Lorien Spa offers a
serene escape for the
hustle and bustle of
the nation’s capital.
a capitol retreat
Old Town Alexandria (VA), a historic suburb of
Washington, D.C., filled with shops, museums,
galleries, and restaurants, has gotten a luxurious
new infusion, courtesy of the elegant and
eco-friendly Lorien Hotel & Spa. Along with a
decadent design from the award-winning Vicente
Wolf, restaurants by chef Robert Wiedmaier, and
deluxe accommodations, this boutique Kimpton
hotel also features the charming five-treatment-room Lorien Spa. An ideal place to retreat and
relax after a day of enjoying the area’s sights,
the spa offers a number of soothing signature
services that are performed using organic
Kerstin Florian products. Among the highlights
is the Lavender Dreams Ultimate Experience
($200, 80 minutes), which sends guests off into
an enjoyable post-sightseeing slumber.—J.K.
A New Brand of Therapy
Looking for a fun retail find to share
with your stressed-out clientele? Then
consider Karen Schaler’s Travel Therapy:
Where Do You Need to Go? (Seal Press;
2009). This engaging guide suggests a
host of trips and spas for every occasion.
Whether your clients are tending a
broken heart, in need of an adventure-
filled getaway, or simply interested in gaining a new lease on
life, Travel Therapy is bound to stoke the wanderlust in even
the most sedentary armchair traveler.—Heather Mikesell
Herbs from the spa’s
garden are used to create
skin-softening scrubs.
OPEN BAR
Eco-friendly is the name of the game
at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Orlando (FL).
There, spa-goers can take advantage
of the recently introduced Eco Garden
Scrub Bar, an interactive experience
in which guests work with a dedicated
spa mixologist to create a scrub using
herbs, such as chamomile, lemongrass,
and rosemary, from the spa’s outdoor
garden. The herbs are combined with
a blend of essential oils, depending on
an individual’s needs. Himalayan salt or
ground poultice is also added to lend
just the right amount of exfoliating
action. Choosing their own mixture, guests
can then combine it with any of the spa’s
body scrub treatments, pedicures, or
bathing rituals ($15). They are also free
to create a scrub for use at home ($30
for small scrub; $45 for large scrub; $65
for scrub gift set, which includes small
scrub, body butter, herbal bath, and
recipe card). It’s just the rub eco-savvy
spa-goers have been craving.—H.M.
