By Mariet Smart

As varied in their approach to pampering and wellness as they are ubiquitous, spas are becoming a lifestyle essential for many, not only in the United States, but abroad as well. The spa lifestyle fits in easily with the “joie de vivre” attitude of many Europeans.

And to that thinking, living life to the fullest certainly includes a glass of fine wine. At least it does in Austria’s Kemptal Valley, renowned for its crisp white Gruner Veltliner wines. The Wine & Spa Resort Loisium Hotel in Langenlois is an 82-room spa hotel specializing in wine-based treatments. Meals, with an eye towards wellness, emphasize local vegetables and fish. Following an afternoon of wine-tasting in historic Langenlois, guests indulge in the spa hotels signature treatments.

A haven of Greco-Roman tranquility, the Retreat Spa at Aphrodite Hills in Paphos, Cyprus, is more like a small village with an assemblage of gardens, outdoor pools, and heated baths tucked into a split-level stone-walled courtyard. Buildings are capped with Moorish domed ceilings which house 21 treatment rooms that offer showers and hydrobaths, as well as thermal zones. Guests come to decompress with the two-hour hot stone treatment or an aromatherapy massage focused on stress reduction. An infinity-edge pool faces the Mediterranean.

In Hampshire, England, guests at the Spa at Four Season Hotel relax in the stately 18th-century Dogmersfield Park home and indulge in massages employing chamomile and sage grown in the garden. The 27,000-square-foot spa offers tons of privacy – the ideal setting to the signature Four Seasons Escape, a two-hour body brushing and exfoliation, followed by a massage, mineral essential mud wrap, head massage, and moisturizing.

A registered national landmark, the L’Institut de Guerlain in Paris, France, was a family residence until 1939, when it became the Beauty Institute. The mostly Parisian clientele choose from more than 35 treatments including massages, hydrotherapy and facials. The One-Hour Express Facial consists of an exfoliation treatment, vaporizing, and pore-cleansing followed by a facial massage and mask. Couples rooms and spa dining are also available.

Kerubina Spa & Wellness, Budapest’s first five-star spa resort, is located 15 miles from the capital at the Polus Palace Thermal Golf Club Hotel. The inviting indoor-outdoor thermal pool is drawn from local hot springs and cooled to a soothing 90 degrees. The steam room is centered on an icy plunge pool and as guests move from this watery oasis to the treatment rooms, therapists provide sublime treatments such as the 90-minute Prestige Body Relax session with mud wrap and full-body massage.

A restored Georgian manor house, the Monart in County Wexford, Ireland, welcomes guests in the reception and common rooms, while most of the guest rooms and the 26,000-square-foot spa are housed in daringly modern buildings. In a large thermal suite, guests alternate between the hydrotherapy pool to the warm, dry caldarium, which offers views out toward the terraced lake and waterfall. The Monart Massage Expereince features a full-body pummel by two masseurs.

In remote western Sicily, near major archaeological sites, the Kempinski Giardino di Costanza resort features a 22,600-square-foot spa named for the noted Austrian aesthetician Daniela Steiner, show clinics in St. Mortiz and Mote Carlo are always packed. Clients receive treatments infused with Sicilian sea salt, volcanic clay, citrus fruit extracts, and olive essential oils. The 90-minute Sicilian High Salt Energizer is a salt peel followed by a warm bath in a pool seasoned with 220 pounds of Trapani sea salt. Huge floor candles create an atmosphere of total relaxation.

The new Six Senses Spa in Barcelona, Spain, stands over Barcelona’s urban shoreline and features amazing Mediterranean views. Spacious treatment rooms, a sun-soaked corner sauna, steam room, vitality bath, and ice fountain treat weary travelers. The Jet Lag Relief treatment offers 80 minutes of massage and acupressure. Guests may then recline on downy beds on the outdoor terrace to soak in the seascape.

About the Author: Geologix Inc. manufactures products using a proprietary formula featuring 34 natural minerals contained in the ancient sea water from the famous Michigan Basin — a concentration of minerals higher than that found in any known body of water in the world. Mineral Essentials focuses on spa, skin care, and massage products to moisturize and provide anti-aging protection for great skin.

Mineral Essentials

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