The Holiday Survival Guide

Ultraindulgent Spa-Going
Five cure-all experiences for when you’ve got the time and the cash.

1. For The Devotee
Total Relaxation Program
Splash (4 hours, 40 minutes, $506, thesportsclubla.com)
I’m a spa regular—a massage here, an impromptu mani there. But “day at the spa” sounded a tad too overprivileged house mom, until I was convinced to try Splash’s TRP. The treatment started with the most pleasing foot rub of my life (apologies to my husband) and then moved into a somewhat racy full-body scrub (same). After that came a de-stressing facial and “inner journey” gemstone massage. Aura calmed, I dozed off during the scalp rub and body wrap, and woke to a lunch of salad and tea. The most stressful thing about the entire experience was having to write this article afterward. —Erin Byers Murray

2. For The Novice
Tandem Treatment
Spa InterContinental (80 minutes, $280, intercontinentalboston.com)
Since this offering at the InterContinental’s new spa involves not one, but two therapists, I figured I was in for twice the relaxation. And mostly I was—with serene music wafting in the background, the women moved in impressive synchronicity (they practice this), smoothing oil across my body as they kneaded and rubbed my office chair hunchback. The constant guessing game I found myself playing—which masseuse’s hands were where?—kept me from complete Zen, but for the less neurotic, the hour-plus treatment comes highly recommended. —Jason Schwartz

3. For The Beauty Queen
Red Carpet Treatment
LuxeBeautique (4 hours, $400, luxebeautique.com)
My appearance isn’t much to brag about these days—I’m pasty, flaky, and splotchy, thanks to too much wind and too much work. Thus I arrived anxious and bedraggled at cute new North Shore spa LuxeBeautique. Motherly, if chatty, masseuse Natalie sloughed off my dead skin and bad attitude with a delicious-smelling sugar cane–ginger scrub before giving an effective rubdown. The dreaded facial (I hate the poking) turned out to be a highlight, with aesthetician Kadi pinpointing my big-grained exfoliant as the culprit behind my dry skin. After being so well treated, I have my bragging rights fully restored. —Rachel Baker

4. For The Squeamish
Sea Foam Head-To-Toe Body Ritual
Bella Santé (2 hours, $265, bellasante.com)
I so despise lotions that I often forgo sun block—at noon, in August—at the beach. It feels constricting, heavy, oily. This full-body treatment, then, promised a series of affronts: first an exfoliant; then a warm, bubbling mud facial while I’m foil-wrapped like a baked potato; and, finally, a moisturizer. Yet to my surprise, I found the rubs soothing, refreshing—a skin tune-up. Such a tease, though: While my aesthetician’s hands were working, couldn’t I have gotten a massage, too? —Jason Feifer

5. For The Bride-To-Be
Cozy Comfort
Melt (3 hours, 30 minutes, $250, meltboston.com)
With just weeks until my 200-person, out-of-town wedding, “stressed” hardly begins to describe my state of mind. At fluffed-up Newbury Street spa Melt, I get shuffled off to a cushioned pedicure banquette with an extra throw pillow, a cinnamon scone, a cup of tea, and a copy of the new InStyle. I’m more relaxed already—and that’s even before my toes are massaged, scrubbed, reflexed, and painted a spirited shade of candy-apple red, and my hands gloved in warm, moisturizing paraffin wax. From there, I was supposed to proceed to the head-to-foot polish, using Melt’s seasonal cranberry–brown sugar scrub, which, if the mani-pedi was any indication, would be divine, but unfortunately, I couldn’t stay. Did I mention I’ve got this wedding to plan? —Blythe Copeland

 

 

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