Relaxation at its Best!

Costa Rica is known for its ecotourism and nature adventures. Since I am more of a spa and sit by the pool type of girl, I was hoping to see another side of this beautiful country during my visit. I chose the Pacific Coast because I heard about the small beach communities and yoga properties throughout the Guanacaste Province. I ended up choosing a small boutique hotel called the Harmony Hotel.

The property is set within the natural landscape of Nosara, a small beach community a few hours drive from the Liberia Airport. It is the perfect escape from the daily grind of city life. The hotel focuses on sustainable tourism and environmental practices and works to make guests more aware of the environmental impacts of travel. They offer a daily sustainability tour where guests can see the inner workings of the property to support their environmental initiatives. They recycle, have a salt water pool rather than chlorine, and use organic products and food throughout the property. If that wasn’t enough, they also sponsor beach clean-ups and allow guests to off-set their stay by donating to a tree planting organization.

But this doesn’t even begin to cover the stay at the property. I had one of the most restful nights in months my first night at the hotel. The bed linens are super comfy and even though there is no television, the bed instantly makes you relax and fall asleep. It is also the perfect place to catch up on your “me” time with a good book on your own personal patio. Rest on the hammock and read that latest novel you never have the time to read.

Still not relaxed? Why not get a massage at the Healing Centre. Once again the property provides the best in services. Using natural products the masseuse will work away every tension imaginable with their signature spa. Once it is over you should be ready to take on the rest of the vacation. The Healing Centre is also the place to get centered with daily yoga. It is also a great place to interact with members of the Nosara community. Harmony Hotel offers the only spanish language yoga in the city, allowing locals and guests to interact.

Of course you must be hungry by now. The restaurant on the property will keep you well fed and truly satisfied all day long. From the juice bar with its cold food and natural smoothies and juices, to the fish dishes, sandwiches and breakfast items in the main restaurant. Even dessert provides mouth watering choices. There is a bar on the property so you can also mix the wonderful drinks with the cocktail of your choice. The Tamarind Fizz, a mix of ginger, lime, sugar and tamarind was a staple throughout my entire stay. With the open lobby area and free wi-fi you also can enjoy the refreshing juice drink while chatting and emailing your very jealous friends back home.

For a day at the beach it is just a short walk steps from the hotel. With beautiful sunshine this beach is a great place for surfing and sunning. Another way to relax in this beautiful area.

Needless to say I ended my few days at this lovely hotel rejuvenated and very relaxed. Sad to go home I was energized from my time to face my life back home. But I will definitely return to this oasis of tranquility near the sea.

Harmony Hotel
www.harmonynosara.com

The Relaxing Side of Vegas

When you think of Las Vegas you often think of slot machines, clubs and huge casino resorts. But Vegas is also home to world renowned spas, shows and restaurants. For a girls getaways we decided to avoid the typical Vegas of gambling and bright lights and like SEARS see the softer side.

We started at the spa at the Luxor hotel, Nuture. With any treatment you can use the spa facilities all day which includes the steam room, sauna, hot tub, and whirlpools. You also receive complimentary juices, water, teas and fruit. You can leave and return any time the spa is open during the day which allows you to enjoy other parts of the resort such as the restaurants or larger pool and then return to the spa for more relaxation. We each had massages and facials which were amazingly relaxing after long flights from the East Coast on our first full day in Vegas. The Luxor Hotel seems grossly over decorated (see our review Recently Renovated is a Relative Term) but the spa is understated and creates a wonderfully relaxing environment. I would even stay at the the Luxor again just to take advantage of Nuture.

The Palms Resort has the reputation of being a party resort for young people and celebrities. With the Fantasy Tower with the Playboy emblem on the side and the many celebrity parties that reputation has been well earned. But the resort has an amazing spa with great deals especially during the week.  The massage was the best we received during our entire time in Vegas. Like Nuture at the Luxor, once you receive a treatment service you can use the other spa amenities for the remainder of the day including the sun deck, saunas, and soaking pool.

Not wanting to deal with the Fraternity party atmosphere of the Palms then head over to their new boutique hotel, Palms Place, across a very easy and quick skybridge. Their new spa, Drift, offers more spa services than the spa in the main Palms property and the only Hammam in the area. The pricing is more expensive than the Palms spa but the spa is larger.

Not looking for a spa treatment but prefer to relax all day by the pool? Consider a cabana rental. Most resorts offer cabana rentals to their guests for a fee that includes complimentary non-alcoholic beverages and service. At the Luxor we rented a Cabana for the day and it was perfect. For about $300 weekends and $250 weekdays you have a reserved space which includes overhead wet misters to keep you cool in the desert sun. You receive regular cabana service to order food and drinks. They periodically bring you other free items such as chilled fruit in the morning and popsicles in the afternoon and chilled towels throughout the day. Split between a group this is a great way to bring the cost down and to spend the time together.  You can swim, lay out in the sun, drink, catch-up, laugh, and have fun all in your own little cabana by the pool.

If you are just looking for late night manicures and pedicures why not head to the 24 hour nail salon, Get Nailed 24/7 in one of the strip malls across from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. After dinner at Origin India and frozen yogurt from Red Mango we wandered into this late night nail salon for some late night pedicures. If you happen to need a midnight nail repair or just want a pedicure between a game of blackjack, The ladies at Get Nailed are friendly, funny and do an excellent set of nails.  We relaxed getting our pedicures at midnight, laughing with the nail technicians about men, diets and friendship for an affordable and fun girls night. Perfect for something off the craziness of the strip.

So no matter what you are looking for from massages, poolside drinks, to midnight acrylic tips there is another side to the Vegas experience.

Luxor Nuture Spa
1-800-258-9308 http://www.luxor.com/amenities/amenities_the_spa.aspx

Palms Hotel Spa
702. 942.6937 http://www.palms.com/pool_spa_2.php

Palms Place - Drift Spa
702.944.3219 http://www.palmsplace.com/spa/

 Get Nailed 24/7
4480 S Paradise Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89169
(702) 221-8000

Relaxing Girls Escape in Puerto Rico

For a birthday celebration we traveled to San Juan for a few days of relaxation and fun in the Caribbean. We stayed at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan and scheduled a day at the Olas spa on the property.

The hotel is situated between Old San Juan and Isla Verde/Condado making it a perfect place for individuals wanting to see many tourist areas on the island. The Caribe Hilton is one of the older resorts in San Juan but our rooms did not reflect the age of the property. The room had been recently renovated and had flat screen televisions and updated modern furniture. The bathroom was the real treat as it is very large by most hotel standards and has a rainfall shower and double vanity. The view was excellent as we could see the ocean and most of the property from our room in the tower section of the resort. 

We arrived very late (almost 2 am) but because of flight drama (see the post on Spirit Airlines for more about that) we were starving! Luckily the resort provides room service 24 hours a day. We ordered a pizza to share for $16. It was excellent with our choice of toppings and just the perfect size for a late night meal.

Besides the room service the property has several restaurants with a variety of cuisine’s and a Starbuck’s for people who must feed their coffee addiction even on vacation. The Starbuck’s is reasonably priced with cheaper prices then I have seen in many American big cities. 

The first morning we woke early for our day at the spa which consisted of an hour massage, hour facial, pedicure, manicure and a spa lunch. The package is called the Spa Goddesses and we definitely felt heavenly after our treatments. Our services were provided by Tina, Martha and Harry who made sure that we were comfortable and took great care of us. We started the day with a dip in the whirlpool Jacuzzi which is set at a mild temperature to accommodate the warm climate of San Juan. You can sit out there for hours and not feel to warm because of the temperature of the water. We then went for our massages in a room that overlooked the ocean. With the relaxing music and atmosphere in the massage room it is easy to quickly release all the tensions you brought with you on the trip. By the time I started the facial, I was so relaxed that I fell asleep. We then went to have a session of manicures and pedicures where we chatted with Martha and Tina about men, vacations, friendships, and weddings. It was the perfect girls chat fest! The polish choices were a little limited though we each found a polish that we loved. The lunch provided consisted of fruit juice, a turkey wrap and Caesar salad. It was perfect healthy meal for our spa day. At the spa, besides your treatments you also have access to the health club, whirlpool, sauna and steam room. The room for waiting between treatments is a quiet and serene retreat with chilled fruits, cool water, and light music playing. I recommend the spa as an OUTSTANDING addition to a Caribbean getaway for friends or individuals traveling to San Juan even if you end up not staying at the Caribe Hilton. 

The hotel restaurant Palmeras is just okay. I did not find the perfect mojito there (see my post on mojitos for where you can find the perfect mojito in San Juan) and the salad bar is limited in its choices for the price. The special that night was the Caribbean Lobster dinner which was excellent and can be served three ways, steamed, grilled, and thermidor. It is served with corn and roasted potatoes. My friends enjoyed the other special of a cilantro and lemon seasoned rotisserie chicken breast also served with corn and potatoes and the Baby Back ribs. The atmosphere is typical hotel restaurant though you do get a view of the pool from the restaurant. 

I HIGHLY recommend the Caribe Hilton for folks looking for a great hotel in San Juan. I especially recommend it for a tropical girls spa retreat and couple’s escape. 

Caribe Hilton
Los Rosales Street San Geronimo Grounds
San Juan Puerto Rico 

http://hiltoncaribbean.com/sanjuan/