Burt and Price have updated their choices for the top spas throughout the world in this second edition of "100 Best Spas of the World." As in the first edition, they do not rank them. "There is no best spa," state Burt and Price. "Each was selected as a unique example of world-class accommodations and service that create memorable experiences." The book is organized by location - North America, Europe, India/Africa, Middle East, Pacific Rim, Caribbean Islands and the Bahamas, South America and Spas at Sea. The spas were selected for unique combinations of facilities, treatments, and programs. They used the same criteria as in the 2000 edition:

• Design

• Experience

• Treatments

• Products

• Sense of Place

• Staffing

• Cuisine

• Cleanliness

• Facilities

• The Journey

The second edition of "100 Best Spas of the World" includes 75 destination spas and resorts from the book's first edition. While the book's title promises 100 spas, the reader is treated to closer to 125 spas. As in the first edition, the authors group a number of spas together under the title of "spa town." For instance, Palm Springs lists 10 spas under its "spa town" listing, Scottsdale lists 5, Bad Woerishofen in Germany lists 7, Budapest in Hungary lists 7 and The Dead Sea in Israel lists 5. Featured for the first time are day spas in Miami, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas; urban spas in three British cities (London, Bath, and Edinburgh); resorts in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Florida, Utah, Arizona, The Bahamas, Barbados, and Puerto Rico; and destinations in Uruguay, South Africa, Mallorca (Spain), Mexico, and the Republic of the Maldives.

New Spas Listed in the Second Edition of "100 Best Spas of the World"

1. Acquabella Spa at Arabella Sheraton Resort, South Africa
2. Badrutt's Palace Hotel, St. Moritz, Switzerland
3. Banyan Tree Resort, Republic of the Maldives
4. Bath Spa, Bath, England
5. Chewton Glen Hotel, Health & Country Club, Hampshire, England
6. Cranwell Resort & Golf Club, Lenox, Massachusetts
7. Elemis Spa at The Aladdin Casino-Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
8. Four Seasons Resort Carmelo, Uruguay
9. The Golden Door at Wyndham El Conquistador Resort, Puerto Rico
10. JW Marriott Cancun Resort, Mexico
11. Judith Jackson SeaSpa, Radisson Seven Seas Mariner
12. Kohler Waters Spa at The American Club, Kohler, Wisconsin
13. Mandara Spa at The Ocean Club, Nassau, The Bahamas
14. Mandarin Oriental Hotel, London, England
15. Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Miami, Florida
16. Marriott Harbor Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
17. Marriott Son Antem Resort & Country Club, Mallorca, Spain
18. Mii amo Spa at Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona
19. The One Spa at Edinburgh Sheraton Hotel, Scotland
20. Mauna Lani Resort, Hawaii's Big Island
21. Sandy Lane Hotel & Golf Club, Barbados
22. Scottsdale, Arizona (Golden Door at The Boulders, Marriott's Camelback Inn, Sanctuary at Camelback Mtn., Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Princess)
23. Spa Mystique at The Century Plaza Westin Hotel, Los Angeles
24. Steiner Ocean Spa, M/S Prinsendam, Holland America Line
25. Sundance Resort, Utah

The authors dedicate two pages for each individual spa and 2-4 pages for spa towns. They discuss what makes the spas outstanding and provide a large sidebar that includes essential information such as:

• Address, Phone, Fax, Web Site

• Seasons Open

• General Manager

• Spa Director

• Fitness Director

• Reservations Number

• Accommodations (# rooms, room styles & sizes, # guests)

• Meals (where provided, type of cuisine)

• Facilities

• Services & Special Programs

• Rates ($, $$, $$$)

• Best Spa Package

• Credit Cards Accepted

• Getting There (accessibility to transportation)

• What's Nearby

Again, this book has lots of color photos making it much easier to imagine an experience at these best-of-class spas. The second edition of "100 Best Spas of the World" has been added to my spa library, and I look forward to enjoying it as much as I enjoyed the 2000 edition.