[trip style = spa + weekend getaway]
Last Wednesday we showcased three spas in Vegas from our recent spahh-cation on the Strip alongside writers from Spa Finder, Glamour, Cosmopolitan Latin America, The Guardian, Metro News and The Globe & Mail. Here are four more exhale-worthy candidates channeling Morocco, Roman baths, precious gemstones and 1930s Shanghai. Proving Vegas is what you make it---foodie fest, shopping spree or spa-bbatical---file these world-class caves of calm into your travel folder the next time Lady Luck comes a-callin'.
Encore Spa at the Wynn
A true escape for all five senses, the spa at the Encore is purposefully washed in white and cream hues to reorient guests from the Glitter Gulch's typical rainbow of strobe-light color. Walking in, it's as if I'm in a Moroccan king's desert hideaway. Everything is plush evoking the exotic: waist-height golden lanterns line the journey into treatment rooms, subdued butterfly-adorned fabric colors the walls and opulent mirrors Steve Wynn-ify the space. All that's missing is a fan boy, yet I'm quite certain that could be arranged.
Who: Sex and the City fans with an appetite for adventure
QUA Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace
A destination spa in every sense of the word, QUA Baths & Spa draws on Ancient Rome's bathing rituals to transport guests back in time. Waterfalls and 'social' mineral pools of varying temperatures make for an a-QUA afternoon that's a treatment unto itself. At the 51-room spa, the baths are only part of the draw. Before hitting the Laconium "ultra-heat therapy" Room and dousing myself in a snowflake shower in the Arctic Ice Room, I take a moment in the relaxation room staffed by none other than a tea sommelier skilled at pairing my treatment with a health-enhancing brew.
Who: Social butterflies and water therapy buffs
The Spa at Trump Las Vegas
The 11,000sf Spa at Trump Las Vegas rivals the best spas on the Strip. Without zen dens and piping pan flute soundtracks, there's a sophistication and elegance of Ivanka proportions. In keeping with his persona, the Donald's day spa is all about the best of the best: the best therapists, the best massages, the best facials and the best spa products. As I arrive, a Spa Attaché {Trump-speak for staff} asks me to fill out a questionnaire so my massage can be personalized with one of the following intentions: calm, balance, purify, heal or revitalize. I opt for balance. After I slip into my ultra-soft-verging-on-sexy sheets, I end up having one of the best massages I've had in a LONG time thanks to my therapist's skilled hands with a rose-infused ruby massage oil imported from Dubai. The bottle has floating gemstones {of course it does}. I wouldn't be surprised if the subdued crystal lights in the ceiling are actually diamonds.
Who: Boutique spa-goers with a penchant for diamonds and pearls
The Spa at the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas
To say I was head over heels for the 27,000sf spa at the Mandarin Oriental is an understatement. One of the only spas in Las Vegas to overlook the Strip and feature floor-to-ceiling natural light, I was ready to propose based on the exotic concoction of 1930s Shanghai and Art Deco design alone. At this highly edited Eastern retreat, even the spa uniforms are specially sourced, designed by Fashion Week regular Vivienne Tam. After your signature detoxifying foot bath, you'll want to spend the rest of the day rotating between the ice fountain, vitality pools and temperature-controlled Tepidarium chairs. Nirvana in Nevada; don't say I didn't warn you.
Who: Well traveled spaah-holics.
[photos courtesy of the mandarin oriental, the encore, caesars palace and trump las vegas, experienced as a guest of the LVCVA]