RANCHO MIRAGE, CA – September 11, 2008 – Providing a highly personalized, totally customized spa experience is the focus of the new menu at Spa Las Palmas at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa. Before any treatment begins, the therapist consults with the guest and presents the treatment’s individual elements – from creams and scrubs to the spa’s signature aroma essences. Therapists invite spa-goers to touch, smell and sample every ingredient, responding to their personal preferences and goals to create treatments as unique as the guests.

“This new approach allows our guests to guide where they want the treatment to go,” said Cristina Cascio, spa director. “Guests get the most out of their time with us since we can better address their specific needs and preferences.”

Two one-of-a-kind Desert Sojourns (Spa Las Palmas Signature Experiences) take this customized approach to extraordinary new heights. The first, Yours Alone, is quite literally a spa experience like no other – a 100-minute treatment ($265), each aspect of which is created within the treatment room, as the spa therapist converses with the guest to determine his or her personal goals, concerns and desires. The experience typically combines massage, facial and body work to create a customized program of spa bliss. At its close, the guest leaves with all the information he or she needs to continue the experience at home.

The second, The Giving Touch, offers spa-goers the ultimate in “feel-good” luxury – a custom-designed spa day filled with a choice of treatments, salon services and a spa lunch, plus the chance to reach out to someone in need. For every Giving Touch experience booked, the gift of a 50-minute spa treatment is donated in the spa-goer’s name (along with a personal message of hope, if desired) to the charity of his or her choice. The Giving Touch can be booked for eight hours ($850) or four hours ($475).

Customized scrubs and sea salt baths begin with the choice of four signature Desert Element aroma essences. Each essence blends 100% pure essential oils with certified organic ingredients and extracts, and each is inspired by one of the desert’s life forces: water (lime, coconut and verbena), sky (mandarin and white tea), sun (arnica, peppermint and eucalyptus) and earth (lavender and sage). Scrubs and baths can be further personalized with a selection of add-ons: a Desert Rain Vichy Shower, Tension Tamer Scalp Treatment, or Vitamin A, C, E Skin Booster. During baths, light therapy (guests choose from a rainbow of lighting options) provides another way to tailor the experience to each guest and their treatment goals. For instance, those seeking relaxation may prefer lavender lighting, while those in need of revitalization may desire a more energetic color such as yellow.

Spa Las Palmas’ signature aroma essences are also incorporated into massage therapies, adding a personalized element to everything from Classic Swedish Massage to the innovative Lake Cahuilla Shell Massage, which uses ultra-smooth shells, naturally heated from the inside, to glide seamlessly over the spa-goer’s body in a deeply relaxing treatment. All massage therapies are prefaced with a presentation of aroma essence-infused massage oils for guests to choose from, and an herbal pillow is placed over the guest’s eyes as the massage begins. A warm towel draped over the feet grounds the guest at the treatment’s end and eases the transition back into the “real world.”

In its stylish new palette of blues and greens, the newly refurbished Spa Las Palmas is a cool, 20,000-square-foot oasis in the heart of the Palm Springs desert, where guests can retreat to lounge in the tranquil spa courtyard with its sanctuary pool, soothing water features and stunning mountain views; relax in the whirlpool, steam and sauna area; or enjoy a light meal or refreshing snack at the Spa Café. The renovation has also added new, state-of-the-art spa equipment and upgraded locker amenities. Also new is a dedicated Spa Experience Coordinator, whose sole responsibility is to make sure each spa-goer is content throughout his or her spa journey.

Fresh on the heels of its $35-million makeover, the 444-room Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa is classic Rancho Mirage re-imagined for the 21st century traveler. In addition to its newest dining and recreational features, the resort also features a 20,000-square-foot spa and Yamaguchi Salon, a 27-hole Ted Robinson-designed golf course, a 25-court Peter Burwash International tennis center, four pools, and 41,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space.

Founded in 1992, KSL Resorts manages seven time-honored resorts with outstanding recreational amenities, including spa, golf, tennis and ski. Each is refined yet unpretentious, rich in legacy, and genuine in service. The KSL Resorts are:

• Hotel del Coronado (San Diego, CA)
• Beach Village at The Del (San Diego, CA)
• La Costa Resort and Spa (Carlsbad, CA)
• Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa (Rancho Mirage, CA)
• Vail Mountain Lodge & Spa (Vail, CO)
• Barton Creek Resort & Spa (Austin, TX)
• The Homestead (Hot Springs, VA)

For more information, call 1-866-KSL-7727 or visit KSLResorts.com