Family travel – trip ideas – spasTeen spas
By Rowena Carr-Allinson
Painted Sky at Aulani, Disney Resort & Spa (Courtesy Disney)
A recent trend to emerge in family travel is the teen spa. It’s not just mum and dad who like to relax and be pampered! As it turns out, the demand for teens and kids treatments mean more; and now family-friendly resorts are offering treats for younger guests too. The only real hardship is to know just which tempting treatment to pick!
Here are our top picks for the best teen spas in the country.
Painted Sky at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i
This spa at Disney’s Aulani is the perfect spot to be pampered with the family, thanks to the exclusive menu for teens (13 to 17) as well as an under 12’s menu. The vast 1,500-square-foot retreat is a rare gem! Relaxing and cool, this is one hangout where teens can be themselves, socialise and indulge. In addition to the lounge, you’ll find interactive shopping opportunities, computer stations, teen only events and evening programs, as well as a DIY mixology bar for body polishes and facemasks! The list of available treatments for teens is also impressive, ranging from massages and facials to manicures and pedicures—including Spa services designed for young men. Try the Teen Hana Pohaku or the Teen Sports Massage, a Clarity Facial or the signature Painted Sky Organic Facial. You can even book a quick Makeup Consultation to pick up some tips or get a temporary tattoo as a vacation memento!
Spa Ojai at Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, California
Spa Ojai at Ojai Valley Inn and Spa (Courtesy Ojai Resort)
Set amongst the Topatopa Mountains, the five-diamond Ojai Valley Inn and Spa is just the place to recharge your batteries ‘en famille’! The upscale Spanish hacienda-style inn dates back to 1934 and is the ideal mother-daughter bonding weekend away. It offers 405 elegantly designed rooms, tennis, golf and four pools, as well as a selection of gourmet restaurants. Its 31,000 square-foot Spa boasts two pools, a gym, Mind and Body Studio, Spa Boutique, Artist Cottage and Apothecary and a Café Verde, where the menu is all about healthy indulgence. Teens can book a Young Adult Facial, a deep cleansing or moisturizing facial with home-care advice, make-up lessons or Young Adult Mani or Pedi.
Canyon Ranch Health Resort, Tucson, Arizona
A 150-acre wellness paradise near the Sonoran Desert, Canyon Ranch is a one-time working cattle ranch turned world-renowned spa escape. Healthy drinks and snacks are available at the Main Dining Room, mock-tails at the Wicker Lounge and more at the Double U Café. Enjoy hiking, biking, outdoor dining and the pool all year-round or hit the spa. Teens (14-17) can chose from a vast list of treatments covering everything from bodywork and skin care treatments to makeup, nutrition, and fitness. Try anything from a Detoxifying Herbal Wrap, Craniosacral Therapy, Reiki or even a Blissful Floating Massage. Life management and coaching services are available, as well as fitness assessments and Metaphysical sessions like Astrology or even Spiritual Wellness such as the intriguing ‘Soul Journey.’
The Spa at the Ritz-Carlton – A Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
The Spa at the Ritz-Carlton – A Four Seasons Hotel (Courtesy Four Seasons)
On top of the Water Tower Place, this luxurious four-star, four-diamond hotel is a high-end retreat from the glitz of the Magnificent Mile. With 435 sleek guest rooms with great skyline views, access to Michigan Avenue shopping, gourmet cuisine and a glorious spa, it’s the perfect pampering city break. Serene, private and cosy, the spa offers a special teen only menu for the renewal of Mind, Body and Spirit. Pick a Teen Signature Massage using essential oils and traditional Swedish movements to relax muscles and relieve stress or a Signature Teen Facial, specifically engineered to deal with adolescent skin. Even better, chocolate fiends (under 12) can try a delicious Chocolate Manicure or Pedicure! Yum.
(MORE: Best Hotel Amenities for Kids)
WELL Spa at Grand Geneva Luxury Resort & Spa, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
WELL Spa at Grand Geneva Luxury Resort & Spa (Courtesy Grand Geneva)
Lake Geneva’s four-diamond resort, set between Chicago and Milwaukee has plenty on offer for families. You’ll find activities like horseback riding, skiing, hiking and golfing in addition to the WELL Spa and a 50,000 square foot indoor and outdoor waterpark with its gigantic heated waterslides, tropical hot tubs and lazy river. Exhausted? No problem – book a well deserved pick me up at the spa! Teens can book in for a Glo and Go Facial involving deep cleansing, toning, steaming, extractions and a facial massage in less than an hour. There are even 25-minute ‘express’ facials on offer and makeup lessons, as well as Mini Manicures and Mini Pedicures! To get fit, the spa also offers Teen Tune Ups with a personal trainer.
Rowena Carr-Allinson contributed this to MiniTime. Since the arrival of her son in 2011, she has taken him everywhere from Bangkok to NYC, writing family friendly articles en route.
