The Best Spas in America

Conde Nast Traveler has just hit the newsstands with its annual "Top 50 Spas" in the April issue. It's worth picking up, even though I take readers' polls with a grain of salt. The general public is usually a little behind the times, sending in rave reviews for someplace they went five years ago (even though they're instructed to include only places they went to recently) and missing the most interesting new spas that have just opened.

Results can be influenced by organized write-in campaigns -- the business buys a bunch of issues with ballots and has friends and employees fill them in (or sends them to vote on-line.) If you want some guidance on where to go, it's a good starting point. Just do additional research while planning your spa trip to make sure you're going to get the kind of spa experience you're looking for.

And the winners are:

Best Destination Spa: Miraval Life in Balance in Tucson, Arizona

Best Resort Spa: Four Seasons Resort Hualalai Spa, Big Island.

Best Urban Hotel Spa: Peninsula Spa, Chicago

Best Cruise Line Spa: Radisson Seven Seas Cruise Line

Best Resort Spa for Setting: Four Seasons Resort, Nevis in the Caribbean.

Best Resort Spa for Programs: Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

Best Resort Spa for Treatments: Kohler Waters Spa at the American Club in Kohler, Wisc.

Best Resort Spa Service: Kohler Waters Spa at the American Club in Kohler, Wisc.