?Whether you?re looking to start the new year off with a new you or you?re still hunting for a gift any man would enjoy, you can?t go wrong with these temples dedicated to the art of R&R.
The Ciel Spa, Beverly Hills
A facial, a shave, and a beer -- why, yes, we don?t mind if we do. The Well Kept Man package ($145; 2 hours) in the SLS Hotel?s in-house spa includes a 90-minute gentlemen?s facial to clean, purify and hydrate followed by a relaxing scalp massage and signature straight-razor hot towel shave. Features Cellular Intelligence products.
310-426-5560; CielAtSLS.com
>The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Orlando
Theme parks are rough, so pre-Disney or post-Universal -- or as a gift to the Gay Days lover on your list -- check into the Ritz for a men?s hot towel facial ($140; 50 minutes) that utilizes tea tree oil and clarifying cypress moisturizing serum, or an Ashiatsu massage ($205; 80 minutes) where trained therapists use their feet and plenty of peppermint oil to pummel chronic knots. A Macho, Macho Pedicure ($55) or MAN-icure ($35) are simple pleasures as well.
407-206-2400; RitzCarlton.com
>Browhaus, New York City
Bad tweeze jobs are a lot like porn: hard to describe but you know it when you see it. Leave your eyebrows or your bushy boyfriends? to the experts at this new depilation temple near Nolita. And we mean experts: technicians here get sent to Singapore to train for up to 8 weeks in the finer points of plucking, especially where men are concerned, as the line between perfect brow and perfect guido is all to close. Prices start at $15. Mention "Out" when you book and get 50% off a thread/tweeze until December 31.
212-431-1124; Browhaus-USA.com
?The Spa at The Mandarin Oriental, Miami
Sun, sand, scene -- South Beach this time of year can be divine madness. Escape across the bay for an afternoon Gentlemen?s Retreat ($480 weekday, $505 weekend; 3 hours, 50 minutes) to relieve tension, relax the mind, and get your skin back to its beachy best. Designed for an active man, the package includes a deep-tissue massage, facial with extraction, and a pedicure, plus plenty of sedately luxe service the Mandarin Oriental is famous for. Newly remodeled, the 15,000-square-foot complex is Florida?s only five-star spa.
305-913-8332; MandarinOriental.com/miami/spa
>Sir Spa, Chicago
Chicago's premier men?s spa, gay-owned in gay 'hood Andersonville, provides a full range of services from waxing to massage and includes a steam room, rain showers, and relaxation TV lounge. The Esquire ($300; 4 hours) lays on the royal treatment -- 60-minute signature Swedish massage, Dead Sea salt and essential oil scrub, hot towel face treatment, plus a hand and foot detail -- or opt for a 30-minute Ab Wrap ($75) to help free your money maker. Can?t decide whether to indulge or gift the experience? Don?t. Book a Date Night treatment (from $150 per couple) which includes massages, beer and wine, plus a discount to area restaurants.
773-271-7000; SirSpa.com
>Nickel Spa, New York City
The French-inflected designo day spa that arguably first allowed us to indulge our manly pampering impulses back in 2001 continues to be a first stop for Chelsea boys looking to primp in a high-end atmosphere. Go a la carte with a full slate of services, or combine into packages: No. 1 ($135; 2 hours) includes a mani/pedi and 60-minute deep tissue massage, No. 3 ($265, 3.5 hours) ups that to a 90-minute massage and throws in a complete facial with signature Nickel products, while No. 4 ($118; 90 minutes) combines a facial with a men?s cut.
212-242-3203; NickelSpaNYC.com
?Qua at Caesar?s Palace, Las Vegas
It gets us up and keeps us regular and now, with the Arabian Knights Facial & Body Treatment ($210; 50 minutes), coffee becomes a beauty bump. Finely ground Arabica coffee is mixed with Dead Sea salts to slough away dead skin cells while detoxifying and regenerating, while lemon and mint aromas add additional buzz. The treatment includes an anti-aging facial and mini scalp massage.
866-782-0655; Harrahs.com/qua-caesars-palace
>Exclusively Men?s Barber & Spa, Scottsdale
When you live your life in the sun?s harsh glare -- which is practically year-round in the Phoenix area -- it?s nice to know somebody has your back. At this butch men?s club (think Italian barber turned day spa), indulge with the Traditional Spa ($100) and get a shampoo, haircut, hot towel shave, mani/pedi, and shoe shine, or go all the way with the Royal Spa ($150), which includes all that plus a mask and facial massage as well. After you?re primped, clean-ups are free.
480-656-0802; ExclusivelyMensSpa.com
>Baxter Finley Barber & Shop, West Hollywood
Sometimes the ol? morning scrape just isn?t enough, and that?s when you have Baxter Finley, all reclaimed wood, vintage chairs, and dapper Americana. Having already made nationwide inroads into the product sections with their no-fuss blue-bottled potions and acclaimed brushes and straight razors, their first brick-and-mortar location is a straightforward affair. A haircut and straight razor/hot towel shave ($75) will make a new man of you in an hour.
310-657-4726; BaxterFinley.com
>Spa InterContinental, London
Britain is magic this time of year, but that transatlantic flight plays hell on your constitution. Say "cheerio" to jet lag and "ahoy-hoy" to increased energy with his Hyde Park spa's Recharge package (£300; 2 hours, 45 minutes). It starts off with an Exotic Lime and Ginger Salt Glow exfoliation scrub, followed by a massage with emphasis on the back and shoulders, before a Visible Brilliance Facial using Elemis products smoothes away fine lines and dark circles. A light bento box lunch is also included.
+44-20-7318-8691; SpaIntercontinental.com