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SPA GETAWAYS IN-DEPTH

Prepare to be pampered Celeb sightings, as well

 

Miami and Miami Beach probably have the highest concentration of luxury resort spas in the world, and the grand and glamorous openings are gaining momentum.

 

Independent boutique hotels and major hotel chains such as Fairmont, Mandarin Oriental and Ritz-Carlton have created sublime, serene spa getaways to pamper the seemingly endless stream of snowbirds and celebrities who flock to South Florida Spas. Speilberg, Scorsese and Seinfeld all party here, and more than 11 million other fun-lovers come every year for the sun and sand, fabulous food, avant-garde fashion and hot nightclubs.

 

However, all that brilliant sunshine and frenetic nightlife take a toll. Dozens of spas, new and established, are waiting to dish out wellness. If there is one common thread linking spas in and around Miami, it is luxury. Prepare to be pampered royally.

 

A pioneer in the spa industry, the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort, opened the first major wellness centre in Florida more than 20 years ago. The 265-hectare resort, which has been host to celebs such as Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake, is marking its 45th anniversary and recently completed a $100-million renovation.

 

The Spa at Doral is a separate, 48-room retreat in the style of an Italian villa, with more than 100 creative treatments, fitness facilities, indoor track, and heated indoor, outdoor and lap pools. The award-winning wellness program includes one-on-one nutrition consultations, a gourmet spa dining room, cooking demonstrations and recipes, and almost 50 unusual exercise classes, ranging from yoga for golf to Latin dance.

 

Doral also is world-renowned for its five championship golf courses, including the notorious Blue Monster, site of a PGA tournament for the past 40 years.

 

Doral Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort with nearly 700 guest rooms, is located west of Miami International Airport. The Spa at Doral is a comprehensive wellness centre, with 48 guest rooms and 52 spa treatment rooms. Details: www.doralresort.com, 800-713-6725.

 

The Mandarin Oriental, in downtown Miami, is a serene escape in a busy city, serving the business elite and international VIPs. The Mandarin’s cool quotient is sky-high, attracting such celebrity clients as Mick Jagger, Penelope Cruz and the Dalai Lama. It’s posh enough to have a personal shopping escort and private elevators to its exclusive suites. The hotel’s Azul Restaurant’s Latin-French-Asian cuisine has earned Florida’s only five-star Mobil award.

 

The three-level spa is enclosed by panoramic glass walls overlooking Miami Bay. The Asian-influenced decor uses bamboo, rice paper and linen. Special spa treatments include Thai massage or couple’s massage. The hotel recently opened the Oasis Beach Club for swimming and outdoor treatments next to the ocean. The Gentlemen’s Retreat works on flexibility and strength with a deep-tissue massage, a purifying facial and a foot treatment. The Mandarin also has day service with limousine pickup for travellers with long layovers at Miami Airport.

 

Mandarin Oriental, in Miami’s business district, near South Beach, is a five-star hotel with 327 deluxe rooms and suites and 17 spa treatment rooms. Details: www.mandarinoriental.com, 305-913-8288.

 

High-profile hotel-spas with 2007 or 2008 opening dates include Canyon Ranch Living – Miami Beach , a branch of North American’s best-known spa in Arizona; Gansevoort South , the first branch of the hip landmark hotel in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District; Mondrian South Beach , owned by Morgans Hotel Group, which owns Morgans and The Royalton in Manhattan; and Nicky O South Beach  by Nicky Hilton.

 

The reopening of the vintage oceanfront Eden Roc Renaissance Resort & Spa will be a landmark step in the revitalization of Miami Beach’s iconic hotel strip, Ocean Drive. Be assured of princely luxury. This section of Ocean Drive also is known as Millionaires’ Row and encompasses another iconic hotel and spa, The Fountainbleau.

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