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.
