Daily Pampering: Ayurvedic spa retreat at Four Seasons Resort Maldives

by McLean Robbins on

Resolutions don’t have to be reserved for the New Year. Those eager to commit to making 2011 life-changing can plan ahead by booking one of the new Ayurvedic spa retreats at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru. Developed in conjunction with the Resort’s ila spa, the Maldives resort is offering one package for individuals and one geared towards couples.

The spa is the area’s most luxurious Ayurvedic spa and boasts a resident ayurvedic physician, garden and over-water pavilions for massage, ocean-side yoga rooms and special dosha-specific ayurvedic meals that are customised to individual programs.

The individual package, called the Zantaa Nidraa, (it translates to “peaceful sleep”) is a five-day package showcasing the benefits of yoga, pranayama, Ayurveda and the inspiring natural wilderness of Landaa Giraavaru to promote bliss, relax and purify the nervous system, and balance the sleep center of the body.

The Couples Connect Retreat focuses on turning “me” into “us.” Throughout the program, focused yoga poses and breathing, open-heart meditations, ancient Bija seed chanting and sensuous spa rituals place focus on the sacral/Swadhisthana chakra (the body’s pleasure centre) and encourage couples to open subtle levels of communication and learn new ways to deepen their bond.

Rates begin at $5,695 per guest and are available May 23 to May 28, 2011 and July 25 to July 30, 2011.

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Daily Pampering: St. Regis Princeville Resort anniversary package

by Melanie Nayer on

What better to celebrate the anniversary of one of the most luxury resorts Hawaii than with a luxurious anniversary package.

In celebration of the St. Regis Princeville Resort’s one-year anniversary, the Kaua’i, Hawaii, resort is offering The Quintessential Anniversary Experience – an indulgent offer that celebrates the hotel in one of the world’s most remarkable island retreats.

The Quintessential Anniversary Experience (available until March 31, 2011) offers everything from luxury accommodations to chilled champagne and truffles. The package includes:

  • Five nights in premium ocean view accommodations
  • Daily breakfast at Makana Terrace
  • Around the clock access to the legendary St. Regis Butler Service
  • Private ocean side dinner for two
  • Romantic couple’s massage at the Halele’a Spa

The cost to celebrate the one-year of anniversary of the St. Regis Princeville? $5,500.00. But, can you really put a price on true love?

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Daily Pampering: The platinum rare facial at The Beverly Hills Hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

It’s not hard to spot the various levels of platinum in Beverly Hills. Whether you’re looking at someone’s newly colored frocks or admiring the rock placement on a ring finger, platinum knows no boundaries in Beverly Hills. Now, one hotel has taken platinum to a new level.

Relaxation and revitalization will always be the mainstays of the spa industry, but the five-star properties of Dorchester Collection, including The Beverly Hills Hotel, are inviting guests to experience a new kind of pampering.

The new Platinum Rare Facial at The Beverly Hills Hotel is a head-to-toe treatment from The Beverly Hills Hotel Spa by La Prairie. Two therapists using the high performance Platinum Collection, including Cellular Cream Platinum Rare and Cellular Serum Platinum Rare, turn your tired skin into a thing of rare beauty.

The price? $400 for 90 minutes
The result? Red-carpet radiance

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Roman ruins in Turkey to be flooded by dam project

by Sean McLachlan on

One of the most important Roman archaeological sites in Turkey will soon be underwater.

The Roman spa town of Allianoi will be submerged beneath a reservoir once the nearby Yortanli dam becomes operational. The town was built in the second century AD near Bergama (ancient Pergamon) and has remained remarkably preserved. Archaeologists have uncovered baths, sculptures, artifacts, and elaborate mosaics that are giving them insights into Roman medicine and culture.

The site has become a battleground between archaeologists and European Union cultural officials on one side, and the Turkish government and farmers on the other. Local farmers are eager to see the dam finished because it will irrigate almost 20,000 acres of land. The EU has weighed in on the controversy because Turkey hopes to become a member state, yet the construction goes against both EU and Turkish heritage preservation laws.

Ironically, the site was only discovered because of an archaeological survey conducted in anticipation of the dam’s construction.

Only a quarter of the town has been excavated so far. Workers are currently burying the site in sand in order to protect it when it gets inundated.

[Photo courtesy Cretanforever via Wikimedia Commons]

Daily Pampering: Thai detoxifying ritual at Canyon Ranch

by Melanie Nayer on

There’s a massage that leaves you relaxed and rejuvenated, and then there’s a massage that transports you into another universe. Enter: the traditional Thai detoxifying ritual from Canyon Ranch Miami.

The 100-minute session is a celebration of Thai healing therapies based on the royal healing traditions of Thailand. It begins with an application of aromatic Thai herbal pouches, combined with warm-oil massage to increase energy flow, relax muscles, soothe soreness and increase flexibility. The masseause stretches you while applying pressure to muscles, allowing better circulation before you step into a personal steam treatment, meant to uplift and detoxify. Called the “time machine” by those at the spa, you’ll steam the space-age looking capsule for 20 minutes before enjoying a 50-minute massage. Thanks to Canyon Ranch’s Aquavana, a European-inspired aquathermal oasis that offers everything from igloo capsules to personal rainshowers, you can continue on with your bliss following the treatment.

The price for this pampering: $330

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