Zen Villa promotes itself as” Maui’s Mountain Sanctuary.” Unlike the larger resort spas, Zen Villa Spa is a private Japanese bath house nestled in a Japanese garden beside a waterfall. Only one person, or couple, is treated by appointment at a time, so each experience is completely personalized.

Best Known For: Offering a tranquil getaway for stressed-out urbanites. Think of this spa as a wellness oasis with an exotic menu of Body & Skin treatments, an intimate waterfall, and a peaceful Zen Garden.

Atmosphere: Serene

What you need to know: Try the Pohaku (Hawaiian Hot Stone Massage).

A Secret Garden  - You enter and find yourself transported half a world away. Hughes (the owner/designer) has transformed this small piece of Maui into a Japanese fable: a dwelling with distinctly Asian accents; a separate structure (with a hot tub) that serves as a bath house and tea house; between them and around them, a Koi pond, a waterfall, and gardens where statues of Buddha and Kuan Yin sit in repose amid moss rock and zoysia grass.  Massage-therapist friends found the ambiance of the home so soothing, Hughes and his wife decided to share.

April 6-12, 2006

The story of Zen Villa Spa

Zen Villa is the home of Harlan Hughes and Judy Anderson, and was designed by Hughes to fulfill his dream of living in a Japanese house beside a waterfall in a Japanese garden.  The traditional “indoor-outdoor” Japanese design, where garden views are incorporated into the interior, creates the feeling that the garden is part of the house.  This makes the relatively small dwelling seem very spacious.

The house with maple shoji doors, rosewood floors, and cedar cathedral ceiling has its lanai extending over one side of the 450 sq. ft. koi pond, and the Japanese bath house extends over the opposite side.  A bridge across the pond connects the two.  The Buddha and Quan Yin statues in the house and gardens create a very Buddhist atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

Massage therapist friends visiting Harlan & Judy to give them massages voiced their feelings about the tranquil atmosphere and healing energy they felt there, saying they wished they could work there on a regular basis.  In the spirit of sharing, Hughes decided to see if he could get their place licensed as a massage establishment.  The inspector from the health department was taken by how fitting the bath house was for a massage environment, and loved the architecture and atmosphere of the whole place.

After that everything fell into place.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs granted them a license, and Zen Villa Spa was born.  Since Zen Villa is their home, Hughes keeps the appointments to a maximum of four a day so the spa business won’t have a negative effect on their personal space or the neighborhood.

The spa has eight therapists that work on call, offering a wide range of massage therapies, Reiki, Facials, and Yoga.  The therapists, all say they love working there because Zen Villa has a very personal feeling about it.  One therapist, previously the principal therapist at the Grand Wailea Spa, said “I just love working here because there’s no peripheral negative energy to contend with.  It’s so pure.”  This enhances the healing energy within the therapists, which in turn flows to the person receiving the massage.  After all, massage is about energy as much as it’s about restructuring ones physical being.

Most of the clients are couples wanting to get away from the resorts and larger spas where they share their experience with several strangers, rather than their partner.  Residents also enjoy the Zen Villa atmosphere which can’t duplicated with a massage in their home environment or most other spas on Maui. When you’re at Zen Villa Spa, it’s as if it’s yours personal sanctuary, because there are never any other clients there.  You have the place to yourselves.  All treatments include private time in the hot tub prior to your massage, mineral water, and quiet time sitting beside the koi pond after your massage, to just enjoy being there.

The following comments from the guest book reflect how special this very boutique day spa is:  “During our world travels we enjoy the varied massage techniques and locations.  This experience has been one of the finest!  The location, atmosphere, and massages are some of the “best” we’ve ever experienced.  You can rest assured we will Not  keep you a secret.”  The Jacobs;  “We don’t want to leave here.  Everything is in such balance and the peacefulness is overwhelming.  Thank you so much for our pre-wedding relaxation.  It was wonderful.  Suzanne and Ron;  “Thank you for sharing your incredible Japanese Spa experience with us.  During our journey throughout the world, this experience is one we look forward to having again and again.  We sincerely enjoyed the water fall, the pond, the grounds, the music, and the massages were the “best.”  Tony & Patty;  Fabulous facial!  And a truly wonderful massage. . . I am so relaxed now.  I would love to take the therapist home with me!  Zen Villa is a lovely experience.  Thank you for such hospitality.” Barbara

“Sharing our creation with others in this way makes our home even more meaningful, because it enhances the awareness of the pure peaceful energy and tranquility one feels here”, said Hughes. 

The Japanese Bath House is also used as a Tea House. The Maui Urasenke Association comes to do Zen Tea ceremonies.  A wooden platform is placed on top of the hot tub, creating a sitting area which allows a view of the koi pond and waterfall during the Tea ceremony.  The Urasenke Foundation, founded in Kyoto, Japan in 1949, is dedicated to the four Zen principles of Wa, Kei, Sei and Jaku - Harmony, Respect, Purity and Tranquility.

Harlan and Judy feel honored by the aloha from those visiting their Maui Mountain Sanctuary for a spa treatment or Zen tea, and feel this relationship is a good example of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility.