Spa Resorts           

by Jane Onstott---
for Directory of Hotels.com

Spa Resorts for Relaxation and Rejuvenation

Choose a Tibetan-style spa backed by snow-covered peaks and bathed in serenity. Or a seaside Shangri-La fringed in coconut trees and frangipani. Let the sound of the sea lull you to sleep after a lazy day, a treatment or two, and a fabulous evening meal. Or hop in the car with your sweetie or best friend for a day or two of R&R in your very own town. In the case of spa resorts, “It's not the journey, it's the destination!”

There's something to be said for seeking out a local spa. You're more likely to take a break from a hectic schedule for a full day of pampering downtown than you are to plan a trip to Tibet. And the money you'll save on plane fare or gasoline, even on a shorter trip, can be put to good use on extra treatments and fine food and wine.

Resist the temptation to bring technology with you. Think of the spa as remote and inaccessible not matter how close to home it actually is. Rest your mind, indulge your body, give text-messaging and keyboarding fingers a rest. Shangri-La is truly a state of mind.

But if you've the time and inclination to seriously bliss out, an exotic spa retreat is the way to go. Choose sunshine, the scent of jasmine, and a stimulating clove oil massage overlooking the sea in the Maldives. How about a snowy Swiss chalet with a roaring fire in the hearth, a palace in China hidden among bamboo, a sleek modern hotel in Manhattan. Sensuality and travel combine to make an unforgettable experience.

Exotic treatments add to the allure of foreign spas. The temazcal is an indigenous/Mexican ritual that cleanses body and soul through steam. Join the seekers at Mexico's funky Nanciyaga retreat (in the wilds of Veracruz state, where parts of Medicine Man were filmed). Or crawl into the adobe temazcal at the more upscale Hotelito Desconocido, on the Mexican Riviera. Maybe a tequila and honey massage sounds more appealing. Thai massage works to stimulate internal organs and energize the body as it relaxes muscles and increases flexibility. The ancient art of acupuncture was born in China but practiced at spas throughout the East.

Some spas specialize in weight loss and exercise. Just south of the U.S. border, Rancho La Puerta was opened in 1940 by a Hungarian health visionary and his 17-year-old bride from Brooklyn. They planted sage, rosemary, thyme, and other desert-hardy vegetation that still perfume the 32-acre resort today. Food is abundant but healthful and diet-oriented, and much of it is grown in their five-acre organic garden. Activities from water aerobics to power yoga and Pilates all but guarantee a new you.

Medical spas are there for people seeking more dramatic results. Procedures like permanently penciled eyebrows or eyeliner or blue light therapy for sun damage or acne may be administered by trained technicians. But medical doctors are always on site and can perform more technical procedures including facial resurfacing, liposuction and face lifts.

But the bread and butter of spas are treatments that simultaneously indulge the client and engage the senses: wraps, facials, scrubs, and perhaps the most rewarding treatment of all, the massage. From a standard Swedish massage to a more rejuvenating deep-tissue or sports massage, this procedure can release stuck muscles and alleviate aching sciatica.

As clients get more savvy, spas add specialized treatments. Bodyworkers line the spine with hot smooth stones and press them into overworked hands and the soles of tired feet. There are almost as many different treatments to try as there are exotic places to get them.

Perhaps no one is more prepared to indulge themselves than the Me Generation. But whether you belong to Gen Me or Gen X, Y or Z, whether you're a boomer or a recent college grad, live a little! Indulge. Whether it's halfway around the world or down the block, a sparkling spa resort awaits.

To find the most fabulous spa resorts around the globe, search Directory of Hotels.com find the perfect hotel for your destination.