Sante - How is it?

[jzuzphreek]

Has anyone ever taken advantage of the spa treatments and private beach? My fiance and I are taking our first cruise for our honeymoon in January. We were thinking of utilizing the ship's spa services (we want to do something along the lines of a couple's massage), but found the prices at Sante to be a lot more affordable. Any suggestions? Are their better places on Roatan to find this sort of thing?

[MercedMike]

We positively loved Sante!

 

Check out our trip report and pics at

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/wcarib.html

 

It is a beautiful spa, the treatments are great, the food is wonderful. The snorkeling is not spectacular, but as a great restful place to spend the day it can't be beat.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[ShrinkinTexas]

I love it too! Been there twice this year. This place is a small piece of heaven and I woud recommend it to anyone. I thought the snorkeling was pretty good!

[slotto]

My husband and I had a great day in October on our Norwegian Sun cruise at Sante Wellness Center. It was a completely relaxing day, with massages and facial and a great lunch. The setting is outstanding. Angela and Leon treated us royally.

[charlsee]

I just emailed the spa to see if they can accommodate us when our ship stops there in February. May I asked what treatments you all had? The luxury package sounds good to me and Mom; Dad and DH are not into spa stuff, but we might be able to convince them to get chair massages (what a dilema!). We probably will also want to have lunch there. Any further information from those who have already been there is much appreciated.

[MercedMike]

All the treatments at Sante are very nice. Various people in our party had different massages and liked them all. My wife loves her salt glow. I had the Aztec hot stones and it was very interesting.

 

While the chair massage sounds nice, I would really recommend that the gents go ahead and try the full massage service too. I am not a "spa guy" by any means but it was nice and relaxing.

 

Pretty much what happened was that we got to Sante, met the staff, and had the run of the grounds. We could lounge by the pool, take a dip, walk through the gardens or on the beach, or relax in the hammocks on the back porch (a very good choice!) Then two at a time we went in for our massages. After all the massages we had the wonderful lunch and some more relax time (or we could have chosen to snorkel.)

 

Believe it or not, I think even your non-spa guys will find it an extremely nice break!

 

Check out our report and pics at

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/wcarib.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise and a wonderful time at Sante! Say HI to Rufus!

[charlsee]

All the treatments at Sante are very nice. Various people in our party had different massages and liked them all. My wife loves her salt glow. I had the Aztec hot stones and it was very interesting.

 

While the chair massage sounds nice, I would really recommend that the gents go ahead and try the full massage service too. I am not a "spa guy" by any means but it was nice and relaxing.

 

Pretty much what happened was that we got to Sante, met the staff, and had the run of the grounds. We could lounge by the pool, take a dip, walk through the gardens or on the beach, or relax in the hammocks on the back porch (a very good choice!) Then two at a time we went in for our massages. After all the massages we had the wonderful lunch and some more relax time (or we could have chosen to snorkel.)

 

Believe it or not, I think even your non-spa guys will find it an extremely nice break!

 

Check out our report and pics at

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/wcarib.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise and a wonderful time at Sante! Say HI to Rufus!

Thanks so much for the input. Angela replied that she is booked that day, but we have been put on a wait list. If we are so fortunate to be able to go to this spa, we'll definitely convince the guys to "go fo it".

[lastdon87]

My wife and I were on the Carnival Legend the first week of December and made the Sante Wellness Center one of our daily excursions, and we were not dissappointed! It was a wonderful break from the some of the hussle and bussle around the ship. While we were their, they took wonderful care of us and treated us like we were friends or family. We were the only people there from the ship, and there was one other couple that was vacationing there for a week or so. I had never had a message before, and was a tad nervious, but I loved every minute of it. It was so relaxing and enjoyable; guys don't be scared to make the leap! My wife had a facial, body scrub, and a message. She loved all of her treatments, and said that Angela was really helpful when giving her advice on taking better care of her skin. I didn't do the snorkeling afterwards, but I did take their kayak out a couple times and paddle around the bay area which was really fun, and good exercise to burn off the 6,000 calories I consumed the day before. In summary, we really loved our day at Sante, so if that is the type of excursion your looking for, Angela and Leon at the Sante Wellness Center are your ticket!

 

Ryan

[bbaileyfamily]

We had our first visit to Sante 2 months ago. October 29th, 2007, to be specific. I say "first" because we most certainly WILL go back there again.

 

I highly recommend going to Sante vs the ship's spa treatments for many reasons. First and foremost is the enjoyment of the day. You actually get a day at Sante as opposed to 50 minutes of spa treatment on a ship. We have done massages on ships on our first 3 cruises. We found ship's treatments to be not anywhere near as personal. The atmosphere at Sante is night and day different compared to the atmosphere at a spa on the ships. If you have never done a ship massage, you are on the clock in a small room and you are always aware that you are on a ship with thousands of people. The atmosphere at Sante is what it's supposed to be like for a massage.

 

Lunch at Sante was nothing short of superb. Leon grilled shrimp and veggies for us. His homemade balsamic salad dressing was to die for.

 

As a bonus, the snorkeling at Sante Wellness was the absolute most incredible snorkeling I have EVER done anywhere. The barrier reef wall is only about 75-100 yards offshore from Angela's and Leon's property. The reef there blew me away. It was FAR better than what I've experienced at Grand Cayman, Chankanaab at Cozumel, the Bahamas, Hawaii, etc. I actually spent the day snorkeling and swimming while my wife and inlaws did the treatment packages. I can't wait to go right back there again. If you go, ask Leon how to get to the reef wall. You kinda have to circle around the sign and channel because the reef directly in front of the property is so shallow. Again, and I can't stress this enough, the reef there blows away anything I have ever seen! And to think that you can actually access this from their property without a boat trip is unreal.

 

There is so much more to a visit to Sante than just a "treatment". On the ship, a "treatment" or massage is just that. Very clinical, very impersonal, very quick, and always expensive.

 

A day at Sante with only a couple of other folks beats anything you can get on a ship. Period.

 

My wife and I both highly recommend Sante Wellness Center over ANY treatment on a ship. Hope this helps with your decision.

[jayandrhea]

I was hoping for Sante Wellness Center. Same problem booked up. Looking for day at the beach and some drinks with food. Have not been there before dont know what to do. Unlike some of the other ports I know where the beach and drinks are. Send suggestions are report on my other post.

[mookiesmom]

While in Roatan, I visited the Sante Wellness Center. A 40 minute cab ride and short water taxi ride gets you to this beautiful spot.

I had a deep-tissue massage and reflexology treatment. The setting was gorgeous, a thatched hut at the edge of the ocean. The masseuse was great. I also took advantage of lunch, which was delicious. Don't miss this stop if you want a relaxing massage in paradise!:)

[merriment]

What were the charges for your massage and reflexolgy? Was this recommended by the Cruise line? Thanks for the info.

[MrsTffx]

I tried to reserve a reflexology massage for both me and my husband and we were notified by Sante that to do just that would not be cost-effective! So , in other words, they're telling us that we're not spending enough $$ to enjoy the spa - oh well, we'll just do something else -

[Louise45]

Can someone give me a price of how much you spent for the day for 2 of you? I need to have all the facts in order to convince DH.

[MercedMike]

Can someone give me a price of how much you spent for the day for 2 of you? I need to have all the facts in order to convince DH.

 

Basically what you do is to order the massage and lunch. The massages are wonderful and range from about $65 for a basic massage to $145 for the most luxurious treatments. Lunch, AIRC, was about $25. Use of all the facilities is then included. I think the snorkel boat is a bit extra. The cab out to the resort was about $25 per person as I recall. You can check out prices at http://www.santewellnesscenter.com/

 

 

So essentially you are looking at about $100 to $200 per person depending on the massage. It is a wonderful bargain! You would pay that or more for a 45 minute massage by itself on the ship!

 

Do note that Angela will carefully let you know about payment. The best is to have cash. Credit cards are difficult to get authorization on in Honduras and the banks are very particular about Traveler's Checks.

 

You will love Sante as much as we did!

[Louise45]

Are you saying it would cost $100 for the cab, both ways for 2? How far is it from the pier?

[Beauty and Wellness]

cab fare is established by the national cruise ship committee, islandwide, and is currently $20 USD per person round trip to Sante' and back to the port.

You can always try to negotiate a better price.

hope that helps.

[xrtzop]

Sante Spa is a beautiful place right on the Carribean. In fact, you get to the spa on their private boat that picks you up at a private marina. Their boat takes you across a small bay to get to the Spa (max 10 minutes on the water).

The place fills your senses with the sound of the water water, the spa music, and the beautiful smells. They have great body masks. Their massages are great. Even the acts of getting there and being there are part of the magic.

:):):)

[chitowngoose]

Our group also looked into Sante Spa and were looking forward to it. But apparently, they have some space limitations.

As we were negotiating treatments and lunches and such, someone booked enough treatments so that they were unable to take us. So act quickly if given the chance.

After a little research, we found an alternate - Baan Suerte Spa at

www.roatanbaansuerte.com We contacted Nedenia the owner who arranged for a taxi for our group of 7. The taxi driver, Frankie, even gave us a personal Island tour as there some time before our treatments started. We ate at a great retaurant next door, or they can cater it into the spa if desired. They have a pool to enjoy for those that just want to lounge. Pricing was very reasonable.

Our group walked away on Cloud 9 after the treament.

[elisamarie]

I have to thank those of you who posted about this spa in Roatan. It was the best day of our cruise. We were a little reluctant to book our day here because my sister is not a spa kind of person and thank goodness we did. She said it was the best day of the cruise.

 

We got to Roatan about 8am and got off the ship. Everyone knew who Angela was adn although we didn't find Alex, we did get a cab easily enough who was ready and willing to take us to her estate (and it is definitely an estate.)

 

It took us about 30 minutes to get to the pier and Leon met us with the boat to take us across to their Caye. We were flabbergasted as he showed us around. It is very quiet (and we are loud people, we were kind of worried about that) and definitely a sanctuary. I had booked treatments and my sister booked a "Day at the Beach." It was about an hour or so before she was ready for my treatments so I went to the water and floated on our noodles (we brought them along) for a while. Make sure you take water shoes or something because it's rough getting to the lagoon, but once you are there it is paradise. I then got out and we sat around the plunge pool on the lounge chairs until she was ready for me. My sister had Leon open the hot tub, overlooking the ocean, and she sat there for a while as I was getting my treatments.

 

My treatments were fabulous. I had the Caribbean Cooler, which was a heavenly five treatments, and it was only $145 US. At my spa at home I could have had one or two treatments for that price, and to be honest, it wouldn’t have been so relaxing or enjoyable.

 

While I was in with Angela, my sister got to feel the Parrots with the Groundskeeper. Neither spoke the other language, but she said they pantomimed what they wanted to communicate and it worked very well. She said feeding the birds was amazing and the man absolutely loves them. Angela told me they don’t keep them caged during the day and they always come back because they know they are loved and will be taken care of at their home.

 

Leon was a wonderful host and made sure we were very comfortable in their home. They had herbal tea and water available for us and after my treatments, I met the other two individuals who were there that day. Angela said they normally will only take up to six guests a day to make it more relaxing and special.

 

Leon fixed us lunch, my sister and I had grilled shrimp, greens with a lovely vinaigrette and potato salad with scrumptious watermelon for dessert. Who gets watermelon in February? It was fabulous and just what we wanted. The other two girls who were there (a mom/daughter) were also from our ship and were very pleasant and easy to talk with. Due to dietary restrictions, they had grilled fish with the other accompaniments.

 

We got there about 8:30-9am and left at 1:30pm. I could have stayed later but we had already made plans with our wonderful cab driver to pick us up. It was $20 for each of us round trip for the cab, but he was so wonderful and accommodating, we each gave him a great tip.

 

I can’t recommend this shore excursion more. It was just what we needed for our first port to relax and enjoy our vacation.

 

Thanks to all of you for your suggestion and thanks to Angela and Leon for their hospitality.

 

And BTW, Sante Wellness Spa is NOT closing anytime in the near future. Angela plans to be there for a long time.

[RNNP GrassValley]

:)

We also recently visited the Sante' Wellness Center and agree totally....it is just WONDERFUL!!

Angela promptly answered all emails, set up our transportation, and made the whole experience very relaxing.

The spa is just beautiful...set apart on a small private cay, with alot of trees, and the sea all around.

We both enjoyed the chocolate massage with the body wrap....so relaxing!

Lunch was light yet very satisfying, and the prices overall really reasonable.

This is truly a special place: quiet, intimate, personal, and very high quality.

Although we enjoyed all of our activities on our cruise, Sante' was certainly the highlight of our vacation.

There were only a few others there with us, so yes it appears they keep the numbers small to assure all is very serene.

So be sure to book early if you can.

We will try to retun, since Sante' is a great spa experience.

Enjoy!!

[calvene]

My wife and I just celebrated our 12th anniversary, and decided to spend a romantic day at Sante. After looking over all the spa choices, we decided to have the couples massage.

The massages we just great, and we were comfortably side by side in the spa's lower treatment room.

My therapist, Miladis, had a really nice touch, and my wife enjoyed hers with Angela.

Afterwards we enjoyed a spa lunch of shrimp, salad, and rice on the front terrace, enjoying the view of the water and trees.

Yes, we too highly recommend Sante if you want to enjoy a day of peace and quiet, as well as a wonderful massage.

We hope to return again sometime.

[cruiseperson76]

Wow! What a great idea for a honeymoon. Sante is a special place and well worth the effort to get there. It's about a 45 minute drive from the ship dock.

A taxi will cost about 30.00 round trip, plus tip. Be sure to get a price before you start out, and don't pay the driver until he returns to pick you up. The owners of Sante are from San Francisco area and have built a beautiful home with lot's of amenities. Angela is the best I have ever had for a massage treatment and mini facial. It would be fun to do something together. Cost is less than the ship but the whole experience is wonderful. So, go and enjoy. Just make sure to leave enough time to get back to the ship. I would suggest no later than 3:00 pm. because of the traffic if there are several ships at the dock. Try to get off the ship as early as possible and get a taxi. Angela will tell you all the details when you contact her. Have Fun!

[ShrinkinTexas]

Wow! What a great idea for a honeymoon. Sante is a special place and well worth the effort to get there. It's about a 45 minute drive from the ship dock.

A taxi will cost about 30.00 round trip, plus tip. Be sure to get a price before you start out, and don't pay the driver until he returns to pick you up. The owners of Sante are from San Francisco area and have built a beautiful home with lot's of amenities. Angela is the best I have ever had for a massage treatment and mini facial. It would be fun to do something together. Cost is less than the ship but the whole experience is wonderful. So, go and enjoy. Just make sure to leave enough time to get back to the ship. I would suggest no later than 3:00 pm. because of the traffic if there are several ships at the dock. Try to get off the ship as early as possible and get a taxi. Angela will tell you all the details when you contact her. Have Fun!

 

 

Is that $30 p/p or total for the taxi? There will be 3 of us going. Don't really want to pay $90 USD for a taxi!!!!

[MercedMike]

Is that $30 p/p or total for the taxi? There will be 3 of us going. Don't really want to pay $90 USD for a taxi!!!!

 

No, that is for the taxi. Sante has a special dispatcher who will meet you at the gate of the port and arrange the price, or at least they did when we went there. We really enjoyed it. Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/wcarib.html

 

I heard they have some new facilities. Anybody been lately who can bring me up to date? We hope to get back some day.