Qua Spa
Caesars Palace, no new comer to the luxe pampering trend, opened Qua Baths & Spa last fall in its new Augustus Tower just across the hall from Michelin-starred Guy Savoy restaurant. In a city where bigger is king, Qua may top the list of large spas along with Canyon Ranch Spa Club at Venetian, Aqua Sulis at JW Marriott and the Spa at Bellagio, all hovering around the 60,000-square-foot mark. In spa lingo, 20,000 square feet is considered sizable.

Qua is a play on the Italian word for “here” and here it means living in the moment with a water experience that has yet to be topped in Las Vegas.

Start with the Roman Baths. Here these are waters with true mineralized and lithiated content with three temperatures to indulge. The hot, tepid and cold plunge Jacuzzi waters are complemented a continuous rain shower island in the center for washing off with cool, fresh water.

Not only does Qua have the only indoor mineral pools in Las Vegas, it also contains the only Arctic Ice Room - unless you count the frozen vodka locker at Red Square in Mandalay Bay! Here, following a cleanse in the adjacent eucalyptus steam room or cedar sauna, the body can indulge in a welcoming blizzard of snow billowing from a firmament of twinkling stars and purple twilight while seated on slightly warmed marble benches.

The staggering fifty-one treatments on the menu might set you back as much a an hour of blackjack, with prices starting at $140 for a classic, 50-minute Swedish massage. Should you simply want to indulge in water, heat and relaxation, there is a $35 fee and the spa is open to non-guests. Fees apply to Caesars Palace guests as well.
For more information call Caesars Palace: (877) 427-7243, (702) 731-7110 or visit http://www.quabathsandspa.com; http://www.harrahs.com.

All WET and wild
Also new in Las Vegas spas is WET, the latest remodel of the Spa at TI, (Treasure Island to you kiddies still stuck in the Twentieth Century). The decor that employs aquamarine glass wall panels and microphoto props of dramatic water drops create an elsewhere effect to promote the calming conditions of water.

Several treatments, such as the WET Signature Wrap, the WET Aromatic Seaweed Bath, and the Shallow End are built around an oceanic theme.

Note to you night owls: a major factor that separates this spa from others in Las Vegas is its closing time. WET PM has been designed for guests to get rejuvenated for an exhilarating night out or to pamper themselves for a relaxing night in. A menu of 10 indulgent treatments range from The Heiress, a rich golden scrub, wrap and massage followed by a sprinkling of real gold dust, to the Sleepy Town Massage, using calming scents of chamomile, marjoram, rose and geranium, and the Bedtime Bath, a relaxing soak in a special creation of lavender and mandarin... yum!

Thursday through Saturday you can experience such pampering unti 10 pm. Rates start at $110 for a 50-minute massage. Call TI at (800) 288-7206 or (702) 894-7111; or WET at (702) 894-7474, http://www.treasureisland.com.

DNA Tune-Up
MGM Grand Spa recently added a new high-tech treatment to their menu: SpaGen. The CSI-like system evaluates your physical well being through customized DNA analysis - watch out Dani Lynn I said DNA analysis. The service begins with an in-depth health, diet and lifestyle questionnaire before a simple cotton swab captures DNA from the inside of the cheek. Then, a two-week lab examination of your DNA reveals nutritional deficiencies. An extensive summary sent to you provides the information needed to achieve wellness and beauty from the inside out and a personalized package of nutritional supplements can be arranged for an additional fee. A 15-minute service, SpaGen is offered at $299, while supplements range from an additional $30 to $100 a month. Grand Spa is the first and only spa in Las Vegas to offer the new service. Call (877) 880-0880 or (702) 891-7777, or the Grand Spa at (702) 891-3077, http://www.mgmgrand.com.

Desert Detox
In April, Station Casinos opened its toniest flagship to date just a few miles from the cleansing desert and scenic Red Rock National Preserve. To complement the detoxifying effects of these natural surroundings, the new Red Rock Resort created a 25,000 square foot spa (soon to be expanded to 35,000 square feet) containing some fine touches such as a private lap and lounging pool for spa guests, morning yoga classes, desert-inspired treatments and a sparring ring for would-be boxers and contentious couples - gloves provided at no cost.

As an unusual move, the resort offers “Adventure Spa,” a program that takes advantage of the desert. With programs ranging from $59 to $230 per person, guests can go horseback riding, river rafting, mountain biking, climbing and guided hiking with transport, fees and lunch bundled into the outing.

Rates run for all pockets, arcing from $129 to $10,000 per night. For more information call (866) 767-7773 or (702) 797-7777 or visit http://www.redrocklasvegas.com.

Residence and WELL-being
As Las Vegas morphs into the condo-hotel capital of the country with multi-million-dollar bookable residences going up in golden high-rise complexes on and around the Strip, Platinum Hotel and Spa opened in October with an over-the-top pampering place to bring interest and occupancy to this location a mile east of the Strip. WELL Spa is a welcomed complement to the tower's 255 suites. It provides an intimate comfort zone of six treatment rooms, as well as men and women's steam rooms. Platinum Signature Facial and the Executive Facial, especially designed for men, are among the services, which also include the Platinum Royal Indulgence massage, focusing on the scalp and feet, and cosmetic services such as manicures and pedicures. Massage pricing starts at $105 for a 50-minute treatment.

A treatment at WELL Spa can be followed by relaxation at Misora, the 17th-floor rooftop terrace that offers guests views of the city and desert scapes for a sense of the dazzling and the infinite. Call (877) 211-9211, (702) 365-5000 or visit http://www.lvplatinum.com.

Fire & Ice
Aqua Sulis, the 40,000-square-foot spa at JW Marriott in Summerlin, continues to be rated as one of the city's most indulgent resort spas with its unmatched array of indoor and outdoor water treatment pools and sexy menu of services. Indulge in an unusual therapy of contrasts called “Fire & Ice.” The 80-minute massage and 80-minute facial ($180 and $175 respectively) use both hot and cold stones during the treatment to constrict and relax tired muscles.

Unlike the popular Hot Stone Massage, the stones used in this treatment are not used as massage tools. Instead, hot basalt stones and cold marble stones are passed over the body in smooth strokes during the massage and then used in a circular motion during the facial to create the delicious sensation of hot and cold.

Other exotic temptations include the Head-to-Toe Facial that adds a beautifying edge to the entire body, and the Reiki Balancer massage. Spa services start at $110 for a 50-minute treatment. Call (877) 869-8777, (702) 869-7777, or visit http://www.jwmarriottlv.com.

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