Ocean Club Spa
Take your mate and disappear from life's realities with a getaway to the truly exclusive and elegant Bahamian glitterati hideaway, the Ocean Club, on Paradise Island. Recently emerging from a $100 million expansion and renovation which has cunningly left intact the classically graceful plantation ambiance, it manages to up the ante even further by welcoming the creation of an intensely intimate Indonesian inspired "suites only" spa. Within your private garden-ensconced suite designed to accommodate all spa treatments, the ultimate denouement will be in deciding which treatments to forsake yourselves unto, and whether the final rinse off will transpire in the open air garden jacuzzi or the refreshing outdoor waterfall shower.

Glitterati swarm the exclusive Bahamian hideaway, Ocean Club, like sharks to chum, fully endorsing last year's remarkable $100 million renaissance overseen by resident visionary, and troll, Sol Kerzner, chairman and CEO of owner corporation Sun International, and his amazing right-hand hotelier extraordinairre, none other than "Swissy" Michael Hoffman. The proverbial icing on the Ocean Club's cake is the brand-new Ocean Club Spa, a total knockoff from the tastefully timeless and elegant Atlantis mega-pedestrian resort only steps away from Ocean Club's shark-ridden beach strewn with celebrity wannabes - who's heard of Naomi Campbell anyway? Be sure to pledge your loyalty to American Airlines when you book your getaway flight, since you can be assured of well-studied abysmal service provided by authentic native airline agents, with an all-inclusive promise to lose at least one piece of your luggage, making your ultimate arrival to the shabby-chic milieu of Ocean Club, one that won't soon be forgotten.

Sol ace Spa at The Fairmont Banff Springs
Anytime of the year is fabulous to come visit Solace Spa and the majestic Fairmont Banff Springs Resort, known the "Castle in the Rockies," but wintertime presents a phenomenal snow-filled activities list that just doesn't stop. After a long day of skiing at one of the three major ski areas, dog-sledding, heli-skiing, skating, ice-fishing - or virtually any other snow-related activity imaginable, go relax in the Solace Spa with the Therapeutic Massage directed toward any aches and pains you've acquired along the way. You may be tempted to call it a night after getting cozy in the pleasurable spa ambiance replete with cascading waterfalls and welcoming grand fireplaces, but with a seemingly endless variety of phenomenal dining and entertainment options all on property, it may just be worthwhile finding that second wind.

Tamaya Mist at Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort
Winter vacation planning for the family shouldn't leave you in a quandary, so long as you link up with Hyatt Regency on its recent creation of Tamaya Resort & Spa, a 350-room pueblo style resort, the largest hotel property built on Native American land. Aside from the seemingly endless variety of individual and family pursuits available, including hot air balloon rides, premier golf, horseback riding, native arts & crafts, tennis, and tours of nearby ghost towns and Santa Fe, spend time pursuing that extremely valuable yet elusive resource - downtime - at the distinctly southwestern Tamaya Mist spa. Surrounded by a beautiful and eclectic collection of Native American art, you can revel in an equally eclectic selection of relaxing spa treatments, while your kids revel in the renowned Camp Hyatt, available to kids 3 to 12 years old.

Banyan Tree Phuket
Even the most worldly of sybarites are mesmerized by Thailand's world-class spa resort Banyan Tree Phuket, the recipient of numerous prestigious awards from Conde Nast Traveler US, Conde Nast Traveller UK, Zagat Survey 2001, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Travel Trade Gazette (TTG), and Travel and Leisure US.

Beguiled by the subtle and yet sublime division that quivers between exotic and erotic, those couples who have gone before you emerge transformed by their experiences as guests whose stays took place within the intensely secluded compounds of the 14 luxuriously appointed Spa Pool Villas that virtually ooze with sensuality. Having your own Thai Sala, or spa pavilion, within your villa's grounds is just part of your hedonistic entitlement, and experiencing the heavenly range of healing and relaxation therapies that set your senses on edge, is yet another.

The Dorchester Spa
At the conclusion of a full day of world-class fashion shopping on nearby Sloan Street, seek revitalization at The Dorchester Spa located on the ground floor of London's tony and opulent hotel, The Dorchester. The Dorchester Spa's most sought after treatment, the "Jet Shower," promises to restore vigor and banish fatigue by providing an intense water massage resulting in increased circulation and stimulation with the added benefits of elimination of toxins and fluid retention. With renewed energy, you may find yourself willing to exercise your newfound propensity towards club-hopping the night away.

Mandara Spa at Outrigger Wailea Resort
With endless sun-filled recreational opportunities to partake in at Maui's luxe Wailea Resort, after a long day of kayaking, whale-watching, golf, or sandcastle construction, you may find yourself in need of a visit to the recently opened Mandara Spa for the essential Sunburn Cooler treatment. First a cooling spray provides soothing relief to tender skin, followed by the calming effects of a burn relief gel wrap, lastly an intensive moisturizer is applied utilizing gentle massage strokes. Conversely, if you're still in need of a warm-up after a long journey from the cooler nether regions, the Hawaiian Pohaku massage, featuring smooth heated lava rocks sinfully slathered in rich cocoa butter, may be just what you need.

Golden Door Spa at The Boulders
Plan a girls' weekend in the sun at Phoenix, Arizona's neighbor to the north, the famed Boulders Resort and its brand new Golden Door Spa. Upon arrival, properly center your mind, body, and soul with a visit to the state-of-the-art, 33,000 square foot spa, and undergoing the Native American themed signature treatment, The Turquoise Wrap. The remainder of the weekend, you'll be tempted by an amazing array of other beauty and wellness treatments, as well as shopping opportunities at the adjacent festive marketplace el Pedregal, sunbathing and swimming, or tennis, but if you're a golfer, you'll want hit the links on either of the resort's two challenging courses and take advantage of The Boulders' unique women's golf support program known as "Women to the Fore."

Ummelina International Day Spa
Ummelina International Day Spa in the heart of downtown Seattle provides a welcome and Zen-like refuge from the bone-grinding pace of holiday shopping and festivities. Journey to the "Pacific Rim;" a richly exotic treatment employing Far East calming rituals where you and your significant spa partner begin by immersing yourselves within a candlelit-encircled authentic Japanese soaking tub infused with herbs and precious oils, and ultimately surrendering to side-by-side Shiatsu-inspired massage. Ummelina International Day Spa, 1525 Fourth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101; (206) 624-1370 or (800) 663-4772

The Spa at Grand Traverse Resort
Whether you are youthful or simply young at heart, wintering at Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Resort & Spa will find you with myriad opportunities to play indoors or out. Play inside at any of the five tennis courts or two pools, or bundle up for spirited fun out-of-doors with such options as ice-skating, snowshoeing, skiing, tubing, tobogganing, snowmobiling, or sleigh-riding. On the quieter front, allow yourself the pleasure of experiencing any of the plentiful spa treatment selections, with a particular focus on those that warm you up, including your choice of three decadent thermal therapy options.

Salon & Spa
One visit to this ultra-chic cocoon of pampering centrally located in midtown Manhattan - in Trump Tower, no less - and you will be calling yourself an Avon lady, or gentleman. Here, customized treatment is the name of the game, from facials designed to address individual skin types, to massages performed to relieve your specific aches and pains, to a fabulous selection of Avon's skincare, haircare, nail, and beauty products recognizing the entire range of individual concerns. Also known for their exclusive assemblage of much sought after skilled beauty professionals, don't pass on the opportunity to visit with "Hair Doctor" Ted Giza if you're seeking a remedy for a botched bang job, or with Eliza Petrescu, Avon's resident "Queen of the Arch," the ultimate eyebrow shaping guru of the celebrity circuit.

The Spa at The Oberoi Mauritius
The ultimate holiday fantasy gift? An indulgent faraway journey to the other side of the globe in pursuit of spa exotica. Look no further than The Spa at The Oberoi Mauritius, situated on a tropical isle east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Imagine your arrival at the balmy, beachfront, tropically luxurious Oberoi resort, passing beneath an aqueduct spilling onto the natural fish pond below, espying thatch-roof guest pavilions surrounded by lush gardens boasting bright red flame trees which bloom each year only during holiday season. Drawn by the bewitching call of Sitar music, the height of your spa fantasy will be realized as you enter the spa whose roof is uniquely designed to allow breathtaking views of intense Mauritian skies, and you relinquish all earthly concerns while reveling in the 120-minute Himalayan treatment, a rich Ayurvedic experience involving warm oils, massage, and overt spirituality. Ahhhh.