In a recent Hyatt Hotels and Resorts survey of 500 corporate
travelers who made at least three business trips a year, 67% said they found it "hard
to stay on a diet when traveling," 61% tended to eat "less nutritious
foods" and 35% went to "a health club at least once a day."
Put a spin on the health-club concept, long a fixture in America's pursuit of well-being, and you have the new and exciting boomlet in spas across the nation and, in fact, in major business centers abroad.
Sports medicine massages. Loofah scrubs. Herbal wraps. Aromatherapy (fragrant oil treatments). Thalassotherapy (sea water and sea weed treatments). Even acupuncture. When you talk about these treatments - and their sensational success in reducing stress - you're in a world well beyond free weights and treadmills. And be prepared for sizable out-of-pocket expenses such as $75 for a massage, $75 for a body polish, $80 for a mud mask and $150 for sea flour contouring.
In the U. S. alone there are now some 600 so-called day spas, which in most cases cater to people on a fast track. You can get assistance in locating just the right one for you by contacting Spa-Finders (888/255-7727, www.spafinders.com), a booking agency that knows what each of the hundreds of different spas in its network has to offer. Or you can simply ask your hotel concierge for a recommendation.
In New York, for example, one of the best facilities is the Susan Ciminelli Day Spa in Bergdorf Goodman's penthouse. In San Francisco, Mister Lee, located in a three-story Victorian house on Nob Hill, is a good bet. So are Elizabeth Arden's Red Door Salons in Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Many of the city spas are no farther away than your own hotel. Four Seasons, Hilton, Hyatt, ITT Sheraton, Marriott, Renaissance and Ritz-Carlton are all providing - or building - spas for their executive traffic.
If you're choosing your hotels partly because of their health facilities, here is a sampling of some first-rate candidates - upscale hotels with spas (often managed by an outside firm) and sports facilities.
ATLANTA: Four Seasons. Health club, massages, steam room, whirlpool, sauna, nearby golf and tennis.
BEVERLY HILLS: Peninsula. Full fitness center and spa, pool, sauna, steam room, facial and body treatments, massages.
BOSTON: Ritz-Carlton. On-site fitness center. The more elaborate Le Pli Spa is a block away.
CHICAGO: Ritz-Carlton. Spa, sauna, full fitness center. Fairmont. Spa at the Athletic Club Illinois Center.
DALLAS: Crescent Court Hotel. Mind/body wellness center plus a complete spa, 30 exercise classes. Four Seasons Hotel and Resort (in suburban Las Colinas). Pools, spa, tennis, golf. Wyndham Anatole (formerly the LoewsAnatole). Huge spa and extensive sports facilities.
HOUSTON: Luxury Collection Sheraton (formerly the Ritz-Carlton). Health club, massages, golf.
MIAMI: Doral Golf Resort & Spa. Full range of spa facilities.
NEW YORK: The Peninsula (rooms closed for renovation). Spectacular penthouse spa (open). Drake Swissotel. An exclusive spa with facials, wraps and personal training.
PHOENIX: Marriott's Camelback Inn Resort, Golf Club & Spa. Full spa. The Phoenician. The Center for Well-Being. Pointe Hilton At Squaw Peak. The Toca Sierra Spa and Salon.
SAN DIEGO: Hilton Beach & Tennis Resort. The Villa diLusso Spa. La Costa Resort & Spa (in Carlsbad). Spa treatments, golf, tennis.
SEATTLE: Four Seasons Olympic. The Gene Juarez Salon & Spa.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Omni Shoreham. Fitness center, outdoor pool, hiking, jogging, tennis.
Among the best spas abroad for business travelers:
BANGKOK: Oriental. Fancy standalone spa, largely in teak woods, a three-minute boat ride across the Chao Phraya River from the hotel.
GENEVA: Le Mirador. Europe's first non-smoking luxury spa - a half hour from Geneva - with panoramic views of the lake and Alps.
LONDON: Berkeley. Roman-style rooftop spa. Dorchester. Elaborate luxury spa. Hyatt Carlton Tower. Top floor workout rooms and spa.
PARIS: Ritz. Aristocratic spa with pool. Royal Monceau. Chic spa downstairs. One measure of the new popularity of spas: The seven-year-old International Spa & Fitness Association now has 830 members - with Jane Segerberg of Sea Island's The Cloister as president.