Instead of filling up on holiday cookies or overdoing the eggnog this winter, indulge your senses in a culinary-inspired treatment. From dark chocolate masks to beer and malt scrubs, some of the country’s finest hotel spas are cooking up edible offerings with matching treatments. To tickle your taste buds, our editors found five relaxing spots with delicious-sounding services on the menu.
The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
Sure, rubbing bourbon on your body isn’t how you typically enjoy the libation, but the Men’s Bourbon Retreat and Vintage Bourbon Massage at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Spa at Four Season Hotel Chicago both use the spirit to treat the body. Picture this: You sip Allium Bar’s (the hotel’s restaurant bar) signature single-barrel vintage on the rocks as your feet soak in a bourbon-spiked warm bath. Up next, toes are treated to a sweet-smelling brown sugar and bourbon scrub, which is then followed by a muscle-kneading shoulder massage as your hands and feet get a creamy moisture boost. Suddenly, just ordering bourbon neat sounds a bit boring.
The Greenbrier Spa, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
Inspired by the warm cocktail, the 80-minute Hot Toddy for the Body treatment at Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star The Greenbrier Spa begins with a soothing soak in waters from the The Greenbrier’s sulfur springs—they’ve lured guests to White Sulphur Springs for generations. From there, you’ll move into a Vichy room for a soft body scrub of locally ground cornmeal mixed with sweet spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, leaving skin revived. The big finish? A 25-minute hydrating massage using a citrus or vanilla crème hot oil and a non-alcoholic Hot Nut Toddy made with chamomile tea, spices and honey.
The Auberge Spa, Rutherford, Calif.
Get a taste of romance in the three-hour Lover’s Fireside Retreat, which pairs Napa wine and fare with a spa treatment and dips in a heated pool. The Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Auberge Spa experience is designed for two and begins with an elixir such as the one made with lemon balm, lavender and peppermint, ideal for sipping as you take in panoramic views of Napa from your private pool. After a 120-minute treatment of your choice (think side-by-side grapeseed oil massages), return to your spa suite to unwind fireside before digging into the chef’s plate featuring California-inspired dishes like lobster salad and tuna sashimi alongside sparkling Napa Valley wine.
The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Denver
Forget a pre-treatment herbal tea. When you book the Mile High Malt Scrub and Microbrew Massage at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Denver, you’re handed a frosty brew like Denver’s own Great Divide Samurai Rice Ale before stretching out for a full-body exfoliation using a malt scrub (concocted with a bit of beer and the Great Divide brewery’s own malt). After a warm cleansing shower, a vitamin B-rich stout masque with a light beer fragrance is rubbed into your skin and a moisturizing beer shampoo massaged into your scalp. And if you’re craving a cold one by the end of this 75-minute treatment, head to the relaxation lounge for a Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout.
The Spa at The Hotel Hershey, Hershey, Pa.
Before the Cocoa Facial Experience at the Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Spa at The Hershey Hotel begins, you’re treated to a warm footbath infused with the spa’s patented whipped cocoa ingredients. Next, your hair will be brushed, and that’s followed by a citrus-infused facial cleansing and exfoliation. But the star of this 75-minute treatment in Hershey is the facial application of an antioxidant-loaded dark chocolate masque, first applied to your lips for a sweet taste. A soft spatula and a warm towel are used to ultimately remove the chocolate, leaving skin soft and supple with the fragrance of baking brownies wafting through the air.
Photos Courtesy of Four Seasons, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC and Hershey Entertainment and Resorts
