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Sweet Surrender
WHERE uncovers the city's best and most indulgent spa services. by Michelle Madhok
This feature article is from a past issue of WHERE magazine. Please be aware that the information in this article may be out of date and should be verified before planning your trip.
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The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, New York. |
New York, long famous for its breakneck lifestyle, is now the authority in the art of relaxation. For the visitor in search of a spa break—whether it be the plushest, the most unusual or the most secret locale—here are our suggestions for where to go to get rubbed, scrubbed and styled.
FIVE-STAR INDULGENCES: When it comes to sky’s-the-limit blissing out, New York boasts some of the most extravagant and tranquil spas to be found in an urban environment.
• A gem in the glittering Time Warner Center, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, New York (80 Columbus Circle at 60th Street,     1-212-805-8880 www.mandarinoriental.com) swung open its doors in early 2004. The stunning views of Manhattan from the 35th and 36th floors are rivaled only by the architecture and décor within the spa itself. No expense has been spared on the bamboo flooring and gold-leaf millwork. Guests do not book a specific service here, but rather a “time ritual.” The two-hour “time ritual” costs $380. Among the treatments available here are jet-lag reviving massages, chakra balancing with hot stones and vitality pools with bubbling benches that elevate the body as they bring the heart down to a meditative state.
• Newly remodeled, The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York (57 E. 57th St. between Madison and Park avenues, 1-212-350-6420) uses high-tech “sensory enhancers” to induce a desired state of relaxation as quickly as possible. The sound-and-light therapy is a must-try for those whose brains run a mile a minute. Eyeshades produce lights and earphones produce sound waves that simultaneously massage body and subconscious. For those looking for a more earthly experience, there is the Microcurrent Instant Lift Facial. This technique incorporates herbs and soothing light and lymph stimulation techniques to give skin a radiant glow.
• Located in Trump Tower, where a few failed apprentices may have slipped in for a rubdown after a brutal competition on television’s hottest reality show, Avon Salon and Spa (725 Fifth Ave. between 56th and 57th streets, 1-212-755-2866) is a soothing green oasis. You can easily spend a whole day here enjoying treatments for body and hair. The Mosaic Body Polish is a sure way to get down and dirty with rough skin. If dry hair is a problem, check out the Four Seasons Hair Spa Treatment. A customized mask is created, based on hair color: Blondes are treated to a mask composed of sliced lemons and/or oranges, while brunettes’ thirsty strands are treated with a coffee bean or black chai tea mask. Relief for bushy brows can be found at Eliza’s Eyes, home to celebrity eyebrow shaper Eliza Petrescu and her trainees. Men, too, swear allegiance to Eliza and her tweezers.
• The stately Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, is home to one of the city’s most elegant spas, La Prairie at the Ritz-Carlton Spa (50 Central Park South at Sixth Avenue, second floor, 1-212-521-6135). Prepare to be treated like royalty. The staff outfits you with Frette robes and treats you to flutes of champagne. Spa treatments incorporate high-end Swiss skincare line, La Prairie, treasured for centuries by Europe’s upper class for its anti-aging properties. Dry skin sufferers should sign up for the Luxe Moisture Indulgence, a full-body exfoliation, massage and moisturizing treatment using Skin Caviar Luxe Cream.
• The luxury spa experience in Manhattan will be redefined in late summer when the Cornelia spa—vision of famed aesthetician Cornelia Zicu, former head aesthetician of The Peninsula Spa in The Peninsula New York Hotel—opens. For those who can’t wait for a taste of the clear complexions Cornelia’s devoted clients experience, you can book an appointment at her temporary facility in a private suite at the Helmsley Carlton House (680 Madison Ave. at 61st Street, suite 1503, 1-212-759-9375).
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| The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York. |
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LOCAL FAVES: When it’s time to check into a day spa for a little R & R, you can be sure that residents have divined the best in the city. Here are several small sanctuaries and swanky neighborhood escapes where New Yorkers schedule their maintenance.
• Christine Chin proudly refers to herself as the Queen of Mean. Her purpose in spa-land is to make your face look perfect—not to tell you white lies. So, if she doesn’t like the way your brows arch, she’ll let you know. The Christine Chin Spa (79 Rivington St. between Allen and Orchard streets, 1-212-353-0503 www.christinechin.com) is a bare-bones salon, where Chin nimbly extracts pimples with her magic fingers and spends half an hour layering brows. Having perfect Chin-approved skin is addictive, and appointments are hard to come by. You’ll be fighting for a booking with the likes of Gisele Bundchen and Penelope Cruz, but there are usually last-minute cancellations, so give it a try.
• Although New Yorkers know her primarily for her beautiful scents, Londoners know Jo Malone for her facials. After interviewing 100 New York aestheticians, Malone has blessed us with a stateside protégée, aesthetician extraordinaire, Andrea DeSimone, who spent six weeks under the tutelage of Malone herself learning the proprietary technique of facial massage and the customization of products for every skin type. Amber Valletta gets her tired city skin rejuvenated by DeSimone with an hour and a half of massage, application of Malone’s products and natural solutions such as a plain yogurt mask. No electrodes or chemical peels are allowed at Jo Malone (949 Broadway between 22nd and 23rd streets, 1-212-673-2220 www.jomalone.com).
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| Avon Salon and Spa. |
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UNUSUAL TREATMENTS: New York spas constantly strive to innovate. For the true spa adventurer, a basic massage or facial simply will not do. Try these “only in New York” services.
• A visit to Amorepacific (114 Spring St. between Mercer and Greene streets, 1-212-966-0400) begins with a test. You are asked to review a variety of images on a computer screen and select which appeals to your mood the most. Based on your answers, the Amorepacific technician decides if you are in need of balance to your Water, Earth, Metal, Tree or Fire element during the Five-Element Healing Treatment. Each 110-minute facial begins with a deep cleansing and enzymatic peel followed by botanically infused steam to prepare the skin for extractions. Next, depending on your diagnosis, the aesthetician performs one of five Element Healing massages for face, neck and shoulders to balance your energy. To attend to the whole body, a gentle arm and hand massage and reflexology-influenced foot and leg massage are performed before a final reconditioning with toner. Bamboo sap spray completes the treatment, locking in moisture.
• For those who have endured the sting of hot wax long enough, an adventure in threading is a must. Predominantly used in South Asia, threading is the process by which a cosmetologist removes facial hairs by the root with a thread. Threading does not pull on the skin and is therefore considered less painful than waxing. The technique also allows for a more precise shaping of the brow. News of Shobha and its two locations (SoHo: 594 Broadway between Houston and Prince streets, suite 403, 1-212-931-8363; Midtown: 595 Madison Ave. at 57th Street, suite 1403, 1-212-223-2872 www.shobhathreading.com) has spread through the New York brow-fanatic scene, and raves about the salon have shown up in Vogue and The New York Times.
• More than a spa, Exhale (150 Central Park South between Sixth and Seventh avenues and 980 Madison Ave. between 76th and 77th streets, second floor, 1-212-249-3000 for both locations www.exhalespa.com) is a place to get mind and body back into shape. Body therapies at Exhale are serious and remedy-focused. Featured treatments include Table Thai Massage, which incorporates pressure points, breathing and a series of passive stretching exercises to increase range of motion. Exhale also offers acupuncture massage, performed by a licensed acupuncturist to treat aches, pains or health issues. Before returning to the city’s mean streets, extend your sense of well-being and stop by Exhale’s organic café for a nourishing tea ritual. 
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Publication Date: 5/2004 |
