The Basics

Founded by Loren Ann Mayo, a journalist and marketing guru specialising in travel, and Holly Morris, a former Human Resources manager turned world travel and fitness specialist, luxeFIT fuses their passions for travel and fitness into a company that brings together like-minded individuals for fun, healthy and luxurious trips, that reinvigorate the mind, body and soul. Working with top trainers, nutritionists, chefs, and hospitality providers, luxeFIT reinvents the relationship between travel, fitness, nutrition, and human connection, and by all accounts, their clients absolutely love it. That’s why Rental Escapes is so proud to be a partner for their next trip: luxeFIT Barbados, a six night stay on the Platinum Coast of Barbados from April 30-May 6, 2017.

Each luxeFIT retreat is a six-day trip which includes airport transfers, luxury accommodations, nutritious and delicious meals, daily workout sessions with top trainers (usually two) and yoga sessions (usually three, though schedules may vary), fun activities like snorkeling, paddle-boarding, jet skiing, surfing and more. Travelers range in age from their early 20s to their late 60s, with most being between their 20s to 40s and all sharing a passion for travel, fitness and nutrition. There’s also plenty of free time for guests to explore the destination, either on their own or together, and of course guests can choose which experiences they wish to participate in or not. That said, fitness activities are personally modified to meet the fitness level of each participant, ensuring everyone can participate in all the activities, and that each reach their own optimal fitness goals while participating. Guests travelling together can, of course, share a room, but solo guests can opt for private accommodation if they wish, though the founders suggest letting them pair solo guests with an appropriate roommate so they can build a deep friendship.

The luxeFIT Barbados Itinerary

The Platinum Coast of Barbados earned its name for a reason – because of its location and the way the coast is boarded by Saint Lucia and Jamaica on the west, its waters are remarkably calm, clear, and turquoise, while the sand is a golden white, which I realise sounds like a contradiction, but boy is it a beautiful one. Combined with the island’s reputation for amazing fruits and vegetables,  a Bajan cuisine that emphasises their use, and luxurious, beachfront accommodation, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect destination for a luxeFit retreat.

True to form, day one of LuxeFIT Barbados starts with a workout session led by Mia Duvall. Duvall is the head trainer for this trip, and is, by all accounts, awesome.  Day one ends with a dinner party so everyone can get to know each other. Then every day starts with a hearty, delicious breakfast, which is also a great icebreaker (random bump-ins lead to lots of chances for ‘so where are you from’ or ‘hey, how did you find that workout (or excursion) yesterday,’ etc.)

Day 2 and 3 feature surfing, paddle-boarding, jet-skiing, and even more water sports to try out. This is another great icebreaker – there’s nothing like that unspoken bond you make when you make that semi-panicked, semi-relieved, and fully-smiling eye contract with someone as you both try surfing for the first time. Then it’s lunch at a great local joint, an afternoon workout session and a yoga session on a beach you’ll probably picture the next time you meditate. And after that, its dinner with a private chef and a chance to hang with your new friends and make some new ones.

Hopefully some of those new friends will join you on day 4 (unless you want some alone time; I get that), which is a free day. Be a beach bum, a horseback rider, a tomb raider, a shopper, or a rummy – the choice is yours, with everything from trips to Harrison’s Caves to the Mt. Gay Rum Distillery on offer. There’s an afternoon training session, but after you’ll head to the most popular club on the Island, Harbor Lights, for a chance to eat, party, and maybe show off how much more tanned and toned you’ve gotten over the past few days. I have to say the timing here is perfect – by day 4, you’ll have naturally found with whom you vibe best, and will be comfortable enough to ask them if they want to sit and silently read with you in the shade. If you prefer beaches, horses, shopping, hiking, and rum, it will still be easy to get your new friends to join you.   Either way, though, there’s no reason that the shade-reader, horseback-rider, and rum-lover won’t be able to party together like Rhianna’s posse, since four days of eating, exercising, going out on activities, and doing yoga is sure to bring the whole group together; which for many turns out to be the best part of the trip.

Personally, I’d love Day 5 the most. After all the fun of day 4, you and your new best friends from around the world get to go snorkeling (and gossiping) in some of the best spots on the island. You’ll board your private catamaran and spend 3 hours at 3 different sites – one focused on sea turtles, the other two famous shipwrecks. But as most snorkelers will tell you, you never know what you’ll find down there, which is half the fun (at least).

Day 6 is the last full day, so you’ll be heading to one of the most popular beach clubs on the island – the Boatyard. Not only is it one of the most idyllic, fully-featured beaches in Barbados, but it also has an ocean trampoline, dive platform, iceberg climb and slide, rope swing, pool table, and darts. There’s also a famous bar and restaurant, Shark Fry, which will be having an international fish fry that night (don’t worry, you’ll have earned a little fried oil by that point).

The last day of luxeFIT Barbados features a sunrise yoga session on the beach, a final training session, and a farewell breakfast and get together, where you can expect lots of hugs from people as you exchange contact information and hold back tears.

Sound Like Fun?

I’m not the fittest guy on the planet (less Tom Hardy, more Tom Hanks), but I would join the luxeFIT Barbados trip in a heartbeat. Yes, the food sounds amazing, the activities are some of the most fun you can have on the island, and the location is one of the most stunning on earth. But really, it’s the way Loren and Holly organise and execute their trips, with their natural passion, excitement, and friendliness shining through, this is one of those trips that will end with you making lifelong friends from around the world (all those exercise endorphins and rum don’t hurt either). It also has a perfect balance of fun, relaxation, and socialisation, and the itinerary was crafted perfectly to reflect that. Plus there’s a 20% off discount running for a short time through Secret Escapes. Not bad, considering, that if you’re a fitness lover (or even just a fitness admirer, like me), luxeFIT Barbados promises be one of the most memorable trips of your life.