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Insparations
The West's best spas tone the body and nourish the soul
Photograph by Todd Masinter
Photograph by Ric Noyle
Photograph by Todd Masinter
If you find yourself thinking, "Funny, I could have sworn there was a tennis court here the last time I looked," you're probably standing in front of a hotel's new spa. Such conversions are becoming commonplace as resorts keep pace with the 45 million Americans who visited spas last year, citing "stress relief and relaxation" as the main reason, according to the International Spa Association.
Of course, for millennia humans have gathered to bathe in and drink thermal waters that have bubbled up from the earth and given rise to spa towns such as Baden-Baden in Germany, Bath in England, and Saratoga Springs in New York. Today, resorts are bringing water to the customer in the form of "ritualized wet areas," says Sedona, Arizona–based spa designer Sylvia Sepielli. She's installing features like hot soaks, cold pools, and 10-foot-high waterfalls that pummel the knots out of your shoulders as you stand beneath the cascade (hold tight, it's worth it). And that's not all.
Now you can visit a day spa for an after-work massage, a resort spa for a weekend getaway, or a destination spa for a weeklong jump-start to your diet-and-fitness program. Want a vacation from wrinkles? Some spas have M.D.'s onboard to give laser treatments. Need your chakras balanced? Herb, oil, and ground-spice massages based on Ayurveda, an ancient health system from India, are available. Hungry for a sensuous scrub-down? Native plants are increasingly common ingredients on treatment menus. Happily, a surfeit of spas are clustered along the Sunbelt; Arizona, California, and Hawai'i offer a buffet of choices, including the spas featured on the following pages.
The Healing Touch
Spa Luana, O'ahu, Hawai'i
Photograph by Ric Noyle
Hawaiian Ti Leaf Body Wrap.
In ancient Hawai'i, kahuna (spiritual leaders) knew the value of every fruit, flower, leaf, root, stem, seed, bark, shrub, and twig. They considered the long, narrow ti leaf one of most sacred plants in the Islands, believing it kept away evil spirits. They also understood the ti leaf's ability to draw heat out of the body, and they used it to soothe fevers and aches. Today, the ti leaf is used in a luxurious spa treatment designed for those who've spent a little too much time in the sun.
Spa Luana at O'ahu's Turtle Bay Resort borrows from the Hawaiian healers' natural medicine cabinet to offer the Hawaiian Ti Leaf Body Wrap. The experience, a legacy from an ancient healing ritual, begins as the therapist gently massages the body with pure kukui nut oil, which rolls over the skin like silk. Kukui nut oil is said to be one of nature's best moisturizers, the therapist explains. For centuries, Hawaiians have used this rich oil to protect skin from harsh sun, drying winds, and salt water.
Photograph by Ric Noyle
Before and after treatment, spa-goers can stretch out on chaise longues in the outdoor relaxation area.
Next comes a basting with fresh coconut pulp, coconut milk, and a fragrant essential oil. Coconut pulp, the therapist assures, helps hydrate and nourish dry skin, plus the aroma of coconut has a calming effect.
Then arms, legs, and torso are wrapped in a dozen freshly picked ti leaves and covered with a thin insulation blanket. Tiny ti leaf eye pillows fashioned from pieces of leaf and a frozen pebble rest on each eye, helping to eliminate puffiness. Then comes 15 minutes of relaxation, highlighted by a head massage. The gentle rain of a Vichy shower then rinses off the coconut paste, and the therapist applies an aloe vera gel and a fresh coconut milk moisturizer, leaving the skin soft, the sunburn cooled.
Before and after a treatment, spa-goers can stretch out on chaise longues in the outdoor relaxation area that overlooks a dramatic rocky outcrop and the legendary surf of O'ahu's North Shore. Perhaps it's no coincidence that in Hawaiian, luana means "to relax."
Spa Luana
The Turtle Bay Resort also has golf, tennis, a surfing school, and 12 miles of oceanfront hiking trails. Rooms start at $350 a night. The 50-minute-long Hawaiian Ti Leaf Body Wrap costs $145. (808) 447-6868; www.turtlebayresort.com.
Natural Beauty
Mii amo, Sedona, Arizona
Photograph by Todd Masinter
As the sun makes its way across the Arizona sky, it paints Boynton Canyon, near Sedona, in ever-changing shades of red and orange. The Yavapai-Apache consider this a sacred place, where First Woman landed after a great flood and gave birth to the tribe. Hikers come here to see the 900-year-old cliff dwellings. New Age followers come to experience the mind-opening effects of the area's vortex, a place in nature believed to exude intense energy. And for anyone seeking to renew health or spirit, there's Mii amo, a destination spa located on the grounds of the Enchantment Resort.
Mii amo means "journey" or "passage" in Yuman, the traditional Native American language of Northern Arizona, and that's what a visit to this spa is all about. Guests fill out a prearrival questionnaire to determine a focus for their stay, usually stress relief, healthy living, or spiritual healing. Treatments range from the Soothing Stones Massage to the Sedona Clay Wrap. A spiritual journey, for example, might include yoga classes and the Mii amo Crystal Bath, in which essential oils are used to anoint the body's energy centers.
Photograph by Todd Masinter
Guests can also attend fitness classes and cooking demonstrations and have private consultations. With so many options, it might seem impossible to fit everything in and still find time to relax by the pool. Fortunately, the lengthy 60- to 90-minute treatments encourage guests to slow down and enjoy the spa's soothing rhythms. Should they need a reminder of why they're here, they can take a short hike to a rock formation called Kachina Woman. She's stunning — a tall, spirelike body that presides patiently over the canyon — and her timeworn presence is a reminder that, however brief a visit to Mii amo, its effects promise to be lasting.
Mii amo
Spa guest rooms are located in casitas on the grounds of the AAA Four-Diamond Enchantment Resort. Each guest room has a private outdoor meditation area. Rates start at $1,590 for a three-night package that includes accommodations, three meals a day, and five spa treatments. (888) 749-2137; www.miiamo.com.
A Flair for Fitness
The Oaks at Ojai, Ojai, California
Photograph by Todd Masinter
Cluff herself is the Oaks's best advertisement.
One brisk morning walk with Sheila Cluff, owner of the Oaks at Ojai, is enough to make any fitness-minded woman wonder if her exercise program needs an upgrade. Cluff, a septuagenarian fitness buff, walks so fast that most people have to run to keep up.
Truly, Cluff herself is the Oaks's best advertisement: If she's been following the spa's program for more than 20 years and looks as good as she does, maybe everyone should abide by it. The former ice-skating champion opened the health spa with her husband, Don, in 1977 with that everywoman philosophy in mind. "I never wanted this to be a place only for trophy wives," she said before one recent morning walk.
Now, 27 years later, the spa is internationally known for its fitness and nutrition programs — and it remains low-key and affordable. The exercise program focuses on strength, cardiovascular health, and flexibility. Two classes a day are devoted to stretching, one blessedly soon after the guided morning walks through the Ojai Valley's oak-dotted hills, and one at the end of the day. In between, guests can take sessions in everything from Pilates and muscle conditioning to water aerobics and belly dancing. Instructors are patient and encouraging, even with guests who haven't been to the gym in, well, forever.
One thing you won't find at Oaks classes is designer clothing. Most guests wear T-shirts and sweatpants and only change out of them for dinner, which is usually a three-course affair including a salad or soup and even dessert. For most guests, the kitchen stays within the spa's 1,000-calorie-a-day limit by eschewing sugar, sugar substitutes, and white flour, something Cluff was doing long before it was fashionable. The food doesn't suffer. Salmon and asparagus, dressed merely with lemon juice and herbs, never tasted so good.
The food combines with other Oaks elements to show that relaxation and rejuvenation don't necessarily come from resting. In the end, any guest will realize: It's amazing how good it feels to exercise for four hours in one day and how invigorating an early-morning walk can be, even if you have to run sometimes to keep the pace.
The Oaks at Ojai
Accommodations are pleasant, but modest. Rates start at $159 a night, per person, and include access to up to 18 exercise classes a day, three meals and four snacks, and seminars on topics ranging from cooking to cosmetics. Spa treatments are extra. (800) 753-OAKS [6257]; www.oaksspa.com.
Relaxation Zones
Southern California is a hotbed of spas that offer a variety of experiences
La Costa Resort and Spa, Carlsbad. Set on 400 acres, this golf haven has built a new 43,000-square-foot spa with plenty of outdoor space in which to lounge, take dips, sit under a Roman waterfall, and have a massage. Orange blossoms scent the air and tanned bodies are everywhere. Well, except at the Chopra Center a few hundred feet away, where you can learn to meditate in the shade. (800) 854-5000; www.lacosta.com. Rooms begin at $300. Spa treatments begin at $90.
Medical and Skin Spa at Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Indian Wells. Active Aging Weekends are the latest attraction at this spa, which is housed within the resort's Aqua Serena spa and enhanced by a reflecting pool and towering palms. Medical director Dr. Richard Foxx leads the monthly program, which combines individual health-and-fitness assessments with seminars on stress management and nutrition. (760) 674-4106; www.medicalandskinspa.com. Rooms begin at $149. Active Aging Weekends are $1,000-$1,200, depending on the time of year.
Montage Resort & Spa, Laguna Beach. Using its 30-acre oceanfront site to full advantage, this Craftsman-style hotel's gym, movement studio, and lap pool overlook the Pacific. At its indoor/outdoor spa, you can go back and forth from the white-hot sauna and steam room to the ice-cold plunge as many times as you can stand. The restaurant serves a seven-course California heirloom vegetable tasting menu that could permanently separate you from your steak. (866) 271-6953; www.montagelagunabeach.com. Rooms start at $560. Spa treatments start at $75.
The Spa at Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, Dana Point. On a bluff above the harbor, this Cape Cod–style resort has a 14,000-square-foot spa cheerfully upholstered in maize and teal blues and floored with planking that resembles a boat deck. Monday through Thursday, 60-minute services like facials and body treatments (try the Pure Fiji Coconut Body Polish) are discounted to $98. But the service and the treatment rooms, light and airy with linen sheers on the windows and heated tables, are luxe. (866) 526-7772; www.lagunacliffs.com. Rooms start at $209. Spa treatments start at $98 Monday-Thursday, $125 Friday-Saturday.
Spa Mystique at the Century Plaza Hotel & Spa, Century City. Like a visit to the Far East, Spa Mystique, the largest spa in L.A. (35,000 square feet) has kimono-style robes, softly bubbling Japanese furo baths (at 95 and 104 degrees), and Asian-inspired treatments. This is the place to try a Thai massage (sort of like passive yoga — the therapist does all the work while you lie on a futon), a Korean akasuri (a vigorous scrub with the spa's signature body gel), or a feng shui haircut by Billy Yamaguchi, who has styled the locks of many a star. (310) 551-3251; www.spamystique.com. Rooms begin at $189. Spa treatments begin at $60.
—Laurie Drake and Brenda Tabor
You are reading the September/October 2004 issue of Westways. Some information contained in this publication is time-sensitive, and the terms of some offers (cruise or vacation packages, for example) or services (provisions for roadside assistance, for example) might have been superseded by subsequent information and might no longer apply.