Relieve holiday travel stress

Instead of living with headaches or muscle aches caused by travel stress, slot in some spa time

Whether it is for fun such as ski slopes or sunny sands or to visit family, your holiday trip will likely include stress hazards.

They may be airport hassles, crying toddlers a seat away, late trains, weather delays or road construction.

No matter what the cause, the result can be tight neck and forehead muscles, headaches or back pains.

Instead of living with it or taking two aspirins and not calling the doctor in the morning, slot in some spa time.

Family and friends may sympathize with the pain but you and they will have better togetherness time if you feel well. And that is the point of spa treatments today.

Time in a relaxation room at Peninsula Chicago's Spa by ESPA is part of the stress relieving experience
Time in a relaxation room at Peninsula Chicago's Spa by ESPA is part of the stress relieving experience

No longer considered an indulgence, spa experiences are typically categorized as wellness treatments.

Many resorts and vacation destinations feature spas. However here are a few I have personally experienced and recommend.

The Peninsula Spa by ESPA

You don’t have to stay at a Peninsula Hotel to book a spa treatment there. ESPA combines Oriental, European and Ayurvedic approaches. Because I live near Chicago, I book treatments at the Peninsula Chicago. But the hotel and its Spa by ESPA are also in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Beverly Hills, New York, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai and Manila.

Burke Williams Spa

If traveling to San Francisco, San Jose or to Los Angeles or Orange Counties, lucky you because there is probably a Burke Williams Spa near your destination.  

Enter the Joya Spa on the grounds of the Intercontinental Hotel in Scottsdale and leave cares and stress behind
Enter the Joya Spa on the grounds of the Intercontinental Hotel in Scottsdale and leave cares and stress behind

Joya Spa

A spa experience at the Joya Spa at Intercontinental Montelucia Resort and Spa, Scottsdale, AZ is a vacation. You don’t have to stay at the resort to use the spa. However, you may have to book a session before leaving home because local spa enthusiasts have found Joya.

Coldwater Creek Spa

Maybe the idea that a popular woman’s apparel store also has a spa may dissuade some people from trying it. But I have repeatedly gone to the one in Southlake, Texas for a pedicure that is pure bliss. The problem is there are just not enough Coldwater Creek Spas. There are two in Texas and on each in California, Oregon, Illinois, Colorado and Florida.