Is your ideal vacation one where you barely have to lift a finger? Then we have a lot in common! Think ancient Roman aristocracy lounging around, being hand fed grapes, and you get a sense of what I’m looking for.
Everyone knows that you can expect to receive that kind of royal treatment at a luxury spa. In the midst of all the summer nuptials underway, a girls’ spa getaway is the perfect way for a soon-to-be-bride and her bridal party to prepare for the big day. Or if you’ve already tied the knot, a couples’ spa vacation is a great way to reconnect with your partner in a serene environment, away from the stress of everyday life.
We’ve assembled a short list of top hotel spas that will help upgrade your summer vacation to the “spacation” of your dreams.
1. Hyatt Regency Aruba’s ZoiA Spa
Located on 12 acres of magnificent beachfront on Aruba’s Palm Beach, Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino has a reputation for refined hospitality. Recreational facilities are abundant and include a 3-level pool complex and the 5,200 square-foot ZoiA Spa, which houses eight treatment rooms. Their extensive spa menu features luxurious treatments incorporating all natural ingredients inspired by and native to the island, all based on four key Caribbean elements – sun, sand, sea and love – plus the colors of the Aruban flag – red, white, blue, and yellow. Sun treatments are geared towards brightening and revitalizing the skin through the use of botanical blossoms while Aruba’s mineral-rich mud, “sand” treatments detoxify and rid the skin of impurities. The “sea” element treatments aim to make guests feel completely relaxed like the serenity felt hearing gently rushing waves. The final element, “love,” incorporates Aruba’s indigenous aloe plant, helping guests achieve a sense of well-being through the use of traditional island methods.
2. Waldorf Astoria, Chicago
Situated on Chicago’s stylish Gold Coast, the Waldorf Astoria is an urban sanctuary, boasting apartment-style rooms and an award-winning spa retreat. Choose to indulge in a full day package and an array of professional therapists will be at the ready, offering a customized approach that takes your age, skin type, body type and stress levels into account. If you’re attending a big affair here, The Waldorf Spa’s new Vitamin C Facial is a 60-minute lift that brightens and tightens the skin, giving you the perfect summer glow.
3. The BodyHoliday in Saint Lucia
“Give us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind,” promises The BodyHoliday, Saint Lucia’s premier health and wellness, all-inclusive resort. Founded on the key pillars of relaxation, restorative beauty, exercise and good diet, the property lets guests customize their spa and fitness program so that you’ll look great all during your stay. Programs like Lose It Tone It and Beat the Bloat along with BodyScience, the resort’s adventure program, are the answer for all diehard fitness fanatics who fear that days away from their favorite classes will result in excess poundage. For the final touch to maintaining your summer bod try the Cellulite Therapy program, which puts holistic therapies to work at the deepest level to flush and cleanse the circulatory, lymphatic and digestive systems.
4. Sea Island, Georgia
Located on Georgia’s southeastern coast, Sea Island is a world class resort with five miles of private beach, tennis and squash centers, and a Yacht Club. Guests can step into the future with a cryotherapy treatment at their Performance Therapy Center. Cryotherapy is a stand-in sauna with an ice-cold twist. You are enveloped in nitrogen-iced air at minus-220 degrees Fahrenheit for an exhilarating three minutes. Sea Island is the first U.S. resort to introduce the treatment and it’s become quite popular with A-list celebrities (think Cameron Diaz) and professional athletes to achieve the following effects: invigorating endorphin release, smoothing of wrinkles, improved sleep and a boosting of the immune system.
5. Camelback Inn Resort & Spa, Scottsdale
Set on 125 acres in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, JW Marriott Camelback Inn is home to the Spa at Camelback Inn, a 32,000-square-foot facility known for its relaxing treatments and the use of ingredients indigenous to the area. Try the Natural Agave Toning Wrap to give your body a rejuvenated appearance. Or order the Signature Body Wrap, a head-to-toe Vitamin C treat for the skin. The skin is exfoliated with a signature scrub, and then moisturized with a fresh aromatic-scented oil. A citrus conditioner is massaged into the scalp, and after the face is cleansed a rich, firming Vitamin C serum is applied, enriching the skin with antioxidants and moisture.
