Friday, April 30, 2010

Don't cry for me Argentina



If i had infinite funds and unlimited days off Namasthé Spa at Loi Suites Ig
uazú Hotel would be on my summer hit list. The spa made Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List Spas 2010 and the hotel doesn't look half bad either. Nestled into the jungle, it's a stones throw from Iguazú Falls (another item on my bucket list thanks to an introduction from a friend that visited the falls late last year). Talk about kill two birds with one stone.



Photos via hotel website.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Gilt-y pleasure



Remember my post awhile back about the Caudalie Vinothérapie Spa in New York’s Plaza Hotel? Well, now is your opportunity to check it out on the cheap. From now until 9pm Eastern tomorrow (April 29) Gilt's offering up discounted spa packages. They've included everything from massages to the signature Cabernet scrub. New York ladies represent! (And send me your full review after your treatment.)

Friday, April 23, 2010

Latest vice, The Viceroy



I'm off to Palm Springs for another swanky bachlorette weekend in May and we're doing it the right way with a villa at the Viceroy Palm Springs.
I'm looking forward to signature drinks (like the Popsicle Tini), lounging by the pool, and a visit to The Estrella Spa. I know I should settle for a more modest treatment like a 60-minute custom massage. But, I'm seriously tempted by the Head to Toe Indulgence which includes a facial and reflexology foot massage done simultaneously by two therapists in tandem. Indulgence indeed!

Photo from the Viceroy Palm Springs website.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

My favorite things



Two of my favorite things: 1) Foot Massage and 2) Wine. Life is beautiful. Despite being on the other side of the planet (considering LA traffic patterns) this place is on my spring hit list.

Photo via the Buddha Lounge web site.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Back Blogging

Keeping up on regular blog posts is a lot harder than one might think. With big changes happening at my day job, I haven’t posted in more than two months. That’s just plain embarrassing…especially because one of my last posts promised a review of my February trip to the spa at the Stowe Mountain Lodge in Vermont. I’ll try to make it up by getting back on the blog-wagon this spring. With spring in full effect (well, almost...today it's raining), I've been focused on getting back in shape for summer. I've even been considering self-tanner. I guess living in LA has finally got me. But before I move forward, let's do a quick rewind to February and the Stowe Mountain Lodge.

Just two weeks after a snowboarding injury I had epsom salts on the brain when I checked in for my 50-minute massage at the Stowe Mountain Lodge. I spent the day prior snowboarding for the first time post injury. Despite a couple of painful moments and some swelling, I was in pretty decent shape. I checked in for my treatment around 9 in the morning and was impressed by the spa boutique. Lots of organic grooming products. After being whisked off to the women's locker room by a friendly staffer, I changed and made my way to the waiting area. The view was incredible. The wind had picked up (it was a brisk 27 degrees) and I was happy we'd decided to spend Sunday at the spa instead of on the mountain.

I'd let my massage therapist know that I had an ankle injury and she spent some time working on it to "encourage lymphatic drainage." I'm not sure if it was all that effective but I left feeling relaxed and less tense. If you're ever in Stowe it's worth a drop by the spa. On the weekends the facilities get crowded so book well in advance. And if you're staying at the hotel, it's worth noting that the walls are thin.