Trump Sonesta’s Aquanox Spa Offers Blackberry Express Relaxation Treatment     To soothe muscles cramped from too many email and text messages, the Aquanox Spa at Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, has an original treatment for weary road-warrior hands: the Blackberry Express treatment. The treatment, which focuses on the pressure points in the hands, uses a lightly scented lotion with blackberry extract to help moisturize neglected and tired hands. It begins with an exfoliation of the hands and arms using a salt scrub with blackberry and vanilla essence. Blackberry-vanilla butter is then applied and wrapped to warm towels to rehydrate and moisturize the hands. While they are absorbing the warming and moistures, a scalp massage is performed focusing on pressure points to relax. A hand massage completes the relaxation and hydration. The treatment takes 50 minutes and costs $60. For more information on the spa, visit: www.trumpsonesta.com or call 800- SONESTA.     Casa Colonial in Puerto Plata Introduces a Honeymoon Package     Casa Colonial Beach & Spa in the Dominican Republic has introduced the “Honeymoon Package,” which includes four nights in a penthouse oceanfront suite with a balcony; one dinner for two with a bottle of “Segura Viudas” on the beach; in-room amenities; one couples massage at the Bagua Spa; continental breakfast for two daily served at Veranda Restaurant; a welcome drink; complimentary use of the gym, sauna and steam room; daily newspaper delivery; and roundtrip transfers to and from Puerta Plata International Airport. The package is priced at $777 per room per night based on double occupancy. Package rates are subject to 16 percent VAT and 10 percent Service Charge. The three-story, oceanfront resort, located on the beach at Playa Dorada, consists of 50 suites and a rooftop Infinity Pool, four ocean-view Jacuzzis, a fitness center, a private dining room and wine cellar and an outdoor oceanfront event pavilion. For reservations or information call 800-847-0291 or visit:  www.casacolonialhotel.com.   The Westin Maui Resort & Spa Invites Guests to Unwind(SM)     The Westin Maui has debuted a new signature social experience, Unwind…A Westin Evening Ritual(SM), featuring the tastes, sights and sounds of Hawaii. The new ritual is rolling-out across all 129 Westin Hotels & Resorts worldwide, and each hotel’s unique Unwind ritual will be tailored to the local environment. The Westin Maui Resort & Spa Unwind ritual transforms the upper pool deck into a gathering spot, encouraging guests to socialize and helping to combat the loneliness many travelers sometimes experience on the road. (A recent study by Westin Hotels & Resorts found that that 34% of frequent travelers feel lonely away from home.0    Every evening at 5:30 p.m. the sound of a conch shell is heard throughout the resort, announcing the ritual, which takes place until 7:00 p.m. at the Beach Bar on the upper deck pool. Guests can enjoy picturesque sunsets, views of the Pacific Ocean, cool beverages, food and hula dancing. “Westin hopes to provide a richer guest experience, where guests can indulge, socialize and maybe even learn a new skill to bring home courtesy of each destination,” said Sue Brush, senior vice president, Westin Hotels & Resorts. “If we can provide our guests with a place to relax at the end of the day lift their spirits and perhaps meet new people in a warm environment, we believe we are doing our job well.” Located on 12 oceanfront acres directly on Kaanapali Beach, The Westin Maui Resort & Spa is nestled between the Pacific Ocean and West Maui Mountains. Each of the 758 guest rooms and suites feature Westin’s signature Heavenly Baths and Heavenly Beds. For more information on the new ritual, visit: www.westin.com/unwind.     Sun, Sea and Mud—Spain has it All     Though spa vacations are increasingly popular, spas have been in Spain for more than 2,000 years, since the days of the Romans. With 8,000 miles of coast, Spain has some 2,000 registered thermal springs and dozens of spas. In Galicia’s Rías Baixas, the 5-star Gran Hotel Hesperia La Toja on La Toja Island and is renowned as one of Spain’s best spa hotels. Completely refurbished in 2005, it is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Its new modern spa and thermal club offers treatments using the mineral-rich waters and mud from the area. Nearby in Pontevedra, the Mondariz Spa has been attracting the health-conscious since 1846. Three majestic granite buildings are equipped with the latest techniques – steam baths, jets-showers, Finnish saunas and hydro massage baths – all using the mineral waters that have been renowned for more than 150 years. The Gran Hotel Balneario Puente Viesgo in Cantabria has bathhouses near the thermal springs dating back to 1766. Less than 30 miles from Santander on the banks of the River Pas, this four-star complex opened 16 years ago and added another 40 rooms two years ago. The recently opened three-floor “Palace of Water” spa features a large swimming pool, a children’s pool, saunas, a hot water pool and an open-air dry sauna. The resort is popular with athletes, and members of various Olympic, World Cup and European Cup teams are regulars here. The Hotel Termes Montbrió in Tarragona dates from the turn of the century and is set in a flowering landscape of bougainvillea and exotic flowers and towering sequoias and fruit trees. Natural springs – first sourced by the Romans – abound on the 10-acre resort. Four years ago a new Spa Aquatonic and Leisure Centre opened with a 4300-square feet area of thermal water. Guests can relax in nutrient-filled waters and de-stress in some 95 treatment rooms or opt for turn in a giant Jacuzzi, Turkish bath, saunas, mud and seaweed Jacuzzis, or try an electrotherapy treatment. The mud and clay of the Mar Menor in the Murcia region have been renowned for centuries. Several resorts around this 65-square-mile lake, including the La Manga Club and the Intercontinental, offer treatments that use warm salt water and this local clay which have purifying and therapeutic properties. The Balneario de Archena in Murcia is Spain’s oldest spa resort, dating back more than 2,000 years, when the Romans built a spa for their soldiers. Later, in the Middle Ages, the baths belonged to the Knights of Santiago, and the holy order of Saint John used the waters to cure their wounds. Close by the Segura River and set amid palms, eucalyptus and lemon trees, the two-million square-foot thermal complex offers the latest technology in a pristine setting. Known as the “Fountain of Health” since the 1770s because of the restorative properties of its drinking water, Lanjarón is Andalusia’s most renowned balneario. Numerous hotels offer therapies for digestive or respiratory problems, stress and rheumatism that use the medicinal waters from five natural springs originating from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Its prize-winning water attracted royalty as well as distinguished philosopher Bertrand Russell, writer Virginia Wolf and composer Manuel de Falla. One of the most famous resorts in Europe, the Byblos Andaluz, melds graceful Moorish architecture – beautiful Andalusian patios and the ever-present sound of flowing water – with a 26,000-square-foot spa. The resort’s thalassotherapy center features three indoor heated sea water pools, saunas, a hammam and 35 treatment rooms. The resort is located in Mijas, between Marbella and Málaga on the Costa del Sol, one of the first areas to witness the dawn of the second golden age of Spain’s spa tourism. Last year, also on the Costa del Sol, the Caracala Spa, named after the Roman emperor who opened one of the most beautiful balneas in Rome in 217 A.D., opened at La Cala Resort; if features a crystal sauna, herbal steam room and igloo. For more information about the spas of Spain, go to: www.spain.info.     Sea-Inspired Treatments Featured at Wauwinet     The Wauwinet, Nantucket’s only Relax & Chateaux property, now offers spa treatments to guests in the newly created Spa by the Sea. The spa features signature treatments using local and sea-inspired treatments including the Cranberry Crush Body Treatment, the Garden Facial and the Atlantic Seaweed Wrap. Therapists also offer ocean salt scrubs, algae masks, and a “cobblestone” exfoliating pedicure. Massages feature seasonal wildflowers and herbs cultivated in the Wauwinet’s spa garden--including local rose, chamomile, rosemary, lavender, rhododendron, and hydrangea. For more information or reservations, call 800-426-8718 or visit: www.nantucketislandresorts.com.     Renew for Spring and Summer at the Island Hotel’s Spa     The Spa at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach, California, is offering a new Springtime Skin Rescue Package priced at $410, through June 21st. It includes the Island Tropical Splendor (120 minutes), a treatment known as the body elixir; it begins with a coconut, rice and vetiver skin scrub to enliven the skin. Lemongrass is applied to invigorate and uplift the body, leaving the newly hydrated skin feeling and looking satiny smooth. The Honey Hibiscus Hydrating Facial (60 minutes), the spa’s solution to thirsty skin, uses a rich mixture of restoring ingredients derived from honey, hibiscus and the trehalose desert plant to promote silk texture and replenish hydration. At the end of this spa experience, a complimentary Island Hotel Martini and fresh fruit will be served. To book an appointment, call 949-760-4992. Overlooking the nearby islands of Balboa, Lido and even Catalina, The Island Hotel was originally built in 1986 by The Irvine Company and now features: 295 recently renovated guestrooms and suites; the 4,000-square-foot spa; a 3,000-square-foot resort-style pool; two award-winning restaurants; a fitness center; two outdoor, lighted tennis courts; and over 30,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel is across the street from the Fashion Island shopping center and minutes away from Newport Harbor. For reservations and more information, call 888-321-4752; or visit: www.theislandhotel.com.     More than $200 Million in New Lodging/ Renovations Slated for Monterey County     Over $200 million in new properties and hotel renovations are slated for development in California’s Monterey County over the next two years; this translates into the most significant surge of capital improvements the destination has seen in nearly 20 years. Fairmont Hotels and Resorts will break ground later this year on a $100+ million luxury mixed-use resort property north of Monterey in the Central Coast city of Seaside. Expected to open in 2009, the property will include a 330-room hotel, 24,000 square feet of meeting space, a 14,000-square foot Willow Stream spa, dining outlets, an outdoor pool and a residential component including 170 condominiums and 125 single-family lots. The Cannery Row Company broke ground last August on a $70+ million luxury beachfront property. The newest waterfront hotel on California’s Central Cost in 20 years, the property will feature 208 luxury rooms, 10,200 square feet of meeting space, 18,500 square feet of high-end retail, an on-site spa, and a 95-seat restaurant. Managed by Pacific Hotels Management, the hotel is set to debut in spring or summer, 2008. The Hyatt Regency Monterey began a $40 million three-phase renovation in late 2006. Renovations include all of the property’s 575 guestrooms, 32 suites, President’s House, lobby and front desk area, restaurant and exterior landscaping of the 22-acre property. The highlight of the resort’s multi-million-dollar transformation will be the addition of a new 8,000 square-foot spa that will include a health club and 12 spa suites focusing on solitude and rejuvenation. The initial renovation phase was completed earlier this year; the final phase is scheduled for completion by January, 2008 when the Hyatt Regency will become the Hyatt Regency Monterey on Del Monte Golf Course Resort and Spa. The property is the largest hotel facility between the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. Moonstone Hotel Properties initiated an $8 million expansion project last November, on The Monterey Hotel, an historic property built in 1904 in the heart of downtown Monterey. The renovation adds 24 new guest rooms (all with private fireplaces) to the current 45 rooms, as well as an additional 454 square feet of meeting space. Other changes include extra underground valet parking, a new elevator system, and a 1,500-square foot fitness facility, including a spa, treatment rooms and an exercise room. The interior design will remain consistent with the hotel’s existing Victorian theme, while adding an indoor garden conservatory on the lower level near the spa entrance. “Monterey County is in the midst of a renaissance,” says John McMahon, president and CEO of the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We’re about to see an increase of more than 1,000 rooms to our hotel inventory. We’re thrilled to see the energy that these developments will continue to generate.” For information on Monterey County, visit: www.montereyinfo.org.     Mandara Spa at Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa Offers a Sweet Deal     The Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa, together with Mandara Spa, is offering couples a Chocolate Lovers' Package that gives them a sweet and romantic way to rejuvenate their body and soul. The package comes with four nights' accommodations in an ocean view room, an Exploration in Chocolate treatment at the Mandara Spa, as well as chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne delivered by room service on the first night. The two-and-a-half-hour Exploration in Chocolate begins with side-by-side massages in a deluxe twin spa suite. Couples can then embark on their private journey together while discovering the many applications of chocolate with a pot of rich chocolate scrub that is "good enough to eat.” The interlude is completed with a custom-prepared aromatic bath. The package, which is available through December 26th, starts at $1,716 for four nights, including all applicable taxes and gratuities. Additional nights start from $299 per night for an ocean view room, plus tax. For reservation, call 800-HILTONS (800-445-8667) and ask for rate code "P2.”   Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa is Waikiki's only self-contained destination resort. It spans 22 acres, including the widest stretch of beach on Waikiki, a beachfront lagoon, waterfalls, five pools, gardens, a fine art collection and exotic wildlife, as well as nightly entertainment. For more information, call 800-445-8667 or visit: www.hiltonhawaii.com.     Have a Heavenly Honeymoon in Hawaii     A dreamy destination wedding, a romantic honeymoon to remember or an intimate special occasion dinner – all these are possible through the efforts of The Westin Maui Resort & Spa’s Director of Romance and the hotel’s “Celebrations of Aloha™” full-service wedding center. The resort offers a special Honeymoon package: a five-night stay, champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberry arrival amenity, lei greeting, daily breakfast buffet for two, dinner for two at the oceanfront Tropica restaurant, a sunset cruise for two, a 50-minute “Couples Cabana Massage” treatment, and all taxes and daily resort charge. The package includes garden view accommodations starting at $2,599 during low season and is offered through December 17, 2007. Call 866-716-8112 and ask for rate plan HYMNPKG. For more resort information visit: www.westinmaui.com.     Princeville Resort on Kauai Offers “Experience of Love”     Now through December 25, 2007, Princeville Resort on Kauai offers a romantic "Experience of Love" package that includes: luxurious suite accommodations, fresh flower lei greeting; Kauai ultimate guide book; one couple in-room massage; bottle of premium champagne; tropical floral arrangement upon arrival; Princeville sensory amenity; breakfast buffet for two daily in Cafe Hanalei; His & Her Princeville Resort bathrobes; Afternoon Tea for two in the Living Room and a three-course romantic dinner for two in La Cascata. This offer is based on double occupancy, three-night minimum. Not combinable with other offers. Advanced reservations required. Rates are subject to change without notice, based on availability and start at $1,200 per night. For more information, call 866-716-8110 or visit: www.princevillehotelhawaii.com.     Find Love on the Lava at Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa     For a honeymoon with a dramatic backdrop of black lava cliffs, the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa on Hawaii’s Big Island offers a package designed for couples seeking a balance of fun and relaxation. In addition to accommodations, the package includes daily breakfast buffet at Kai or room service breakfast in bed, 30-minute couples’ massage with 25-minute Jacuzzi at Ho`ola Spa, a daily Mai Tai reception in Crystal Blue, and champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Requiring a four-night minimum stay, the package begins at $300 per night, per room, based on double occupancy. For reservations, call 866-716-8109 and ask for package code HNYMN. For resort information visit: www.sheratonkeauhou.com.     Kiana Resorts at Playa Dominical Plans Soft Opening     In mid-2007 a new boutique resort will be unveiled on the pristine oceanfront amidst the Costa Rica’s Southern Pacific Coast and mountainous rainforest. Kiana Resort at Playa Dominical consists of just 26 1,500-square-foot beachfront villas grouped into four “village clusters.” It features a full service spa, an oceanfront gourmet restaurant, four pools and a fitness gym, all surrounded by a nature preserve filled with chattering monkeys and other exotic wildlife. “Kiana will appeal to adventurous spirits who want to explore the most beautiful parts of Costa Rica, only to return to an enclave of rest and relaxation when the day is over,” said General Manager Martial Thevenaz. “Guests will have access to amenities found at the world’s finest hotels with the breathtaking attractions provided by Mother Nature.” Kiana is set amidst more than 2,000 acres of mountainous rainforest purchased for the resort and other real estate ventures, 80 percent of which will remain jungle green space. Kiana guests will be able to stroll out their door to nearly empty beaches or explore the jungle and all the wonders it holds. For more information about Kiana Resorts at Playa Dominical, visit: www.kiana-dominical.com.     Ten Terrific Places to Take the Plunge     No, not that plunge—rather, an invigorating splash in a designer swimming pool on your next getaway. Far from the plain blue rectangles of old, luxury hotels and resorts are dressing up their swimming pools with artful shapes, glorious foliage, sandy bottoms and stylish cabanas for drinks, dinner and private parties in the shade. 1) The Adirondacks Naturally: The Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, New York sets guests swimming year-round with its creatively shaped indoor/outdoor pool. The pool incorporates local biodiversity with artfully placed native rocks, trees and plantings. Guests can swim under a wall from the indoor Pavilion to the outdoor pool, which is heated year round for swimming among the snowflakes. The Lodge also has a burbling hot tub, which is quite popular in winter for shaking off the Adirondack chill. Rates start at $295/night. www.thewhitefacelodge.com 2) Floor on the Shore: Guests at VillaHotel Contenta, one of four ultra-luxurious Miami-based addresses from Villazzo, plunge into elegance in a sizable heated swimming pool with a floor that’s tiled like an Italian mosaic. Surrounding by tropical foliage and views of the Gulf of Mexico, the pool is outfitted with a splashing waterfall and private grotto. VillaHotel Contenta also has two Jacuzzis (one upon the rooftop) and a regulation-size beach volleyball court. Rates start at $12,600 a day. www.villazzo.com. 3) ’Scuse Me While I Swim the Sky: Located on the 42nd floor with views of the Hong Kong skyline, Langham Place Hotel’s swimming pool features underwater music and fiber optic lights. Guests can lounge poolside in cabanas and indulge themselves with a drink or a massage. Or, relax in the hotel’s rooftop Jacuzzi. Rates start at $330/night. www.langhamplacehotel.com 4) Now That’s a Cool Pool: Guests of Le Méridien Tahiti can cool their heels, legs, and everything else in the seaside resort’s sandy-bottom swimming pool. The largest in the South Pacific, the pool sits alongside Le Méridien Tahiti’s blue lagoon where it is integrated into the luxuriant vegetation of the island. Rates starting at $380/night. www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien 5) Slide On: There’s more than one way into the water at the multi-level pool complex at Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino. Should cannon balls not work, try the three-story water slide. Or, take a look at the resort’s recently refurbished lagoon, where 180,000 gallons of fresh water are home to tropical fish and wildlife, including beautiful black swans, koi and catfish. Rates start at $285/night. www.aruba.hyatt.com 6) Don’t Fear the Freezer: A year-round, outdoor swimming pool in the deep freeze of Vermont? Yup – and a hot tub, too, at Topnotch Resort and Spa in Stowe. The resort recently added two new pools; one of them heated, just outside its new restaurant, Norma’s. Tiles on the pool deck are kept warm through radiant heat while a nearby fire pit assures everyone will be toasty. Guests can also enjoy a hot tub surrounded by fresh snow and vistas of Mount Mansfield. Rates start at $335/night. www.topnotchresort.com 7) Swimmin’ Pretty in the City: Guests at Kor Hotel Group’s Chamberlain West Hollywood can soak up the sun on the hotel’s rooftop pool deck along with 360-degree views of L.A.’s edgy cityscape. The heated pool is suited to evening dips, and cabanas clad in white, coal and black offer privacy with lounging beds and chaises with cumaru wood bases. At 12 feet-by-12 feet, the largest cabana offers a full banquette, cushy pillows and a glass coffee table. Rates start at $119/night; www.chamberlainwesthollywood.com 8) “Take Your Time”: Could there be any wait as interminable as for a spa treatment? Not at The Spa at Little Dix Bay, A Rosewood Resort on Virgin Gorda in the BVIs. Along with beauty and recuperative treatments, the cliffside spa has an outdoor relaxation area offering guests a dip in a two-tiered infinity pool and neighboring Jacuzzi. With panoramic views of the sea, surrounding islands, and floating sailboats on the horizon, guests will discover a relaxing experience before they even set foot in the treatment room. Rates starting at $395/night. www.littledixbay.com 9) Desert Desserts: Viceroy Palm Spring’s Resort & Estrella Spa’s intimate layout of landscaped courtyards frames three outdoor heated swimming pools – two for adults and one for the whole family. Each invites guests to swim day or night amid surroundings of citrus trees and manicured gardens. Poolside manicures and pedicures are available for guests and the poolside bar offers frozen Margarita popsicles or aromatic face and body mists produced right at the spa. Rates start at $89/night. www.viceroypalmsprings.com 10) A Tall Cocktail of Water: The Blue Mojito Pool Bar & Grill at Hyatt Key West has all the makings for a brilliant day in the sun. As part of the hotel’s $9 million renovation, the pool area has been redesigned, now featuring poolside “spa cabanas” to enjoy swimming and spa-ing along with a pool deck and whirlpool. The Corian-top bar shines with “pearlescent” mosaic work providing a luminous backdrop for sipping the signature Blue Mojito Cocktail. Rates start at $270//night. www.keywest.hyatt.com     EasyCruise Now Offers Spa Services     EasyCruise, in collaboration with Apivita, Greece’s leading producer of natural skin products, has introduced Greek-inspired spa services that include facials, massages, manicures, and pedicures. EasyCruise founder and entrepreneur Sir Stelios remarked: “The easyCruise concept is designed for independent travelers who seek both and exciting nightlife as well as an adventurous daytime. The introduction of a spa will allow our passengers the opportunity to relax and pamper themselves during their downtime.” The spa treatments aboard EasyCruiseOne designed by Apivita are intended to revitalize the skin and offer radiance and nourishment, while restoring equilibrium to the body, reviving the senses, and enabling passengers to recover a total sense of well-being. The spa facials start at $20; massages range from $10 to $70; manicures and pedicures are similarly budget-priced. EasyCruiseOne’s summer season takes in Athens and the cosmopolitan islands of Mykonos, Paros and Ios, and well as the undiscovered islands of Milos, Amorgos, Naxos, Folegandros, Sifnos and Serifos. The itinerary, which allows you to take anything from a weekend break to a two-week holiday, will set sail on May 31, 2007 from Athens for less than $167 per person for a ten night vacation (based on two people sharing a standard cabin). For more information visit www.easycruise.com. For Apivita Products, visit: www.apivita.com.