Day Spas, Hotel & Resort Spas

Visiting a day spa is an easy way to take a break and treat yourself. Many offer a wide range of massages, facials, body wraps, manicures, and pedicures; some have saunas and whirlpools. Some day spas offer a few medical treatments; medical spas specialize in them. These treatments aim to provide cosmetic or wellness benefits.

There are many different types of getaway spas — for example, destination spas are often all-inclusive and focused on a particular program, while some spas exist as part of a larger resort or hotel. What's your pleasure?

At medical spas, you'll find medical staff working alongside spa therapists. Owned or operated by doctors or licensed healthcare professionals, many offer medical and non-medical treatments, and some offer overnight accommodations.

Spas began when people started soaking themselves in hot springs thousands of years ago. But the spa world has become more complicated. This is a place to find out about the different kinds of spas, what treatments they offer, and how to choose the right one for you. You can also get answers to all your questions about spa etiquette and how much a spa costs.

What Is A Spa?

A little storefront in a strip mall and world-famous Canyon Ranch both call themselves spas. What is a spa, anyway? Where did they come from? You need to understand the different kinds of spas so you get exactly the spa experience you're looking for.

What Are Spa Treatments?

There's a huge range of spas, from tiny three-room day spas to sprawling 40-room resort spas with fabulous facilities. The one thing they all have in common is basic services like massage, body treatments and facials. Find out more about the kinds of treatments you can get at a spa.

Choosing A Spa

Now that you understand more about different types of spas and what happens there, find out more about how to pick the right one for you. Find out what to look for, the advantages of one over another, and what to avoid.

Spa Etiquette

This is a big area of concern and confusion for people who are new to spas. Relax! There's nothing to worry about. Get answers to all your questions on what to wear to the spa, how much to take off, and how much to tip. Spa-going behavior varies by country. Europe is much more free-wheeling about nudity in co-ed baths and saunas.



What is a Resort Spa?

A resort spa is a place where you can enjoy spa treatments while staying overnight. While a destination spa offers an overall immersion in healthy living and an opportunity for personal transformation, resort spas are more about providing a relaxing, pampering experience for people staying at the resort.



Resort spas come in a wide range of sizes and styles, from small privately owned inns like to the lavish, over-the-top resort spas in Hawaii. It's good to do your research before you go. You don't want to find out the "spa" is a hot tub, or one treatment room off the gym.



At a resort spa, you usually pay for your spa treatments a la carte instead of having them as part of the total package. The resort spa may or may not offer classes like yoga, and the selection is usually more limited than at a destination spa. There are a few exceptions. Golden Door Spa at The Boulders and The Spa at Camelback Inn in Scottsdale are two excellent resort spas that offer a hefty schedule of classes, free for anyone getting a treatment at the spa. The restaurants generally offer spa cuisine, but their real forte is the rich food that most people like to order when they're out on the town. For the new must-have amenity at resorts and hotels, so almost everyone says they have a spa. But make sure you know what you're getting into before you book. You don't want to find out that the "spa" is one hot tub treat