Wyndham Wisdom

Best Vegas Spas

Forget roulette. On your next trip to Las Vegas, try hitting the massage tables--and feel your fortunes turn

Las Vegas is all about spectacle. Where else can you find an Egyptian pyramid, the Eiffel Tower, the Brooklyn Bridge and a fountain that erupts hourly to Celine Dion tunes, all on the same street? So it's no surprise that the city's spas fit the same mold. The newest crop--havens of calm tucked away amid the chaos of labyrinthine casinos, big-name restaurants and glitzy malls--will wow you with their cutting-edge treatments and high-tech fixtures. ("Experiential rain showers," anyone?) In just an hour or two you'll be feeling unkinked and incredibly lucky--that most elusive Vegas quality. Our six favorites, listed here, are all located in hotels, but they're open to the public at least part of the time. And most of them offer affordable day passes that give you access to the facilities (steam rooms, soaking tubs, pools) without even having to book a treatment. In other words--jackpot!

THE SPA AT THE WYNN LAS VEGAS
The Wynn only recently opened its spa to non-hotel guests--fortunately for us, since it's lovely. In the women's relaxation lounge, curvy couches surround a roaring fireplace while tapestries adorn the walls. (Expect leather chairs and woodwork in the men's spa.) Try the Good Luck Ritual ($250), based on the five elements of feng shui and designed to bring health, wealth, prosperity, happiness and harmony.

The 80-minute full-body massage begins with the ringing of Tibetan chimes (metal) and includes a bamboo-lemongrass defoliant (wood), warm wet towels (water, fire) and a rubdown with a Thai herbal pouch (earth). 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 702-770-3900; wynnlasvegas.com; day pass $25; open to non-hotel guests Mon.-Thurs.

BATHHOUSE AT THEhotel AT MANDALAY BAY
The neon-orange horsehair bench and furry white ottoman are your first clues of this four-year-old spa's renegade spirit. Small by Strip standards--it's just 14,000 square feet--the modern-looking facility brings a welcome intimacy to the Vegas spa experience. The "wet lounge" area has plunge pools, a rain-shower wall and playful lime-green lounges. For your private candlelight bath, choose from black moor mud (for purifying and detoxifying), ayurvedic herbs (for relaxing) or customized aromatherapy ($65). A computer picks the perfect scent blend based on a questionnaire you fill out. 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 877-632-9636; mandalaybay.com; open to non-hotel guests with booked treatment (no day passes)

RED ROCK SPA AT THE RED ROCK CASINO & RESORT
This off-Strip stunner opened in nearby Summerlin three years ago, providing a respite from all the action 20 minutes east. The facility is dark and tranquil, with orchids and potted bamboo throughout. Cabanas and conversation pits line the spa's large pool. Pedicures here change with the seasons (bamboo green tea for spring, macadamia kukui nut for summer, $85). But the best reason to come is the Adventure Spa, which whisks guests outdoors to go horseback riding past sandstone cliffs at sunset ($189) and rafting down Black Canyon ($83). It's rare proof that Vegas doesn't need sequins and showgirls to be stunning. 11011 W. Charleston Blvd.; 866-363-2872; redrocklasvegas.com; day pass $50, available Mon.-Thurs.; non-hotel guests can book treatments for any day

QUA BATHS & SPA AT CAESARS PALACE
This 50,000-square-foot Roman-themed spa offers one of the city's best bargains. Its $45 day pass lets you spend a decadent afternoon cycling through the tiered Roman baths (a hot-water Caldarium, warm-water Tepidarium, and chilly Frigidarium), taking breaks to lie on the heated, Flintstone like stone loungers. Offerings range from a banana-leaf body wrap ($170) to an energizing Lomi-Lomi massage ($170), performed by therapists trained by a renowned Hawaiian medicine specialist. Then swing by the Crystal Body Art Room, where attendants will glue tiny Swarovski jewels to your body in any design you choose (from $130). Call it pre-nightlife primping, Vegas-style. 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 866-782-0655; harrahs.com/qua; day pass $45

CANYON RANCH SPACLUB AT THE VENETIAN AND THE PALAZZO
You could easily pass an entire day at this 134,000-squarefoot spa, buying stylish workout gear in the Shop, taking a kickboxing class in one of the two fitness centers, scaling an indoor rock-climbing wall and sampling the artichoke fries in the café. The highlight has to be Aquavana, a European-style circuit of soaking tubs and relaxation rooms. In the "experiential rain shower," you push a button marked Tropical Storm for alternating warm and cool drenchings, the sound of birds chirping and the scent of pineapple. A new coed space indulges couples who want an 80-minute two-by-two Canyon Stone massage ($540). 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 877-220-2688; canyonranch.com; day pass $40

SPA BELLAGIO AT THE BELLAGIO
What this spa lacks in intimacy (the waiting rooms need some work) it makes up in its variety. You'll find 17 different facials incorporating everything from crushed pearls to French seaweed, a gorgeous Jacuzzi area lit by a sculptural crystal chandelier, and an unmatched steam room issuing thick billows of eucalyptus-scented steam. There's also a private pool (complete with a swimsuited therapist) used for Watsu massage ($210). If you close your eyes it feels like you're floating in outer space. The coed meditation room, a spacious, candlelit space with waterfall walls and loungers, is hidden behind an unmarked door--don't miss it. 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 702-693-7472; bellagio.com; day pass $25; open to non-hotel guests Sun.-Fri.

BEST OF THE REST

Wet--The Spa & Salon at Treasure Island
At the water-themed Wet spa, both the décor and spa menu are inspired by the sea. The furniture comes in every permutation of blue, photographs of water droplets decorate the walls, and treatments make use of the ocean's bounty. Try the seaweed bath, purported to smooth cellulite, or the Wet signature wrap, which uses warm seawater gel to reduce fatigue and stress. 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 702-894-7474; wetspati.com; day pass $20

Drift at Palms Place - The Palms Las Vegas
This couples-friendly newcomer, a mile west of the Strip, lays claim to a Vegas first--quite a feat in a town that's constantly one-upping itself. The coed Turkish hammam is a curvy, soaring space with iridescent earthtone mosaic tiles laid out in a vortex like pattern, a large heated marble slab in the center, and a rain shower in the corner. The spa also offers candlelight baths and massages for two (from $430). 4381 W. Flamingo Rd.; 702-944-3219; palmsplace.com; day pass $35

MGM Grand Spa at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Though the facility could use an upgrade (the décor is dated and the robes a bit ragged), the globally inspired treatments are worth seeking out. Among rituals influenced by South American, Japanese, Icelandic and Turkish cultures, the best is the two-hour Dreaming Ritual ($310), which uses herbs and massage techniques from Australia's Aboriginal tribes to lull you into a state of bliss. 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 702-891-3077; mgmgrand.com; open to non-hotel guests Mon.-Thurs. with booked treatment (no day passes)

RCI-AFFILIATE RESORTS IN LAS VEGAS INCLUDE:

SUMMER BAY RESORT LAS VEGAS DESERT CLUB
HILTON GRAND VACATIONS CLUB ON THE LAS VEGAS STRIP
GRANDVIEW AT LAS VEGAS
SHELL VACATIONS CLUB AT DESERT ROSE

For more information,
visit RCI.com or call
Weeks: 800-338-7777
Points: 877-968-7476