THEhotel’s Bathhouse Spa
Everything may be bigger in Texas, but everything in Las Vegas is
done on a grander scale. Nowhere is this more prevalent right now
than at the city’s numerous spas where competition is hotter than a
Roman bath.
The trend can be traced back to the opening of Qua Baths &
Spa at Caesars Palace one year ago. Qua covers a sprawling 50,000
square feet and contains 51 treatment rooms, yet it is still not
the largest spa in Vegas. You have to cross the street and pop into
the 69,000-square-foot Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Venetian for
that.
What Qua brought to the table was a series of unrivaled services
and over-the-top experiences. An Arctic Ice Room, where “snow”
falls from the ceiling and guests use ice chips to cool down, is
chilled to 55 degrees.
The Crystal Body Art Room explores a playful side. Clients can
have artists pattern tiny Swarovski crystals on their body. Then
there’s the tea lounges with an innovative program that matches spa
services with blends of loose-leaf tea. Both the men’s and women’s
spas have their own, and as Melissa Fielding, Qua’s tea sommelier,
pointed out: “It’s very cutting-edge. It’s the first time a spa has
done this. Spas have always served tea, but we do something
different, where we pair the teas with those services, like when
you’re at a restaurant and pair wine with your food.”
The Grand Spa and Health Club at MGM
Grand offers rest and relaxation.
White tea, Fielding said, is great for increasing the collagen in
your skin, while a French Lemon Ginger pairs well with the detox
wrap for curing jet lag and hangovers.
For clients who like their spa experience with a little more
action, the Red Rock Casino Resort Spa’s adventure spa offers
horseback rides, rock climbing and rafting the Black Canyon, with a
return to the resort to treat those aching muscles with a sports or
deep-tissue massage.
Treatments for Men
Nationally, the percentage of men who visit spas for treatments
falls around 30 percent, but in Las Vegas it’s more evenly
split.
“Men have always been coming to the spa here,” said Qua spa
director Jennifer Lynn. “Vegas is a male-dominated market and the
split between men and women seeking treatments is 50-50.”
At Qua it meant creating a Men’s Only Zone. Frank Sinatra songs
spill from the loudspeakers, a tuxedoed barber gives straight-razor
shaves, sports dominate the televisions and the services have names
like the Poker Face Facial.
“More men are realizing the importance of taking care of their
skin so they can look younger longer,” said Lynn.
Holiday Specialties
More spas are offering seasonal spa experiences with ingredients
that are usually found in the cupboard. The Aquae Sulis Spa at the
JW Marriott offers a green apple facial and cranberry manicures and
pedicures. Clients can also order a Sugar Plum Scrub, Blueberry
Bliss Winter Facial or a Candy Cane Scalp Treatment.
“They are all very popular. The Candy Cane Scalp Treatment
certainly smells delicious,” said Lupe De La Torre, spa manager at
Aquae Sulis. “They’re fun and give people a warm, fuzzy feeling and
help them relax.”
Spas citywide have joined in the holiday fun as well. Spa
Bellagio offers a Purifying Pumpkin Facial to energize the skin. At
the Bathhouse Spa at THEhotel, clients can try the Hot Spiced Rum
Stone Massage which adds cinnamon, clove and arnica oils to the
traditional stone massage, while the Grand Spa at MGM Grand has a
sweet Cocoa Mud Massage a mud body wrap followed by a massage with
creamy Swiss chocolate body butter.
