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Nathaniel Altman has written 20 books including
"Healing Springs: The Ultimate Guide to Taking the Waters" COMPARE
PRICES and "Sacred Water: The Spiritual Source of Life" COMPARE
PRICES.
His interest in and knowledge of US healing waters is evident in The Spa
Towns section of "The Cheapskate's Guide to Spas." Did you
know that the sulphur-rich waters of Pagosa Springs, Colorado were
famous for healing skin diseases and wounds? Or that the waters of
Sharon Springs in New York were touted for healing everything from
hemorrhoids to certain forms of paralysis? Altman presents 56 places to
enjoy the waters and other spa services in 12 US spa towns across the
US. For each town, he describes the healing water history as well as the
current state of renovation. For instance, he describes Eureka Springs,
Arkansas as a famous Victorian spa town - once heralded as
"America's Medicine Teepee." The waters were particularly good
for arthritis, joint pains and muscle aches. Unfortunately, the
legendary springs became polluted and present-day spas use municipal
water. He notes the best time of year to visit and where to spa. One of
the places he recommends is the Palace Hotel and Bath House, built in
1901 and recently restored to its "former Victorian glory."
The renovated Bath House allows you to "experience the soothing
bliss of a warm whirlpool bath with added mineral salts in one of the
bathhouse's original claw-foot tubs [$14] and enjoy a hot eucalyptus
steam bath in the same wood barrels [$8] that previous generations of
travelers used over a century ago." He provides descriptions of the
facilities and services along with prices, lodging at the property (or
nearby if lodging is not offered), dining at the property and nearby,
how to get there and good things to know. For example, he notes that the
spa at the Palace Hotel and Bath House is accessible only by walking
down a long flight of stairs.
The Destination Spas section of the book includes lower-priced spas
that do not necessarily have mineral or hot springs, but many do. Altman's
term "destination spa" includes a broader range of spas than
the ISPA definition. He includes "places where you'd like to spend
several days to several weeks...the vast majority provide in-house
accommodation and places to eat." Many of the properties on his
list are what the industry calls resort or hotel spas. He divides this
section into the East, Central and West. He treats these properties the
same as in The Spa Towns section, providing a nice description of the
property, facilities and services offered, lodging available, special
deals, dining options, other things that are good to know and whether
children and/or pets are allowed. There are a number of spas that are
new to me (which is always a delight) as well as those that have
appeared on numerous "best-buy" lists. The majority are
located in California and Colorado but spas in 25 states from Maine to
Hawaii and Florida to Alaska can be found. Examples of spa bargains
included in this section are the following:
-
Lido Spa Hotel and Health Resort in Florida - Off-season rates as
low as $72/night include three meals daily, use of spa facilities,
daily massage, individual dietary supervision, medical consultation,
and courtesy car service within a 50-blook radius of the resort.
-
The Springs International Spa in Florida - Admission is $10/day
(adult) for use of bath house, warm spring and grounds which have
hiking trails. Swedish massage, hot stone massage, reiki,
therapeutic touch ($45/hour).
-
Chico Hot Springs Resort in Montana - Open
air mineral pools ($5.50/day or free to overnight guests). Massage
therapy ($55/hr).
- Chena Hot Springs Resort in Alaska - Pools
($10/day adult). Massage therapy ($60/hour).
-
El Dorado Hot Springs in Arizona - Soaking pools ($5/hour).
Therapeutic massage, Tibetan bowl resonant relaxation, reflexology
and aromatherapy ($1/minute).
-
Jacumba Hot Spring Spa in California - Day guest pool use ($8).
Deep muscle and Swedish massage ($50/hour).
Altman lists three resort spas under The Destination
Spas section that I don't believe belong with the others:
- Chateau Elan Spa in Georgia - The spa treatment
prices are right at industry average or above at this spa. Lodging
is "not inexpensive" according to Altman. The only
"bargain" is day guests may use the facilities for $20-$35
depending on the day of the week. Frankly, if that's the only
criteria, there could be hundreds of spas added to this list.
-
The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa in North Carolina - While this
is a lovely, unique spa - one of my favorites - it is no bargain.
You pay dearly for the unique experience. Hotel guests pay $35 a day
to use the facilities while non-guests pay $50 (price applies to spa
treatments, if any). Altman cites an overnight rate of $139
mid-week, off-season. I can tell you from personal experience that,
even with a reasonable room rate, you will make up the difference in
spa treatments and food. My husband and I spent over $40 for a
breakfast one morning that would have cost less than $10 at a Waffle
House.
- The Homestead in Virginia - Altman cites 15- to
25-minute baths for $25 at this resort spa. While that may seem like
a low price, a dollar a minute for an unattended bath seems high to
me. You can find places that offer $1/minute massages (Alman lists
some). Additionally, no spa-lover would be satisfied with a
15-minute treatment. The reflexology massage is $100 for 50 minutes
- no bargain there. Rooms range from $285 - $325 / night per person
- no bargain there. This is a resort where guests dress for high tea
in the afternoon - not the kind of place that
"cheapskates" frequent. However, I would recommend, as
Altman does, the nearby Jefferson Pools.
With that said, let me state
that I enjoyed reading "The Cheapskate's Guide to Spas." With
the above exceptions, Altman has assembled a great list of spas that
deserve note for making the spa experience attainable to a larger
population due to the lower prices they charge. |
