A resort spa is a place where you can enjoy spa treatments while staying overnight. While a destination spa offers an overall immersion in healthy living and an opportunity for personal transformation, resort spas are more about providing a relaxing, pampering experience for people staying at the resort.
Resort spas come in a wide range of sizes and styles, from small privately owned inns like to the lavish, over-the-top resort spas in Hawaii. It's good to do your research before you go. You don't want to find out the "spa" is a hot tub, or one treatment room off the gym.
At a resort spa, you usually pay for your spa treatments a la carte instead of having them as part of the total package. The resort spa may or may not offer classes like yoga, and the selection is usually more limited than at a destination spa. There are a few exceptions. Golden Door Spa at The Boulders and The Spa at Camelback Inn in Scottsdale are two excellent resort spas that offer a hefty schedule of classes, free for anyone getting a treatment at the spa. The restaurants generally offer spa cuisine, but their real forte is the rich food that most people like to order when they're out on the town. For the new must-have amenity at resorts and hotels, so almost everyone says they have a spa. But make sure you know what you're getting into before you book. You don't want to find out that the "spa" is one hot tub treat
What You Need To Know About Resort Spas
* Large resort spas will have a wide range of activities, including golf, swimming, tennis, and sometimes water sports, horseback riding and skiing. Some also have kids' camps.
A hotel spa is in an urban setting. It can range from the splashy, over-the-top spas in Las Vegas to elegant, sophisticated spas like The Mandarin Oriental in New York City.
* Resort spas do not include meals. Destination spas include meals. Keep that in mind when you compare prices.
* You may have to pay anywhere from $10 to $20 for yoga or other exercise classes. Classes at destination spas are included.
* Many resorts have kids' camps. Destination spas don't allow children.
Resort Spas Are A Good Choice If:
* One wants to golf, the other to spa
* You want to eat -- and drink -- whatever you want.
* You have children
* You're a business traveler who needs a massage.
Destination Spas Are Good Choice If You:
* want to jumpstart a diet or healthy lifestyle
* want to be with like-minded people
* are traveling alone
* need to address specific health issues
* want to be nurtured after a loss
