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Colorado Confidential
Caviar-and-pearls facial? Vail unveils the next wave in spas.
Colorado may have some of the finest massage schools in the country, but when it comes to spas, many of its offerings have been more granola than glam. Beaver Creek was among the first to buck the trend with spas from Ritz-Carlton, Park Hyatt and, coming this fall, Westin. But most recently, Vail has answered the call for some posh pampering.
The latest in a clutch of new top-line spas comes from the town’s oldest hotel. Opened in 1962, The Lodge at Vail just unveiled an 11-room mountain-chic sanctuary (think Sequoia stone walls, fireplaces and furry pillows). It’s all about the plush, from personal iPod systems to super-sized massage tables with flannel bedding. The menu features all-organic body treatments — caviar-and-pearl facial, anyone?
The Lodge is part of Colorado-based RockResorts, which says it’s on a mission to marry luxury with environmental responsibility. Nowhere is this more evident than across town at the new Arrabelle, where the spa boasts bamboo furnishings and recycled porcelain floors. Skincare products are by Naturopathica — a product line that declares “green the new black” — and nail polish is DBP-free (a toxic chemical found in most polishes).
RockResorts aren’t the only ones upping their spa game. Vail Plaza Hotel & Club’s Sorrento Spa introduced vinotherapy to the region this year. And Vail Mountain Lodge will debut upgraded facilities at month’s end, including new wet treatment circuits. Still, RockResorts is already thinking past the city limits, having opened a truly eco-conscious spa last fall at their lodge in nearby Keystone (pictured). We’re talking hemp uniforms, Aboriginal-inspired treatments and wind energy credits offsetting 100 percent of the electricity.
We just can’t help but be sorry for their Aspen property: Without a spa, Hotel Jerome must be feeling very left out.
