Treatments. Music. Tea. Time. While these four elements are certainly not unique to a spa experience, it’s what Spa Avania does with these elements that distinguishes it from an ordinary spa experience. Spa Avania is one the world’s first resort spas synchronized to the science of time. It’s no surprise that I feel calm and tranquility during my visit to Spa Avania, a Greek word meaning tranquil.
Spa Avania combines six essential elements into holistic spa treatment offerings that appeal to the senses and are geared to the body’s natural cycles during three periods of the day: morning brings awakening and rejuvenation; midday is for restoration and balance; and evening is about relaxation and renewal. It’s this focus on the time of day that sets Spa Avania apart:never has time of day been so meaningful to a spa experience as at Spa Avania.
My morning visit to Spa Avania coincides with the body’s natural cycle of awakening and rejuvenation, so everything about the visit is carefully orchestrated around the body clock. For instance, the refreshing and artful spa water in the relaxation room is infused with fresh ingredients that correspond to the time of day. In the morning, orange and lime infused water provides energy and invigoration. At midday, I savor the subtle spice of ginger and mint infused water.
The help-yourself refreshment and snack area offers dried fruit, nuts, cookies and spa water. The spa café menu will tempt you with healthy meals, snacks and beverages served throughout the day for optimum nourishment and energy. Your menu items can be served to you in the indoor relaxation room, outdoors poolside or at the cozy upholstered seating flanked by massive stone fireplaces in the elaborate outdoor relaxation areas.
My therapist, Michelle, let me to a tiled wet room for an Aromatic Vichy Scrub ($165, 60 minutes), a personalized scentual journey where the guest selects the Zents fragrance that coincides with the time of day of their treatment, or the aroma that their body identifies with at that moment. After inhaling the scent of three options, I found myself drawn toward Earth: a strengthening and grounding blend of sandalwood, Siberian fur and frankincense. I tried to live in that exact moment, but I found myself longing to bottle up these moments of serenity for tomorrows travel day when I’m bound to be stressed and uncomfortable squeezed into coach seat 26B. When my aromatic hour of exfoliation under the warms waters of the Vichy shower was over, we headed to a room with an outdoor view for an Aroma Mineral Massage ($165, 60 minutes).
In my treatment rooms, I was enveloped by the unique “Music Styling”: an unique auditory experience where guests can listen to music customized to the time of day or to whatever sounds they wish to experience during their treatment. Michelle offered me a menu of unique playlists featuring Desert, Indian, Mediterranean, Asian, Classical, Rehydration (water-influenced) and Relaxation-themed music selections. I choose the Rehydration themed music track to coordinate with my Vichy scrub.
After my treatment ended, Michelle showed me some of the spas highlights: four oversized couples treatment rooms and five luxurious indoor/outdoor garden treatment suites with private entrances and sun-filled patios. As is so brazenly Scottsdale, all of the treatment rooms are entered from exterior corridors and have full-length views of the lushly landscaped outside world.
It’s half past noon and the sun is high enough in the sky that it’s begun to heat the deck of the French Celtic mineral pool. There is a lounge chair with my name on it, despite temperatures in the low 60’s. It doesn’t take long before I’m warm enough to want a dip in the heated pool. Funny thing about Northerners heading south in the wintertime – we act like its 80 degrees even when it isn’t just because the sun is shining. Back at home, we wouldn’t dream of sitting poolside when the mercury hovers at 64 degrees. There is a hot tub and cold plunge pool in yet another outdoor space known simply as The Garden, an ideal place for rest and relaxation. While I don’t brave the chilly cold plunge pool, the swirling waters of the warm outdoor whirlpool are irresistible. Three outdoor rain showers are surrounded by lush greenery and open to the sky above.
When I emerge from the spa, I meet up with Ann Lane, Senior Director of Advertising and Public Relations, for an informative tour of the property. Ann is a wealth of knowledge about the history and the future of the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale as we breeze by the pool complex (there are ten pools in all), the onsite Native American Cultural Center and the Green Zebra Tours adventure center.
My growling stomach reminds me that I haven’t had lunch yet as we pass by the five unique restaurants:
- SWB a southwest bistro – Wood-fired ovens and a notorious Sunday Brunch
- Alto ristorante e bar – Seasonal Italian dishes and authentic gondola boat rides
- Noh – Featuring traditional sushi, sashimi and authentic sakes
- Water Garden – Lunchtime favorites, poolside or tableside
- Canyon Market – A unique 24-hour market and hiking lifestyle store
We pop into Canyon Market and the uber-friendly staff packs me a lunch fit for a king: roasted pork Panini, lime-kissed tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole and a chocolate cheesecake bar – everything is made fresh and on-the-premises and it’s one of the most satisfying lunches I can remember. Lucky for the Scottsdale locals – the Canyon Market has convenient parking spaces right outside the door so you can drop by and pickup a gourmet picnic to-go or stop in for a coffee creation any time of day.
If you go:
Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch
7500 Doubletree Ranch Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
1-480-444-1234
As is common in the travel industry, the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch provided the writer with two complimentary spa treatments and lunch at Canyon Market for the purpose of writing this article. While this did not influence this review, Examiner.com believes in full disclosure of any potential conflicts of interest.
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