Spas Bathe in the Spotlight at

Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

From Roman baths and Victorian sulphur springs to New Age desert retreats, luxury spas have played an important lifestyle role over the centuries. Now in the new Millennium, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is writing the next chapter in the history of spas with 35 facilities open, or under development, in locations from Florida’s Gulf Coast to Qatar on the Arabian Gulf. Each offers a regional “sense of place” in décor and treatments, and represents a strategic corporate move to appeal to the needs of affluent “baby boomer” guests determined to stay healthy, look youthful and manage stress.

“As people become more aware of the benefits of spa treatments, they select hotels and resorts which offer both traditional and more cutting edge approaches to enhancing well-being and beauty. At Ritz-Carlton, our philosophy is simple: give the guests what they want and offer them guidance on what they need for their lifestyle,” said Karen Antenucci Korpi, Vice President, Spa Development and Operations.

The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne includes a 20,000-square-foot spa with more than 60 different health and restorative treatments available. Inspired by Ponce de Leon’s elusive search for an age-defying formula centuries ago, the spa features a Fountain of Youth Ocean Balance treatment, with the guest floating in the Atlantic Ocean during the therapy.

The Largest Ritz-Carlton Spa

At The Ritz-Carlton, Naples on Florida’s Southwest coast, the recently opened spa is a 51,000- square-foot Mediterranean mansion overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The US$26 million facility offers an oasis of water-based therapies and treatments inspired by the flowers, plants, muds and seawaters found in the ecosystems of the coastline. Specialising in “sanitas per aqua” (health through water) treatments, the tri-level spa uses detoxifying seaweed therapy and balneotherapy (water massage) to treat ailments and enhance beauty.

On Northern California’s rugged Pacific coast, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay has introduced treatments and therapies embracing the region’s reputation as the “pumpkin capital of the world.” The spa menu features a signature facial with pumpkin mask rich in vitamin A, and a pumpkin body peel with an exclusive formula to gently exfoliate dead skin cells and treat dry skin.

Matrimony Fruit Baths in Jamaica

On the Caribbean island of Jamaica, The Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall Spa includes the scent of allspice in the air, and a selection of services with a distinctive feel of the West Indies. The Plantation Facial combines sugar cane and allspice to create a powerful glycolic, or natural sugar, skin treatment, while the Herbal Tea and Grasses Wrap includes hot linen sheets steeped in local blends of herbal teas and grasses to relax, detoxify and remove excess fluids. A favourite destination for honeymooners, the resort’s Matrimony Fruit Bath is offered in the couple’s wet treatment suite. Made with Jamaican star apples, oranges and condensed milk, the sensual bath potion enhances the feeling of romance, while leaving the skin smooth and silky.

The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul is the only luxury hotel in the city to have a traditional “hamam,” or Islamic bath. The interior design of the hamam features a massive white dome, massage platform and tile accents from the 15^th century. For complete privacy, this spa offers guests exclusive conditions with only one individual receiving treatments at a time. Wraps, facials, spices and oils, and therapies combining age-old techniques will recreate the grandeur of the Baths of Roxelana, which opened during the Ottoman Empire at a site near the legendary Blue Mosque in Istanbul.

Exotic Middle Eastern Treatments

Traditional Arabic principles, handed down through the generations, have inspired the spa treatments at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Doha in the Arabian Gulf nation of Qatar, opened this October. Secluded in a towering glass high-rise that overlooks a sailing marina, the spa fuses tradition with progressive concepts in beauty. Among the signature therapies in the company’s Doha spa – one of the most lavish in the Middle East – guests can experience “shaimal.” It begins with a soothing stream of warm herbal oil and Arabic herbs, combined with a light, sensory massage with sandalwood and citrus essences. The Oasis Treatment includes exfoliation with gentle dry brush massage, followed by a refreshing monsoon shower.

A Spa With a French Accent in New Orleans

At The Ritz-Carlton Spa, New Orleans, the French heritage of the city is reflected in the treatments offered. Draped in a filmy gauze with gently bubbling fountains and the scent of lemon verbena in the air, the spa has become known for its two unique treatments: the Four Hands Royal Massage and Napolean’s Royal Massage.

The Four Hands Royal Massage has two therapists perform a symphony of movements with hot oils, while Napoleon’s Royal Massage, features a soak in a hydrotherapy bath, surrounded by sliced rounds of citrus, ending with a tonic Swedish massage infused with the emperor’s favourite eau-de-cologne.

Spring 2002 will mark the opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Reynolds Plantation on the shores of Lake Oconee in the Georgia countryside. Once the home of the Creek Indian tribe, the plantation design embraces many Native American influences, including the 26,000-square-foot spa. Both the spa décor and the treatments will reflect the early settlement period with a menu featuring native herbs, flowers and the Georgia red clay believed by Creek medicine men to hold special healing powers.

“Spas have become an important element both to leisure and business travellers,” said Ms. Antenucci Korpi. “De-stressing after a long plane ride with a massage or soothing bath can put an executive into top form again. For those on holiday, a few days spent discovering new spa therapies can add to the overall enjoyment of the trip,” she said.

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Note for editors: - The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. manages 43 award-winning hotels in Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East and North America. For information or reservations, please contact The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company on 0800 234 000 toll free in the UK or visit The Ritz-Carlton Web site at www.ritzcarlton.com.

Photography and complete spa menus available upon request.