From now through June 30th you can take advantage of some great discounts for spa services and hotel accommodations.  June is Travel & Leisure’s “Go to a Hotel Month” (GTHM) and hotels across the country are offering discounts to celebrate the occasion.

This week is Spa Week (June 17 - June 23) and when you mention GTHM, you’ll receive 35% off the price of select treatments.  Next week is Hotel Week with 35% off your second and third night’s stay at select hotels.

Here’s a sampling of some of the Spa Week discounts: (more…)

Ranked as one of the top ten spas in the world by Travel & Leisure, the Green Valley Resort & Spa offers outdoor adventure, scenic beauty and a full array of spa services.  Green Valley Resort is located in southern Utah near Zion National Park and offers 16 different types of fitness classes, as well as hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. During July and August you can take advantage of their “Bring a Friend and Save” package.  Here are the details:  (more…)

Are you and your girlfriends planning to spend a leisurely day at the spa? I ran across some good spa guidelines on SpaFinder.com – here are my favorites based on their list.

• Book your treatment in advance; when reserving treatments for a group, book as early as possible. If you prefer a male or female therapist, make this request when you’re booking the treatment.
• Arrive 15-30 minutes before your treatment appointment to allow enough time to check-in at the spa and change into your robe before your treatment. 
• Tranquility and cell phones don’t mesh well. Turn off your cell phone or better yet, leave it at home. 
• If you’re having a facial, let your therapist know if you’re wearing contacts.
• Try not to bring valuables to the spa.
• Ask for a tour of the main areas of the facility before your treatment.
• Check the activity schedule, so you can plan your time at the spa. Some spas offer complimentary fitness classes (i.e. - yoga, pilates, etc.) to spa guests.  Bring fitness clothes and footwear to wear to class.
• During your treatment, let your therapist know if something needs to change; are they massaging too lightly or too deeply?  Are there areas where you need extra attention? Your feedback helps your therapist tailor the treatment to you.
• Bring your bathing suit so you can enjoy the whirlpool and lounge by the pool after your treatment.

[More tips on Spa Finder]

From now until May 28, the Miramonte Resort and Spa is offering their “YAYA Girlfriends Getaway” package.  Designed for six or more girlfriends, the package includes:

• Three Superior rooms for two nights
• One Pittura Fiesta painting party
• Six foot rituals (15-minute treatments)
• Hand analysis interpreting personal needs and relationships
• Customized wellness class - yoga, tai chi, pilates, and hydro yo chi
• Fitness center access 

The Well Spa at the resort has 19 treatment areas, 4 mud baths and a Watsu pool. Miramonte has three outdoor pools with spas and cabanas, and is located minutes away from Palm Springs and Palm Desert.

Two night package is $1596 for six ($266/person)

When reserving, refer to as the “Spa Finder group special”.

[ Via Spa Finder ]

For a long time Palm Springs was known as a celebrity desert hideaway. It’s status as a hideaway has long passed, but it’s still a great escape for swimming, sunbathing, tennis and golfing in warm, sunny weather.  Located at the foot of the Santa Rosa Mountains, the Palm Springs/Palm Desert area is dotted with almost as many golf courses as palm trees.
 
My first visit to Palm Springs came after enduring a long rainy winter in Seattle. I couldn’t wait to see the sun and Palm Springs didn’t disappoint. It was over Spring Break and temperatures were already well into the 90’s. We stayed at the Spanish-inspired Rancho Las Palmas, a resort with golf, tennis, spa and swimming pools.  It can be expensive, but you can find deals on Expedia or other travel sites.  We spent many hours just hanging out at the pool.  Our room was a one story casita with its own patio facing the golf course, pond and landscaped grounds.  We had dinner at the Wildflower Grille, across from our casita. The menu is continental and the food was good.  We were seated on the patio overlooking the pool and golf course. 

A popular destination if you don’t mind being a little further from Palm Springs is the La Quinta Resort and Club.  With 41 pools, 7 restaurants, a spa with 35 treatments rooms, 5 golf courses, and 23 tennis courts, it’s a full service resort and chosen by Robb Report as “Best Tennis Resort”.  All guests stay in one-story early California-style casitas, which are clustered around the many pools. Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, its hosted stars like Clark Gable, Katherine Hepburn, Errol Flynn and Greta Garbo. While staying in one of the resort’s casitas, Frank Capra was inspired to write the script for “It Happened One Night”.

One of my favorite resorts in Scottsdale is the Royal Palms.  From now until May 31, the Royal Palms Resort is offering a “Ladies Fling” package. 

The package includes:

• two nights in their Plaza Room with two double beds
• two spa treatments in their Alvadora Spa
• dinner for two at T. Cook’s 
• welcome gift of Rosa Regali, an Italian fine wine
• assortment of homemade truffles

Cost of the package is $1,168.

[Via Royal Palms Resort & Spa]

When visiting the Biltmore I like to stay at the Grove Park Inn – a grand historic hotel that overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains and the estate winery.  When you stand on the expansive rear balcony, you’ll feel like a member of the F. Scott Fitzgerald party, one of the Inn’s many illustrious guests that included the likes of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and eight U.S. presidents.

And good news for spa lovers - the Grove Park Inn is better than ever with a recent renovation and a brand new 40,000 sq ft full service spa.  (more…)

This past weekend we had a girls’ getaway in Scottsdale, Arizona and our first day was spent at the Fairmont Princess Willow Stream Spa.  I chose the Arizona Aromatherapy Facial, which included a hand, foot and shoulder massage followed by heat wraps. I’m not sure what was better, the facial or the massage with heat wraps. They were both wonderful.

One of the nice things about the Spa at the Princess is the variety of activities. As a spa guest you can lounge by their rooftop pool, take a Pilates class, work out at the fitness center, soak in the whirlpool, stand under a waterfall or just find a comfortable place to read a book by the fire.  In between treatments and activities spa guests can refuel with complimentary muffins, fruit, cookies, iced teas, prickly pear lemonade, water, hot teas and coffee.  If you’d like, you can order lunch as well.  The bento box was the favorite in our group.  While treatments are a little more expensive than other spas in Scottsdale, the Spa at the Princess also offers more activities and more diverse facilities than most.