Holiday excitement has started to give way to holiday headaches. Grab the members of your crew who are still on your nice list and de-stress from the rush at six spa retreats. Whether it’s for an afternoon or a well-deserved weekend, be prepared for this end-of-year hiatus to turn into an annual tradition. The weather outside may be frightful, but the pampering is sure delightful.
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Rita Hazan Salon
720 Fifth Avenue, Floor 11
Manhattan
NYC native Rita Hazan is best known for being the colorist to A-List celebs such as Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Lopez. But what’s not as well known is that her eponymous salon is also a haven for cutting-edge facials, the latest nail designs and expert makeup applications. One idea: The Microdermabrasion Facial, which removes dead skin cells to get you a holiday glow, pronto. While on a softening bender, try a Glycolic Pedicure, which uses a process to remove calluses and make feet supple. After getting smooth and sexy, turn heads on the short walk down Fifth to see the tree.
Drew Patrick
128 West Main Street
Bay Shore
This elegant spa is offering several holiday packages. These include the Holiday Luxury Experience, an all-day affair that treats you to a Custom DP Luxe Facial, Custom Aromatherapy Massage and a spa lunch. Or, unwind with The Holiday Stress Reliever, which includes a Custom “Radiant Embrace” and moisture-boosting facial. All holiday offerings come with a cheery R. Nichols candle to take home. While in town, explore Bay Shore’s Main Street, full of cute shops and eateries.
Natura Cave Spa
Hamilton Parish
Bermuda
Yes. I am for real suggesting that you hop over to Bermuda for a weekend during the holiday season. Hear me out: It’s only a 90-minute flight from NYC, not much longer than a LIRR commute some days. And it’ll be so worth it. The Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa’s Natura Spa opened last summer. It’s in a 500,000 (that would be half a million) year-old cave deep below sea level, with a clear, blue underground lake fed by the ocean. Massages are given inside cabanas floating on the lake, surrounded by hundreds of stalactites and stalagmites. Now that’s getting away from it all.
Spa Toccare
Atlantic City, NJ
Head down the Jersey Shore to AC and make a beeline for the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, a five-star high-rise with two posh spas across from the marina. Spa Toccare is offering two special indulgences for the holidays. The first is the Cranberry Spice full-body Massage, which includes a warm towel wrap for feet that’s perfect to sooth tired tootsies after one too many mall runs. Meanwhile, one of your pals may opt for the Our Favorite Things Wrap, which starts with a lymphatic exfoliation and then envelopes the person in cranberry, vanilla and cinnamon skin hydrators.
Spa Elan
199 Woodcliff Drive
Fairport/Rochester, NY
Here on the Island, we don’t always get snow in December. If you and your bestie need a few flakes for it to feel like the holidays, go north, where the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa is offering a flurry of holiday-esque specials. These include Tinsel Toes, a peppermint pedi, Pomegranate Spice and Everything Nice pick-your-services package and A Long Winter’s Nap, a three-hour massage and facial stress buster. Last, but hardly least: Each comes with a free seasonal cocktail.
Joanna Vargas Day Spa
501 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1203
Manhattan
Winter may have just started, but plenty of us are seeing that our skin is already taking a toll from the wind and dry air. The antidote may just be Vargas’s seasonal Sugar Plum Fairy Facial, a hydrator packed with—what else?—plums, plus pumpkin enzymes to exfoliate and antioxidant-rich cranberries. Or, consider the LED Light Therapy on Vargas’ patented light bed. It is designed to delay and soften wrinkles. LED light has been shown to build collagen….which translates into better elasticity, says Vargas. And the spa is just two blocks from Grand Central, where their annual Holiday Fair, with many artisan wares, is pretty grand.