AFFORDABLE LUXURY
"A lot of excellent spas are reasonably priced," says Elden, citing Glen Ivy's $25 entrance fee for a day's worth of hot spring and clay bath treatments as a rejuvenating bargain. "Look for day spas where you can bathe all day in different rooms or therapeutic pools," Elden advises. "These are the best choices for day-long relaxation at the best price," she says, "and if you've got chronic conditions such as arthritis or back trouble, you may also get some pain relief."
In urban and suburban areas, beauty industry giants such as Avon and Estee Lauder offer upmarket day spa services in luxurious surroundings. Estee Lauder does a brisk business in full-service treatments such as their jet lag hydrating facial with aromaspa lymphatic leg therapy, which costs $120. "This treatment revives dehydrated skin and also works on the legs to promote circulation," says Cherie Flannigan, executive director of spa marketing for Estee Lauder. "Although it's designed for people who want to recover from plane travel, it's a popular treatment because it re-energizes the mind and body so well." Male customers are most often found having sports pedicures or massages at the Estee Lauder spa.
THE WELLNESS TREND
The 20,000 square foot Avon Centre Spa Salon Store in New York City's Trump Tower caters to native female and male executives as well as tourists who need some respite from the rigors of mid-town Manhattan. Replete with spacious facial and massage rooms, saunas and Vichy showers that rain down from the ceiling to rinse off patrons in a post-treatment trance, the Avon spa stresses overall wellness, inside and out. Says Wendy Clark, general manager of the Avon Centre Spa Salon Store, "The rejuvenating spa experience is becoming part of everyday life."
