The Spa at Laguna Cliffs - Spa Review
A Place in the Orange Sun
by
Sylvie Greil
Take
a classic California retreat with a dramatic setting
on the Pacific Ocean, combine it with the vision
of an enlightened spa director, and you get The
Spa at Laguna Cliffs, an enclave of wellness
devoted to authenticity.
"Wellness,"
"authenticity"... these aren’t
mere buzz words. Maureen Vipperman gets excited
when talking about her notion for healthy living:
“I wanted to create a spa that promotes
the health and well-being of the total person.”
This means treatments that are results-oriented.
It means you do not get surface beautification
but deep, inner radiance and beauty. It means
regarding the visit to the spa not as an occasional
indulgence but incorporating it into one’s
regular life routine. The formula is simple: reduce
stress and prevent premature aging and illness.
For this purpose, Vipperman has created the "Voyage
to Wellness," an integrative wellness program
which includes: wellness weekends, nutrition and
exercise plans, yoga, personal training sessions,
lectures, sailing sessions, team building exercises
and more.
Vipperman,
a mother of four and former U.S. Marine, knows
how challenging it is to juggle life’s demands:
Amid the job, family and everything else that
goes on, it’s hard to take time out for
oneself, time crucial to stay balanced and well.
Not everyone has the luxury of a personal small
army (chef, shopper, butler, assistant...), and
she believes, as do we, that it’s average
people like you and us who need spas most.
Much
like a good chef is inspired by local foods and
the seasons, authenticity for Vipperman means
drawing from the locale. In this case, orange
is the key ingredient that exemplifies everything
good about Orange
County. We’ve encountered our fare share
of grapefruit and citrus-based aromatherapy, but
the particular orange aromas used at The Spa at
Laguna Cliffs are unique and immediately put you
in a better mood. Vipperman worked with an aromatherapist
to get the scent just right.
The
14,000 square feet of facilities are understated,
comfortable and friendly, proving that there’s
life beyond Zen to create a relaxing environment.
Moroccan, Balinese or spartanic Japanese designs
would feel completely out of place in the sunny,
casually ritzy O.C.
Treatments,
many featuring the signature orange line, include
Thai-Su massage and a Gentleman’s Hot Towel
Facial. If we had all the time in the world, we’d
love to give ourselves up to the capable hands
of the spa team, spend a week at the resort and
get a customized treatment plan that would include
lots of preventative treatments like massage,
walks on the beach, aromatherapy and stress reduction
(lounging by the ocean-view pools and in feather-top
beds). If you’re planning on doing some
spring cleaning for the mind and body, you could
pick no better place that this happy O.C. retreat.
Laguna
Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa
25135 Park Lantern
Dana Point, CA 92629
949-661-5000
www.lagunacliffsspa.com
P021706 |
(Updated: 07/10/08 HC) |
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