Treat Yourself In The Bay Area

Image courtesy of Unique Hotels

We all have those moments when we just need to take a break for awhile. If relaxing in your San Francisco apartment isn't going to do the trick to relieve you of some of your pent up stress, we've got just the solution for you - a spa day! This article from 7x7 has all the information you need to find the perfect spa to treat yourself! Now say it with us, ahhhhhh....

We've selected the best body treatments in the Bay Area, perfect for soothing away your winter doldrums, office-ignited stress, or après-gym soreness.

Archimedes Banya's Venik Platza (Bayview)

Miles from downtown, Archimedes Banya is an urban sanctuary (with a clothing-optional hammam) that offers globally inflected treatments for more adventurous spa-goers. When we’re feeling brave, we brace ourselves for traditional Russian treatments like the venik platza, a light “massage” (read: beating) with birch branches in a hot steam room. For something a little more humane, the Hammam body wash and massage is divine.

Cavallo Point's massage with cupping (Sausalito)

Just beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, Cavallo Point offers organic body treatments with a killer vista. After spending too many hours hunched over our desks, we ease our back pain with the ancient Chinese practice of cupping. The treatment improves blood flow and loosens muscles by stimulating the nervous system with small glass cups that suction to our skin. It leaves a curious matrix of red marks behind, but they soon disappear along with our deepest aches.

EOS Massage's lymphatic drainage massage (Union Square)

Michelle Bravo, founder of EOS Massage, has a few gifts to share: She is highly skilled in such divergent practices as lymphatic massage, aromatherapy, and

life coaching. With a holistic approach to healing, Bravo whips our minds and muscles into shape in no time with treatments that include decoding our
star charts and untangling neck knots.

Farmhouse Inn's warming ginger honey massage (Russian River)

Fresh off an $8 million renovation by Healdsburg designer Myra Hoefer, the Farmhouse Inn’s brand new spa features a farm-to-massage-table treatment menu using local ingredients and herbs grown in the onsite garden. The Warming Ginger Honey massage revitalizes our skin with an anti-inflammatory bee propolis body wrap so sweet we’d almost lick it off.

Imperial Spa's purification body scrub and massage (Pac Heights)

Pain is beauty, and nowhere is this truer than at the Korean-style Imperial Spa, where the vigorous full-body scrubs obliterate dead skin cells (and stimulate circulation) in every bodily nook and cranny. Those of us who can handle it will emerge with perfectly creamy skin, made even smoother with a soothing smattering of oils, cucumber, yogurt, and milk.

International Orange's essential oil massage (Lower Pac Heights)

We love this freshly renovated Pac Heights spa for its Essential Oil Massage, which uses a myriad of calming aromalicious body balms from local company In Fiore. A finishing heat towel for the shoulders melts away any remaining tension.

Nob Hill Spa's deep sleep ritual (Nob Hill)

Perfect for the everyday insomniac, the Deep Sleep Ritual includes a 50-minute Swedish massage to alleviate our pent-up stress. The spa’s integrated body serums and award-winning Deep Relax Oil are just the thing to tip us into deep sedation, giving our muscles the thumbs up to sleep the night (and maybe even the day) away.

Remède Spa at St. Regis' Remède customized massage (SoMa)

When we’re paying good money for a massage, we expect results we can feel: muscles that are loose to the touch. The customized massage at Remède delivers, with therapists who actually listen to our needs and occasionally check in about the pressure. Combinations of Swedish, deep tissue, and shiatsu ensure a tailored experience that makes us wish we could pop in for a 90-minute session every week.

Spa Solage's mudslide (Calistoga)

The onsite spa at Solage Calistoga taps into the area’s famous hot springs for its signature mudslide treatment. During the three-step process, our skin gets a coating of essential oil–infused volcanic mud before a soak in a claw-foot tub filled with warm, lavender-salt water. We finish with a snooze in a reclining chair that vibrates to the tune of New Age music (a REM sleep-inducing technology developed by NASA). Cap off the experience with a dip in the spa’s geo-thermal pool.

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental's "The Redeye" (FiDi)

East meets West Coast at this luxe FiDi retreat. With private treatment suites (plus a couple’s suite and relaxing Tea Lounge) and holistic Asian-inspired treatments, the only difficult part of your visit will be choosing which service to select. We especially love The Redeye, the ultimate antidote to skin- and sleep-ravaging travel. After a brisk dry body brushing followed by a tailored body massage, we feel refreshed and glowing from the inside out. What jet lag?