WHAT IS SPA She word spa conjures up images of mud baths and meditation classes, spa cuisine in a serene desert setting. But spas, lately, seem to be popping up everywhere: office buildings, strip malls, village storefronts. Salons and Korean nail places throw the word around. First, there are different kinds of spas.

At a destination spa, the whole environment is geared toward the four cornerstones of a spa experience: mind and body fitness, healthy eating, relaxation and treatments. You generally go there for at least two or three nights and immerse yourself in the spa atmosphere. Some people go to help them make lifstyle chnages.

The destination spa is sometimes confused with a resort spa, which is one of the many amenities at a resort, along with golf, tennis and as much fatty food as you feel like eating.

There are several types of spas: day spa; salon/spa; destination spa; resort spa; hotel spa; club and medispa. The day spa offers spa treatments, such as massages, facials and body treatments, on a day-use basis. Most offer manicures and pedicures as well. Many hair salons have added day spas, which allow you to combine spa and beauty services in one day.

Facilities will vary at day spas, but most have treatment rooms, a mediation or waiting room, and a locker room with showers. A "wet room" is a tiled room with special shower facilities for more elaborate body treatments. Hydrotherapy tubs are not that common at day spas, but desirable. The Destination Spa offers a complete spa experience in an overnight setting (most require a two or three-night minimum stay.) Its sole purpose is to provide mind and body fitness, healthy eating, spa treatments and relaxation. There is a great range in terms of size, style and luxury, but the facilities should be more elaborate and extensive than the average days spa.

Ideally it will have hydrotherapy tubs, wet rooms, steambaths, saunas and some unusual treatments. Expect a wide selection of exercise and stress reduction classes, as well as outdoor activities. It should have gyms for working out, swimming pools, tennis courts, and sometimes Pilates studios. Classes and lectures are part of the programming. Healthy spa cuisine is generally included in the price. While some treatments are included, you will probably want additional services.

Some destination spas allow non-guests to book services on a day use basis. Others are limited to guests. The Resort Spa is a facility that is just one of the many guest amenities at the resort, not the sole or primary attraction. This can be a good choice when one person loves spas and the other loves golf. Check your package: treatments and exercise classes may not be included. Meals are almost certainly a la carte. While there will be some spa cuisine, you can wash down your steak with a bottle of wine. (Some destination spas forbid alcohol.)

The Club spa is attached to a fitness club, and the Hotel Spa is generally a luxury facility attached to an upscale urban hotel. Finally, the medispa has been popping up in large cities. It offers treatments that require a doctor's supervision, such as laser resurfacing and Botox injections, in addition to traditional spa services

How can they all be spas? At the day spa, people can drop in for massages, facials, body treatments, manicures and pedicures. Often, day spas are an extension of a hair salon. This is fine, as long as the spa offers a quiet, serene, environment. But no one is regulating use of the word spa.

That's why some salons promote spa services when all they have is one massage table, or use names like "spa pedicure." If you have any doubt, check out the facilities yourself before booking an appointment. Just drop in and ask for a quick tour. At a minimum, a day spa should offer professionally administered massages, facials and body treatments in a quiet, serene atmosphere. At its most elaborate, a destination spa like Canyon Ranch has a staff of physicians, psychologists, nutritionists and physical therapists.

It offers so many classes, lectures and services that and so many things going on that you could spend months there and still not experience them all. What does it mean? It's up to you, the spa-goer to figure out what kind of service and experience you want, and find the place that suits you.

Massage, Facial And Body Treatment BasicsEven the tiniest day spa can offer a dizzying number of services. Should you get the aromatherapy or the purifying facial? A salt scrub or a mud wrap? Paraffin or algae for your body wrap? The most popular service and the best place to start is massage, the manual manipulation of the body's muscles.

Massage has been around for thousands of years and has a number of health benefits. It improves blood circulation. It prevents and treats muscle pain and spasm. It reduces tension and anxiety, calms the nervous system and promotes a sense of relaxation and well being. Massage therapy can be effective with pain management, but many healthy people get massage regularly because it helps them maintain physical, mental and emotional well being. The second most popular service is the European facial, which involves skin analysis, deep cleansing, massage, "extractions" (removal of blackheads and whiteheads), toning, and moisturizing. Body treatments are essentially facials for the whole body.

The most popular body treatment is a salt glow or body scrub, an exfoliating treatment where the therapist rubs off the outermost layer of dead skin cells. This will leave your skin feeling velvety soft. The body scrub is often combined with a detoxifying or hydrating treatment. Products like mud, algae, or seaweed are detoxifying because they stimulate your blood circulation and lymphatic system. This aids your body's own ability to carry away waste products. Rich cream or oil softens and condition the skin , so it's a hydrating treatment.

Most spas offer manicures and pedicures, and spa/salons offer hair cutting and styling services. The most important thing you can do to maximize your enjoyment is arrive at least 15 minutes before your treatment is scheduled to begin. That way you can check in, change into your robe, and start to relax. If the spa has facilities like a sauna, steam bath, or hot tub, arrive even earlier. How do you make sure you’re getting the best price on a spa vacation? First, make sure you understand what kind of spa you’re visiting, and what’s included.

A destination spa can be expensive, with prices ranging from $150 to $600 a day per person. But that includes all your meals, most classes and activities, and may even include some spa treatments like massage or facials. Always check to see if tax and service fees are included. They can add a hefty 25%. And you’re likely to want more treatments, so budget that in. A spa resort, on the other hand, might have an alluring room rate of $150 a night, a great golf course and six swimming pools. But you’ll be paying for all your meals and treatments.

They won’t offer as many exercise classes. And you may have to pay $10 or $15 for every yoga class you want to take – or even to have access to the gym and steam room. Here are some money-saving tips:
» Stay during the week for the lowest rates. Destination spas usually have a three-night minimum. A Thursday night arrival will cost more than a Sunday night arrival.
» Travel off-season. In the Northern part of India , rates are higher in the winter, lower in the summer. It’s the reverse in the Southern part of India and Goa.