Among ski aficionados, Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT, is one of the country’s most luxurious skiing outposts. Rated the number-one ski resort in North America for the past four years by SKI magazine, it takes advantage of the area’s 300-plus inches of snow with meticulously groomed powder-laden slopes; scenic chair lifts; and ski valets who schuss through the trails to ensure skiers are enjoying a five-star-style experience. Adding to this high-end appeal is The St. Regis Deer Valley, a $300-million project that opened in December 2009. The property features 26 private residences, 67 condominiums, and 181 guest rooms and suites; 24-hour St. Regis butler service; a Jean-Georges restaurant; a Val d’Isere-style ski “beach;” and even a funicular, a Swiss-style cable car and the only one of its kind at a North American ski resort that transports guests between the lower hotel and the upper slope-side main hotel. As if this wasn’t enough to entice its well-heeled guests, the property is also home to Remède Spa, a 14,000-square-foot haven that is the perfect après-ski escape for those looking to soothe their sore muscles and be enveloped in the lap of customized luxury.
Like the property overall, the spa design was inspired by the views of the surrounding Wasatch Mountains and the bounty of the region. Elegant stonework, all-natural woodwork, and more are interspersed throughout the space, as are over-exposed black-and-white photographs of the area. Fresh water from an outdoor waterfall streams inside into the spa’s first-floor lobby, forming a river that runs through the center of the spa and cascades into a waterfall pool. A grand spiral staircase leads upstairs to nine treatment rooms, and two private spa suites situated on the first level open to spacious heated patios, where couples can linger before and after their treatments. Guests are also encouraged to prolong their spa experiences by relaxing in the lounge or on a private spa patio with cashmere throws, champagne, and truffles.
Though the spa design is indeed memorable, spa director Megan Garner says that the spa itself is most distinctive for its customized treatments performed by therapists with an average of 10 years of experience in their particular specialties. “The individuality of Remède Spa is most apparent in the treatments offered,” she says. “Each service is completely customized to each guest the day they arrive for their treatment. Therefore, Remède Spa offers increments of time for services, which include any modality that will best suit our guest’s concerns at the time of service.”
The spa’s most popular treatments are found in the massage and bodywork categories, which Garner says is easily explained by the region’s wide variety of outdoor activities that involve a need for physical rejuvenation. As such, The Remède Customized Massage ($90, 30 minutes; $165, 60 minutes; $240, 90 minutes) is a guest favorite. During the session, the therapist personalizes the massage with aromatherapy blends, warm paraffin, and more. While the menu does feature similar offerings to those at Remède Spas around the globe, the Utah location offers a few signature treatments, including The Deer Valley Healing Ritual ($330, 2 hours), which includes an exfoliation, a wrap, a scalp and hair treatment, a Vichy shower, and a massage; and The Deer Valley Regenerating Facial ($265, 90 minutes), a hydrating service that exfoliates, tones, reduces impurities, and rebalances dehydrated skin and includes an oxygen blast and a scalp treatment. “Each was created specifically with the harsh environmental elements associated with the exceptional altitude of our location,” says Garner.
The spa’s busiest time of year occurs in winter and spring, when the 16 full-time and 12 part-time employees can cater to up to 100 guests per day. Hotel guests are informed about the spa through turndown cards, check-in presenter information cards, and email marketing campaigns, but locals are equally important to the spa’s success. Residents receive discounts during off-peak seasons, and both locals and hotel guests are flocking to the spa’s affordable new Remède Revealed options, which are lower priced mini spa sessions. Guests can select one ($35), two ($55), three ($75), or four ($90) of the options on the mini-treatment menu, which includes a Peppermint Foot Treatment, an Exfoliating Hand Treatment, a Stress Relief Massage, and a Mini Facial. Offered on the third Thursday of every month, guests are also treated to complimentary martinis, wine, or juice and light snacks. “It is an incredible way for guests and locals to enjoy the spa’s luxuries and spend less than $100 on pampering,” says Garner.
This is just one of many ways Garner and her team are working toward their goal of being flexible and constantly exceeding guests expectations, which she says “is vital to our spa’s success.” If glowing guest reviews and the property’s placement on the most recent Condé Nast Traveler “Hot List” are any indication, that goal has been quickly achieved, making Remède Spa at The St. Regis Deer Valley the place to be where ski meets spa.
Deer Valley (UT)
Owner: Deer Crest
Janna LLC
Spa Director:
Megan Garner
Opened: December 2009
CLIENT BASE:
52% female
48% male
SPACE:
14,000 square feet; 11 treatment rooms
OFFERINGS:
aromatherapy, body treatments, couples’ treatments, energy work, facials, fitness, hair and scalp treatments, hand and foot treatments, makeup application, massage, microdermabrasion, nailcare, outdoor treatments, Pilates, prenatal services, reflexology, salon services, waxing, yoga
SIGNATURE SPA SERVICE:
Deer Valley Healing Ritual ($330, 2 hours)
MOST EXPENSIVE OFFERING:
Chairman’s Deluxe Package ($475, 4 hours), which includes a Remède Customized Men’s Facial, a Remède Customized Massage, a Remède Manicure, a Remède Pedicure, and a light lunch
PRODUCT LINES:
Bliss, Comfort Zone, Laboratoire Remède, Omorvicza, SkinCeuticals
EQUIPMENT:
Cypress, Dermapod, Oakworks, Technogym
ARCHITECT:
Langdon Wilson Architecture
(Los Angeles)
INTERIOR DESIGNER:
Linda Snyder Associates (Torrance, CA)