Glenvar Heights, FL Spa and Massage

A wildly successful alternative to traditional day spas—its more than 300 locations blanket 36 states and half a dozen countries—Planet Beach Contempo Spa is a futuristic relaxation station where state-of-the-art machines administer all the spa and tanning services. These friendly automatons sometimes replace familiar treatments, as in the Luminous facial, a light-based service that delivers blemish-busting results similar to those of a conventional facial. But other equipment maps out new spa territory entirely: the Hydro-Derma Fusion chamber moisturizes the whole body with nutrient-rich steam in order to offset the effects of a dry climate or a rear-end collision with a salt truck. Other machines whiten teeth, spray tan skin, and massage muscles.

Planet Beach operates on a gym-style membership system, meaning that members purchase packages or pay flat monthly rates. As members spend more time at the spa, they get to know the helpful assistants who are always on hand to demonstrate how to use the equipment without activating its ability to cry.

A wildly successful alternative to traditional day spas—its more than 300 locations blanket 36 states and half a dozen countries—Planet Beach Contempo Spa is a futuristic relaxation station where state-of-the-art machines administer all the spa and tanning services. These friendly automatons sometimes replace familiar treatments, as in the Luminous facial, a light-based service that delivers blemish-busting results similar to those of a conventional facial. But other equipment maps out new spa territory entirely: the Hydro-Derma Fusion chamber moisturizes the whole body with nutrient-rich steam in order to offset the effects of a dry climate or a rear-end collision with a salt truck. Other machines whiten teeth, spray tan skin, and massage muscles.

Planet Beach operates on a gym-style membership system, meaning that members purchase packages or pay flat monthly rates. As members spend more time at the spa, they get to know the helpful assistants who are always on hand to demonstrate how to use the equipment without activating its ability to cry.

For the past 20 years, Tiano Salon Spa's owners, Tiano and Joseph, jet set to fashion capitals all over the world, including Paris, Berlin, and New York City, scooping up the latest and greatest in beauty techniques and trends. Joseph is a Pureology Serious Color Care educator, and together the two men helm a crew of stylists and skincare specialists who give their full attention to clients during Japanese hair straightening, formal up-dos, massages, and mani-pedis. Dark wood accents add a chic edge to the salon's modern aesthetic—an aesthetic that carries over into the stylists' sophisticated cuts, which they prep hair for with Redken, Pureology, and Schwarzkopf haircare products. Spa-going clients can indulge in customized treatments, from seaweed facials to waxing services, amid the dimly lit, private treatment room. Clients who drive in find ample metered and garage parking, as the salon resides amid the charming boutiques and restaurants of Coconut Grove.

Monique Sader starts each session with a one-on-one consultation, which she finds to be a more effective method to determine skin’s needs than rolling a Ouija board’s planchette over its surface. Sader then cleanses and moisturizes faces with such services as the high-tech HydraFacial. At the end of each appointment, she provides tips and product recommendations so that clients can maintain the results of their facials at home.

The experienced stylists at Extension Dreams Salon & Spa specialize in enhancing natural hair with extensions. They use a number of methods to affix faux strands, including sewing, taping, clipping, ultrasonic waves, tiny copper micro-rings, and motivational speeches. The team also offers cuts, color services, makeup application, and nailcare with products such as Essie and CND Shellac polish.

When people talk about huge transformations, a butterfly or a fairy-tale frog may come to mind. At Radiance Beauty Lounge, significant transformations are not limited to idle observation or fantasy—they really happen. Owner Yesenia Payano witnesses this frequently, and it’s what keeps her excited about running the Radiance Beauty Lounge. Her handpicked stylists and colorists, who attend ongoing education to stay savvy with trends, “can change somebody’s life,” she says. She recently watched a client’s “incredible” metamorphosis, after which the client "hugged the stylist—three times.”

It’s not surprising that the client felt so comfortable and overjoyed, because Radiance Beauty Lounge goes out of its way to make clients feel welcome. Happy hours—from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays—outfit clients with a complimentary mimosa, cocktail, or personal cheer squad as they receive keratin treatments or spa services such as facials and massages. Radiance Beauty Lounge is open until 7 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays for post-work or pre-party styles.