RELAX WITH ALTITUDE
Tucked away on 120 acres in the mountains of Stowe, Vermont,
Topnotch Resort and Spa is known for
its spectacular setting, luxe accommodations, and numerous
recreational activities. The recent renovation of the
spa adds one more superlative to the resort’s already
deluxe offerings.
The renovation included an expansion of the facilities
to 35,000 square feet and 30 treatment rooms. Despite its
new larger size, the spa specializes in highly personalized
service and more than 120 unique offerings in a serene,
modern environment.
Resort guests can choose from body wraps, facials,
massage, or a specially tailored day package incorporating
a little bit of everything for a thoroughly relaxing experience.
The Maple Sugar Body Scrub and the intensive Vermont
Wildflower Treatment (the spa’s signature) are aromatic
indulgences for the body and senses. Other therapies, such
as the Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage, draw on long-revered
Eastern and Ayurvedic techniques.
Men needn’t feel left out; the Gentleman’s Lounge
offers a grooming menu and several opportunities
(sauna, steam room, massage) for a little R&R.; The on-site
Spa Source boutique offers high-end skincare lines, candles,
and apparel, including products used during treatments,
and the Online Spa Shop delivers the best of the boutique
to your door. No wonder, then, that Topnotch is consistently
named one of the top ten spas in the U.S.
Shop the online boutique, take a virtual tour of Topnotch
Resort and Spa, or book a stay by visiting the Web at
topnotchresort.com.
HEALING SPRINGS ETERNAL
On the Italian island of Ischia flows a thermal spring
with a powerful secret: a bounty of healing minerals.
For more than 27 centuries, the waters of Le Terme
della Regina Isabella have been recognized for
their ability to cure and revitalize the body, first
by early Greek settlers in 800 B.C., followed by Imperial
Romans who turned the area into the Empire’s most popular
playground. The springs even fascinated Nobel Prize winner
Marie Curie, who traveled to Ischia to study the waters.
Today, the vibrant spring remains flowing at this luxurious
spa, built upon the ruins of an ancient Greco-Roman
bath. Adjacent to the plush, five-star hotel L’Albergo
della Regina Isabella, the spa offers guests an exhaustive
range of services.
For the true Terme experience, try the popular
thermal mud wrap. After being slathered in
warm, mineral-rich mud, the body is
placed in a cocoon of plastic wrap
to seal in the heat and melt away
toxins and tension. The finale
involves a vigorous, four-head
shower that leaves you feeling
refreshed and revitalized.
The island of Ischia and the springs of Le Terme della
Regina Isabella are in the Gulf of Naples. Go to reginaisabella.it
to discover more about the springs and the resort.
VEGAS VITALITY
Away from the bright lights and pulsating energy Las Vegas
is famous for, The Hotel at Mandalay Bay offers a soothing
retreat highlighted by the Bathhouse Spa.
What sets this hotel spa apart from others on the Strip
is that the Bathhouse was designed with water in mind.
Instead of the usual “light and bright” spa design, Bathhouse
is decked in deep rich colors and textured slate walls, polished
stone, and dark wood accents. The real beauty here is found in
a simplicity that encourages calmness. In the relaxation area,
you’ll find comfy lounge chairs set up around various submersion
pools with the focal point being a massive wall of water.
One of the signature treatments is the Scents-of-You
Massage. Start by filling out a simple questionnaire
answering fun personal questions about your life. Your
answers allow the therapist to custom-blend aromatherapy
oils for you. The blissful experience concludes with
stone therapy and a massage.
Bathhouse is the kind of place you’ll want to escape to for the
entire day. Steam rooms, saunas, whirlpools, cold baths, and mud
baths provide a welcome escape. The spa also offers a host of
treatments on the menu, including massage and facials.
To make reservations, call 877.632.9636 or visit the
Web site at thehotelatmandalaybay.com.
THE GRAND TREATMENT
Talk about an extreme face-lift. La Mer Spa
at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort has undergone
a complete reinvention as part of the resort’s recent
$15 million redesign.
Enter the spa and be welcomed by soft
natural lighting and a 14-foot-tall raining
water wall. The new menu features
decadent additions and new signature
treatments. The Flash Soleil body facial
is paired with a self-tanner that leaves you
sun-kissed without the sun damage.
Try the Sunrise de La Mer treatment, which
revives with an aromatherapy steam and a special
eye treatment that removes jetlag-induced dark
circles or eye puffiness. It concludes with the
skin-nourishing Soin Velours Body Polish.
La Mer Spa also carries the Yon-Ka line,
featuring plant oils to soften the skin,
vitamins to combat free radicals, and fruit
acids to liven up the complexion.
La Mer Spa and the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach are
on Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach. For more information,
visit marriottgrandcayman.com.
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