saunas

The historic Hotel Ukraina, a city landmark in Moscow, Russia, is about to reopen as the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. The property will have undergone a substantial renovation and its new look and feel is sure to impress.

The property will offer 507 guestrooms, along with 38 serviced apartments. The rooms will be 345 square feet in size, and the apartments will be quite large – from 540 square feet to 2,750 square feet. All rooms and apartments will be equipped with high-speed internet access.

What really makes the reopening interesting, though, is the connection between old and new. The property's art collection will be featured, consisting of nearly 1,000 paintings from the socialist realism school of thought, the "official" movement of the Soviet Union for more than six decades. Murals and ceiling frescoes will be restored and on display through the hotel's public spaces.

To enhance the experience, the hotel will feature a 43,000 square foot spa and wellness center, with a Turkish bath, Finnish sauna and six-lane swimming pool. There will also be a dedicated kids' club, giving parents some much-needed time to relax. After unwinding, dash up to the 31st floor bar and enjoy the views of Moscow. For another perspective on the city, you'll be able to take a culinary boat tour on the Moskva River.

"This hotel is another milestone in our history," says Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor, which owns the property. "Rezidor, the international pioneer on the Russian hotel market, is today the leading international hotel operator in Russia and the CIS countries – and now manages an additional key property in Moscow, which is one of the most remarkable hotel structures in Europe."

The Radisson Blu Resort and Spa Dubrovnik just became the largest resort on Croatia's Dalmatian coast. The new property, which is only 11 miles from Dubrovnik International Airport, boasts more than 100,000 square feet of spa, sports and wellness facilities with treatments such as hydrotherapy and salt saunas. This is the first Anne Semonin spa to open in Croatia, and to celebrate the milestone, several exclusive treatments have bee developed.

The spa itself occupies 37,000 square feet along the Croatian coastline, with seven individual treatment rooms and two more for couples. An outdoor hot tub sits at the center of this layout. The Thalassotherapy Therma Stone Experience, 100% Active Ice Therapy Facial and Black Sand Scrub & Ocean Massage Ritual were developed specifically for the Radisson Blu – I guess giving three more damned good reasons to get on a plane for Dubrovnik.

Another 75,000 square feet is dedicated to a sports and wellness center. The 60-foot lagoon pool, waterfall and underwater vitality jet lounges sound simply seductive, and there are additional treatments built around these decadent aquatic amenities.

Pass on the cliche European destinations this year, and head out to the Dalmatian coast. The spa experience will be a far cry from the usual.

"I'm sorry if you'll be sore tomorrow," the massage therapist informed me unprompted, "but you needed it."

Set foot in the Spa at Esperanza in Los Cabos, Mexico, and you will encounter professionals who know their jobs cold. Surrender yourself to their capable hands, and you will not be disappointed. From the front desk, where your order for a post-treatment beverage is taken, to the gender-specific and general relaxation areas to the treatment rooms, you will be treated to the sights and sounds of trickling water, stone-based décor (commonplace in this part of Mexico) and a staff that is singularly focused on relieving you of the emotional baggage that you carried onto the plane en route to Baja California Sur.

The Spa at Esperanza, part of the Esperanza Resort, offers a wide selection of treatments, including facials, massages, manicure and pedicure packages, private yoga sessions and couples options. In addition to the basic presentations of these themes – such as the Esperanza Massage, the deep-tissue treatment I enjoyed through which I persevered – twists are available to suit your mood or help you connect more closely with the part of the world you're visiting. The Corona Beer Face Lift, Papaya Plus Enzyme Peel and Avocado Butter Mani/Pedi, for example, feature local color that you're unlikely to encounter back home. Spice up your revitalization a bit with the Esperanza's local expertise.

It might look scary (like a body bag that was too short for the victim) but this tinfoil-like sleeping bag has a lot going on that you might want to try. It's part of the Oxygen Detox System from 02 Planet, which claims to relax you, increase energy, and slow the signs of aging by detoxing and oxygenating your body. The system provides a steam sauna, water jets for massage, oxygen misting therapy, and this infrared sauna blanket. Gotta have the incredible O2 Planet Oxygen Detox System? Lucky you, it's on sale right now for just $4,595.

Via Gizmodo