A classic massage is all well and good, but why settle for standard when you can enjoy something special? Top spas across the country let you get involved in the pampering process with custom-blending bars, aromatherapy selection and more to help you have an exquisite individualized experience.
Unwind at one of these lavish spas with an eye for do-it-yourself indulgence.
Perched on a prime slither of Pacific waterfront, Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort is a dreamy getaway. If you can tear yourself away from the hotel’s four pools and beautiful beach, book some time at its sublime spa.
Here, each treatment is one of a kind. After a brief consultation, your therapist will craft the products used in your service at the in-house Apothecary Blend Bar, which brings a Japanese-style omakse experience to the spa.
Not only will you get to assist in the blending of your special product during your session (where you’ll also learn the benefits of the various oils, tinctures and serums), you’ll also be able to purchase your customized creation for some at-home self-care.
Nestled inside a separate farmhouse-style building at Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Las Alcobas, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Napa Valley, this St. Helena spa specializes in treatments that feature clean (and mostly organic) skincare line Naturopathica.
A quick questionnaire on the spa’s iPad helps determine your scent palette and blending objective, which will be used to customize an all-natural oil, lotion or cream for your treatment. Most massages come with this unique offering, but we’re partial to the hot stone option, which combats jetlag or speeds recovery from a few days of overindulgence.
If you love your scent, the spa will keep it on file so it’s easy to order at any time in your preferred formulation.
Just south of Palm Beach, Five-Star Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa has long been one of our favorite hideaways, thanks to its gorgeous Jonathan Adler-designed rooms and its beautiful beaches and pools.
But should you wish to escape the Florida sun for an afternoon, head straight for the Five-Star spa’s scrub and polish bar, where you can ask a mixologist to concoct something for you. The combinations are enticing, from lavender and mint for relaxation to sweet vanilla and spicy ginger to invigorate. But if you can’t decide, the resort’s signature blend of green tea and lemongrass is a winner.
Combine your blending session with a treatment or a spa day pass to make your afternoon extra indulgent. Don’t forget to grab a cupcake before lounging in the alfresco Self-Centered Garden.
Sense, A Rosewood Spa at Vancouver
There’s no better place to take in all that Vancouver has to offer than from Five-Star Rosewood Hotel Georgia. After a full day of exploring everything from the Vancouver Art Gallery to shopping on Robson Street, retreat to the property’s Four-Star spa, where you can pamper yourself with the 180-minute Sweeter Side of Spa service, a three-hour journey that starts with a custom-blended glacial honey scrub and massage, followed by a fresh facial and Canadian maple pedicure.
Should you still wish to tweak your personalized scent, call the hotel’s fragrance butler to your room post-treatment to peruse a new selection of perfumes.
It’s easy to get lost in the beauty that is Four-Star Ojai Valley Inn and to feel inspired by its 220 acres of rolling California hills bordering the Los Padres National Forest. Take home a little piece of the resort’s awe-inspiring ambiance when you participate in one of the daily artistic activities on offer at the spa’s Artist Cottage and Apothecary.
Opt for an essential oil consultation, a body-blending program, a soap-making class or a vibrational aromatherapy session. If you can’t decide on a workshop, stop by during open studio hours to see what’s on tap for the day.
Still aching for a classic rubdown? Go for the three-hour Essence in Balance, during which you’ll craft a scented oil at the Apothecary before indulging in an aromatherapy massage highlighted by your own fragrance.
The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown
When you need a break from the frenetic pace of the Big Apple, pop over to the spa at Five-Star Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown for a soothing sensory service. Debuted in March, the Bespoke Aromatherapy Experience by Soveral begins with your therapist mixing a unique blend of three essential oils from the London-based natural skincare brand — the nine available fragrances include French lavender to soothe stress, Tuscan bergamot for digestion issues and Omani frankincense to refresh skin — to enhance your aromatherapy massage. Post-rubdown, you’ll receive a bottle of your custom essence for additional pampering at home.
