “so you’re getting rich nutrients, minerals and algae which is meant to tone and tighten the skin.” After a custom cleanse, a dash of sea minerals and gentle acids for exfoliation, and an application of hydrating botanical oils, my face is already glowing and pink. A therapeutic neck, shoulder and foot massage (I asked for more love for my tired feet) further melts away tension, and the session ends just as it began: with her soft touch using that fragrant vagus nerve oil.

Costa d’Este’s prime ocean-front setting harmonizes with the OSEA treatments, and the connection to the sea is never broken. That’s purposeful. Other participating hotels include The Shores Resort & Spa and Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Florida, Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod, and Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa in Bermuda — all of which are considered “blue beauty” destinations because they extend the healing powers of the water and peaceful nature to guests.

When I was done being pampered, I camp out under a blue beach cabana until nearly sunset. There’s something healing about ending sea-focused treatments with listening to the waves roll in and out, feeling the breeze, and sucking in the salty air. Because I’d just done something good for my body, I dig into their healthy avocado salad and fresh-catch ceviche for an early dinner at my beach chair. I’ll also confess that I couldn’t resist ordering their Cuban nachos with mojo pork, dill pickles, pickled red onions and creamy mustard aioli atop crispy yucca and malanga chips — which I’m still dreaming about. But isn’t that what a wellness or beauty vacation should be? A balance between health-conscious habits and moments of mood-boosting indulgence.

Launching for World Oceans Day, Benchmark Resorts & Hotels introduces exclusive OSEA facial and body treatments at select coastal resorts in Florida, Cape Cod, and Bermuda — each helping remove 25 pounds of plastic and trash from oceans, rivers, and coastlines. The new spa experiences build on Benchmark’s ongoing partnership with ocean cleanup company and Certified B Corporation 4ocean–a relationship that has already helped remove more than 10,000 pounds of plastic and trash from global waterways.

Explore resorts and hotels across the Benchmark Resorts & Hotels portfolio, a collection of distinct, independent properties by Pyramid Global Hospitality. Located in diverse destinations across the globe, Benchmark’s resorts and hotels reimagine immersive travel, inspiring guests to create memories born from meaningful exploration, authentic moments, and innovative experiences – no matter the occasion. Benchmark guests can earn complimentary gift cards, on-property perks, and destination experiences through the collection’s signature Mosaic Rewards program.