Albuquerque Is Great Place To Relax
Bad day at the office? Kids driving you nuts? Tennis game leave you doubled up like a pretzel? Maybe you should head to the spa for some “me time.”
Massages, facials, reflexology and the like used to be a treat for only the very wealthy. But what once was luxury has become a can’t-do-without part of life for an increasing number of ordinary folks, including a surprising number of men. In Albuquerque, spas are the place to be for relaxation, good health and fun.
“There are a lot of sophisticated people here and in New Mexico in general,” says Richard Rivas, owner of Jon’ Ric Day Spa and Salon. “So there is definitely a great market here for spas. People are spending more money on themselves and taking better care of themselves.”
Like most spas, Jon’ Ric offers a wide array of services, including massage, skin care, manicure and pedicures. The atmosphere is bright, upbeat and modern, a deliberate antidote to the stuffy, says Rivas.
Rivas has seen a growing number of men take advantage of spa services. A special men’s area is private and accented with brighter colors, a place where men can enjoy manicures, pedicures and facials in a non-girly atmosphere.
“More and more men are doing what their wives want them to do. They want them to look younger, and they know that taking care of yourself is part of wellness. If you feel good about yourself, you’ll take better care.”
At the luxurious Tamaya Mist Spa, the emphasis is on taking time to relax. Located in the Hyatt Tamaya Resort & Spa on the Santa Ana Pueblo, the spa has deep roots in the local Native American culture.
“We are named after the mist that rises over the cottonwood trees along the Rio Grande, something really gorgeous,” says spa director Stephanie Martinez. “The culture of the area inspires us as we trace the journey of the Tamayame and the ingredients and plants they would have discovered as they traveled the area to find their home.”
Throughout the hotel, guests can feel the presence of the Native American culture in its décor and ambiance, and the spa treatments are inspired by the Tamaya as well. Desert seaweed, or K’awina, is used in several treatments. An ancient drumming technique is employed to aid relaxation. A lavender dry brush therapy uses native lavender for exfoliation and oil massage.
Customers come from the Albuquerque area, but also from neighboring states. They include everyone from real estate brokers to nurses, and while most of the clientele are women, Tamaya Mist is seeing more men convert to spa culture.
“I think men are starting to realize they need things like massage, too,” says Martinez. “Attitudes are beginning to change.”
