Social distancing may have dramatically altered our ability to indulge in facial and body therapies, but with growing numbers of vaccinated people in major cities around the world, it’s no wonder that spas are re-emerging, and a visit is at the top of everyone’s list. From perennial favourites to new additions on the scene, here’s an edit of blissful locations designed for a new era of beauty that are worth heading to now, or in the near future at least.
Surya Spa, Los Angeles
Los Angeles may be known as a wellness mecca, but even by its standards, the new outpost of the heralded Surya Spa, now open at the Hotel Proper Santa Monica, is charting new territory.
Spanning 3,000 sq ft and designed in collaboration with Kelly Wearstler, the Ayurvedic spa comes armed with six treatment rooms, a private meditation room, a custom oil-making station, and dreamy fountained patios – all the better to experience its menu of traditional therapies, such as its signature four-handed massage therapy that ends with oil infusions being streamed over the forehead to calm the nervous system and de-stress.
Each of the spa’s mood-boosting spaces is realised in a colour that ties back to the pillars of Ayurvedic doshas, while nods to Indian design and culture are present throughout. From the hand-blocked saris that line the meditation den, where guests relax after their treatments, to the kitchen at the heart of the spa, where nourishing meals are prepared to complement the physical experience, this wellness hub is truly an oasis.
Bathhouse, Brooklyn
Nestled in a converted soda factory, under a corner in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg, Bathhouse combines functional, high-performing treatments with a disarmingly social setting. Professing to be an ‘anti-spa’, given its focus on rejuvenation rather than relaxation, the invigorating space boasts communal saunas (one dry and one tropical), a steam room, three thermal pools (one hot, one thermoneutral and one cold) and heated marble hammams, which inevitably foster a social bond with your fellow bathers.
Designed by Jennifer Carpenter of Verona Carpenter Architects, Bathhouse’s sensual interiors reflect how it draws from traditional bathing cultures, be it Turkish, Korean, Finnish or Roman. Whether it’s a stretch-focused body treatment, a detoxing black salt scrub or a 30-minute mineral and herb-infused soak to promote calm, Bathhouse’s comprehensive treatment offerings will have you leaving on a cloud.
Susanne Kaufmann, Bezau
The Susanne Kaufmann spa in Bezau, Austria, is a cult favourite for a reason. Continually one step ahead of the curve, Kaufmann, whose eponymous skincare and body range leans on traditional Alpine remedies …….
Source: https://www.wallpaper.com/beauty-grooming/best-spas-for-covid-sensitive-era