One or two viewings of “The Godfather” probably were enough for most women, but men worship the first chapter of Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola’s epic family drama as if it were a religious text.
Thus, with the memory of Moe Greene’s bloody final session with a masseuse vivid in his mind, who could blame a guy for approaching a first trip to a hotel’s health and fitness center with trepidation? That, or mortal fear they’ll be kidnapped by a wife or girlfriend and forced to undergo a regimen of manicures, pedicures and facials.
Most men imagine such an ordeal would be about as pleasurable as catching a bullet in the eye from one of Don Vito Corleone’s henchmen. In all likelihood, however, they’d probably walk away from the experience with a newfound respect for the curative powers of kneading hands, tweezers and herbal wraps.
Gentlemen, welcome to the wonderful world of spas.
“When it comes to treatments, facials, even massages, men put up a real barrier,” suggests Suellyn Morro, director of spa services at Caesars Palace. “But, once they realize how good they are for the skin–and how really relaxing they can be–many of our male customers come back for more.”
Not that women take full advantage of the services offered by Las Vegas’ new generation of spas.
If, in the past, men generally limited their treatments to the occasional “rubdown” and whirlpool bath, women seemed to gravitate to a hotel’s salon. Here, in addition to a glossy nail job, they could have their coiffure poofed up by the resident hairdresser, in preparation for a big evening waiting in line to see Wayne Newton.
To be fair, up until two or three years ago, workout and spa facilities tended to be on the spartan side, except in such posh outposts as Caesars and the now-shuttered Desert Inn. The stationary bikes, free weights and Nautilus machines presented a less inviting alternative to the slots than lounging by the pool, slathered in coconut oil.
The era of the $100-million-plus mega-resort–launched a decade ago by Steve Wynn–conveniently coincided with the arrival of a younger, more health-conscious generation to the Las Vegas scene. For hotels to be able to compete with health clubs back home for respect, they had to reconsider everything they knew about the business.
It wasn’t long before hotel executives discovered that their upgraded facilities could stand on their own as profit centers, alongside the new breed of restaurants and retail outlets.
Although, historically, casinos have tended to cater more toward men when it came to fitness centers–perhaps because, until recently, high rollers were gender specific–women have been in the forefront of their current movement. They tend to be far more receptive to the idea of sampling exotic treatments, buying overpriced cosmetics and giving the high-tech machines a good workout.
Almost everyone involved in the spa business here agrees that men have begun to narrow this gap–even in the area of pedicures, manicures and facials–but women are still way ahead of the game.
“Everyday, you men put a razor to your face…you’re so mean to yourselves,” scolded Natalie Sinn, health club and spa manager of the Four Seasons Hotel, after guiding this reporter on a tour of her domain. “We want you to feel good.”
Sinn recently moved to Las Vegas, from Chicago, where spas traditionally have been seen as a reserve limited to the rich and famous. Indeed, she observes, Midwesterners of both sexes tend to be less likely to succumb to the temptation of a good massage than Californians, Europeans and many Asians.
“I never had a massage in my life, before getting into this business,” Sinn admits. “Most people don’t see the therapeutic value.”
Nonetheless, like several other major properties, the Four Seasons Health Club and Spa has benefited from the recent boom in popularity. After only about 18 months of operation, the facility plans to expand from 6 to 17 treatment rooms and continue to “focus more on treatments than the froufrou surrounding them.”
In Las Vegas, there’s plenty of both to go around.
This article will endeavor to give readers a guide to the cream of this city’s spa scene and, we hope, a reason to take the plunge. Visitors with health problems, or chronic aches and pains, are advised to consult their doctors before scheduling any strenuous workout or treatment.
For beginners
The first two things spa virgins should know before plopping down their credit card: one, treatments aren’t for the financially faint of heart, and, two, if everyone’s wearing the same style robe and slippers, it’s virtually impossible to tell a prince from a peon. So, relax.
And, if the mere thought of spending $100 on a massage inspires pangs of guilt and remorse, know this: The only time an hour spent being bent, folded and mutilated by a masseuse isn’t going to trump an hour spent in a smoky casino is on the rare occasion when a straight flush or three sevens line up across the window of a slot machine.
In other words, given the choice, the odds clearly are in the favor of your body faring better than your wallet.
All of the major hotels in town have some sort of workout facility, and most charge what seems to be an exorbitant amount for the privilege of busting a sweat on their machines. This fee is waived when a guest has paid for a treatment, though, and no one is going to hustle you out if you choose to spend the rest of the day testing the Jacuzzi or luxuriating in the lounge.
We suggest you pay a visit to the spa before committing to a treatment. Or, to get a head start, check out a few of the facilities on the Internet, then compare services and prices.
It’s important to know that the best spas invariably are booked solid on weekends and most cater exclusively to guests of that hotel. Make reservations as far in advance as possible, so you don’t get shut out by some Middle Eastern potentate who wants to treat his entire entourage.
This is Las Vegas. It happens.
The payoff
Fees for various services vary greatly, with Swedish massages generally available in the $50-$100 range, and other varieties trending up into the stratosphere, depending on the types of muds, herbs, stones and oils used.
Rejuvenation and detoxification (a Vegas favorite) packages tend to run at about $115-$150 an hour, again depending on the elaborateness of the presentation.
Trust me, they’re worth every penny.
Generally included in the price of a workout is an unlimited supply of towels; use of a robe, sandals and locker; plenty of complimentary juice and bottled water; the occasional fruit basket and nut bowl; big-screen TV; and gratis toiletries. The bathroom facilities can border on the absurdly luxurious, so, instead of feeling guilty when someone asks if you need an iced washcloth, go with the flow.
Except for the staff of professional therapists, spas are staffed by aggressively polite and friendly young people–many of whom are UNLV students–who depend on tips for their livelihood (just like almost everyone in Nevada). A satisfactory treatment will warrant a tip in the 15-percent range, with something extra thrown in for the locker-room attendants.
It’s a good idea to ask beforehand if treatments extend to the intended hour or half-hour, or if, like a visit to the shrink, a few minutes are lopped off either end of the session. Some spas give you your full money’s worth, so, when possible, it pays to shop around.
Exercise rooms tend to be coed, as are the swimming pools. So, don’t forget to bring along trunks or sweat clothes if your plans include venturing beyond the spa, sans robe.
Guests are advised to arrive at least a half-hour early for treatments, in order to leave room for a shower and a bit of relaxation. State laws restrict treatments to adults, 18 and over.
Losing inhibitions
For more than 50 years, Las Vegas has provided a refuge for people who might want to taste forbidden fruit–be it a ticket for “Nudes on Ice” or the temptation of a gentleman’s facial.
At the moment, spa managers are scratching their heads wondering how to get men to sample the same sorts of guilty pleasures many women already take for granted. For $105, a “Gentleman’s Facial” might include an hour’s worth of exfoliation, followed by the application of some sort of cleansing mask, a facial massage and moisturizer.
Most guys gag on the very word, but, truth be told, a facial can be a truly heavenly experience. The same can be said of a pedicure, manicure, mud bath and various forms of aroma, color and herbal therapy.
We suggest that spas market these kinds of treatments to men in the same way car dealers market their body shops and repair centers. Perhaps, if gentlemen never are confronted with the words facial, pedicure and manicure, they might agree to follow an annual medical check-up with a head-to-toe “tune-up.”
As for the massage ritual, no one should confuse what happens in a spa with what takes place in a massage parlor in a strip mall back home. Massage therapists are trained and licensed professionals who take their jobs and vocation very seriously, even if some of their more randy clients don’t.
There are at least four major schools in Las Vegas that cater to the booming spa business, and therapists regularly are asked to attend seminars to keep up on the latest techniques.
Indeed, Caesars’ Moore just returned from a trip to the spa mecca of the western world, Hawaii, where she was able to tour the top-end facilities. She says Hawaiian resorts tend to be more open-air and rustic than Vegas clubs, the treatments are more influenced by Asian cultures, and spas cater to men and women in equal numbers.
After scheduling a treatment, don’t be surprised if your host asks if you prefer a male or female therapist. It is at this point that anyone with gender issues should speak up or forever hold their peace.
“Men who don’t get a lot of massages tend to feel more comfortable with women therapists…and so do many women,” observes Sinn. “But people who get a lot of massages often will prefer men.”
Couples therapy
If romance is in the air, visitors to Vegas need not wait for Valentine’s Day.
When making arrangements, be sure to find out if a hotel’s spa features treatments that can shared by spouses or significant others. For example, side-by-side massages are becoming very popular, and they often can be arranged at short notice.
The Canyon Ranch SpaClub, in the Venetian resort, offers the one-hour Rasul Ritual ($150 per person), which is “based on a Middle Eastern custom, in which a sheik and his wife-of-the-night purify themselves before going to bed.” Four types of mud are employed in the cleansing treatment, which takes place in a misty chamber right out of “1,001 Arabian Nights.”
If you’re not in love–or, at least, lust–with your partner before you start systematically applying the mud to each other’s body, it won’t take long before you are.
Several spas–including Canyon Ranch and those at the MGM Grand, Paris and Bellagio–also make available secluded suites, for couples who really want to get away from the crowd. These come complete with a steam room or sauna, massage tables, exercise bikes, televisions, CD players, hydrotherapy tubs and bathroom facilities, even fireplaces.
A GUIDE TO SPAS IN VEGAS
WHERE TO GET THOSE VERY SPECIAL TREATMENTS
This overview of the Las Vegas spa experience is based on first-hand visits and a sampling of signature treatments and services in a variety of price ranges. We did not undertake the project to rank the facilities, critique individual therapists or offer a comprehensive guide to what’s available in the city. As such, this guide represents a selective sampling of what has become an essential part of the Las Vegas scene. With only a few exceptions, the inspections of locker-room and basic spa facilities were limited to the men’s areas.
– AQUAE SOLIS, Regent Las Vegas, 221 N. Rampart (702-869-7807 or 877-869-5777): If ever there were a reason to venture out from the Strip, it’s this magnificent destination spa in the Regent Las Vegas, just east of Red Rock Canyon. The name, Aquae Solis, comes from the Roman towns and baths that later became Bath, England. Unless you choose to partake only in the splendid health club facilities, prepare to get very wet here.
The “Aquae Solis Ritual” borrows from ancient Roman bathing traditions, taking guests on an excursion that includes a hydrotherapy circuit, beginning with cold and hot plunges, a soak in the warm thalasso pool, outdoor hydrotherapy pool, steam and sauna, and ends with a waterfall shower.
One of the more unusual hydrotherapy treatments requires a reading of one’s “aura,” and color therapy based on the hues emanating from your body. Then, too, negative-ion therapy takes guests into a cavitosonic chamber. These treatments may be a bit too “L.A.” for guests from the Midwest, but therapists report having many repeat customers. For a complete description of services, see www.regentlasvegas.com.
– SPA BELLAGIO, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (702-693-7472): Situated above the lovely conservatory of this world-class resort, Spa Bellagio is every bit as sumptuous as could be expected from a $1 billion property. The basic spa facility fee of $25 provides access to a redwood sauna, eucalyptus steamroom, heated whirlpools, cold plunge, coed exercise room and spacious lounge. Robes, slippers and towels are provided, as are snacks and refreshments. Like the resort itself, Spa Bellagio oozes European charm and opulence, and it isn’t unusual to find celebrities and high-rollers among the pampered guests partaking in the many exotic treatments. Adventurous types will want to sample the Tandem Massage ($190), during which two professionally trained therapists synchronize their techniques, providing maximum pleasure and benefit to the body. A 70-minute LaStone Massage and rub ($175), which employs hand-selected, highly polished stones from free-flowing western streams, will convince anyone that heaven, indeed, can be found on Earth. Spa Bellagio’s older cousin, Mirage Spa, has aged well and comes highly recommended, as well. See www.bellagiolasvegas.com.
– THE SPA AT CAESARS, Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (877-427-7243): One would expect big things from a health and fitness center at the granddaddy of all Strip mega-resorts, and Caesars delivers. In the spa’s 28 treatment rooms, guests can experience a veritable United Nations of therapies. Ayruvedic rituals from India combine herb-infused oils to rejuvenate the mind and body, with Hawaiian, Javanese and Balinese therapies also available. The sensation is reminiscent of a Thanksgiving turkey being basted with herbs and spices before being put into the oven, but the afterglow is wonderful. The 6,500-square-foot exercise room features a battery of state-of-the-art bicycles and stair-steppers, some of which guide the rider on a virtual-reality journey. There also are computerized weight machines and a rock-climbing treadmill. Just a few steps from the fitness center is the magnificent Garden of the Gods pool area, one of which allows European-style topless sunbathing. See www.caesars.com.
– CANYON RANCH SPA CLUB, Venetian Hotel, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (877-220-2688): At 63,000 square feet, the Las Vegas outpost of the much-celebrated Canyon Ranch destination-resort group is the Rolls-Royce–or, perhaps, Lamborghini–of health clubs. Bright, airy and visually stimulating, Canyon Ranch can provide an all-day experience for those who take their workouts seriously. The centerpiece of the two-story facility is a 40-foot-high climbing wall, but less vertically inclined guests will be content to visit the Pilates studios, spinning gym, Watsu pools and treatment rooms, where a vast array of therapies are provided. The on-site presence of a Canyon Ranch Cafe–and close proximity to the Venetian’s swimming pools–means guests don’t have to venture away from the club to stay nourished and tanned. The aforementioned Rasul Ritual is a tempting luxury, but there are dozens of other unusual treatments on the spa menu, as well. See www.canyonranch.com or www.venetian.com.
– THE SPA AT FOUR SEASONS, 3960 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (702-632-5000): The accent here is on treatments, “not froufrou,” says the spa director. The high-end patrons of the Four Seasons have made this no-nonsense facility an instant success, to the point where it already has to expand. Among the body treatments that sound interesting is the “Champagne Mud Wrap,” which uses “effervescent” sea weed to help bubble away tension and stress. The couples rooms provide privacy and a variety of treatments intended to be shared. Guests, 16 and older, can use the exercise room for free. See www.fourseasons.com/locations/LasVegas.
– GOLDEN NUGGET, 129 Fremont St. (702-385-7111): A taste of luxury and class Downtown, in the heart of the Fremont Street Experience, the spa at the Golden Nugget can hold its own very nicely against those in Strip resorts. The friendly old-fashioned atmosphere–the brochures accentuate separate “his and her” facilities–doesn’t extend to the equipment and treatments, although the management doesn’t seem to waste much time offering exotic services to customers who pretty much like things the way they were 20 years ago. Hotel guests pay $15 to use the basic services. See www.goldennugget.com.
– HYATT REGENCY LAKE LAS VEGAS, Lake Las Vegas Boulevard, Henderson (702-567-6049): This Scottsdale-style resort is located on a man-made lake, 21 miles from the city. Like the Regent Las Vegas, in Summerlin, it’s a golfer’s and naturalist’s paradise. Spa membership is included with the daily “resort fee” for hotel guests and, of course, is complimentary with any spa treatment. There’s a cozy fitness room, but most of the Hyatt’s guests prefer to spend as much time as possible outside, on the sand beach. Apropos of the hotel’s northern Africa theme, several exfoliation treatments incorporate Moroccan clay and salt mixtures, as well as scented Moroccan oils. Hot-stone massages also are available. Anyone sick of the hustle and bustle on the Strip would do well to sample this out-of-the-way treasure. See www.lakelasvegas.hyatt.com.
– SPA MANDALAY, Mandalay Bay Resort, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S.(877-632-7800): Like everything else at this unpretentiously hip and extremely popular resort, Spa Mandalay is a waterborne adventure, set in a fanciful South Sea milieu. The centerpiece attraction is the huge tiled Jacuzzi, which is decorated by overflowing bouquets of colorful flowers and tropical plants. The theme extends through the menu of treatments and includes such diversions as a mango-papaya sugar scrub ($90), cocoa-butter wrap ($55) and volcanic dust masks and rubs. For stout souls, a deep-muscle massage ($100) will test your threshold of pain, before leaving you in a state of ecstasy. Salon treatments include a “peppermint pedicure” that will make your toenails glow with excitement. Hotel guests pay $22 for the basic services and access to a 3,000-square-foot gym, with aerobic rooms and Life Fitness equipment. See www.mandalaybay.com.
– GRAND SPA, MGM Grand Hotel, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (702-891-3077): Even if the world’s largest hotel is rocking with activity, which it usually is, the Grand Spa remains a tranquil sanctuary apart from the madness. Even before entering the treatment facility, guests are surrounded by graceful sculptures, soothing music and running water. Anyone who wins big at the tables is encouraged to arrange for a suite, which probably is more spacious than most apartments in Manhattan and comes complete with a big-screen waterfall, hydrotherapy tub, steam room and waterfall. The Grand Spa’s signature treatment is the “Grand Supreme Facial,” which includes extraction and massage, as well as the “Parfango with exfoliation” body ritual. A gentleman’s facial will reveal pleasures kept secret by women for centuries, and melt even the most macho Teamster with delight. See www.mgmgrand.com.
– MANDARA SPA, Paris Las Vegas, 3655 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (702-946-4366): Naturally, the treatments come with a decided French accent here, in the Paris Las Vegas’ 26,000-square-foot health and fitness center. The 24 treatment rooms feature hand-crafted wood massage tables from Bali and embroidered silk coverings. Couples never have to leave the six Grand Spa Suites, which come with oversized whirlpool baths, double-head showers, a private lounge area and a personal attendant. Who’s brave enough to sample the “French Caviar Facial Delight”? See www.paris-lv.com.
– RIO SPA, Rio Suites Hotel & Casino, 3700 W. Flamingo Rd. (702-252-7779): As befits this lively, friendly off-Strip hotel, Rio Spa provides an unpretentious health and fitness center, where customers are treated like longtime neighbors and it’s easy to kill a few hours without even knowing where the time went.
Recently renovated, the spa offers five different kinds of massage, whirlpools, steamrooms, saunas, body wraps and a comfortable lounge. The exercise room features Cybex weight-training equipment and other machines, all of which overlook the busy pool area. See www.playrio.com.
– ROCKSPA & SALON, Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Rd. (702-693-5554): If you belong to the crowd attracted to Las Vegas by “Swingers,” “Honeymoon in Vegas” and “Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas,” this is your kind of place.
The spa is cozy but complete, and it offers most of the treatments available at resorts several times its size. Our massage therapist pointed out that Rockspa tends to draw a higher percentage of men than other spas in town, perhaps because the hotel attracts more bachelor parties and rock-star wannabees.
The workout room–available to hotel guests for $15–is spacious and up to date, even to the inclusion of an adjustable rock-climbing treadmill. Rockspa is one of the places where an hourlong massage doesn’t end after 55 minutes. See www.hardrockhotel.com.
Spas in the Flamingo and Las Vegas Hilton, Harrah’s, Luxor, Monte Carlo, New York-New York and Treasure Island also come highly recommended. The spa at the newly reopened Aladdin promises to be spectacular, but isn’t likely to debut for another month or so.
