Finding time to decompress can be difficult, but that’s what vacations (or staycations) are for. Those looking to calm the mind and body in a luxurious setting will find that New York City is home to plenty of stylish spas offering some of the world’s best beauty treatments. Here are a few of the most indulgent spas.
Bamford Haybarn Spa at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
The Bamford Haybarn Spa adopts wellness traditions from around the globe and uses exclusive, organic products made in England. Notable treatments include the Bespoke Facial, which employs jade stone therapy, yogic breathing techniques and natural elixirs to help restore and repair skin. Other specialized services, like the Edition 1 Signature Treatment, incorporate Swedish and Japanese massage methods as well as acupuncture to promote full-body relaxation. The spa’s decor was inspired by hay barns of the English countryside, accented with reclaimed wood and tree branches to evoke a rustic, calming environment.
The Spa at the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown This Lower Manhattan hotel boasts a 75-foot lap pool, seven spa treatment rooms and customized services. The marble-decorated facility has partnered with Hungarian beauty brand Omorovicza for its facials, such as the gold hydralifting, which uses bioavailable gold to repair and plump the skin. Its body treatments shouldn’t be overlooked either. The hydrating Swiss milk ritual recalls an ancient Egyptian beauty treatment—favored by Cleopatra herself—that incorporates Swiss milk and an anti-aging concentrate into a nourishing bath for the skin.
Guerlain Spa at The Plaza Hotel You’ll feel like you’re on an island (other than Manhattan, that is) at Guerlain Spa—a peaceful, French-inspired oasis far removed from the bustle of Midtown. Located in The Plaza Hotel, this spa offers skin care and massage treatments that mirror the hotel’s extravagance. The Orchidée Impériale Black facial uses the beauty brand’s Black Orchid cream to defend and combat signs of aging, while the Urban Island Escape applies coconut honey and sugar to massage and exfoliate the body, with a coconut-oil massage to follow.
Spa Valmont at Hôtel Plaza Athénée The Hôtel Plaza Athénée’s Spa Valmont presents an elite experience at its only US location. This Switzerland-based spa’s facilities include four private suites, each with a dressing room, lounge chair and steam shower. The spa’s signature Time Master Sublimating Program combines massage and facial services to reduce signs of stress and provide anti-aging benefits for your skin. Also on site, a salon offers blowouts and makeup applications, the latter courtesy of Kevyn Aucoin cosmetics.
Joanna Vargas Skin Care The woman responsible for Jessica Alba’s glowing skin offers a range of skin care services in her Bryant Park–adjacent office. Vargas’ signature Triple Crown facial lifts and firms the skin, and is a favorite of her celebrity clientele—which includes Julianne Moore. Clients also clamor for the LED light therapy treatments, which provide a full-body boost for those feeling a little worn out. Try the “Sleeping Beauty,” a half-hour treatment comprised of microdermabrasion on your face, followed by oxygen-serum application and an LED light bed session meant to reduce inflammation and fatigue.
Julien Farel Restore Salon & Spa at the Loews Regency New York The Julien Farel Spa at the Loews Regency New York features private massage and facial rooms, plus a post-treatment relaxation lounge with complimentary drinks. The Five Pillar massage aims to treat guests inside and out—with not only massage but also aromatherapy to relax the mind. Another trademark treatment, designed by podiatrist Suzanne Levine, works on reviving tired feet with a massage, mask and exfoliation. The spa also offers blowouts, manicures and pedicures ensuring every customer leaves looking their best from head to toe.
Spa at Mandarin Oriental, New York Treatments here center on Eastern rituals with everything from a Thai Yoga massage to treatments inspired by ancient Ayurvedic medicine. Prior to any treatment, guests are invited to visit the Mandarin’s soaking tubs, Jacuzzi and steam rooms as well as its Oriental Tea Lounge for a soothing welcome. The spa’s customized “Time Rituals,” which last two to three hours, usually include an exfoliation followed by a full body massage. Those who book a VIP suite receive a bento box with the spa’s services.
La Prairie Spa at The Ritz-Carlton Central Park Find the only Northeast location of La Prairie’s spa inside the Ritz-Carlton Central Park. The Swiss luxury skin-care line is famous for its Skin Caviar, a nourishing, lifting and firming line of products that is incorporated into spa treatments like the Timeless Beauty facial. Exclusive to this outpost is the Central Park Signature Ritual, a massage that uses essential oils for a serene experience. Six spacious treatment rooms provide a relaxing environment for clients.
Naturopathica This Chelsea spa takes a holistic approach to skin care, based on the belief that good skin is a result of what you put on your face and in your body. The full-service spa, which uses its own line of natural products, features six treatment rooms, a juice bar and a very zen sensory and meditation lounge where you can reboot after treatment. Naturopathica offers clarifying and rebalancing facials along with microdermabrasion and brightening treatments—but the holistic facial is the signature experience here. Clients who come in for this treatment meet with an esthetician to determine their skin personality type (stress, reactive, adaptive or mature), which informs the type of facial they receive. The package includes a seven-day follow-up concentrate to help prolong the effects of the facial, a guide to skin care, diet tips and herbal remedies that target your skin’s particular needs. Additionally, the Marmara Park Avenue’s wellness center uses Naturopathica products for its luxurious facial treatments.
Tracie Martyn Tracie Martyn is the go-to facialist for Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock and Madonna—and you, too, can get the celebrity treatment at her lavender-accented Fifth Avenue salon. Options there include the skin-tightening Resculpting facial and the Red Carpet facial, which focuses on reducing wrinkled and fine lines via LED light and light skin contouring. The Diamond facial, however, is probably the most luxurious—it uses a crystal-free, diamond-tip microdermabrasion machine to purify and brighten the skin and reduce signs of aging.