Go ahead, take a break. Take a few hours to slow down, switch off the cell phone and escape this winter. And what better way to combat the winter blues than to be spoiled at a spa—the very place that is in the business of pampering?

If you haven’t already discovered that “other” Atlantic City indulgence—casino gaming being the first—it’s time you tried out a spa treatment. And there are so many choices in the Atlantic City area. Here’s a look at some favorites.

Spa Toccare, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

At a property that has “spa” in its formal name, you know it’s got to be good. And Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa takes Spa Toccare to a whole new level—54,000 square feet and 31 treatment rooms worth.

The scent of “clean” is the first thing you notice when you enter Spa Toccare’s reception area. It’s a mix of chlorine from the pool and the subtle scent of candles and other treatments wafting their way in, as doors open from the ladies’ and men’s lounges.

The reception area, where you check in, is more than ample. From here you can stroll to the “Pump Room,” the Borgata’s name for their exercise facility, or peek at the pool area. The latter is ballroom size, decorated with plenty of palm trees and set to tropical temperatures. It is, however, open to hotel guests only.

For those just visiting for the day, you still have access to everything else, including the salon for women and the Shaving Grace barber shop for men, which boasts its own pool table. But the spa treatments are clearly the main attraction for many who visit here.

Spa Director Brennan Evans is a transplant from another famous property and spa—Canyon Ranch, in Tucson, Arizona.

“Spa Toccare ushers in a new level of experience to spa consumers, providing the opportunity for people to indulge,” Evans says.

It starts with the men’s or ladies’ lounges. Typically you might call them the locker rooms, but these areas deserve their more upscale nomenclature. The spaces feature flat-panel TVs, steam rooms, saunas, Jacuzzis with decorative waterfalls, and elegant décor. The women’s lounge has a series of large make-up mirrors surrounded by lights as in theatrical dressing rooms. The men’s area boasts two additional TVs. Patrons store their belongings in ample wooden lockers, enjoy drinks of fruit-infused water or juices, and step into the Borgata robes (available for purchase at the Borgata online store due to their popularity).

The treatment rooms range from the traditional to the unique. The Olde Bath Suite features an old-fashioned tub framed by deep maroon curtains. A more modern room includes a jetted hydro tub and a glass Swiss shower, a top-to-bottom shower experience. The Vichy room has a table that works well with water and a series of shower heads that swing over it. The Zen bath suite features Japanese-style screens, a massage table and a jetted bath.

But perhaps the couples suite is the most dramatic. Draped in elegant décor, it includes its own private Jacuzzi, a two-way fireplace embedded in the wall, a plasma TV, couch and massage tables. The couple’s massage includes chocolates and private time.

Treatments at Spa Toccare range from 50 minutes to 100 minutes. All services are open to locals (e.g., non-hotel guests) during the week. Revisions to the menu of services are in the works, according to Evans, and will include new treatments such as spray tanning, in time for spring, and “other exciting options.”

For Valentine’s Day, look for a “Suites for My Sweet” package that includes a hotel stay and spa treatment. For more information, visit the “relax” tab on www.theborgata.com.

bluemercury, The Quarter at The Tropicana

Recognized by the likes of Vogue, In Style, USA Today, Inc. Magazine, and Oprah Magazine, the ultra-cool bluemercury spa, at the Quarter at Tropicana, delivers its own distinctive experience. Atlantic City is one of several locations bluemercury maintains nationwide, including spas in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Princeton and New York.

“We are all about results,” says Marla Malcolm Beck, CEO and founder. “All of our body care treatments—such as the Gingerlily Indulgence or the stimulating eucalyptus trek—have results associated with them. Not only do we use different products which give your skin and your inner body certain benefits, but the massage techniques we use in these treatments are different to correspond with a benefit.

“For example, the Stimulating Eucalyptus Trek is designed to awaken the mind and the body. The core products include eucalyptus oil to lift the senses, while the massage techniques are characterized by faster and more intensive movements, like hacking, so as to affect the muscle tone. The Replenishing Gingerlily Indulgence is about rejuvenation, re-hydration and slow relaxation. The ginger lily scrub and massage oil are soothing, relaxing scents, while the massage movements are very slow and languid, to lull you into a different state.”

The menu at bluemercury taps into all of the latest trends. “Massage has become a regular part of many individuals’ lives,” says Beck. “Bluemercury has combined massage with other body treatments and unique product ingredients—with purifying Baltic mud wraps, with hydrating sugar scrubs, with detoxifying sake baths—because our clients don’t want a typical massage. They want to experience rituals, true skincare, and well-being results.”

One such ritual is the Detoxifying Sake Journey, designed to “knock out” toxins and tension. The bath is 50 percent sake, and is part of an ancient Japanese cleansing ritual. The stress-reducing mineral bath and massage starts with a private, luxurious bath of sea salts, lavender and eucalyptus, and continues with a 50-minute warming massage. The aromatherapy massages are ideal for someone looking for a specific benefit—yuan zhi for stress and healing, grape seed extract for relaxation, and eucalyptus for stimulation.

“You can race in for an hour to have a massage on your lunch break, but the spa was really designed for maximum relaxation,” Beck says. “We have steam rooms, a stunning relaxation lounge with billowy white chaise lounges, ethereal blue diaphanous curtain walls, herbal teas, and every magazine you could ever imagine.”

“We have beautiful rooms with cool, slate-grey flooring, white linens, and two massage beds for couples,” she adds. “The therapists stay in sync so that the couple has a uniform experience. However, each can choose a different massage—one can have a deep-tissue while the other is having an aromatherapy.”

Gift cards come in gorgeous blue boxes tied with a ribbon. In honor of Valentine’s Day, they will offer the Crème Brulee Decadence Package and the Crème Brulee Sweet Treat Package, both specials for February and March. The Decadence Package includes a sugar scrub, bath, massage, manicure and pedicure while the Sweet Treat Package features a massage, manicure and pedicure. Both use the Laura Mercier Crème Brulee products that use the essences of rich caramel and French vanilla beans. For more information, visit the spa tab at www.tropicana.net.

The Spa at Bally’s

Enter the Spa at Bally’s and you’ll enjoy a tropical escape, even in the winter months. The main pool area features seven beautiful, mosaic-tiled whirlpools set in a raised, park-like setting of lit fountains and tropical plants. Stay and lounge here before, after or in between treatments.

The treatment menu includes the traditional services as well as some creative, Atlantic City-themed options. For example, the Salt Water Taffy Scrub is a refreshing sea salt scrub with a selection of deliciously scented moisturizing lotions. The Boardwalk Macaroon is a decadent sugar scrub topped with a generous helping of coconut moisturizer. The Margarita Up with Salt features a sea salt scrub with a slice of lime body lotion.

A One Day Spa Package includes a Swedish or aromatherapy massage, an herbal wrap, a 50-minute body treatment, lunch in the Spa Café and unlimited use of spa facilities and pool.

For more information, call 1-800-772-7777, ext. 4600.

Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, Seaview Marriott

Just a few miles outside Atlantic City, you’ll find a 12,000-square-foot oasis known as the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa. Red Door is an exclusive chain of spas located throughout the United States and Europe. You’ll find the Atlantic City-area location at the Seaview Marriott Resort in Absecon.

“It’s a great location because it’s near the casinos but not actually at the casinos, so it’s a little bit of a getaway,” says Suzanne Chew, spa sales manager. “We have all the amenities including an indoor pool and gym, and when you have treatments here, you’re our guest for the day. You can stay, swim, workout, relax.”

Red Door features all of Arden's internationally renowned spa services, including massage and hydrotherapy. “The most popular is probably the Red Door Signature Massage,” she says. “This massage is a custom massage created just for the guest.” It includes essence of rose, shea butter, reflexology and acupressure.

There are also hydrating aqua baths where guests soak in minerals, anti-cellulite leg treatments, skin bronzers, “stress melter” rituals, and the full range of massages from Swedish to desert hot-stone.

“It’s a great way to calm and rejuvenate your body, mind and soul,” says Chew.

In Touch Face & Body Boutique

In nearby Northfield, you’ll find In Touch Face & Body Boutique, a more intimate day spa.

According to owner Victoria Lisa, “We keep it as personalized as possible. A lot of our clients have been to other local spas and of course abroad, and they always come back to us. We know them on a first-name basis; we send them hand-written birthday cards with discount coupons. There are always cookies or biscotti and tea here for them. We try to make them as comfortable as possible. And our clients like coming here because it’s intimate. They don’t have to get dressed to the nines or worry about who they’re going to see.”

In Touch offers a series of services from European facials to body and fusion treatments, therapeutic massage, permanent cosmetics and micro dermabrasion. Additional services will be added this season. Each service is tailored to the particular client; In Touch keeps an up-to-date file on each one.

The spa also offers a “Girls Night Out” package that features exclusive use of the salon, treatments and healthy fare. It’s BYOB. “You can slip in a robe, relax, nosh, have a sip of wine and enjoy our treatments,” says Lisa. “It’s a wonderful alternative to going out to the bars.”

The spa also caters to a growing number of men, who appreciate its gender-neutral décor. In Touch offers a facial designed specifically for men.

Check with In Touch for regular unadvertised in-house specials. For more information, call 609-484-7033.

A Bella Salon & Spa

A Bella Salon & Spa in Ocean City attracts summer visitors even in the winter.

“Most people return even if it wasn’t their intention,” says spa owner Sally Onesty. “We have a large clientele that drives down here from Pennsylvania.”

That’s due to some excellent customer service, according to Onesty, who says, “We really care about our customers.”

The spa offers traditional treatments as well as some innovative ones. The Ménage a Spa features a hydra dew facial, exfoliating foot massage treatment and an exfoliating hand massage treatment—three people working on the client simultaneously. The Repêchage Peppermint Sea Twist uses peppermint oil and seaweed to improve circulation, sore muscles and water retention. A Back Cleansing Facial includes a massage, body scrub, and deep-pore cleansing with an antibacterial mask.

“The four-layer facial is our most popular,” says Onesty. “Also, hot stone massages are starting to become more requested.” She sees a shift in area spas toward wellness. “We’re taking classes and constantly learning to take the spa to the next level.”

For more information, visit www.abellasalon.com.

By Felicia Lowenstein

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