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Top 10 Luxury Spa Destination In The World 

1. Spa at Mandarin Oriental, New York
One of only two spas to receive a five-star rating in the Mobil Travel Guide, the Spa at Mandarin Oriental offers treatments inspired by Chinese, European, Thai and Balinese philosophies. Visitors can book “time rituals,” or personalized blocks of time, to restore the body’s natural state of equilibrium. “Yes, your body will be swathed in goop, but you’ll leave with a glow to rival J.Lo’s,” Harper’s Bazaar magazine observed in 2005.

2. Brenner’s Park-Hotel & Spa, Baden-Baden, Germany

More than a century old, Brenner’s Park-Hotel & Spa has played host to a diverse collection of luminaries, including the Dalai Lama, Walt Disney and President Clinton. In addition to two beauty and health spas and a medical spa, Brenner’s offers the Spa Suite, which allows guests to enjoy treatments in a more private setting. “Some of [the spa’s] international habitués wouldn’t dare let a year go by without an appearance at this glamorous place,” Frommer’s noted.

3. Canyon Ranch SpaClub, Las Vegas, Nevada

Canyon Ranch, on the fourth floor of the Venetian hotel, boasts the largest spa in North America, at 69,000 square feet. Visitors can escape the hectic Las Vegas Strip to experience the Mango Sugar Glo, which begins with an exfoliating mango sugar scrub treatment and includes hydrotherapy and a full-body massage with mango body lotion. Or, if they want to work off calories from those extra cocktails and buffet helpings, they can climb a three-story rock-climbing wall at the spa, which is part of the Canyon Ranch chain.

4. Miraval, Catalina, Arizona

Yes, Miraval delivers a range of spa options, from the Arizona Aloe Wrap to the Zero Balancing body treatment. But it also offers the Equine Experience, in which guests work with specially selected horses to gain insight about themselves. Or the Golf Connection may appeal to others. Whatever it is, visitors are responding: Readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine voted it the top spa in 2006, and readers of Travel and Leisure Magazine named it the No. 1 destination spa three years in a row.

5. Amandari, Bali, Indonesia

The Amandari Hotel earned the Zagat Survey’s pick for top destination spa of 2004. Traditional Balinese philosophies infuse treatments as well as ingredients from indigenous plant life for exotic options, such as the Balinese Volcanic Clay Body Mask, the Amandari Honey Body Polish and the Mandi Lulur. For those seeking a more spiritual journey, the hotel can arrange meetings with healers, whom they refer to as the “magic men of Bali.”

6. Agua Spa at the Delano Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida

The inside of the Agua Spa is sea of white décor, while the outside of the rooftop spa overlooks the Atlantic Ocean blue. Madonna, Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Schiffer have been known to visit this celebrity hot spot. Guests can indulge in the signature Milk and Honey massage, unwind in the bathhouse for a Lavender Lullaby or reverse sun damage with the South Beach Hairspa Treatment.

7. Spa Montage, Laguna Beach, California

As the centerpiece of what Fodor’s calls the “head-turningly fancy” beachfront Montage Laguna Beach resort, Spa Montage takes advantage of its setting, inside and outside of the facility. Some signature treatments take their inspiration from the sea, including the sea salt body scrub, marine wrap and algae cellulite massage. Mobil Travel Guide gave Spa Montage a five-star review in 2005, making it one of only two spas to receive the honor.

8. Rancho La Puerta, Tecate, Mexico

Deborah and Edmond Szekely founded Rancho La Puerta in 1940 as a health camp. The spot, which Travel and Leisure Magazine readers voted the top destination spa for the world’s best value in 2005, has evolved into a resort spa that maintains a focus on health. Guests can start the day with an invigorating hike, later dine on organic vegetables grown on-site and wind down at one of three centers offering a range of spa treatments. Guests to Rancho La Puerta are a loyal crop: Deborah Szekely told Forbes magazine that screen legend Burt Lancaster “practically lived” there, and “lots of people” have visited up to 50 times.

9. Adults-Only Spa: Monart Luxury Destination Spa, Enniscorthy, Ireland

The Monart Luxury Destination Spa opened in December 2005, and is located amid 120 private acres, 15 of which are mature woodland. The spa was designed strictly for adults, with 68 guest rooms located in the renovated town sheriff's quarters. Afternoon tea is served afternoons from 3:00 to 5:00. Spa facilities are available to day visitors who have booked in advance, as well as guests. (Payment is required at time of booking.) Signature treatments include the Kigelia Bust Treatment, which revitalizes the neck and chest area ($170), and the Underwater Anti-Stress Massage ($130). Because the spa is new, special package rates apply to January or February stays: two nights' bed and breakfast, dinner one evening and unrestricted access to the thermal suite is available for $420 per adult. Other special deals are available early this year, and normal rates will start at $500 per adult per night.

For more information, call 011 353 54 38 999 or visit www.monart.ie

10. Beach Spa: Chiva Som, Hua Hin, Thailand

Chiva Som, which means "haven of life," is a luxury health resort in Hua Hin, located south of Bangkok in Thailand. Upon arrival, guests meet their personal health and wellness advisers, natural health practitioners who map out individual programs that include fitness classes, lectures, spa treatments and nutritional guidance. The Chi Nei Tsang treatment, or stomach massage ($100), is a central part of each program and works to release tension and bring energy to the vital organs of the abdomen. Guests are encouraged to spend at least three nights at Chiva Som, and during low season there is a minimum stay of two nights. Room rates start at $680 for two nights.

For more information, visit www.chivasom.com