Top 10 unforgettable spa treatments

Joya Spa at InterContinental Montelucia. Photo courtesy InterContinental Montelucia

Great spa treatments can ease sore muscles, release toxins from the body, relieve stress, and leave you feeling rejuvenated. But every so often there are remarkable spa treatments that can almost transform your life. Those unforgettable spa moments are some of my most incredible travel experiences.

I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many spa treatments, both in my travels and here in Arizona. Out of all of these treatments, I have about ten that remain etched in my memory. Many of the others have been fabulous, but these few took me over the top. I want to share those top ten with you over the next few days.

What made each one special? I believe it was a combination of an incredible physical setting, a therapist who took the time to connect with me, a sense of complete pampering that made me feel as if I were the only person in the entire world who mattered at that moment, and my own willingness to let go and truly enjoy the experience.

I find it interesting that my list includes more treatments from spas here in my own Desert Southwest than anywhere else in the world. The spas in this part of the world are quite different from most you will find elsewhere. They have perfected the art of creating a great spa environment and the top facilities hire the best therapists and spare no expense in creating a relaxing atmosphere. Perhaps, after 16 years here, I simply connect to the desert. Whatever the reason, I’ve found the spas to be exceptional and I’m looking forward to sharing some of those gems with you, along with ones I’ve found elsewhere in my travels.

I hope you enjoy my experiences at the various spa and you will be tempted to book your own spa day. The health benefits are incredible and the time you spend on yourself is more than rewarding — it is often lifesaving in this crazy world. In the next two weeks, I’ll share my top ten unforgettable spa treatments — at least the ones I’ve encountered thus far.

Joya Spa Rooftop Terrace at InterContinental Montelucia. Photo courtesy InterContinental Montelucia

I want to begin by sharing my first spa experience. Although not officially one of my “top ten” spas, it is still one of my most vivid spa memories.

My spa journey began in a most unassuming place: at The Spa at Bally’s Las Vegas. Looking back on it, the treatment wasn’t anything extra or over the top. It was a 50-minute classic Swedish massage that my husband booked for me as a surprise. I had never experienced a place so serene. The muted colors and quiet spa music swept me away. The most magical first impression was the smell. I was captivated by that fragrance. How could anything smell so clean and fresh? I still feel myself physically relax when I simply walk into the door of a spa and inhale.

That first treatment was a perfectly peaceful experience for me. After the first few minutes, I floated away into what I now call my never-never-land of Spa World. I don’t always go there with every spa treatment. Sometimes I’m awake and alert throughout the entire treatment, not quite able to tune out the world. When I am able to slip away into that zone, however, it’s magical. Not asleep. Not awake. My mind is completely still. I had never experienced anything like that in my life before the treatment in Vegas.

It was at that moment I knew I would find a way to explore the best spas in the world for the rest of my life. That was in March of 1997. Today, 14 years later, I’ve visited some great spas, but I have a lifetime of spa visits left to experience. I’m looking for more unforgettable experiences along the way.

Catch the first of my top ten list tomorrow.

If you go…

The Spa at Bally’s Las Vegas
702-967-4366
http://www.ballyslasvegas.com
Spa open 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily