best green spa

Best International Spa
Deep within the lush rain forest of Costa Rica, Tabacón Grand Spa & Thermal Resort is the Winner of the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award for Best International Spa.

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. Tabacón Grand Spa & Thermal Resort is committed to sustainable tourism with a core mission that includes the protection and improvement of the environment.

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.

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. Afterward, 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.

Nominations have been received and vetted for the best-of-breed in day spas, green spas, extended stay spas, men's spas and international spa retreats. The Luxist Readers' Choice Awards for Best in Spas will be awarded based on your voting.

Vote for what you believe is the best of breed for each of these categories. The Readers' Choice Awards for Best in Spas will be announced on April 1st.

Best Day Spa
The first nominee has 20 locations around the world, its own line of take-home products and an attitude almost as refreshing as its spa treatments while the second nominee is a luxurious spa ensconced in a sumptuous hotel located in one of the most splendid cities in the world. The third nominee is widely recognized for revolutionizing the day spa, while stepping into the fourth us reminiscent of a sixteenth century Mediterranean villa, albeit in San Diego. The final nominee offers body treatments and skincare with techniques borrowed from European and Asian tradition with sweeping views of the Hong Kong Harbor.

Bliss
Dior Institute at the Plaza Athénée
Exhale
The Spa at The Grand del Mar
Peninsula Spa by Espa

Best Green Spa
The first nominee is a Napa Valley retreat that opened a year ago while the second, also in the California wine country takes green to a whole new level. The third nominee is in Australia, nestled in the middle of the world's oldest living rain forest, while the fourth is located more than 500 miles off the coast of East Africa, making it one of the world's most exclusive and secluded spas. The final nominee is located in Hawaii and is powered almost entirely by the energy soaked up by solar panels that adorn the roofs of nearly all of its structures.

Bardessono
Calistoga Ranch
Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa
Frégate Island Private
Sullivan Estate & SPA Retreat

Best Extended Stay Spa
The first nominee is the recipient of countless awards and accolades for its innovative approach to health, wellness and holistic and integrative care while the second offers different site-specific perks at each of its five locations. The third nominee offers all-inclusive stays that include airfare and is located in the mountains of Arizona. The fourth nominee dates back over 80 years and is located in a charming historic town 35 miles south of Santa Barbara and the final nominee is the original destination fitness resort and spa.

Canyon Ranch
Golden Door Spas
Miraval
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
Rancho La Puerta

Best Men's Spa

The first nominee offers the best of ancient Asian relaxation techniques while the second is "comfortable and stylish" and "reassuringly masculine." The third nominee has earned the title of "El Primer Spa Masculino" in its native Buenos Aires. The fourth nominee has styled itself as a destination for a new generation of men and the final nominee, which is based in Chicago, has a distinct masculine feel to it, thanks to exposed brick walls, rich wood trim and a beer-stocked refrigerator.

Chuan Body and Soul
Gentlemen's Tonic
Markus for Men
Nickel Spa
Sir Spa

Best International Spa

The first nominee offers results-oriented programs and is located on the island of Capri in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The second nominee was built in the 17th century by Ferdinando I de' Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, in the Tuscan countryside while the third nominee is the only treetop spa in Polynesia. The fourth has long been a favorite retreat for Hollywood celebrities and savvy travelers alike since it originally opened in 1956. The final nominee is in Costa Rica amidst a lush rain forest setting complete with a thermal mineral river and a volcano.

Capri Palace Hotel & Spa
Fonteverde Natural Spa Resort
Marù Spa at Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa
One&Only Palmilla
Tabacón Resort

The Luxist Awards Readers' Choice Awards for Best in Entertainment will be awarded based on your nominations and voting. We're currently seeking nominations for the best-of-breed in the following categories:

Best Brew Pub
Best Cocktail Lounge
Best Coffee House
Best Hotel Bar
Best Wine Bar

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.

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.

Nestled on the north shore of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands, the Sullivan Estate & SPA Retreat is quite literally an oasis in a vast and chaotic ocean. Thanks to its reliance on solar power, it's also among Luxist's best green spa nominees.

Though the Sullivan Estate traces its beginnings to 1962, it has only been in its current incarnation for a few years. In 2005, German-Australian doctor Juergen Klein bought the estate after selling his skin care company, Jurlique. He and his wife Karin, a veteran in the hospitality industry, combined their expertise to create the spa.

The estate is powered almost entirely by the energy soaked up by solar panels that adorn the roofs of nearly every structure on the property. The photovoltaic tiles on top of the main building produce more than 50 kilowatts of electricity every day – so much that the estate often has enough surplus to sell energy back to customers on Oahu's main power grid.

The OlaLoa spa is billed as a retreat for the "seven senses," specializing in solutions for those under unusual amounts of stress. All therapies are drug-free and focus on balancing all states of mind and body, including massages, yoga, Thai Chi and Quigong. OlaLoa also focuses on longevity, emphasizing the value of dietary supplements to go along with a robust exercise regimen.

Treatments include "Synergized," a 3.5-hour program built to enhance circulation and relax muscle that starts with an herbal steam sauna and ends with an aromatherapy body massage. If that's not enough for you, try "Longevity," a 4.5-hour program that begins with yoga or Thai Chi and ends with a Swedish massage. Either way, you can take comfort in the fact that you're relaxing in the most sustainable manner possible.

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

For those who'd like to ensure that personal relaxation doesn't have an adverse effect on the environment, Luxist's best green spa nominees offer the best of both worlds. The freshly minted Bardessono in Yountville, Calif., is one of the top options.

Founded in February of 2009, Bardessono is the product of a wealth of time and experience that belies its young age. The Napa Valley retreat was conceived by Phil Sherburne, a former Seattle city planner and son of organic dairy farmers. Now a conscientious developer, Sherburne brought Seattle architect Ron Mitchell on board to design the sustainable 62-room hotel. The resort practices green building and operating practices. It is heated and cooled by underground geothermal heating and cooling system. The hotel is powered almost entirely by its 940 rooftop solar panels.

Every room at Bardessono is designed as an environment-friendly personal spa, from the locally sourced stone and salvaged woods to the organic food, bedding and even cleaning supplies. Spa Suites offer an open living space and generous amounts of natural light with a luxurious bathroom, gas fireplace and a private courtyard. The custom bathroom, designed to double as a private spa, features a concealed massage table, a soaking tub, separate shower, and double vanity. The Spa Therapy Center offers rooms for couples' massages and facials. The saunas are equipped with a far-infrared sauna for the ultimate purification.

Specific in-room massages range from the 60-minute Vinotherapie Massage ($125), where your skin will be rejuvenated with organic Chardonnay grape seed oil, to the 120-minute Soothing Warm Stone Massage ($280), complete with river-worn stones applied by an experienced therapist. What better way to relax body, mind and conscience.

To use the words of a Luxist reader: "The resort is beautiful, the accommodations outstanding and the personnel very professional---and it is all green!"

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

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.

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.

Tucked away in a dense rain forest on the northwestern coast of Australia, Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa's location alone suggests harmony with the environment. Coupled with the resort's careful construction and natural relaxation therapies, it's an easy choice for a nomination in Luxist's best green spa category.

Just 90 minutes by car from the city of Cairns, Daintree is nestled in the middle of the world's oldest living rainforest, the Greater Daintree Rainforest, which has existed for some 110 million years. The family-owned and operated resort boasts 15 treehouse villas, bringing guests right into the thick of the primeval forest. The surrounding area is home to 430 recorded species of bird, 200 species of fish and 70 types of crustacean.

The lodge was created under the strictest guidelines of the World Wildlife Federation. All of Daintree's water is drawn from nearby natural springs, and the staff uses only biodegradable cleaning agents. The lodge's Julaymba restaurant serves locally-sourced food with seasonal specials, and many of the products used in the organic spa are grown on-site.

The spa itself offers a range of treatments, all of which have been approved by the elders of the aboriginal Kuku Yalanji tribe. Start with "Purely Bathing" ($80), a half-hour soak surrounded by essences of coconut and lime Continue with Daintree's signature treatment, the Walbul-Walbul ($295), a three-hour exfoliation where you'll be cocooned in warm mud, emulating the transition of caterpillar to butterfly.

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