READERS' PICK: When it's time for all-out pampering, head out to Gadabout for a day of beauty. The Grant Road location has the closest thing to a genuine European spa Tucson has ever seen. No detail has been spared to make this the most luxurious day imaginable. The heavy, frosted glass doors, the cushioned waiting area benches, the fresh flower arrangements, the high-end beauty products on display (not to mention the high-end beauticians on display), and the thickest bath towels in town may make you wish that Gadabout Day Spa was the Hotel California--that is, you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. You might choose the Down To Earth package, the least expensive package on the day spa menu at $212, for the four-hour treatment. This includes a relaxing aromatic steam shower, an herbal glow exfoliation, a rainforest mud treatment, a customized European facial, a spa manicure and finally a shampoo/blow dry (to get the exfoliated skin and mud treatment off before you saunter into the lobby looking and feeling like a fabulous feline on the prowl). At the other end of the price and pampering spectrum is the Custom Spa Day (C) at a mere $390. This includes everything from hot stone therapy massage to a stylish shampoo/blow dry and make-up application, with loads of other extreme pampering treats in between. All of the packages offered at Gadabout Day Spa include a spa lunch (perhaps a toothpick lunch of cold shrimp, blood orange slices and papaya?). A menu of services is available at the appointment desk to help you pick and choose. There are five complete day packages from which to choose, or the staff will help you create and schedule a custom spa day. Now, how to reach that income bracket ...
READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, 7000 N. Resort Drive. You won't see the famous views from the windowless day spa, but you'll have your eyes closed anyway as Loews' licensed massage therapists and skin specialists smooth every wrinkle from the fabric of your existence. Luxurious facials, Swedish and deep tissue massage, and body treatments including seaweed, herbal wraps and mud baths are the basic services here (there's also a full beauty parlor in the resort). The price of luxury doesn't come cheap, though. A typical treatment lasts from 15 to 30 minutes, and ranges from $45 to $70. A half- or full-day package is definitely the way to go, the better to bask in all of Ventana's charms. Both packages include facial and body work, plus access to a full workout room, steam and sauna, outdoor pool, and exercise classes including yoga and meditation. Full-day packages include lunch. (But for a morsel of perfect bliss, consider an alternative with high-tea service featuring soft piano and floor-to-ceiling views in the plush lobby.)
