Spa Places in the News

Laja Spa Opens at Casa de Sierra Nevada, a boutique Orient-Express Hotel, in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, MEXICO (August 6, 2008) – Casa de Sierra Nevada, the boutique Orient-Express Hotel in the city of San Miguel de Allende, is delighted to announce the opening of Laja Spa. Opened in July 2008, the spa derives its name from San Miguel’s river, Rio Laja.

Laja Spa honors this bountiful river, using the concept of water as a cleanser, a purifier, and a means to help energy flow throughout the house. This, in conjunction with San Miguel’s unique location – it sits on a quartz mountain - truly amplifies the healing process. Laja Spa pays tribute to the local natural abundance, with each treatment room named after a different plant or flower found in the region - Bougainvillea, Gardenia and Lavanda. The private relaxation terrace boast spectacular views of San Miguel de Allende. The spa is decorated in a Colonial style with simple sand-colored walls, and blue, white and cream finishes, iron gates and original features remaining throughout the historic building.

Signature treatments include the Detox Herbal Wrap, which uses heated sheets of pure cotton infused with local healing herbs, to draw out toxins from the skin, followed by an exfoliation of the body with local honey and salt, leaving the skin free of impurities. Another is the Heroes Healing Poultice, which combines local medicinal herbs and essential oils to perform a healing massage experience.

Many of the treatments use ingredients sourced from the local area, such as the Laja Stone Experience, where stones from the Laja River are heated and used to massage the body with aromatic oils, invigorating vitality and strength throughout the body, mind and spirit.

Other treatments on offer range from facials, massages, Reiki, manicures and pedicures, and guests can relax pre and post treatments on the spa’s rooftop terrace and garden, as well as in the relaxation room inside.

A healthy San Miguel-inspired spa menu, made from locally grown ingredients, has been created by Chef Gonzalo Martinez. Empowering tonics are also offered, including the CaCatus Drink, which is made from locally grown prickly pears and lime, high in antioxidants and filled with essential vitamins.

Casa de Sierra Nevada will also open six additional suites in December 2008. Each new suite will have its own patio with plunge pool, and two will also have additional outdoor showers. The suites will be designed in the same colonial style as the other suites at Casa de Sierra Nevada, with hand painted Talavera tiles and wood work used from local craftsmen.

One and a half blocks from the Parroquia and main city square of San Miguel de Allende, the boutique hotel of Casa de Sierra Nevada is a mixture of 16th to 18th century Spanish colonial buildings. Its 31 rooms and suites are spread amongst five colonial mansions, including a 17th century fort, and the former residence of San Miguel de Allende’s Archbishop in the 16th century. With the hotel’s buildings situated around the town rather than in one location, the experience is akin to living in a beautiful, historic apartment, but with the fresh, new amenities and genuine Mexican hospitality provided by Casa de Sierra Nevada, making for a true cultural immersion. Founded in 1542, the town of San Miguel de Allende is a National Monument of Mexico. Sitting at 6,400 feet above sea level, the cobble-stoned streets of this colonial town are lined with palasios that today are a mixture of personal residences, galleries, restaurants and boutiques.

For more information please visit www.casadesierranevada.com or call (800) 701 1561.