Truckee, CA Spa and Massage

The massage therapists at Ahhh! Massage want each of their treatments to feel like a vacation from the stresses of daily life. They seem to have taken this idea to its local extreme, decorating their treatment rooms so that each resembles an exotic locale: Hawaii, Fiji, and the Caribbean islands are all represented. Along with the therapists’ soothing Swedish, therapeutic, deep-tissue, or prenatal massage strokes, the tropical decor encourages guests to slip into a state of relaxation disturbed only by the banging of steel drums or the howl of a lonely toucan. When they aren’t tending to backs and shoulders, the staffers perform hot-oil scalp massages and cleansing foot scrubs; the breezy facility also houses an infrared sauna and hydraulic massage beds.

The reincarnation of a historic house, Powder Room presents its visitors with vintage décor and a hardwood floor that stretches into private massage and skincare rooms. Freshly brewed coffee and tea flavor the waiting area's air, and light pours in from several windows with VIP access to the sun, illuminating two nail stations, a makeup station, and an elevated pedicure chair. G.M. Collin, Rhonda Allison, and ViVO Spa products back many of the spa's services, including mani-pedis, collagen treatments, and enzyme peels.

Glow Skincare at Platinum Salon enlists an aesthetically trained registered nurse an experienced aesthetician to wage war on epidermal imperfections under the medical direction of board-certified Dr. J.D. Rosdeutscher. Streams of pressurized air pour over complexions during the oxygen facial to help spur collagen growth and blow away clingy blemishes. Afterwards, the aestheticians trace a crystal-free diamond tip across faces to exfoliate the skin during the microdermabrasion treatment that can thwart signs of aging by targeting fine lines, pigmentation, and the foot prints left by Father Time's messenger crows.

The mastermind behind Hidden Tranquility is Lynnette Wilson, who is licensed to practice both massage therapy and skincare. Her massages whisk bodies and minds away from discomfort with Swedish, hot-stone, and prenatal bodywork techniques. She also consoles blemished skin with custom facials and peels, glosses nails with CND polish, and waxes lips, legs, and bowling alleys to render them sleek and smooth.

Relaxation tapes, which featured a sultry-voiced narrator instructing listeners to gently pummel themselves with a rolling pin, have declined in popularity after all cassette players were buried at sea. Fast forward to modern relaxation with today's Groupon: for $29, you get one hour-long massage of your choice at Tranquility Now! Massage Therapy (a $69 value including tax).

Every element of Tranquility at Doral contributes to its status as a great place to relax. The 2,000-square-foot facility looks every bit the part of a harmonious sanctuary: it’s filled with feng shui–inspired decor, elegant plants, and Buddha statues, and even includes a lotus garden and a patio for special events. Flickering candles illuminate the center's 10 treatment rooms, where aestheticians brighten and firm dry, oily, and aging skin with a handful of facial treatments and body wraps infused with chocolate, sea algae, and black pearl. The spa also offers advanced ultrasound therapy and electrical stimulation for the skin, as well as tanning sessions in a standup SunDash 252 Radius booth. To relax before or after their treatments, clients can sip a glass of house wine as a technician sings a really slow version of "Bohemian Rhapsody."