The Pause

At Nobu Ryokan Malibu, a hormone-focused retreat turns perimenopause into a pampered escape

Get a bunch of women over 35 together in basically any setting these days and one topic is sure to come up: Nope. Not significant others or kids, toxic mom groups, beef tallow or even favorite episodes of Heated Rivalry. It’s perimenopause. And it’s . . . well, seriously trending.

The zeitgeist of it all has spawned more awareness for women of all ages. And, in recent years, we’ve seen a bevy of hormone-focused products hit the market like beauty lines, elevated supplements, sexual health brands, comfort kits and more. So, it only makes sense that destination hotels—which frequently serve as settings for girls’ trips and wellness escapes—would begin integrating the issue into their offerings, too. Now, Nobu Ryokan Malibu is leading that charge with their Hormone Health Retreat, a new program offered in collaboration with CURE Wellness Center that integrates personalized health with chill time. Here, ladies can have their fill of beachside cocktails, but also blood work and B12.

Nobu Ryokan is the ideal spot for this type of experience. First, this truly stunning property—which blends seamlessly with its beachfront setting thanks to a combination of nature-inspired, minimal, Japanese design and barefoot California luxury (think teak for days)—feels like a true escape. That’s no easy feat just miles from the chaos of Hollywood and adjacent to an area recently ravaged by fires. But upon entering through a slatted gate, the hotel is remarkably still—and no detail has been left unconsidered. “There’s something very grounding about the scale of the property, the ocean right in front of you, and the intentional quiet we protect here,” says the general manager, Amir Vahdani. “Guests often arrive carrying a lot, and you can literally see them soften within the first few hours. It feels personal, calm and very human. The CURE retreat fits naturally into that.” In fact, releasing stress can be an important step in hormone balance.

 But also Nobu sits directly across Pacific Coast Highway from CURE, an integrative wellness and concierge medicine destination in its own right, offering everything from organ testing and sleep studies to hydrafacials and hair growth programs. Most people must become members to benefit from this considerable expertise, but, during these retreats, women can get a taste—and leave with legitimate knowledge about themselves.

In fact, the idea for this retreat—and the Brain & Nervous System Retreat they also offer—grew directly out of what CURE’s co-founder, Dr. Lisa Benya, sees daily in her medical practice. “Highly successful, high-functioning women were coming in exhausted, foggy, anxious, not sleeping well, gaining weight, or feeling disconnected from their bodies—and most had been told their labs were ‘normal,’” she explains. “What wasn’t normal was how they felt. Focusing on women’s hormones wasn’t just logical—it was necessary.” Dr. Benya knew she needed to offer women more than some standard 15-minute appointment.

So, she and her team created this program for Nobu. And, though it includes legitimately informative assessments and treatments, in this dreamy setting, it doesn’t feel remotely clinical. A sense of pampering is paramount. The day begins with a “Wellness Breakfast” with a range of options, most notably the Japanese Breakfast Bento featuring the most beautiful piece of dry miso seabass possibly ever prepared. After a blood draw and consultation with Dr. Benya herself comes an IV infusion (also helpful for hangovers). A Cellular Facial is next, because lord knows hormone fluctuations can impact the skin, and then a personalized movement session (READ: one-on-one yoga on the deck overlooking the sparkling Pacific!). Finally, there’s lunch at Nobu, where the Yellowtail Jalapeno alone makes the whole experience worth having.  And finally, in the evening, there’s a 90-minute Medical Massage that sets the group up for an incredible sleep. Later, guests schedule calls with Dr. Benya to review their bloodwork and talk about possible solutions for their specific symptoms.

So, the retreat offers plenty of space for downtime and dishing the dirt while sipping a Qui Espresso cocktail by the pool, but also some truly lasting benefits. For Dr. Benya, these retreats are perfect for girls’ trips for another reason too: “When women travel together, they’re creating space to reconnect,” she says. “The retreat elevates that experience by helping them understand what’s happening in their bodies and brains, often at similar life stages. Hormonal shifts can feel isolating, confusing, or even embarrassing—but, in a group, those conversations become normal, honest and healing. The shared journey deepens bonds.”

Ideally, guests return home nurtured and rested, with real data and a sense that they’re not alone in feeling off in daily life and that there are real solutions. Vahdani concurs, “Our goal is simple: to have guests leave feeling lighter than when they arrived.”