LeSpa, So Chic

Los Angeles has a spa to suit any taste, from organic eco spas to sleek medi spas. We consider LeSpa at the Sofitel to be the quintessential LA Woman of spas: gorgeous, polished and chic, yet smart and sensitive at heart.

One of the largest hotel spas in the city, LeSpa's 5,000 square feet allow for a sense of luxurious, expansive peace. No detail is overlooked – the women's locker room features a fabulous steam room and a 21-head(!) shower, and the spa robes are like slipping inside the world's yummiest teddy bear. When we entered the slightly space-age Serenity Room, we wondered for a moment if we were actually in the right place – was this the spa or the hotel bar? This question was soon answered by the arrival of massage therapist Brian, who brought jasmine-scented tea and a personal foot bath – ooh la la!

We were in rather bad shape when we got on the table in the elegantly appointed treatment room. A pinched nerve and too much computer time had been sending shooting pains down one arm, and we felt a bit apprehensive having bodywork done by someone new. Brian, who had trained with a Rolfer for several years, was an exceptionally perceptive therapist; his focus on trouble spots and pressure points relieved pain to which we had long grown accustomed. Afterward, he suggested stretches and techniques to do at home. This was no run-of-the-mill rubdown, and we were pleasantly surprised to find a gem like Brian in a hotel spa.

LeSpa features some decidedly five-star extras, such as private spa suites outfitted with color-therapy hot tubs, private bathrooms and dressing areas. But no matter how ultra-luxe a spa appears to be, it is the treatments and the therapists that make or break it, and our experience at LeSpa proved that it is much, much more than just a pretty face.

Review originally published 10/24/2008.