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After a yearlong renovation, the opulent twelve-room spa on the 21st floor of the Peninsula reopened in January 2009. Designer Alexandra Champalimaud swathed the space in rich scarlet and earth tones, incorporating nature-inspired details: teak-tree sculptures, thronelike chairs in the pre-treatment tea lounge carved from salvaged acacia trees, and waterfall or tropical-rain shower settings (plus jets, for a welcome modern touch). The aromatherapy steam room and sauna in each changing room is tiled in gold, white, and brown stripes, with a basin of ice chips nearby for cooling down. The spa menu runs the gamut, from prenatal massage to a detoxifying algae foot mask. Sixty- and ninety-minute deep tissue, Swedish, Thai-inspired, and hot-stone massages incorporate a personalized blend of spicy, fresh, or floral oils, while the decadent two-hour massage ceremonies include extras like a raw-ginger foot scrub, marine-mud scalp treatment, or aromatic-linen body wrap. The popular 90-minute repairing facial uses plant oils and phyto-active extracts to rebalance city-ravaged skin, while specially tailored hour-long facials incorporate customized potions including meadowsweet, tea tree and white thyme oils, and plant extracts. Post-treatment, separate male and female relaxation rooms feature plush, semiprivate beds stocked with individual headphones and a self-controlled music selection, a stack of current magazines, and a spread of dried and fresh fruits, nuts, and coconut milk. — Lauren Murrow

Clients who book treatments for two hours or more gain access to the 42-foot pool and fitness center with sweeping views of Manhattan; the sun-drenched yoga studio is enclosed only by panes of glass.

Bridal

The Peninsula Spa by ESPA occupies three floors of the historic midtown hotel of the same name. The spa—you will find Finnish steam rooms, an ice fountain, and a glass-enclosed pool with incredible city views—is known for treatments that fuse Asian, Ayurvedic, and European methodology. The bride-to-be retreat package includes a salt and oil full body exfoliation, followed by a massage and wrap ($685).

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