spa

Rent the Entire Mandarin Oriental Tokyo For One Night at $670,000

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wealth

To celebrate its fifth anniversary Tokyo's luxurious Mandarin Oriental Hotel is offering the opportunity to rent the entire property for one night for 55 million yen, or about $670,000. The price includes the exclusive use of all the hotel's 157 guest rooms and 21 suites, including the posh Presidential Suite, its nine restaurants, cocktail bars, spa, fitness center and Grand Ballroom. The package, available until Nov. 30, 2011 and easily the world's most expensive hotel offering, also comes with a cocktail reception for 500 people with the dessert portion catered by an award-winning Japanese pastry chef, the Wall St. Journal reports. Gen Yoshida, the hotel's communications officer, says it is the first time for any Mandarin Oriental to offer such a package. The Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group currently operates, or has under development, 41 luxury hotels spread across 27 countries.

Gallery: Mandarin Oriental Tokyo

Tags: hotel, hotel suites, Japan, luxury hotels, Mandarin Oriental, Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, spa, Tokyo, worlds most expensive

Queen Mary 2's Canyon Ranch SpaClub: Pure Bliss on the Atlantic Ocean (with Video)

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Perhaps the most decadent, and most relaxing experience one could ever imagine, is time spent at the Canyon Ranch SpaClub while crossing the Atlantic Ocean on Cunard's Queen Mary 2 ocean liner.

The Queen Mary 2 is equipped with a 22,000 square foot spa, which is one of the largest ship-based spas in the world. The spa facilities include 24 treatment rooms, a luxurious aqua-therapy facility and a beauty and hair salon. For those seeking exercise, there's a fully-equipped circuit gym with free weights as well as a large cardio facility that is outfitted with state-of-the-art elliptical trainers, stationary and recumbent bicycles, a variety of treadmills and stepping machines. Much of the equipment is equipped with individual televisions and iPod docks. Fitness trainers are available for individual sessions.

While the Canyon Ranch SpaClub isn't quite as elaborate as visiting the world-renowned Canyon Ranch destination locations in Tucson, Ariz. or Lenox, Mass. (and a Luxist Awards' Nominee for Best Extended-Stay Spa), it is extremely impressive nonetheless. And in some ways, the Canyon Ranch SpaClub aboard the Queen Mary 2, which opened in 2004, is even better. Where else can you enjoy the historic and romantic experience of crossing the Atlantic on a beautiful ocean liner while experiencing the healthy lifestyle offered by Canyon Ranch?

Gallery: Canyon Ranch SpaClub on Cunard's Queen Mary 2

Canyon Ranch SpaClub on the Queen Mary 2

Tags: awards-main, canyon ranch, Canyon Ranch Cooking, canyon ranch spa, cruise, cruise ship, cruises, cunard, Cunard Cruise Line, CunardCruiseLine, luxist-awards, ocean liner, Queen Mary 2, spa, spa treatments, transatlantic, transatlantic crossing

Continue reading “Queen Mary 2's Canyon Ranch SpaClub: Pure Bliss on the Atlantic Ocean (with Video)”

Squeeze out the Stiffness from a Long Day of Teton Hiking

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

If you head out to Jackson Hole, still a playground for the wealthy, despite the lingering effects of the recession, a jaunt through the mountains is probably on your itinerary. The Grand Tetons are simultaneously challenging and inviting, and you need to respond to that call! After having scaled peaks or stumbled along trails, however, your body will need some relief. The Avanyu Spa at the Snake River Lodge & Spa is the perfect fit for rejuvenating your weary muscles.

I visited this spa on a recent getaway to Jackson Hole and can tell you the staff's talented hands are the perfect antidote to the strain and pain that comes with an active vacation. The Avanyu Spa offers 17,000 square feet of pure relaxation ... with the exception of the gym on the fifth floor. It's a great place to get in shape, but I just can't bring myself to compare exercise to bliss – it's just not my nature.

The range of treatments is fairly wide, and includes a variety of unique massages (e.g., Komodo Massage, Sleeping Indian Custom Massage and River Stone Massage), as well as desert salt exfoliation, several facials and other skin treatments.

The spa's layout was certainly interesting. The gym is on its uppermost floor, and the four below included treatment rooms, locker rooms and, on the first floor, an indoor pool and access to one outside. An elevator transports you from one to the next. At first, this seemed cumbersome, but that's probably because I'm constantly in a hurry. Quickly, I came to realize that the forced wait encouraged a bit of patience, moving me into the mindset that a spa visit encourages.

Gallery: Snake River Lodge & Spa

The lobby at the Snake River Lodge & Spa

Tags: grand tetons, jackson hole, Jackson Hole Wyoming, resort, resorts, RockResorts, snake river, spa, spa review, spa treatment, spa treatments, wyoming

Continue reading “Squeeze out the Stiffness from a Long Day of Teton Hiking”

Spiritually Surrender to Weight Loss at The Lodge at Woodloch

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

If the summer has left your jeans a little snug, The Lodge at Woodloch, a destination spa in Hawley, Pennsylvania that's popular with health seekers on the New Yorker to Philadelphia corridor, may have a solution. Spiritual guru Marianne Williamson will be putting in an appearance in early November, to mark the publication of her new book, A Course In Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever. Four of Williamson's nine books have become New York Times bestsellers, and while I've not cracked its cover, it doesn't take a marketing genius to realize that the title contains words likely to make it very popular indeed.

The weekend package runs November 5th-6th, 2010, and includes Williamson's lecture, a signed copy of her book, and a weekend of activities at the resort. All details here.

Tags: pennsylvania, spa, spirituality, weight loss

t spheres, a Pocket Spa for Travelers

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas, Celebrity Shopping

It's not easy to bring the luxuries of home on the airplane with you anymore. With TSA regulations and bag checking fees, bringing a bottle of your favorite calming lotion or even face cream can be challenging. t spheres is a new product which aims to give you that do-it-yourself spa experience right in your hotel room (or your living room, or your office) without creating a hassle at the airport. We tried a set on a recent trip to see if these little aromatherapy balls can really be considered "luxurious."

The t spheres, or "tranquility" spheres, were created by Stephanie Whittier, a professional massage therapist who has studied "movement in relationship to pain relief" for over 17 years. The compact burlap package consists of two rubber balls about two inches in diameter and a mini spray bottle filled with the aromatherapy oil you select when purchasing. Spritz the oil on your hands or the spheres and massage it into the spheres to begin.

Once your t spheres are oiled-up and smelling great, there are all kinds of therapies you can try. For example, you can roll them under the sides of your spine on the floor, stick them behind your lower back while you work in a chair, and roll them under your feet. You can simply rub them into the back of your neck or along the backs of your legs; anywhere you feel needs relief. You can heat or cool them to create whatever relaxing, tension-releasing sensation you prefer.

Tags: aromatherapy, Brooke Shields, Coldplay, diy, do it yourself, massage, Rita Wilson, spa, Stephanie Whittier, t spheres, t-spheres

Continue reading “t spheres, a Pocket Spa for Travelers”

Sip N' Spa: QUA Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace Las Vegas

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

QUA Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace Las Vegas is bringing new meaning t

o "reading the tea leaves" with their unique tea sommelier program. Every therapist at the spa is required to undergo a special training program, conducted over a four-month period, each focused on a different type of tea.

"Tea is the number two consumed beverage in the world," said Chrystal King, QUA Spa Director. "We think of this program as ... another form of education for our guests."

Trainings focus on the practical - steeping times, proper water temperatures, and properties - as well as the historical background to each tea and the proper tea for certain conditions. At least twice yearly, therapists undergo updates to the treatments as new teas are added to the program.

Co-branded with Art of Tea, the spa offers 22 unique blends in categories like black, white, green and oolong to pair with the 72 different treatments on their spa menu. Some treatments, like the spa's "Hourglass" signature service, aren't branded with a specific tea, but therapists consult clients to design both a treatment program and a tea that will pair well with client's specific requests.

For example, a client looking for a boost post-facial might opt for a collagen-enhancing white tea, says Angela Tedesco, the spa's tea program director. Of course, they can also pair the teas with a specific concern unrelated to the treatment, Tedesco adds.

On a recent visit, my facial/massage combination was topped off by a detoxifying tea featuring ginger and lemon - the perfect Rx after a long night at the hotel's famed nightclub, PURE.

Clients looking to take the relaxation home can also purchase the teas from the spa's boutique.

The writer's travel and expenses were sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment, but her opinions are completely her own.

Tags: art of tea, CaesarsPalace, Las Vegas, qua baths and spa, spa

Trump Spa's Turkish Hammam Has Suds Appeal

by Amy Cortese (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services, Spas

Is your skin in need of a little TLC after a long hot summer of gelatinous humidity and city soot? The spa at the Trump Soho has just the cure.

The newly opened spa has nine treatment rooms within its well-appointed 11,000 square feet, but what really sets it apart is its take on the hammam - the traditional bathhouses of Morocco and Turkey. The Trump folks claim it is one of just two authentic luxury hammams in the U.S. (the first being at the Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas) and the only one in New York. Ok, apparently there are other hammams in the Big Apple, but none whose tiles and materials have been sourced exclusively from Turkey and Morocco or that feature a domed ceiling and tiny pinhole lights that mimic the pin pricks of natural light found in many traditional hammams.

So, on a late summer day, I headed to Soho to check it out. Stefan Drobel, assistant spa director for The Spa At Trump, led me through the spa, stopping at the Tepidarium, a chamber where one is supposed to warm up before entering the baths. The steam and sauna facilities, alas, are still awaiting a final green light from city health inspectors. Then it was on to my Turkish hammam treatment, which Stefan assured me would detoxify and purify my skin. I changed into a robe and was led to a black- and white-tiled room - one of two hammams at the spa. Wearing nothing but the disposable mesh undies provided, I was instructed to sit down on a heated marble "belly slab" (which is big enough to accommodate couples, if you so desire). The mosaic tiles shimmered in the dim light and the little pinholes of light glittered like stars in the sky. My "hammam attache," Jenny, was wrapped in a towel from the waist down -- my first clue to what was to come. She promptly commenced filling silver bowls with warm water and pouring them all over me. That simple act elicited a surprisingly soothing, almost primal, sensation of warmth, and I felt the tension in my body melting away. I laid down and more bowls of water cascaded upon me. Then she donned a slightly coarse "kesa" mitt and gently exfoliated my skin, first front, then back, and always followed by more nurturing water.

Tags: hammam, spa, spa review, Turkish bath

Continue reading “Trump Spa's Turkish Hammam Has Suds Appeal”

I Had a Public Massage - True Story of a Beachside Spa Treatment

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

It was a beautiful day at the Curacao Marriott, and an hour-long massage had been booked for me at the spa. When I arrived at the spa, I was delighted to hear that my massage would take place right on the beach. How fabulous!

I followed my masseuse, who carried a large pile of towels, across the property. I assumed we'd be going to a secluded cabana somewhere, but as we continued walking, I found we were headed toward the side of the resort where my room was -- and there was certainly no cabana there. We approached a sunlit area with a few ineffectual bushes and a gazebo-like structure (above) where I understand weddings are often held. Weddings, as in, declaring your love for all to see in public. We entered the gazebo and I examined the roof and sides. There were no shades, no blinds; there was absolutely no privacy. People were lying on the beach (and even on the deck) on three sides of the gazebo, and the fourth side faced the open ocean, where resort guests were swimming and playing paddleball. I pretended this was normal to me for as long as I could.

It was only after she had covered the table with towels and said, "Okay, lie on your stomach facing this way," that I blurted out, "Um, I don't have any clothes on under this robe, you know, right?"

Tags: Beach, Beach Massage, Beaches, Curacao, Curacao Marriott, Marriott, Massage, Spa

Continue reading “I Had a Public Massage - True Story of a Beachside Spa Treatment”

The 5 Most-Naked, Least-Modest Spa Treatments in the World

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

When you go to a spa, you expect a few nods to modesty -- a private room, for instance, and artful draping of your naughty bits, which are usually Not to Be Touched. And while spas that cater to Westerners around the world do tend to observe these protocols, there are a few entirely legit spa treatments that make these modesty-preserving measures entirely counterproductive.

Here are five spa treatments for which you'll just need to let it all hang out.

1. Turkish Hammam: A Turkish Hammam is sort of a like a communal bath, where you spend time in rooms of varying heat. The highlight is having your skin nearly flayed off with a loofah. (Some people call the resulting ribbons of removed skin "spaghetti".) In a traditional hammam, this scrubbing is administered by a person wearing a bathing suit, and usually within few view of everyone else. My observation has been that people mostly avert their gaze from the scrubee, these are rarely attractive angles for anyone.

There are spas that offer a more modest variation on a hammam treatment. The spa at La Mamounia, for instance, has a shared steam room (which you enter wearing a bathrobe, leave it on or take it off as you wish), and then a private room for the scrub-a-dub, with private shower. The post-hammam moisturizer is applied in a communal relaxation room, so gaze aversion strategies are still a must if you don't want to get an eyeful.

Tags: germany, hammam, India, japan, most naked spa treatments, naked, spa, tokyo

Continue reading “The 5 Most-Naked, Least-Modest Spa Treatments in the World”

Locally Grown Spa Treatments The Latest Luxury Trend

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spas

Traditionally in the world of spa and beauty treatments the most exotic treatments have been the most luxurious, but recently the local food craze has spread to the spa world and the demand for treatments using locally grown fruits and herbs has increased dramatically. The Ojai Valley Inn in California is a good example, it offers a Pixie Tangerine & Pomegranate Scrub for $145 that involves using locally grown tangerine halves to scrub the body with a sugar-based exfoliant mixture. "When they put this stuff on, I can smell fresh juice," said one guest.

It's that freshness, along with feelings of social responsibility and a love for unique experiences that's driving the trend. "People don't necessarily want to have the same experience in Florida as they have in New York as they have in California as they have in Dubai," says spa consultant Matt Wuttke. And because locally sourced spa treatments support nearby farmers and reduce the carbon footprints of transported goods there's even more warm fuzzies to be had from what is often considered a guilty indulgence. The only downside? In many parts of the country 'local' also means 'seasonal' so you're favorite Elderberry Facial ($190, Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake) probably isn't available year round.

Source

Tags: local, local food, locavore, spa, spa treatments, spas

Calistoga Ranch's Exclusive Napa Valley Getaway Package

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas, Wine

Calistoga Ranch offers the Ultimate Napa Valley Weekend

Looking for the ultimate getaway in Napa Valley? Auberge Resorts' Calistoga Ranch, the winner of the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award for Best Green Spa has created the "Ultimate Napa Valley Weekend," a two-night, "ultimate" fantasy weekend that includes the best and most iconic experiences that Napa Valley has to offer.

The package includes a highly coveted reservation for two and special menu paired with some of Napa's best wines at Chef Thomas Keller's world-famous French Laundry. Guests will also receive treatments at Calistoga Ranch's Bathhouse Spa, recently named as one of the country's top spas by Conde Nast Traveler. Guests will be treated to a private tour and tasting by chauffeured town car which will take them to three exclusive Napa Valley cult wineries including Far Niente (a Luxist Awards' nominee for best wine), Vineyard 29 and Chappellet.

Accommodations are in a luxurious one-bedroom Spa Lodge, featuring 1,200 square feet of indoor/outdoor living space, including a master suite with an outdoor shower and private garden, indoor and outdoor living rooms with fireplaces and a private hot tub.

Gallery: More from the Calistoga Ranch

Guests who book the "Ultimate Napa Valley Weekend" will also receive a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from the world-famous To Kalon winery and a special French Laundry Welcome Amenity.

The "Ultimate Napa Valley Weekend" package is priced at $4,495 per couple (subject to change and availability, excluding taxes, gratuities and alcohol). The package is only available August 27-29, 2010.

For more information or to make a reservation, call (707) 254-2800 or visit www.calistogaranch.com.

Tags: awards-main, calistoga ranch, Chappellet, Far Niente, French Laundry, luxist-awards, napa valley, resorts, spa, thomas keller, To Kalon, Vineyard 29

Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Offers Unlimited Golf Package

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas, Sports

Ojai Valley Inn & Spa is offering an unlimted golf package this summer

The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in Ojai, Ca. is offering a great summer package for golf lovers.

Available now through September 2, on Sunday through Thursday nights, Ojai's "Complete Deal" package offers guests unlimited golf and one complimentary classic 50-minute spa treatment per night when guests book a "Shangri-La" room type or above. As an added bonus, guests staying in a suite will also enjoy complimentary breakfast. Rates start at $450 per night, which is less than the value of the complimentary unlimited golf and spa treatments (the approximate added value is $500).

Located on 220 tree-shaded acres, the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa is home to one of the country's premier championship golf courses as well as the newly renovated, world-renowned Spa Ojai. Ojai's world-class 18-hole golf course plays 6,292 yards (from the blue tees) with a par 70, a rating of 71.0 and a slope of 132. Designed and built in 1923 under the direction of George C. Thomas, Jr. and Billy Bell, the course was hailed as "a marvel of golfing architecture." The course and greens were toughened considerably in 1988 by famous course designer Jay Morrish.

In 2005, the 80-year-old resort underwent a $90 million renovation. The resort offers 308 rooms and suites, many with fireplaces and private balconies or patios overlooking the golf course and nearby mountains.

For more information, call the resort at (888) 687-8780. Availability can also be checked online.

The luxurious and historic resort was a finalist for a Luxist Award in the best extended stay spa category in March.

Tags: awards-main, golf, golf package, luxist-awards, Ojai Valley Inn Spa, spa

3 New Ways to Luxuriate in Tasmania

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Tasmania, Australia's southernmost island state, is positioning itself for a luxury tourism boom -- at least judging by the number of new projects in the works.

I've already told you about two of Tassie's most prominent new projects: Saffire, a new boutique hotel and resort on the Freycinet Peninsula, and MONA, a new art museum that will be the largest private art collection in the southern hemisphere.

Another newcomer to put on your radar: Harmony Hill, a spa that's opening in Margate, which is just about 15 miles south of Hobart. Harmony Hill aims to be a wellness spa with a distinctive Asian flair. (Amie Nakamura, the owner is Japanese.) The spa relies exclusively on organic products, manufactured by Nakamura, and its eco-foot print will be small -- it uses solar energy, rain water, recycles grey water, and so on.

Gallery: Harmony Hill, New Day Spa in Tasmania

Tags: hotels, luxury real estate, spa, spas, tasmania

Continue reading “3 New Ways to Luxuriate in Tasmania”

Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Offering Mother & Daughter Get-Together Getaway

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

True, Mother's Day 2010 is somewhere in your calendar's rear-view mirror. However, that doesn't mean mother stops being mother, nor does she have anything against you treating her to something really special on some other day of the year. To assist you with this new approach to rewarding your maternal side, Pueblo Bonita Pacifica Resort & Spa is offering a four-day Mother & Daughter Get-Together package.

A bottle of wine will welcome you to your deluxe ocean view suite. Then you have three choices to make, all of them beginning with the word "When": the package includes a day's access to one of the resort's beachside daybeds where you might actually end up honing your cocktails-in-bed skills, a massages "tailored to your individual needs" at the Armonia Spa, and a five-course meal paired with the appropriate five wines. If that's just too much to consider, don't worry, you'll have mom there – and she's helped you through those kinds of difficult choices before...

Gallery: Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Mother & Daughter Get-Together Getaway

Source

Tags: baja, mexico, pueblo bonito pacifica, spa, travel

Free Mud Baths In May at Calistoga Resort

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Need a little destressing this month? How about slipping into a free mud bath at the Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs Resort in Calistoga, California? Now through May 27 mud baths are free at the resort for anyone who stays in a king or double queen Calistoga Classic room. The resort also has three thermal pools: an extra large pool with 80 degree water, a large pool with 90 degree water, and an indoor pool, a gigantic "hot tub" with 102 degree water. Massages and facials are also available.

The late Dr. John Wilkinson established Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs Resort in 1952. A practicing chiropractor for most of his career, and proponent of alternative health care, he arrived in Calistoga in 1946. He became fascinated with the restorative properties of the mud made from combining the region's hot mineral water and volcanic ash. His children Mark and Carolynn are the co-owners and have run the resort for more than 20 years, preserving the mud baths created and perfected by their father, protecting his "secret formula." The mud bath formula consists of a combination of local volcanic ash, imported peat, and naturally boiling hot springs mineral water from the resort's private source. The resort's original neon sign, erected in 1952, still glows outside Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs Resort. Rates for a room start around $150.

Tags: calistoga, hotel deals, mud baths, napa valley vacation, spa

← Previous Page|Next Page →

spa

Featured Galleries

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular

Also on AOL