This spa is one of the best that I’ve ever been to. Why? After vacationing at The Venetian for three days at the spa and casino, I felt like a million bucks (it probably helped that our entire stay was comp’ed by the casino and my husband won a lot of money). The hotel had everything I needed. The spa is the most complete I’ve experienced with every amenity on a grand scale.

Facilities:  I spent my mornings having a nutritious breakfast at the Canyon Ranch Café where I was able to track the calories I was eating. I then spent time at the huge fitness center weight training followed by a fitness class. Classes run from 8am to 6pm and vary every day. There were a wide variety of classes, including yoga, funk, cycling, bands and balls, boxer’s workout, rockwall climbing, pilates and many more. The spa also offers health and wellness services, including nutrition, physical therapy and exercise physiology. After my workout, I relaxed by the outdoor pool in the sun while enjoying a healthy take out lunch from the Café. After leaving the pool, I went back to the fitness center for another fitness class (I could work out all day…)

Amenities:  The remainder of the afternoons I spent enjoying the amenities and services of the spa. The spa had a very clean, modern feel to it. You are greeted at the reception area with robe, slippers, water and fruit. The spa provided all the toiletries needed for showering and primping. They even had a bathing suit dryer!  Every day I went through my routine of relaxing in the enormous whirlpool, steam room and sauna. The relaxation room is one of the largest I’ve seen, equipped with plenty of refreshments and lounging areas with magazines.

Menu:  The spa offers a wide variety of traditional (massage, body treatments, facials) and unique services (ayurvedic treatments). Their signature services include a Lular Ritual (Indonesian massage, turmeric exfoliation, yogurt wash, rose petal bath and lotion application), Euphoria, Rasul Ceremony, Royal Kings Bath, Canyon Stone Massage, Mango Sugar Glo and Sea-Esta.

Treatment:  My husband and I had our first couples massage, called a "Two-by-Two". I think I was expecting something a little more romantic, but essentially it was massage treatments side by side with two therapists and two tables. I was massaged by a male therapist while my husband was simultaneously massaged by a female therapist. Honestly, I would have preferred to have been by myself because I was too worried about whether my husband was enjoying his massage, listening to his conversations and wondering why the therapist was touching his butt so much!!!

I will definitely be returning to the Canyon Ranch and looking forward to experiencing one of their unique signature services.

Spa Review Update, July '04:  I returned to the Canyon Ranch since my last experience was so enjoyable.  I discovered that the Canyon Ranch offers "more than just hands-on treatments" since many of the services are enhanced by their equipment and facilities.  I was able to catch a glimpse of some of the facilities.  First of all, they have a whopping 60 treatment rooms!  I toured the Rasul Chamber, which is a domed room with heated floors and seats.  There are shower heads to mimic a rainfall and the ceiling has scattered fiber optic lighting so that it looks like a starry night.  The room is perfect for couples services.  Their treatments have an Eastern influence and range from Shiatsu bodywork, Ashiatsu (where they walk on your body to massage you), and Tibetan Bowl Healing a vibrational healing using crystal bowls to balance the body's energy to their Rituals which are designed to "refresh your body and soul".

Treatments:  I chose to have services that used equipment in addition to the hands on.  I had a 25 minute Body Scrub for $60.  This was 25 minutes of pure bliss and relaxation.  I chose the lavendar scrub which was massaged gently into my skin.  This was great because I felt like I got a mini-massage with my scrub.  The best part was that there was a vichy shower ,with 5 shower heads that covered my body from head to toe, that was on me the entire time.  My treatment room was a tiled "chamber" with red lighting.  It had an Asian flair to it and it was very relaxing.  My treatment was just one of the vast array they offer in their spa menu. 

I also had a Shiatsu massage, this one was different from previous Shiatsu work because here I disrobed more like a normal massage rather than leaving my clothes on.  It was a great massage.  My husband got the Canyon Ranch massage which he really enjoyed.

The last treatment I had was a Body Cocoon.  It starts out with a light exfoliation with a loofa to remove the top layer of dead skin.  Then a seaweed mixture is applied to the body.  The seaweed actually comes from France where it's harvested by a company in France that literally goes underwater to get the seaweed.  The reason they use seaweed is because the seawater has the same minerals and vitamins as your body does.   In France, they actually infuse seawater in spas and hot tubs so you can get the benefits and the National Health Care system actually pays for seaweed treatments.  The seaweed is freeze dried and condensed into a powder form and shipped to the Venetian.  It has the consistency of pea soup but does have a fishy smell so if you are intolerant to fish, you may not want to try this treatment.
Once the seaweed mixture is applied, you are wrapped up in a thick foam pad that retains heat.  You are then dropped into a tank of heated water, which activates the seaweed.  It was very relaxing, I felt like I was on a float in the ocean.  This treatment releases all of the toxins from your body.  After about 15 minutes of floating, you shower and then lotion is applied to hydrate your skin.  I was glad I tried something different, I felt like I could have floated there all day long!

Spa Review Update, December '04:
I am an addict, I returned again in the same year.  (Although, not sure if it's the spa or the gambling that I'm addicted to).  Upon our arrival to the spa, we noticed a large poster advertising all their new services.  The one that caught my eye was AShiatsu:  Asian pressure point bodywork performed not by the human hands, but by the human feet!

Thinking back to my childhood, I can remember my mother asking my sister and I to stand on her back and use our feet to give her a massage.  Essentially, AShiatsu is the same thing.  Who would have thought that I performed this innovative new treatment twenty-five years ago!  My therapist washed her feet and then lightly oiled them.  I lied face down on the massage table and the therapist stood up on the table, balancing herself with overhead bars.  Using one foot at a time, she massaged my back, glutes, and quads with deeper intensity and from different angles than she ever could with her hands.  I enjoyed the muscle relief from this service, but the time flew by so fast.  I need more AShiatsu!  Do you think my husband would mind if I asked him to install overhead bars in our bedroom?

My other spa service at the Canyon Ranch, the Body Thermal, used crushed white grapeseeds as its main ingredient.  Many spas on the west coast (including Spa Mandalay in Vegas) are taking advantage of Napa Valley grape seeds in their treatments.  White grape seeds have one of the highest anti-oxidant levels of any natural source and are great for cleansing your skin and killing germs and bacteria.  The grapes seeds are crushed and mixed with a part of the rose called a “hip” to make a pudding mask that was painted on my body.

The Body Thermal is similar to a wrap, but it is not necessary to use foil or a blanket to heat the body.  Instead, you lie down in the Hydrotone Thermal capsule and take a steam bath that made me feel all warm and toasty and ready for a nap.  After my snooze in the steam bath, the therapist turned the switch to the Vichy Shower and the mask was rinsed away by the five massaging shower heads.  No need to leave the table to shower off the mask.

 I can’t wait for another visit to the Canyon Ranch at the Venetian to see what new services they will have next!