For a perfectly balanced, relaxing yet rejuvenating spa experience, dip your toes into the calming and restorative effects of hydrotherapy, rain shower treatments and aqua thermal bathing at top spas across the globe. Here are six of our favorites.
The Spa at Sandpearl
This Clearwater Beach spa is the only Silver LEED-certified resort in Florida, proving that water and energy conservation can go hand and hand with five-star luxury. Cascading waterfalls massage and loosen your tight muscles in the geothermal heated spa Jacuzzi before you rinse off in the contrasting 32-degree refrigerated shower. Organic and eco-certified skincare from Comfort Zone’s Sacred Nature line leaves your skin soft and supple without silicones in a head-to-toe skincare ritual, or opt for the glamour of pearls, the ocean’s most treasured gem, to give your skin an iridescent glow. Every December, the spa hosts a “Spa for a Cause” charity event and this year they raised $4,000 for a local domestic violence center. The spa boutique carries Ellis Faas makeup, which donates €1 from online purchases to War Child, and Denver-made Zents, which donates to Project C.U.R.E., so you can try out these socially responsible lines.
Lake Austin Spa Resort
You’ll wear a bathing suit to the two new hydrotherapy treatments in Lake Austin’s Pool Barn, where warm waters beckon year- round. Drifting through a guided Floating Meditation is an easy and gentle option for deep relaxation. For chronic pain and limited range of motion, consider assisted stretching in shallow waters with AquaStretch Myofascial. It’s similar to an underwater Thai massage, or a more active alternative to Watsu, restoring mobility and flexibility while easing joint and muscle pain. Several other treatments incorporate herbs from the resort’s organic garden and there are even custom lavender bath and body products in your room, utilizing the rich surrounding environment in a sustainable fashion.
Qua Baths and Spa
Revel in the ancient healing powers of water at the Roman Baths within Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, where water figures into every aspect of the 50,000-square-foot spa. Guests can enjoy a tea pairing with their treatment in the semi-circular stone Laconium Room before exploring the Arctic Ice Room and the Roman Baths, with three pools varying in temperature and size. Start in the warm mineral-enriched waters of the Tepidarium, then alternate between hot tub (Caldarium) and plunge pool (Frigidarium). Running water from the decorative waterfall and circular rain shower may lull you right to sleep after a Vichy shower body treatment. Get snowed on in the ice room before you leave to close your pores and seal in the hydrating and nourishing products from Natura Bissé, Red Flower and Farm House Fresh.
The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Bali
Amidst a lush Balinese garden, this natural and spiritual oasis offers rejuvenating treatments inspired by traditional Sanskrit stories from the ancient Balinese culture. Spa villas each have a private bathing pool, inspired by royal bathing rituals, and outdoor showers overlooking limestone cliffs. The Hydro-Vital pool is divided into five sections, focusing on back, neck, foot and leg muscle stress release, along with a whirlpool, cold plunge pool, sauna and steam room. Many treatments feature natural ingredients sourced from the sea and the Indian Ocean Ritual best embodies the eco-friendly philosophy of using the abundant natural environment to heal the body. After a relaxing lomi-lomi massage and a scrub using sand from the beach, you’ll cover your body in warm sands to ease muscle tension before the therapist rinses you off in the waves of the Indian Ocean while you absorb the rhythm of the waves.
Kohler Waters Spa
Body treatments at this massive 25,000-square-foot, bi-level spa often showcase the signature Kohler Custom Vichy shower, whether in conjunction with Scottish seaweed, lavender and eucalyptus in the signature Lavender Rain treatment, or paired with a traditional Shirodhara hair treatment and chakra stone application. Before or after your treatment, bathe in the relaxation pool, with its mosaic tile bottom and 8-foot waterfall. In 2016, Kohler was awarded a WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award by the Environmental Protection Agency for promoting water efficiency. One example of this is the underground piping system utilized to heat the water at the spa, which saves more than 5,000 gallons of water a week.
Sagestone Spa & Salon
Beside the vibrant red rock cliffs and canyons in Southern Utah, you might not expect water to figure prominently in the treatments at this desert spa. However, Vichy showers are a fixture in many luxurious hydrating body treatments and eco-friendly marine ingredients in Phytomer’s skincare line brighten and smooth skin in various facials. All retreat packages include water workouts ranging from private swim lessons to cardio conditioning and aqua strength training with webbed gloves. Shop for good at the spa boutique, which offers fair trade handbags, jewelry, organic clothing and soy candles made by women from the Philippines, Nepal, India and Guatemala. For dog lovers looking to give back, Red Mountain Resort offers a pound puppy hike, where you can hike the bluffs with a dog from a local shelter. Dozens of guests have even adopted puppies from the program.
To learn more about and donate to nonprofits bringing clean water to the places that need it the most, click here.
