Escape from the mistletoe - Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa

Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa, Whistler
Sidle off the slopes and into the luxurious Taman Sari.
This Indonesian delight, in the 81-suite Summit Lodge,
is merely a snowshoe’s stumble from both Whistler and
Blackcomb mountains. From the first, the experience is
refreshing, as the hotel lobby is soothed by the delicious
essence of bergamot and grapefruit. Those staying for
the night can borrow zen rock gardens to fill their room
with similar calm.
The Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa balances the
delightful combination of East and West. The Indonesian
staff pampers and spoils guests in almost 3,000 square
feet of sumptuous spa, including invigorating guests
with treatments previously reserved only for Javanese
royalty. Out of the five treatment rooms, one is a
deliciously decadent couple’s treatment room with an
in-suite hydrotherapy tub; a Vichy shower, foot spa and
sauna room also star.
Top Treat(ment)s
Splendid spa specialties include the Taman Sari
Husada Tirta—a Javanese Massage and Merapi Volcano
Body Wrap (a detoxifying organic mud treatment); the
Indrata Jatisparsa—a Javanese Massage and a Lulur
Indonesian Body Scrub (turmeric, rice powder, pandan
wangi leaves and temu giring); and the Prameswari
Queen Massage—a synchronized massage performed
by two harmoniously in-tune therapists.
By AEFA MULHOLLAND
Escape from the mistletoedecked mayhem and into the
soothing space of the gay and
lesbian-adored spas that top
our Christmas list this year.
Get yourself in good spirits for the
holiday season or get a gift voucher
for a massage appointment and make
someone else’s Christmas an especially
good one. Whether you’re aching from all
that après-ski, weary from working your
way through that burdensome Christmas
gift list or just need to work off some
seasonal steam, 99’s selection of Pacific
Northwest pamper palaces really know
how to rub you the right way.
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Aequis Spa, Portland
Just recently relocated to new and even more delightful premises, Aequis
is in an even better position to provide stress relief and relaxation to frazzled
shoppers and socialites, now that it has gone through its own reinvigoration
and rejuvenation. Wooden floors gleam, crimson drapes swoop down to the
floors and velvet-clad couches await in this alluring and intriguing spot.
Top Treat(ment)
Sambara Body Treatments, facials, massages, wellness therapies, healing
rituals, hand and foot rituals are all on the utterly appealing menu. Our hot
favorite for harried homosexuals is the Dakini Sky Walking Treatment. The
delicious Dakini aims to bring a sense of grounding to body and spirit. The
two-and-a-half-hour-long treat includes full body massage, warm mud wrap
and steam therapy. It’s an encapsulating escape with wonderful aromas
from clove to eucalyptus.
Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa
4359 Main St., Whistler
(604) 932-2778 or (888) 913-8811
summitlodge.com, reservations@summitlodge.com
Spruce Body Lab
1128 Richards St., Vancouver
(604) 683-3220
sprucebodylab.com
Miraj Hammam
1495 W. Sixth Ave., Vancouver
(604) 733-5151
mirajhammam.com
Chrysalis
804 10th St., Bellingham
(888) 808-0003 or (360) 392-5515
thechrysalisinn.com
The Hothouse
1019 E. Pike St., Seattle
(206) 568-3240
hothousespa.com
Aequis Spa
The Penthouse Suite, 419 S.W. 11th Ave., Portland
(503) 223-7847
aequisspa.com
Miraj Hammam, Vancouver
The Miraj Hammam is so subtly situated that you’d be forgiven for
wondering if it was in fact a mirage. This luscious den of decadence is
Canada’s first Islamic baths. To minimize meeting other guests and to
maximize the feeling of having the whole place to yourselves, book in early
in the day. The Hammam is men-only Thursdays from 4-9 p.m. and Sundays
2-6 p.m. Women lounge amid the cloves and baklavas the rest of the week.
Top Treat(ment)
The most decadent of offerings on the menu is a two-hour session for
two. Book in with your honey, slip out of your sarong and slippers and get
showered alongside each other, before being led into the low-mist, highintensity steam chambers. Both experience full-body gommage scrubs on
a slab of Jerusalem gold marble, being blissfully and thoroughly exfoliated
with black Moroccan soap, before being taken to separate rooms and
massaged with orange and clove. Once your desires for pampering have been
suitably satiated, the Sultana Lounge, with its velvet and silk cushions, sweet
Middle Eastern tea and crumbling baklava cakes await.
Spruce Body Lab, Vancouver
After a hard day’s store-hounding, there’s nothing better to soothe those
aching muscles and frayed nerves than an appointment at Spruce Spa,
a gay-owned spa in Vancouver that has recently opened to the delight of
downtown’s denizens. The staff of these airy, relaxed quarters perform RMT
Massage Therapy, La Stone Therapy, skin care treatments from Custom
Spruce Facials to Back Facials, Microdermabrasion, Botox and waxing.
Top Treat(ment)
A unique treatment such as getting your skin vacuumed with fine crystals
stimulates a rejuvenating response from the skin’s deeper layers and will
have you radiant and ready for the excesses of the hectic season ahead.
The Hothouse Spa, Seattle
Chrysalis, Bellingham
Tantalizingly close to the gay and lesbian scene in Capitol Hill, Seattle’s
Hothouse Spa is a sociable lesbian-friendly bathhouse for women. Lurking
below longstanding ladies’ haunt, the venerable Wildrose Tavern, it’s a
friendly space where women lounge in comfortable twos and threes. Created
to provide affordable spa access for women, the Hothouse is a peaceful
refuge from Christmas chaos. A quiet and non-sexual atmosphere prevails
and the Hothouse offers a delicious and refreshingly different direction for
those not into nights bar and club hopping.
After a hectic afternoon’s haggling, there can be nothing more refreshing
than to slip away to the Chrysalis. Situated on Bellingham’s waterfront, the
spa at the Chrysalis is a relaxing ensemble of natural woods, amber and sage
tones, slate floors and custom glass lighting.
Top Treat(ment)s
We recommend cantering across to Capitol Hill and scheduling several
hours of subtle socializing. The Hothouse offers a slew of spa delights—
sauna, hot tub, steam room, cold plunge pool, showers, a relaxation area and
massages. Oh, and remember, when you get to the soaking stage—bathing
suits may be worn but are not encouraged.
Top Treat(ment)s
Massages, facials, energy healing, body therapies, hydrotherapy,
depilatories, hands and feet treatments and spa packages all entice. Among
our favorites are The Ocean Getaway, Men’s Rejuvenation, Chrysalis Rainglow
and Seaweed Scalp Treatment and Chrysalis Raining Water Massage.
Perfect for a Pacific Northwest winter lift is the Rainy Day Retreat—fourand-a-half hours worth of hot stone massage, Chrysalis Signature Facial,
Chrysalis Hydrating Manicure or Pedicure and a sumptuous spa meal.
99.DECEMBER.05.
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