Unwinding Downtown

The center of downtown Los Angeles' financial district may not spring to mind when you're thinking of peaceful destinations, but this is where we experienced the most relaxing massage we've had in years. Our haven was the Omni Hotel Spa at California Plaza. After valet parking the car (the spa validates), we made our way up to the spa's location on the fourth floor.

The spa is adjacent to the Omni's fitness center and outdoor heated pool (both of which spa guests have access to). Decorated in stylish minimalist décor with a mod flavor, the facilities are both comfortable and welcoming. We arrived early and settled into a cushy chair in the lounge area to sip on cucumber water and flip through an issue of Dwell before our scheduled treatment time.

Massage therapist Liz welcomed us warmly and led us into one of the two tranquil and beautifully appointed treatment rooms (the second room is set up to accommodate couples) for our massage. After we'd settled under the soft covers on the heated table, Liz returned to the room to work her magic, inquiring about the level of pressure and our comfort, but otherwise remaining blissfully silent so that we could drift off to our happy massage place in peace. Liz is a true talent – we were so incredibly relaxed during our treatment that we actually fell asleep a couple of times. After our hour-long treatment had ended, she encouraged us to take our time getting up and getting dressed. It wasn't easy – we could've dozed there all day.

Review originally published 3/29/2007.