Finding Calm
by Elisabeth Korb
No resort town could be complete without a place to escape for the day—a place to completely relax and allow the body's stresses to melt away like snow in the warm spring sun. After a day of skiing powder, sledding or snowshoeing around the Basin, it's essential to rest and repair. Tahoe's many day spas provide the perfect respite. They offer everything from cutting-edge technology to eco-friendly practices and products. They are calm spots in the storm, places to balance the body, soul and mind.
Tucked along the cobblestone walkways of the Village at Squaw Valley, Trilogy Spa is one of the area's greatest getaways. Open since August 2005, it is a true family business, where owner Chandra Shaw of Hawaii, director Damian Ferris and their highly trained staff come together as both friends and coworkers. With a background in sports therapy, Ferris combines industry expertise with Australian charisma to bring each guest impeccable customer service. In fact, the only care you'll have is whether to choose champagne or wine in their new Barefoot Bubble Lounge—a relaxing space where spa-goers lounge bar- or fi reside and take in the view of the surrounding mountain and Village from large, open windows.
Trilogy's special Hawaiian accents extend from décor to treatments—the crisp, clean spa lightly decorated with fresh Hawaiian flowers and the 11 treatment rooms offering up signature spa packages and amazing facials. The Lehua honey-drenched escape is a spa favorite, giving guests a full-body treat under a tropical Vichy rain bar. The indulgence begins with an invigorating sea salt exfoliation, which is followed by a conditioning scalp treatment. Next, you are massaged head to toe with Lehua honey and coconut oil and left to enjoy a cascading hydro-massage.
Just down the valley lies another great retreat at the Spa at Resort at Squaw Creek. A recent $1.4-million renovation brings a whole new look to the already luxurious spa. Guests enter under a bronze-colored branch awning to be greeted by exquisite water features and birch tree trunks emerging from river-rock bases, which create both privacy and a sense of solitude. With this new entrance and updates to its retail center, fi tness center, 10 treatment rooms, locker rooms, relaxation room and specifi c treatments, Squaw Creek's facility is first-class relaxation.
Over on the South Shore of The Lake, MontBleu Resort recently renovated the existing spa and reopened it as Onsen Spa, an Aveda Lifestyle Salon and Spa. Offering everything Aveda, from custom hair color blends to specialty spa treatments, the new Onsen falls in line with the environmentally conscious product and the "Bleu Goes Green" mantra of the resort. "Yesterday, we were more fitness with a spa aspect," says Onsen general manager, Patrick Bassney. "Today, we're more spa with a fitness aspect."
With a goal to focus more on relaxation, the spa's rebirth involves freshened up treatment rooms boasting soothing earth tones and custom mood music in each room. Lounge chairs and additional space added around the lagoon-style heated pool allow guests to fully enjoy the pool's waterfall and rock islands.
For an extra-purifying spa experience, head to one of Body Essentials' 2 locations in South Lake Tahoe, where guests reach complete balance, inside and out. Their Cecil's Plaza location in Heavenly features a new ionizing water purifi cation system. The cutting-edge system splits all the spa's water into 2 forms, alkaline and acidic, which are then used internally and externally, respectively. Owner Michelle Burghard, in the industry for over 30 years, learned about the purification system while reading the book Natural Cures. Her dedication to well-being on all levels leads her to continually bring in new ideas and technology, and she hopes to one day transform Body Essentials into a wellness center.
Keeping the balance, one of Body Essentials' specialties is the Chi herbal infusion massage, a 90-minute treatment that begins with a soothing cup of Chi energy or meditation tea followed by a combination of refl exology and hot-stone massage. The negatively charged basalt stones pull out the body's excess energy, and the entire process results in a sense of rejuvenation and inner peace.
Next door at Harrah's, prepare for more luxury at Reflections, where guests are encouraged to enjoy the Roman baths, Turkish steam room and/or Finnish sauna. New for the spa's facial packages is the sublime Swiss product line by Dermalab. After searching rigorously worldwide, the spa says that only Dermalab's Swiss line could match its standards for catering to the needs of clients in Tahoe, where the dry air and intense sun pose special challenges to the skin. Their new 80-minute facial treatments will leave your skin smooth and refreshed. Try the rejuvenation and lifting treatment, which uses advanced paramedical soy extracts to stimulate new cells deep within the epidermis, or the skin brightening treatment, which diminishes unseemly spots while providing protection from free radicals.
If you're allergic to casinos, try Elements Spa at the Tahoe Lakeshore Lodge and Spa in South Lake Tahoe. It's a casual spa with an at-home feel, and while the treatment rooms are converted hotel rooms, guests are treated to gorgeous lake views as they enjoy the spa's offerings. Couples' packages are especially popular at this locale, as well as the 30-minute soak in mineral-rich Moor mud from Austria. Elements also offers its own line of salts, scrubs and lotions—staff favorites are the sandalwood and cedarwood scents. Therapeutic Rolfing treatments, which release the body from lifelong patterns and injuries, are also available.
A tour of Tahoe's spas would not be complete without a stop at Stillwater Spa, located inside Incline Village's Hyatt Regency. Having undergone a complete renovation three years ago, Stillwater features a serene modern freshness complemented by creative treatments. Stillwater takes over the resort's salon space this year, introducing subtle renovations and two new manicure bars. Unique offerings include the fabulous duo of manicures and martinis and various "hot toddies for the body," such as the pomegranate spice pedicure. Their high-end pedicure service also includes a specialty treatment designed for skiers that relieves tension and increases circulation.
Just across Incline Village, step into Hawaii at the brand new Aloha Skin Spa, opened in late September. Having just moved from the islands, owners Nicoa and Bruce Wood bring a fresh, calming aesthetic with clean and simple Hawaiian décor and signature treatments. Lucky bamboo and fl owing water features add to the serenity, as well as a stunning Tahitian tapa wall hanging. For an uplifting experience, try the Kona Coast package, during which guests receive an invigorating Kona coffee scrub, followed by a warm rain shower and deep tissue massage. The Woods plan to bring acupuncture and lomilomi massage to their list of services in the near future.
If you seek something completely unique in a spa—a complete physical pit stop—check out the Ageless Zone in Reno. This holistic medical spa aims to be the most comprehensive, or "integral," retreat for those desiring to age gracefully. The facility provides an incredible range of services: a fullservice spa, special SuperSlow Zone gym, dietary programs, laser and body therapy, full-service hair and nail salon and a doctor of internal medicine on staff.
Specialties you won't fi nd in Tahoe spas include vibradermabrasion, laser hair removal, a far-infrared detoxifying sauna, Botox, Restylane and Radiesse. Ageless also boasts various cutting-edge techniques like mesotherapy, where a series of injections breaks down fat cells; PCI heart scanning, in which patients analyze their risks of heart disease and stroke; and Beautytek, a European machine found only in select North American locales, which lifts and fi rms specifi c sections of the body, including breasts and buttocks.
Thusly relaxed, rejuvenated or reshaped, you'll be ready to take on the next Tahoe winter adventure, body and spirit aligned.