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PALA SPA
Where: 11154 Highway 76, Pala
Hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Contact: 877-946-7252, www.palacasino.com/spa

Each of the 14 treatment rooms has the option of outdoor treatments on an adjoining private patio. The Pala Spa has two Couples Spa Suites; a complete salon, a retail boutique and locker room facilities.

The locker rooms feature separate men's and women's dressing areas that feature personal lockers, private showers, outdoor rain showers, power showers, eucalyptus steam room, sauna and whirlpools.

Pala Spa offers a 24-hour fitness center accessible to hotel and spa guests. Workout equipment available for guests include four cardio treadmills, two elliptical cross-trainers and two cardio bikes. An eight-piece strength training circuit along with an array of dumbbells suited for all guests are also available.

Guests over the age of 21 are able to make use of the fitness room and spa relaxation areas.

SERVICE AND LIGHT

At Pala Spa one thing immediately stands out--the natural light.

With more than 10,000 square feet of space, the spa features 14 treatment rooms, including two massive couples suites at Pala Spa, which all offer areas for indoor and outdoor treatments.
The outdoor areas are blocked from the nearby pool, so nobody will see inside, but the facility embraces the Southern California sunshine.

Even the locker rooms have an outdoor lounge area with magazines, a rain shower, chairs and large, leafy tropical plants that make you feel like you're in a faraway resort. Make sure to block out part of your day to take advantage of the sauna, hot tub and the other amenities of the spa.

Amy Lopez, the spa's director, said that massages are still number one at Pala Spa but in the recent year, people are doing more facials and getting treatments that offer instant results.

Pala Spa offers a number of signature treatments, including the Revitalizing Eucalyptus Ritual, Microderm Facial, Island Lava Shell Massage and the Ionithermie Body Detox. The couples package is very popular as well, with partners receiving Swedish massages side by side in one of the couples suites and they can even enjoy a romantic bath afterward. Pala Spa has a diverse menu of services that can be matched for packages, from body wraps and massages to facials and baths.

"We do have a seasonal body wrap and body scrub we change out every quarter," Lopez said.
The spa also offers full hair salon services and nail treatments.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

When I went to Pala Spa, the warmth of the natural light was the first thing that stood out to me as well as the warmth of the staff. Lopez said that the majority of the staff members have been with the spa since it opened seven years ago.

Since each treatment room allows clients to have their treatment indoors or outdoors, I opted to do my 50-minute Island Lava Shell Massage outside and a 25-minute refresher facial indoors.

The shells are warmed with a volcanic lava powder, kelp, sea salt, and salt water. It was similar to a hot stone massage, but even better because the shells weren't too hot.

Being outside I could hear the breeze in the trees and even some birds chirping. It added to the relaxation experience.

One of the other perks was the heated massage table. Even though my treatment was on a cooler morning, I was nice and toasty in my spa cocoon.

The mini facial was a really good introduction to the treatment. I was a little concerned about someone poking and prodding at my face, but the refresher facial wasn't like that. I enjoyed a steam machine and the cleaning of a brush that was like an electric toothbrush that exfoliated my skin without being too rough.