Mother-Daughter Spa Vacations

Whether it's for a special occasion such as Mother's Day or just a quick weekend getaway, a spa vacation can be a relaxing, rejuvenating experience for mothers and daughters. A mother/daughter spa vacation can be on the the coast, surrounded by vineyards or on an island. Make your spa vacation a weekend getaway or a week-long trip where you can experience all the amenities a spa has to offer, from facials, massages and seaweed wraps to mud baths, manicures and pedicures.

The Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island Golf Resort

• The Sanctuary Hotel on Kiawah Island in South Carolina is an oceanfront resort that offers one-bedroom guest rooms with private balconies and Italian linens. The Sanctuary spa offers guests a Certified Holistic Lifestyle coach, who will teach you about the importance of sleep, nutrition and exercise. The spa features dual treatment rooms where mothers and daughters can indulge in spa treatments together. The spa offers a Southern Hospitality Facial and a Detoxifying Seaweed Body Retreat. Relax your muscles with a Signature Massage, followed by a manicure and pedicure. By the time your treatments are over for the day, you'll be relaxed and hungry, and the Sanctuary has 11 restaurants from which to choose. The Sanctuary is located 30 minutes from Charleston, home to museums, art galleries, river cruises and historic homes.

  The Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
  One Sanctuary Beach Drive
  Kiawah Island, SC 29455
  800-576-1570
  Kiawahresort.com

The Lodge at Pebble Beach

• The Lodge at Pebble Beach offers guest rooms with a fireplace and a private balcony overlooking Carmel Bay. With 14 restaurants to choose from, the Lodge features a variety of cuisines, from seafood to steaks, as well as extensive wine lists and fruity cocktails. The Spa at Pebble Beach is a 22,000-square-foot sanctuary of rejuvenation and relaxation. Have your mother/daughter treatments performed together in the Flotation-Wrap Suite. The Spa at Pebble Beach offers massages, facials and body wraps, as well as its signature water experience. Immerse yourself in a deep tub of water before emerging in the inhalation room, where you will spend a few moments to yourself before being immersed in several jets of streaming water in the Pebble Beach Signature Shower. The Spa also offers a cosmetic dermatology center with treatments to repair sun damage and smooth wrinkles. Visit the nearby Carmel-by-the-Sea, a picturesque village where you can shop, dine, and visit art galleries.

  The Lodge at Pebble Beach
  1700 17-Mile Drive
  Pebble Beach, CA 93953
  831-624-3811
  Pebblebeach.com

Auberge Du Soleil

• The Auberge Du Soleil features rooms with private terraces overlooking California's Napa Valley. Each Mediterranean-inspired guest room features luxurious amenities such as Italian linens and custom bath soaps. The Auberge Du Soleil Restaurant and the Auberge Du Soleil Bistro and Bar offer menus filled with decadent entrees and extensive wine selections. For a mother/daughter spa experience, the Auberge Spa offers the Melisse Suite, where you and your daughter can enjoy your spa treatments together. Arrive before your treatments begin and soak in one of three springs that overlook the vineyards of Napa Valley. The Auberge Spa offers a signature massage and facial. In the summer, enjoy a peaches-and-cream body masque. For fall, indulge your skin in a Harvest Body Glaze. There are several local wineries within five minutes of the Auberge. Rent a bicycle from the hotel and pedal around Rutherford, where you can stop at a wine bar or a bakery or do some light shopping. San Francisco is less than an hour from Rutherford.

  Auberge Du Soleil
  180 Rutherford Hill Road
  Rutherford, CA 94573
  707-963-1211
  Aubergedusoleil.com

Read More ..... »

Women's Spa Vacations

Overworked mothers, brides-to-be, exhausted executives, girlfriends searching for a weekend getaway spot, and any woman in need of a mental and physical pick-me-up will enjoy the relaxing and rejuvenating environment of a spa. With so many options from which to choose, the right spa for any woman or group of women depends on exactly what a person is looking to get out of the experience. Different types of spas focus on different areas of well-being. Most spas concentrate on fitness and aesthetic services, while some offer a combination of mental and physical rejuvenation, and still others are medical, guiding visitors with the expertise of a staff of licensed health care providers.

Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA

• Women’s Health magazine places Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Mass., on top of its list of the 27 best spas. The Lenox Resort Spa offers an extensive number of treatments, “From neuromuscular therapy to body rituals, tanning treatments and pedicures.” The massive complex is well equipped for fitness during any season, as it features “saunas, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, gyms, exercise studios, and indoor tennis, racquetball, squash and basketball courts.” While its basic spa accommodations are convenient and relaxing, women who visit Canyon Ranch usually go for the state-of-the-art health programs. Physicians help visitors choose from a variety of medical packages based on an initial medical consultation and a thorough physical. If you are unable to make it to the Northeast, Canyon Ranch Spa also has properties in Tucson, Ariz., and Miami Beach, Fla.

  Canyon Ranch
  165 Kemble Street
  Lenox, MA 01240
  413-637-4100
  canyonranch.com

Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa

• For those who enjoy the beauty and greenery of the countryside, the eco-friendly Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa serves as an ideal location for vacationers who simply need to get away. Because of its verdant landscape and the peaceful atmospheres of its facilities, a 2008 article in The New York Times described Buttermilk Falls as “‘Dirty Dancing’ meets ‘Jurassic Park.’” Women who are usually confined to the hustle and bustle of Manhattan can easily escape to Buttermilk Falls for long weekends or day trips, as the spa is only about 90 miles from the city.

  Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa
  220 North Road
  Milton, NY 12547
  877-7-INN-SPA
  buttermilkfallsinn.com

Villagio Inn and Spa

• Although California boasts many spas with different atmospheres and styles, the Villagio Inn and Spa provides the beauty of Tuscany in the tranquility of Napa Valley. Guests of the inn receive a complimentary bottle of wine upon check-in, a sign of the facility’s commitment to hospitality. Choose from a variety of showers, saunas or baths, and end the day with a night of fine food and wine tasting. Villagio offers separate spa facilities for men and women to ensure complete comfort.

  Villagio Inn and Spa
  6481 Washington Street
  Yountville Napa Valley, CA 94599
  707-948-5050
  villagio.com

Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa

• The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa channels traditional Hawaiian healing remedies to revive guests. The spa follows the Hawaiian philosophy, “the closer you are to nature, the closer you are to discovering yourself,” so several of the facilities are outdoors. Choose from an assortment of restorative and nature-inspired facials, massages, cosmetic treatments or fitness routines. The resort provides babysitting services for guests, so moms can have personal time even when traveling with the kids.

  Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa
  1571 Poipu Road
  Koloa, HI 96756
  808-742-1234
  kauai.hyatt.com

Read More ..... »

Spa Vacations for Solo Travelers

There are several locations throughout the United States and the world that cater to spa tourism, and traveling solo can often be the best way to enjoy such dips into luxury. Whether you're looking for a budget spa-cation to renew and revitalize or are on the hunt for the best of the best, rest assured that there are plenty of spas and resorts that can cater to your specific needs.

Santa Monica, California, Spas

• Santa Monica offers a vacation in itself, ideally placed between Los Angeles sprawl and the Pacific Ocean and boasting more than 400 restaurants, boutique shops, cafes and bars all packed within 8.3 square miles, and itself bordered by 3 miles of coastline. Sherman's Travel recommends the Fairmont Miramar Hotel as an affordable option for solo travelers, which offers spa add-on treatments covering massages, facials, manicures and pedicures, and even yoga and toning classes overlooking the ocean.

Los Cabos, Mexico, Spas

• Los Cabos sits between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, solidly within the 19-mile Tourist Corridor which links an armful of upscale resorts, golf courses, beaches and sightseeing opportunities. The local nightlife in particular caters to singles, and solo travelers wanting a party of a vacation need look no further. Sherman's Travel recommends Los Cabos spas because many of its resorts "compete to offer the most serene surroundings and unique therapies," a benefit which may well be transferred to discerning customers, whether they're hunting for the right ambiance or treatment specialty. Marquis Los Cabos, the region's only member of Leading Spas of the World, and Spa at Las Ventanas, which has a celebrity following including Giorgio Armani, Halle Berry and Paris Hilton, are all recommended.

Vail, Colorado, Spas

• For solo travelers who prefer a bit of adventure with their luxury, Vail, Colorado, is the quintessential ski resort town, boasting several high-end resorts and hotels which offer a variety of spa services in addition to winter activities such as skiing, snowboarding, and dogsledding. For those who prefer not to risk the snow, the town features fine restaurants, nightlife, and arts venues. The Sonnenalp Resort of Vail houses a spa featured as a Leading Spa of the World, and other notables include the Arrabelle Hotel at Vail Square and the Sebastian Vail.

Miami Beach, Florida, Spas

• Miami Beach has no shortage of luxury, whether in the form of its white-sand beaches or its many luxury spa resorts, which include The Palms Hotel, Canyon Ranch, and the Setai. Noted as one of Five Star Alliance's best spas in the world, the Setai in particular offers tropical gardens and Asian elegance from the heart of South Beach, the resort is in walking distance of Miami Beach's nightlife, fine dining, and shopping. The resort offers special spa suites, which may appeal to solo travelers wanting to relax in privacy during their vacation, and these suites come complete with steam and showers, and private sessions. Natural foods are included in the spa regimen, and several exotic treatments round out available options.

Read More ..... »

Weekend Spa Trips for Girls

As of winter 2011, it’s been more than 25 years since Cyndi Lauper told us that girls "just want to have fun," and her words are even more true today. In fact, “girlfriend getaways” for a spa weekend have become a favorite vacation option for female friends who want to indulge in some friendship and pampering while having a good time.

New York Spa

• Girlfriends aiming at replicating the "Sex and the City" experience will find that New York City offers an unbeatable combination of shopping, nightlife and daytime relaxation at one of Manhattan's many spas. One of the most-renowned spas is Bliss in Soho's W Hotel, which features such whimsically named treatments as the "Quadruple Thighpass" cellulite treatment. You and your best girlfriends can enjoy post-treatment relaxation in the locker room Hammam, a modern take on the traditional Turkish bath that offers the opportunity to unwind in an aromatherapy-infused steam room.

Las Vegas Spa

• The Bellagio is one of Sin City's most opulent hotels, and it boasts one of the city's most luxurious spas. At the Spa Bellagio you and your girlfriends can enjoy numerous facial and body care treatments, ranging from a Thai yoga massage to a caviar fusion facial. Among the more-often used treatments is the three-hour "detox to relax" package that includes a 50-minute custom massage with a detoxifying mud mask to remove all impurities, followed by a 50-minute thermal seaweed body wrap that is capped off with a refreshing mint pedicure.

Palm Springs Spa

• As befits one of Palm Springs' finest hotels, the Parker's spa (dubbed the Palm Springs Yacht Club, or PSYC) promises a relaxing experience guided by the hotel's "manifesto," which stresses the combination of "old-world etiquette and new age simplicity." Along with body treatments, facials and waxing, scrubs, wraps and mani-pedis, PSYC also offers you and your girlfriends a variety of cleverly titled packages, ranging from the Guilty Pleasure (massage, pedicure and sugar scrub) to the Lost at Sea, a water-based combo that combines a seaweed wrap and hydrating facial with a manicure/pedicure.

Tucson Spa

• One of the country's most-renowned relaxation destinations, Tucson's Canyon Ranch bills itself as a preventative health hotel and spa resort, and female friends looking to unwind will discover a wealth of spa possibilities. In fact, the all-inclusive resort's 80,000-square-foot complex offers some of the most opulent spa treatments devised, including Ayurvedic body treatments, hydrating body scrubs and wraps, restorative touch therapies and Yamuna body-rolling treatments designed to re-educate muscles and stimulate bone.

Read More ..... »