When the temperature drops, there’s just nothing better than the cozy embrace of a spa to warm you up. Whether wading into thermal waters or reclining for a beautiful treatment, even an hour of bliss can transport you far from the harsh challenges of winter. Here are six of the best spas in the United States—places that provide pleasure, whether you’re going to stay an hour, a couple days—or decide you never want to leave.
Subterranean Wonder
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When the historic Omni Grove Park Inn opened its doors in 1913 in Asheville, North Carolina, on the western slopes of Sunset Mountain, it advertised walls of granite boulders, five feet thick. Since then, this impressive stone Arts and Crafts resort has had a rather illustrious history, serving as temporary home for governments in exile, as well as 10 different U.S. presidents. Their 43,000-square-foot subterranean spa is a wonder. With stone walls and archways and tunnels, you can relax in waterfall pools or swim around a lap pool built under thousands of fiber-optic stars. Dip your head below the surface and enjoy a symphony of underwater music.
Desert Oasis
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Set among the arid red hills and towering saguaro cacti of the Sonoran Desert, the renowned all-inclusive wellness resort Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, feels like an oasis. Spend your days under the sun, hiking and biking on their extensive network of trails. Then return to the 80,000-square-foot spa for a Desert Ritual, a treatment with ingredients gathered from the world around you. A therapist will cleanse and exfoliate with white sage and prickly pear, then you’ll soak in a bath infused with aloe and jojoba before a full-body massage.
Mountain Retreat
Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton
Tahoe isn’t just for super-energetic skiers and hikers. A popular all-season destination set on the clear, blue waters of its namesake lake, snowfall turns this place into a winter wonderland. Check into the super-luxe Ritz-Carlton, set in a mountainside evergreen forest, and just relax. Recline in the eucalyptus steam room, then get the Warm Up, where hot stones are used throughout a combination massage, manicure, and pedicure. After that, there’s nothing left to do but order room service and sit by the fireplace, back in your room.
Golden Resort
Historic Hotels America
This place is a surprise. Drive just southeast of Pittsburgh—once America’s hardest-working steel-towns—and you’ll rise into the postcard-perfect Laurel Highlands, part of the Allegheny Mountains. Arriving at Nemacolin, you will find a luxury, Tudor-style lodge that’s a registered member of the Historic Hotels of America, part of a 2,200-acre resort. Their Woodlands Spa includes whirlpool tubs and an indoor pool, Swiss shower, sauna, fireside lounge (with complimentary snacks and drinks), and 40 treatment rooms over three lovely floors. If you’re feeling truly indulgent, try The Ritual facial, where a therapist will apply a 24-karat gold mask to your face. Can you think of anything more luxurious than that?
Coastal Getaway
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There’s no escaping it: winters in the Pacific Northwest can be dreary and rainy. But Cannery Pier, a boutique hotel in Astoria, Oregon, truly provides a welcome escape. Jutting 600 feet out into the mighty flow of the Columbia River, every room in this renovated fish-packing plant has a view over the water, with some facing the iconic Astoria-Megler Bridge. And if it’s really coming down outside? Just put on your cushy robe and head to the spa. Enjoy a soak in the mineral hot tub, a sweat in the Finnish sauna, and a signature Coastal Calm treatment that includes a Basalt river rock massage.
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Courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Lanai
From the sultry coastline, wind up the switchbacks, quickly gaining 1,800 feet in elevation, to find an enchanted resort set under soaring Cook Island pines. Lanai, a quiet island near Maui, once supplied 75 percent of the world’s pineapples. Today, it’s home to two world-class Four Seasons resorts. Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort, high on the ridge just outside the main town, feels like a place in the clouds. Relax in one of 10 soaking tubs set among lush foliage in the Japanese-style onsen garden. Then schedule a treatment in one of the private hale, large villas that include indoor and outdoor showers, infrared saunas, and plunge pools.
This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
