Beyond its therapeutic body treatments, a spa offers a welcome respite from the stresses and worries of the outside world. Quiet, calming, and soothing in every way, these pockets of pampering can restore the body, mind, and spirit.
Of the many spas throughout New England, we have highlighted three, which offer a wealth of treatments in an ultra-luxe setting that, if you wish, can accommodate you for the night.
Urban Renewal
You’ll find a soothing sanctuary of calm and rejuvenation at The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Boston, which specializes in Asian treatments. Per the spa’s recommendation, arrive early to your appointment to enjoy the various thermal and water therapies, including the steam room, which houses a huge quartz crystal said to draw off negative energy, the hot pool with soothing jets, and the “Experience” shower, whose colored lights and warm and cold sprays mimic an arctic mist, tropical rain, or island storm. Beyond a bounty of body treatments, the spa offers blocks of time, called Time Rituals, which you can fill with whatever activities you desire, including simply reading in the relaxation area over tea, fruit and nuts, and magazines. For those seeking total privacy, the spa has a Sanctuary Couples Suite with two treatment tables, a vanity, and shower facilities. The Mandarin Couples Suite has a private stone sauna, a soaking tub, two treatment tables, and daybed for resting.
The spa’s signature all-natural body products come from Aromatherapy Associates in the UK and are custom-blended for the hotel. The Oriental Essence body massage employs warming ginger, mandarin, and frankincense oil. Firming and nourishing facials leave skin glowing, while the Digital Wellness Escape, which begins with a hot foot bath and massage, helps relax and energize those muscles frequently engaged when using digital devices, mainly the head, neck, shoulders, and hands, and employs various oils and stones to detox the body.
The hotel has 148 modern rooms and suites to accommodate guests, along with a French bistro, Bar Boulud, serving breakfast, as well as lunch and dinner favorites like fresh oysters, onion soup, and steak frites.
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Boston, 776 Boylston St., Boston, 617-535-8888, mandarinoriental.com/boston
Rural Relaxation
On 300 acres of hilly woodland in Barnard, Vermont, you’ll find an oasis of pleasure at the Bridge House Spa at Twin Farms. With a restful salon, glass brick steam rooms, and a nearby Japanese ofuro, the spa has a wide range of body therapies tapping into the essence of Vermont via the Lunaroma product line, a Burlington, Vermont, business that creates small-batch body butters, herbal wraps, and salt and sugar scrubs from natural, organic, and wild ingredients. The spa also uses Tata Harper anti-aging beauty products fabricated from organic, chemical-free ingredients grown on a farm in the nearby Champlain Valley.
In addition to stone and aromatherapy massages, you can have Reiki energy work, craniosacral therapy, and various facials. Local honey appears in the body scrub during the Honey Bliss body treatment, while lavender mud cocoons and calms during the Dirt Road Detox Wrap. Manicures and pedicures are also available, along with foot treatments, like the Five Paths Reflexology, which kicks off with a hot peppermint shea butter exfoliation for the legs.
If you’re staying at Twin Farms, you can request a fireside massage in your room, complete with champagne and a drawn hot bath. The inn has four rooms in the Main House, two suites in the Lodge, 10 uniquely designed themed cottages, and a farmhouse with four suites.
Fresh herbs and vegetables grown on premises enhance the resort’s dinner, lunch, and breakfast menus, available in the main dining room, Barn Room, and The Pub.
The Bridge House Spa at Twin Farms, 452 Royalton Turnpike, Barnard, VT, 802-234-9999, twinsfarms.com
Berkshire Bliss
Surrounded by the woods in the heart of Lenox you’ll find Blantyre, a stunning 117-acre retreat with a full-service spa in the property’s former potting shed. One of the most striking features of the spa is the large circular soaking tub ensconced in a lofty, cedar-ceilinged room with huge windows framing the natural beauty of the seasons. Should you wish to sweat a bit, you can visit the steam room or exercise on a small number of machines, including treadmills designed to simulate jogging on pine needles.
The body treatments include eight different massages incorporating aromatic oils, stones, and various strokes to melt away tension and promote relaxation. Seasonal scrubs and wraps feature fresh fruit pulp and sugar, and exfoliation and hydration treatments employ flowers, citrus, and herbs to destress, detox, heal, and renew. Among the many facials, the powerful Anti-Wrinkle Facial includes “Botox-like action without the worry” through special handwork, vitamins, and peptides. Manicures and pedicures are also available, along with certain treatments exclusively for men.
Should you wish to spend the night, the pampering continues with eight sumptuous rooms in the main house, four private cottages, and ten guest rooms in the carriage house. Dinners in the main house begin with champagne and canapés to live music nightly, followed by dinner on antique china in the dining room. A full breakfast in the beautiful plant-filled porch provides the final indulgent touch.
The Potting Shed at Blantyre, 16 Blantyre Rd., Lenox, 413-637-3556, blantyre.com