Designed to shut out the world, Cal-A-Vie feels in
many ways like a European village. Guests stay in private
Mediterranean- style cottages and their schedules are
tailored to meet personal health and fitness goals.
But the best parts of Cal-A-Vie may be in the details.
A bubbling brook winds through the grounds, and the
gardens are lovingly tended. One can enjoy a deluxe
Turkish style bath, wander through a labyrinth, or play
a few rounds on a private golf course. None of this
serenity comes cheap, of course. But those who experience
Cal-A-Vie say that it’s a treat worth every penny. For
more information on the programs, packages, and rates,
call 866.772.4283 or visit the Web at cal-a-vie.com.
The crown jewel of the property is the new,
intimate SpaTerre. This Zen-inspired Asian oasis
features authentic Far Eastern spa treatments.
Try the All Thai-ed Up package starting with a
traditional Thai herbal heat energizing massage,
where a warm poultice of medicinal herbs is used
to massage your muscles and clear your mind.
Next you’re treated to an all-natural Tropical Fruit
and Flower “NHA” facial before you finish up with
a classic manicure.
For a seemingly out-of-body experience choose
SpaTerre’s Watsu massage, where you float in a
private outdoor heated pool while having your
muscles and joints massaged and manipulated.
Complete your day of decadence with a meal at Baleen,
the resort’s award-winning restaurant featuring fresh,
ocean-inspired cuisine, stunning water views, and warm
and personable service. For more information call 800.884.7683
or go to groveisle.com.
DESERT DELIGHT
The names alone are enough to trigger a relaxation response:
Velvet Reprieve, The Sound of Peaceful Healing, Green
and White Tea Sundance Body Facial. To loosen up even
more, just visualize the warm cocooning wrap that comes
with each treatment. All are trademarks of the new
Eurasia
Spa, a showpiece of the updated Scottsdale
Resort and Athletic Club, a deliberately simplistic
getaway tucked in the shadow of Camelback Mountain.
Like the resort itself, the
spa remains true to the Chinese
roots of the Hing family, owners
since 1971. Cross a small bridge to a
space where bamboo, cool stone flooring,
and silk fans proffer a stark contrast to the Southwest
landscape outside. Slip into a kimono and
unwind in the Tranquility Room. Then
step into one of five therapy suites named
after revered Asian blooms: Lotus,
Orchid, Peony, Azalea, and Wisteria.
An exclusive Cosanti Bell ritual
heralds each treatment with
sound and rhythm to lull you
into a tension-free zone.
The Scottsdale Resort and Athletic Club features
85 rooms, including 2,500- square-foot Presidential
Villas. The resort also recently added 29 deluxe rooms,
suites, and villas with Jacuzzis, gas fireplaces,
and fully equipped gourmet kitchens. For more information
on the resort and spa, call 480.922.8855 or go to
scottsdaleresortandathleticclub.com.
NIGHT AND DAY
Who would have imagined that a utilitarian meatpacking
district would turn into one of New York’s hippest neighborhoods
and still keep most of its warehouses intact? Now with
the opening of the
G Spa and Lounge at The Hotel
Gansevoort, the district boasts yet another
split-personality metamorphosis.
The metamorphosis here, however, takes
place every day. Designed by Robert D. Henry —
one of a handful of architects in the world who
specialize in designing spas — the G Spa and
Lounge sits in the hotel’s grotto, or basement,
level. By day, guests are pampered in rooms finished
with marble columns, teak millwork, and
stunning scarlet-glass panes. (The red backdrops
also dominate the check-in desk, steam room,
and changing rooms.) At sundown, the space is
dramatically transformed into a VIP hot spot.
The spa equipment is discretely stowed out of
sight, treatment chambers are reborn as sleek
cabanas for the night crowd, and the three
infinity-edge whirlpools are capped with transparent
plexiglass. Red leather banquettes and
side tables replace poolside chaise lounges.
The progression makes perfect sense: Rejuvenate
with a massage, manicure, or hydrotherapy
treatment; after dark, return for martinis and
mingling; then revisit the process the next day.
Billed as the first full-service luxury hotel in
Manhattan’s meatpacking district, the Hotel Gansevoort
is at 18 Ninth Ave. For more info or to make reservations
call 877.426.7386, or go to hotelgansevoort.com.
PARADISE FOUND
Las Ventanas al Paraiso, the small
luxury hotel in Los Cabos, translates
to “Windows to Paradise.” And it’s
aptly named. Las Ventanas regularly
tops critics’ best-in-the-world lists.
Many of the touches that are now standard fare at
all the highest-end resorts, from poolside Evian
facial mists to suntan butlers, were born in Las
Ventanas. Other unique service innovations include
loaner iPods and Sony Location-Free TVs for pool-going
guests. Lavish suites are adorned with whirlpool
baths, fireplaces, and tripod-mounted telescopes
for watching the whales along the coast.
Now Las Ventanas, which added a new spa last year,
is upping the ante: The frequently sold-out hotel
recently added 10 new suites, including three swank
Spa Suites, complete with personal spa butlers.
This brings the total to 71 rooms, at any one of
which you might run into guests like Martha Stewart,
Cindy Crawford, or Adam Sandler, who shared Las
Ventanas’ luxury with his two dogs. For info and
reservations, call 888.ROSEWOOD or visit lasventanas.com.