I love traveling with my family, but occasionally I add a girls’ getaway to the travel schedule. I was craving a “spacation,” so for this trip, I recruited a girlfriend for a weekend of rejuvenation at Spa Avania in Scottsdale. We chose Scottsdale because of its contrast to the cooler Boise weather, palm trees, and upscale resorts and spas.
Spa Avania is a large wellness spa at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale. It has a Himalayan Salt Room, which we both wanted to try, so we decided to stay at the hotel to ensure we had easy access to the spa.
We visited on a Saturday, which is the busiest day. And there were several wedding groups there as well. While it felt a bit crowded in some places, we were lucky enough to snag one of the last spots at the main pool, which was a daybed, with shade. Score! But otherwise, the pool was maxed out.
Spa Avania
The moment you step into this sanctuary you immediately feel more relaxed. It is decorated in neutral colors with natural stone, and there is calming music playing. All guests are given a super comfy robe and slippers to get them into relaxation mode.
There are 19 treatment rooms, with services ranging from massages to facials to body treatments, and more! In addition to the treatment rooms, Spa Avania has a beautiful quiet room, a large locker room with changing area, steam and sauna rooms, outdoor cold and hot plunge pools, a mineral pool, a Himalayan Salt Room, and a full-service salon.
When at a day spa you must take advantage of all the amenities. So, we tried them all. After our detox wraps, we did the dry sauna which was recommended to increase the detoxification. And I felt a little daring, so I tried the cold plunge. It was sooooo cold but surprisingly invigorating. Plus, if you need to warm up the hot plunge is right next to it.
Detoxing Body Wrap
My friend and I both chose the detox body wraps. I had never had this type of treatment, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. First, the esthetician exfoliates your whole body and then applies the detoxifying mud mask. After that, you’re wrapped up in heat. At first this part made me feel a little claustrophobic, but then the scalp massage began, and those feelings melted away. When the detox part is over, they rinse your whole body with warm water, and then apply a moisturizing cream. I felt fantastic after! But if you want a truly relaxing experience, go for a massage.
The price of the detox wrap was $190.
Himalayan Salt Room
I have always wanted to try salt therapy, so when I saw that Spa Avania had a Himalayan Salt Room – I was ready to book! Salt therapy, or halotherapy, has many benefits including calming and detoxing the body and improving allergies and skin conditions. If you haven’t read about it, you should. It’s interesting to learn more about its history and benefits.
The room is available for 30-minute blocks at a price of $65 per individual or $120 per couple.
The salt room at Spa Avania is an active room with a machine called a halogenerator, which pushes tiny salt particles into the room to enhance benefits. You lay in a comfortable lounger (in your fluffy roble) while breathing in the salt particles and enjoying the beautiful, backlit salt walls. The ground is covered in soft white salt, and you can taste the salt in the air. With the calm music and focus on breathing, it was really relaxing. The 30 minutes in the room went by so quickly. I loved the experience.
The French-Celtic Mineral Pool
This is where we spent the second half of our spa day! This area is beautiful with bright pink flowers and palm trees. There’s also a lotus pond next to the pool.
The mineral pool isn’t heated, so it was a little chilly the day we went. I’m sure it’s so refreshing on a really hot day, though. The pool is surrounded by loungers and umbrellas and full of spa-goers relaxing.
We snagged the last spot when we arrived, and quickly settled in. The poolside service was fantastic, probably the best we had anywhere in the resort. We ordered veggie wraps, snacks, and chilled white wine. We lounged here for a couple of hours enjoying the effects of our rejuvenating day and having nothing else on the agenda but relaxation.
If you’d like to read about the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale, then click here.
