By Debra Simon and Brack Johnson

 

Longing for a fit body? A tranquil mind? Or, more immediately, a break from the intense pace of life?

 

Say hello to spas of the West. In Arizona, California and Nevada, we visited healthy havens where guests are pampered whether their sojourn’s a once-in-a-blue-moon or a basic component of a wholesome lifestyle.

 

Check out these decadent vacation spots where we mastered (or tried!) the art of relaxation.

 

 

 

ARIZONA

 

CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa

civanacarefree.com

 

Happy meets healthy at this transformational oasis on 20 acres in the Sonoran Desert outside Scottsdale. CIVANA laid at our feet a vacay underpinned by four elements: movement, spa, nourishment and discovery.

 

More than a dozen complimentary fitness classes were on tap every day. We chose from a wide range, including a sunrise hike in the succulent-studded landscape, TRX training and aerial yoga.

 

At the spa, 22 treatment rooms are set up for therapeutic procedures, such as biodynamic bodywork, reiki, and cranial sacral massage. Taking the waters involved a hydrotherapy circuit of hot and cold pools, cool waterfall shower, and rooms with humidity and heat.

 

The plant-rich meals are seasonal and colorful. Our dinner at Terras consisted of appetizers of ahi tuna tartare and leak cassoulet, mains of miso-glazed salmon and beef tenderloin, sides of smashed fingerling potatoes and vegan mac and cheese, and desserts of chocolate rose mousse and vanilla bean gelato.

 

The discovery piece of the journey provided paths of change and growth through varied disciplines and techniques. For us, it included meditation on the lawn, a communication workshop, and a lecture on relationships.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CALIFORNIA

 

The Langham Huntington, Pasadena

Luxury Hotel | The Langham Huntington, Pasadena, Los Angeles

 

Since 1914, this exclusive resort has been a landmark in the vibrant Southern California city of Pasadena, which is steeped in culture, history, entertainment, eats, architecture and scenery. As is the hotel itself.

 

Everything about the dog-friendly property exudes opulent charm. The hotel provides a car and driver for guests needing transportation within a 3-mile radius. Ethereal cuisine is served in extraordinary settings. Guestrooms are sumptuous, featuring marble bathrooms, posh furniture and luxe linens.

 

Nothing says upscale like The Langham Club, an elegant lounge for those staying on exclusive floors. Culinary presentations were breakfast, midday snacks that could double as lunch, afternoon tea, appetizers robust enough to be dinner (think sushi) washed down by complimentary wine, beer and cocktails, and nighttime sweets.

 

We took advantage of the workout offerings, which included a fitness studio, tennis courts, lawn games, two outdoor swimming pools, complimentary bicycle rental and daily exercise classes.  Chuan Spa, awarded four stars by Forbes, is equipped with an herbal steam room, dry sauna and whirlpool as well as treatments inspired by traditional Chinese medicine.

 

 

 

 

 

Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills

Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills | Boutique Hotels

 

Beverly Hills, with its designer boutiques, iconic restaurants and Hollywood royalty, is a place of timeless glamour. It’s highly appropriate that Sofitel, the worldwide French hotel chain, has made a home here.   

 

Turned out in warm, tranquil hues with modern accents, our guestroom featured French doors and a Juliet balcony overlooking Beverly Boulevard. The sophistication continued with the trademarked Sofitel bed as well as rain showers and ritzy amenities in the bathroom.

 

The hotel prides itself on its chefs and mixologists, who fuse French techniques with local ingredients. The restaurant Esterel turned out everything from fresh croissants to steamed bao to short ribs; the nightclub Bar Riviera, with sparkling candles and plushy couches, is the place to dance till dawn.  

 

The choices seemed endless at Vendôme Clinique & Spa. Body treatments embraced aromatherapy and hot stone massages as well as essential oil wraps and LED therapy. Then we melted into the heated pool and lounged in the shade of the outdoor patio.

 

Our restorative weekend allowed us to unwind in the serenity of Sofitel’s wellness spaces as well as explore nearby beaches, famous streets and world-class museums.

 

 

 

 

 

NEVADA

 

Fontainebleau Las Vegas

Welcome to Fontainebleau Las Vegas - Fontainebleau Las Vegas

 

How do you make a splash in Sin City? Create a tsunami! The Fontainebleau Las Vegas, sister hotel to the grand dame Miami flagship, opened its midcentury modern doors two years ago with a $3.7 billion price tag.

 

Look at these numbers: The soaring blue building, tallest in Nevada, holds 3,644 guestrooms, a 150,00-square-foot casino, a 140,000-square-foot gym, a 96,000-square-foot fine retail space, a 55,000-square-foot spa, a 3,800-seat theater, 36 dining and bar venues, and a 6-acre pool deck.  

 

But the Fontainebleau, a magnet for high rollers, doesn’t suffer the style shortage that often afflicts showboat properties. Instead, it’s a visual masterpiece.

 

Jaw-dropping sculptures and paintings with a whimsical bent have pride of place in grand spaces. In the enormous lobby, thousands of red roses are clustered in tall, triangular vases. And, in the Bleau Bar, a chandelier with thousands of crystal bowties drips from a 42-foot ceiling.

 

The four restaurants we tried brought gastronomic bliss. For lunch at the French café La Fontaine, we savored tarte flambé and jumbo lump crabcake beignets. At Don’s Prime, we feasted on the chilled seafood platter and tableside-finished sole meunière. For Asian fusion, we devoured Thai rice stone pot and Japanese sweet potato at KYU as well as clever, umami-rich dim sum at Washing Potato.

 

We sank into Lapis Spa & Wellness for massages and overall rejuvenation in its two-floor sanctuary. The facilities are highlighted by hydrotherapy pools, hot tubs and saunas as well as a stargazing lounge, Himalayan salt room, steam room, herbal infusion room, snow shower and cold-plunge pool. After half a day, we ambled out with limbs so relaxed they felt like jelly, momentarily surprised to realize we were still within a dice throw of the casino.