La Prairie at the Ritz-Carlton Spa

Sometimes the farthest place from big-city stress can be found in the eye of the storm. Take, for instance, the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park. The lobby itself is the personification of cool collectedness, but elevate up to the second floor to find La Prairie at the Ritz-Carlton Spa, an oasis of rejuvenation just steps away from hectic Central Park West and nearby Fifth Avenue’s feverish shopping crowds.

The Ritz-Carlton’s windows are double-paned to stifle the chaotic street outside, and amidst the creamy yellow walls of the historic hotel’s second floor is a serene space complete with men’s and women’s steam rooms, six treatment rooms, and a waiting room with reclining chairs and stacks of books to flip through to aid pre- or post-treatment decompression. (A flute of champagne, or lemon water, helps too.)

You needn’t be a guest of the hotel to book into one of the spa’s top-tier massages, manicures, pedicures, facials, or indulgent body treatments. The facials, especially, allow the Swiss skin-care company to showcase their products doing what they do best, using standouts like Skin Caviar Luxe Cream from their best-selling line of caviar products, rich in amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. The Travel Therapy treatment bundles the best of everything into a two-hour restorative session consisting of a massage (Swedish, deep tissue, sports, or aromatherapy) and a La Prairie Signature Facial. The latter is customised on a face-by-face basis, and treats each guest to a complete skin analysis before lavishing the face with a cleansing, massaging, masking, hydrating, exfoliating, full skin-care experience.

After a La Prairie refresher, stepping back out into the Big Apple feels so much sweeter.