Travel FanboyEditor’s note: I, like many excited visitors, have a tough time sleeping on the first morning of my Vegas trips. Well, my buddy Vegasography’s morning ritual may help us ease into what’s usually a busy day of Vegas adventures. Below are his thoughts on taking advantage of one of the many great Spas on the Strip. Given his great insight, I’m hoping we get more from him in the future.
No matter the state of disrepair, I am inevitably wide awake at 6am the first couple days in Vegas. Utilizing the spa is one way I have learned to compensate for this reality. Qua at Caesars, for instance, opens at 6am. I typically spend a couple of hours cycling through showers, steam rooms and pools.
Most resorts offer a day pass to use the spa facilities. Qua charges $25 during the week and $35 on the weekends including all day access for resort guests making the spa day pass one the best values in Vegas.
Arriving at Qua you are greeted by an attendant and provided sandals, robe, locker and a brief tour. I usually leave the robe in the locker and wrap a towel around my waist. The spa is a wet space, lots of water. No sense in getting that soft robe all damp. Better saving it for nap time. We’ll get to that in a minute. Expect to see some nudity. Some are more comfortable with it than others. If you’re not down with full on exposure wear a bathing suit. Whatever makes you happy.
First stop the showers. Makes sense to use a little soap before sharing the common areas under the showerhead with high pressure. Right? From there, it’s on to the steam room, grabbing a bottle of water and ice cold wash cloth on the way. Hot, steamy and dark. Just the way I like it. If the attendant is on top of things you will be greeted by the powerful aroma of eucalyptus. A perfect remedy for dry desert air and smokey casinos. I try not spend more than 10-15 minutes in the steam room at a time. Too much sweating only compounds the dehydration from a night of drinking. Then it’s off to the cold room. Qua calls it “the arctic room”. Well, it’s 55F and is a wonderful complement to the steam room complete with bubbles and ice. After 10 minutes or so, it’s back to the steam room for round 2.
From there back to the showers to rinse the sweat. Grab a new towel, couple bottles of water and my robe and off to the pools we go. Qua has 3 pools. The baths consist of three distinct pools, varying in temperature and size. The largest of the pools, the Tepidarium, with warm mineral-enriched waters to help restore natural elements of your body’s skin. You can then alternate between two smaller pools, the Caldarium and the Frigidarium. The hot waters of the Caldarium ease daily tension and soothe tired muscles, while a quick plunge into the cold waters of the Frigidarium invigorates your body.
My favorite is the Tepidarium. 30 minutes of soaking then its time for a nap. Around the pools are heated chaise loungers which look like high-tech bathroom heaters. The room is fairly quiet with the tranquil sounds of water cascading down the walls. Grab a few extra towels and lay back cover up and close my eyes.
Then it’s time for the best part of the morning. In Qua there is a steam room dedicated for shaving. If you have never shaved in a steam room or sauna before, well you should, because it’s awesome. Just ask the attendant for a razor.
Depending on the time I might do another cycle through the steam and cold rooms or just hit the showers one last time.
A couple of things to remember. Not all spas are created equal. The nicer resorts have the nicer and larger spas. The day pass gives you all day access. Why get ready for the evening in your room when you have all the amenities (hair gel, combs, razors etc) you need at the spa? And make sure to tip the attendants on our way out.
About the author: Vegasography
A frequent Vegas visitor and podcaster banned in over 50 states (not really). A VFB friend and, hopefully, frequent contributor.
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