Pack your bags for Tunisia! A new Radisson Blu Resort & Thalasso has opened in Monastir. It's the second Radisson Blu in Tunisia and boasts 280 rooms on beachfront property -- facing the Gulf of Hammamet in the Mediterranean Sea. The resort has 264 guestrooms, 14 junior suites and two senior suites, all equipped with high-speed access (no fee!) and a private balcony or terrace overlooking the pool and sea.

Of course, it's nice to have a comfortable room, but when you really want to unwind, you're looking for the spa. The Radisson Blu in Monastir has a 150,000-square foot facility in the Royal Elyssa Spa Cinq Mondes & Thalasso, with a 48,000-square foot Thal'ion Thalasso center that specializes in restorative treatments using seawater. The spa facilities are set to open early next year and will also have a fitness club and salon. The saunas, hammams and treatment rooms are great, but you'll want to get to the top floor, where you'll find 20 spa suites, many of which will boast private Jacuzzis.

The "Mammoth" in Mammoth Mountain, California actually comes from the 19th century gold rush, when a group of prospectors among the clamoring hordes founded the Mammoth Mining Company. But with winter -- and a yearly average of 400 inches of snow -- rapidly approaching, the kind of mammoth you should be concerned with right now is the resort, its luxury, its skiing, and the fun you can have with all of those.

The Westin Monache Resort in Northern California is Mammoth Mountain's only 4-star resort, and it intriguingly lists "excellent soundproofing" as one of its signature features. When you're finished testing your bedside klaxons, you'll find it is also just steps from the mountain's 15-passenger express gondola that will begin the trip to 3,500 skiable acres and 3,100 vertical feet of skiing at a maximum altitude of 11,053 feet.

At the conclusion of exploring any of the 150 named trails you can head back to your suite -- the resort has 230 of them in studio, 1- and 2-bedroom varieties, each one benefiting from a kitchen and a fireplace, and that Heavenly Bath (you'd never guess how good a second shower head can make you feel; it's almost like being tenderly scrubbed to by mermaids... or so we've imagined). Regardless of whether you brought your own skis or snowboard or used the on-site shop's pro fitments, the ski valet will be happy to relieve you of your equipment and prepare it for the next day's adventures, 24 hours a day.

Book a package before November 5 and you could save 25% on your winter getaway. Direct air service on Horizon Air begins December 17 from some West Coast and Nevada cities, and the Village Ski Back Trail should open around that time as well, so you can glide straight from the mountain into the base Village. The only thing you'll need to worry about then is getting back in time for the Korobuta pork chop in a cognac demi-glaze at Whitebark and saving room for s'mores...

Last year we wrote about the $30,000 Damascene razor from Hommage, the Parisian purveyor of luxury grooming equipment, skincare and spa services for men. Now the brand, a favorite of celebs like Anthony Hopkins, Hugh Laurie and Robert Sean Leonard, has come out with ShaveCare Emollient: Relieve, formulated for the time-restricted man who wants a flawless, mistake-free, professional-level shave at home, and on-the-go. The water-resistant, transparent oil-gel does not melt off the skin like normal gels and creams, making it the ideal in-shower shaving tool. Core Relieve ingredient, the NMF (Natural Moisturizing Factor) Complex, smoothes and arms the skin while softening the hair for a perfectly quick, close shave. The emollient leaves skin nourished, soft and protected without the need for after-shaves or moisturizers. The new ShaveCare Emollient: Relieve is available in single capsules as well as a Home and Travel Set (above) for $100, available at Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman and Paul Labrecque Spas.

For the rates Venetian gondoliers charge you might expect a massage and a 3-course meal during your cruise of the canals. With the introduction of the Voga Voyage at Loews Coronado Bay Resort Gondola Company, you can at least check the massage off the list.

Your vessel for the journey among the Coronado Cays will be a softly wrapped, sun-warmed massage table. In turn, that table will ride upon an authentic 33-foot gondola that launches from the resort's private marina and then embarks on an hour-long cruise of Mediterranean-like waterways. Forty minutes of that will be occupied by masseurs tending to your physical needs, which includes the laying on of sunscreen before the more serious application of massaging hands. The last ten minutes of the trip will be given to sight-seeing, if you're in any mood for that, while you and your chère company feast on the gondola's supply of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries.

Booking the $499 Voga Voyage also gets you a free night at the resort and its amenities, spread out on a secluded, 15-acre peninsula. And having saved on airfare to the Italian province, you just might have enough left over for the 3-course meal. It's certainly not what Iago meant when he mentioned "creating the beast with two backs," but this ride has a far less drama and a much happier ending...

The third tower of The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort is expected to be finished next February, and the resort will open its heavy glass doors to early adopters in 2011. Sitting on 1,000 square feet of sable blanc at the north end of Miami Beach, the three 27-story towers will house 511 rooms in various sizes and flavors of sumptuousness. The move south, like a snowbird from that biggest of apples, is intended to be a relocation of the New England grandeur that Colonel John Jacob Astor IV inaugurated when he opened the first St. Regis in NYC in 1904.

Think: mirrors. Lots of them. The Yabu Pushelberg interior scheme (from the firm that has lent a helping hand to Prada, Tiffany, the Mandarin Oriental, and so on) will naturally focus on textures and materials: Movingui hardwood walls, marble and travertine flooring, and etched plaster walls will abound upon entry. Guests and residents are no less looked after, with spa-like bathrooms, enclosed walk-in showers, and overflow soaking tubs. Granite makes its necessary appearance for the kitchen countertops, and the cutlery drawers will even be pre-slotted, so you'll never mistake your butcher for your cleaver.

Residences come in one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom sizes, range from 1,777 to 6,868 square feet, and start at $1.9 million. If you need more convincing -- and proof that that this St. Regis has left behind most of its New York City roots -- the balconies alone start at 455 square feet, larger than a fair number of Manhattan apartments. Amenities will include white-glove butlers, 24-hour room service, a 12,000 square foot spa, and someone to do your grocery shopping for you. Because, you know, you'll be hungry when you finally roll in from Nikki Beach...

South Africa's Molori Safari Lodge is the epitome of the new luxury safari style. Situated on a 185,000-acre game reserve on the border with Botswana, the lodge features five luxe bungalows with spacious wooden decks, private infinity pools and floor-to-ceiling fully retractable glass walls. A staff of 44, including a chef serving local delicacies like pan roasted gazelle, looks after a maximum of 14 guests. Upon arrival the Lodge's butler unpacks your bags, presses your safari suit, provides a selection of Aqua di Parma toiletries and stocks each suite with an assortment of homemade cured meats and dried fruit. Up at the main lodge a well-stocked library also features a great selection of whisky, brandy and cigars, while the wine cellar is of course stocked with the finest South African vintages. There's also one of the largest private telescopes in southern Africa as well as a holistic indoor-outdoor spa.

[via Duncan Quinn]

Sometimes it's better to start at the bottom and work your way up. But what if, at the same time, you could start at the bottom and be at the top? lebua Hotel offers just that at its Lake Okareka Lodge, set on a private estate in New Zealand. And when we say private, we mean private -- the extent of the accommodations is three luxury suites that can house, all together, nine people. Total. Maximum. When you book, even if there is just your lonesome, you get the whole thing to yourself -- "yourself" being you, your private chef, and the attendants waiting to fulfill your wishes.

Each of the suites gets lake views, private balconies, Bvlgari amenities, and the services of the estate's private chef. Should you commandeer the executive suite, you'll step up to your own lounge, spa bath, private office and walk-in wardrobe. As for things to do, the suites are set in the countryside, next to a lake, on the North Island of what is arguably one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. Should you tire of the fishing, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, hiking, or simply being, the lodge maintains a piano room, a fantastically stocked wine cellar, and a 24-hour concierge for those urgent, 3 a.m. requests.

lebua Hotel Bangkok has quarters for more guests, but the numbers don't spoil the treatment. Each room in the all-suite hotel in the State Tower, Silom district has views of the Chao Phraya River. Naturally, all-suite does not mean all the suites have been created equal: ranging from 66 to 266 square meters, opt for the premium digs and you'll sup on multi-course meals prepared by your own chef for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and that liquid meal known as "cocktails."

If you must go out, the bar and five restaurants under The Dome will reward you for the slipper-shod trek: Sirocco, 63 stories up, is the world's highest open air restaurant; the tables at Breeze sit on jutting balconies, where you can dine on modern Asian fare while descrying views of modern Asia; the Mezzaluna specializes in Italian and amore -- every proposal made there has been accepted; Café Mozu mashes up a DJ, a pool, and Italian, Lebanese, and Indian courses; and Distil is where you go to wash it all down... in moderation, of course.

What could be better than 5-star suites and food? Why, a party to celebrate their opening. lebua will be hosting a gala launch of the New Zealand property and the Tower Club addition to its Bangkok location in, of all places, Sydney, Australia. The soiree goes down in November, on a private yacht that will be moored in front of the Opera House, where lebua chefs will be on hand to tempt you to make the trip to those other points distant.

If one were tempted to wonder about flying to Australia to have a party for resorts in lands at least five hours away by plane, we must remember that ours is not to question why. Ours is only to ask, "Why not?" And then make reservations...

The stress of working and living under tough economic conditions is enough to trigger the urge for a trip to the spa. Unfortunately, there just isn't enough cash around to lay out for that perfect facial or relaxing massage. Rather than give up, however, most Americans are compromising. Shorter treatments are becoming more common, as many realize that something is better than nothing.

In June this year, the International SPA Association found that treatments lasting 30 minutes or less grew in popularity. Forty-six percent of the ISPA's 3,200 members reported an increase in these shorter services ... and close to have saw the amount spent per visit fall year-over-year.

Interestingly, there is a changing of the guard afoot among spa visitors. In the past, Baby Boomers were the most frequent spa-goers, but Generations X and Y are starting to see the benefits of relaxation, according to a study by SpaFinder. For many spas, this may require a change in design and treatment menus, as younger guests may not be soothed in the same ways their parents were.

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."

We all know that spas don't tend to be man caves. There's nothing macho about walking around in a soft fluffy robe, about sipping water infused with cucumbers or citrus, or contemplating the condition of your pores. Spa cuisine is also not something that's designed to appeal to a strapping appetite -- you can't score any swagger points by eating steamed veggies. And that's before you get to yoga, meditation, and aerobics classes -- all wonderful activities, but not something a guy's guy is going to brag much about.

John and Ginny Lopis, owners of The Lodge at Woodloch in Hawley, Pennsylvania and spa industry veterans, knew this too, and so when they opened their own spa, about 90 minutes from New York City, they decided to purposefully make it a place where a guy would feel comfortable. This comes through in the décor of the common areas, which, true to its name, is lodge-inspired, with a bit of a feel of a traditional study thrown in too -- there's lots of wood, metal and rich cozy upholstery. This also comes across in the range of activities available -- the spa is set on 75 wooded acres, and it has its own lake, so activities include hiking, mountain biking, kayaking -- and there's a golf course right across the street. What's more, the food that's served here is certainly in the genre of spa cuisine -- healthy, lower fat, calorie conscious -- but it's not about deprivation: there's a full wine list, for instance, desserts, chocolate and treats. Ginny Lopis jokes that they think of it as a five-star ashram.

When you walk through into the spa wing, you're in more familiar territory, but it's new-age light and bright, but still, nothing aggressively pink or feminine anywhere -- except maybe in the treatments, for instance, the Lavender Garden Dream, which is a polish, wrap and fully body massage or Chamomile Flowers, a body polish and moisturizer.

Even with all of this man-bait in place, the clientele is, as you'd expect, mostly women. When I visited a few weeks ago, I noticed many mother-daughter, girlfriend getaway types of spa-goers -- but I also spotted more than handful of men, holding up their half of a vacationing couple. The menfolk were a bit furtive, and not much evidence during the day, as I took a class called "Breathe and Change Your Life", stretched in yoga, and jogged in the woods. But early one morning, as I watched knots of women striding with great purpose on the spa's fitness trail, creating flashes of neon lime and bright pink power-walking through the trees, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted one guy, going off to fish in the lake, his pole over his shoulder.

Concierge service is rewarding, but common; let's face it, Best Western has concierges. Butler service, on the other hand -- the round-the-clock ask-and-it's-done white-glove kind, that's still something special. The Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Holistic Retreat & Spa in Los Cabos, Baja California has just added butlers to its list of amenities, and they're free... well, whenever you book an ocean view suite.

Your attendant clocks in the moment you arrive and tends to the minutiae of any resort stay like dinner reservations, spa appointment, and dry cleaning. Yet the role of steward entails more than that: he will unpack your luggage, run your bubble bath, coordinate in-suite dining, plan an entire day trip and make sure your bed is turned down and your shoes are shined when you return. If there are enough of you for a cocktail party, he can arrange that as well. And anything else in between, so we're told.

Although Pueblo Bonito says "no request is too large or too small," there is one thing you can't ask your butler to do: take care of your children -- the Los Cabos property has been designed exclusively for adults. With your own butler, though, it will give you chance to be kids. Arthur would be proud...

Travelers in China looking to experience a bit of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can enjoy two Signature TCM spa treatments at the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in Greater China. The treatments were created by Eu Yan Sang, a leader in the TCM industry and are inspired by the basic TCM principles of Yin and Yang - complementary opposites within a greater whole, creating a dynamic balance of all things. Eu Yan Sang created a range of pre-packed herbs selected based on the principle of Yin and Yang for relaxing and energizing which the spa then mixes with either oil or water during its treatments.

The relaxing Yin ritual includes fragrances like geranium, lotus and peppermint. A body scrub is enhanced with herbs like wolfberry bark (di gu pi), coix seed (yi yi ren), ampelopsis (bai lian) and sea salt (hai yan). The oil for the relaxing massage includes geranium, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sweet almond and grape seed (Mi Die Xiang / Xun Yi Cao / Tian Xing Ren You /Ma Yu Lan / Pu Tao Zi You). A body wrap of lotus leaves and pearl powder helps release water retention and a relaxing tea caps off the experience.

The Yang ritual is designed for energy. It starts with an exfoliation with energizing herbs like garden balsam stem (tou gu cao), mulberry twig (sang zhi), acorus rhizome (shi chang pu) and clove (ding xiang). The body wrap uses salvia root (dan shen), atractylodes rhizome (cang zhu), sappan wood (su mu) and tangerine peel (chen pi) to boost circulation and improve the flow of energy. The massage oil for this ritual is full of invigorating herbs such as black pepper, lemongrass, rosemary, lemon, sweet almond and grape seed (Mi Die Xiang/ Ning Meng/ Hei Hu Jiao/ Tian Xing Ren you/ Ning Meng Xiang Cao/ Pu Tao Zi You). To complete the experience a tea that includes red ginseng root (hong shen xu), licorice root (gan cao) and dried ginger (gan jiang) and patchouli (huo xiang) powers up the system.

Both treatments can be found at a variety of Intercontinental Hotels in China.

Famed French chef Alain Ducasse will open his first restaurant in the Caribbean at the new W Retreat & Spa: Vieques Island this November, called "miX on the beach." At the eatery (above) Ducasse will offer a sophisticated menu, exploring "colorful Latino Caribbean flavors with an artful French twist and refreshing dishes that highlight only the finest ingredients from land and sea, expertly prepared and creatively presented." Both indoor and outdoor dining will be available with impressive ocean views on all sides. The first W Retreat & Spa in the Caribbean, the resort is located just off the Southeast coast of Puerto Rico on the peaceful 55-acre island of Vieques. In addition to miX on the beach, Ducasse's team will also manage the entire food and beverage program for the resort.

I was already loving the look of The Sky Lodge, a boutique five-star condo hotel in Park City, Utah, before I spotted these really cool screen-style doors that divides the bathroom from one of the three bedrooms in the penthouse suite. It turns out that those screens have a very interesting story, and it made me love the property even more.

But first let me back up and say that Sky Lodge's penthouse is where I'd want to a host a party during Sundance, since it's got 2,736 square feet inside, and almost as much -- 2,600 feet -- outside in the form of an enormous wrap-around deck with views of the mountains and Park City, all easily enjoyed from the hot tub. (Check it out in the gallery.) I'll further digress and say that while this suite runs approximately $5,000 a night during the winter season, if you visit during the summer, you can get this three bedroom suite for around $1,500 a night.

Back to the doors: they're made from an opaque ecoresin, into which is embedded beads and coiled copper wire. It turns out that these are "Ithemba", a product of 3form USA's "Full Circle" program, which attempts to marry environmental consciousness with social awareness to create beautiful design products. The beads and woven copper are created by South African women who are impacted with HIV, they recieve training in business skills, job skills training, marketing assistance while they're earning a living by maintaining traditional crafts. "Ithemba" means hope in Xosi. Just knowing this made me enjoy my time in Sky Lodge's Amatsu spa all the more.

If you're not in the market for a screen or a door, check out the cuff bracelet in the gallery below, which you can order here.

It's that time of year when the National Parks beckon, and the mother lode of those parks is definitely the Grand Canyon. But if the idea of battling crowds in ill-fitting shorts, wielding dripping ice cream cones makes you a little queasy, the InterContinental Montelucia in Scottsdale has a better plan in mind.

The Grand Canyon Spectacular Package starts aboard a private jet, for the couple-of-hundred mile journey to the park. Then you board a helicopter below the rim, for champagne and h'ors d'oeuvres on the Colorado River.

Okay, that wasn't exactly a workout, but the package includes a full day of spa treatments with as many treatments as you can squeeze in. Joya Spa wasn't just an afterthought at Montelucia, it's a destination in its own right -- it would be a stretch to say it's the Grand Canyon of spas, but it's really big: 31,000 square feet, and all done in Moorish theme, as is the rest of the property.

As part of this package, your unlimited treatments are executed in the spa's biggest private suite, the Grand Palace, which has its own wrap-around deck and a view of Camelback Mountain. The package also includes four nights in the hotel's signature suite, car service to the airport, dinner at the resort's well-regarded restaurant Spanish restaurant Prado, with wine pairings. Cost: $9,995 (double occupancy) excluding tax and service charge.