2010 VANCOUVER OLYMPICS
Join our Vancouver stringer, Celeste Moure, for daily happenings from the host city.

When in Vancouver, the CHI Spa at the Shangri-La Hotel, the latest addition to the city’s luxury hotel scene, is a must! It features five individual treatment rooms outfitted with their own fireplace, relaxation lounge, changing and vanity area, and private bath and shower—basically a “spa within a spa.” Through March 31, the spa is offering Olympic-inspired treatments. My favorite is the Bronze Medal Body massage, which uses a rich mix of organic seaweed from the Pacific, pumpkin and olive oil. Read the rest of this post »

2010 VANCOUVER OLYMPICS
Join our Vancouver stringer, Celeste Moure, for daily happenings from the host city.

Opened just a week ago, Scandinave Spa Whistler is a 20,000-square-foot Nordic-style spa set on 3 acres on the edge of Lost Lake and Spruce Grove parks. Known as onsen in Japan and hamman in Turkey, the ancient practice of taking the waters dates back thousands of years. The Scandinavian baths experience – said to cleanse the body and skin and improve blood circulation and aerobic conditioning – occurs in three stages: heating, cooling, and relaxing, the last of which is done overlooking mountain vistas and ethereal valleys. With a $55 day pass guests get use of the Norwegian steam bath, wood-burning Finnish dry sauna, Nordic waterfalls, solarium, and relaxation areas with outdoor fireplace. Gold medal not required.

Barbados bound? Guests of colonial-style Coral Reef Club and its neighboring sister property, The Sandpiper, can expect a fresh perk. Just unveiled in December 2008, the spa at this premier island resort is the newest addition to the island’s wide array of attractions. Conceived by British designer Helen Green, it seamlessly blends a contemporary look with classic island charm amidst twelve verdant acres. Facilities include individual treatment rooms with private gardens; a hydro-pool with shaded cabanas for post-treatment relaxation; an outdoor pavilion for couples; a thermal suite with an experience shower; and a soothing spa lounge. Read the rest of this post »

Mexico may be getting a bad rap these days as the center of the swine flu epidemic, but the latest hotel opening on Riviera Maya is worth a stay nonetheless. Edging a protected nature reserve of freshwater lagoons, canals, and mangroves, five-star Banyan Tree Mayakoba echoes a traditional Asian village, except the perks it hides in its earthy-colored villas are contemporary to the rafters. Intimate and private, each villa comes with a spacious swimming pool; sun deck with loungers; a landscaped garden; and a hot tub or sunken bath. The décor is a seamless fusion of Mexican and Asian design, a balanced nod to the Phuket flagship of this Singapore-based hotel chain and the host country of their latest Banyan Tree opening. Mayan-inspired furnishings and black and white talavera bathroom sinks blend perfectly with the Far East-style courtyard design of each villa, enclosed with a verdant garden. Read the rest of this post »

Visitors to Anguilla’s upscale CuisinArt Resort & Spa can expect some novel perks. First, there’s the island-influenced French fare from the new chef, Daniel Le Guenan, whose resume includes a stint at Alain Ducasse’s legendary Saint-Tropez outpost of Spoon. Second, the revamped spa has 16 fresh treatment rooms (7 with outdoor showers) and even a men’s club (bestowing lavish hot-towel shaves). But the pièce de resistance is the resort’s new indoor Healing Waters Pool. Filled with saltwater warmed to body temperature, the pool is best sampled via the unique 80-minute Anguillan Water Journey ($250), which pairs a sea salt scrub and rinse with a 50-minute waterimmersed massage. Consider staying at CuisinArt in the summer, when beachfront junior suites cost $395/night (versus the peak-season high of $920/night). 

From the April/May 2009 issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine.

After building up an appetite while in St. Petersburg, visitors unwind and renew with, of all things…caviar? At the ultra-luxe Rocco Forte Hotel Astoria, spa guests go for the caviar facial ($183), whose secret ingredient is Sevruga, which has anti-aging, therapeutic, and rejuvenating properties. Packed with vitamins and proteins these Florian Kerstin products smell, well…deliciously un-fishy and leave the skin hydrated and smooth. For more caviar and chilled vodka head to Davidov post-treatment, the hotel’s restaurant, and enjoy the view of St. Isaac’s Square.

Guerlain Spa, at The Waldorf-Astoria on Manhattan’s Upper East Side (301 Park Ave., 212-872-7200), opened in September.

• The Look: A 14,000-square-foot space on the 19th floor, swathed in a mix of white marble, silvery mosaic walls, and hanging crystal embellishments.

• Atmosphere: The place is serious about personal touches: Clients select their own scent for oils and lotions; first-timers get a complimentary wash in the fancy footbath lounge and can tailor their therapies.

• Selling Points: Instead of communal locker rooms, the 16 spacious treatment rooms (former hotel units) have en suite bathrooms and closet space, so guests can change and shower in private. Post treatment, patrons can come back down to earth in relaxation lounges, while taking in unparalleled city views.

• What to Get: The Waldorf Impériale signature treatment is a 2-hour combo of a body massage and refining facial. Treatments are on the pricey side (a 1-hour Swedish massage runs $255) but include gratuities.
  

From the Winter 2008/09 issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine