Reception Area in The Spa at Encore in Las Vegas, Nevada
"Opulent!" "Beautiful!" "Breathtaking!" These are just a few of the words people have used to describe The Spa at Encore to me over the past few years. The 61,000 square-foot spa has 51 treatment rooms, which include 14 garden suites that can accommodate two people. I finally had an opportunity to see and experience it for myself during one of the evenings I was in Las Vegas for the 2011 ISPA Conference.
To be perfectly honest, I don’t understand the theme of the décor at The Spa at Encore. There are headless and armless statues (Greek?, Roman?), lots and lots of drapes and tassels, butterflies, shells, decorative metal lamps (Moroccan?, Turkish?), crystal beads and oriental statues including a Buddha. Separately, I do find most of them beautiful, but together they confuse me. That being said, if I were handing out awards for personal favorites in elements of spa décor, The Spa at Encore would win three. The first award would be for the arched reception area, which I love architecturally. It makes a large area feel more intimate. I find the butterflies that adorn the arches uplifting.
Hallway Leading to Treatment Rooms in The Spa at Encore
The second award would be for the hallways that lead to the treatment rooms. They are stunningly beautiful with hand-painted tapestry and intricate floor-level lamps that give a golden glow to the space. The up-lighting on the tall (6 ft.?) vases produce a shadow on the ceiling in the shape of a butterfly.
Thai Rain Chain Water Feature in the Women's Wet Area in The Spa at Encore
The third award would be for the water feature wall in the women’s wet area. It is a series of rain chains (‘kusari doi’ in Japanese). The water starts at the top of a cup, follows the chain through a hole in the bottom of the cup, down the chain and into the next cup. The result is like the sound of many soft bells. I’ve had the intention to create something like this for my garden at home for a long time but just haven't gotten around to it. Unfortunately, the location of this water feature in The Spa at Encore is in the women's wet room, which is filled with the sound of whirlpool pumps, and the rain chains can be hard to hear. However, if you lie on one of the heated lounges and listen carefully, you can hear the gentle sound the chains produce behind you.
Women's Sauna at The Spa at Encore
The spa was very busy on the evening of my visit. Even so, it never felt crowded. I checked in and waited under the arches for a spa attendant to escort me into the women's side of the spa. She gave me a tour that started in another waiting area where I could have relaxed for a while. I chose to continue on to the locker room, so I could enjoy the spa's amenities before my treatment. I enjoyed the wet area as well as the large sauna and steam room, which the spa attendants regularly sprayed with eucalyptus scent. The wet area has two warm pools and two cool plunge pools as well as a number of “experience” showers that allow you to adjust the type of spray, the color of the lights and the music that surround you. I played with the controls for what seemed to be a long time but never could get the colored lights to come on at the same time that the shower was running. User error, no doubt.
After I was pretty well waterlogged, I moved to the women's relaxation lounge - a large room with heavy drapes covering the walls. I helped myself to a cup of tea and some fruit and nut mix at the refreshment bar then settled into one of the 8 lounge chairs.
Treatment Room in The Spa at Encore
My treatment that evening was the Encore Escape - one of The Spa at Encore's Transforming Rituals. My therapist, Laurie, escorted me down one of the lovely hallways to my treatment room. Laurie employed many techniques during this treatment, one of which was the use of a warm herbal-infused poultice. The poultice (often called a Thai herbal ball) is made from herbs tightly wrapped in linen and is about the size of a softball. It is heated in a steamer (the noise was a bit distracting). After I got situated face-down on the table, Laurie started the treatment by warming her hands on the heated poultice and pressing down on my ankle. She rewarmed her hand and pressed down just above the ankle. She continued these compression movements working her way up my leg. Then she repeated the process by rolling the poultice over the area while pressing down. The poultice has a rougher texture on the skin than stones, but it has a lovely fragrance. She followed the compressions with massage. She worked on my other leg then the rest of my body. The movements were very slow and very deliberate. It was very, very relaxing. When she completed the massage, she placed a warm compress on my chest and pulled blankets up and over my sides to cover me from my shoulders to my toes. While I was in the wrap, Laurie massaged my neck and scalp. The treatment lasted for 105 minutes. I was mush. Unfortunately, I had the last appointment of the evening and couldn't lounge around afterwards. However, Laurie gave me the poultice she had used on me in the treatment. I returned to my room, filled the tub with hot water, added the poultice and had a relaxing soak before I went to bed.
Services offered by Encore Spa at the time of my visit include:
