Georgia Louise

Open for business since 1930, The Carlyle is just a few blocks from Central Park and Museum Mile. And you can’t check-out without stopping for a drink in Bemelmans Bar, which has murals painted by Ludwig Bemelmans, the author of the Madeline series.

This luxurious Upper East Side hotel is so plush and inviting that you’ll be tempted to stay indoors rather than leave to explore the city. The rooms are old-New-York in the best way, with marble baths, plush beds, city views, and space to stretch out. Plus: excellent dining (Marjorelle for dinner, Jacques for drinks, and the palm-tree-laden Pembroke Room for elaborate breakfasts, brunches, and high teas) and an elegant club room for all guests to enjoy.

Checking into the Mark is like checking into a New York fantasy life, from 24/7 exclusive access to Bergdorf Goodman, Ladurée macarons at the bedside, custom bikes for touring the city, and Jean Georges Vongerichten-crafted picnics to go (he runs the The Mark’s primary restaurant). The rooms themselves are sleek and just a little splashy. Plus: A Frédéric Fekkai hair salon, an Assouline bookstore, chic pedicabs on call, and a wood-paneled, warmly-lit outpost of the Paris caviar institution Caviar Kaspia.

This French bistro, whose arched ceilings give it a cozy, wine-cave-like feel, plays the hits spectacularly. Expect garlicky escargot, coq au vin, trout amandine, and Burgundy and Rhône Valley wines. But what’s particularly special is what’s found only here: a board of pâtés and terrines curated by owner and chef Daniel Boulud, whose Upper East Side flagship Daniel has two Michelin stars.

This is a bit more casual and much more affordable than its big brother next door (three Michelin-starred Masa), though it's still one of the best places for sushi in New York.

This old-school delicatessen has been around for over 100 years and carries every conceivable kind of smoked fish. It's a fun stop even just to see the hand-painted 1950’s sign outside, and the vintage Americana interiors it has carefully stewarded through the decades. Greengrass is also a restaurant that’s particularly great for breakfast—there are plenty of egg and bagel options to accompany your choice of smoked fish. And, in keeping with tradition, portions are huge, so go hungry.

A neighborhood staple for four-plus decades, Cafe Luxembourg serves three meals a day, but folks flock here for weekend brunch—with warm doughnut holes dusted in cinnamon sugar, eggy sandwiches on pillowy brioche, and cheesy, herby omelets.

Romantic for a date, yet also the very best spot for a multi-generational family moment, the wood-paneled Cafe Sabarsky is part of the Neue Galerie, set in a former Vanderbilt mansion smack on 5th Avenue. The restaurant has a rare, leafy first-floor view of Central Park. There are chic banquets, spectacular flowers, lots of champagne, and fantastic Viennese spaetzle, goulash, paprikash, sausages, salads, and of course, a next-level array of cakes and sweets. The thing to do is tour the museum (full of Klimts and Shieles) before your reservation, and then sit for a coffee and a sweet, if not a full dinner.

The food is classic Italian by way of New York—but it’s the beautiful presentation and cozy uptown vibe that make this spot so special. It’s a siren song for some of the city’s most interesting personalities.

The food here is full of flavor and spice (the dan dan noodles are particularly insane). It's a no-frills kind of place, and the reasonable tabs make it a great place to go with a group on a budget. (Note that it's no longer BYOB, though.) There's also a location in the East Village.

The location of Lincoln Center's refined Italian restaurant makes it a no-brainer for before a show, but the menu (not to mention the seriously sophisticated, Italian-only wine list) actually stands up to our favorite hole-in-the-wall joints downtown. The menu fulfills cravings for all the classic dishes, from spaghettini bathed in tomato sauce and pecorino to white truffle tagliatelle, plus a glorious dry aged porterhouse. If you come in the evening, don't forget to check out another bonus from the drinks program: The negroni and prosecco bars.

This offshoot from the Nolita original is part of the Major Food group (Dirty French, Carbone, etc.), and as-to-be-expected it's reliably really good. It couldn't be Parm if it didn't serve a really good one, along with other trattoria standbys like broccoli rabe, penne scampi, and chicken limone. There's also an outpost in the Financial District.

Napa's French Laundry may have put Thomas Keller on the map, but Per Se, which is perched above Central Park, confirmed his legendary status. The menu changes daily, and you can expect Keller to trot out some of his older hits along with some delightful new surprises. The meal itself can last for hours as you advance from seasonal course to course, and the set dinner menu starts at $390. The private room also happens to have one of the best views in town.

The P.J. Clarke’s on 55th Street—it’s been there since the 1880’s—is one of those classic NYC institutions where everyone who grew up on their burgers can think of nothing better. The Lincoln Square location is a hit with kids walking home from Central Park.

Red Farm’s menu focuses on fresh greenmarket product, artfully prepared fish, and delicious dim sum (including less familiar creations like pastrami egg rolls). The shrimp dumplings are delicious, the duck spring rolls are surprisingly refreshing, and we’re more than willing to endure the substantial wait (no reservations here) for a bowl of the veggie fried rice alone. They put together prix-fixe menus for large groups in private spaces.

Inspired by the LA original of the same name, this is a “trust me” sushi spot, which means you’re at the mercy of Chef Takahashi and his team behind the bar. The barely seasoned omakase they make consists of incredibly fresh fish—sourced at the fish market early each morning—served on warm, perfectly moist rice. It’s a tiny, no-frills nook, and the best seats in the house are at the bar.

If Afro-Caribbean Tatiana isn’t already high on your list, it should be. James Beard Award–winning chef Kwame Onwuachi takes inspiration from his childhood in the Bronx and from the legacy of San Juan Hill, the vibrant neighborhood that preceded the construction of Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side. The menu is distinctly Onwuachi, and distinctly New York: The chef works with ingredients and techniques from his Creole, Nigerian, and Caribbean roots—and plays with ideas from French cooking, Chinese takeout, Jewish delis, and city bodegas.

This is a seriously charming, truly legendary New Yorker's bar: For starters, the clubby space is covered in Madeline author Ludwig Bemelmans's whimsical murals—a tribute to the city's quirky inhabitants.

Hidden under the Queensboro Bridge, The Jeffrey combines two storefronts that look completely unremarkable. Inside, though, you can get unexpectedly good coffee, drinks—and oysters. The espresso bar serves local roasts from Café Grumpy, and is also part growler-to-go-service. For later in the day and night, there are a few dozen rotating local and global brews, plus wines and a fairly extensive cocktail list. When the weather is nice, take your drink and oysters to the back patio.

Kitschy, often crowded, and rowdy on any night of the week, this 1970s bar makes a great, laid-back stop in the otherwise pretty upscale Upper East Side. We go for excellent Bloody Marys and their famous burgers, served from lunch until late into the night.

The Penrose was a very welcome addition to the Upper East Side when it debuted on Second Avenue, and the gastropub still feels noteworthy today in a neighborhood that is more known for its collegiate sports bars than craft-centric joints. Some would say that it feels more downtown than uptown, probably because the Penrose was done by the same people behind downtown spots The Wren and Wilfie and Nell. All that said, beyond the exposed brick and vintage décor, this is really a neighborhood spot—and a solid one at that. Besides the drinks, the snacks are satisfying, and you might find yourself wanting to stay for dinner, or come back the next day for brunch.

Vin Sur Vingt always hits. They have an extensive list of French wines, great tapas, and several locations in the city, including two on the Upper West Side.

Beyond being one of the more perfect independent grocery stores around, Fairway is the perfect New York cross section: You'll see young families, old ladies in fur coats, students looking for good food at good prices, and just about every New York type you can think of.

Near the East River, Le Moulin à Café is part coffee shop, part bistro, part French grocery store—and charming. If you’re not ordering to-go, the counter spots overlooking York Avenue are prime real estate—and somewhere you can post up to do work, trading your latte for a glass of wine later in the day. There are also tables (with waiter service) in the back of Le Moulin, though.

Three brothers developed a taste for quality cacao while growing up in the Caribbean eating chocolate made from trees they had grown (and picked from) themselves. Cut to: Dominic, Nicholas, and Daniel Maloney craft single-origin, bean-to-bar dairy- and nut-free, organic, fair-trade chocolate in Harlem. A square or two of Sol Cacao’s 70 percent plus chocolate is the kind of rich, slightly sweet, slightly bitter treat you enjoy with a glass of red wine after dinner or with a thimble of espresso in the afternoon—it’s to be savored. Find Sol Cacao sprinkled throughout New York City's best artisanal food purveyors like Chelsea Market, Chicky's General store, and Brooklyn Larder, as well as at Whole Foods and online.

Come here for the bagels, and the rugelach, and the chocolate babka, and the smoked fish, and we could go on and on. This Upper West Side specialty grocer, which has been operated by the Zabar family (out of the same location) since the 1930s, is still the place to stock up on old-school Jewish delicatessen fare. It’s one of those classic city shops that’s as worth it for the goods as it is for the characters who shop there regularly.

The French Embassy has pulled off a wonderful coup in bringing this gem-like French bookstore and reading room to Fifth Avenue. Named after the ethereal character from Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, the Jacques Garcia-designed (who else?) space is beautifully decked-out with comfy leather couches for cuddling up with a novel, and a gleaming constellation fresco on the ceiling of the two-story space. The only French bookstore of its kind in the city, it’s a gift to New York—in one of the few remaining Stanford White-designed Beaux Arts buildings, no less.

Led by Barbara Kirshbaum, who has been on more than 150 buying trips to Europe and Asia, BK Antiques carries furniture, lighting, accessories, original artwork, and silver from the 18th-, 19th-, and early 20th-century. BK Antiques also has an exclusive collection of limited editions: high-end desk accessories; a series of small “drinks” tables in wood, iron, and stone; oak console tables; barstools; wastebaskets and custom iron and wood benches.

Phoebe Cates's boutique is pretty great: You’ll find really beautiful jewelry and a great assortment of toys, including hand-painted Russian dolls and Keith Haring dominoes. You'll also find clothes from little known designers, especially for the neighborhood, like Ally Capellino handbags and Yoshi Kondo dresses. It's not surprising it's a hit on the Upper East Side, as it brings uniqueness and discovery back to a neighborhood that’s generally dominated by big brands.

Jamie Creel and Christopher Gow are serious collectors who spend much of their time traveling the world sourcing far-flung objects for their townhouse shop. We go just to see the wacky and elegant displays that mix coral and taxidermy, Suzani textiles and kitschy South African ceramics. It’s a real mix with prices to match, and if you’re looking for a truly offbeat gift—like say, a hand-blown glass hammer and nails—chances are you’ll find it here.

This gorgeous estate jewelry shop looks more like an exceptionally appointed apartment than a store and has more than earned its name: the collection of estate jewelry spanning every era and every designer (Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels are the biggies) is nothing if not museum-worthy. Rare treasure hunters in particular flock to FD as it’s one of the few US distributors of JAR. Also worth noting: the vintage accessories by Chanel and Hermes and photography by Man Ray, Richard Avedon, and more.

Over the past few years, this lingerie boutique has grown and opened up several shops all over the city. It turns out there was a real hole in the marketplace when it came to lingerie: A place where you can find pretty lingerie that you don't feel silly wearing everyday, which means a tasteful mix of brands like Bordelle, Stella McCartney, Cosabella, and Princesse Tam-Tam, in both basic nudes and bright colors. There are also locations in Union Square and Soho.

For over 20 years, food academics, serious chefs, and home cooks alike have all come here to stock their kitchen bookshelves. In fact, Julia Child used to shop here. Besides the seemingly endless supply of cookbooks, academic journals, and food memoirs, it’s owner Nach Waxman and his team that make it really special. Well-informed but not intimidating, they’re happy to help you find the right book, or will track it down if they don’t have it.

This intimate boutique on Madison Avenue serves up a carefully curated collection from luxury and contemporary designers like Gabriela Hearst, Blumarine, Emilia Wickstead, Missoni, Acne Studios, and The Elder Statesman, to name a few. Their selection—from denim and cashmere to special-occasion pieces—tends to be a touch funkier than what you'll find at the department stores nearby, and you're sure to discover a new favorite brand. Don’t miss their private label Freya for couture-level beaded skirts & dresses and silk pieces in groovy prints.

Housed in Andrew Carnegie's former Georgian mansion, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum still conserves the original dark wood-lined interiors and imposing staircase, even after closing for a few years for a major upgrade in the hands of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, among others. The shop on the second floor is part of the revamp, too, with the architectural firm's custom modular shelving framing the tailor-made space. The wonderful mix of beautifully designed objects and utilitarian goods remains the same, however, from Fredericks & Mae birthday candles to Michael Graves kettles and much more.

Ursus sells art and rare books along with a very special selection of 16th to 19th-century prints. For art lovers, this is where you'll find that rare edition on your favorite artist you can't find anywhere else. And if Ursus doesn't have it, their knowledgeable staff can help you track it down.

Just across the street from Central Park, this sprawling space—established in 1869—is home to more than 32 million specimens: Enormous dinosaur fossils, a stampede of elephants in the main hall, and a host of gorgeous dioramas are just the start.

It would be impossible not to include Central Park—New York's most coveted green space and, in many ways, what the rest of the city orbits around. Stretching 2.5 miles from 59th to 110th Street, it offers a mix of open lawns, wooded paths, water, and formal gardens. See the iconic landmarks at least once: the cinematic Bethesda Terrace and fountain, Belvedere Castle, and The Lake—which is most memorably experienced by rowboat (rentable onsite). Seasonal moments make it worth returning to, from ice skating at Wollman Rink to Shakespeare in the Park at the newly renovated Delacorte Theater. But the real appeal is in the in-between: long walks around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir with its uninterrupted skyline views, quieter shaded paths that feel removed from the city, and the simple act of finding a bench or patch of grass to sit with a coffee. For kids, the Central Park Zoo, the petting-friendly Tisch Children's Zoo, and numerous playgrounds make for an enjoyable afternoon outdoors.

Housed in Andrew Carnegie’s former Georgian mansion, the Cooper Hewitt still maintains the original dark wood-lined interiors and imposing staircase. After closing for three years for a major upgrade on the design galleries at the hands of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the Cooper Hewitt had a grand re-opening at the end of 2014 with an expanded exhibition space. There's also an interactive Process Lab where visitors learn about the design process, and an Immersion Room highlighting the museum's expansive wall-covering collection. The museum was already one of the best in the world for design—both contemporary and ancient—so it's no surprise that it's better than ever. Don’t miss their shop, which is incredibly well done.

NOTE: The Frick is temporarily closed for renovation. It is expected to reopen in late 2024.

Aside from being one of the most significant buildings of the 20th-century, and the apex of Frank Lloyd Wright’s career, the Guggenheim is a world-class art museum and cultural center, too. No matter the show—usually solid retrospectives—it’s worth the entrance fee just to wind your way through the snail-like building and look down from the top at the mesmerizing view below.

This beloved institution—reigning supreme on NYC’s Upper East Side—has been shepherding millions through its halls since 1880. You’ll find some of the art world’s most iconic pieces, as well as important artifacts from ancient to modern times. It’s also home to the Egyptian Temple of Dendur, which dates back to 15 BC.

Whether it's your first time or you're a season ticket holder, an opera at the Met, with its shimmering gold curtains, monumental Chagall murals, starburst chandeliers, and red carpets, is one of the most unforgettable experiences in New York. From a classic Verdi to a contemporary John Adams opera, the production value, from the singers to the costumes and the sets, is pretty spectacular.

Walking into this Upper East Side townhouse is a quick time warp into the golden age of Vienna, before the First World War. The permanent collection, displayed almost as if it were in an elegant home, includes works by Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele and many design pieces from Josef Hoffman, Koloman Moser, and Werner Werkstatte. We never tire of visiting the galleries and then heading downstairs for a tea and Linzer torte at the perfectly achieved turn-of-the-century-style Cafe Sabarsky, where you dine surrounded by Adolf Loos furniture.

Whether for an opera, a musical, or a ballet, an evening out at the gem-like Lincoln Center always makes for a wonderful, dressed-up night out.

This nationwide yoga studio is known for cranking up the intensity of Vinyasa classes. Strength training is incorporated through squats, free weights, and ab workouts between traditional asanas. Studios are kept warm and humid to promote flexibility, and teachers are reliably energetic, which helps to keep motivation high.

Delphine Breyne honed her craft—brow microblading, brow shaping, areola micropigmenation (for cancer patients), scalp micropigmentation, lip shading, and more—in France (her home country) and later in Miami. Now, she takes appointments out of a gorgeous studio in an ancient Upper East Side townhouse right off Central Park.

Jin Soon Choi, the fashion world's go-to for nails, has taken her tiny nail (and wax) salons to the next level. Each mani and pedi is more like a mini spa treatment for your hands and feet, with a menu of massages, essential oil, and hydrating treatments to choose from. Her technicians are great, the space is low-key, and blessedly low-tech (no vibrating massage chairs here), and she has a five-free line of polishes, too. There are also locations in the West Village, East Village, and Tribeca.

Whether for a special event or for a makeup 101 refresher course, booking an appointment at this deeply feminine shop is a worthwhile expense. Come with a few girlfriends for a facial, followed by makeup.

Dr. Schiller knows everything about women's health and is a wonderfully reassuring doctor to see when you're pregnant (or wanting to be).

Lidia Tivichi somehow makes the entire process of hair removal painless. Seriously. Hands down, she does the best wax we've ever tried.

Beyond the extensive list of yoga classes offered by husband and wife Stephan Kolbert and Ingrid Marcroft and their team, UWS Yoga offers meditation classes and sessions in their infrared sauna. You have to pre-book, so try and snag an appointment right before or after a yoga or meditation session for an extra detox boost.

This mega-pharmacy is so large (15,000 square feet, spread across three floors) it’s actually deemed a department store: Sure, you can drop off a prescription, but most people come here to pick up anything from old-fashioned throat lozenges to Mason Pearson hairbrushes to fancy shampoo and lipstick. The prices fit the setting (it’s just a stone’s throw from The Carlyle), but they have the services to match, from quick delivery, to house accounts, to shipping prescriptions to you anywhere in the world. They also have an excellent toy store named Zittles which consumes the entire third floor, carrying old-fashioned favorites like Barbie, Madame Alexander dolls, and a solid selection of dress up clothes.

These Alice in Wonderland–themed spots are pretty cute (there are now three outposts), and they're a great option for mid-afternoon snacks with kids or for throwing a birthday party. Pioneered by Lauren and Haley Fox, these teashops offer perfectly brewed teas, healthy snacks, and prettily arranged sweets—from cupcakes to cookies. There is also a location on the Upper East Side and a to-go spot in Brooklyn.

This massive, man-made, historic park in the middle of Manhattan might just be the thing that makes city life bearable for so many of its citizens: With acres of green space, it’s a public oasis offering incredible playgrounds, swimming pools, public concerts, running tracks, dog parks, gondola dotted lakes, a boathouse, a wonderful zoo, and the John Lennon Memorial. It’s a wonderful place.

This interactive museum touches on everything from the science of sleep to jazz. During warmer months, there’s also an outside water park, where kids can sail boats and study erosion through sand. With 38,000 square feet, there’s plenty to keep little ones occupied.

It’s really all about the frozen hot chocolate here, to the extent that we can’t really vouch for many of the other offerings on the menu. We do know that Serendipity 3 (named for its three founders, not three outposts) came into its own as a coffee shop. Nowadays, it offers a dense menu of classics (both savory and sweet), though kids really do freak out for the hot chocolate. Reservations suggested.

The space is an eco-haven, designed with renewable, sustainable flourishes (the walls are made of cork, seagrass, and recycled wood)—and the facials are healing, pampering, and just: beyond. The Custom Superfood Facial floods skin with nutrients from tamarind, acai, turmeric, and manuka honey, while the Light “Isun” facial features a miracle trifecta of microcurrent, LED light, and nurturing essential oil blend that thoroughly revives skin. The infrared saunas are each tucked into a cozy private room with a shower—and they aren’t hooked up to Bluetooth, which means the promise of a genuine digital detox, too.

Wagner, who also moonlights as a painter, is chill and wonderful, meaning that an hour spent with her skilled hands is kind of like hanging with a friend. A recovering tanning junkie herself, Wagner is nothing short of a magician when it comes to banishing sun spots and UV damage. Product-wise, the focus here is on holistic and organic ingredients–she uses her own skincare line made with a white turmeric and tiger grass stem cell complex.

This serene French-inspired oasis is tucked away in Beverly Hills. Caglia herself has over twenty years of experience and a touch that’s both soothing and assertive, and she customizes her facial to suit any concern. Microphoto treatment tightens pores, radiofrequency lifts, peels help tone and soften discoloration, and a massage with a rose quartz roller helps drive in Caglia’s beautiful botanical infusions. You amble out completely rejuvenated.

Legendary naturopathic doctor Nigma Talib approaches the skin through the gut, the mind, and some superstar clean skin essentials (we’re obsessed, more on those later). She’s starred on an episode of The goop Lab, and appeared in person at In goop Health. A session with her can start with face mapping, where she takes a long look at your skin to discover what’s happening within (dairy-, wine-, and sugar-face are all common diagnoses), along with blood tests, stool samples, and a deep but gentle line of questioning to get at underlying issues before she works her magic. What follows is customized to your skin and body: radiofrequency, bespoke peels, LED, oxygen-infused antioxidants, vitamin or peptide infusions, and more. You’ll walk out of the treatment room looking fresh and renewed, but note that these are no ordinary facials or one-off treatments. Talib gives each of her patients “homework”—lifestyle and dietary changes to make and maintain for long-term healthy, beautiful skin. (If you can't see her in person, you can also follow her tips on Instagram.)

Even one trip to skin guru Kát Rudu’s sleek Venice studio can change your skin. (The gorgeous Rudu, with her impossibly poreless complexion, is her own best advertisement.) Combining the purest healing botanical ingredients—soothing chamomile extracts, brightening papaya enzymes, hydrating aloe—with corrective modalities like CO2 lasers, microneedling, and radiofrequency, the facials here are deep and utterly transformative.

Mila has been taking care of many high-profile LA women for decades, all of whom swear by her skin and body treatments. More specifically, it's her European facials (tack on a dry contouring session for a bit of extra lift), "face-changing" line of skincare products, and discretion that keep everyone coming back.

Shani is a name you hear whispered around Los Angeles—usually by those friends who have particular glowy skin. The aesthetician opened a beautiful, neutral-toned studio in Beverly Hills to perform those dewifying facials as well as microcurrent and LED treatments.

Perhaps the most luxurious part of the exquisite, Kelly-Wearstler-designed Proper Hotel is the adjacent, also-Wearstler-design Surya Spa. The cleansing Panchakarma detox wellness programs that last anywhere from 3 to 28 days are the biggest draw: For up to four hours a day, you go for custom restorative treatments, detox, and healing experiences like private yoga, sound baths, Qigong, breathwork, energetic healing, and more. The Nasya treatment isn’t like any facial you’ve had before: You sit as your face, neck, and shoulders are cleansed and nourished with herbalized oils, vigorous massage, aromatic steam (to help clear nasal passages), and the wood and bone tools of traditional Ayurveda. The treatment can help relieve brain fog, stagnant energy, tension, headaches, and congestion. The spa shop is worth a few moments on the way out: The collagen cream is hands down the richest cream we’ve ever tried, the bath soaks are the ultimate luxury (the whole box equals one fantastic bath), and the almond-flour-based spa breads are the among the most delicious things you’ll ever eat.

The signature treatment here, the Tina•K facial, uses dermaplaning and a diamond-encrusted pad developed by spa owner Tina K. O’Brien to remove the topmost layers of your skin for a truly deep cleanse. Next, layers of oils, serums, and masks are massaged into skin, cocooning it in a deep layer of moisture and nutrients. You’ll walk out undeniably fresh-faced—skin looks even-toned and glowy.

Her laid-back personality and healing approach to skincare has made Vanessa Hernandez one of the most in-demand aestheticians in LA—so much so that she’s added five other expert aestheticians to her studio. The treatments range from microdermabrasion to oxygen therapy to vitamin infusions to customized facials.

Perched on a hill above an endless, undulating view of beautiful vineyards, Auberge du Soleil has set the standard in Napa luxury for thirty years. The property’s incredible spa is replete with light-filled treatment rooms overlooking an olive-tree-flanked courtyard. The Best of Auberge Facial spoils you for life, fortifying skin with nourishing, collagen-infused serums, hydrating masks, balancing botanical enzymes, a powerful dose of antioxidants via the deservedly obsessed-over Vintner’s Daughter, and pure olive extracts sourced from the property’s groves right outside.

We love this sleek, supremely restful spa. The facials are superb; the In Fiore Facial starts with a deep cleanse, followed by their coveted Slap, Tap, and Roll facial massage and a brightening peel.. And we’re equally obsessed with Bright Eyes, a powerful collagen-supporting therapy for the undereye area that soothes and tightens. The lounge has a cozy fireplace, as well as organic teas and delightful chocolates to nosh on while relaxing. The outside deck, with its lounge chairs and incredible view of the bay, is a blissful way to ease back into reality post-treatment.

Walk into this crisp white studio adorned with lush flowers, exquisite trinkets, and Monastery’s line of gorgeously scented, super-effective skincare, and instantly, you feel restored. A facial with founder and formulator Athena Hewett takes you to a new level, however: She customizes each step to your skin, deftly combining the traditional exfoliation, cleansing, and extractions with high tech treatments and ancient techniques. Athena’s personally trained every one of the expert estheticians on staff; you saunter out sculpted, glowing, and completely rejuvenated.

As a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and therapeutic massage practitioner for the past twenty years, Gia DiMatteo is impressively intuitive when it comes to skin, and so is the rest of her team. Their holistic approach even includes sound therapy: Aestheticians begin and end treatments with tuning forks, and the vibrations reverberate through your body, easing you into relaxation mode. They vet all the products they use and sell for synthetic fragrance and potentially endocrine-disrupting ingredients. The treatments, too, are serious business: There’s facial cupping, an ancient massage technique believed to support circulation and nutrient supply; facial acupuncture, in which ultrafine needles are inserted into the face at synergistic points to help support collagen production and wake up skin; and sessions involving extractions, calming LED light therapy, and potent masks for breaking up congestion.

A giant indoor lap pool set about with cushy chaises is where you wait for your treatments at this sleek, chic, Bergdorf- and Central-Park adjacent hotel and spa. They offer just about everything: Morpheus8 radiofrequency microneedling, total health resets with functional doctors, sessions with visiting wellness leaders, special “Banya Houses” where couples or groups can spend the day getting treatments together, access to plastic surgery services, vitamin and NAD infusions, cryo-therapy, and much, much more. The Advanced Aman Facial, which uses all Aman products specially made in Japan, combines ultrasonic exfoliation, electric muscle stimulation, face and scalp massage, cryo bulbs, a marine mineral mask, and Aman x 111Skin Nourishing Gold Algae hydrogel face and eye masks for the glow of your life.

Tucked inside the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, the Bamford Haybarn Spa is a 5,000-square-foot oasis marked by hand-carved doors and branch shelving. Here, in the nine treatment rooms, Lady Carole Bamford applies her "global wellness" approach to the menu of treatments which range from massages to facials—all of which are guided by Ayurvedic principles and use the brand's in-house line of skin care.

This impossibly lovely, holistic spa-grocery-apothecary is serious about skin—and offers some of the most exquisite complexion-perfecting treatments: The Integrative Therapy for Biome Rehabilitation balances the skin’s ecosystem with a bespoke pre- and probiotic mask, herbal compression, blue-light therapy, and more, while the Integrative Therapy for Reducing Redness and Reactivity incorporates infrared phototherapy, lymphatic drainage, and herbal treatments to soothe inflamed skin. If you’re not too blissfully relaxed post treatment, peruse the store, which stocks everything beautiful, organic, and small-batch you could ever want—local honey, health-supporting herbal teas (their chrysanthemum-infused Rest & Digest blend is next-level), the crispiest apples, and the brand’s own skincare line that’s hand-crafted right here. There's a second location in Carroll Gardens.

Christine Chin is a celebrity in the realm of skin care, and with good reason. Her sessions are intense in the best way: She will target every pore on your face, delivering the sort of thorough cleanse that has some clients digging their fingers into their palms. Steaming, rigorously energizing facial massage, extractions, a variety of detoxifying masks, glycolic peels, and collagen treatments are her specialties.

Get a facial with aesthetician Crystal Greene at her serene Madison Avenue studio and walk out looking—and feeling—fantastic. Her treatments are a beautifully pampering haze of face massage, firming laser (she uses the obsessed-over LYMA), gentle exfoliation, powerful masks, and a custom blended serum infusion she concocts on the spot for clients’ specific skin concerns. She’s intuitive, radiates calming energy, and her hands—not to mention the results you see—are pure magic.

Legendary Hungarian skin guru Ildi Pekar draws on the healing botanical remedies her grandmother used to concoct with the herbs from her garden, along with high-tech therapies and treatments from all manner of traditions. Microneedling infuses skin with botanical stem cells and supports collagen, the acupuncture facial is as dramatically tightening as it is anxiety-easing, and Pekar’s magnetic cupping stimulates blood circulation.

The fact that sought-after NYC aesthetician Jessica Bowers never wears makeup is proof of her skill. Her hidden West Village skin studio (she refers to it as her “skin-care speakeasy”) opened in October 2020 and has been booked solid ever since. Bowers offers customized facials (we love the classic illuminating facial), as well as treatments like microcurrent, scalp massages, and lash tints, which can be booked alone or as an add-on to any facial. What’s surprising is not that she’s busy, but that her super-simple skin routine yields such incredibly glowy results.

Scoring a facial with the actual Joanna Czech is like hitting the skincare lottery—though one with any of her personally-trained aestheticians at her new, soaring downtown studio is, too. Famous for her signature, manual sculpting massage which includes intense massaging and “slapping” (which is more invigorating than painful), Czech’s seemingly-simple methods keep her extremely well-known clients’ skin glowing and healthy. Every facial focuses on skin support at every turn, starting by treating the lipid (top) layer of skin, and moving on to microcurrent, hyaluronic acid patches, oxygen infusion, microneedling, and more as needed. Czech’s eponymous skin care line is clean and absolutely fantastic. There is a second location in Dallas (and a residency at Blackberry Mountain in Tennessee).

Joanna Vargas first moved to NYC in hopes of pursuing photography, only to discover that she actually cared a lot more about skin. Perpetually on the cutting edge of the latest and greatest in skin-enhancing treatments, Vargas is brilliant at collagen mask therapies, resurfacing via nutrient-rich liquid exfoliation, cryotherapy, and glowifying oxygen modalities. The microcurrent-, microdermabrasion-, oxygen therapy-centric Triple Crown Facial, one of her hero treatments, smooths lines, brightens, lifts, and some clients say, accentuates cheekbones without ever having to go under the knife.

Every facial from Madalaina Conti really delivers. The esthetician specializes in inflammatory skin conditions and integrated wellness, so her treatments incorporate modalities ranging from gua sha to radiofrequency, microcurrent, buccal massage, and more. She’s best known for the Synergistic Signature Qi Facial, a treatment that uses 24K gold-plated micro magnets to create an electromagnetic matrix that helps sculpt, depuff, and repair. It’s brilliant for all skin types, but especially fantastic if you’ve got sensitive or blemish-prone skin.

Larissa Thomson was a fashion editor in her previous life, so her take on clean beauty is one of the more gorgeous we’ve ever seen. Everything from Vintner’s Daughter and Tammy Fender to True Botanicals and...goop skin care is beautifully laid out and easy to shop for. The treatment rooms are stunning—we want the wallpaper, the mirrors, everything. And the treatments themselves are next-level and nourish, detoxify, and tighten pores with transformative therapies like microcurrent, intense facial massage, and radiofrequency.

You walk out of this sleek acupuncture-massage-wellness studio feeling reinvigorated. There’s acupuncture for fertility support, pain and stress relief, gut health, and more. The 75 minute acupuncture facial starts with a health assessment and facial mapping, so the aesthetician can customize the facial, which always includes some combination of acupuncture, gua sha, microcurrent, lymphatic massage, and an adaptogenic tonic. In the red-light body treatment, you’re splayed out in your treatment room, bathed in red light as you’re guided through a tranquil meditation—and you might feel the calming, centering benefits for days.

Hidden on the top floor of a charming building in Tribeca (the elevator opens directly into an airy, high-ceilinged, all-white oasis), this sleek studio is where Raquel Medina-Cleghorn’s roster of famous clients go for sculpting, high-tech, skin-reviving facials and body treatments. Medina-Cleghorn employs ultrasound, intra oral massage, microchanneling, LED photobiomodulation, and more to bring skin to life. She herself is a calming presence, and when you walk out of a session, the difference in your skin is noticeable.

The duplex spa is enormous and luxurious, with high ceilings, plush couches, and a posh aesthetic that manages to be both modern and comfortable. There’s a hair salon, nail studio, and fourteen treatment rooms where you can get a variety of skin-perfecting therapies like the Fix-It-All facial, an over-the-top combination of micro-current, microdermabrasion, LED therapy, and more to lift, tighten, and smooth. A facial with founder/skin-whisperer Danuta Mieloch is transformative—her touch is exquisite, and you emerge looking beyond glowy.

The Skin Lab evokes a ramped up version of what you feel slathering on The Rich Cream (or any other totally amazing Augustinus Bader product)—luxurious, refined, completely innovative, and located at the intersection of indulgence and science. The studio is complete with the classic Augustinus Bader–blue, copper detailing, and the most high tech facials. You start off with a skin consultation with an expert and choose your preferred treatment. We love the Ultimate Facial, which combines customized skincare picks, exfoliation, micro current, oxygen therapy, ultrasound, and LED—all completely tailored to your skin’s needs. Even better, they have a three-treatment approach to help you find the best route for your glowiest skin ever.

Sofie Pavitt, a New York licensed esthetician and certified acne specialist, is famous for her no-nonsense approach, inspired by frequent trips to Seoul. So don’t expect sound baths or whispering receptionists: Pavitt personalizes every treatment with high-tech devices, light peels, LED, and many questions about your lifestyle and routine to get you to your glowiest skin ever. Her namesake product line offers the perfect balance between good-for-you ingredients and potency (the Clean Clean Cleanser is a fan favorite).

A boutique facial studio on the border of SoHo, Ställe Studios is one of the most sought out facials in NYC. Founder and head esthetician Elizabeth Grace Hand (she worked previously at L’Oreal and Dr. Barbara Sturm) knows how to transform skin into the glowiest, freshest-looking version of itself. Each treatment starts with an in-depth skin analysis to create a treatment exquisitely tailored to your skin. Whether it’s the buccal massage, sculptural facial, glass skin peel, or signature facial, each treatment is out-of-this-world incredible.

This stunning wellness studio is 13,000 square feet of soothing neutrals and light toned woods. We love the airy wellness cafe, and the seemingly unlimited menu treatments. The facials are some of the best in the city; their signature one, a totally custom, 90-minute experience, incorporates the LYMA laser and a series of Biologique Recherche products to cleanse, soothe, and hydrate. Plus, you bring home a personalized routine recommended by one of their master estheticians.

Many of the treatments here call on the power of Chinese medicine to heal, energize, and enhance skin. Founder, acupuncturist, and herbalist Sandra Lanshin Chiu uses gua sha—an ancient Chinese medical massage technique that incorporates a jade skin-care tool to relieve tension, support circulation, and flush out toxins for a brighter, smoother complexion—in many of her treatments. The Acne Rehab is one of her most impressive: The aesthetician uses botanicals, gua sha, and facial cupping to break up stagnation in the underlying tissues and restore balance. (Chiu emphasizes that fantastic skin happens from the inside out—but that it’s also important to pamper the skin’s surface.) And we keep coming back for the cozy cups of licorice root tea, prized in Chinese medicine for its calming effects.

It’s hard to pull yourself out of your canopied, curtained, supremely cosseting bed at this chic, Celerie-Kemble-restored hotel to walk through the gardens to the Connecticut outpost of The Well spa, but do it. The spa’s airy, enormous and as luxurious as it gets. A gorgeously-tiled, soaring-ceilinged greenhouse surrounds a giant soaking tub; the treatments are next level (try the Reiki under a down comforter, atop a heated bed, in a grove of spruce trees by an ancient pond, for example); and it’s worth coming back just for the bone broth. The Triple Lift facial is epic, layering endless active serums with something called a Remodeling Machine and another called the Micropuncture Lab to help stimulate collagen production for pretty stunning, immediately visible results.

Enormous, airy, and right off Route 27 for easy access, this multi-level spa is famous for its massive blue apothecary cabinets stocked with organic herbs, health-supporting teas, exquisite skincare, and giant glass tincture dispensers. We love the soft linens, textured walls, and the impressive lineup of treatments, especially the facials.

The farm-to-face facials at this 9,000-square-foot, 3-level spa on Lake Massawippi at the exquisite Manoir Hovey in the countryside near Quebec sources ingredients directly from the land nearby. The Honey Bliss facial is our favorite, combining a delicate honey exfoliant (from beehives on site), crystal-infused moon water, snow and reishi mushroom, and botanical peptides for glowy, ultra-moisturized and super-nourished skin. Don’t miss the Nordic thermal experiences, either.

The 30,000-square-foot Seawater Spa at Gurney's Montauk has just been reimagined with help from the team behind AIRE Ancient Baths. This summer, they’re hosting a La Prairie pop-up from June 15 through September 11, with ocean-view facials and body treatments, plus they’re offering new VOYA thalassotherapy journeys built around the restorative power of the sea. The spa also runs a summer workout series with Pilates sculpt, bootcamp, restorative yoga, strength training, and sound baths.

The Eau Naturale treatment is completely restorative, reviving skin with layer upon layer of beta glucans (commonly taken in supplement form for glowy-skin support), fatty acids, ellagic acid (linked to skin elasticity), and antioxidants via beautiful, organic, botanical formulas.

The Faena Hotel's Tierra Santa is a burst of color: A rainbow-striped rug runs through the spa’s lobby, which is outfitted with bright Juan Gatti artwork and floral-printed poufs. Inspired by an array of South American (and some South Asian) healing traditions, Tierra Santa has a gorgeous Turkish-style hammam and offers a full wet spa experience (waterfall shower, herbal steam room, wet scrub, sauna, and ice parlor); many of the treatments include ritualistic wellness aspects. The Hammam Rose Ritual is one highlight: During the treatment, as you lie on top of a warm marble slab, a therapist will scrub your entire body for what is likely to be the most thorough exfoliation of your life. Following this, you’ll be covered in ridiculously soft foam and then a soothing clay and later treated to a massage. The Tree of Life Vibrations treatment takes place on a heated sand bed and incorporates handmade Himalayan singing bowls into another supremely relaxing massage. Other massage options are more conventional, as are the facials—the Triple Lift Advanced Facial concludes with the Remodeling Face Machine from French brand Biologique Recherche. The Hyper-Customized Facial uses Naturopathica, one our favorite clean, nontoxic brands, and begins with facial steaming and gentle extractions, followed by lymphatic drainage, a congestion-soothing calendula mask, and a glycolic peel. The glow you leave with is...unreal. Led by two doctors, Tierra Santa also has a holistic, preventive medicine program that includes digestion-focused health therapies.

Surrounded by the vintage stores and oyster bars of Magazine Street, Elisabeth Isbell’s cozy spa and salon is great for glossy manicures and pedicures, as well as blowouts—but the facials are especially fantastic. We love the Classic European facial and the super soothing Revitalizing Eye Treatment, which can be added on to any facial, and includes an undereye mask and a pressure-point massage.

Cocooning robes, a eucalyptus steam room (we recommend sweating it out there pretreatment), and Swarovski crystals lining the ceiling of the reception area set the decidedly plush tone that encourages you to (happily) disconnect. The popular Classic Court Facial is a mashup of rousing face massage, gentle exfoliation, plumping masks, plus add-on therapies like LED lights, microdermabrasion, and oxygen treatments.

This super authentic Ayurvedic spa and retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains is both rustic and luxe. Everything here, from the cooking classes to the yoga sessions, aligns with Ayurvedic principles. The beyond amazing, recently renovated spa has tons of different treatments, but we like the Signature Facial. All of the nourishing products are made on the premises and work to bring harmony to your doshas. Bonus: You can add on a warm-oil scalp massage to any treatment.

Set in the historic countryside of Franklin, just minutes from Nashville, Southall combines ancient therapies, the newest in tech, and a warm, personalized approach. They use only clean products, like Naturopathica and Seed to Skin, and they incorporate ingredients grown on their farm (just outside) into the treatments. A team of expert estheticians analyzes your skin to create a custom experience, no matter what your skin issue. And steam and sauna sessions—and/or dips in the mineral pool overlooking Lake Mishkin and the farm’s medicinal garden—are included with any service.

High up in the Great Smoky Mountains on 5,200 acres, Blackberry Mountain (the equally luxurious and rustic sister property to the Blackberry Farm resort) has incredible hiking, next-level fitness, relaxing sound baths, cozy fireside meditation, forest yoga, and more, but leave at least a day on your itinerary just for the gorgeous Nest spa. It’s the first ever Joanna Czech-certified spa in the U.S.—you can get Czech’s famous 80-minute Method facial which includes an incredible sculpting and lifting facial massage, exfoliation, extractions, and Czech’s serums, creams, and masks plus modalities like microcurrent, cryotherapy, radio frequency, and/or microneedling. Each facial finishes with rejuvenating LED light therapy and each esthetician is hands-on trained by Czech herself (Czech also does residencies)—amazing.

Owner Cleise Gomes moved to Chicago from Brazil in 2000, and has been working to bring traditional Brazilian beauty techniques to the U.S. ever since. Gomes is famous for her waxing techniques, but it's her facials that are actually one of the city's best kept secrets. There are glycolic peels, oxygen and LED light therapy, and a face massage-focused session that includes a rousing, heavenly scalp treatment.

Dr. John Q. Cook has 20 years of experience in skincare and has two beautiful Whole Beauty Institutes (one in Winnetka and another in Gold Coast) to show for it. What takes the clinical facials (they also perform fantastic medical-grade chemical peels) to the next level is the meticulously developed Whole Beauty product line; his team of aestheticians will send you home with a set of products specifically picked out to extend the effects of your time in the office. There's also a location in Gold Coast.

Mireille Hamon counts Oprah among her many makeup and skincare clients. The skin guru grew up and received her training in France, which explains her brilliant less-is-more approach. She’s a wizard at clearing blemishes via gentle steams, soothing masks, and careful extractions. Her LED light therapy and microdermabrasion sessions are stellar. And the woman is also an eyebrow genius.

The Few Institute is primarily a plastic surgery center, and a very well-respected one at that (he recently worked with us on our bestselling Youth-Boost Peptide Serum). The Skin Clinic inside is run by a badass team of aestheticians who specialize in seriously effective, medical-grade peels (which they'll customize to your specific skin type), and deeply restorative treatments like the Oxygenating Trio Facial in which skin is flooded with antioxidants to treat and prevent free-radical damage, as well as the 90 Minute Luxury Facial, a combination of steaming, deep exfoliation, microdermabrasion, and heavenly scalp massage. Afore, Few’s skincare line is brilliant; we love the absolutely next-level retinol.

There are only two facials on the menu, but each treatment is tailored entirely to you. Your session starts at their Ritual Bar where you meet with a holistic esthetician for a consult; after that, they mix up a totally custom mask and face oil to be used during the session. You can add on treatments like gua sha or jade rolling, but whatever you choose, you leave feeling (and looking) incredibly refreshed.

The only 5-star spa in Wisconsin and inspired by the rejuvenating properties of the mineral rich waters of the city’s neighbor, Lake Michigan, this spa is filled with deeply restorative amenities such as cold plunge pools, saunas, steam rooms, and transformative facials. The signature is 80-minutes of intense hydration, firming, and toning. The treatment includes cleansing, toning, exfoliation, extractions, and facial massage as well as back, arm, and hand exfoliation. All their expert aestheticians are hydrotherapy and oncology trained.

The same way the spiritual vortex of Sedona draws seekers, it draws healers—and you can work with the best of them at Mii Amo. For 3, 4, 7, or 10 days—no more, no less—visitors follow personalized programs designed by a guide. Depending on a guest’s needs, a journey might include traditional spa offerings, like enzyme wraps and lymphatic facials, as well as specialty services, like shirodhara and Reiki healing. Spiritual treatments—meditation, hypnosis, past-life regression, and more—can be emotionally intense and incredibly cathartic. During downtime, you might explore intuitive watercolor, hikes in the canyon, dry sauna, or private pickleball lessons.

Tucked into the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Miraval Arizona is a one-stop shop for all things wellness. This 400-acre desert retreat is the kind of place you can go on a friends’ getaway or a solo journey—and return home feeling totally reset. The rugged, cacti-dotted terrain is the backdrop for a huge variety of activities like horseback riding, the Miraval’s famous Equine Experience with Wyatt Webb, hiking, and botany-focused tours. The spa, with its army of healers, wellness practitioners, and massage therapists, is just as fantastic. The most popular treatment is the amazing Cara Vida facial, which starts with a gentle cleansing, exfoliation using chia seed husks, and two masks: one made of comfrey, green tea, citrus, and rose; the other of honey and cold-pressed chia seeds. All programs are fully customizable: Guests can begin their morning with reiki, try an aerial yoga session in the afternoon, and wind down with a hot stone massage in a temperature-controlled outdoor tent.

Forty minutes from downtown on a particularly spectacular bend in the river, Lake Austin is as amazing a day spa as it is an overnight retreat. Either way, you can use all the spa facilities, the restaurant (many ingredients come from an on-site organic garden) and participate in daily fitness activities from water yoga in the stunning, barn-enclosed warm pool, paddle boarding, and hikes to river-based workouts). There are more than 100 services on the extensive mind- and body-nourishing spa menu—everything from standard Swedish to Chinese-medical cupping treatments—with specific options for mothers-to-be, couples, and groups. The facials are particularly incredible: herbal enzyme peels, fractionated laser treatments, and luminizing vitamin C therapies, plus specific options for mothers-to-be, couples, and groups. Post-treatment, you can lounge by the series of swimming pools in the large hillside garden.

If you’re in need of a wax, a quickie facial, a mani/pedi, or just about any self-care treatment you can think of, milk + honey is the spot. It’s ideal if you need to be in and out, but it’s also a solid option if you want to spend an afternoon with friends thanks to the serene lounge area, where you can hang out between treatments. If you’re after a one-and-done style pampering, go for the “Spa Partisan” that packs in a body polishing treatment followed by a steam under a canopy, and a 60-minute body butter massage. (It’s as good as it sounds.) Facials—which are anywhere from 60- to 120-minutes long—are completely bespoke. The estheticians take the time to talk to you about your goals, then create a treatment with decongesting ultrasonic therapies, gentle extractions, fruit acid peels, and powerful peptide treatments. End your experience by wandering through the smartly curated shop, which includes milk + honey’s own line of products. They have several other locations throughout the country, but the 2nd Street District location is the flagship.

The chic, intimate Verbena spa is one of our favorite things about the Austin Proper. Get the Proper Facial—a skin-soothing 60 minutes of cleansing, exfoliating, masking, toning, and moisturizing with Monastery Made’s incredible products like the super rich, hydrating Attar balm, hyaluronic-acid-infused Flora Botanical Cream Serum, plus a custom detoxifying clay and hydrating masks (made specifically for the spa). You can also customize your facial with fantastic add-ons like Saint Jane’s featherweight CBD serum and body cream (the latter is for an epic hand-arm massage) or TheraFace PRO’s percussive massage, heat, and cryotherapy treatments.

There are excavated river rocks embedded in the floor of the lounge area, a tribute to the stunning mountains surrounding you. Treatments here incorporate everything your skin needs to thrive—antioxidants, vitamin C, kaolin clay, peptides, enzymes—and aim to support collagen, mitigate free radical damage, target hyperpigmentation, and illuminate.

This sprawling spa complex operates out of the Hotel Crescent Court, so a full day is well spent here: They offer private yoga and Pilates classes, a health-centric café, and treatments that range from the basic (manis and pedis) to the intense (hardcore lymphatic-draining treatments). We love that the spa is open to kids, too, with a full menu of kid-friendly treatments (and snacks in the café).

Dallas friends swear they’ve experienced the best facials of their lives at the hands of Joanna Czech, who incorporates LED therapy into her treatments. After studying biology in Poland, she made a name for herself in NYC before adding her studio here in Dallas in 2012. Instead of selecting a treatment from a menu, your aesthetician analyzes your skin, discusses goals with you (which could be anything from treating sun damage to glowier skin for an event that evening), and then gets to work. Every facial focuses on treating and supporting the lipid (top) layer of skin, and you can add on microcurrent, hyaluronic acid patches, oxygen infusion, microneedling, and more as you need. Czech’s eponymous skin care line is clean and absolutely fantastic. There is a second location in New York City.

The treatment rooms, as well as all of the massages and facials, are inspired by the sacred kiva rooms used by Pueblos for religious rituals. Start your experience with smudging, chakra balancing, or a mindful meditation while you look out over the serene desert. If your skin is having trouble adapting to the desert climate, try the Moisture Drench Facial which gives skin a bouncy, youthful glow.

Set in the foothills of Santa Fe, this Japanese bathhouse/spa/restaurant/guesthouse is one of the most beautiful, relaxing places on earth. The outdoor baths—an enormous communal one and many private individual tubs—are surrounded by pinyon pines and overlook stunning sunsets and moonrises. All of the facials incorporate a firm Japanese face massage aimed at encouraging circulation and contouring the face muscles. The Japanese Organic Massage facial uses fast, light strokes to remove impurities and encourage lymphatic drainage.

Every treatment at this stunning spa in the middle of the Colorado Plateau starts with a smudging ceremony—a nod to the Navajo, who have lived here for centuries. The swirling smoke clears your head, helping to set the intention for the rest of the experience. Next you get a custom-blended aromatherapy shower, and only after that does the facial begin. The Amangiri Signature is a classic cleansing facial, while the Zone Facial uses targeted pressure-point massage for toxin elimination, and the Hot & Cold Stone Facial, which includes a neck and shoulder massage, is supremely relaxing. Each treatment ends with an incredible crystal sound bath.

This spa’s signature facial isn’t your standard cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize. Instead, it’s a four-step treatment that uses vitamins, minerals, electrotherapy, and some Hannibal Lecter–esque equipment to cleanse, brighten, and tighten skin. The sixty- and ninety-minute treatments start with cleansing and exfoliation. Next, a cotton fabric saturated with yucca-root solution is placed over the face. Over that hovers an infrared dome to encourage detoxification, after which the aesthetician does extractions with a small vacuum. Finally, your face and neck are wrapped in cotton soaked in an anti-blemish, anti-aging solution, and a galvanic current is run through the skin. The entire process feels a bit ticklish—and yields bright, bouncy skin.

The design at Löyly (which is Finnish for the steam that comes off hot rocks at a sauna) is distinctly Scandinavian, with beautiful hardwood floors and minimalist wooden lounge chairs set around the communal space. The facials, though, are decidedly unminimalist: There are nourishing masks; steamy, aromatic compresses to calm skin; layer upon layer of oils, creams, and hydrosols; detoxifying facial steams; and more. There’s a second location in Northeast Portland.

Set on a protected cove with gorgeous reefs and warm pristine water, this resort is luxe and deeply restorative—and so is their spa. There is only one facial on the menu, and that’s because the master aestheticians personalize everything to your skin’s needs. After a consultation, there’s cleansing, exfoliating, masks, and serums to get your skin silky-smooth and seriously radiant. The best part is the lymphatic-drainage massage that leaves you firm, sculpted, and walking out in a trance.

Surrounded by white-sand beaches and tropical rainforest, this resort is drop-dead amazing on all counts, but the spa—which uses much-obsessed-over Tata Harper products for all of its facials—is next level. The Remodelage Facial is 90-minutes of remodelage (a sculpting massage technique) and facial cupping that boosts skin detoxification, long-lasting hydration, and some pretty major contoured effects.

Perched on a raw, wild cliff overlooking the Pacific, Mukul Resort brings a dose of open-air luxury to a quiet stretch of Nicaragua’s coastline. The spa’s six gorgeous suites each incorporate a different ancient healing tradition, along with powerfully healing Nicaraguan ingredients. Treatments here are over-the-top 120-minute mashups of herbal steaming, honey-cucumber tonics, lymphatic drainage, craniosacral therapy, and soothing masks made with regional flower essences, volcanic clay, and potent herbs.

Costa Rica’s Talamanca Mountains are home to two-toed sloths, vibrant pink hummingbirds, and hill after hill of coffee farms—and Auberge resort Hacienda AltaGracia. You could, if you wanted to, come here just to hang in the spacious casitas and enjoy the resort’s leafy, vivid-green surroundings. But we’d argue the real magic happens at the destination-worthy spa, The Well.

World-famous dermatologist Barbara Sturm’s work is incredibly high-tech—her endogenic blood therapy, for example, takes dermal fillers like hyaluronic acid and enriches them with regenerative elements taken from a patient’s own blood. At the same time, she’s passionately clean and nontoxic in her approach—a rarity among dermatologists. After researching both techniques and skin-care ingredients at her clinic, she’s come out with a line that manages to be super effective, luxuriously textured, and chic as hell all at once. Treatments at her clinic run the gamut from low-tech to super advanced, from lymphatic drainage and microdermabrasion to hyaluronic-based mesotherapy, nonsurgical face-lifts, and microneedling.

Right on the Bosphorus, the Peninsula Hotel overlooks Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace along with the wide river. There’s a buzzy rooftop restaurant, but our favorite is the elegant, airy, sublevel spa made with floor-to-ceiling marble, saunas, a luxurious indoor pool, lavish traditional Turkish baths, and calming relaxation rooms. The Holistic facial—60 minutes of brightening, smoothing, plumping magic with botanicals and antioxidants—is a must.

Right on the ocean near Palermo, Verdura Resort is serene, relaxing, and all out luxurious. The stunning Irene Forte Spa, surrounded by olive trees and orange groves, is a playground of thalassotherapy pools, Finnish saunas, steam rooms, and more, but the facials are next-level. Each one uses Forte’s luxe, clean skin care line—made with botanicals sourced on Verdura’s own organic farm. We love the Etna Age-Defying Facial—90 minutes of cleansing, toning, and exfoliation, face massage, lymphatic drainage (they use cold volcanic stones sourced from Etna mountain), and a moisture-bomb hyaluronic acid treatment to seal it all in. You’ll walk out totally relaxed, refreshed, with a luminous glow.

People have traveled to Fiuggi for centuries just for the natural spring water, which, legend has it, is healing. At Palazzo Fiuggi, you’ll drink it, soak in it, and shower in it. But the real force behind this destination spa is the medical team, who will tailor your experience according to your goals and the health evaluation you take upon arrival. Your results inform the rest of your stay: Will you spend long mornings trekking through the countryside and afternoons in the thermal baths? Or will you spend the week detoxing, following your doctor visits with lymphatic massage and cleansing rituals in the hammam?

This is the woman responsible for helping in-the-know Londoners achieve that glow-from-within radiance. Amanda Lacey's legendary facials are gentle and pleasantly old school—no lasers or needles in sight. Instead, she relies on time-honored facial massage, quality, natural products, and educating clients about preventing future damage. Clients swear by her eponymous product range for at-home maintenance.

Unlike many aestheticians who rely solely on traditional lotions and potions to treat skin maladies, Anastasia Achilleos targets the facial structures, including the lymph nodes, fascia, and muscles. She offers a huge range of therapies, including deep cleansing, steam, extraction, and bespoke massages to lift, depuff, soften dark circles and hyperpigmentation, and reduce congestion in sinuses. Her sessions are relaxing, and she makes sure to teach her clients how to best manage their skin at home.

OG skin whisperer Linda Meredith has worked on everyone from Farrah Fawcett to Kate Middleton, and she's one of the facialists local goop friends swear by. An appointment at her Knightsbridge salon is definitely worth the splurge. Her team identifies, treats, and eliminates skin conditions with restorative algae-oxygen therapy, plumping collagen treatments, and more.

Andrea Pfeffer’s passion for glowing, balanced skin led her to create this beautiful, intimate studio with a menu of novel, high-tech facials. The salon started a bit of a craze for collagen-supporting copper microneedling, but what really sets it apart is that no matter how cutting-edge the treatment or how hard-core the extractions, needling, or vitamin infusion, there's an exquisitely relaxing facial massage built in to your session.

Coined “The Bradden Method,” Sarah Bradden’s signature cosmetic acupuncture facial is both a spiritual reset and a sculpting face treatment. Each treatment is tailored to your needs (and every visit is different) and includes a mix of acupuncture (for face, neck, ears, or body), Reiki, reflexology, massage, LED light therapy, and activated oxygen therapy. You’ll leave with a goddess-like glow and a restored sense of balance and relaxation.

London-based Fatma Shaheen’s treatments at the flagship Matchesfashion’s townhouse in Mayfair are booked months in advance (fans include Naomi Campbell, Naomi Watts, Candice Swanepoel, and Irina Shayk). Her most-popular facial, the SDL Facelift, is pricey, but worth it, with ultrasound, vitamin peels, radiofrequency, and something called a Glow Pen—which combines microneedling with electroporation, a form of microcurrent designed to deliver active ingredients into skin. The results—lifted, glowy, sculpted skin—are unmatched. Skin Design London also offers services at John Bell & Croyden and 180 Health Club in London. And in January, they will also be offering an exclusive treatment, called The Freeze Glowlift during a 3-month residency at Selfridges.

Using a mix of acupuncture, LED light, and even tuning forks (the vibrations have soothing, stress-easing effects), the facials here leave clients with a serious glow, balanced skin, and an even deeper sense of calm. We’re especially in love with the Chi Rejuvenation Facial, fifty minutes of acupressure, gua sha, and jade rolling, all of which energize skin by supposedly stimulating the flow of chi.

In 2002, pharmacist Margo Marrone and her husband, Francesco, created a beautiful, wildly successful chain of wellness dispensaries in London devoted to their ever-expanding, luxurious, certified-organic line of homeopathic remedies, skin, hair, and body care. Their flagship store also has a gorgeous spa where all of the products are used. The facials are amazing: We especially love the vitamin C and papaya enzyme peel, the express thirty-minute facial with microcurrent, and the amazing Rose Diamond Facial, which combines a diamond exfoliation with an oxygen-infused mask and lifting massage for super glowy skin.

This studio was founded by superfacialist Vaishaly Patel, and the skin-care treatments are incredible. The signature facial combines Patel’s famous techniques (deep cleansing, extraction, microdermabrasion, and high-frequency treatment) to create a custom plan to improve your skin on the day of your appointment. All facials include a craniosacral massage to treat tense areas at the scalp, brows, and jaw—heaven.

Much like his culty product range, Hervé Herau's dermatology practice is not widely publicized—in fact it's almost exclusively a word-of-mouth operation. We first heard about his restorative treatments (each one is 100% personalized, which explains why there's no treatment menu on his site) from a friend who swears that a session with him is like hitting the beauty jackpot.

Clients swear that Joëlle Ciocco’s blend of buccal massage (to stretch and tone facial muscles) and product (her eponymous line of cleansers and serums) will absolutely change your skin. What's truly remarkable is that she's actually a biochemist by trade, so there's real science behind her technique. An appointment with Joëlle is not cheap, but the results are priceless. That said, booking with a member of her team is the next best thing and much easier on the wallet.

This is one of those spots that doesn't feel like it could possibly be in a bustling city: Faced with a flowering courtyard, stone walls, and a glass ceiling, La Maison Dr. Hauschka is oh-so-quiet. Fitting really, because the facials and massages are relaxing enough to knock anyone out. Their signature facial, developed by Dr. Hauschka co-founder Elisabeth Sigmund, is two hours of pure bliss—deep cleansing, layers of masks, compresses, and incredibly effective skin care.

Surprisingly, Le Bristol is the only Parisian hotel allowed to perform facial treatments using La Prairie products. Much like the product line itself, the driving force behind the treatment menu is rejuvenation—as evidenced by treatments like the Caviar Lift Facial and the ultrasoothing Platinum Rare Haute Rejuvenation facial. The best part? You can drop off the littles at the Kids Club for the duration of your treatment.

While there are many reasons we love Douro Valley, the fantastic treatments at the spa are at the top of the list. Many use Seed to Skin products; others use scrubs and salves that are made on-site in the Alchemy Bar from botanicals grown on the property (you can book a session to make your own, too). The signature Warming Schist Vinotherapy, a full-body scrub (with a concoction of grape seeds, oils, and port) followed by a mini facial and a full-body hot stone massage using local schist, is pretty incredible. But don’t miss the Golden Aura Facial—both plumping and glowifying, it leaves your skin sculpted, refreshed, and radiant. (You can also upgrade several of the spa services with a Theragun add-on.)

This enormous spa in the middle of the Alps, high above Lake Lucerne has everything from an infinity pool and private spa suites to 3 different kinds of saunas and a series of Kneipp baths. It also has two facials that are hard to decide between: The Dr Burgener Repairing Gold and Green Caviar Facial, which uses ultrasound, green caviar, pulverized pearls, and gold trace elements to revitalize skin, and the 111Skin Signature Harley Street Facial, which calms and coddles skin to the nth degree. Originally designed to accelerate the post-surgery healing, it works to strengthen the epidermal barrier, tamp down irritation and redness, and super-moisturize skin (unsurprisingly, it’s extremely popular among skiers).

The famed wellness escape tucked in the rainforest of Bali, Shambhala Estate is as luxurious as it is supremely relaxing—especially in the fantastic, open-air spa. Acupuncture, Indonesian massage, and all manner of treatments are all on the menu but we’re especially obsessed with the facials, all which use the clean Ayurvedic brand Sundãri. Opt for the Intensive Healing Facial if you’re sensitive (the star ingredient is soothing neen oil) or if you’re looking for glow, choose the Essential Supplifying facial with nourishing oils and exfoliating—either way, you can’t go wrong.

This spa’s minimalist, plant-filled waiting room is an antidote to the hyperactive Bangkok streets, and the hospitable staff gives you lemongrass tea while you wait for your treatment. And the treatments are efficient: After less than an hour, we left with brighter, glowier skin than we arrived with. It’s a medical spa, so you can choose from basic treatments, like a sensitive skin facial, or more clinically advanced ones that incorporate medical-grade injectables, microdermabrasion, and lasers. You can meet with a staff dermatologist for a skin consultation and help navigating the menu. But the goldmine here is the classic rejuvenation facial—a fifty-minute lymphatic massage/marine collagen mask/radio frequency/oxygen mist hybrid—which leaves you with the kind of soft, springy skin that you can’t stop touching.

Kamalaya, on the lush Thai island Koh Samui, combines Eastern and Western medical treatments for as full a reset as you want. When you’re not busy with past-life regression therapy, Reiki, sound baths, herbal soaks, and massages for everything (head, hands, feet, you name it), spend some time floating around the verdant grounds: You’ll find coastal yoga pavilions, cold-water plunge pools, otherworldly steam rooms, and a contemplation cave once used by Buddhist monks.

Relaxing at a spa set on top of the world’s largest salt lick—the place is absolutely alive with wildlife—it’s hard to imagine wanting to do anything besides watch the animals and take in the incredible view, but the hour long “Afrique Arising” facial revives sun-baked, wind-whipped, safari-dry skin like nothing else. Ultra-moisturizing—it incorporates the organic, omega-rich, Africa-sourced Terres d’Afrique line—and peppered with fantastic massage techniques, the facial works to restore elasticity, hydration, smoothness, and glow.

The white marble spa in the exquisite boutique hotel Riad Farnatchi in the center of the medina is just incredible, and the facials are especially great. The Ananda Face Therapy involves an aloe vera and pomegranate cleanse, honey exfoliation, and detoxifying green clay mask, then you’re smoothed down in nourishing sandalwood and rose otto oils during a luminizing marma face massage. Other therapies couple traditional healing treatments with corrective technologies, incorporating essential oils like rare Ethiopian-sourced frankincense and sonic wave therapy.

Just off one of the busiest streets in Marrakech and hidden behind an ornate wooden door is one of the city’s most gorgeous hotels and hammams. The spa is bursting with bright, saturated colors, not to mention all sorts of fantastic treatments. The facials, all of which incorporate locally produced argan oil, are amazing. We love the Purity and Glow facial which deeply cleanses skin using gentle ingredients.

After spending the day driving around in the dry, dusty African bush, treat your skin to this full-on, rehydrating, ultra-moisturizing facial. Overlooking a lagoon of hippos, The Bush Spa offers relaxing facials and body treatments, combining both Eastern and Western techniques to revitalize skin, using products made with local extracts and botanicals. We love the Fresh Up facial to deeply cleanse and moisturize, or the Illuminating facial to wrap skin in a soothing, brightening pink clay.

Set on a private island in the Caribbean (it’s two miles off mainland Antigua and reachable only by boat) and enclosed in lush tropical foliage, Jumby Bay has 4.5 miles of powdery shoreline that are completely surrounded by crystal-blue coral-reef-sprinkled water. Every suite has a private plunge pool, and beautiful winding bike paths (the whole resort is brilliantly carless) take you right to the spa for sunrise yoga or breathwork or a treatment in a room with views of the ocean (you can actually hear the waves and breathe in the salt air). Get the facial (Tata Harper–designed, of course) with face-mapping therapy, exfoliation, massage, skin-reviving botanicals, and deep moisture.

There are just two facials on the menu at this quaint cottage-spa that’s perched on a serene lagoon (you can paddleboard right up to the entrance), and both are fantastic. Inspired by traditional Jamaican recipes and made with healing herbs and roots cultivated at the property’s own farm, the facials incorporate tension-relieving acupressure, cleansing muds, smoothing algae masks, and glowifying wild-harvested seaweed treatments.

The view alone will send you into raptures—the spa overlooks the Blue Mountains of Jamaica—not to mention the heavenly foot soak you get upon arrival. As you soak, an aesthetician determines the best treatment for your skin. They’re experts at tension-relieving face massage, deep pore detoxification, and revitalizing tired skin with island plant essences and unique lymphatic drainage acupressure techniques.

Every corner of this resort and spa on Paradise Island (yes, exactly) is beautiful. The eight private spa suites, all of which have both a lounge and a treatment room, are designed with Balinese accents like ornate wooden carvings and huge double doors that open so you can hear the ocean during your treatment. Facials fuse Asian beauty practices with Caribbean ingredients like algae, red coral, and lupin to nourish and fight sun damage.

We cannot get enough of this gorgeous hotel, especially the mostly-outdoor spa, where you’re surrounded by lush vegetation, palm trees, lava rock, and warm island air (there’s even an open air sauna). The treatments are all amazing, but the exclusive goop Glow facial is the ultimate: Layers of exfoliation, hydrators, and clinically-proven actives combine for a skin-boosting treatment that leaves anyone with the softest, smoothest, glowiest skin ever.

Joali Being, on its own private island in the Maldives, has a guiding philosophy of weightlessness. Here, that means letting go of your regular habits for a more intuitive way of life. It’s easier to sacrifice your attachments here, digital or otherwise, and it’s no mystery why: The island, covered in immaculate palm groves and dotted with modern Maldivian architecture, is so beautiful that you wouldn’t want to miss a moment. There’s an antigravity yoga pavilion, immersive wellness experiences, therapeutic and alternative healing therapies, an herbology center, a hydrotherapy hall that includes a sensory-deprivation room, sound therapy hall, and more.

A thirty-minute consultation determines the oil blends, herbs, food, and treatments most effective for your skin—and your Ayurvedic dosha. You arrive at the spa via a dhoni, a traditional Maldivian wooden boat that slices through turquoise waters. The facials combine high-tech medical therapies with ancient holistic practices; some treatments are even tethered to the cycles of the moon. The Ananda is particularly complexion-perfecting: Sixty minutes of marma massage (a traditional Ayurvedic technique) followed by light massage strokes that leaves you refreshed and drop-dead radiant.

It’s unlikely that you’d fly to New Zealand for the Healing Manuka-Honey Facial at The Spa at Kauri Cliff, but if you make it there, go for the 90-minute version, which is a fantasia of local Manuka honey, Rotorua thermal mud, and crushed paua shells from nearby Pink Beach, not to mention an incredible back massage. The spa itself, set amid fern glens and bubbling streams at the edge of the Totara forest, is pure Middle Earth. If you can, have your treatments done outside with birds singing all around you—heaven.