SPAS, SPAS, SPAS

In the aggregate, there’s something disturbingly symbolic about the sybariticity of today’s spa scene. But fiddle dee dee: I love spas. I can practically still feel the light lemon-scented oil the massage therapist used during my first full-blown spa treatment. This was at The Homestead, in Hot Springs, Virginia, many moons ago. I had the works: besides the massage, a full-body exfoliation, with granular sodium chloride (table salt!), an immersion soak in the fountain-of-youth sulfur-infused hot spring waters, the aim-the-hoses-at-you Vichy showers. In a word, heaven. In a punctuation point, hyphen. I can get carried away with those multi-worded adjectival qualifiers.

As for “sybariticity,” technically it's not a word; there is no noun for the adjective “sybaritic.” I think it’s high time we create one. Sybaritic of course refers to the ancient city of Sybaris, on the southern coast of Italy near what today is Taranto. Founded in 720 B.C., Sybaris’ wealthy citizens led lives of leisure and luxury. Sound familiar? It was destroyed in 510 B.C. by the Troezenians, those fierce inhabitants of classical-history footnote-land.

To keep the legacy of the Sybarites alive, here are three spa contests. As ever, enter at your own risk, and good luck.

4 DAYS/3 NIGHTS AT SOUTH BEACH RITZ-CARLTON SPA

DEADLINE: MARCH 30

Cooking Light Magazine * and the PUR water filtration system folks are co-sponsoring this one. FYI: You can enter as often as you like. From the contest rules: “Trip includes: 4-day, 3-night standard, double occupancy hotel accommodations at the Ritz Carlton Spa, round-trip airfare for two from the major terminal closest to winner's residence, up to $250 in spa services, and a PUR water filtration system (ERV: $3,300).” (* Full disclosure: I have an article, on Baltimore, in the April 2006 issue of Cooking Light. This may well render me ineligible, but I hope folks who have no affiliation with either sponsor will enter.)

TO ENTER: http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/web/ad/pur/

DEADLINE: March 30

To check out the resort: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/resorts/south_beach/default.html

Commentary: I think hotel groups – they abhor the word “chain” – are making a huge mistake by not customizing their properties’ websites – even just a bit. For instance, this particular Ritz-Carlton, designed by Morris Lapidus (who also designed The Fontainebleau and Eden Roc, in what would come to be known as Miami modern, or Mimo, style) and opened in 1953, is one of Miami’s great art deco properties. But there’s only a mention of this set of facts on the generic Ritz-Carlton website, with no context, that is, no elaboration on the architectural history or the moment. Not only is this not as inviting as it might be, it’s a miscalculation. People lap up this kind of stuff. (Lap up, Lapidus, pun intended, thank you very much.) Because of this omission, the only way inquiring travelers can learn anything about the resort is to resort to Google. Is that good positioning? Is that good service? I think it borders on rude, if I do say so myself. These generic websites corporatize the property, which was formerly the DiLido, instead of playing up its pre-acquisition past. I can’t find much on DiLido’s history on the Web, except that the International Association of Yiddish Clubs held its third conference there, back in the 1980s. There are other enticing details, too. The title of Morris Lapidus’ autobiography, published in 1996, is “Too Much Is Not Enough.” Too little is not enough, too.

The Fine Print: The ARV is $3,300.

TWO-NIGHT STAY AT NAPA VALLEY VILLAGIO INN & SPA.

I had a massage here once. It was during a sad time in my life. The massage made me cry. It would be lovely to go back, and appreciate how much better life feels now. I was traveling with a childhood friend, someone I’ve known since the second grade. She’s an amazing traveler, one of the best-traveled people I know. She happens to be the only person I know who’s flown around the world in one trip. (Obviously, they stopped along the way.) She was traveling in good company: President Bill Clinton, assorted administration officials, members of the White House press corps. My childhood friend worked in the White House for a stretch. (Note: This paragraph is an exercise in foreshadowing. I found a terrific Around the World Trip contest over the weekend. I’ll post details soon.)

This contest is part of a promotion by Meat and Livestock Australia, to promote Australian lamb. The grand prize is a two-night stay for two at Villagio Inn & Spa in Yountville, California. The prize also includes round-trip airfare for two. Travel dates are between May and August of this year. The Approximate Retail Value is $1,800.

TO ENTER: http://www.australian-lamb.com/newsletter/January/knife_trip_popup.html

DEADLINE: April 12, 2006

To check out the spa: http://www.villagio.com/

SWEET: DIABETIC RETREAT AT CANYON RANCH, TUSCON, ARIZONA

If you have or know anyone with diabetes, this could be for you, or him or her, or the both of you. This one’s only for people who have diabetes and are members of dLife, a commercial diabetic community built around the dLife TV show. In a way, it’s too bad the sponsors aren’t opening up the contest to people who might be prone to diabetes, given the epidemic-like incidence of Type B diagnoses. That said, it would be far too complicated to run a contest that involved medical screening on anything but an honor-system basis.

TO ENTER: http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowRegistration

DEADLINE: June 30, 2006

To check out the resort: http://www.canyonranch.com/

The Approximate Retail Value: $16,000.

The prize includes a seven-night package at Canyon Ranch’s diabetes program for two. In addition to airfare and meals, the package includes tests, consultations and lectures, and use of the spa.

PHOTO CREDIT: Leah-Anne Thompson / Showface / Dreamstimes.com