Spavalous in Scottsdale

One of the best weeks of my life was spent on a trip with a group of girls in the desert of Phoenix, Arizona. One of the first things I noticed once I stepped out of the airport, into the arid desert air -- was my hair: no more frizz! And each morning, I didn't have to finish blow drying, because it dried beautifully au naturelle, quite unlike what happens when I don't finish styling in Boston.

But that's not all.

I didn't need as much coffee in the morning, or as much sleep throughout the night. Maybe it was the luxurious surroundings of the spacious Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch, with over a handful of outdoor pools and jacuzzis along a meditative walk with a mountainous view. This resort is by far one of my favorite places I'd like to re-visit -- especially in the comforting quiet of Spa Avania, the resort spa.

Heal, restore and replenish thyself.

You don't just get a body treatment at Spa Avania in Scottsdale, Arizona -- you get an expert Desert Essence Body Wrap (60 minutes, $165) experience by expert Esthetician, Naira Sarkisyan, who, after vigorously dry brushing with two hands at the same time, uses infused essence of cactus flowers in her massage mix ... sans prickles. Trehelose, a natural sugar bacteria found inside a cactus plant, is the active ingredient that hydrates and holds onto the moisture in your body, says Naira, who gave me the least intrusive body wrap I've ever experienced. And I've experienced many, and being a bit modest, I can tell you that being over-exposed is typical in a body wrap -- but not this one, thankfully. Naira worked one leg at a time, one arm at a time, and then spent time on my decollatage, scalp and face.

The outdoor view beckons from the treatment room at Spa Avania in Scottsdale. Once inside, select from 10 music playlists for your treatment. I chose Classical music.

"It’s not an exaggeration to say that Spa Avania is the most musically sophisticated resort spa in the world,”explained Gordon Tareta, Assistant Vice President of Spa Operations for Hyatt Hotels Corporation of the new, $9-million treatment and fitness oasis at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at GaineyRanch. “In addition to offering music to match any mood, we also offer music that specifically complementsthe body’s natural cycles to assist each guest’s innate journey to equilibrium.”

My gal-pal Ingrid, from Sacramento, California, enjoyed her time spent in the Spa Avania

outdoor mineral pool.