Spa

SPAS
Las Vegas is becoming known for its "destination spas," with more than 45 luxury spas offered as amenities inside its famed resorts. The "Entertainment Capital of the World" just might become your favorite retreat for relaxation and rejuvenation. Ranging from public facilities to those available to hotel guests only, spas in Las Vegas are as varied as the resorts that house them.

Destinations around the world are embracing spas as a necessary part of the full-service resort experience, and Las Vegas is characteristically staying ahead of the trend. According to the International Spa Association (ISPA), consumers no longer label spas as frivolous. Instead, many now consider spas a necessity to staying healthy.

Spa services offered in Las Vegas include sport, Shiatsu and Swedish massages to soothe tired muscles and smooth away kinks; body treatments including herbal baths, wraps, aromatherapy and reflexology; relaxing amenities such as steam rooms, saunas and whirlpools; and full-service salons offering manicures, pedicures, facials and hair styling.

Some resorts offer wellness centers, where professionally trained personnel offer advice on nutrition and healthy lifestyles, as well as innovative fitness facilities and equipment such as virtual reality bicycles and Cybex equipment.

Here is a partial listing of Las Vegas' many resort spas:

Submerge yourself at WET--The Spa at TI. This aquatically designed spa beautifully captures the rejuvenating and nourishing essence of water. WET's exciting line of water-based signature services includes The WET Signature Wrap, a warm seawater treatment used to restore key minerals, and The WET Aromatic Seaweed Bath, a treatment enriched with three types of seaweed vitamins and minerals.

Nurture, The Spa at Luxor, features an array of innovative treatments including Peppermint Foot Therapy, Citrus Marine Detox Body Toner and Escape to Sonoma - a full-body grape seed oil massage followed by a sea salt scrub and a wine body wrap to nourish dehydrated skin.

Qua Baths and Spa recently opened at Caesars Palace featuring dark wood decor and relaxing waterfalls. Introducing the concept of "Social Spa-ing," Qua offers communal areas such as the Laconium Room (providing ultra-heat therapy), the Arctic Ice Room (complete with snow falling from above), and a tea room staffed by a sommelier skilled at pairing teas with treatments offered. The new spa also features wet rooms with Vichy showers, a Men's Zone with barber spa, a Crystal Body Art room and much more.

Adventurous couples can explore the desert landscape of the Southwest through the Adventure Spa at Red Rock Resort. Enjoy activities such as kayaking at Lake Mead, mountain biking at Red Rock Canyon, or a sunrise horseback ride. Then, follow your heart-pumping recreational activity with an indulgent therapeutic massage or aromatherapy session.

Condé Nast Traveler recently ranked The Ritz-Carlton Las Vegas Spa the No. 7 spa in the U.S. In addition, the Mobil Travel Guide's 2005 edition of "America's Best Hotel & Resort Spas" named it one of America's top spas. This 30,000-square-foot spa offers 24 treatment rooms, extensive indoor and outdoor fitness and recreation facilities, expert guided programs in stargazing, hiking and mountain biking, yoga classes and overnight room-and-spa packages available year-round.

The Spa at Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa & Casino takes luxury and relaxation to new heights following a 20,000-square-foot expansion that was completed in 2005. The expanded spa is just less than 30,000 square feet and includes 28 private treatment rooms, a 74-meter lap pool, state-of-the-art fitness center, full-service salon and outdoor-accessible steam room.

Aquae Sulis Spa at JW Marriott, located 15 minutes west of the Strip in Summerlin, is a 40,000-square-foot luxury retreat incorporating 36 treatment rooms. Unique options offered here include new Fire & Ice massages and facials (using both hot and cold stones to relax and constrict muscles) and the Aquae Sulis Ritual, during which guests prepare for their treatment with a series of hot soaks followed by a cool plunge in the spa's healing waters. The spa's fitness schedule includes yoga, tai chi, fit ball, spin, Pilates and - most recently - belly dancing.

The BATHHOUSE at Mandalay Bay's THEhotel is heralded as one of the trendiest spas on the Strip. The spa showcases a simple, yet elegant, decor and offers a multitude of exquisite treatments ranging from champagne facials to creme brulee body wraps.

The Spa at The Palms features an 18,000-square-foot, three-story spa including a Waterworks Suite with outdoor water therapy and water massage therapy, multiple spa treatment rooms, an aromatherapy bar, relaxation lounges, a fitness center and exercise studio.

Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Venetian and Palazzo features a 134,000-square-foot facility offering skin care and body treatment rooms, movement therapy and Pilates studios, Watsu pools and a medical/wellness center, among other amenities. An article in Condé Nast Traveler included the Canyon Ranch SpaClub among the top 10 resort spas in the U.S. It is also the largest spa resort not only in Las Vegas, but also in North America.

Designed to be one the of the world's premier resort health spas, Mandalay Bay Resort's Spa Mandalay combines classic massage and body treatments with the latest in therapeutic techniques for a unique spa experience.

Paris Las Vegas features the Spa by Mandara, which specializes in customized body scrubs and wraps, special massage treatments and facials. Spa Grande Suites with oversized whirlpool bath, double-headed shower, private lounge area and personal attendants, raise the standard of spa luxury.

The Rio Spa is a luxurious, full-service facility featuring five different types of massage, whirlpools, steam rooms, saunas and body wraps. The spa also includes Michael's Salon that offers a full range of services from haircuts to manicures and a fitness area that overlooks the pool.

A wide array of massage, hydrotherapy, body and facial treatments from around the world await Bellagio's hotel guests at Spa Bellagio. Guests may choose from such exotic offerings as Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, aquatic Watsu Massage, Indian Head Massage and Thai Yoga Massage. Unwind in the redwood sauna, eucalyptus steam room and relaxation lounge. The latest in exercise equipment is available in the professionally staffed exercise room.

Planet Hollywood Spa by Mandara is a sanctuary for the senses. The facility stretches over 32,000 square feet and encompasses 35 private therapy rooms, six of which are multiple therapy suites for individuals and couples. Relax and enjoy a complete menu of services including exotic facials such as the Japanese Silk Eye Zone Therapy and Aroma Stone Therapy. Experience the Magic Touches of an Exotic Jasmine Flower Bath massage or a Moroccan Bathing Ritual. Get fit in the facility's Fitness & Lifestyle Center, accompanied by your own personal trainer.

Laughlin
Spas also can be found in the surrounding areas of Las Vegas. Laughlin, located 90 miles southeast of Las Vegas, is home to two spas: Harrah's Laughlin Salon & Day Spa and The River Palms Spa. Both of these spas include fitness centers.

Mesquite
Located 80 miles north of Las Vegas are two of the finest spas in Southern Nevada. The Casablanca Spa and Salon offers traditional and New Age treatments in massage, such as reflexology, Shiatsu, aromatherapy and Watsu. The Oasis Resort Casino Spa features a variety of body and skin care treatments and alternative therapies, such as Reiki life energy alignment, cranio-sacral therapy and its signature Oasis Golf Massage, a perfect end to a day on the links.