Top 5 spas in the US

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino, April-May, 2004

The hectic urban life we lead nowadays boosts destructive stress in almost every person. Our health is broken: weight problems and nervous disorders are current maladies in the modern world. We all have forgotten what it is like to feel carefree and relaxed, and our body seems to be older than our actual age. Gyms and fitness centers are a good choice to fight back against these, problems, but regular visits to a health spa can become a more complete solution to keep us in the condition we should be in. You can choose a day spa to take some hours off to pamper yourself for a while, or you could energies at a resort spa and enjoy actually run away for a couple of days to restore your a pleasant vacation at the same time. Here are some five-star spas you might want to consider. You owe it to yourself!

* THE BREAKERS (FLORIDA)

This is an amazing Italian Renaissance style resort in the heart of Palm Beach, one of the most legendary destinations in the US. It is a 140-acre oceanfront property with a 20,000 square foot luxury indoor/outdoor spa. If you are on a family vacation, there are all sorts of activities at the resort to amuse everyone: swimming pools, golf course, tennis courts, kids center, restaurants, and boutiques. The family can enjoy the resort's facilities while you head out for a prime experience at the spa.

The Breakers Spa is warm and elegant, and it is the only spa outside Paris to offer the exclusive Guerlain Institut de Beaute' facial. Massages, facials, purifying body scrubs, and wraps are all performed by a trained staff of experts who will individualize treatments according to the client's needs. The spa offers thirteen different massage techniques and a wide variety of facial and skin care and body treatments. If you want a new hairstyle or a makeover, there are also beauty and salon services. Many treatments incorporate sea and citrus ingredients indigenous to Florida. Besides the seventeen treatment rooms and the salon stations, the spa offers a state-of-the-art oceanfront fitness center with an outdoor lap pool, ocean lawn for fitness classes, a courtyard for relaxation, and jacuzzi.

One South County Road

Palm Beach, FL 33480

Main Telephone Number: (561) 655-6611

Main Fax Number: (561) 659-8403

Toll Free Reservations: 1-888-BREAKERS (273-2537)

www.thebreakers.com

* SUCHNESS SPA (ARKANSAS)

This spa is a part of the historic New Orleans Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Created by Catherine Zerok, this holistic spa draws you into the Far East the moment you walk in. The hand-crafted furnishings, art pieces, orchids, and jasmine, the scent of Thailand's traditional herbs, all set a mystical atmosphere that will prepare you to open your senses to healing spa rituals These rituals are specialized techniques, brought from Thailand, that were created not only to heal the body, but also to nurture the spirit. A brief stay at the tea bar will prepare you for the massage ritual with Thai herbal blends for aromatherapy. The Thai Herbal Steam and Lotus-Shower are the purification rituals to cleanse your skin, purify your mind, and stimulate your body. You can have some time in peace and solitude at the jacuzzi or with bath salts, tea, fruit, and flowers.

Suchness is a spa that combines technology and ancient wisdom to achieve a physical and spiritual renewal.

63 Spring Street in the

Historic New Orleans Hotel

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Phone: 479-253-2828

Email: email@suchnessspa.com

www.suchnessspa.com

* OJAI VALLEY INN AND SPA (CALIFORNIA)

This Spanish-colonial style inn is only 90 minutes from Los Angeles, and has been a popular retreat for Hollywood celebrities. The building is a landmark of the California Central Coast and a member of the Historic Hotels of America. Spa Ojai is like a small town with fountains, terraces, and a 50 foot tall bell tower over a courtyard surrounded by a boutique, an art studio, a cafe, a hair and nail salon, etc.

At Ojai you can receive face and body treatments, massage therapy, ritual baths, and enjoy a healthy cuisine that incorporates foods grown in the Ojai area and in the inn's own gardens and orchards. There are also health programs directed by experts from mainstream academic and alternative specialties who can design custom health portfolios. You can also enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities, such as bird-watching, biking, swimming, golf, and horseback riding.

You can enjoy steam and sauna rooms and participate in complimentary fitness classes that include spinning and T'ai Chi, for instance. There is a guided meditation and labyrinth walk to give joy to your spirit, and salsa dancing and tribal rhythms to rejoice your body.

Ojai Valley Inn, Country Club Road,

Ojai, California

Phone: 800-422-6524,

www.ojairesort.com

* RENIU LASER DAY SPA (CALIFORNIA)

This is a sophisticated spa two miles from the coast highway in Dana Point, California. It is a stone cottage building in a neighborhood outdoor mall which offers spa and cosmetic medical services in an atmosphere of peace-inspiring waterfalls and art work for sale. Reniu offers several massage techniques, such as the Pohaku hot stone massage, a Hawaiian style massage with smooth heated stones covered with coconut oil that glide on your skin with a soothing and stimulating effect. Massage treatments are preceded by a steam or warm shower for maximum relaxation. Massage therapy is completed with a wide variety of facials to choose from, hand and feet treatments, and skincare and body treatments enhanced with aromatherapy.