Picking the Perfect Spa

Susan Berkley and Ron Knight decided to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary with a spa weekend. They chose a property in Norwich, Connecticut—it was close, and the services seemed right for the money. Berkley, CEO of The Great Voice Company in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, says she got recommendations from others who had been to the spa. Knight, world-music programmer for the Sirius Satellite Radio Network, is a native Californian and has been to spas coast-to-coast. The couple’s expectations were high; the spa was a dramatic disappointment.

“They put us in a ‘villa’ for 300 bucks a night, and it was far from luxurious,” says Berkley. “One morning we woke up and didn’t make the scheduled walk. So we decided to go hiking on our own. We were pointed in the direction of these lovely woods. Not far into the hike we wound up off spa property and on the grounds of this abandoned mental hospital. It was like The Shining.”

The moral: Just because it’s called a spa doesn’t mean it’s going to relax or rejuvenate you.
How do you pick the right spa for you? First, learn the lingo. A destination spa offers a total immersion experience—you are there to work on mind and/or body. At resort spas, there are other activities or amenities alongside the focus of well-being or fitness. A day spa offers treatments like massage and facials, but you can’t stay overnight.

Two years ago, three-quarters of the estimated 5,700 spas across the country were day spas. There were nearly 500 resort spas and just over 400 destination spas, according to a 2000 study by the International Spa Association.

About 100 million spa visits take place each year. Traditionally, spa guests have been 50 years and older, affluent and looking to be pampered. But the market is getting younger, more people are making plans on-line, and interest is on the rise among all spa-goers in finding spirituality and mind/body health.

“We get a lot of younger people, in their 20s and 30s, calling us or visiting the Web site,” says Susie Ellis, vice president of industry relations for Spa Finder, a free spa-matching service on the Internet. (Some of the best sites to help find an appropriate spa include spafinder.com, spatrek.com and spagoer.com.) “[Younger] generations have seen their parents taking better care of themselves, and they want to do the same,” says Ellis. “Spas are becoming totally integrated into people’s lives now; it’s no longer a major luxury just for the very rich.”

Would-be spa goers should first establish their goals, says Mark Sullivan, associate editor for Fodor’s Travel Publications, publisher of Healthy Escapes: 284 Resorts and Retreats Where You Can Get Fit, Feel Good, Find Yourself and Get Away from It All. There are spas for everything these days: weight loss, spiritual guidance, detoxification, physical fitness, golf, you name it. That’s why it’s important to know what you want before starting a search.

Miraval, in Catalina, Arizona, offers a self-discovery program—the Equine Experience—which uses interaction with horses. Other spas, like Rancho la Puerta in Tecate, Mexico, have hundreds of acres for hiking. The main attraction at the Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa in Corona, California, is the centuries-old hot mineral springs. If you need to make healthier choices about exercise and nutrition, Cal-a-Vie in Vista, California, is probably for you.

Other questions to ask yourself: Do I want to jumpstart my fitness program, learn meditation or lose weight? Do I want to be pampered, meet people or have a couples experience?
“If you want a pampering experience, with great massages, body treatments and rich food, you’ll be disappointed if you go to a spa geared toward weight loss and fitness,” says Sullivan. “Ask staff at various spas what kind of experience you can expect. They’ll be honest, because they don’t want people who don’t want to be there.”

When Carolyn Izzo-Feldman gave herself a week away from the rat race, she chose the New Age Health Spa in Neverskink, New York, in the Catskill Mountains. Izzo-Feldman knew she wanted a back-to-nature experience. “I’ve been to other spas, but this time I wasn’t looking for something fancy,” she says. “I wanted to be able to walk around in sweat pants and a sweatshirt and reconnect with nature.” She was so happy with her choice she came back six months later, husband in tow.

Once you understand what to expect, determine how much time you have to spend. “It takes a day or two to relax and unwind, then a day or two of getting treatments and activities before you feel you’ve really gotten something out of the spa,” advises Sullivan. “Four days would be a minimum stay, a week optimum.” Don’t try to squeeze in a weekend at a destination spa, because you won’t get much out of it in two days, he says.

Next, consider what you can afford. At one of the nation’s premier spas, the Golden Door in Escondido, California, guests plunk down $5,000-$6,000 for an all-inclusive, weeklong program. Executive director Judy Bird says the ratio of staff to clients is about three to one. “There are a lot of reasons the Golden Door is right for our clients,” she says, “but I think many of those who visit are people in life transitions.”

Life transition or not, $5,000 for the week may simply be too costly for you. Sullivan says there are plenty of less-luxurious spas that offer great treatments and fitness opportunities but are easier on the budget. For about $1,000 a week, he says, you can get “a really nice spa vacation.” Don’t overspend—your expectations after that will probably be too high, and you’ll wind up disappointed.

Also consider with whom you’ll be traveling. “If you’re on your own, do whatever you want,” says Sullivan. “But if you bring a friend, consider a resort spa, because your time will be less structured and you’ll be able to spend more time together. Resort spas are also good if you are going to be traveling with children, as they often have programs for kids.”

Tracy Herk, general manager of the Lodge at Skylonda, a destination spa in Woodside, California, says, “If you’re going with your husband—who wants to play golf, has no interest in eating healthy and doesn’t want a very structured day—there are certain spas where he won’t feel comfortable.”

Inquire about the food, Herk says—not only the type (is it all vegetarian, for example) but the portions, too. “Our food is good for you, and we give you plenty of it. But at some spas you choose a calorie count each day, and that’s it,” she says. “If you want a glass of wine with dinner, make sure you choose a spa that allows alcohol, since many don’t.”

And ask yourself what kind of shape you’re in. Many spas have rigorous fitness programs, and you may not be able to keep up. If you haven’t been to a gym in years, call the spa and ask if programs are appropriate for someone who isn’t in the best possible shape.

Mary Bemis, editor-in-chief of American Spa magazine, advises her readers to ask what they will need to bring to the spa. “Do they supply towels, bathrobes, slippers, et cetera?” she says. “Some spas don’t have the basics. It’s also important to ask if you need to book treatments in advance and how far in advance.”

The treatments Bemis speaks of are selling points—the massages, facials, body wraps and body treatments. Massages are the most popular treatment, and there are dozens of kinds—shiatsu, Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone, therapeutic reposturing, shirodara, scalp massage and more.

“In this industry, the massage department is your bread and butter,” says George Lopez, executive spa director at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He opened the country’s largest spa, Canyon Ranch, in the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas.

Lopez says a popular trend in spas is Ayurvedic treatment, Hindu-based therapy aimed at balancing body, mind and spirit. “One of my favorites is the shirodara,” he says, “where a light stream of warm sesame oil is released continuously for 20 minutes onto the third eye of the forehead.” It may sound gross, but Lopez says, “The calming effect is amazing. Especially afterwards; you can barely get up off the table.”

Also popular are body treatments that employ exfoliants derived from nature—crushed nuts, grains, sea salts. Facials are still a mainstay, especially glycolic acid peels, and microdermabrasions, where tiny granules pelt your face, leaving it polished and smooth. Body treatments tend to incorporate items that are indigenous
to the area where the spa is located—for example, red clay in Sedona, Arizona, for a mud bath.

These days it’s not just women coming in for treatments. Lopez used to see a 90-10 percent split, women to men. “If it isn’t at least 60-40 now, I’d be surprised,” he says. “We’ve even developed face and body treatments specific to men.”

Men and women really can have a “life-transforming experience” during their time at a spa, says Spa Finder’s Ellis. They quit smoking, stop drinking, keep weight off, exercise more, meet someone, heal themselves.

Izzo-Feldman agrees. When she left the New Age Health Spa, she felt cleansed and energetic. She points out she is drinking green tea now. “I haven’t had a cup of coffee since I came back,” she says proudly.

But whether you’re looking to change your life or just relax and get pampered in style, the experts agree: Plan your spa experience wisely.

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