Top 10 romantic spas

6. Los Cabos: Las Ventanas al Paraiso
The spa: In this ultra-exclusive retreat, take treatments in your suite, private terrace, beach cabana, or the spa's outdoor desert garden.

Setting: The resort embraces a stretch of beach between the colonial town of San Jose del Cabo and the festive Cabo San Lucas, at the tip of Mexico's Baja Peninsula.

Signature treatment: The Sea and Stars Night Massage turns your terrace into a personal paradise, as two massage therapists come to your villa for an 80-minute couple's massage ($360). Keep the good vibes humming after they leave by lighting the wood-burning adobe fireplace, and retiring to the Jacuzzi overlooking the ocean.

More than massage: Cruise around Baja in a convertible Mini Cooper, available on site ($200/day). Stargaze by night and check out movie stars by day at the hotel's illustrious pool. Or ask Maria Elena Soto, the resort's "Director of Romance" to cook up a sexy picnic or moonlit carriage ride on the beach.

Cuisine: Chef Pablo Loza's seven-course chocolate menu includes savory mole shrimp enchiladas and Mexican chocolate cappuccino paired with Roquefort.

Details: Treatments from $22–$360. Half-day spa retreat, $325. Rooms from $450/night, Spa Suites are $850/night, but come with a $400 spa credit.

7. Ojai, California: Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
The spa: In a whitewashed adobe with heirloom herb gardens, fountain courtyards, and working fireplaces, this historic Spanish-style spa-resort is a cozy, romantic hideaway.

Setting: Nestled against the Topa Topa Mountains, southern California's Ojai is dotted by ancient oaks, scented by lavender fields and orange groves, and crisscrossed by horse trails, creeks, and bike paths.

Signature treatment: The Kuyam ("coming together") experience includes cleansing mud, dry heat, inhalation therapy, and guided meditation ($40). Follow with a Massage Duet ($230 per couple).

More than massage: Golf on the 18-hole championship course, or wander over to the Artists' Cottage for classes including painting, horseback riding, or wine tasting ($50/class). Take advantage of free mind/body activities like yoga, pilates, dance, spinning, and hiking.

Cuisine: Sit outside under the oaks with a frisky Hot Ojai Cowboy made with Jack Daniel's, hot lemonade, and ginger syrup. Or try a Central California coast local vintage, like the full-bodied Ojai Vineyard Syrah.

Details: Treatments from $15–$260. Full-day package, $435. Special winter rates with breakfast from $260/night.

8. Atlanta: Inter-Continental Buckhead
The spa: Soothe yourself at this urban sanctuary, run by Jurlique, the Australian-based skin-care company renowned for pure, organic, herbal products.

Setting: Atlanta's distinguished Buckhead area, long known for its upscale shopping and dining scene.

Signature treatment: The indulgent 3-hour Ultimate Fitness and Wellness Experience ($330) includes a 30-minute facial, an hour massage, a 30-minute body polish, and an hour-long personal training session.

More than massage: Gallery hop in trendy South Buckhead, shop the area's boutiques, then dance all night at nearby clubs.

Cuisine: Take a seat at the raw bar at the lobby-level Au Pied de Cochon, a rococo-style French brasserie, and feast on aprhodisiac oysters.

Details: Treatments from $60–$205. Rooms from $219/night.

9. Vail: Vail Valley Beaver Creek
The spa: Enjoy slopeside views from your massage table and soak in the aromatic Water Temple mineral pool. Choose among four spa suites, some with fireplaces and balconies, others with oversize granite tubs and private side-by-side steamshowers.

Setting: Beaver Creek has 1,625 acres of skiable terrain, a yearly average of 330 inches of snowfall, and 300 days of sunshine.

Signature treatment: The Ginger Peach Deluxe Massage ($215) incorporates freshly ground ginger, orange peel, raw sugar, honey, and essential nut oils into a sumptuous scrub.

More than massage: Ski, snowboard, ice skate, or shop for designer clothing in nearby Vail, a bustling and world-renowned aprés-ski spot.

Cuisine: Settle down by the firepit with a S'mores Kit and a Hot English Toffee – a body-warming concoction made from Burnett's Coconut vodka, butterscotch schnapps, Kahlua, and hot cocoa.

Details: Treatments from $120–$215. Rooms from $495/night; 970/949-1234; www.hyatt.com. Note: Low rates at this Hyatt are very hard to come by. We recommend using its spa services but staying elsewhere. The charming three-star Inn at Beaver Creek has winter value rates from $229/night.

10. Turks and Caicos: The Palms
The spa: Surrounded by peaceful, torchlit pools, this boutique resort and spain Providenciales spreads across more than an acre's worth of meditation areas and tented cabanas.

Setting: Grace Bay Beach, where pink flamingos glide overhead and perfectly formed conch shells are scattered about the powdery white sand, is a mere 75-minute flight from Miami.

Signature treatment: The 30-minute Mother-of-Pearl Full-Body Exfoliation ($85) contains pulverized conch shells and your choice of aromatherapy oils.

More than massage: Hobie Cats, snorkel gear, and kayaks are free. But you may not want to leave the $1.8 million Infinity pool, with rotating sun pods and a hot tub "island." Sunbathers enjoy sorbet, aromatherapy mists, and iPods.

Cuisine: Munch on fresh ceviche with plantains on a pool banquette in the water.

Details: Treatments from $80–$215. Full-day spa packages, $490; couples full-day packages, $760. Rooms from $300/night.

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