San Francisco's 13 best hotel and day spas

FUSION CENTRAL
Re:Fresh, A Day Spa
The contemporary design (pebbled paths along curved walls) of this 8,000-square-foot spa near the Civic Center has held up well since it opened five years ago. It has 15 treatment rooms, three of which are private nail stations. Neutral colors--olive green, gray, cream, and camel--are complemented by tactile touches like wicker, straw, exotic woods, orchids, and silk pillows. The menu emphasizes Asian and Hawaiian therapies. I tried the Hawaiian Salt Glow with Kukui Nut Oil (80 minutes, $135), which includes a 50-minute Swedish massage. Therapist Melinda Miller knew how to maneuver the Vichy shower perfectly, and the scrub left me with a nice sheen. Bonus points: The wet table is outfitted with large heated water bags that make it comfortable to lie on. -M.B.

Phone: 415-563-2316
Website: www.refreshdayspa.com
Address: 1130 Post Street (Lower Pacific Heights/Civic Center)

BATHING BEAUTY
Kabuki Springs & Spa
If you want a traditional Japanese bathing experience, this is the place for you. If you're timid about communal (same-sex) bathing in your birthday suit, it isn't. Facilities include a hot pool, cold plunge, sauna, steam room, individual bathing areas, and showers. Treatments are good, too. I recommend polarity, an energy-based bodywork (50 minutes, $75); Swedish and shiatsu massages (50 minutes, $75; 80 minutes, $110); and the Ginger Glow, a new wrap that uses fresh ginger (50 minutes, $75). My only complaint is that the spa can be crowded. Nice touches: beautiful light fixtures with lampshades made from antique silk kimonos and the small retail area with unique Asian soaps, washcloths, and slippers. The spa is women-only and men-only on alternating days, except Tuesdays, which are coed (bathing suits required). Entry fee: $16 weekdays, $20 evenings and weekends. -M.B.

Phone: 415-922-6000
Website: www.kabukisprings.com
Address: 1750 Geary Boulevard (Japantown)

TINY NEWCOMER
Spa Vitale at the Hotel Vitale
I was worried that the brand-new, $53 million Hotel Vitale would be another hot spot with a great bar and tiny guest rooms, so I was surprised by its quiet elegance and spacious accommodation--the smallest of the 199 rooms are 310 square feet, and my Panoramic Suite was 645. The feel is air meets water, health meets high-tech, luxury meets nature. The spa is minuscule--800 square feet, plus 400 on the roof--and so is the menu, but the small cadre of therapists are knowledgeable and skilled. A couple's massage class ($100), taught by spa manager Megan Linney, was enlightening and thorough, but an hour of instruction followed by an 80-minute side-by-side massage ($300) was too much of a good thing. The daily vinyasa yoga class is well taught, but the studio is small and awkward, with a low ceiling beam--I'm only five four and my fingers hit the ceiling with each sun salutation. Nice amenity: the large, deep tubs on the rooftop patio used for the Bathing Ritual ($40), a bath spiked with herbs, essential oils, or goat's milk. (They weren't open when I visited but were slated to open in May.) -D.K.

Rates: $269-$899
Phone: 888-890-8688
Website: www.hotelvitale.com
Address: 8 Mission Street (Embarcadero Waterfront)

HIPPIE CHIC
Stellar Spa
This homey Marin County spa takes a holistic approach, offering facials and body treatments using its own natural herb- and fruit-based products. What really sets it apart, though, are its signature add-ons: Self-Heating Seaweed Mud Therapy ($25-$60) and Seawater Negative Ion Inhalation Therapy (complimentary, based on room availability). For the former, the therapist mixes Phytomer seaweed powder with water, which makes it warm up and bubble, then applies it to a specific area of the body. The heat is meant to promote deeper relaxation and loosen muscles, which it does, although the application can be cumbersome, as it takes trial and error to get the temperature right. The ion inhalation therapy takes place in a room (left) with a bowl of steaming seawater, an ionizer, and, to aid absorption, UV lights on the ceiling. The high concentration of negative ions supposedly mimics the calming physiological effect of being by the ocean or in the mountains. I'm dubious on the science but was calm as could be after the 90-minute massage ($120) it accompanied--perhaps because of my therapist's languid, unhurried touch. -A.A.

Phone: 415-924-7300
Website: www.stellarspa.com
Address: 26 Tamalpais Drive, Corte Madera

GRANDE DAME
Claremont Resort & Spa

Claremont Resort And Spa

This rambling Berkeley hotel, opened 1915 as an escape from the fog for wealthy San Franciscans, has an excellent 20,000-square-foot spa with a menu long on exotic healing arts. The massage component of the 50-minute Tibetan Sound Massage ($127) was strong (as I like it), but the vibrations from the five metal bowls placed along my spine (to release negative energy) walked a fine line between soothing and grating. I liked the Mayan Temple Journey (140 minutes, $325): a scrub of blue corn rice powder, an application of warm avocado-lime mousse, and a coating of hydrating cactus gel. Therapist Amy Halozian, who has been with the spa since 1989, moved like a ballerina. The coup de grâce: a 50-minute massage with warm avocado stones that even unpinched a pesky nerve in my neck. The hotel is a dormered and eaved period piece that has been modernized inside. My room, a Grand Bay Suite, the top category, was large and straightforwardly decorated, with the bay view stealing the show. My only caveat: The hotel's size (279 rooms) and hefty meetings business create bottlenecks. I waited 15 minutes to settle my spa bill and another 15 minutes in a line four-deep to check out. -D.K.

Rates: $270-$1,060
Phone: 800-551-7266
Website: www.claremontresort.com
Address: 41 Tunnel Road, Berkeley

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