Treatment Options: From Minimal to Mainstream and Beyond
Sunday, January 7, 2007; Page P06
The term "wellness spa" embraces a wide range of facilities: All offer spa treatments, but may also have limited or comprehensive medical treatments. We asked Susie Ellis, president of SpaFinders.com, an independent online service that links to thousands of spas worldwide, for her picks of technologically and medically advanced wellness spas in the United States.
? Canyon Ranch, Lenox, Mass., and Tucson,800-742-9000, http:/
  In addition to standard spa facilities, the California WellBeing Institute offers clients a medical clinic whose staff includes six physicians, a dentist and other medical specialists. (California Wellbeing Institute) |
The facilities: Mission-style buildings with red-tiled roofs are featured in the Tucson location in the Sonoran Desert, with mountains as a backdrop. The Lenox property is reminiscent of a baronial British estate. Both have full array of upscale facilities and numerous activities.
Treatments: Both locations have an exhaustive list of spa treatments plus all manner of mainstream and alternative medical treatments. Each location has seven doctors on staff, along with numerous other medical specialists.
Price: A four-night stay in Tucson is $3,280 per person, based on double occupancy, including gourmet meals, use of resort amenities, transportation to and from the airport and a $560 allowance for services. The same package at Lenox: $2,270 per person.
? Cooper Aerobics Center, Dallas,866-834-3832, http:/
Facilities: The 30-acre campus includes a 40,000-square-foot fitness center, a spa, a hotel and a medical complex.
Treatments: Physicians and specialists in a variety of health fields are on staff. Advanced lab testing is available. Fitness, nutrition and stress-reduction programs aim at giving guests major lifestyle changes.
Price: An overnight package including room, breakfast, a massage and access to the fitness center is $185 per person double. A full series of medical exams and treatments begins at $2,295 for four days.
? California WellBeing Institute, Westlake Village, Calif., 888-575-1114, http:/
Facilities: The 20-acre complex near Los Angeles has giant sequoia trees, waterfalls and gardens. Lodging is in a Four Seasons hotel; the complex also includes a spa, fitness center and medical clinic.
Treatments: Six doctors and a dentist work with specialists in preventive and alternative medicine to provide diagnostic and treatment services. The clinic is overseen by the California Health and Longevity Center and features the latest in preventive health research, including DNA testing.
Price: Lodging is $275 per night for two, and you can choose many services, including spa treatments and classes, either a la carte or as part of a package. For example, a healthy-cooking class costs $250. An intensive three-day battery of tests with medical experts providing diagnostic and treatment services begins at $2,500.
? Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa, Aventura, Fla., 800-327-4914, http:/
Facilities: Overlooking the coast just north of Miami, the Pritikin grounds have a private beach and swimming pools in a lush setting. Every room has a private balcony with water view, and fresh orchids are delivered daily to rooms, each of which has a Jacuzzi.
Treatments: Physical exams are followed by individualized exercise programs, nutrition workshops, relaxation techniques and stress management. Independent studies have documented that the cholesterol levels of guests drop dramatically. Other studies showed that 70 percent of diabetics on medication left the center drug-free, as did 80 percent of guests studied who arrived with hypertension.
Price: A week-long stay including meals, diagnostic services, treatments and lodging starts at $3,700 per person.
-- Cindy Loose
