Ritz-Carlton Boston Common’s Un-Commonly Excellent Sports Club/LA Spa

A Spa Site Guest Article by Naomi Serviss, an award-winning travel/entertainment writer based in New York.

The Sports Club/LA spa, one of Boston’s newest destination day spas, can’t be faulted if it has a slight identity problem. For one thing, it abuts parent company’s’ Sports Club/LA, a $50 million, 100,000 square foot luxury club, and is located in the same building as the gorgeous new Ritz-Carlton Boston Commons.

Massage Therapy Room Gym Ball Court Sun Deck JER-NE Hotel Lobby Contact Information Sports Club/LA Spa Address: 4 Avery Street at Tremont (in the new Ritz-Carlton building near the Boston Commons) Boston, MA Phone: (617)375-8580 Web Site More Boston Spas • Boston's Giuliano Day Spa • Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston (Cambridge) • Day Spas in Massachusetts • Resort, Destination and Hotel Spas in Massachusetts About Naomi Serviss Email: naomiserviss@hotmail.com More Articles by Naomi Serviss

The Sports Club/LA, which opened a mere 8 months ago to raves, features over 40 fitness and recreational options under one roof, including a 10,000 square foot Weight Training Gym, a regulation size gymnasium for basketball, four squash courts, five group exercise studios, a lap swimming pool, a 100 piece cardio center, a flexibility/balance center, a Pilates studio, steam, sauna and a locker room concierge.

But the Sports Club/LA spa has nothing to fear. This facility is hands-down, the most immaculate, spacious, all-inclusive day spa I have yet to experience. Although still ironing out some personal service glitches, the young staff is eager to please and open to suggestion, always a good sign.

This is a fun place to visit, for lots of reasons. Definitely schedule time before your treatment just to explore and hang out in the beautiful, spanking-new Ritz-Carlton if only to lounge in the lobby and gaze at the elegantly simple artwork. The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, a few blocks away, is closed for renovation and this hotel opened just a few months ago. It’s not your mother’s Ritz-Carlton, that’s for sure. The lobby has been decorated with an understated touch of grace and contemporary gentility, from the less-is-more school of design.

You won’t find Ritz-typical lush floral arrangements and over-the-top décor. Rather, you’ll simple (still luxurious) touches of apple blossoms and parchment artworks on the wall. You haven’t even reached the spa yet, but its influences waft through the entire hotel, setting a mood of calm and tranquility. Even if you can’t stay overnight, you can order tea in the lobby while watching the Boston Brahmin float by. Or commit to a sit-down repaste in its charming new restaurant Jerne (pronounced “journey”), offering contemporary American cuisine with exotic flair. Then simply take the elevator to the fitness level, and be prepared to be wowed.

At first glance, the sight of this huge indoor space may be a little disconcerting, but soon you’ll appreciate the contemporary vibe. It’s busy without being crowded, filled with executives and out-of-towners hustling to their appointed workout with one of dozens of fitness instructors. Be on the lookout for celebrities, since this is a magnet for that rarified species who visit Beantown, according to Sports Club/LA personnel. Britney Spears made an appearance recently, working out on the treadmill, much to the delight of other fitness aficionados and staff.

This mini-city environment boasts Blu, a new club bar and grill, a children’s eatery, and a decidedly L.A.-inspired “museum” of SportsArt. The museum’s wares, displayed in glass-enclosures, consists of personally designed sneakers by the likes of Nancy Kerrigan, Bobby Orr, Steven Tyler, and others in the fitness and entertainment celebrity worlds.

Now, if you’re not too tired from taking in all the sights, it’s time to relax in Sports Club/LA spa, if you can find it. I had to ask directions, after getting lost in front of the Sports Club registration desk. Sheepishly, I headed 100 steps to the right to the proper location. I was reassured that I was not the only one to have a problem finding the right check-in place. Even if that was a fib, it was a nice one.

The good news: the spa offers individual or package treatments ranging from the Instant Gratification Package (neck and shoulder massage and facial) to the Ultimate Destination CitySpa Day (stone massage, muscle melt, oxygen facial, eye saver, green tea and ginger wrap and day of fitness at the Sport Club). The bad news: you have to chose which one to have.

I opted for a variation of the much-touted Muscle Melt (50 min), a signature aromasport massage that involves exfoliation, heat application and essential oil wrap. Since I was suffering a bit from computer syndrome (neck and shoulder strain) particular attention was focused on those two sore spots, with a minimum of essential oil applied. The exfoliation part was pleasant enough, but the subsequent shower dampened my enthusiasm because it contained a hand-held attachment. Those never seem to work as thoroughly as showers with multi-head attachments in the wall and this one was no exception. Plus, the water never got warm enough, so that part of the treatment was less than stellar. However, once I got back on the table and warmed up, things improved with the rest of the treatment.

My Sports Club/LA signature facial (50 min) took place in the same treatment room, so I didn’t have to set up shop elsewhere. This aromatherapy facial does the usual: cleansing, hydrating, nourishing and repairing. One caveat: if you don’t wish to be left with red splotches, ask the therapist to forgo the extraction process.

Other tempting treatments that would have beckoned save for lack of time, included: the stone massage (50 min), green tea-ginger wrap (50 min) and runner’s revenge (50 min) recommended not only for athletes, but for those who stand a lot at work.

Other Highlights

If you purchase two or more services, the Sports Club/LA spa coordinator will schedule a complimentary day of Body/Mind and fitness activities tailored just for you. The activities include: yoga, tai chi, Pilates, cardio, dance, muscle conditioning, basketball, tennis, squash or swimming. Or choose nothing and relax in the sauna or steam rooms (my favorite “activity). Specially designed parties can be created for celebrations, too.

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