Destination Spa Vs. Resort Spa

Now that you’ve decided to go away for a spa break, you must choose between a destination spa and a resort spa.

Destination spas are fully equipped spas with state of the art facilities and the top practitioners in their fields offering dedicated spa retreat programmes.  The emphasis is on overall wellness with each spa specializing in a different area of expertise, a particular philosophy, or a unique location.  Most people go to destination spas for week-long programmes to kick start their health or to focus on a particular issue that can only be overcome through diet, exercise and spa treatments which are carefully constructed and calculatingly executed.  Spa purists love destination spas, but there are programmes at every spa that are also appropriate for first timers, so anyone can benefit from a spa retreat.

Resort spas are spas located at hotels or resorts for day use by guests of the resort, although some resort spas allow non-guests to book spa services. Resort spas are more common than destination spas.  The quality of the spa facilities, treatments, and practitioners can be extremely high, particularly at luxury resorts, but most resort spas focus more on pampering, relaxation, and beauty treatments than intensive wellbeing programmes meant to foster personal growth. Resort spas are popular with casual spa-goers on a holiday where the spa isn’t the main focus of their experience.

Go to a DESTINATION SPA if you want:

• A purposeful retreat to focus on the solution to a particular issue/problem.
• An adult environment.
• Personal privacy and a high degree of discretion by staff.
• To be surrounded by like minded people who provide camaraderie, inspiration, and energy.
• A supportive environment to recover from a major life event.
• An experience where it is easy to meet others and to socialize.
• To practice under experts in their fields with personal interaction.
• A pre-determined diet of spa cuisine tailored to your needs.
• To follow a particular nutritional philosophy.
• To abstain from alcohol and other toxins, sometimes including caffeine.
• Consultations with doctors, nutritionists, and instructors.
• To make a major, long-term change to your health and habits.
• Programming which includes exercise, classes, outdoor activities, lectures, and meditation.
• An all inclusive pricing plan which includes accommodation, meals, classes, and some spa treatments.

Go to a RESORT SPA if you want:

• To go to the spa while your children or travel partners do something else.
• Spa treatments as a part of your overall holiday, but not to be the main focus.
• To spend time with friends or family that you are travelling with.
• To participate in activities such as golf, tennis, and water sports that are not provided by the spa.
• To drink alcohol or caffeine.
• To eat meals outside of the spa or to not be restricted by particular diets.
• To stay in a particular hotel or location that does not offer destination spas.
• To gamble.
• To relax and rest instead of taking classes.

Many resort spas are now offering more of the services and facilities of destination spas, but they typically charge extra for these classes or activities and offer them a la carte, as they do their spa treatments.

MY RECOMMENDATIONS -

Some of my favourite world-class destination spas:

1. Canyon Ranch Tucson
2. Chiva Som
3. Kamalaya
4. SHA Wellness
5. Mii Amo at Enchantment

Some of my favourite destination spas at the moment:

1. Spa Village Tembok Bali
2. Six Senses Zighy Bay
3. Shanti Maurice
4. Fusion Maia
5. Verdura

I always book my spa getaways with Healing Holidays because I think they offer the best spa holidays to the world’s top luxury spas and their new website  is very interactive with blogs, videos, and other useful resources.

By Spa Samurai

Guide to the Different Types of Spas

Spas are the perfect place for you to focus on your health and well-being, to regain balance and clarity in your life and to heal yourself.  There are many types of spas offering unique treatments and varied outcomes, so it is important to under the various types of spas available to ensure that you get the results you are looking for and to make your experience at the spa as beneficial as possible.

These days, mini-spa treatments are becoming easier to find – at the mall, at the airport, at a salon, at a health club, and even at the Chinese medicine shop on the corner.  While most of these “express spas” offer short massages and superficial facial treatments with varying degrees of privacy, serious spa goers choose either destination spas or resort spas to enjoy the benefits of some of the world’s top facilities and the best practitioners.

Day Spas offer a selection of spa treatments and often provide salon services as well.  Day spas are a good choice for people who are too busy for an overnight stay at a spa or simply can’t afford the full spa experience.  The main complaint with day spas is that due to limited space and high traffic, treatment rooms can be very small and nosy.  The quality of practitioners and the level of service at day spas is not up to the same standards of resort spas or destination spas.

Resort Spas (or Hotel Spas) are basically Day Spas located in hotels that offer spa treatments, fitness classes, and (sometimes) spa cuisine.  Often times the resorts also offer other activities such as golf, so a resort spa is a good choice when one person wants to relax at the spa and the other person wants to spend their afternoon golfing.  Resort spas allow you to enjoy spa treatments and facilities, but also have the option to eat meals that are not part of the spa diet or drink alcohol (after all – it is still a holiday!).  Although resort spas do not offer dedicated spa retreats, the quality of the accommodation, treatments, and cuisine can still be top class, particularly at spas at the world’s premier luxury hotels.

Destination Spas are the sanctuaries for the spa aficionados.  In addition to offering the a la carte treatments that resort spas feature, destination spas provide various healing programmes that include consultations with doctors and/or specialists, accommodation, meals, treatments, and educational classes by experts in their fields. These programmes, often referred to as retreats, focus on a specific purpose (detoxification, weight loss, stress relief, etc.) and are an excellent way to make a major, long term change to improve your health and habits. Destination spas offer personalized programmes based on your goals which often include a tailor-made diet of healthy spa cuisine, exercise, relaxation, and pampering.  Alcohol and food outside of the restricted menu may be allowed depending on the spa and the programme.  A minimum stay of two nights is imposed by most destination spas, although typically people go to destination spas for a 7 night programme to achieve the maximum results.

Medical Spas are a hybrid between a medical clinic and a day spa.  Medical spas are a comfortable environment to undergo medical procedures while ensuring a high degree of comfort and privacy.  Medical spas offer treatments that cannot be provided by traditional aestheticians. Medical treatments such as microdermabrasion, chemical treatments (e.g., chemical peels), injectables (e.g., Botox, fillers), and laser treatments (e.g., photofacials)  require a doctor’s supervision, but relaxation treatments such as massage are also available for you to pamper yourself.  Medical spas are much more clinical than day spas, but provide a much higher degree of comfort and luxury than hospitals. Many medical spas now offer nutritional counselling, acupuncture, and holistic treatments as well.

MY RECOMMENDATION - 

I always speak to the experts at Healing Holidays who help me choose the right type of spa to best suit my needs and they take care of all of my travel arrangements.  Healing Holidays can provide first-hand advice to guide you to the world’s best resort spas, destination spas, and medical spas, but please be aware that day spas and spas in the UK are not featured. Ask for Jo, she knows her stuff!

By Spa Samurai

Questions to Think About When Choosing a Destination Spa

With so many wonderful luxury wellness retreats available these days, it is important to choose the right health spa to get the most value for your money and the most benefit from your experience.  Asking the right questions will help you choose the spa break that is right for you.

Here are some questions to think about when you are choosing a destination spa:

• Would you like your spa holiday to focus on a particular goal such as losing weight, detoxing, kickstarting your fitness, or developing your yoga/pilates practice? 

• Do you have medical problems that you would like to address or are you recovering from a major life event?

• Do you want a restricted meal plan or to follow a prescribed nutritional philosphy? 

• Do you want a break from alcohol, stimulants, and toxins?

• Are you looking for an outdoor exercise experience such as hiking, fitness on the beach, or rock climbing?

• Are you interested in meeting with doctors, nutritionists, trainers, and specialists to develop a personalized programme that you can practice after you return home?

• Are you looking for a setting where it is easy to meet like-minded people in a social atmosphere for a sense of camaraderie?

• Would you like to attend classes and lectures on subjects that interest you?

• Are you happy to go to a spa with a minimum stay?

If the answers to all of the questions above were YES, then a wellness retreat at a destination spa is certainly the right choice for you.

Are you looking to go on holiday with your friend or family and have some relaxing spa treatments?  If so, then a resort spa is a better choice for you.

The next step is to ask an expert for advice on selecting the right health spa and the best spa programme for you. There are a few more questions to ask yourself:

• Are the treatments available at the spa important to you?  If so, look into the a la carte treatments available at the spa and find out if you have to pre-book.

• Do you want to get away to the mountains, beach, or a foreign city?  Ask a specialist tour operator the benefits of each location and how far the actual spa is from the highlights of the area.

• How important is luxury in the accommodation and dining that you seek? Some spas offer basic accommodation on the presumption that you spend very little time in your room and the majority of your stay in the common areas.  If you prefer a higher standard of luxury in your accommodation, ask an expert about the rooms and not just the spa facilities.

Do you have other important questions to consider to help you choose the right spa?  If so, please let me know and I’ll update the blog.

MY RECOMMENDATION - 

Speak to Karen at Healing Holidays.  She loves her spa breaks and she knows her stuff!

By Spa Samurai