Burke Williams on a Budget

Burke Williams is popular for a reason – the spa offers facilities galore, including quiet rooms, spas, saunas, showers, steam rooms and vanity areas. And they charge a premium for all those niceties; massages start at $75 for just 25 minutes. But we found a way to spend the day at BW soaking, steaming, sweating and showering for under $60.

We scheduled an appointment for Burke Williams $55 Calming Detox Wrap ($55 is the minimum you can spend on a treatment and gain access to the facilities, so manis/pedis don't technically get you in). The wrap is described on their menu as the ideal complement to a massage, but we found that it's quite a satisfying experience all on its own. We gingerly lowered down onto a table covered with very hot wet cloths scented with lavender and other pleasant essential oils, which our spa technician wrapped around our body. She then applied more coverings to encourage perspiration. As we lay there detoxifying, she treated us to a neck, shoulder, face, neck and foot massage that lasted most of the 25-minute session. The mini massage was immensely satisfying, and we were able to prolong the sense of relaxation afterward by spending another couple of hours hopping from the hot tub to the steam room to the sauna to the ladies lounge. Now that's money well spent.

Review originally published January 18, 2008.