best spa

Canyon Ranch is nominated for a Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award for Best Extended-Stay Spa. Canyon Ranch is the recipient of countless awards and accolades for its innovative approach to health, wellness and holistic and integrative care, as well as for the uniquely relaxing and inspiring experience it provides.

In 1978 Mel Zuckerman was 40 pounds overweight and had asthma, high blood pressure, a hiatal hernia, ulcers and diverticulitis. He had never exercised, had poor nutrition and his primary goal was to succeed in his home building business. His father had recently passed away as a result of cancer from smoking. His grief was mixed with the fear he was heading down the same path as his father.

Zuckerman checked himself into the Ojai Ranch & Spa for a 10 day stay to learn how to get on track. There, he exercised and ate right. He noticed how great he felt and extended his stay to a month. "After that I never looked back," he says. After he returned home, he and his wife, Enid, launched a dream to make healthy living their business---and hence Canyon Ranch was born.

Canyon Ranch opened in the Sonoran Desert and the mountains in 1979 in Tucson, Arizona. It was a radical idea at the time---a comprehensive, healthy living resort with no smoking or alcohol. Within a few years, Canyon Ranch had gained a strong reputation and was influencing the evolution of spas around the world.

Gallery: More from Canyon Ranch

Founded in 2007, The Grand Del Mar and its 249 guestrooms are tucked between the rolling fairways of a Tom Fazio-designed golf course near San Diego, Calif. The resort's 21,000-square-foot spa was created with Renaissance sensibilities in mind, from its earthy colors to is crystal glass tiles and imported white Carrera marble. Framed Hermés scarves and vintage photos of Venice adorn the walls; sauna rooms, an indoor Jacuzzi and a stone fireplace beckon.

Gallery: More from the Spa at the Grand del Mar

Inside the spa's 11 treatment rooms – including a couples' suite – guests receive a host of natural therapies, including facials, hydrotherapy and body treatments. For the body, treatments include "Renaissance," a bath of mineral mud and warm oil proceeded by a warm body wrap and rosemary-infused Swiss shower, topped off with a stretching massage (90 minutes: $310). All treatments at the Spa utilize The Grand Del Mar Skin and Body Care Collection, a private label of botanical and aroma therapy-based facial and body wellness products. The entire product line is handmade and organic (products are for sale exclusively at the Spa Boutique).

For the face, options include "Luminous," a combination of a pressure-point massage and a nutrient-rich facial (90 minutes: $270), as well as "Art for Art's Sake," an exfoliating facial followed by a neck, shoulders, face and scalp massage done with warm oils (90 minutes: $270). Not a bad way to end the day after 18 holes.

Cast your vote for your favorite spa until March 31st. Winners will be announced on April 1.

More than 500 miles off the coast of East Africa lies Frégate Island, one of the world's most exclusive and secluded spas. Unlike most oceanic resorts, Frégate is in the process of repairing its local ecosystem, not destroying it – making it a nominee for a Luxist award in the best green spa category.

Founded in 2000, this slice of Seychelles paradise was created with the coal of reversing over 200 years of destructive practices such as coconut and cinnamon growing, as well as tortoise harvesting. Today, Frégate's sanctuary boasts the second-largest herd of Aldabra Giant tortoises in the world. Guests can pay a fee to sponsor or "adopt" one of the animals until it is ready to be released into the island's jungle.

Gallery: Frégate Island Private

The tiny island includes 16 regular villas and one super-luxurious Presidential Villa, creating an opportunity to relax in true seclusion. Once there, the cliff-top Rock Spa offers panoramic ocean views, pools and waterfalls, and of course the treatments one would expect from such an establishment: various scrubs and oils made from the freshest possible ingredients.

Frégate's most unusual trait is its extreme isolation from the rest of the world – a welcome break from the daily grind – but it will cost you. Round trip flights include at least two stopovers (usually in Doha, Qatar and Mahé, Seychelles) and typically cost over $2,500 total. If money is no object, Frégate may end up being the trip of a lifetime.

Cast your vote for your favorite spa until March 31st. Winners will be announced on April 1.

One&Only Palmilla has been nominated for a Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award for Best International Spa.

The property, which is part of the One&Only luxury resorts brand owned and operated by Kerzner International, has long been a favorite retreat for Hollywood celebrities and savvy travelers alike since it originally opened in 1956. One&Only Palmilla is located in Los Cabos, Mexico and offers dramatic views of the Sea of Cortéz. It recently completed an extensive, $120 million expansion and renovation project.

The resort's One&Only Spa is a luxurious indoor/outdoor 22,000 square foot facility inspired by the artistic and architectural themes of Mexico with stunning natural vistas of the Baja landscape. The spa is comprised of six buildings surrounded by lush landscaping and features 13 private treatment villas, accommodating either one or two people – allowing guests to enjoy their spa regime in complete sanctuary, whether for a few hours or a half-day.

Gallery: More from the One&Only, Pamilla, Los Cabos, Mexico

With 20 locations around the world, its own line of take-home products and an attitude almost as refreshing as its spa treatments, Bliss is an obvious candidate for Luxist's best day spa award.

Bliss was founded in 1996 as a stand-alone spa in New York's stylish SoHo neighborhood, setting itself apart from rivals with its irreverent approach to relaxation. The proprietors of Bliss chose to play R&B tunes instead of the usual elevator music – "whale music," as they call it – and brownies replaced veggies at the spa's snack table. The approach made waves in the industry, and soon the spa's popularity helped it expand beyond the Big Apple.

Gallery: More from Bliss Spa

Today, Bliss boasts that it has given "a million massages, a trillion triple oxygen treatments and about a bazillion Brazilians." Some of the treatments that made it a hit include "Best of Skintentions," a traditional facial combined with skin-specific exfoliation and a massage (60 minutes: $120), as well as "Blissage 75," which includes a warm wax foot softening wrap and a massage (75 min: $150).

For those who'd like to take some Bliss home with them, the spa offers a full line of skin care, anti-aging and general beauty products. Offerings include "Fabulous Foaming Face Wash" ($34) and "Best of Skintentions" daily moisturizer ($35). For those who'd prefer a bricks-and-mortar spa, new locations have just opened abroad in Singapore, Barcelona and Hong Kong; a Dubai spa is also in the works.

Many establishments tout their low impact on the environment, but Calistoga Ranch in California takes green to a new level. Its harmony with the Upper Napa Valley's pristine wilderness makes it an obvious choice for a nomination for a Readers' Choice Award in Luxist's best green spa category.

Founded in 2004, Calistoga is nestled in a secluded canyon a mere 90-minute from San Francisco by car. Set on 157 acres, the resort boasts 47 guest lodges and 27 owner lodges, all of which are designed to share the feel of a vintner's estate. The lodges were all built to ensure that the area's streams, lakes and ancient oak trees wouldn't be disturbed; each lodge features floor-to-ceiling glass doors that create a seamless flow into the resort's copious outdoor deck space.

Gallery: More from the Calistoga Ranch

Calistoga's spa is adorned with warm wood and encircled by trellised walkways. Relax in soaking pools shaded by mossy oaks above and graced by a babbling brook below or head inside to receive organic treatments in a private room. Afterwards, recline on deck chairs and gaze out into the expansive forest before you.

Try the spa's "Calistoga Cure" treatment, an exfoliating salt body scrub followed by a mineral bath in your own private outdoor tub, a polarity session, and a massage. Or check out the "Soul Soother," which begins with a yoga session in your own lodge and continues with an aromatherapy massage at the spa and ends with a lunch at the onsite Lake House restaurant – all without ever leaving your personal Napa paradise.

Cast your vote for your favorite spa until March 31st. Winners will be announced on April 1.

Exhale, a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award for Best Day Spa is widely recognized for revolutionizing the day spa business.

Exhale is a brand synonymous with transformation and healing. In just six years, Exhale has earned a position as a leading lifestyle brand in the health and wellness space. Exhale's large and dedicated following is a result of its proprietary transformational programs and services, seasoned team of industry veterans, and hand selected healers dedicated to helping guests on their journey to inner and outer well-being.

Exhale's active and multi-disciplinary approach combines fitness and movement with spa and healing therapies in a modern, tranquil day spa setting. Transformational group fitness classes include yoga and its proprietary Core Fusion®, Core Fusion® Sport, and Core Fusion® Yoga classes and personal training. Along with relaxing massages and restorative body therapies, results-oriented facials include a full range of body scrubs and massages using the latest technological advances, and healing services that include detox and cleansing programs, acupuncture, cupping, and nutrition. Grooming services, including waxing, nail care, eye care, workshops, and destination weekend retreats round out its unique service offerings.

Gallery: More from Exhale

Deep within the lush rain forest of Costa Rica, Tabacón Resort is a nominee for a Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award for Best International Spa. Tabacón Grand Spa & Thermal Resort is committed to sustainable tourism with a core mission that includes the protection and improvement of the environment.

Tabacón Resort is an oasis embedded in a primary rain forest, featuring twelve natural thermal spring pools and lagoons, waterfalls, exotic gardens and trails. Geologically, Tabacón Resort's hot springs are 97% rain-based and 3% magma-based. The resort is a three hour drive (150 km) north of the San José International Airport. The resort sits near the base of Arenal Volcano, and is surrounded by the wildly diverse flora and fauna of the tropical rain forest.

Gallery: More from the Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort