South Florida's Spas Deliver Relaxation

Restful day beds await spa goers patronizing the Red Door Lifestyle Spa, a new 48,000-square-foot facility within the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure, Weston, FL.* 

 By Judy Colbert

Known for its sun, surf and swaying palm trees outdoors, Florida is also famed for such indoor pursuits as pampering spas. For 2007, the Sunshine State is abuzz with new offerings. Let’s check out a sampling of South Florida's luxuriating options.

Hyatt Key West Resort & Marina

By spring, the Hyatt Key West Resort & Marina (305-809-1234 or www.keywest.hyatt.com),  601 Front St., will complete a $9 million renovation. As a result, it will feature a new spa facility.

What spa treatments does the resort offer? A one-hour aromatherapy massage with essential oils from aromatic herbs, flowers and trees costs $95. A half-hour of foot or hand reflexology will stimulate reflex points that release tension and help nature to normalize bodily functions; the cost is $50. In-room spa services run an additional $20. .

One perk? The Hyatt is known as a great place to enjoy a decadent massage in a waterfront cabana? Guests can soak up the atmosphere while their bodies soak up the treatment in one of the three private poolside cabanas.

Hotel guests at the Hyatt Key West Resort might request a massage in a poolside cabana.*

Spa at the Breakers, Palm Beach

It’s all about treatment customization the Spa at the Breakers (888-273-2537 or www.thebreakers.com), 1 South County Rd., Palm Beach. Clients themselves decide on the length of their massage. The master therapist will customize a massage based on your body’s needs or your desires.

International favorites include a 25-minute “Dead Sea Salt Scrub,” priced at $100 for hotel guests and $115 for non-guests. An 80-minute “Sedona Mud Wrap” is $180 and $190 respectively, while a 50-minute “Seaweed Bubble Bath” is $160 and$175 respectively. The 50-minute “Local Citrus Bathing Ritual” uses Floridian oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit; it’s priced at $160 and $175 respectively.

Hyatt Regency Bonaventure, Weston, FL

Managing more than 70 spas and salons, Red Door Lifestyle Spa has opened a 48,000-square foot spa within the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure (954-616-1234 or www.reddoorspas.com),  250 Racquet Club Rd., Weston. The spa boasts a 400-square-foot hot yoga room, fully equipped Pilates studio and 2,000-square-foot movement studio.

Minamalist Asian-styled decor with a sheet of falling water comprises the lobby of the Red Door Lifestyle Spa at the Hyatt Bonaventure in Weston, FL.*

Need executive coaching, nutrition, wellness or hypnotherapy? This spa does all of that. It also offers 20 classes weekly including kickboxing, weight training, cycling, trekking and boot camp. Or, you might try colorgized cycling or yogalates.

Red Door features three-, five- or seven-day packages as well as day spa services. Pricing ranges from $1,400-$2,500 per person double for a three-day package to $4,500-$7,000 double for a weeklong escape. Each package includes deluxe accommodations, two to three treatments daily, breakfasts and lunches, and fitness classes.

Le Meridien Sunny Isles Beach

Rooted in European traditions, Le Spa at Le Meridien Sunny Isles Beach (305-503-6000 or www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien), 18683 Collins Ave., exudes the service that Le Méridien family is known for at its locations across the globe.

The exquisite 6,000-square-foot spa-and-fitness center provides exotic, yet refined spa treatments. Guests have 24-hour access to cardio, free weights and machine weights.

Take your spa services indoors or within an oceanside cabana. Try the “Glamorous Beach Body” package starting at $465 through the summer. It covers nutritional guidance, body-fat assessment, a personal training session, 50-minute Swedish massage, signature caviar facial, and manicure and pedicure.

The Ritz-Carlton Members Spa Club

Located near the Gulf of Mexico, the Ritz-Carlton Members Spa Club at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota (941-309-2000 or www.ritzcarlton.com/resorts/sarasota), 1111 Ritz-Carlton Dr., Sarasota, exemplifies elegance. Service is impeccable, treatments relaxing.

You may only access the spa if you are a club member or a hotel guest. The spa’s healing waters area features a sauna, steam bath and whirlpool in a tranquil, private setting. For those staying at the hotel, luxurious in-room amenities include Frette linens, microfiber terry robes and spa slippers.

Enjoy 75 minutes of “Hot-Stone Therapy” for $195. A 45-minute “Full-Body Tropical Sugar Glow Scrub” is priced at $135; the latter features cane sugar from Paraguay, maple syrup concentrates, and oils of organic sunflower, avocado, jojoba and macadamia. The 90-minute “Prada Exfoliant Visage,” priced at $275, will aim for long-lasting hydration for dull facial skin.

nReagan Spa

Regardless of where you’re staying in Palm Beach County, you’re sure to hear about the new nReagan Spa, (561-278-8111 or www.nreaganspa.com), 10 North Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach.

Nancy Reagan -- no relation to the former First Lady -- opened the 11,000-square-foot, two-story spa in late 2006.

First, you might unwind in the Tranquility Lounge or steam facilities. Services offered include the “nReagan Signature Spa Massage” designed to increases circulation, strengthen connective tissues and the immune system, improve mental alertness and promote more restful sleep. Cost is 60 minutes for $105 or 90 minutes for $155.

Expectant mothers beyond their first trimester might try the hour-long “9 ½ Months” prenatal massage for $160. It is designed to alleviate fatigue, backaches and swollen feet with special cushions providing support.

To continue your spa experience at home, try the new nBODY line of moisturizers and exfoliaters in 18 fragrances, each created by Reagan. Pick up Hot Coco Loco Nights, Almond Biscotti or Cool as a Cucumber. Each lotion costs $12 for eight ounces. A four-ounce bottle of body scrub is $8.

Judy Colbert is a native of Washington, D.C., and the author of Virginia: Off the Beaten Path and Maryland and Delaware: Off the Beaten Path. She also specializes in Florida and spa coverage.

*Photos are owned, copyrighted and used with permission of the Red Door Lifestyle Spa/Hyatt Regency Bonaventure and the Hyatt Key West Resort. All rights reserved. Please do not link to nor copy these photos. Thank you.