If traveling, skiing, or other activities have left you weary, Santa Fe has a number of relaxation options. Newest to the city is the Absolute Nirvana Spa, Tea Room & Gardens (tel. 505/983-7942; www.absolutenirvana.com). This creation, voted one of the best three spas in town by the Santa Fe Reporter, offers imaginative Indo-Asian spa "experiences" as well as massages and facials. Their signature treatment, the Javanese Lulur, includes a full-body massage with jasmine oil, a sandlewood/rice powder exfoliation and yogurt/honey wrap, followed by a steam shower and decadent rose petal bath, all accompanied by tea, fruit, and a house-made truffle. The tea room is open daily 10am to 6pm, and the spa is open Sunday to Thursday 10am to 6pm and Friday and Saturday 10am to 8pm. Prices range from $95 to $220. Another option with a more Japanese bent is Ten Thousand Waves, a spa about 3 miles northeast of Santa Fe on Hyde Park Road (tel. 505/982-9304; www.tenthousandwaves.com). This serene retreat, nestled in a grove of piñons, offers hot tubs, saunas, and cold plunges, plus a variety of massage and other bodywork techniques. Bathing suits are optional in both the communal hot tub (during the day) and the women's communal tub, where you can stay as long as you want for $15. Nine private hot tubs cost $20 to $27 an hour, with discounts for seniors and children. A premium bath is offered at $59 for 85 minutes. You can also arrange therapeutic massage, hot-oil massage, in-water watsu massage, herbal wraps, salt glows, facials, dry brush aromatherapy treatments, Ayurvedic treatments, and the much-praised Japanese Hot Stone Massage. If you call far enough in advance, you may be able to find lodging at Ten Thousand Waves as well. The spa is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10am to 10pm; Tuesday from 4:30 to 10pm; and Friday and Saturday from 10am to 11pm (winter hours are shorter, so be sure to call). Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends.
Decorated in Southwestern-cum-Asian style, with clean lines and lots of elegant stone, Santa Fe's chicest option is Avanyu Spa at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort and Spa (tel. 505/986-0000). A full-service spa offering a range of treatments from massage to salt glows, this spot may initially seem expensive (about $120 for 60 min.), but treatments come with full use of the steam room, hot tub, and grass-surrounded pool.
Another option is Vista Clara Ranch Spa Resort. Located 25 minutes south of Santa Fe, just outside Galisteo (tel. 888/663-9772 or 505/466-4772; www.vistaclara.com), this resort/spa has a stunning setting and some fine amenities and programs, including a cooking school in the summer.
Another south-of-town option, Sunrise Springs Inn and Retreat, 242 Los Pinos Rd. (tel. 505/471-3600), offers spa stays in a lovely pond-side setting. Some accommodations here retain a group-meeting feel -- the inn's bread and butter; to avoid these request their newest additions, which are lovely. Even if you don't stay here, plan a meal at the inn's Blue Heron Restaurant, where you'll feast on delectable new American cuisine with a healthy flair.
