Touch of the Tropics

By Staff

updated 1:06 p.m. ET Aug. 30, 2005

GOLDEN DOOR SPA, PUERTO RICO

“How are you today?” asks Miriam softly as she places her hand on my shoulder. I sense she’s not just making small talk, that she genuinely wants to know. But as she escorts me from the warmly lit waiting area to a treatment room, I’m reluctant to let it all spill out. Does she really want to know that my 7-week kitchen remodel stretched into a 4-month, washing-dishes-in-the-bathtub-nightmare because we got hit by three hurricanes? That the roof needs to be replaced but there’s still no insurance adjuster in sight? That things at the office are crazier than usual? That it gets more than hectic raising two boys when your husband is on the road 150 days a year?

“Um, I’m a little stressed,” I reply, as calmly and simply as possible, though I can feel the words vibrating as they come out.

“Tell me about it,” Miriam says.

I had arrived at El Conquistador Resort’s Golden Door Spa in Puerto Rico looking for complete R&R: no schedules, no activities, no sightseeing — just pure pampering. Even a stress-monster like myself realizes when enough is enough. The vacation started off well, as Carlos, who was to be my personal butler for the stay, greeted me with a cool fruit punch and led the way to my casita nestled among lush gardens bursting with heleconia, red ginger, orchids, birds of paradise, frangipani and thick palms. From the balcony I watched sailboats tacking across the blue Caribbean toward Culebra and Vieques.

As evening approached, I was treated to the symphony of coqui frogs, a chirpy, happy refrain that accompanied a breathtaking sunset. Before I’d even had a single spa treatment, the resort had already begun working its tropical magic on me.

From the moment I passed through the 24-carat-gold filigreed spa doors for the first time, I was enveloped by a peppermint fragrance and the sound of flowing water. This Golden Door Spa is sibling to the famous original Golden Door in Escondido, California, which was inspired by ancient Japanese honjin inns that offered rejuvenation and relaxation for travelers. Here, warm woods, cool marble and blooming orchids create a peaceful sanctuary for modern vacationers.

The staff greeted me kindly, and I was directed to the tranquility level where I was offered slippers, a robe and a key for the locker room. I soon learned that arriving early for treatments allowed time for a leisurely soak in the o-furo — an elegant Japanese-style bath with shoulder-massaging waterfalls — followed by a steaming cup of herbal tea and snack of fresh fruit.

My first treatments exfoliated, massaged, polished, stretched, soaked, detoxified and moisturized my overworked body. It was clear that the therapists were intent on helping me find the balance and serenity lost in the chaos of everyday life. My masseuse, Justiana, quickly zeroed in on trouble spots, offering advice about my sensitive lower back. Karen, a personal trainer, laid out a realistic workout plan for me to carry home, and then took me on a power walk through such stunning scenery I scarcely noticed the burn in my gluteus maximus. A Pilates instructor showed me new stretching techniques that build strength and relieve stress.

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