The Grand Wailea
When you are trying to relax, too much choice can be a bad thing.
Take the Grand Wailea Spa and Resort in Wailea, Maui. The five-diamond property is secluded enough for honeymooners, close enough to the action for singles, and chock-full of activities for families. Landscaped as a lush tropical paradise, complete with a cacophony of birds in the palm trees outside my patio door, it sounds like the perfect spot for a relaxing getaway.
That is, until I looked at the 18-page treatment menu for the 50,000 square-foot Spa Grande. My brain cells had to shift out of R-and-R mode and kick into high gear.
The award-winning Grand Wailea offers a dozen different massage therapies, including the "hula of massage - " the Hawaiian Lomi Lomi - and more traditional varieties such as Swedish and Shiatsu. I could get kneaded in a private treatment room with windows overlooking the ocean, or in the comfort of my own room - or in a poolside cabana. I could even experience the ultimate bliss of two therapists working "in stereo," offering head-and-toe relaxation.
Want a facial? There are ten to choose from, from a mini "Refresher Facial" lasting 25 minutes, to the 85-minute "Royal Hawaiian" including a seaweed application and hand and foot heat treatment.
Fairly new to the spa are the ayurvedic and siddha treatments, which incorporate unique herbalized oils from India to open the body's chakras and stimulate the immune system.
Not wanting to tax my gray matter too much, I asked for a recommendation from Spa Grande's spa services manager, CJ Arquette. CJ recommended the spa's signature treatments - the terme hydrotherapy circuit (included in every spa visit, or $50 for hotel guests) and the ali'i honey steam wrap ($98). In honor of my Hawaiian holiday, I also opted for the lomi lomi massage ($131).
It took me a day and a half to recover. I started with the terme - Spa Grande's unique hydrotherapy baths. Beginning by soaking in the Roman tub - a really big hot tub - I then baked in the sauna. Everywhere I looked there were beautiful frescoes and hand-painted decorations in soft colors - and naked women (the men's side is a duplicate of the women's).
Next I was supposed to head for the "cold plunge," but getting in that chilly water was too much. I headed instead for the cascading waterfall shower, which is just as wonderful as it sounds - water falls from 10 feet up, helped by gravity to massage my neck, shoulders and back.
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