Writers and editors gather once a year for the International SPA Association's (iSpa) media marketplace to see what's popping up on spa menus this season. Here are four standout treatments and products available at destinations in the U.S. and Australia.
1. Just for Men
As a guy, you might be fine with a massage, but you draw the line when words like "extraction" are used in association with your face. The fear of facials is nothing new for men, which is why Mohonk Mountain House (www.mohonk.com) in New York's Catskills introduced its Fuel Your Face: Skin Fitness for Men (50 min., $120). After the overwhelmingly positive response the spa got after deciding to carry OM4 Skin Care, an organic men's only line, the facial was created to familiarize men with skincare and encourage them to keep up the habits at home.
While Miraval's (www.miravalresorts.com) TAIZ Sensorium (50 min., $250) in Tucson, AZ isn't just for guys, it's a safe bet that most men will find the concept -- and the contraption -- pretty cool. The music-inspired "massage," designed by Kephart Taiz, took 8 years to develop and combines aromatherapy, human touch and music (both composed and from nature). Vibrations are sent through the body via sound points, which are placed and moved throughout the treatment to target areas much like a traditional massage.
2. Sample Platter
You've likely interacted with Kohler before (try looking under your bathroom sink), and it's no shocker that its three spas (in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Scotland) specialize in water treatments. This year, Kohler introduced Complete Harmony (80 min., $205), a "head to toe" experience encompassing 4 signature treatments: a facial, a vichy shower, bath, and full-body moisturizer.
Time and money -- we could all use more of them. Those looking to save a bit of both can opt for the samplers at Skana (www.turningstone.com/spa/skana.php). The Verona, NY resort spa offers 25-minute treatments for $60 each; $55 each when you book four or more. Treatments include a sampler facial, massage, scrub, manicure or pedicure. Make a day of it with their online special: four treatments and lunch for $240.
And, if time and money have kept you from treating yourself in the past, Massage Envy (www.massageenvy.com/home.aspx) aims to make pampering accessible to everyone via its membership module (like the gym, only more relaxing), offering members a massage a month plus unlimited additional massages at a low rate.
3. Back to Basics
The Chakra Garden at Aspira Spa (www.aspiraspa.com) in Wisconsin is both the inspiration and the source of the Chakra Balancing Massage (80 min., $190), which utilizes herbs, plants and flowers grown in the garden and places them on the body's chakra points.
At Queensland's Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat (www.gwinganna.com), the largest spa in the southern hemisphere, acupuncture gets an Aussie twist with its signature Rockupuncture (80 min., $235) treatment, combining acupuncture with hot stone therapy.
4. Spa Sleepover
The pages of ELLE magazine come to life at the new -- and only -- ELLE spa (www.edenrocmiami.com) in Miami. The collaboration concept at the oceanfront Eden Roc Renaissance carries through everything from the editor-curated retail boutique to the cleverly named treatments, including Doctor's Orders facials (50 min., $135) and the Forever 25 (80 min., $200) body treatment.
If Suite Spa has it their way, you'll never have to leave your hotel room again. The company created its own spa cart, incorporating everything from a facial steamer to a massage table, and can transform the average hotel room into a spa sanctuary in seven minutes. Treatments are done using custom organic spa products, such as the wine-infused line carried at Manhattan's 48LEX NYC (48lex.hyatt.com), the latest hotel to offer Suite Spa.
