Vegas Spas {Part I}

[trip style = spa + weekend getaway]

Zen, quiet and rejuvenating are not words I'd typically associate with Las Vegas. The glitter gulch is a 24/7 destination devoid of downtime---or so I thought...

This past weekend I was invited into a trip style = spa world of lavender-infused pillows, Moroccan lanterns, heated stones, Turkish towels, eucalyptus inhalation rooms, tropical rain showers and willing hands on a spa marathon through Vegas. After six treatments in three days, it occurred to me that the world's entertainment capital doesn't do anything half way, e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g---including the 45 destination spas that dot the Strip---is full throttle. My post-treatment buttery and glowing skin concurs.

Of the nine spas I visited, here is part I of the Trip Styler-approved standouts! Stay tuned for part II next week.

Vdara Spa At 18,000sf, the Vdara's spa is the most boutique of the bunch, as well as the first spa in Las Vegas to become a member of the Green Spa Network. High-gloss white marble countertops adorned with a bevy of après-treatment beauty fixes define the dressing room and lead into a white-washed steam, sauna and whirlpool retreat with two heated and contoured chaises basking under the glow of 50+ faux flickering candles. And this is just the ladies waiting area! Once called for your treatment, you are led through rounded hallways, flanked with cherry-hued wood with an embedded tropical pearl motif, into one of 11 treatment rooms. Who: Singles, couples or small groups who are looking for high design and intimacy.

Cosmopolitan's Sahra Spa & Hammam At once earthy and elegant, the Sahra Spa & Hammam mimics the tones and textures of the desert landscape thanks to 420 tons of sandstone quarried from the local foothills. And since it's Vegas, there's a glimmer of glam with a few subdued crystal fixtures. Walking in, I breathe a sigh of relief. It's like I'm on a {posh} hike through Red Rock Canyon venturing toward a quiet pool of trickling water. Once inside, detoxify on a massive, heated stone slab {called motherstone} with a purifying Turkish Hammam treatment. Water is poured over the body in preparation for a soapy cleansing, followed by the crescendo: a percussion massage. After your treatment, the monsoon cave, vitality pool and micromist steam room round out your trip to Las Vegas' newest oasis of calm. Who: Men frequent this space as much as women because of the androgynous, non-girlie design and Turkish influence. Ladies, go here if you want to meet groups of men...

Aria Spa At Aria's 80,000sf spa, the elements---salt, stone, earth, fire and water---harmonize to create balance in the Japanese-imagined space. I start in the Shio Salt Room where I luxuriate in a lounger that vibrates to pan flute music. Breathing in an out in an almost middle-earth state, I get a glimpse at how the illuminated salt bricks aid respiration and reveal radiant skin. Next door in the dimly lit Ganbanyoku Stone Bed Room, heated black mineral stone slabs emanate infrared rays to soothe muscles, eliminate toxins, improve circulation and increase the metabolism---naturally, I want to stay here all day, but I limit myself to 20-minute stints. Post-massage, I dip into Vegas' first co-ed infinity spa pool and celebrate my wellness whirlwind biting into a green apple and drinking a glass of lemon-infused water. Who: With 62 treatment rooms, this one-size-fits-all mega spa feels approachable and escapist.

{Trip Styler Tip :: Most spas in Vegas allow all-day in and out access until close, so take advantage of the environment and stay awhile or come back later for round two.}

Related Vegas Uncork'd Go Fish With Costas Spilladis

[photos courtesy of Vdara, Cosmopolitan and Aria, experienced as a guest of the LVCVA]

Roam+Board :: A BC Wine Country Escape at Hester Creek

[trip style = weekend getaway + wine tasting]

{Editor’s Note :: Two months ago I flew up to the Golden Mile Bench in Oliver, BC with a bunch of sommeliers to surround myself in all things wine country at Hester Creek Winery. I'm a big fan of the place---the people, the location, the Villas and the 2007 merlot. The 2007-built Hester Creek Villas are Trip Styler Approved!}

What
Hester Creek Winery had me at their cascading slopes of syrah and chardonnay. When I found out there was six Mediterranean villas, I was sold. Twist my rubber arm to stay and sip not just IN wine country, but AT a winery.

Resting high on the hillside above the hustle and bustle of the winery, one glance out the window and my soul begins to settle. Hester's villas are each positioned so you never forget you're surrounded by grapes. Arched entrances, Italian porcelain tile and a colour scheme of pinot blanc and cabernet merlot punctuate the nouveau-Tuscan design.

My steaming coffee in-hand, I open the double doors to my patio's black iron bistro table and pillow-topped loungers, and decide happy hour isn't just about a glass of cab franc in the afternoon, in wine country, it's every moment. Cheers.

PS. If you need any convincing to visit BC's wine country, in this short video, Kim Cattrall asks you to stop by.

Where
In Oliver {South Okanagan}, BC, Canada's westernmost wine country and the self-proclaimed wine capital of Canada. By car: 5 hours from Vancouver. By plane/car: fly into Penticton or Kelowna and rent a car from there for the 1-2-hour journey.

When
Late spring, summer and early fall are the ideal seasons to visit. The desert landscape, cooled by "air drainage" {wine speak for cool air rushing along a downward slope}, makes the temperatures hot-to-trot but bearable.

Who/Why
You're looking for a lifestyle escape among the vines. Something with character, bunched in with grapes. A place you can dine al fresco under a vine-tangled terrace, listen to a summer concert in the vineyard or take an executive chef-led cooking class.

Cost
Rates start at $225/night in mid-winter and top out at $295/night in the summer high season {closed November 1st-Feb 9th}. Prices include a welcome bottle of Hester Creek wine {naturally}, breakfast in your room or on your patio, wifi and parking. No pool or hot tub, but cool down or heat up in the soaker tub. Fido will have come on your next vacay, pinot isn't good for pups. Over weekends there's a two-night minimum stay.

More Roam+Board
Fairmont Banff Springs - Banff
Thompson - Beverly Hills
The Sorrento Hotel - Seattle
The LIT! Bangkok - ThailandH
otel De La Paix - Thailand

[photos taken by @tripstyler when a guest of Hester Creek, bottom right photo via Hester Creek]

Maiden Voyage by SEA

[trip style = luxury + weekend getaway]

Ladies AND men, listen up! {Men I suggest you don't tune out because if you read this closely, and give this weekend away as a gift, you'll be a superhero}...

It was not my first maiden voyage---aka gals' getaway---nor my first trip to Seattle, but it felt like the first. My stateroom had iconic views, the seafood was Pacific Northwest-fresh and the first mates were first class...

Recently the TS gals were invited to discover an area of Seattle that wasn't on our radar: South Lake Union {SLU}. Sandwiched between the Space Needle and Lake Union, Paul Allen {former Microsoft exec and current bachelor extraordinaire} owned some serious city acreage and decided the area needed a refresh, so he cooked up a work-play locale befitting Seattle's urban movers and shakers {read: volumes of young Amazon.com staffers who work at the recently-minted mega-campus in SLU, aka, the first mates}.

What makes the area unique for a trip style = weekend visitor is the local beat. Industrial, gritty and glassy, it's a place where people actually live, eat, sleep, shop, work and exercise; so we join them, stopping in for a smoothie at Whole Foods, browsing the fashionable furniture at Seva Home and sipping a bev at re:public. Because it's home to many, it feels like a home to us---a place we can settle in and discover bit by bit, bite by bite and step by step. Now, more on our stateroom and fresh catch...

Stay Punctuated by color-popping modern art and a large-scale desk-chic chandelier, find the burgeoning area's most stylish digs at the Pan Pacific Seattle. Far from polar fleece or khaki cargo pants, the 153-room hotel---capturing views of the Space Needle and Lake Union---feels like a contemporary artist's canvas where guests can add their own color. Mine involved a Saturday morning lake-front run beside marinas and houseboats before meeting the TS girls for an afternoon of shopping, the spa and dinner out.

Eat Saddle up to the Raw Bar at Seastar Restaurant and let the masterful chefs have their way with your taste buds. Sushi savants will love the colorful, on-a-whim platters rolled in plain sight. Tasting the ceviche, and crab-topped flame-seared sushi, and chatting with the gentleman beside us {who visits four times per week}, we see why it's the #1 Zagat award-winning seafood restaurant in Seattle. PS - If you retire to the restaurant for your main course, the Reggiano Parmigiano Halibut is mouth-watering and highly recommended.

Do Draped in earth tones and shaped by clean lines, Vida Wellness Spa at the Pan Pacific is a maiden voyage must-do. Known for their facials, the estheticians are knowledgable and highly educated in the art of skin. All three of us---fairly into skin ourselves---could not stop swapping discoveries gleaned from our treatments. PS - you'll love the healing infrared lights over every treatment bed and full-body infrared sauna.

If You Go - Ladies, spring for a night in the swanky and spacious Space Needle-View Suite {from $400}. Champagne tastes so much better overlooking cultural landmarks and large bodies of water! {Trip Styler Tip :: get an adjoining room if you're with a gals' group, and toast the moment in the living room of the suite.} - A complimentary hotel town car runs m-f. - Valet parking is $39. - Free wifi. - SLU is a five minute walk from downtown Seattle.

Related A Gals' Getaway in AZ Condensed Mancations Springtime In The Emerald City YVR To SEA Must-Stops Tulalip Resort - Five Things

[photos by @tripstyler]

Go Fish {With Costas Spiliadis}

[trip style = staycation + weekend getaway]

{Editor's Note: Did you see that we're listed as one of 12 travel blogs in North America in Expedia's Discover Your Summer Escape campaign? See our recent press here.}

One thing that excites me about summer travel is the food, specially outdoor cooking. There's fewer joys in the world than preparing and eating a fresh meal by way of a clambake, fish fry or BBQ under a starry sky. Full stop.

Recently I covered the three-day Uncork'd epicurean event in Vegas and attended "how to select the best fish" at Estiatorio Milos, helmed by celeb chef Costas Spiliadis. With four highly successful Greek restaurants worldwide and a respectable 30 years in restau biz, he demonstrated the fine art of "fishing at the market" while fandangling the fresh catch from his chilled display. Here are his tips---perf for your next summer clambake:

How To Select The Best Fish At The Market {With Costas Spiliadis}

• Go local - Find out what's local for the ultimate freshness.
• Seasonality - Don't try to find salmon in February. Go with what's in season.
• Freshness - Look at the fish's eyes for clarity and general composition. Take a whiff; if it smells fishy, toss it back.
• BFFs - Build a relationship with your fish supplier to get the inside track.

{Outdoor patio of Estiatorio Milos at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas}

[Photos by @tripstyler]

Vegas, Uncork'd

[trip style = sun + weekend getaway + wine tasting]

Last weekend I was in Vegas covering the Bon Appetit-sponsored Vegas Uncork’d, a food and wine festival with a mouthful of gourmet chefs strutting their stuff on the red carpet and the white plate. {See my 'full report' in Fodor’s}

My schedule was filled to the brim with wine tastings led by Master Sommeliers {there are only 160 in the world}, gala events with 2500 gastr-oeno-philes and a food truck noshdown showcasing Vegas’ local side. My camera was my weekend’s +1, and my notepad was my BFF.

Chatting with mixology mavens at a cocktail competition in the Bellagio {where guests got as tipsy as the fountains}, I learned people both traveled to Sin City for the event, or found out about it after booking their trip, and decided to attend. If you’re into food and wine, the four-day Uncork’d foodie fest is an ideal sun ‘n sip trip-style combo. Think of it like an “investigative report” on Vegas’ gourmet side---a side that’s beckoning a new type of Glitter Gulch'er who may not even gamble a penny, but go all-in for gourmet.

And one of the newest chefs on the block {<---double entendre} is Gordon Ramsay, who at the launch of his only steakhouse in North America, Gordon Ramsay Steak, called Vegas’s food competition “fierce”, noting that he wasn’t about to “Put {his} balls on the line with fine dining”...unless he was certain he could do it well. Judging from his past success, I’d say he’s got a #$*$@!-good chance {in his words}. His iPad menus will help too.

{above + below, the Grand Tasting}

The 411

• The event, in its sixth year, is expected to take place next year on Mother’s Day Weekend.
• Tickets for individual events start around $75, they can also be purchased as a VIP package.
• Here's a taste of this year's schedule.

PS - Bon Appetit is at it again in September for a three-day foodie fiesta in the farm-to-table-obsessed Portland, where mixology is akin to celebrity.