By Lorraine Shoemaker
On a recent trip to Reno with my sister, Melissa, we had the pleasure of staying the night at the Atlantis Hotel and Casino. Along with the first rate room on the 21st floor of the Concierge Tower, we had access to the opulent Spa Atlantis- which has so many treatments available that it’s nearly impossible to chose just one. Fortunately we didn’t have to! With the purchase of one treatment each we were treated to an entire day of luxurious pampering.
Melissa chose the Signature Physiodermi Facial as her treatment and her Facial Technician, Charlene lead her to a candlelit room with calming music. Melissa was in a semi reclining position on an elegantly draped massage table . Charlene first placed a warm towel on Melissa’s’ face to open the pores and relax the facial muscles. Next, a gentle cleansing and exfoliation using botanical extracts-most noticeably papaya enzyme- the aroma was heavenly! A very gentle extraction of impurities was followed by another warm towel. Rich moisturizer was applied and a final spritzing. Charlene also shaped Melissa’s’ eyebrows and waxed her upper lip as well as massaging her shoulders, neck and hands.
My treatment was The Hot Rock Massage. The intimate candlelit room with soothing music and delicate aroma made me feel relaxed and I wasn’t even on the massage table yet! I started by laying facedown on the soft, warm table and felt my shoulders ease. It was so serene. My Massage Therapist, Nickie, eased quietly into the room and began preparing to do magic. Using wondrously warm cream and a gentle touch, Nickie massaged my neck, shoulders, back, arms, legs, feet and hands. About the time I was dozing, Nickie began using the hot rocks up and down my back. What a luxury. The rocks used are river rocks, specially selected for several qualities: size for different parts of the body, color for heat retention (black absorbs more heat -white less) and shape and smoothness.
At the end of my massage I melted into the table for a few minutes before getting up. As I stood up my legs were so rubbery I felt intoxicated. I, sadly, bide farewell to Nickie-an excellent Massage Therapist. Next time you’re in Reno, give yourself an indulgent treat- visit Spa Atlantis and experience the magic. For a full menu of amenities contact Atlantiscasino.com
