Choosing a spa is a little bit like choosing a mate. If your personalities, preferences, and styles don't mesh well, it can be a waste of time. But if they do, it's a beautiful, beautiful thing. Looking for a cut-above-the-rest spa you absolutely can't go wrong with? Look no further.
Whether you're interested in something with a new-age twist or simply want to know where you can get an outdoor massage with breathtaking views, there's a little something here for everyone. Here, 11 drool-worthy spas that will make you feel more serene simply by reading about them.
Image via Cal-a-Vie
Auberge Spa at Calistoga Ranch
Nestled deep in a lush canyon in Calistoga, California, Calistoga Ranch combines posh luxury with mind and body elements that promise to leave you feeling physically refreshed and mentally serene. Start off with a dip in their private outdoor mud or mineral salt bath, and finish up with a rejuvinating treatment such as their Auberge Antidote ($355 for 120 minutes), which uses "ancient yogic massage techniques and pure handcrafted ingredients that work together to counter the negative effects of travel-induced stress."
Reméde Spa at St. Regis Aspen
You can unwind after a day on the slopes at the Reméde Spa at the St. Regis in Aspen, Colorado. Once voted the #1 spa in the world by Travel + Leisure, Reméde offers a variety of high-end services such as their customized facials (which proceed a one-on-one skin analysis) or The Great Bath ($290 for 90 minutes), where clients can sip champagne and eat berries and chocolate (!!) in an aromatherapy bath before a massage.
Mohonk Mountain House
Not too far outside of New York City lies the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York. Mohonk features a nice mix of "traditional" and more new age-y treatments, all which include nature-based ingredients. Try their Shawangunk Grit Mineral Body Treatment ($190 for 80 minutes), which sloughs off dead skin cells with fine quartz grains quarried from their cliffs and also includes a "guided power nap."
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Eau Spa at the Eau Palm Beach Resort
It doesn't get much more beautiful than the Eau Spa in Manalapan, Florida, where the spa's mantra is "me time." Add a Sensory Dry Float Bed ($85 for 25 minutes) to a massage treatment, and "the skies will open and you will be submerged into a warm cloud of cozy." Then, end your spa day with a walk around the Self-Centered Garden, because, as Eau likes to point out, "There's no 'I' in team, but there is an 'm' and an 'e.'"
Sea Island Spa
This Forbes Five-Star spa in Sea Island, Georgia, combines the "best of ancient and modern wisdom." You can follow your European-style facial (there are many to choose from, ranging from $60-90) with a Guided Walk to Self-Discovery ($45) on the grounds' Labyrinth, where "a trained labyrinth facilitator will help you maximize your labyrinth walk and reach potential new insights into your path forward."
L'Auberge Spa
As far as Southern California spas go, it doesn't get much more stunning than L'Auberge in Del Mar, which is nestled right next to the Pacific Ocean. You can relax on their gorgeous grounds before buffing skin smooth with one of their luxurious body treatments, such as the Sea Salt Citrus Glow ($145 for 50 minutes), which uses salt extracted from the ocean.
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OH! Spa at the Ocean House
Escape to a relaxing oasis at the OH! Spa at Ocean House Resort in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, OH! is the perfect spa for couples. Indulge in the Time Together Retreat ($850 for 3 hours), which is three hours of massaging, bathing, and aromatherapy. Sounds heavenly.
Aspira Spa
Whether you want your chakras balanced ($240 for 120 minutes) or a foot massage (with a twist!), the Aspira Spa in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, looks like the perfect place to unwind. Treat yourself to Wild Chamomile/Ancient Cedar Pedissage ($120 for 60 minutes), which combines a leg and foot mask with reflexology for the ultimate pick-me-up.
Cal-a-Vie Health Spa
One step into Vista, California's Cal-a-Vie Spa, you may not even need a treatment (the space is that gorgeous!), but with options like Teeth Whitening (yes, really) and Hot Stone Facials (like the Yon-Ka Hot Stone Facial, $165 for 50 minutes), which will leave you with a "hydrated, healthy glow," it's hard not to resist.
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The Lodge at Woodloch
A "sanctuary for the senses," The Lodge is nestled in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania — surrounded by waterfalls. This spa, which has been voted one of the best in the country multiple times running, boasts your classic facial and massage treatments, but also offers more Eastern options, such as Reiki ($135 for 50 minutes) and CranioSacral ($135 for 50 minutes).
Mii Amo Spa
Looking to really indulge? The Mii Amo Spa in Sedona, Arizona, has everything anyone could possibly want in a luxury escape. Voted one of the best spas in the world by Travel + Leisure, Mii Amo offers an enormous menu of services, but some of their more popular treatments are their array of massages, which can be experienced in "private, outdoor wickiups, Native American–inspired structures with views of the red rock canyon." A custom massage is $160 for 60 minutes.
