Bellissimo Spa & Salon in Gulfport, Mississippi

Spas

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Spas

Until recently, when I thought of Mississippi and gambling, images of Mark Twain and riverboats would come to mind. That has changed since I visited Gulfport. The Grand Casino and Oasis Hotels offer a wonderful alternative for gambling and the Bellissimo Spa & Salon as a bonus. The casinos in Gulfport and Biloxi are far less pushy, offer lower table stakes, and are much friendlier than Atlantic City and offer less sensory overload than Las Vegas. The Grand Casino Hotel offers comfortable, reasonably priced rooms and is located right on the Gulf of Mexico. The casino, however, is located in it. Mississippi does not permit casinos on its soil, but will allow them in its waters, so all of the casinos in Gulfport and Biloxi are built over the water. During one hurricane, ship-shaped Treasure Island actually floated out to sea.

Bellissimo Spa was remodeled in 1999 and moved from the Grand Casino Hotel across the street to more a more spacious location in the Oasis Hotel. The casino and hotels are all connected by elevated walkways, so you never have to go outside if you don't want to. There is a salon, a fitness area featuring weight training and cardiovascular conditioning equipment, and separate men's and women's spa areas each with their own lounge, locker area, sauna, steam bath, and immersion tubs. However, many of the treatment rooms can be accessed from either side to maximize use of the space and equipment. The decor is in soft beiges and in many ways reminds me of spas I visited in Los Vegas (the same spa designer, perhaps?). There was one major difference - I practically had the spa to myself. I arrived an hour early to relax and enjoy the steam, sauna, and immersion tubs and I never saw more than 2 other women. Quite a contrast to Los Vegas where I was one of 15 or so using the whirlpool or waiting for a spa service. I attribute this to the time of year. I love traveling in May. The weather is great and families aren't traveling yet.

Bellissimo Spa offers a broad range of services - massage, body treatments, hydrotherapy, skin care, nail, hand and foot care. I opted for the Hydrotherapy Treatment followed by the Signature Aromatherapy Massage Treatment. The Hydrotherapy Treatment was done in a hydrotherapy tub - a bathtub with very high walls and many, many water jets (a Jacuzzi on steroids). Eve, who was also my massage therapist, added a mixture of green algae, juniper and cypress essential oils, Divinity aromatherapy oil by Judith Jackson, and sea salt to the water for detoxing, adjusted the water jets and let me enjoy the water massage. Other than the occasional splash in the face, it was a thoroughly relaxing experience. When the time was almost up, Eve directed a small Scotch Hose to massage my legs, arms and back with even more water. Too bad hydrotherapy tubs cost ~$10,000 or I'd be tempted to get one for myself. The aromatherapy massage turned out to be a lymphatic drainage massage using Tenderly aromatherapy oil by Judith Jackson. The massage was done with a light touch and its purpose is detox. It was quite pleasant and Eve was very proficient and knowledgeable. A nice feature of this location is its direct access to the beach. When you are done with your spa treatments, you can relocate to a chair under an umbrella and continue relaxing on the beach.