Today destination spas blend Eastern sensibility with pampering, wellness and fitness aplenty. Gone are the spare retreats of yore. Now, top chefs prepare healthy five-star spa cuisine, and resort goers can slip away for the day on a roof top garden, or immerse in tepid therapeutic waterfalls, heated outdoor baths, breathtaking nature or classes galore.
A guest may prefer a heady dose of spa treatments, while another may seek outdoor adventure, taking in a winter trek, rock climbing or golf. Men now account for about 50 percent of the spa travelers, preferring perhaps, a steamy mineral soak or sports massage. Here are three of the finest spa resorts in the Delaware and Hudson valleys.
The Lodge at Woodloch
Hawley, Pa.
886-953-8500
www.thelodgeatwoodloch.com
Spa consultants and owners, John and Ginny Lopis helped create some of the most famous spas in the world. Their foray, in 1983 began when the industry was in its infancy. Today, The Lodge, opened in 2006, is their signature dream resort. Soaring windows connect guests to the outdoors, lending natural light and altering mood to every room, including the 58 guest accommodations, lounge, fitness center and restaurant.
Awe! The soaring 40,000-square-foot facility has 27 treatment rooms with emphasis on individualized wellness, natural elements, relaxation and water treatments; an Aqua Garden, co-ed therapeutic soaking pools, hydromassage; waterwalls; indoor pool, and outdoor horizon-edge whirlpool with radiant heat decks.
Fit: The 8,000-square-foot gym totes the newest cardio and strength equipment, tea bar, and classes galore.
Signature: Meals are served at Tree Restaurant, an elegant indoor tree house set amidst the surrounding branches.
Cuisine: Award-winning fresh, organic and naturally raised meats, fish and locally grown vegetables.
The Spa at Mohonk Mountain House
New Paltz, N.Y.
845-255-1000
www.mohonk.com
Founder Albert Smiley encouraged visitors to understand nature more fully, carefully routing carriage roads, paths and hiking trails on the 2,200-acre property that showcases the natural spectacular vistas of Shawangunk Ridge. Local timber and cedar shingles blend spa exterior seamlessly into the mountaintop, as 6,000 tons of quartz conglomerate was reincorporated into the construction.
Awe! Geothermal cooling/heating maintains the 30,000-square-foot spa wing, with expansive garden terrace, solarium, verandas, outdoor heated mineral pool and 60-foot indoor pool with underwater music.
Fit: The fitness center features the latest cardio and fitness equipment.
Signature: Treatments infused with Mohonk Red, created from witch hazel that grows nearby, or Shawangunk Grit Mineral Body, with finely ground quartz stone from the surrounding white cliffs, honors the local environs.
Cuisine: Dine in the main dining room where the Sound Choice menu appeals to the tastes of health-conscious guests.
Reflections Spa at Crystal Springs
Hamburg, N.J.
973-823-6500
www.crystalgolfresort.com
Crystal Springs Resort just unveiled Reflections Spa, a European-inspired oasis in its Grand Cascades Lodge, the newly opened luxury hotel with 250 elegantly appointed guest rooms. This is the second spa in the northern New Jersey resort known for its seven award-winning golf courses. Five miles away is Minerals Hotel, home to Elements Spa. Reflections Spa boasts of illuminating ceiling composed of 6,500 quartz crystals containing “healing powers from the earth”—glowing fire art glass; and calming water features accenting the spa throughout.
Awe! The facility, with plush locker room, offers facials, massages, body wraps, and Personal Cascades, a steam treatment for Zen rejuvenation. Thai treatment room where guests receive a rare Thai yoga massage, and every experience will end in the sensorial space complete with a heated salt bath and a unique foot soak with an "infinity effect" reminiscent of a river.
Fit: The resort features 6,000 square feet of state-of-the-art fitness center and 14 unique indoor and outdoor pools—including the one-of-a-kind 10,000-square-foot Biosphere complex with year-round tanning in a lush tropical setting replete with waterfalls and aquariums.
Signature: The Reflections Service Menu brings many elements of the resort to the spa, including The Wine Cellar, a treatment using wine and grape seed extracts and Reflective Surroundings, which incorporate indigenous bounties of the area.
Cuisine: Twelve dining options, from casual to gourmet.
