Hotel Trend: Farm-to-Massage-Table Spa Treatments

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In luxury hotels across the country, the farm-to-table experience is moving from bustling dining rooms into the hotel's full-facility spas. While "organic" has always been a trend in the spa world, several hotels are ramping up services by using ingredients fresh from their own gardens or nearby farmers' markets. "The farm-to-table trend has really taken hold in the spa industry because it is a perfect fit with the healthy philosophy most spas espouse," says Heather Mikesell, editor of American Spa. Think of these services as "green-meets-luxury" with prices to match. The shelf-life of products used in spa treatments becomes incredibly short and producing enticing experiences using garden-grown ingredients takes more work. (Literally, plucking, juicing, dicing, blending...sheesh.)

Here are some of the most luxe hotel spas in the US pioneering this farm-to-massage-table trend.


MONTAGE LAGUNA BEACH

Laguna, California

This popular coastal retreat sits close to terrific beaches and is known for its strong culinary scene, thanks to its very own Studio Garden, where produce, vegetables, and herbs are not only used in the kitchens and bars but also in the 20,000 square foot spa. The spa menu at Montage Laguna Beach incorporates a variety of herbs and fruits—like lavender, thyme, and lemons—into customized spa experiences. They get a lot of mileage from those lemons in particular, thanks to its amazing immune boosting powers (find it in facials, scrubs, and, of course, beverages). The signature Surrender treatment (2 hours for $455) allows guests to personalize their treatment with a customized program.

Treatment to Book: Scrub with mustard, lemon, grapefruit, and thyme ($135/30 minutes)


ANDAZ WALL STREET

New York, New York
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Last March, Andaz Wall Street unveiled new farm-to-table signature treatments, sourcing in-season ingredients from the hotel's on-property Farmers Market and New York's Hudson Valley. Guests can expect everything from fresh cucumber, honeydew, and strawberries to bee pollen and honey. While The Spa only has two treatment rooms, the in-room services transform guest rooms into multi-sensory spa-like environments. You'll smell so good after a Strawberry/Honey/Bee Pollen Detox Facial or Dandelion/Fennel/Chamomile Herbal Wrap, it will prove hard not to lick yourself! (Yep, we went there.)

Treatment to Book: Apple Cider/Celery Lotion Massage with pressed tart apples and crisp celebry with aloe, jojoba, avocado, grapeseed, and safflower oils ($149/65 minutes in spa; $169/65 minutes in room)


RITZ CARLTON LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles, California

The Ritz Carlton Los Angeles recently launched their Garden to Glamorous program, a seasonal farm-to-spa concept. Downtown LA's only luxury, full-service spa sources all their ingredients from the rooftop garden on the 26th floor that grows more than twenty different herbs and produce, from basil to oranges. Their seasonal menu focuses on all fall flavors like pomegranate and peppermint for holiday-inspired treatments. Expect deliciously fun treatments like Pumpkin Spice Hydrating Facial and Hot Chocolate Stone Massage.

Treatment to Book: Cranberry Pomegranate Body Treatment ($150/50 minutes)


THE ST REGIS ASPEN RESORT

Aspen, Colorado

The Remede Spa at St. Regis Aspen Resort has already taken the farm-to-spa trend to the next level. Implemented this summer, the "farm-to-massage table" experience pairs spa treatments with a tasting menu that uses the same aromas, textures, and flavors. For example, the Savory Salt Glow Scrub (with grapeseed oil) is paired with a chilled cucumber consommé served in a shot glass with a freshly picked mint "caviar" garnish. The entire package ($500 for three hours) must be booked 48 in advance. For the spa-goer that's seen it all.

Treatment to Book: Rosemary Mint Savory Scrub, Warm Apple Cider, or Candied Chestnut Sweet Body Butter Application with Coordinated Seasonal Bites (part of a 3-day Thanksgiving package for two for $1,904. Thursday night must be included).


JW MARRIOTT CAMELBACK INN RESORT & SPA

Scottsdale, Arizona
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JW Marriott is so intent on their guests having the most memorable spa experience that they created the Farm-to-Treatment Table program. Rolled out this year, there's more to expect than just farm-fresh treatments: guests have the opportunity to learn and discover the origin of the ingredients and personally select them for their spa services from local lavender fields to the resorts' own gardens. JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa is perhaps the most seasoned hotel with farm-to-table, as the hotel's spa went "organic" back in 2008.

Just Back From: Ananda in the Himalayas

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A Shangri-la for spa-goers, yet more than a simple wellness retreat, Ananda's high-end Himalayan hideaway merits its hype (regularly ranking among the world's best destination spas). It's here that I stopped to reboot from the midst of an epic—and exhausting—14-month trip around the globe, likening my visit to this mountain sanctuary to the scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy and the gang finally gain entry to Oz and its Emerald City beauty salon.

After four exquisite days of breathing in fresh mountain air, toggling between yoga and meditation sessions, dining on healthful spa cuisine, and indulging in pampering, I continued on from Ananda feeling very much like the freshly re-stuffed Scarecrow or the gleamingly polished Tin Man. (Or maybe even a little bit like Julia Roberts in the second half of Eat, Pray, Love. There I said it.)

Nestled in the foothills of the mighty mountain range, Ananda in the Himalayas offers spellbinding views over verdant virgin forests, the meandering Ganges River, and the ashram and meditation haven of Rishikesh (put in the international spotlight when The Beatles studied here in the '60s). This peaceful neck of the Himalayan woods has long beckoned travelers, seekers in search of ancient wisdom, or out on a yatra (or pilgrimage), and Ananda answers this call as a luxury ashram of sorts, where visitors are rewarded with a holistic approach to soothing the mind, energizing the body, and invigorating the spirit. Experienced spa therapists and masters of yoga and ancient Indian philosophies are on hand, in a region credited as being a fountainhead for the traditions of Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation.

Set on the grounds of a working maharaja's palace (who still owns part of the property and occasionally summers here), Ananda delivers an R&R-rich wellness regime with a side of Indian history and culture. Be transported to an era of Indian royalty in the main palace, now the main reception area (once host to VIPs like Mahatama Gandhi), where you can sip Darjeeling tea in the Viceregal Tea Lounge or get in a game on one of the oldest billiards tables in India.

Meticulously manicured grounds provide a haven for roaming peacocks and mischievous monkeys, while guests flock to the terraced restaurant, heated outdoor lap pool, fitness center, and jogging track. The topnotch kitchen doles out inspired organic cuisine, highlighting traditional Indian, Western, Asian, and Ayurvedic fare. Daily wellness programming includes yoga and Vedanta classes, guided meditation, and a rotating roster of specialty workshops, hosted by visiting masters and on-staff teachers and therapists.
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Half-day hikes to the nearby Kunjapuri Temple, and excursions to the ancient spiritual centers of Rishikesh and Haridwar (don't miss the daily sunset aarti ceremony on the Ganges), or to the Rajaji National Park (home to wild elephants, tigers, and more), can easily be arranged.

Of course, the 24,000-square-foot onsite spa takes central billing, with an extensive spa menu of rejuvenating and restorative traditional Indian and international treatments. Try the signature Ananda Fusion Massage, fusing reflexology, aromatherapy, deep-tissue, Thai, Tibetan, and Swedish massage techniques; or the Abhyanga Massage, a synchronized Ayurveda-inspired four-handed massage (courtesy of two therapists). A separate men's and women's hydrotherapy area touts a sauna, steam room, reflexology footbath, and cold plunge pool. Bespoke wellness programs can also be developed with focuses on weight management, Ayurveda, detoxification, stress management, and more.

Seventy spacious guestrooms, along with a handful of suites, villas (with private pools and butler service), and the Viceregal Suite (set in the palace proper, with a rooftop Jacuzzi), tout harmonious earth tone color schemes, satellite TV and complimentary Wi-Fi, and private outdoor spaces (upgrade to a valley-view unit for some really dramatic scenery). Slip into the provided white-cotton Kurta pajamas for the ultimate onsite comfort. Sunken bathtubs come fronted by scenic bay windows; pillow menus offer a custom-tailored night's sleep; and wake-up calls come courtesy of a delivery of the resort's signature ginger, honey, and lemon tea.

A few days spent on this Himalayan perch, and you'll feel on top of the world in more ways than one—all, conveniently set just an hour's flight (or four-hour train ride) from Delhi.
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Rates start from $450/night based on double occupancy, including daily scheduled wellness programming (book à la carte spa treatments well in advance). Three-night wellness packages, inclusive of breakfast and dinner, select spa experiences, ground transfers, and daily programming, start from $740, based on double occupancy.