THE MASLINA RESORT ON HVAR ISLAND, CROATIA - MY SOULFUL RESET

After six exhilarating, exhausting months on tour with “Now That’s What I Call a Musical”, my mind was racing, my body ached, and sleep had become an elusive friend. So when I was invited to Croatia’s Maslina Resort on the island of Hvar to experience their new “Disconnect to Reconnect” retreat, I said yes faster than you can say “lights, camera, action.”

What followed wasn’t just a getaway—it was a soul-deep reset. Nestled in a secluded bay near Stari Grad, Maslina is not your average five-star escape. It’s what I like to call “mindful luxury”—the kind that doesn’t shout about its elegance but gently offers it, like a glass of chilled Pošip on arrival, served with a warm smile and lavender-scented breeze.

Arriving by private speedboat from Split, I felt like I was in a Bond movie—minus the espionage and plus a glass of Champagne and a welcoming crew. This was a theme. The staff were never without a smile and a story. And yet, it’s all very discreet, very elegant, and, crucially, very quiet. After settling into my Panoramic Suite, complete with a chic lounge area and a vintage-inspired travel trunk wardrobe, I was invited to a sunset seaside dinner on the coast at the resort. 

That evening, watching the sunset turn my white wine into liquid gold, I felt satiated. Four courses of the most divine local products, cooked to perfection and served with the most authentic Croatian flair. These were combined with stunning Croatian wines that complemented each course and concluded with a desert inclusive of a luminescent red starfish that looked like it had just been painted by JMW Turner. 

Walking back to my room I was hoping to be lulled into a deep sleep with a lavender drawn bath. I must confess, I don’t sleep easily. So I thought this would be a good test as to the start of my ‘disconnect’ part of the retreat at Maslina. And boy did I pass it with flying colours. I was so relaxed that I could have gladly spent my entire time just there. Did I really need to eat, socialize or communicate with the outside world ever again? I forced myself to drag my body into my enormous, snug bed and I fell into a deep sleep of epic proportions. 

The next morning I was looking forward to visiting the Pharomatiq Wellness Spa. Maslina’s Pharomatiq wellness programme is the heartbeat of the retreat. The name blends ‘Pharos’—the ancient name for Stari Grad—and ‘aromatiq’—a nod to Hvar’s healing flora. I was guided through a consultation that felt more like a warm conversation than a health audit. The retreat is thoughtfully structured around intentions—Purify, Serenity, Vitality, and Longevity. I chose mine. Serenity. And oh, did I find it. But in a slightly unconventional way. It started with breathing exercises and was followed by, ‘A cold plunge revitalizes your body, sharpens your focus and elevates your mood!’ I did the breathing exercises with them and that helped to climb into the plunge calmly and after thirteen minutes, yes, you read that correctly, I emerged. Body tingling and mind clear, I went into the hot spa pool adjacent and it was one of the most serene feelings I’ve ever had.

Now that I was revitalized, I was ready for my half-day island e-bike tour. Having an E-bike meant that I was high on the hill-top within the hour and the views were unparalleled. Here I was treated to a lunch at a secret sea-view location. This is something that Maslina does superbly. Expect the unexpected luxury. Lunch was fresh seabass cooked several ways for starters and mains and each time I asked, ‘Surely this is a different fish?’ And just when I thought this day cannot get any better, I had a guided meditation with Damien. All I remember was that there was a hand pan drum and Damiens dulcit tones. I had gone into a deep meditative sleep. Something I have always wanted to experience and Maslina did this for me. I realized, the “Disconnect to Reconnect” retreat is not a bootcamp. There are no rules. No whistles. Just a gentle invitation to silence the digital noise, exhale London, and inhale Dalmatia.

Day three brought a healing vibe with a Hvar Island Herbal Walk and journaling with Marija. Possibly the most knowledgable herbalist I have ever encountered. In Maslina’s own gardens, grow innumerable medicinal herbs and plants of so many varieties. The scents change every step from herbs we recognize and use in cooking, such as thyme, oregano, mint, sage to many of Hvar’s wild plants such as Immortelle, ‘curry plant’ or ‘everlasting flower’. Hvar is known as Croatia’s “healing island,” and rightly so. The land grows herbs that have been used for centuries for their regenerative powers. 

That evening, I was engaged in a sunset sound healing session at the Pharomatiq Wellness Garden, once again with the wonderful Damien. Try as I might, I drifted off and if I’m honest, not sure how I got back to my room to enjoy my next day from Disconnect to start Reconnecting. 

So here I was, the following morning, at my ‘Reconnecting You’ workshop at the Beach Tent in Maslinica Bay. I had been looking forward to this day the most. I have always heard the phrase ‘finding yourself’ bandied about but never quite understood it, until this workshop. It was a masterfull combination of stretching, yoga, meditation and mindfulness and it was nothing short of all kinds of wonderful. I went through so many emotions. Things popped into my head that I had not thought about in years and I woke up with genuine happiness and pride in who I was a person. A mother, an actress, a friend. And I was okay. Straight from here I was taken for my Spa treatment. And this is where I truly let go. During a two hour signature massage with immortelle-infused oil, I drifted into a waking dream. I emerged from the treatment room floating on a lavender cloud.

That night, I dined at Terra Restaurant. A bowl of silky green pea soup with wild fennel. Grilled fresh caught fish atop a medley of marinated vegetables. A lavender sorbet that whispered rather than shouted. The staff moved like a well-choreographed cast, each playing their part with grace and warmth. Maslina honours the Mediterranean diet not just with ingredients but with intention: food is medicine, and mealtime is ritual.

On my final day, I knew had to enjoy a swim in the sea before hopping back to reality via speedboat to Split and a flight back home. I walked gently into the warm calm water and floated. I did nothing. Thought of nothing. No podcast, no emails, no Instagram scroll. Just birdsong and the occasional splash from the distant rocks. I think it was the first time in years I heard my own thoughts clearly. And they weren’t frantic—they were kind.

Disconnection isn’t about escaping life—it’s about returning to it more whole. Maslina’s retreat doesn’t prescribe, it encourages. It gives you the space to remember that your breath, your body, and your peace are sacred. And as I boarded the boat back to Split, I didn’t check my phone. I didn’t need to. I felt restored. I returned to London lighter—not in weight, but in spirit. The noise of the world may have resumed, but inside, I carried the quiet wisdom of Hvar.

So, to anyone who’s been spinning too fast, performing too much, or just longing to hear their own heart again: let Maslina hold you. Unplug. Float. Reconnect. Because sometimes, the greatest luxury isn’t in what you do. It’s in what you allow yourself to feel.

Maslina Resort, Uvala Maslinica, Stari Grad, Croatia. The “Disconnect to Reconnect” retreat runs year-round. 

For more information visit www.maslinaresort.com.