Celebrity Spas

Julie Keller January 24, 2007

 

Where celebrities love to go for rest, relaxation and mind-body renewal

Celebrities work hard to be perfect -- flawless skin, cellulite-free backsides and perpetually perfect nails are part of the job description. After all, any bumps or blemishes are projected 20 feet high, or televised in brutally high definition. How do they manage? In addition to a retinue of personal trainers and fitness gurus, stars pay countless beauty-boosting visits to exclusive spas where their flaws are transformed by the expert hands of master aestheticians.

"In today's Hollywood, having flawless skin has become such a prized possession that it now rates as an important status symbol, next to the Kelly bag by Hermes, vintage Chanel suits and having your own private jet," says Ole Henriksen, the famous beauty expert who treats such stars as Charlize Theron and Renée Zellweger in his Los Angeles-based Ole Henriksen Face/Body spa.

Take a look the 10 hot spas beloved by celebrities.

Maintaining camera-ready skin can be tough for A-listers. Kate Somerville of the eponymous Kate Somerville Skin Health Experts in Los Angeles says all celebs battle skincare problems. Why? They're constantly being caked with makeup and cooked under hot lights, and often spend a fair amount of time in airplanes. Stars like Felicity Huffman, Paris Hilton and Jessica Alba take advantage of Somerville's $250 DermalQuench Facial Treatment, where oxygen, vitamins and hyaluronic serum are pumped into the skin using hyperbaric pressure.

Beautiful bodies are equally important to the Tinsel Town set. To keeping unsightly cellulite at bay, they turn to a number of body treatments. Several spas, including Ole Henriksen Face/Body, New York City's Cornelia Day Resort and San Francisco's Spa Radiance offer Endermologie, an expensive and torturous-sounding (but incredibly effective) treatment that involves mechanized suction and massage to help reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Other spas create contoured bodies through a series of skin-perfecting, detoxifying treatments. Spa V, the serene subterranean spa at the star-studded Hotel Victor in South Beach, offers celebrities (and civilians willing to shell out $250 for the 60-minute treatment) the detoxifying and hydrating Hammam V experience, which is performed on a heated marble bed, taking a hint from the ancient traditions of Turkish baths.

When they're not buffing, beating and blasting their faces and bodies into perfection, celebs might seek vacation-inspired spa relief. For private pampering, some stars head to Parrot Cay, a private Caribbean resort in Turks and Caicos for a yoga-inspired getaway at the COMO Shambhala retreat. The resort is discreet about its star-studded clientele, but Justin Timberlake, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis are all rumored to have vacationed there.

More options for posh pampering are found at Las Ventanas al Paraíso in Los Cabos, Mexico. The spa there features a host of locally inspired, high-end restorative treatments, healing rituals and native remedies. The resort's infinity pool is an ideal spot for al fresco spa sessions, and is reportedly Jessica Simpson's personal favorite.

So whether you are looking to relax like Sir Paul, score Jessica Alba's bikini-perfect body or get Uma Thurman's luminous skin, this selection of A-List spas offers something for everyone. Go ahead -- give yourself the star treatment.

Take a look the 10 hot spas beloved by celebrities.

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