Rima Suqi

Actually, they’re more like tights. I’d been looking for a full-length tight with an ankle zip. The only ones I found were Patagonia men’s models (seen on friends) that have been discontinued.  These are by Craft (never heard of them but apparently a favorite of Swedish skiiers), and  have a fleecy lining.  If you’re exercising in them it should probably be a cross country skiing or other *cold* and wet situation. I’ve been wearing them to get coffee, run early morning errands, etc. as they’re too warm to jog in (for me). Guess where I found them? LL Bean. Buy them here.

Nobody believed me when I got back but it’s true. I sent an email about the experience to a friend of mine who has very cool travel website called Fathom. She decided to run it word for word. You can read it here.

I am a big fan of  Miraval – have been there five or six times. The only things about the Tucson-area spa that I  don’t like are the on-site shop (don’t get me started), some of the rooms (a bit dark, but the 600s, are modern, lighter and have awesome views of the Catalina mountains).

And the look of the spa. It definitely needed an update – I mean, this place has amazing treatments, and a great staff but the overall design was very 1970s. Today the new spa debuts, courtesy of Clodagh Design. I haven’t seen it live and in person but I got these shots. MAJOR difference. Another major difference – the addition of many treatments developed with and using products by Clarins.

People thought I was crazy to go to Arizona in August, but I’ve been several times. I love the scenery (the drive from Phoenix to Sedona is amazing) and resorts that are normally really not affordable become affordable. Sure, it’s hot.  And yes, it is a dry heat. You get used to it.

Thanks to Irene and a subsequently cancelled flight, I only spent one night at Enchantment. I’ve been here before, but stayed in the spa casitas. This time I stayed on the resort property.  Here’s the outside of my room, it was like a little house:

I preferred this spot to the spa casita for many reasons, but here’s the #1:

View + plunge pool. After dinner at night in the pool, with a beverage, under a ridiculously star-filled sky. There were so many shooting stars, I lost count.

I also had one of these Century Plants outside my room. They spring from Agaves, but only once (and no, it doesn’t take 100 years). I think they’re really sculptural and beautiful.

There was also an outdoor fireplace. Not something you’d want to use in August but probably heavenly in November (it does snow here).

People come to Sedona for lots of reasons – if you’re a spiritual type and believe in Vortexes, this is your place. Or you just might want to look at/hike along vistas like this all day:

The spa at Enchantment is called Mii Amo. They’ve got an outdoor pool an indoor pool (see below) a great restaurant serving healthy food you’d actually want to eat, a juice bar and a regular bar.

And in the waiting area a selection of magazines that speaks to the different interests here:

People often do not love it when you take pictures of spas so I’ll just show you the indoor pool, daytime and at night.

these are the outdoor treatment rooms:

They have a new treatment here called the Intentional Aromatherapy Massage.  Aromatherapy massage is not my favorite (Thai wins by far), but this one was different. Usually you are asked to smell 2 or 3 oils and to choose the one that smells best to you. The philosophy is that you respond to smells from plants that will heal some part of you that needs it. Here, the therapist laid out ten cards and chose me to pick the one with words that resonated the most – this could mean its how you feel right now or how you want to feel.

I chose one that she said many New Yorkers choose. Apparently people from the West Coast choose something very different but I promised her I wouldn’t divulge that -

On the back of each card is a recipe for an oil to be used during the massage. I love that mine had a plant  with the word “bourbon” in it -

Here’s the view from the massage table:

And here’s that pool again at night:

It’s the first Aman spa not at an Aman resort. 5,400 square feet (not huge but respectable for a city spa). And gorgeous. Sorry I don’t have more pics than these right now.

The Pool

To me, the best part is that afterwards you can sip a Martini in the ultra-fab Connaught bar.

Normally I’m not into promotions of this type, but this one is a raffle that benefits Evelyne Lauder’s Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) and it doesn’t involve anything pink.

Here’s how it works. Starting October 1, go to the front desk at the Mandarin Oriental Spa, buy a $50 Long Life Raffle Token. If they choose yours at the drawing, you get a two-hour treatment every week for a year.  I just got back from 3 weeks in hawaii where I had a total of 14 spa treatments – and I can tell you my skin is beyond baby’s butt smooth. That’s an extreme case, having a spa treatment every 2 days or so, but imagine – EVERY WEEK FOR A YEAR. It’s been a stressful year, people. Go for it.

More info from the release is posted below:
The winning token holder will receive a year’s worth of two-hour spa treatments* at The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, New York – one treatment per month, for 12 consecutive months.  Mandarin Oriental, New York’s “Spa for a Year” prize is valued at over $6,000.  Long Life Raffle Tokens are $50 each, 10 tokens are $450, and 20 tokens can be purchased for $900. All proceeds from the Long Life Raffle Token sales are donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.