A day at the spa is a perfect way to hit the “reset” button on your busy life.
I mean, the word itself just sounds relaxing. “Spa.” If you close your eyes and say it slowly, you can imagine yourself sinking into a hot tub, letting the weight of the world melt off of you as your body becomes light as a feather.
Thankfully, society is becoming more aware of the importance of self-care. Hop on the bandwagon, splurge a bit, and treat yourself to a day of pampering! Even if you do think that a day of pampering sounds like too much for you, consider this: According to the AMTA, massage therapy can help reduce muscle tension, increase range of motion, decrease muscle stiffness and soreness, enhance athletic performance, and even help prevent injuries. Collegiate and pro athletes often make massage part of their training and therapy.
Whether you spend your days on your feet or at a desk, travel can take its share of tolls on your body. Lengthy car rides, camped airplane seats, handling heavy luggage, long walks in the wrong shoes, the list goes on. Not to mention, the stress of making hotel, flight, restaurant, and excursion reservations (and getting to these places in a timely fashion) can actually cause your body to hurt physically.
For these reasons, add a massage to your list of reservations on your next trip — especially if the purpose of your vacation is to relax and unwind. When done right, a massage can allow you to rest and reset your mind and body while away from home. We’ve compiled a list of six U.S. resorts with extraordinary spa services.
1. Lake Austin Resort & Spa
Austin, TX
Everything’s bigger in Texas! The luxurious Lake Austin Spa Resort allows guests a place of style and simplicity. The lakefront location is a center for serenity, and the resort spa blends modern and traditional techniques that take guests on a refreshing journey to tranquility.
Lake Austin offers more than 100 individual spa treatments, as well as half- or full-day packages. With wraps, aquatherapy, and energy inspiration, this resort caters to all types of spa gurus.
Don’t just take our word for it! Lake Austin was a Top Ten Best All-Inclusive Resort by USA Today in 2021.
2. Grand Wailea
Maui, HI
With 50,000 square feet and 40 treatment rooms, the Grand Wailea’s Spa Grande is the largest spa in Hawaii. The spa is a hub for water therapies, including a Roman tub, saunas, cascading waterfalls, Swiss jet showers, a Japanese furo, and five specialty baths. Both Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines have named the Spa Grande at Grand Wailea a Top 10 Spa in the United States.
Guests can choose from a variety of services that combine ancient and modern native Hawaiian methods that include full-body cocoons, scrubs, stones, and oils. No matter what package they choose, clients are sure to have their senses indulged and leave feeling restored.
3. Golden Haven Hot Springs
Napa Valley, CA
What better place to wine-d down than in wine country itself? Golden Haven Hot Springs offers solo, couples, and girlfriends’ special services. Whether you come alone, with your significant other, or with your besties, you can enjoy a relaxing and rejuvenating stay, complete with a soak in a mud bath and mineral jacuzzi.
Not to mention, this spa is located in a picturesque location. The beautiful resort offers hot springs, bocce courts, picnic areas, and a self-guided tour of the Napa Valley wineries. Guests also are only three blocks away from the historic Oat Hill Mine Trail if they wish to hike before or after their spa day.
4.Sunrise Springs
Santa Fe, NM
Located in the heart of the Southwest, Sunrise Springs caters to the intentional traveler. This 70-acre spa resort is an optimal place of self-discovery. It features Sunrise Springs Repose Pools, heated natural spring-fed pools designed for tranquil soaking under the blue sky or bright stars.
Sunrise Springs proudly offers an array of massage treatments, including Ancient Echoes (rooted in East Indian techniques) and a CBD treatment, but it also allows clients to opt for a personalized massage custom-designed to fit their specific needs.
5. The Lodge at Woodloch
Hawley, PA
This Northeastern lodge calls itself “a sanctuary for the senses.” The spa’s architecture is just as impressive as the services themselves, with the resort sporting a whisper lounge with a fireplace and outdoor porch, HydroMassage waterwalls, and an activity pool with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Guests may choose from packages that include use of saunas, steam rooms, whirlpools, and showers stocked with amenities that accompany each massage for a prime spa experience.
6. Fontainebleau
Miami, FL
Martha Stewart called The Lapis Spa at Fountainebleau, “The most beautiful spa in America.” The spa offers an array of wraps, heat treatments, and healthy refreshments. The Lapis Spa also offers a therapy called a water journey that allows guests to be transformed through mineral waters with mist, rain, and steam.
Guests can stroll through the Elements rain tunnel, step into the Energy Deluge shower, and soak in the Eucalyptus Infusion steam bath. Yet another hydrating and rejuvenating experience includes the Lapis Hammam baths, sybaritic baths designed to exfoliate and detoxify inhabitants to stimulate a path to better overall well-being.
No matter where you travel, a trip to the spa should be added somewhere into the mix. These state-of-the-art U.S. spas combine ancient and modern methods from around the world, meaning you don’t have to travel far and wide to a remote, foreign destination for treatment.
Go ahead, book a massage on your next getaway. Your body (and soul) will thank you. While you're at it, make sure to purchase trip insurance to cover costs for delayed or canceled flights, missing luggage, or other travel mishaps.
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