luxury

Nearly 3,000 feet above sea level in the captivating Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia lies Primland Resort, a sprawling, luxury getaway, already popular with huntsmen and business elite.

Spa-ing at luxurious hotels has always been an option, but what about spa-ing in your hotel room?

Some of the year’s hottest spa trends.

Question: My husband wants to take our daughter, who is in recovery for bulimia, alcoholism, and drug abuse, and me to a luxury spa in a warm place, with no bar, for a week. Any ideas?

Manhattanites will dash to Clarins Skin Spa for a Clarins Signature Facial.

Grading our prior year’s predictions.

Looking for a little bit of luxury? Leading Spas’ property Terme di Saturnia Spa & Golf Resort, an ultimate Tuscan wellbeing destination spa celebrated for its sulfurous thermal waters, now offers a lot of luxe with its stylish Blackrose Spa.

Just less than an hour north of Milan lies a stunning, historically rich, brand-new luxury resort and spa that played host to my recent whirlwind weekend adventure in early June. CastaDiva Resort is named for the famous opera soprano Giuditta Pasta (who was composer Bellini’s muse) and is located in Lake Como, Italy, a magical summer playground for great artists, celebrities, international soccer stars, and often lovingly nicknamed “Lake Clooney” for being home to debonair every-ladies man actor George Clooney. (Yes, I snuck a peek at his villa during a lake tour!)

In the ever-advancing world of skincare I’m always fascinated by treatments that remain rooted in natural ingredients that you might be able to find in your refrigerator or pantry. While I don’t stockpile caviar in my fridge, when I hear “caviar facial,” I immediately imagine hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars of delicious fish eggs spread across my forehead and cheeks – and who wouldn’t be turned on by that?

Remember the episode of Sex and the City when Samantha was so desperate to get into the Soho House that she stole a Brit’s pass to gain access to the ever-exclusive roof-deck pool? Well Samantha didn’t know that the real draw in the summer is the Soho House’s spa, Cowshed!

Remember when the word luxury was the only term you heard in the spa world? It wasn’t too long ago. But in the last year or so, the meaning of luxury has changed for all of us. What is luxury? In today’s economic climate, luxury no longer just means “opulence” and unnecessary frills have become silly. Smart spas are focusing on giving spa goers two operative words: quality and value.

I recently had a massage at a luxury hotel spa and knew beforehand that a 20% gratuity would be added to the bill. When settling my bill, I was asked if I would like to adjust the gratuity percentage. I felt that the 20% was a good tip and left it, however, I got the impression that they were disappointed that I didn’t increase the amount. Do high-end, luxury spas expect more than 20% tip?

I am behind on my blogging, with several topics piling up. I think it is the same problem everyone is facing…lots to do, limited time and feeling extra pressure because of the current focus on economic challenges. So I thought I would try something new: A short recap of four topics (that could each be […]

As I mentioned in my last blog, I visited the new Sense, a Rosewood Spa at the Carlyle for a spa treatment (90-minutes, $280) last Friday. While I was there to learn more about the brand and this spa in particular, I couldn’t help but notice that the spa appeared to be quite busy. Later […]

Anni Hood, group spa director and creator of Talise, the Jumeirah spa brand, flew in from Dubai to run this race – her first marathon. A friend of hers, Maria Keeley from London, joined her. Both had begun training about nine months ago for the 26.2 mile race, which begins on Staten Island and winds […]

I was very impressed with Gwinganna Health Retreat in Australia. But there are always ways in which a spa can improve. Since I have been to many spas around the world and have garnered a certain amount of expertise, I have developed a sensitivity to what’s working and what’s not working. I always wrestle with […]

Quite a Father’s Day surprise. Yesterday I received an email from Steve Kane, who is a senior vice president at SpaFinder, with some extremely interesting data. Apparently Father’s Day gift card and gift certificate sales this year have increased quite dramatically. That means that most day spas out there, if they did a Father’s Day […]

Reiki. I have always found it mysterious. What is it exactly? Every explanation I have heard seems to be different. I have tried it a few times, however when faced with a choice between a wonderfully relaxing deep-tissue massage or a Reiki session, I have always opted for the massage. In Reiki there isn’t a […]

Had a sneak peek at the soon-to-be-launched new Six Senses Destination Spa here in Thailand. It was a 30 minute boat ride from the Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi where I am currently staying. During a tour of the property which is nearing completion (although it looks to me will need more time than they […]

Have you even noticed that after some massages the first thing you want to do is head to the shower to get rid of the itchy oil and after other massages you want to let the oil soak in? (not that it does) On the last night of our vacation Peter and I had the […]