After a busy day of ax throwing and adventuring around The Lodge at Blue Sky, the 3,500 acres in the Wasatch Mountains outside of Park City, I’m happy to sip a glass of High West whiskey and relax in the night The distillery is actually on the grounds of the property, so it’s a natural fit. Only I’m not at the beautiful lodge bar, or even by the fireplace in the living room. I wear a robe to the hotel’s Edge Spa, and my feet are scrubbed with a mixture that includes water, salt, sage and, yes, more High West whiskey.
It’s part of the hotel’s 90-minute High West Whiskey Rubdown, a signature treatment that includes the aforementioned glass of whiskey and a foot scrub, along with a lengthy massage. Throw in some warm towels and a dreamy scalp stimulant (who doesn’t love a good head scratch?) and you’ve got yourself an extremely serene spa session. And this High West sure beats cucumber water or green tea served with your typical massage.
Think you can’t enjoy a drink, a real, honest drink, while you’re at the spa? think again We’ve shown you the best booze hotels in the world and now, get ready for the luxury hotels with the best and most booze massages and spa treatments.
Mind you, you don’t want to overdo it, but with a little moderation, your favorite adult beverage can take a standard wellness ritual to the next level. We’re all adults here, right? While I personally never need an excuse to indulge in a great massage at a high-end hotel, if you’re in need of some (liquid) encouragement or maybe just looking for a different view, these hedonistic spas. rituals have you covered.
Spa time is non-negotiable at the Four Seasons New Orleans.
Christian Horan/Four Seasons
Four Seasons New Orleans: The Southern Gentleman
The Sazerac is the official cocktail of New Orleans, and you’d be remiss if you didn’t have at least one during a visit to the city. So why not check it off your list while you get a massage?
The Southern Gentleman Therapeutic Massage at Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans uses a warm house-infused rye whiskey as the massage oil, then serves a Sazerac paired with seasonal refreshments after the treatment.
The massage itself is designed to relieve common stress areas for guys, such as the back, neck, shoulders and feet. You’ll feel rejuvenated enough to dress up and hit the town to, well, go ahead and order another Sazerac.
Dr. Wilkinson’s offers more traditional mineral pools, but we’re here for the beer.
Emma Morris
Hinotani Onsen Misugi Resort: Beer Onsen
The beer spa is something that has caught on from Germany to Iceland, but they are usually found in their own establishments. Hinotani Onsen Misugi Resort, however, went in a new direction with a riff on the Japanese onsen, featuring traditional and ubiquitous natural hot springs as well as spas and man-made pools, introducing the in-house beer spa and opening the japan first beer onsen.
The beer is poured directly into the onsen; the property boasts that it can rejuvenate your skin. However, to be on the safe side, you can also book the property’s special beer room, a hotel stay with taps built into the accommodation to keep the suds flowing and, of course, make sure your skin be smooth as silk. Just two hours outside of Tokyo, this is a must-see attraction on your next trip to Japan.
For something closer to home, though, consider going to Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort. Built in 1952 and considered one of Calistoga’s first resorts, the Napa Valley Hotel just underwent a major renovation in 2021. They now offer the Beer Brew treatment, a mineral hot tub with fresh hops , dry brewer’s yeast, malt and barley. Drink a local beer while you become one.
Trust me, barbecuing is an essential part of a well-rounded wellness routine.
Rancho Peixador
Fisherman’s Ranch: Hangover Experience
At Rancho Pescadero in Todos Santos, Mexico, the resort preaches a judgment-free form of wellness, exemplified by its hangover experience. It’s not a massage, but it’s a completely modern form of self-care and it gives you what you need most. Barbecue is roasted in an underground pit while you indulge in traditional local drinks like pulque and tepache around the fire. After spending the night slowly roasting underground, the meat is ready to be enjoyed with fresh trout from the comal, feeding you back to life.
“The whole process is about engagement, an intimate involvement with food and the communal ritual of it,” says Lisa Harper, founder of the property, who also notes that the experience is based on indigenous practices. “The focus is wellness even more than wellness and teaching guests that it’s not about restrictions, it’s about having balance and living fully.”
When you need more of a boost to your well-being while at the property, which reopens this fall after a four-year renovation, pick fresh-from-the-orchard citrus and garden herbs to infuse into seasonal cocktails, or head directly to a wine. -Meal pairing in the garden after a spa treatment.
Hilton Aruba: Aruba Ariba Treatment
The Aruba Ariba is one of the Caribbean cocktails intrinsically linked to its place of origin, and in this case, its namesake. It was created at the Hilton Aruba, which originally opened in 1959 as the first hotel in what is now Palm Beach’s doorstop.
The on-site Eforea Spa takes its acclaimed creation in a new direction with a massage that incorporates a watermelon, basil and vodka body polish and cranberry-orange aromatherapy. However, the spa’s signature treatment is the Aloe Vera, Rum and Piedra Cayente massage, which uses agave nectar oil enriched with rum and Aruban aloe vera.
Meneghetti Wine Hotel: Wine therapy
The newly opened Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery wants to highlight its legitimate winemaking roots as much as possible. Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, the Relais & Châteaux property in Istria, Croatia, produces 10 wine labels and five olive oils, and has its own winery and cellar on site.
After a hard day of tasting, consider their wine therapy treatment, which begins with a grape body scrub. Your massage is then performed with a red wine serum, which incorporates the antioxidants and polyphenols of the wine, as well as a cold-pressed grape oil.
However, don’t ignore their olive oil production as they also offer an Olive Oil Therapy session.
Mystique Hotel: ritual treatment of the Aegean
Nestled among the cliffs of Oia, Santorini’s stunning Mystique Hotel pays homage to the abundance of amazing ingredients found in its home region with the ritual treatment of the Aegean. The massage incorporates local ingredients such as honey, bee pollen and royal jelly, along with Cretan crocus flowers, and then concludes with the application of a red grape and raki gel, designed to hydrate the skin and stimulate the mood.
The raki in this case is more specifically tsikoudia, the characteristic pomace brandy of Crete. A chilled shot of the drink is offered alongside a fruit plate when the massage is complete.
Cape Fahn: Tropical touch
Located on a private island near Koh Samui, Thailand, Cape Fahn probably doesn’t have to do much other than get there to make sure you feel relaxed. But for an extra push in the right direction, try the Tropical Touch treatment at the on-site Cape Spa.
The massage uses a house-made coconut rum oil, and when the treatment has concluded, you can head straight to the Long Dtai terrace to enjoy the Once Upon a Time in Samui cocktail, served with a fresh coconut shell. Or opt for the Bubbles treatment, with an aromatic steam bath followed by a serving of prosecco accompanied by a selection of desserts and a massage with the same coconut rum oil.
Massages with Tequila, Facial and Body Wraps
If the wealth of great drinking tequilas available today still hasn’t convinced you that the spirit isn’t just for turning the volume up to 11, maybe a massage or two can show you tequila’s lower attributes.
“Tequila has healing benefits for the body, and at Vidanta you can enjoy all the analgesic and anti-inflammatory qualities of tequila soaked in your skin and tissues, while its spirited aroma helps you relax, all without worrying hangover tea”. says Svetlana Nadirova, Wellness Director of Spatium spas of the tourism group. At three of its properties, including locations in Riviera Maya, Los Cabos and Nuevo Vallarta, Vidanta offers a tequila body massage. Enjoy an 80-minute treatment with tequila oil and margarita aromatherapy, followed by a real margarita at the end of the session.
At Grand Velas’ Riviera Nayarit and Los Cabos locations, try the Tequila Cream Massage. The property’s SE Spa offers 50- or 80-minute sessions that include a tasting of coffee, vanilla and chocolate tequila creams. The tequila cream itself is incorporated into the massage, which also includes the spa’s Water Journey, a hydrotherapy ritual incorporating numerous hot and cold sauna facilities.
If you haven’t had enough tequila yet, head to the Punta de Mita W for their Local Agave and Tequila Facial. An agave-based face mask removes impurities, and after a neck, shoulder and arm massage, you get a parting gift of a shot of lime tequila.
Last but not least, at Naum Wellness & Spa at Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya, body wraps incorporate local ingredients like agave and tequila. But they also celebrate Baja California’s growing wine production. In this case, grapes are mixed with a gentle scrub and grape oil mask, and guests are treated to a glass of wine after the treatment.
CBD oils, followed by CBD cocktails
If you’re staying at Alyeska Resort in Alaska, visit the on-site Nordic Spa for an exclusive treatment, such as the Alyeska Forest Therapeutic Massage or the Nordic Signature Massage, the latter of which includes sauna elements cold and hot Either way, opt for a CBD oil supplement to help you relax completely, with Simple Jane Co.’s On The Mend Oil. designed to elevate the body and mind, relieve inflammation and speed recovery from training. You can even pair it with one of the hotel’s CBD cocktails.
At La Quinta Resort & Club in Palm Springs, California, you can sign up for the Vybes Calm & Balance CBD Massage. Therapeutic grade CBD oil is used to deepen body and mind relaxation, and relieve muscle and joint tension, during a 50 or 80 minute massage. Afterwards, rehydrate with a hemp and CBD Vybes drink. La Quinta, however, is impartial as to which drink you prefer, so you can choose the Wine Down Massage. Start with a flight of wine, then enjoy a massage with essential oils that match the aromatics of the wine. Continue with a glass of your favorite in-flight wine after the treatment.
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