Latest Articles on Spa

8 Affordable Wellness Retreats

Now hear this: Wellness isn’t just for well-to-do one-percenters. Increasingly, self-care has become accessible to everyone, whether that’s through a free meditation app or a bike-share program. But there’s one aspect of health and wellness that still feels reserved for the ultra-rich — the restorative getaway. Plenty of seasoned travelers think that a sunny, unplugged…

The Best Hotel Spas in San Antonio

Windflower Spa at Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa/Oyster Things you likely associate with San Antonio: The Alamo, the River Walk, and killer Tex-Mex. Next up may be golf courses and amusement parks. Spas probably don’t make your top five (unless you’re a wellness junkie or simply in the know), but they deserve a…

5 of the Best Hotel Spas in Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona is, arguably, the spa resort capital of the United States, with cities like Sedona leading the charge in relaxing spa retreats. We’re turning our eye towards Scottsdale, conveniently located right in the heart of the Phoenix metropolitan area (and less than 30 minutes from the airport). Visitors can enjoy luxurious spas in top hotels,…

11 Hotels With Free Massages and Spa Treatments Included in the Rate

The only downside to booking a room that comes with free massages? The fact that on future hotel stays, the squirreling away of sewing kits, mini bottles of shampoo, and other in-room freebies may not bring you quite the same level of glee as it once did. Now that you’ve been primed for the risk…

The 6 Best Cruise Ship Spas for All-Out Pampering

With features like hydrotherapy pools, heated ceramic loungers, and Thai massages, cruise ship spas take pampering to an almost preposterous level. Just try to read the descriptions below without sighing. If you want to book some tension-melting treatments or spend quality time in a top-notch thermal suite, consider our six favorite spas at sea. (Note:…

7 Incredible Hot Springs in South America

The Pool at the Rio Quente Suíte & Flat III/Oyster Natural hot springs are found all across the globe, from the Yukon Territory to Tuscany, from Budapest to Bali, from Iceland’s Blue Lagoon . . . the list goes on. The South American continent is a major, ahem, hot spot for geothermal pools and springs…

A Guide to Hot Springs in Japan

Our things-we-love-about-Japan list is long and far-ranging. It includes the culture, architecture, and scenery, and the high-tech toilets, cat cafes, and karaoke bars. Japanese onsen (natural hot springs) have a very special place on that list. After all, soaking in warm, mineral-rich water stimulates circulatory and lymphatic systems, relieves pain and discomfort, and just feels…

Our 17 Favorite Spa Resorts Around the World

Modern life involves traveling often and for all sorts of reasons. This year alone, you might have a big family get-together in another state, an annual ski trip with college buddies, and a cousin’s wedding halfway across the country. Here at Oyster, we embrace just about any excuse to hit the road, but what really…

Top 9 Things to Do in Saratoga Springs

Upstate New York is not short on picturesque small towns. The northern portion of the state is full of compact camera-ready villages, from Aurora in the Finger Lakes to Woodstock in the Catskills. Picture-perfect Saratoga Springs — about halfway between Albany and Lake George — is an upstate destination whose storybook star shines especially bright.…