Mii Amo - I think that means, Me, me, me, aahhhh, more!
Written: Sep 23 '01 (Updated Sep 15 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Wide variety of treatments in a beautiful, relaxing atmosphere
Cons: Expensive if you get all the treatments that you want, cucumber water
The Bottom Line: This has to be one of the most relaxing spas in the country, if not the world. Attention is paid to every detail to make your stay memorable.
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| twunschl's Full Review: Enchantment Resort |
Since I had stayed at the Enchantment Resort in May 2000 (see my epinion under Enchantment, http://www.epinions.com/content_26413010564), I had thought about the new spa, Mii Amo, which was to open in 2001. I had been told that the spa was built geared toward relaxation. When two of my friends and I were trying to decide where to go to get away and relax, Enchantment and Mii Amo was my first thought. And we weren't disappointed. We have since been to Mii Amo twice and our second experience was even better than the first.
The spa is located on the grounds of Enchantment Resort, which is nestled in a canyon in beautiful Sedona. The moment that you step through the doors, you know that you are in for a totally new and luxurious experience. Soothing music plays at all times. There are two pools - one indoor/heated pool with underwater music and one outdoor pool with views of the red rock. The indoor pool has many chairs and couches to relax or talk to people with a fireplace in the center. The outdoor pool is surrounded by the biggest, fluffiest lounge chairs that I have ever seen, complete with large shades to block out the sun if you desire. Next to the pool is a smoothie bar and restaurant that offers indoor or outdoor dining.
The Spa and the Facilities
The entrance to the woman's lounge is across from the pool. Once you enter, you are immediately greeted, given a robe and slippers and given the "grand tour". There were two large tables in the lounge with ice cold water (warning! The water has cucumbers and lemons in it. If you don't like the taste of cucumbers, you won't like this water, as it tastes like cucumber juice. Just ask for plain water; they will be happy to get it for you) ice tea, and hot water to make a wide variety of hot tea. Your next stop is the "locker room". It is hardly like any locker room you have seen. The wood lockers are beautiful with a larger mirror in the middle of the room for added privacy. Everything that you could need is available; cotton balls, hair ties, Q-Tips, combs, deodorant, body spray, eye makeup remover and facial wipes. Next on the tour are the showers and toilets. The showers have wood planks in the floor at the entrance so you don't have to stand on the tile while you change. The shower is large with a white shower curtain for added privacy. Each shower is equipped with shampoo, conditioner, body wash and moisturizer. Disposable razors and shower caps are even available. The toilets are like no other public toilet. Each door has a French knob and the doors are floor to ceiling wood. No metal stalls here. Last on the tour are the Jacuzzi, eucalyptus steam room and sauna. The steam room is wonderful for clearing your sinuses and making the oils used in the treatments to penetrate into your skin. This area is very secluded and is blocked off from the main activity of the lounge by a beautiful smoked glass wall. Now that I have visited another spa, I realize how wonderful this entire area is. Every attention was paid to make sure that you feel relaxed and comfortable. Even the most modest feel at ease here.
Once you have changed into your robe and slippers, you then proceed up the stairs to the treatment rooms. Again, there is a table with water, ice tea and hot tea next to the chairs and couches where you wait for your therapist to meet you. The lounge area has two couches and about six chairs. Everything is decorated like the rest of the spa, in black, cobalt blue and burnt orange.
The Treatments
Choosing the treatments that you want can be a very difficult task. There are 10 different massages, 3 bath treatments, 5 body treatments, 3 Ayurvedic treatments, 6 facials and a variety of waxing and nail care services. When choosing my treatments, I decided to try a variety. For my first time, I choose the Native Rain body treatment, Shirodhara Ayurvedic treatment that included a facial, and Essential Oil Massage with Wrap. My second trip to the spa, I tried the Blue Corn Polish, Lymphatic massage and the Milk & Honey Bath.
Native Rain I have to admit that when I first walked into the Vichy Shower Room, I wasn't convinced that this rain shower massage was going to be that great. "Lying under a horizontal rain bar with seven showerheads, and the water pulsating over your entire body" sounded better in the brochure. The rain bar felt pretty good and when the therapists offered to massage me with lotion, I of course said yes. When I tried to sit up, I realized this was much more relaxing then I thought. I was like jello. This was the perfect treatment to start with since I then felt relaxed and refreshed for the rest of my stay at the spa. A 60 minute treatment cost $115.
Shirodhara I had seen pictures in the past of this ancient Indian treatment. There is a small copper pot that releases warm oil onto your forehead. It seemed very intriguing and since I may not get the chance to have this treatment anywhere else, I decided that this was the facial for me. It began with a 23 multiple choice questionnaire. The questions varied from, what is your body type, to what do you dream about, and to how do you handle stressful situations. You then discover your dosha (there are three doshas - Vata, Pitta and Kapha). I am a Pitta, with Kapha following close behind. The oil for your dosha is then slowly poured onto the forehead "which stimulates the pituitary gland and helps to balance the endocrine system as well as opening the third eye and window to the soul." The oil is then massaged into your hair and scalp. Next is a facial massage and mask. While the mask is setting, your hands are massaged and wrapped in warm mitts. This was a very unique facial. One of the nice touches in the facial rooms is the sky light over your head that offer views of the red rocks. 60 minutes $115
Essential Oil Massage with Wrap This was my most relaxing and memorable treatment. The rooms are not your typical massage rooms that are dark and lit by candles. Each room has windows with spectacular views of the canyon. You start by choosing the essential oils for your needs - relaxation, stress, headache relief and so on. You are then dry brushed and then massaged with your personal oil. You are then wrapped in linens and given a foot, head, neck and scalp massage. You get to keep the essential oils that were not used. My therapist was fantastic (I believe her name was Nancy). My friend had the same treatment, but did not enjoy it as much. I am sure that it greatly depends on the therapist. 90 minutes $150.
Blue Corn Polish This is now one of my favorite treatments and I know that I will get it again. You start out with a light exfoliation as your therapist uses loofah gloves and warm sudsy water. Next, you are rubbed down with a wonderful combination of blue corn, oatmeal, sea salts and aloe vera. Once you are thoroughly scrubbed, your therapist will leave the room and there is a beautiful shower in the back of the room. As I washed off the corn concoction, I kept on saying “Oohhh, oohh, my skin is sooo soft.” While you are in your private shower, your therapist discretely enters the room and replaces the linens on the table. After the therapist leaves, you dry yourself off with a fluffy blue towel and then slip into the fresh linens covered in an Indian blanket. Your treatment is completed with a wonderful massage. 60 minutes $115
Lymphatic Massage This is also one of my favorite treatments now. I have never been so relaxed from a massage and I actually fell asleep three different times. Your lymph nodes are located at the joints in your body. My therapist (who I later found out, specializes in energy work) started with a light pulsing motion on a lymph node. The she gently and rhythmically rubbed my skin to direct the toxins in my body toward the lymph node. All of this is done while you are laying face up. She started at my head and then worked her way down and around my body, finishing with my head again. I would highly recommend this to anyone, but I must issue a warning. Do NOT have this done at night time! I scheduled this for 6:45 at night and I was up every hour during the night so that my body could get rid of all those nasty toxins built up. This is definitely a morning treatment. 60 minutes $115
Milk & Honey Bath My friend had this treatment last year and I was looking forward to getting it myself this year. You start out with a milk, honey and sea salt scrub to exfoliate your skin. Then you step into a large hydro jet tub that contains nearly one hundred jets and a green colored milk soak. The green color helps to mask the water. Depending on your modesty and openness, your therapist will either sit discretely in the back of the room while you enjoy your bath or there is a handheld massage wand that the therapist will use at one point. After your soak, you will then get back on the massage table for a hydrating lotion massage. I didn’t think that this was as relaxing as I had hoped. Maybe it was my therapist, or the fact that I have a Jacuzzi at home, or just the fact that it is hard to relax with someone in the room while you take a bath. My friend loved her bath last year and said that the one she had this year wasn’t as good. This is such a different spa treatment though and if you are looking for something different, I recommend that you try it. 90 minutes $150
Mii Amo Café
On our second trip, we booked our treatments so that we had enough time at night to eat at the spa. Everything is healthy, but the presentation and preparation make the food great. Everything is priced around $18 to $25 and the menu changes daily. When we were there, the choices included salmon, pan seared tofu, chicken, beef and a Chef’s Pasta of rotini, alfredo sauce and veggies. We also ordered a very non-healthy prickly pear cactus margarita that was wonderful. There were also desserts available, but nothing was high enough in calories and fat content for me to thoroughly enjoy. We enjoyed our meal at the restaurant, and made for a great way to end our day -a nice meal and then a massage before bed. One bit of bad though, there is no bread at the spa. Instead, you are offered a basket of soy beans in the shell. We were so starving that we scarfed down the beans and completely regretted it later.
Other areas in the spa
I was told by one of my therapists that the spa was designed by a woman who specializes in Feng Shui. We discovered that there is an outdoor medicine wheel, like a rock garden and the Crystal Grotto. I am not into the New Age, crystal thing, but each day we entered the grotto to listen to the rain echo in the room. The room is round with a crystal perched on top of a petrified tree stumps. There is water that comes up under the crystal and then trickles down the sides making rain drop sounds. Since the room is a dome, the rain sounds real. There is a circular sky light in the ceiling and during the summer solstice, the sun hits the crystal directly.
Other areas include a library, fitness room and Movement studio. There are daily classes that take place and if you have a treatment scheduled, you can take as many classes as you like for free. They were offering yoga, hi-low aerobics, palates, water aerobics, abs workout and many others while we were there.
There is also a beautiful gift shop in the spa. They offer many of the products that are used during the treatments, including their own line of lotions and oils. If you want to know what was used during a treatment, make sure that you ask your therapist. Since the focus is on you, there is no mention of the products. If you forgot to ask, and later want to buy the products, they can always call your therapist and ask. The gift shop also offers jewelry, books and clothing.
Packages
I also recommend that you check into packages. We went on the "Great Escape" package for $569.99 per night. This included three nights stay at Enchantment Resort in a casita, 3 - 60 minute treatments, 3 - 90 minute treatments and 3 - one hour lessons with tennis pro. There is also a “Double Pleasures” package that includes two nights in a Junior Casita and 2 – 60 minute treatments per person. Mii Amo also has 14 casitas on the spa property and there are all-inclusive packages that include the room, treatments and dining at the spa. I would also recommend booking your treatments so that you have about a half hour to forty-five minutes in between each treatment. It is nice to lounge around at the pool and to use the facilities in the lounges.
All in all
This is one of my favorite places in the world. I could return here again and again. Now that I have experienced another spa (Camelback in Scottsdale, an awful experience) I realize just how special this spa is. You are engulfed in relaxation, comfort and tranquility. If you are looking for a spa, look no further and come to Mii Amo at Enchantment.
www.enchantmentresort.com
www.miiamo.com
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
twunschl
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 - Top 1000 |
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Location: Wishing I was back in Tahiti
Reviews written: 40
Trusted by: 67 members
About Me:
Our Tahiti pictures and video are on-line. Go to www.tahiti.wunschl.com
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